Westminster Bulletin Fall 2017

Fall 2017

Westminster Bulletin

Strengthening a Commitment to Community • Moving Heat Energy Through Geothermal Systems Three Generations at Westminster • 2017 Reunion and Commencement

Students walk across campus in early fall.

Westminster Bulletin

FALL 2017

FEATURES

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Celebrating a Milestone

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Strengthening a Commitment to Community

Moving Heat Energy Through Geothermal Systems

Three Generations of the Speakman Family

D R T M E N TMessage S 2 E P AHeadmaster’s

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Supporting Westminster

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From the Archives

10 Athletics

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Martlets on the Move

40 Reunion

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Class Notes

50 Commencement

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Closing Thoughts

Hill Headlines

On the cover, the first family-style lunch in Armstrong Dining Hall took place Sept. 11.

Back cover, an aerial view of campus showing new facilities.

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FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Members of the Westminster Community,

As you enjoy this edition of our Bulletin, which features the remarkable transformation in our campus first envisioned by our campus master planner Graham Gund ’59, I want to offer some insights regarding our aspirations for Westminster School moving forward. The new dining hall, student center, residences, academic center or even the turf field have each been designed with the intention of underscoring Westminster School’s ethos and core values: The new dining hall allows us to offer family-style lunch to our entire school community — boarding and day students as well as faculty; the new student center assures that our historic first building on Williams Hill — Cushing Hall — remains at the epicenter of community activity; and the new student and faculty residence features common spaces for students and faculty to gather.

We are a more vibrantly intentional community thanks to this vision for our campus master plan and the philanthropy that brought that vision into reality.

The lessons members of the school community learn from each other every day, as a community, are a distinguishing aspect of Westminster’s mission. Although academic lessons taught in the classroom define us as a school, we seek to teach lessons that extend well beyond the academic sphere. We hope these lessons will inform the lifetimes of our students, as they seek to contribute to the world beyond Williams Hill. Fundamentally, our school’s mission focuses on the people who comprise our school community — students, faculty, alumni, parents and friends. Our beautiful campus facilities matter because they enhance this mission and the experience of our students.

Now, as we cast our gaze forward from this transformed campus setting, we seek to focus directly on supporting students, faculty and programs. Achieving this critical goal will require substantially more philanthropic resources for promising students without sufficient

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financial resources, for attracting and retaining faculty whose passion will inspire our students to new heights, and for enriching programs which will prepare students to make a difference in their endeavors.

This philanthropic support can be directed to various important priorities, such as scholarships that allow us to enroll students from diverse circumstances who want to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Westminster; through funded honorary chairs that distinguish, attract and retain top-notch faculty; or through underwriting the costs associated with inspirational programs across our curriculum, whether in the classroom, in the arts, in athletics, in the chapel or in service to others. There are many opportunities to be realized, and every initiative will have a tremendous impact on the future of Westminster.

Philanthropy can sustain these initiatives on an annual basis and even in perpetuity. To use the example of a scholarship, depending on philanthropic inclination and capacity, a donor might contribute on an annual term basis to The Westminster Fund or endow in perpetuity a partial or full scholarship. Annual gifts, term funding gifts and endowment gifts will accomplish the same goal of supporting opportunities for deserving youngsters from various circumstances to attend Westminster, even if their families don’t enjoy the financial wherewithal necessary for tuition. At present, about 30 percent of Westminster students are on financial aid, among whom only a portion are supported by endowed resources.

For another example, consider Westminster faculty, many of whom have devoted their lives to the school and our students. During reflection about their experience at Westminster, alumni often volunteer the difference that faculty made and continue to make in their lives. The roster of legendary faculty names in our school’s history continues to expand. The impact of faculty on the experience of students is immeasurable, so attracting and retaining faculty devoted to our

mission, core values and ethos must remain an overriding priority. Crucial to this process is honoring the best, which can occur with the award of a named faculty chair. As with a named scholarship, a named faculty chair can be funded either through annual gifts or an endowed gift. No matter the source, this philanthropy affirms the dignity of the faculty’s devotion to enriching the student experience.

We all cherish this school and can accomplish more as a community than individually. Martlets fly together! Our aspiration is for Martlets to soar together in support of students, faculty and programs. Together, we can provide the lift that will allow Westminster School to achieve new heights, assuring that it enjoys not just sustainable resources but resources which will allow it and its students to thrive!

William V.N. Philip P’06, ’09 Headmaster

H I L L HHI LEL AHDE ALDI LNI NEE SS

Grandparents Day 2017 Sept. 27 was a beautiful summer-like day for approximately 200 grandparents of current students to visit Westminster for Grandparents Day. They were welcomed to campus by Headmaster Bill Philip and then attended classes with their grandchildren. They also had an opportunity to attend chapel, take a photo with their grandchild, enjoy lunch in Armstrong Dining Hall and attend afternoon athletic contests. Many students showed their grandparents around campus.

Sixth Formers Serve Others With commencement just a few days away, members of the Sixth Form spent the morning of May 22 performing volunteer work at seven locations as part of Sixth Form Service Day.

The approximately 100 students and 10 faculty members broke into groups to visit the Community Farm of Simsbury, the senior center at Eno Memorial Hall in Simsbury, McLean Village in Simsbury, the Simsbury Historical Society, the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation in Bloomfield, the South Park Homeless Shelter in Hartford, Healing Meals in Avon and Gifts of Love in Avon.

They performed a variety of work at the locations including planting flowers, raking leaves, distributing mulch, feeding farm animals, stacking and organizing shelves, sorting and itemizing merchandise, helping prepare meals and working with senior citizens.

Westminster’s Director of Community Service Kelly Curtis organized the day’s activities.

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HILL HEADLINES

Beginning Westminster’s 130th Year Westminster welcomed 395 students to campus from 24 states and 28 countries at the beginning of its 130th year. The new academic year also marked the opening of Armstrong Dining Hall, a new dormitory named Kelter House, and two new carriage houses: Flinn Family House and Beinecke House.

During opening days’ events, students took part in a number of fun-filled activities including dorm Olympics, games, a trivia contest and cookouts. They also met with their advisors.

At the first assembly of the year Sept. 8, Headmaster Bill Philip invited everyone to applaud the 122 new students. “We had a great opening of school,” he said. He thanked faculty and staff for all of their planning efforts and members of the Sixth Form for their help moving students into dormitories and assisting with orientation activities.

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Head Prefect Jessie Schuhlen ’18 also welcomed new students in her remarks, saying, “I know I speak for everyone when I say I look forward to you becoming a part of our community and getting to know each of you.” She shared some background about her Westminster experience and provided some advice for each form.

For Third Formers, she acknowledged that they might be nervous and recounted her first day as a Third Former. She also encouraged them to reach out to upper formers. “Ask for advice,” she said. “Get their experiences. They’ve been through this already, and their advice is some of the best.”

For Fourth Formers, she encouraged them to start taking advantage of everything the school has to offer. “Start making this your school. Try something out of your box.”

HILL HEADLINES

For Fifth Formers, who are beginning to focus on the college process, she advised: “Put in the hours. Study for that big test.

It will pay off, I promise. And know that you don’t have to go through this year alone. Lean on each other. Use your friends.

Find a study group.”

And for her fellow Sixth Formers, she said: “We are now the leaders of this school, and it’s our job to decide what kind of legacy we want to leave behind us here. We need to step up and make this place the best it can be, especially for everyone who comes after us. And in the midst of that, we need to cherish every moment.”

She closed by saying how excited she is to see what the year brings. “Together, I know we can make this one of the most memorable years Westminster has ever seen as long as we don’t forget the little things that can make the whole difference, like

simply saying ‘hi’ to someone new in the halls.”

At the Pin Ceremony on the Sixth Form Lawn, alumni and honorary faculty members presented members of the Sixth Form with their Class of 2018 pin or pendant that was designed by the form. All new students then gathered in Andrews Memorial Chapel for the Sign-in Ceremony where they were greeted by Headmaster Philip and members of the Prefect Board. They also signed their name in a book signifying their membership in the school community.

The first family-style lunch took place Sept. 11 in Armstrong Dining Hall with faculty and students eating together at assigned tables in the magnificent new Gund Dining Room. Family-style lunches now take place four days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. And this year’s Chapel Program got underway Sept. 12 with a talk given by Headmaster Philip.

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HILL HEADLINES

Marilyn Nelson Visits as 17th Westminster Poet Renowned poet Marilyn Nelson visited Westminster April 17-18 to serve as the 2017 Westminster Poet. It was a return visit, since she also served as the Westminster Poet in 2005.

A former Connecticut State Poet Laureate from 2001-2006, Nelson is the author or translator of more than 24 books, including those for children, adolescents and adults. She is this year’s winner of the prestigious NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature. In 2012, she was awarded the Frost Medal, the Poetry Society of America’s most prestigious award, and in 2013, she was elected to The Academy of American Poets Board of Chancellors.

Nelson is a professor emerita of English at the University of Connecticut. She earned a B.A. from the University of California, Davis, an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she started writing while in elementary school. Her father was a member of the last graduating class of Tuskegee Airmen, and her mother was a teacher.

She began a reading for the school community in Werner Centennial Center by expressing how honored she was to be this year’s Westminster Poet. She then read from “Faster Than Light,” which won the 2013 Milton Kessler Poetry Award, and from “Carver: A Life in Poems,” which was a National Book Award finalist and was designated both a Newbery Honor Book and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. She talked about George Washington Carver’s life history, saying, “This is a book with a lot of different speakers because I didn’t feel comfortable writing in Carver’s voice.”

She then spoke about “My Seneca Village,” which introduces readers to a successful 19th-century multiethnic community located on the edge of what is today New York City’s Central Park. She closed by reading the poems “Conductor” and “Words and Whispers.”

During a question-and-answer session that followed, she said, “I find history inspiring.” And when asked whether she sees her work as important, she replied, “I hope I am making a contribution; some of my projects have taken off after the book.”

During visits with English classes, students asked Nelson about specific poems and her writing in general. They had studied her writing throughout the academic year. In Emily Walsh’s ’09 Literature of Identity class, students had read “American Ace,” a collection of verse for young adults. “This book began because my father was a Tuskegee Airman,” Nelson explained. “I wanted it to be about the question of identity, especially who we are as Americans.” Students asked her about how she Above right, Marilyn Nelson speaks with students in an English class and, right, gives a reading in Werner Centennial Center.

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decides what title to give each poem, how comedy plays a role in her writing and how she works with a publisher.

During another class visit, she described a writing technique she uses that “allows something to bubble up from the unconscious.” She added, “There is great pleasure in writing a poem that works.” She also shared that it takes a number of writing sessions of multiple hours for her to write a poem, and she often shares her work with a writing group in which she is involved. Regarding making historical poems true to history, she said, “I try to be accurate in every historical poem I have written.”

English teacher Michael Cervas P’96, ’01, ’10, who directs the Westminster Poet Series, said: “Marilyn Nelson’s combination of accessibility and technical proficiency makes her a perfect poet for a high school audience. Her wide-ranging curiosity, her empathy and her intelligence shine through her poems. She is also a generous and accomplished teacher.”

HILL HEADLINES

Chris Herren Shares Life Story Former high school and college basketball superstar Chris Herren, who played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics, visited Westminster Sept. 29 to share his story of struggling with substance abuse.

He is the founder of The Herren Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing treatment navigation, education and mentoring to those touched by addiction and to educating people of all ages on the dangers of substance abuse. He speaks to about 250 audiences each year.

Chris Herren gives a presentation to students and faculty.

Fourth Formers Compete in Public Speaking Contest Fourteen Fourth Formers participated in Westminster’s second annual Public Speaking Contest May 1 in Sejong Lecture Hall. The students were selected for the competition based on the quality of the speeches they presented during their Civil Discourse, Speech Writing and Public Speaking course they took during the winter trimester.

After welcoming the audience to the competition, faculty member Todd Eckerson P’09, ’11, ’17, ’21 said: “The Civic Engagement course is tied to the public speaking course. Being trained in public speaking is an important means by which one can contribute to one’s community. It is the springboard from which one can contribute to a positive public discourse. It is how you get things done. You take ideas and you put them in the Fourteen Fourth Formers were finalists in the Public Speaking Contest. public.”

He thanked Fifth Form teaching assistants Ian

“This year, we emphasized writing shorter speeches Broadbent, Elizabeth Casey, Maddie Dwyer, Fiona and using rhetorical devices more,” said Todd, as he began Fan, Ozzy Kutluel, Kate Lovas, Lucy Noel and Zack Tarazi. introducing the finalists, who each gave their original speech He also extended appreciation to volunteer co-teachers Mark de before the audience. A team of faculty judges evaluated each Kanter ’91, P’19, Kathleen Devaney P’19, Alan Leathers P’11, speech on a number of categories then deliberated to select ’17, Bill Sistare, Rebeccah Tuscano-Moss P’20 and Peter Ulrich a winner who was announced at the Spring Term Awards P’09, ’10 who helped lead the various sections of the course.

Ceremony as Maddie Vanech. The 14 finalists included Fourth

Besides the overall award for the competition, Todd Formers Souley Ballo, Elaina Comia, Kaitlyn Eddy, Shannon announced that an additional award had been added to the Keefe, Caroline Kelter, Jeevan Palaniyandy, Reese Poe, Maya competition for the Best First Speech of the course. Those Ruffin, Galym Sarkytbayev, Justin Schuster, Brandon Slawaska, recognized for the award were Blake Cote, Hayden Fox, Maddie Vanech, Alexandra Wolf and Riley Wood.

Shannon Keefe, Caroline Kelter, Darian Purcell, Liz Murphy, Isabel von Bargen-Burke and Alexandra Wolf.

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HILL HEADLINES

Spring Festival of the Arts Members of the Concert Band, Jazz Band, Tower Room, Jazz Trio, Dance Ensemble, Chamber Choir and Chorale gave performances at the Spring Festival of the Arts May 25 and 26 in Werner Centennial Center. The festival, which is part of commencement weekend, also included the Spring Student Exhibition of Works from the Visual Arts on display in the Chapel Gallery.

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HILL HEADLINES

Madcap Murder Mystery Takes Stage Westminster students and faculty enjoyed the hilarious Weston Playhouse Theatre Company’s production of “Murder for Two” April 10 as part of the of the Graham Gund ’59 Visiting Artist Series. This classic musical comedy meets madcap murder mystery features two actors playing 13 roles and one piano. The producing artistic director was Steve Stettler, a member of the Westminster faculty from 1974-1980.

Members of the Gund Family established the Graham Gund ’59 Visiting Artist Series fund in 1991 in honor of Graham Gund ’59 at his 50th birthday. Income from the fund underwrites the cost of bringing outstanding artists to Westminster to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of the performing arts. “Murder for Two” was presented through special arrangement with Murder for Two Musical LLC.

Students and faculty meet with the actors who performed in “Murder for Two.”

Friday Nights at Westminster Friday Nights at Westminster, a series of readings and concerts held during the academic year, kicked off Oct. 6 with a reading by Monica Wood, a novelist, memoirist and playwright. She read excerpts from her most recent novel, “The One-in-a-Million Boy.” The student reader was Nicholas Wee ’18, the winner of the Brian Ford Writing Prize. The series is in its ninth year.

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///// A T H L E T I C S /////

Spring Season Highlights First Boys’ Golf After achieving tremendous success over the past four seasons, First Boys’ Golf had more of a “rebuilding” season this year. The team was certainly competitive, achieving a regular season record of 9-12, which included a significant number of close losses. The team also had solid performances at a number of the major “invitational” tournaments, including fourth place out of 10 teams at the inaugural Suffield Invitational, ninth place out of 14 teams at the Western New England Invitational, fifth place out of nine teams at the Founders League Championship and 11th place out of 23 teams at the Kingswood Invitational Tournament. With the graduation of only captain Jack Griffith ’17, Logan Hinton ’17 and Sam Knowlton ’17, the team returns a strong nucleus for next year. Among the returning players with significant first team experience are Ned Blanchard ’20 (2017 MVP), Ian Broadbent ’18, Justin Flaks ’20 and Grant Noble ’18 (2017 Squibb Bowl and 2018 captain).

Jack Griffith ’17

First Girls’ Golf The 2017 First Girls’ Golf season provided additional momentum to the path blazed by the 2016 team. To a player, everyone made strides in her respective game, leading to a team record of 4-8-2 and an individual match record of 28-34-5. In the final match of the season, Hotchkiss beat Westminster 3-2 in a close, exciting contest that may serve as a clarion call for things to come. Westminster tied for fifth among the seven teams in the Founders League Championship. The team said thanks and good luck to Johanna Hultin ’18 — a one-year exchange student from Sweden — Annie Hicks ’17 and captain Abby LeBlanc ’17, who did wonderful work leading and guiding the 2017 squad.

Katie Kosior ’18

First Boys’ Lacrosse First Boys’ Lacrosse finished the year winning three of its last four games.

Earlier in the season, the team showed true grit battling down the stretch to finish strong with four losses by a goal and three in overtime. Multiple times throughout the season, the boys came back from deficits, most notably in a win against Choate after being down by three late in the game. Sixth Former and leading scorer Alex Weiss was named to the AllNew England West Team as an attackman. Longtime defensive stalwart captain Adrian Enchill ’17 was also named to the All-New England West Team. Classmate Manny Meltzer ’17 was named an Academic AllAmerican. Westminster returns with a young core for next season that gained valuable experience this year.

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First Girls’ Lacrosse First Girls’ Lacrosse ended the season with an overall record of seven wins and eight losses and many exciting moments. There was a tough one-goal loss against longtime rival Greenwich Academy.

Having gone ahead by three goals early in the game, Westminster was feeling strong and confident. However, Greenwich was tough and talented, and the Martlets had a hard time hanging onto the lead. The game set the tone for the season because the team knew it was talented and capable. Other highlights include competitive games against a strong Taft team and an athletic Deerfield team, both resulting in overtime one-goal losses. During the Taft game, Westminster was down by six goals leading into the first half but came out fast and strong in the second half, refusing to give up, and eventually tying the game to send it into overtime. A one-goal loss in overtime was disappointing, but many small victories were had during the course of an exciting and close game. After suffering the absence of some injured teammates, many players were asked to play new and unfamiliar roles, and the season ended incredibly successful with a big win over Berkshire. While each game was a total team effort, goalkeeper Leah Klassen ’17 had an impressive season. She was the difference for the team in the big games, making huge saves and allowing Westminster to keep tough games close. Klassen was the definition of an impact player.

Leah Klassen ’17

First Girls’ Softball First Girls’ Softball capped an undefeated 15-0 season by defeating Williston Northampton to win the Class A Western New England Championship. Brenna Monroe ’17 pitched a gem, and Westminster infielders Gabby Brown ’17, Katie Neilsen ’18, Emily Samar ’18, Hannah Stone ’18 and Ashlee White ’18 played flawless defense in the 2-0 victory. The Martlets had advanced to the championship after defeating Taft 5-2 in a well-played New England semifinal contest the previous day.

Throughout the season, Westminster also benefited from the excellent outfield play of Mackenzie Griffith ’17, Lucy Noel ’18, Meg Cournoyer ’19 and Gabby Nemarich ’20. Brown, Monroe, Nemarich, Samar and White led the team in batting to help achieve the perfect season record. It was the eighth New England Championship for Westminster Softball in the last 10 years.

The Martlets also won their ninth Founders League title since 2007. Westminster has been led by the outstanding play of Sixth Formers Brown, Griffith and Monroe, as well as the terrific contributions of Samar, Neilsen, Stone, White, Nemarich and Ally Marenco ’18. Over the past four years the team has achieved a record of 63-2.

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First Boys’ Baseball First Boys’ Baseball began the season in March with a spring training trip to Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., where the team enjoyed five days of baseball. The Martlets were able to capitalize on their preseason work, earning early wins over Hotchkiss and Williston Northampton. Westminster was competitive over the course of a difficult Founders League schedule. The team played one-run games against Loomis and Choate, and had a dramatic extra-inning win over Kingswood Oxford. Ultimately, the team finished with its best win total in five years. Captain Will Leathers ’17 was voted first team All-Founders League.

Will Leathers ’17

First Boys’ Tennis First Boys’ Tennis had a successful campaign despite its record. The boys worked hard each and every day, showing drastic improvement in their performance as the season progressed. The starting six was comprised of three Fourth Formers, two Fifth Formers and one Sixth Former. The team should be in good shape for future years, especially considering the work ethic and motivation level displayed throughout the season. Azat Mukhametkulov ’19, Ethan Na ’19 and Carl Ekholm ’19 were instrumental in challenging their teammates every day in practice, while Nikola Kostic ’18, Connor Seeley ’18 and Chris Whipple ’18 were influential in providing promise for the future. Sixth Former Stone Brown had the best record on the squad and will be sorely missed next year.

Stone Brown ’17 Mary Kille ’18 and Lily von Stade ’17

First Girls’ Tennis First Girls’ Tennis had an outstanding season under the leadership of captains Lily von Stade ’17 and Mary Kille ’18.

Highlights included a trip to the New England Class B Tournament where in the first round, the Martlets easily defeated Cheshire Academy. In the semifinals, the team fought valiantly but fell to eventual New England Champions, Hopkins. Von Stade and Kille led the team in both skill and heart. Also the No. 1 doubles team, the two players were exciting to watch. Aggressive at net and always executing in tandem, they compiled an impressive record and proved that they could play with the very best in New England. With only one Sixth Former and three Third Formers playing in the top six, this was a very young and energetic squad that will work hard to get better in the offseason. Von Stade and Kille established a hard-working but fun atmosphere that will carry on into the future.

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First Girls’ Track First Girls’ Track and Field enjoyed a strong regular season and numerous individual successes during the 2017 campaign. Over the course of the season, 21 different Martlets scored points for the team. The team went 7-3 through the regular season and finished sixth at the Founders League Championships and fifth at the New England Championships.

Sophie Tawney ’17 was the Founders League champion in the discus and the javelin. Tawney also won the shot put and the discus at the New England Championships. Katherine Eckerson ’17 was the New England champion in the triple jump as she broke her own school record with a jump of 36-2.

Katherine Eckerson ’17

Sophie Tawney ’17

First Boys’ Track

Dom Cirillo ’17

First Boys’ Track and Field enjoyed a very successful season. After a great 8-2 regular season campaign, the team finished fourth at the Founders League Championships and third at the New England Championships. Athletes earned numerous individual accolades. Founders League champions include Dom Cirillo ’17 (shot put), Delando Clarke ’17 (high jump, triple jump) and Devonte McCall ’17 (long jump).

Cirillo was also the New England champion in the shot put. Additionally, the 4x100m relay team of McCall, Tim Callahan ’17, Isaiah Preyer ’17 and Clarke broke the school record with a time of 44.49 seconds.

Delando Clarke ’17

Visit www.Westminster-School.org/ page/Athletics/Athletics-Schedule for the latest game results and team schedules.

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Strengthening a Commitment to Community

A view of Armstrong Dining Hall at twilight.

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Westminster School has reached another transformative milestone in its history with the opening at the start of the new school year of a new dining hall, a new student and faculty residence, and two carriage houses.

The Sixth Form Lawn was also completely rebuilt, and construction is underway on a new student center in Cushing Hall.

The award-winning architectural firm of GUND Partnership, under the leadership of its founder and president, Graham Gund ’59, designed the projects, which were funded by generous gifts from alumni, parents and friends of the school.

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ur intention in these projects is to continue to cultivate and nurture the ethos and values that have always defined Westminster School,” said Headmaster Bill Philip. “We try to bring students and faculty together in organic ways all day, every day to maintain the school’s strong sense of community in 2017 and beyond. While the school may look different than it did in the past, its commitment to community has never been stronger.”

Westminster’s longtime Construction Committee — whose membership includes representatives of GUND Partnership, faculty, staff, trustees and outside contractors — led coordination of the planning for the projects. The committee, which meets every Wednesday, started discussions about the projects in early 2014. As part of the research for the new buildings, members of the committee visited similar facilities at other schools.

“The committee works from schematic design to design development to construction documents, looking at value 16

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engineering along the way,” said Tom Earl P’93, ’98, ’03, ’06, chair of the committee and Westminster’s chief financial officer.

“The team has worked well together for many years and is dedicated to having a final product that meets all of the school’s goals and needs. We also want the process to be efficiently managed and cost effective. It is a very detail-oriented committee with expertise in various areas of construction.”

“We had a full agenda building these projects,” said Trustee Emeritus Joe Gitterman ’55, P’86, ’86, ’90, who has been a member of the committee for more than 20 years. “With any project, there are always topics that get a great deal of attention by the committee and that goes on for weeks, sometimes months, before it is resolved. Part of that is due to concern about cost and value engineering. I know we saved the school money, and I think the school gets a product that is more specific to its needs than if the committee wasn’t involved from the beginning.”

Left, students and faculty share family-style lunch in Gund Dining Room. Below, students in Hwarang Lobby. Bottom, members of the Construction Committee: Tom Earl P’93, ’98, ’03, ’06, Westminster’s chief financial officer; Steve Andrea, project executive with Bartlett Brainard Eacott; Peter Anderson P’14, Westminster’s plant manager; Carol Kirsch P’11, Westminster’s assistant business manager; Ed Macri, founder of Macri Associates; and Trustee Emeritus Joe Gitterman ’55, P’86, ’86, ’90.

Armstrong Dining Hall The new three-level, 36,891-square-foot Armstrong Dining Hall, which is located on the site of the former Baxter Academic Center, is designed so all students and faculty can participate in family-style lunches four days a week. The school had long ago outgrown its original dining room in Cushing Hall.

“It is a beautiful space,” said Tom. “Our architect and master planner, Graham Gund, loves natural light, and it features many large windows and a clearstory. It is a wonderful place for the community to gather and enjoy meals together.”

Those entering the new building find themselves in the Hwarang Lobby that offers views of and entrances to the main Gund Dining Room, the Earl Servery and the smaller Adams Dining Room.

The Gund Dining Room seats 480 people at 60 round tables with eight to a table. The room is divided into three areas, giving

it a sense of intimacy for dining conversations, yet the ability for everyone to see speakers and audiovisual presentations. Stunning wood trusses, which were manufactured in British Columbia, reach up to a clearstory that brings abundant light in from the outside. A floor-to-ceiling gas fireplace covered in porcelain tile serves as a centerpiece, while custom-made chandeliers offer dramatic lighting. Although the flooring appears to be wood, it is actually made of ceramic tile. “It is magnificent and easy to maintain,” said Joe. “And the fabric on the ceiling to help diminish noise is superb.” Flowing off the dining room is the Durham Terrace that seats 45 people and offers beautiful vistas of the Farmington River Valley below.

The Adams Dining Room seats 120 people at 15 rectangular tables and can be used for meetings and special events. On a daily basis, those not attending family-style lunch, such as staff, eat there. Just off this dining room is the Ekholm Terrace, which Fall 2017

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includes a gas fire pit and offers an expansive western view of Baxter Lawn and its surrounding buildings.

Jess Krul, director of food services, and Marc Robling, executive chef and assistant director of food services, played key roles in the planning of the new facility, selection of its equipment and coordination of the move from the old dining hall. They are thrilled to be working in a state-of-the-art dining hall along with the Food Services team. “It has been phenomenal and a career changer,” said Jess. “We feel lucky for the whole experience.”

In the Earl Servery, students and faculty are able to see the full kitchen in operation as they select hot entrees from the main serving line. “It is wonderful to be able to interact with students and faculty during meal preparation and serving,” said Marc.

“In the past, we were separated by stairs. Now, we face our customers when we are preparing food, baking and grilling.”

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Two large islands offer cold food items such as fresh fruit and toppings. “We make just about everything in-house,” said Marc. “We receive fresh produce and bread each day from local vendors.”

Jess and Marc share an office on the main level, a major upgrade from their previous cramped quarters in the basement of Cushing. The new dining hall’s wireless service is a major convenience since they can now order food from vendors while using a tablet in the storerooms.

The kitchen features all new energy-efficient equipment and two separate grill areas. “Our new equipment allows us to put out the family-style menu, which serves 600 people,” said Jess.

While much of the equipment from the old dining hall was sold or donated, a few trusted items like favorite pots and a mixer from the early days of the old kitchen were moved to the new facility. “Amazingly enough, the mixer outperforms any new mixer I’ve used in my career, and we still use it for all of our baking,” commented Jess.

The middle level of the facility is where preparation of items for the salad bar and catering take place. It also houses a large walk-in refrigerator, storage areas, an employee locker room and a mechanical room. Food Services typically handles 10 to 25 catering events on campus per month, ranging from refreshments for events, to cookouts to special-event dinners.

Opposite page, clockwise from the top: Adams Dining Room, Ekholm Terrace and Durham Terrace.

Clockwise from top: Jess Krul, director of food services; Marc Robling, executive chef and assistant director of food services; and meal preparation in the kitchen.

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On the lower level are a loading dock where food deliveries are received, a beverage storage area and a cart washing station. The loading dock has taken large food delivery trucks off the central part of campus.

An elevator services all three levels of the dining hall, and a gas-powered generator allows the building to function for food operations and modest lighting in the event of a power outage.

The biggest challenge of the project was the site development. “To some extent, we developed the property,” said Steve Andrea, project executive for Bartlett Brainard Eacott (BBE) and a longtime member of Westminster’s Construction Committee. “While the mass of the building appears to be taking up the space of the former Baxter Academic Center, it is really sited on a slab that was created on a steep grade through thousands of yards of processed and highly compacted structural fill.

The parcel was created through a combination of excavation, footings and walls braced with hundreds of tons of structural steel.”

Steve added that constructing a dining hall is different from building most other types of buildings because of the challenge of coordinating all of the food service equipment.

“Putting the dining facility where it is, while more expensive because of the hill, makes it central to what the school is about,” emphasized Joe. Top, students working in the dish room following family-style lunch and, above, a view of the loading dock and Durham Terrace. Below, Head Prefect Jessie Schuhlen ’18 leads the announcement portion of family-style lunch.

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Family-Style Lunches Family-style lunches now take place Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and replace family-style dinners. Students and faculty are assigned to tables on a rotational basis, with students and faculty shaking hands at the end of every meal.

“The family-style meal has always been central to the Westminster experience,” said Bill. “The idea is to bring faculty and students together sitting around a table enjoying a meal together, talking with each other and, in the process, learning from each other. At family-style meals, students are sitting at a table with people they may not know.

Through the course of meals with them, they may get to know them and form friendships.”

The change to family-style lunches from family-style dinners allows day students to participate and stay at school later in the evening if they desire or if their parents are working late. Because of limited space in the old dining hall, day students were unable to participate in family-style dinners.

“Day students now have the experience of sitting with the entire school community,” said Bill. “The change also alleviates pressure on the afternoon and evening schedule, which had become more event-filled thus diminishing the family-style dinner schedule.”

Above, a view of Armstrong Dining Hall looking across the Sixth Form Lawn and, below, students and faculty in the Earl Servery during a cafeteria-style lunch.

“Westminster is known as a family school, and if you don’t have the opportunity for everybody to eat together, it makes it hard to maintain the family atmosphere that penetrates every part of our school,” added Joe.

Having faculty and students dining at one time, four days a week, required a change in the school’s daily schedule. A committee of faculty and staff chaired by Associate Head of School Nancy Spencer P’13, ’15 developed the new schedule.

“We looked at schedules from other schools and visited other schools to watch their family-style lunches,” she said. “We also gathered input from faculty, students and members of the Food Services staff about what they liked about our old schedule and what they wanted to be different.” Dish room duty, also commonly known as “pit,” continues with eight students, both boarding and day, working a half-hour after family-style lunch to help clean dishes.

For family-style lunches, waiters serve a hot entree at the

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table. “Our goal is to keep as many of the lunch favorites in the past on the menu for family-style lunches,” said Jess.

“We solicited feedback about this from the Food Committee, which is made up of students and faculty. There is also a limited salad bar with pasta and rice options, soups and a selection of meat, cheese and bread for making sandwiches.”

A brief time is allotted during family-style lunch for those wishing to select items from the servery to do so. For those eating in the smaller dining room, the hot entree is served at a buffet, and they can also select items from the servery.

The dinner menu is similar to past cafeteria-style meals but with more extensive offerings in the salad bar and panini area. During breakfast, two cooks instead of one prepare entrees. There are also larger fruit platters and more yogurt toppings for customizing parfaits.

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Above, students moving into Kelter House and, below, an exterior view of Kelter House, which accommodates 48 students and four faculty apartments.

Green Design The dining hall features leading-edge green design. Like other recent new facilities on campus, it is heated and cooled using geothermal energy. (Please see related story on Page 30.) And because of its energy-efficient equipment and mechanical systems, the school receives substantial rebates from its electrical supplier. Most of the appliances and light fixtures are Energy Star rated, as are pumps and fans. A centralized refrigeration system even rejects its heat into the geothermal system.

Enhancing Residential Life

Kelter House

The opening of a new student and faculty residence and two carriage houses greatly enhanced residential life on campus.

The facilities allow six more faculty members and their families to live in the central core of campus. These buildings, too, are heated and cooled using geothermal energy and feature Energy Star-rated equipment and high-efficiency lighting.

Kelter House is a new 31,112-square-foot student and faculty residence that accommodates 48 students and four faculty apartments. It is home to Fourth Form, Fifth Form and Sixth Form girls. The design of the building is similar to other dormitories recently built on campus with the addition of a single bathroom on the first floor that is available to any resident.

Like the new dining hall, it, too, was built on a sloped site that required structural development.

The addition of a new dormitory did not affect the school’s student enrollment, which continues at about 390 students.

Instead, it provides flexibility for the school to move its ratio of boarding students-to-day students to 75 percent-to-25 percent to respond to the increased enrollment interest by boarding students.

Above, students studying on the lower level of Kelter House and, below, students and faculty in a common room in Kelter House.

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Above, Beinecke House and, right, Flinn Family House. The new carriage houses each include a threebedroom faculty apartment on the top level and five lower-level garages.

“The new dormitory improves the quality of living of the boarding experience, and it allows us the flexibility to house more boarding students regardless of gender,” said Tony Griffith, director of student life. “It has allowed us to make some double rooms into single rooms in other dorms, and we turned some dormitory rooms in Memorial Hall and Edge House into common spaces. Another benefit is we were able to place boys back living in Cushing Hall for the first time in many years. In addition, all Third Form girls now live in Gund House rather than Edge House.”

Carriage Houses The two new 5,442-square-foot carriage houses include a threebedroom faculty apartment on the top level and five lower-level garages. Beinecke House is located adjacent to Squibb House, and Flinn Family House is adjacent to Kelter House. Unlike earlier carriage houses, such as McCullough House, which is nearby Gund House and Edge House, the new ones were stick built and do not have any premanufactured components. They are tied into the geothermal systems of nearby dormitories.

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Sixth Form Lawn Restoration A completely rebuilt Sixth Form Lawn was opened in time for the Sixth Form Lawn Ceremony at commencement in May. A place of special significance on campus for generations, it continues as a place of prominence in the heart of the campus, surrounded by the new dining hall, Cushing Hall and Andrews Memorial Chapel. The new lawn is more symmetrical in shape and perfectly aligned with the chapel. A new widened circular driveway and a new brick walkway surround it. During construction, soil that was underneath the old Sixth Form Lawn was preserved in another location on campus and returned for screening and installation under new sod. The Class of 2016 Fund and the Class of 2017 Fund, supported by parents of both graduating classes, helped fund the project, and their generosity is commemorated on a natural stone plaque by the lawn.

Brockelman Student Center Construction began in June on the Brockelman Student Center in Cushing Hall where the old dining room was previously located. The center will include a grill, soft seating and game tables. The project also includes a new administrative office suite for the deans in Watts Hall.

“The last thing we wanted to do in building a new dining hall is take all the people out of Cushing, our historic first building,” said Bill. “The new student center will be right in the middle of campus with a new entrance and pathway to Armour Academic Center.

It will remain at the axis of student life as people come and go throughout their day to Armour or the new dining hall.” Construction on the Cushing Hall project is expected to be completed in early January.

Top, the restored Sixth Form Lawn, and, above left, a plaque commemorating the support of parents of the classes of 2016 and 2017 in helping fund the restoration.

Left, construction work underway on Brockelman Student Center, which is expected to open in early January.

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Celebrating a Milestone A transformative milestone in Westminster School’s history was celebrated Oct. 13 at the dedication of Armstrong Dining Hall, Kelter House and Brockelman Student Center. appreciation to members of the Construction Committee for It was the first time many of the 400 guests had seen the new their role in planning the new facilities, Graham Gund ’59 for dining hall, where the event took place, and the new student and his transformational vision of the campus as the school’s master faculty residence named Kelter House. Both opened at the start planner, representatives of GUND Partnership for their design of school in September. Brockelman Student Center is still under work and representatives of Bartlett Brainard Eacott for their construction in Cushing Hall and is expected to open in January. construction work. He also thanked faculty and staff members (Please see related story on Page 14.) who were involved in planning the evening’s celebration.

The evening began with cocktails in Hwarang Lobby, on Ekholm Terrace and in Adams Dining Room, with entertainment

Head Prefect Jessie Schuhlen ’18, a day student from provided by the student band Tower Line, the Jazz Trio and Longmeadow, Mass., spoke about her Westminster experience, Leona Zhang ’18, playing the piano. how much she enjoys family-style lunches and the new facilities.

“These buildings we are all here to celebrate visually represent

Dinner was served in Gund Dining Room where Chair to me the unity of our community,” she of the Board of Trustees Brad Raymond said. “Whether it be family-style lunches ’85, P’19, ’20 welcomed everyone and in Armstrong Dining Hall, sitting in shared some history of his involvement the common room of Kelter or looking with Westminster, first as a student and forward to hanging out in Brockelman now as a parent of two current students.

Student Center, the opportunities we “I am grateful and thankful for many of have been given to reach out and bond the things Westminster has given me and with all different kinds of people are truly my family,” he said. “Tonight is a night to abundant. And years from now, I’ll be celebrate all the success that Westminster excited and proud to come back as an has had and thank all of you who have alumna to say that the Class of 2018 was made this possible.” the first graduating class to experience

Headmaster Bill Philip also these opportunities together.” welcomed everybody and acknowledged Graham Gund, Westminster’s master former Headmaster Don Werner and planner and founder and president of Mimi Werner P’79, ’82, and former Chair of the Board of Trustees GUND Partnership, which designed the Headmaster Graham Cole and Carol Cole Brad Raymond ’85, P’19, ’20 new facilities and many others on campus who were in attendance. He extended 26

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going back to Werner Centennial Center, spoke about the new dining hall. “It was Bill’s emphasis on family-style eating that really started everything off for the dining hall,” he explained.

“First, it is unusual to situate a building on the slope of a hill.

Who would ever build on the side of a hill if they could avoid it? However, in this case, it turned out to be the perfect location for the dining hall for several reasons: it balances out the campus with Armour on one side of Cushing and Armstrong on the Ann and Graham Gund ’59 other. Cushing Hall will have a new entrance near Armour, so that the shortest way to get between the two buildings is actually through Cushing. Cushing will continue to maintain its relevance and retain its importance in students’ daily lives. The location also made possible a reconfigured Sixth Form Lawn.”

He explained how the layout of the building allows students to enter the servery without having to line up in the dining hall and how the servery is able to accommodate both family-style lunches and cafeteria-style meals. He also cited the benefits of tables that seat eight people being conducive to table conversation. He described how breaking the large dining room into three separate areas brought the scale of the room down.

“The size of the space along with acoustic treatment of the ceiling keep the noise level low,” he said. “The main criterion for the layout of the space was for everyone to be able to see and hear a speaker. Wood trusses give warmth to the space and Liz and Bill Armstrong P’04, ’06, ’07 in a contemporary way recall Gothic dining halls of centuries past. The large separated windows permit great views of the Farmington Valley, while keeping enough making the project a success, Graham wall space to give a sense of the enclosure closed by saying, “Aspirationally, the “Aspirationally, the when it is dark outside. It was a challenge dining hall is a grand space that lends to design what appears to be a one-story importance to the idea of building dining hall is a grand building from the campus side that could community at Westminster.” hold its own across from Cushing. The

Trustee Emerita Liz Armstong space that lends clearstory gives an importance to the profile P’04, ’06, ’07, for whose family — Liz, importance to the idea of the building, while bringing light down Bill, Lindsey ’04, Jack ’06 and Leigh into the part of the dining hall that is ’07 Armstrong — the new dining hall is of building community farthest from exterior windows.” named, thanked everyone who supported

After recognizing those in attendance the project and shared how her family at Westminster.” from his office for their contributions in became involved with Westminster in their search for a boarding school and how that relationship has evolved. “The school was as nurturing as we imagined, the character of the kids, everything,” she said. “As parents, we loved being on campus because our kids loved being on campus, and Westminster changed not only our kids’ lives but it changed our lives, Bill’s and mine.” She said they supported the project because community is really important to them, along with the skills that come from sitting across a dining room table and talking about real-life experiences. “We believe in Westminster and are really grateful for all it has given to our family, and we are honored to give Headmaster Bill Philip Head Prefect Jessie Schuhlen ’18 back to this wonderful school and are Fall 2017

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really proud to be supporting the Armstrong Dining Hall.”

Curtis Brockelman ’19 talked about how honored his family was to name Brockelman Student Center in memory of his grandmother Lynn Gabel “Pita” Brockelman P’86, ’88, ’90, GP’19, ’21, a Westminster parent, grandparent and trustee. “She was known for her enthusiasm and spirit, and loved bringing people together to celebrate, no matter the occasion, with good food and fun times,” he said. “Keeping in theme with her jovial Katherine ’14, Jenny P’12, ’14, ’19, Caroline ’19 and personality and her passion for entertainment, we all felt the Jeff Kelter P’12, ’14, ’19 student center would be the best choice for Pita’s memory to be preserved and live on forever at Westminster.”

Trustee Jeff Kelter P’12, ’14, ’19, for whose family — students,” he said. “We seek to attract Jeff, Jenny, Libby ’12, Katherine ’14 and and retain our wonderful faculty because Caroline ’19 Kelter — Kelter House is “All of us share a passion of a difference those faculty make in the named, talked about his family’s Westminster lives of our students.” He also praised for Westminster because experience. “Jenny and I have had the the role of staff in making a difference great fortune of having three daughters, all student life. of a difference it makes in in of whom attended Westminster,” he said.

“Looking forward, our most “All three have prospered here.” He spoke the lives of our students.” important priority must be direct support about the school’s competitive ethos and for our students, the faculty who teach institutional will to successfully compete on every possible level. them and the programs they learn from,” he said. He outlined “The spirit and community that exist up here on Williams Hill is the importance of creating named need-based financial aid contagious,” he said. “From our outstanding administration to scholarships, named honorary chairs for faculty and named our simply incredible faculty — brilliant, dedicated, nurturing, programs that will enrich the experience of students. “Names devoted — I stand in awe of all of you and the contributions you celebrated at this dedication include current and past parents, have made in helping educate and shape our children. This school grandparents, alumni and faculty,” he added. “We look forward certainly honors its motto of Grit & Grace, and Jenny, the girls to many more members of our extended school community and I have been privileged in our small way to be able to support directly underwriting our students, faculty, staff and programs.” this incredible place. Our contributions pale in comparison to He concluded by saying: “As I look across this room and think those of all of you, and for that we will be forever grateful.” of the community of Westminster School, here on Williams Hill

In his closing remarks, Headmaster Philip emphasized but also extending around the country and around the world, I how Armstrong Dining Hall, Kelter House and Brockelman know that together we can soar in extraordinary ways. So a huge Student Center were all conceived and designed to enhance the thank you to all of you for being here, for your support and for experience of Westminster students. “All of us share a passion for your ambassadorship, and heartfelt thanks for being a part of Westminster because of a difference it makes in the lives of our this special evening.”

Front row, Sam Brockelman and Thomas Bailey Back row, John Bailey P’21, Ellie Bailey ’21, Ellen Brockelman Bailey P’21, Liza Brockelman, Curt Brockelman P’86, ’88, ’90, GP’19, ’21, Rebecca Brockelman, Scott Brockelman ’88, Alisa Brockelman P’19, Curt Brockelman ’86, P’19, Curtis Brockelman ’19, Nina Brockelman, Tony Brockelman P’85, GP’16, ’17, ’19, Bridget Brockelman, Jane Ogden ’19, Linda Ogden P’16, ’17, ’19, John Brockelman, Ann Brockelman P’85, GP’16, ’17, ’19, Bill Ogden P’16, ’17, ’19, Mearle Brockelman and Bonnie Sacerdote GP’19 28

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Well casings for 29 wells that serve the geothermal heating and cooling system in Armstrong Dining Hall.

Moving Heat Energy Through Geothermal Systems Westminster School is in the vanguard of using geothermal-based heating and cooling systems on a large-scale basis. While numerous colleges and universities have been using geothermal systems for a while, Westminster is one of the first independent schools to use it in a variety of recent building projects.

The decision to explore use of geothermal heating and cooling took place during planning for the 85,000-squarefoot Armour Academic Center, which opened in 2009 and was awarded LEED gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

“When looking at how to heat and cool that building, we knew we didn’t want an exterior large heating and cooling chiller,” said Tom Earl P’93, ’98, ’03, ’06, Westminster’s chief financial officer and longtime member of the school’s Construction Committee. “We did a study on the payback of geothermal and how it would compare to what we would have to do normally. It made a lot of sense to do geothermal, and we did a test well just to know that it worked. We decided to go ahead with it for Armour Academic Center, and it worked very well.”

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Drilling wells approximately 600 feet deep in the well field under the Sixth Form Lawn area.

Water recirculates in a closed loop in each of the wells to take advantage of stored heat in the earth’s crust.

Heat from the earth migrates to the circulating water and typically warms it to around 55 degrees.

How Geothermal Works Installing a geothermal heating and cooling system for Armour Academic Center involved drilling 72 wells, each about 500 feet deep, near the building when it was under construction. Water recirculates in a closed loop in each of the wells to take advantage of stored heat in the earth’s crust. Heat from the earth migrates to the circulating water and typically warms it to around 55 degrees. When the 55-degree water reaches the building, its heat energy is transferred to the colder refrigerant in a heat pump unit, so this heat energy is used during the winter to warm the building.

During the summer, the reverse takes place: excess heat from the building is extracted by the heat pump and transferred into the ground to cool the building. Because the circulating water is in a closed loop, it does not consume any ground water or come in contact with the external environment.

Energy savings result since more energy can be transferred from 55-degree geothermal water than using outside air at extreme winter or summer air temperatures.

The heat pumps use the same operating principle — called “change of state” — that powers hurricanes. Converting a liquid to a vapor and back transfers latent heat energy. In the heating mode, when the refrigerant in a liquid state is exposed to the geothermal water, it is changed to a gaseous state. By changing state, it has the ability to absorb an enormous amount of heat. The heated gas, now at about 134 degrees, can be exposed to cooler room air and used to heat a building. If cooler air is needed in a building, the reverse takes place: heat is taken out of the air through the heat pumps and transferred to the circulating water in the wells. A reversing valve in the heat pump changes the direction of the refrigerant, depending on heating or cooling.

Heat pumps are located throughout Armour Academic Center, with each classroom having its own unit for temperature control. A mechanical room to govern the system is housed on the lower level.

The system worked so well in Armour Academic Center that Westminster moved to a second phase of using geothermal heating and cooling when it constructed two new student and faculty residences and three carriage houses that opened in 2013.

Tom Earl, Westminster’s CFO and longtime member of the Construction Committee, stands by the geothermal piping that connects to 72 wells serving Armour Academic Center.

The heat pumps use the same operating principle — called “change of state” — that powers hurricanes.

Converting a liquid to a vapor and back transfers latent heat energy.

Phase Two When Squibb House and Gund House, which each have 31 student rooms and four faculty apartments, were constructed, 18 geothermal wells measuring 500 feet deep were dug in the green areas near each of the buildings. Similar to Armour Academic Center, the wells support heating and cooling for the 31,405-square-foot dormitories. Individual heat pump units for each room permit residents to control the temperature in their living space. The

geothermal wells for Gund House also serve a nearby three-bedroom carriage house with five indoor parking garages named McCullough House.

Phase Three Westminster continued its commitment to geothermal heating and cooling in construction of its most recent building projects: a new dining hall, a new student and faculty residence, two carriage houses and a new student center and administrative area in Cushing Hall. (Please see related story on Page 14.)

The system for the new dormitory, Kelter House, and the two carriage houses is the same as that used for the prior residential projects. Eighteen wells were drilled near Kelter House to service it and the adjacent carriage house, Flinn Family House. The other new carriage house, Beinecke House, utilizes the well system for Squibb House.

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In Armour Academic Center, water pumps circulate geothermal water through the wells and the building.

A heat pump unit in Armour Academic Center.

area and its adjacent road and sidewalk.

Due to the availability of new materials and experience, the wells were drilled deeper than other wells on campus, allowing for fewer wells and some cost savings. For every 100 feet deeper a well extends, roughly an additional degree of heat is picked up. And rather than using individual heat pumps for each room, there is one central heat pump in the building’s mechanical room which sends hot and chilled water around the building to several air handling units. It is a centralized system rather than a decentralized “unitary” system, used in previous campus buildings.

In addition, the refrigeration system for cold storage of food in the dining hall is also centralized and rejects heat into the geothermal system water. This reclaimed heat energy is used to help heat the building in winter or gets transferred into the earth.

“In a food service environment, there is a lot of refrigeration equipment that is rejecting heat that you have to get out of the building and that costs money,” said Steve Andrea, project executive with Bartlett Brainard Eacott Inc. (BBE) and a longtime member of Westminster’s Construction Committee.

“In lieu of paying the premium to have it mechanically removed, we decided to remove it through the geothermal system.”

together in a massive loop. Rather than taking the geothermal water into Cushing, only the condenser water is sent to the building from Armour Academic Center.

“In a sense, Armour Academic Center thinks Cushing is just an expansion of Armour,” said Ed Macri, founder of Macri Associates, who has had a lengthy involvement with the Construction Committee and has helped design and install Westminster’s heating, cooling and ventilation systems for years. “It is like you added more rooms.” He believes Westminster’s location on an aquifer probably contributed to the extra efficiency of the wells supplying Armour Academic Center.

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The renovation of the old dining hall in Cushing into a new student center, named Brockelman Student Center, and an administrative office area in Watts Hall, which is still under construction, will also use geothermal energy. But it is from an unexpected source: Armour Academic Center. In order to see if the wells supplying Armour Academic Center had excess capacity, 15 were turned off during a full heating and cooling cycle to see the results. When there was no effect on the heating and cooling of Armour Academic Center, nine of the wells were designated to serve the Cushing project as well as the Headmaster’s Office. The buildings are tied

Steve Andrea, project executive with BBE, the general contractor for numerous Westminster building projects. Steve has served on Westminster’s Construction Committee for many years.

Ed Macri, founder of Macri Associates and a member of Westminster’s Construction Committee, in the mechanical room of Armstrong Dining Hall standing by the geothermal piping that runs to and from wells located under the Sixth Form Lawn area.

Benefits There are numerous benefits to using geothermal energy systems versus conventional energy systems. “It is environmentally sound energy, we find it easy to work with and it is cost effective,” said Tom.

“It is part of the school’s ethos and the best part is the payback,” emphasized Trustee Emeritus Joe Gitterman ’55, P’86, ’86, ’90, who serves on the Construction Committee. “It would be wrong not to use it because it is so efficient.”

Geothermal energy reduces emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere because it does not rely on burning fossil fuels and uses electricity in a highly efficient manner. “When you heat a building with geothermal, roughly 70 percent comes from the earth and 30 percent from electrical energy that operates the heat pumps,” explained Ed.

Second, there is a favorable payback versus the cost of installing a conventional system. The school’s energy supplier, Eversource, has provided substantial rebates for efficiency of the heat pumps. There is also savings in costs for maintenance contracts for a heat pump system since existing staff can easily repair or replace individual units.

Steve sees knowledge from each of the geothermal projects on campus benefiting the next one. “I think we have honed the skill on how those individual well pipes get into a building most efficiently, so they do not cause waterproofing problems to the foundation,” he said. “I would say that each

“In a sense, Armour Academic Center thinks Cushing is just an expansion of Armour...”

time we do it, we develop a better detail.

The operational costs speak for themselves.”

Ed, who has been working on projects at Westminster since 1981, credits Westminster’s Construction Committee with adopting geothermal on such a large scale.

“The owner is not relying on somebody else to make the decisions,” he said. “The owner in this case, Westminster, is getting input from multiple experts in the industry for what best meets its needs. The cost savings can be enormous. Westminster is definitely on the cutting edge in terms of number of buildings using geothermal and its commitment to it.”

Construction work to link geothermal heating and cooling systems between Armour

Academic Center and the new Brockelman Student Center and administrative office area in Cushing Hall. The buildings are tied together in a massive loop that brings condenser water from the academic center to Cushing.

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Three Generations of the Speakman Family at Westminster When multiple generations of one family attend Westminster, they share a common experience from a formative time in their lives. One such family — the Speakman family — has links to Westminster that trace back to the early 1940s and include three generations of alumni and one faculty member.

In 1869, brothers Allen and Joseph Speakman opened a modest plumbing workshop in downtown Wilmington, Del. Allen’s son, Willard, built the company into the Speakman Company that introduced showering to the U.S. around 1924.

He had four children and nine grandchildren. All five of his grandsons attended Westminster: William B. Denham Jr. ’43, James S. Denham ’47, Willard A. S. Denham ’49, Robert W. Hill Jr. ’52 and Willard A. Speakman III ’56.

At the time, Westminster was an all-boys school, and the decision for the boys to attend Westminster was based on the recommendation of another Westminster family: the Ketchams, who sent their three sons to Westminster.

First Generation The first member of the Speakman family at Westminster was the late William B. “Bill” Denham Jr. ’43.

Bill’s activities as a student included football, ice hockey, tennis, skiing and bird watching. He also worked on the Westminster News and was president of the John Hay Society.

Some of his favorite faculty members were John Gow, Monroe Stearns and Pete Keyes. Following Westminster, William B. “Bill” Denham Jr. ’43 he graduated from Yale University and served in the U.S. Army for four years, stationed on Tinian Island. During his career, he worked for the DuPont Company, the Wilmington Country Store in Wilmington, Del., and owned his own specialty retail clothing store in Florida. He was a knowledgeable horticulturist and inveterate ornithologist, as well as a writer of verse. He died in 2006.

Bill’s brothers, James S. “Jim” Denham ’47 and Willard A. S. “Was” Denham ’49, followed in his footsteps to Westminster 34

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A family photo from the 1950s of Willard Allen Speakman’s grandchildren. His five grandsons attended Westminster.

and have vivid memories of their experiences during the years related to World War II. Jim started in the Second Form and Was in the Third Form. Going away to boarding school was something to which they easily adapted.

“We had an older brother, Bill, there, so we were quite comfortable,” said Jim. “We had visited the school at various times for things like James S. “Jim” Denham ’47 graduation. When you went away to school during the war, you went in September and you didn’t come home until Christmas. There was no transportation. And when you went back after Christmas, you stayed until you got out in June.” They traveled by train back and forth to Westminster from Wilmington.

“I got a lot out of the school,” said Was, who served as head prefect, played football, basketball and baseball, was assistant director of Willard A. S. “Was” Dramat and president of the John Denham ’49 Hay Society. “The teachers who were there were superb.”

“It was a very small school,” added Jim, who also served as head prefect, played football, basketball and baseball, and was vice president of John Hay. “Just 125 people, and we had an excellent education “When you went and excellent coaching. We had good teams.”

And even though it was wartime, Was away to school during says the food was wonderful and they ate a lot of turkey. “We turned in our little ration the war, you went in book,” noted Jim. September and you

They remember keeping track of their classmates who enlisted in the war and those didn’t come home who were killed. “We were very aware of the war,” said Jim. With the draft still in effect, until Christmas. There both joined the Army Reserve. was no transportation.

There was also a polio epidemic while they were at school, and the school closed for And when you went a couple of weeks.

They recall members of the Westminster back after Christmas, faculty who had a special impact on them. you stayed until you “Lem Petty was the headmaster of the school at one point in his career, and he was a good got out in June.” math teacher,” said Was. “He would say, ‘Boys, you’ve got to pull your mind out and understand the questions.’”

“I liked Pete Keyes, John Gow and Ron Michelini,” said Jim. “Michelini taught math, Spanish and coached the football, baseball and hockey teams, and was a wonderful guy.”

Was says it was Ron Michelini who gave him his nickname.

Top, Was Denham ’49 and Jim Denham ’47.

Both Was and Jim served as head prefects and are shown with their Prefect Boards: above center, Jim, first row, third from left; and, below, Was, first row, on the left.

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A 1924 ad for the Speakman Company.

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“We were sitting at a table on the first day of school, and he knew the last name Denham from my two older brothers,” explained Was. “He asked me my first name and when I said it was Sonny, he told me Was should be my name and it stuck.”

“The class sizes were only 15 people,” said Jim. “And my favorite recollection of Westminster was the very family-kind of situation. You had lunch and dinner in the dining hall, and there was a faculty member at your table, and it changed out every week. You got to know everybody. It was like being in one big family.”

For entertainment, there were dances with students from Ethel Walker School and walks into town in Simsbury. “On Saturday night, we walked down to Simsbury and there was a movie,” said Jim.

“Some Sixth Formers had radios and Victrolas,” said Was, allowing students to hear some Sunday night radio shows like “The Shadow” and to listen to jazz. “And some kids were geniuses and made crystal sets,” added Jim.

“We had extracurricular activities that were really good,” said Was. “The theater was a high mark. We put on a play every year. It was really quite remarkable, and the quality of the acting was terrific. And a testament to that, we built the stage in the gymnasium.”

They also remember the work program, the John Hay Society and Sixth Formers driving a truck with the snowplow.

“The war really had a lot to do with the work we had to do,” said Was.

“During the winter, a lot of students brought their skis and went skiing on a Saturday or Sunday,” said Jim. “We had a ski jump and there was a slope in the direction of the hockey rink.”

Both Was and Jim attended the University of Virginia, and pursued careers with the Speakman Company. They were the first college graduates to work there.

Jim joined the company in 1952. “I was half Speakman and half Denham, and it looked like a pretty good opportunity,” he said. “Grandfather died and Uncle Bill was running the company, and I thought there might be a good chance to make a decent living and enjoy myself.” His early tenure was interrupted by a break to go into the service from 1953 to 1955. Upon his return, he managed the wholesale division of the company until 1998.

Was graduated from officer candidate school in 1953 and stayed in the Navy for three years.

He joined the Speakman Company Robert W. “Bob” Hill shortly thereafter, working in the Jr. ’52 marketing department and later as marketing director for the manufacturing division. Eventually, he became vice president and general manager for manufacturing. “We sold products throughout the world and domestically,” he said. Was remains very involved with Westminster as a class agent, a Westminster Fellow and a member of the Thring Society.

Their cousins Robert W. “Bob” Hill Jr. ’52 and Willard A.

“Bill” Speakman III ’56 were the next members of the family to arrive on Williams Hill.

Bob Hill ’52 entered the Second Form at Westminster in fall 1947.

He served as assistant stage manager for Dramat, was a member of John Hay, played football, tennis and basketball, and participated in track.

He entered Harvard in the fall of Willard A. “Bill” 1952 and began to consider English Speakman III ’56 as a major while maintaining his interest in the physical sciences.

After graduating, he served two years in the U.S. Navy aboard a minesweeper before returning to Harvard to complete his Ph.D.

Bob taught for three years at Amherst before settling at Middlebury College, where he taught English for 41 years.

Throughout his life, he retained his fascination with such subjects as quantum mechanics, black holes, asteroids, the human genome and big cats. These interests culminated in his book a Norton Critical Edition of “Tennyson’s Poetry.” A former member of the Westminster Board of Trustees, he died in January 2014.

While at Westminster, Bill Speakman ’56 served as advertising editor of the News, first vice president of the John Hay Society, production editor of the Martlet, and played football, basketball and baseball. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, he completed military service at Fort Benning, Ga., and then began a career with the Speakman Company in 1962. He succeeded his father, Willard Allen Speakman Jr., as president of the company in 1971 and became chairman in 1978, a position he held until his death in 2006.

Today the Speakman Company is well-known for its extensive line of premium bath, plumbing and safety products.

Members of the family have continued their involvement at various levels over the generations.

Second Generation The Speakman family’s legacy at Westminster continued in the 1980s with James S. “Jim” Denham IV ’83 and Rodman “Rod” Ward III ’83 attending Westminster, and Bob Hill’s son, Robert W. “Bob” Hill III, serving on the faculty.

Jim Denham ’83 says he decided to attend Westminster primarily because his father and two uncles did, as well as the fact that his two cousins, Bob Hill and Bill Speakman, did too.

He points to a number of faculty members who had a major impact on him as a student. “John Romano, a teacher and football coach, instilled discipline, perseverance and pride in succeeding,” said Jim. “Mike Jackson ’49, a coach and classmate of my father’s, was a teacher who truly cared about the students.

He encouraged me to challenge myself. Dave Hovey, dean and teacher, who was obviously a disciplinarian given his role as dean, was ultimately, fair. He was direct and expected you to accept complete responsibility for your actions. Rankine Hinman taught my father and me, and that in and of itself was truly special.”

Cousins Jim Denham ’83 and Rod Ward ’83.

He says that other family members gave him an idea of what to expect from boarding school life and some of the “nuances of the Hill.” “My time at Westminster helped me establish self-confidence and perseverance,” he reflected. Following Westminster, he graduated from the University of Virginia, like his father and uncle before him. He then began his career with JP Morgan Bank and Trust Co. and joined Arthur Hall Insurance in 1991. Since 2006, he has served as president of the company, which provides commercial and personal insurance programs and risk management solutions to clients in 40 states. He resides in his hometown of Wilmington.

When Rod Ward entered Westminster in the fall of 1979, it was his first time away from home besides a few weeks at summer camp. He was inspired to attend because of his uncle Robert W. Hill Jr. He recalls touring Westminster with faculty member Richard Hopley, who turned out to be Rod’s football coach and helped Rod “get on the right track as a young Third Former.”

Rod says his Westminster experience taught him self-reliance and how to take personal responsibility for his actions. He considers his proudest accomplishments as rooming with the same roommate — Chaffe Toulmin ’83 — all four years, getting through senior English and learning a number of Shakespeare’s sonnets, and serving in student government as a prefect. He was a member of the football, squash and lacrosse teams, Black and Gold, SPHERE and choir.

Following Westminster, Rod earned a B.S. at Middlebury College and then an MBA at the University of North Carolina.

He served as president of the Speakman Company from 2002 to 2010 and continues as chair of the board of directors. “I was a member of the board with three of my older cousins and fellow Westminster graduates: Will Denham, Jim Denham and Bill Speakman,” he explained. He has served as president and CEO of Corporation Service Company since 2010.

Rod likes having Westminster in common with so many family members. “We talk about it all of the time,” he said.

“Within the Speakman side of our family, the Westminster experience has been ongoing through three generations and Fall 2017

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more than 60 years. He says many traditions of the Speakman family revolve around the Speakman Company with a number of family members serving on the board of directors. “The family has been very proud of this company which will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2019.”

The fall after he graduated from Westminster, Rod’s cousin Bob Hill, son of Bob Hill ’52, was appointed to the Westminster faculty. A graduate of Middlebury High School in Middlebury, Vt., he earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in English from Middlebury College.

“A close friend from college had begun teaching at Westminster the year before I interviewed, and his recommendation along with my father’s encouragement led me to the school,” he said. “Having grown up in a professor’s home and having been surrounded by, as long as I recall, professors and teachers discussing their passion for teaching was like a siren’s Bob Hill, a former Westminster faculty member and current head call. My father was the biggest influence in my decision.” of school at Williston Northampton School.

Bob began work at Westminster in 1983 as an “intern” in the Development Office but quickly picked up a role as an which continues through the Garnett family. Conversations admissions interviewer and, after one year, as a full-time English with family could sound like a reunion table under a tent.” teacher. After a number of years teaching English full time, he

Bob is close to Rod’s older sister, Gigi Ward Garnett, who became an assistant in the College Counseling Office and finished kept the family connection to Westminster alive by sending her his career at Westminster as the director of college counseling. daughters, Sofia “Sofi” Garnett ’06 and Madeline “Maddie”

“There always seemed to be a new Garnett ’10, to Westminster. They represent opportunity for professional growth,” he the third generation on the Hill. said. “Westminster was a school where “Westminster was a the faculty all pulled with equal effort school where the faculty Third Generation toward the same goals. We were a deeply committed group.” Over the years, he lived Sofi Garnett says it was her godfather, all pulled with equal in Cushing Hall and West Cottage.

Bob Hill, who was most influential in

He also met his wife, Kathryn, when effort toward the same her decision to attend Westminster, along he was working at Westminster, and she with her Uncle Rod, who was also a huge goals. We were a deeply advocate. “As kids, my siblings and I would eventually joined the faculty. They had two children and decided in 1998 to leave be dressed head-to-toe in Westminster gear,” committed group.”

Westminster “to move from the world she recalled. “It was an easy decision to of New England and boarding school” make when it was time for me to choose.” to work at Carolina Day School in Asheville, where Bob was

While at Westminster, Sofi participated in Black and Gold, appointed associate head of school and served in the position SON and the Spirit Club. She also played soccer, squash and three years. In 2010, he was named to his current position as tennis, serving as captain of her squash and tennis teams. “Sports head of school at Williston Northampton School. were a huge part of my experience,” she said. “Westminster

“Without a doubt, I learned all the important professional gave me the opportunity to develop as an athlete, which further lessons of the profession during my tenure at Westminster, as translated into leadership and team-building skills that I have did so many new teachers,” he said. “Headmaster Don Werner, applied throughout my professional life.” followed by Graham Cole, were inspiring heads of school with

She also treasures her experience giving a chapel talk. “It true vision for the school that permeated every aspect of life. I was not only character building, but also something that pushed credit both of those gentlemen for what has turned out for me to me out of my comfort zone and forced me to think critically be a lasting appreciation of the unique opportunities for teachers about the foundation of humanity and the commonalities that and students in boarding school. Many new teachers passed every Westminster student shares,” she explained. “What drove through the doors and learned at Westminster that teaching, me to share my experience with the rest of the student body coaching and advising were the three pillars that made great during my junior year was a very special relationship I shared boarding schools great.” with my freshman roommate, Victoria Kennedy ’06. Victoria and

As far as reminiscing about Westminster with other members I became close over long conversations reflecting on our initial of his family, he says: “I share some of the stories with my own interaction as roommates coming from very different cultural family or certainly when I’m around the family members who I backgrounds and how we found common ground in what really know attended — especially the latest generational connection mattered: our values.”

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Sofi says faculty members Kathleen Devaney, Mark de Kanter ’91 and Bill Philip had a significant influence on her as a student. “There are too many teachers, coaches and mentors to mention, but going back to the Hill, I always try to see these three,” she said. She also stays in touch with classmates. “We have a group of six of us, who initially all lived in New York City after college, and we would get together every couple of months for dinner. We’ve taken trips together and attended each other’s weddings in more recent years. We had annual ‘friendsgivings’ and continue to make strong efforts to see each other as much as possible.”

A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Sofi has worked at Alliance Bernstein since graduating from college. She serves as a vice president on the Bernstein equities research sales team, where she covers European and Asian equities. Her uncle Bob Hill officiated at her marriage in June of this year.

Sofi says Westminster pushed her to become more mature.

“It so tactically molds each student to realize the importance of extracurricular activities and getting involved in things, giving back and perhaps, most importantly, the value of strong, meaningful relationships with people,” she said.

Maddie Garnett decided to attend Westminster because of her sister’s positive experience. She says members of her close extended family often talk about their time at Westminster. “I watched my sister become such a well-rounded young woman while attending Westminster, and I wanted to cultivate the same friendships and experience and the same independence that she did during her time there,” she said. “It was also easy to choose Westminster given the familiarity and family history with the school.” Maddie played soccer and lacrosse and participated in swimming and diving. She also was a member of Chorale, Black and Gold, and SON.

Today, Maddie, who is also a graduate of St. Lawrence University, works in strategic engagement for The Concordia Summit in New York City. Concordia serves as a nonpartisan convening platform working to build partnerships for social

impact and is best known for its annual summit in September during the week of the U.N. General Assembly. It also recently hosted international summits in Athens, Greece, and Bogotá, Colombia. Maddie lives in New York City with classmate Madeleine King ’10. Until recently, they also lived with Margaret Miller ’10 and Emily Snoddon ’10.

Maddie says she had wonderful mentors at Westminster. “I struggled with math quite a bit, and one teacher, Jill Loveland, invested four years into helping me understand very basic concepts. Her attention and dedication to my growth as a student had an impact on my overall confidence both inside and outside the classroom.” Maddie also says faculty members John Sandoval, and Mary Pat and Grant Gritzmacher were important advocates and mentors for her.

Maddie appreciates how she was always challenged at Westminster. “I was forced out of my comfort zone, while always knowing I had someone, usually a faculty member or mentor, who was cheering me on no matter the challenge,” she said.

“Developing these skills has been imperative in my adult life.

They have helped to shape much of my professional trajectory thus far, and allowed me to take risks and cultivate meaningful relationships.”

Among Maddie’s proudest accomplishments as a Martlet were the friendships she formed. “They are my truest and oldest friends, and I have grown with them even beyond our time on Williams Hill,” she said. “We always have Westminster in common.”

Sofi Garnett ’06 was married in June.

Bob Hill, her uncle, officiated.

Emily Snoddon ’10, Madeleine King ’10, Maddie Garnett ’10 and Margaret Miller ’10 at a Rangers game in late 2016.

Sharing Pride While many things have changed at Westminster since the first members of the Speakman family arrived on the Hill from Wilmington in the 1940s, some important things remain the same. “It’s amazing that so much has changed with the physical appearance of the school over the many generations of our family, but somehow we all share in the pride and love for what Westminster means at its core: Grit & Grace,” summarized Sofi.

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WESTMINSTER

REUNION

2017

Alumni from 12 classes returned to Westminster May 5-7 for reunion. The weekend’s activities began Friday evening with a reception in Armstrong Atrium of Armour Academic Center that was part of the opening of the fifth annual Alumni Art Exhibit in Baxter Gallery.

WES_ShieldRibbon_PMS123_C.eps

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REUNION 2017 “I would like to extend a warm Westminster welcome to all of you who are here at the start of our reunion weekend,” said Headmaster Bill Philip.

After sharing information about the art exhibit and the gallery’s permanent collection, he wished everyone an enjoyable time at their class dinners, which were taking place both on and off campus.

On Saturday morning, alumni attended a Multicultural Affairs reception, toured campus buildings, chatted with some Sixth Formers about their Westminster experience and college plans, and discussed admissions and college counseling with Dean of Admissions and Enrollment Management Jon Deveaux P’14, ’16 and Director of College Counseling Greg Williams.

In his headmaster’s welcome, Bill spoke about his personal history on campus with his family and shared how campus life now centers around Commencement Lawn and Baxter Lawn.

“The school looks very different,” he said.

“There are new buildings and some of the old buildings have been significantly renovated.” He explained how the new buildings and renovations benefit the school by bringing faculty and students together in organic ways. “They really have been built and renovated with the

idea of continuing to cultivate and nurture the ethos and values that have always defined Westminster School,” he said. He cited examples such as the new dining hall where family-style lunches are served, and Hovey Field, which is both a beautiful space for athletics and a community space.

He also discussed the importance of the school’s endowment and how it makes

a real difference in the life of the school.

“Today as much as ever, Westminster is about people,” he said. “When you think back about your experiences as students, you think about relationships. You think about people first, and the same is true for us today.” After responding to a number of questions, he thanked alumni for coming back to campus for their reunion.

At the induction ceremony of the

Alumni Art Exhibit Westminster’s fifth annual Alumni Art Exhibit held in Baxter Gallery of Armour Academic Center featured the works of four alumni artists, with each bringing a different approach to the paintings, sculptures and furniture that were on display. The exhibit, which was organized by Jenny Philip P’06, ’09, opened May 5 at the start of reunion weekend and closed after Jeffrey Bishop ’67 commencement May 29.

“Since the 125th anniversary of the school, we have kicked off reunion weekend with an alumni art show,” said Headmaster Bill Philip, as he welcomed alumni to reunion weekend and the opening of the exhibit. “In my view, it is a really nice feature of the weekend.”

The four artists were Jeffrey Bishop ’67, Tucker Robbins ’72, Susan Wilcox White ’74 and Peter Willard ’77.

This was Jeffrey Bishop’s second time participating in an Alumni Art Exhibit.

“It is nice to be back on campus,” he said. “I have three pieces here that are acrylic and collage on synthetic paper.” In his artist’s statement for the show, he said: “I 42

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Tucker Robbins ’72

never know which way a painting or drawing is going to go. They are not about anything in particular; they remain mute even when noisy, the less meaning the better. They are their own autonomous language. Process, surprise and wonder are what drive my interest. I offer that same freedom to the viewer.”

“It is a thrill for me to show what I’ve been up to,” said Tucker Robbins, about the 10 works of furniture and sculpture he had on display. “It centers on peace.” In his artist’s statement, he said: “My passion is to build cultural bridges. I combine ancient techniques, salvaged materials and iconic forms to create experiential works that are both modern and timeless. More than mere

Sixth Form into the Alumni Association, which took place in Andrews Memorial Chapel, Susie Werner Berenson ’82 welcomed members of the Class of 2017 and shared her experience growing up on campus as a faculty child. “Looking back with 35 years of perspective, I can see what ties people to Westminster and fosters such intense loyalty to the school,” she said. “It’s not just these fantastic

friendships; it is also the community. Like your family back home, Westminster connects you to each other through support, love and shared experiences.”

She spoke about various collective experiences and Westminster traditions.

“Just as your own family’s traditions around the holidays, birthdays and simple everyday rhythms of life bind your family together, so, too, do these rituals,

conversation pieces, these creations are links between the indigenous craft and contemporary culture. It brings cultures and lifestyles together, connecting them through an object with a deep story and message.”

For Susan Wilcox White, coming back to Westminster to exhibit her art created an “overwhelming feeling of home.” While sculpture, printmaking and graphic design had been lifelong interests, a visit to Wellesley College a few years ago, where she found herself in an introductory watercolor class, inspired her to further pursue her interest in art. “Art was always a part of my life, but I couldn’t do it with other responsibilities,” she explained. In 2016, she received a Certificate Susan Wilcox White ’74

experiences and traditions connect you to your classmates and all of the other Martlets who have graduated before you and all those who will come after you,” she said. “That is what it is to be alumni of this place. That is its true power and a great part of its meaning.”

She encouraged the Sixth Formers to stay in touch and involved with the school. “The school cares about you,”

in Botanical Painting and Illustration from Wellesley College. “For many years, I would look around the great outdoors and say to myself, ‘someday I am going to paint that,’” she said in her artist’s statement. “Equally fascinating to me were the moments when I would examine a flower, leaf or cross section of fruit and think ‘perfection.’” Among her nine works in the exhibit were watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings.

Peter Willard had nine works on exhibit including acrylic and mixed media, graphite on paper, watercolor and mixed media, and acrylic. “I started with watercolors and branched out,” he said about his career. “I work as an artist full time now.” In his artist’s statement, he said: “For me, painting is like solving a jigsaw puzzle. Not forcing the pieces together is the goal. Let the paint do the solving.

Let the paint do the talking. My goal is to allow what I’m painting to unfold on the surface.”

The artists donated a portion of the sale of their works to Westminster’s Wilde Fund, which benefits current students.

Peter Willard ’77 Fall 2017

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REUNION 2017

she said. “It’s cheering for you. And like your folks back home, Westminster will miss you when you are gone. So please, come back and visit often. I promise, there is nothing like a trip back up to the Hill to reconnect you with your time here.”

After the induction ceremony concluded, a memorial service was held for the 23 alumni who had died during the past year. Director of Alumni

Relations Aileen Daversa ’90 read their names, prayers were said, and Julia Krys ’19 and Maddy Paro ’17 sang “Pie Jesu.”

A luncheon in the dining room in Cushing Hall followed.

Bianca Tennyson ’97, who was back for her 20th reunion, said there was “fun and great excitement in everyone being back together and reliving amazing days at Westminster.” And Lauren Bontecou

Reichart ’97 added, “I had a great experience here, and it is fun to have a nice turnout.”

At one of the lunch tables, some members of the Class of 2002 shared memories of their experiences at Westminster. They were surprised that the path down the hill to get pizza had been cleaned up. “We had to bushwhack our way down the hill,” recalled Maika Takita

60th Reunion Members of the Class of 1957 held their dinner in Watts Hall. The reunion committee included Marty Farr, Doug Lawrence, Peter Palin, Joel Palmer and Bob Wing.

Peter Palin said a lot of good memories were shared at the dinner. “I am so happy to see the campus coming together.” He recalled living in Cushing Hall, Westminster House and Memorial Hall, which at the time had a study hall, classrooms and student dormitory rooms. On Saturday, the group attended a presentation in the Class of 1957 Planetarium in Armour Academic Center.

Doug Lawrence said he likes to get back to campus as often as he can and enjoys viewing the photos of former teachers that hang in Armstrong Atrium.

Marty Farr remarked: “This school is an important place for me. It changed my whole life and did more for me in personal growth than college. It helped with setting sights.”

The class established a new 60th reunion total giving record of $1,827,437 that included funds for renaming a remodeled Watts Hall, which will open early next year as an administrative office area adjacent to a new student center in Cushing Hall. Watts Hall is named after Billy Watts ’57, who was killed by an avalanche while he was a Westminster student.

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’02. Katherine Decelles ’02 talked about living in a single in Cushing in the annex above the health center.

In the afternoon, many alumni attended athletic contests.

At the cocktail reception in Armstrong Atrium before the Black and Gold Dinner, Headmaster Philip welcomed everyone back to campus again and said, “Great schools such

as Westminster flourish through a shared alumni culture and passion.” He then recognized classes in attendance for various giving and participation milestones. The classes that broke or tied reunion records included the Class of 1957 with a 60th reunion record of giving of $1,827,437 and the Class of 1967 with a 50th reunion record of participation tied at 100 percent. The giving records are all-

inclusive, and include annual gifts, capital gifts and planned gifts. “My thanks to all alumni who traveled, including those from very long distances — across the country and internationally — to join us this reunion weekend,” he said in closing.

The Black and Gold Dinner in Cushing Hall featured dancing, and members of the Class of 2012 opened their five-year time capsule.

50th Reunion

25th Reunion

The Class of 1967 held its 50th reunion dinner in Hinman Reading Room with 22 of 38 living classmates returning for the celebration. Guests included former Westminster Headmaster Don Werner P’79, ’82, and archivist Scott Reeves and Joanne Scattergood Reeves P’03, ’05, ’05.

Classmates shared stories, viewed a slide show and reflected on the impact various faculty members had on their lives. Reunion committee members included Ed Bickford, Evan Boenning, Dick Bondy, Charlie Henry, Tom McNichols and Jim Mendillo. Peter Henry said it was a special night and great to get together with classmates.

The Class of 1992 held its reunion dinner at the home of faculty members Kathleen Devaney and Mark de Kanter ’91, P’19.

Reunion committee members were Christophany Creed, Paige McCoy Meuse, Jamie Oldershaw, Marnie Davidson Rouse and Richard Yao.

About coming back for reunion, Randy Fernandez said he looked forward to catching up with classmates and seeing faculty members, which will “bring back memories.”

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REUNION 2017

Class of 1952

Class of 1957

Bob Hazen

Front row, Marty Farr, Peter Palin and Bob Wing Back row, Doug Lawrence, Ned Gow, Rob Adams and Joel Palmer

Class of 1967 Front row, Nick Preston, Steve Binder, David Keene, Jim Mendilio, Paul Oliver, Peter Henry, Dick Bondy, Tom McNichols and Ed Bickford Back row, Bill Robbins, Jim Lombardo, Charles Henry, Jeffrey Bishop, Evan Boenning, Greg Shepard, Tom Garfield, Jeff Katz, Walter Earle, Steve Foehl, Doug Lane and Jim Ladd

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Class of 1972

Class of 1977

George Thompson and Steve Scott

Peter Baldwin

Class of 1982 Front row, Stuart Sziklas, Julie Morris Ogden, Helen Noble O’Brien, Susan Childs and Jill Wilson Kijanka Back row, Peter Van Duyne, Adam Gordon, Powell Holly, Susan Randolph Belbas, James Varano, James Winokur, Susie Werner Berenson, Buzz Gavel, Mark Neilsen, and Mimi and former Headmaster Don Werner

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REUNION 2017 Class of 1987 Front row, Elizabeth Raymond McDermott, Katherine Strandberg Sawyer, Cynthia Mueller Donley and Kristen Huey Mattson Back row, Dan Burke, Will Lyon, Jonathan Symonds, John McGarry and Andrew McCullough

Class of 1992 Front row, Paige McCoy Meuse, Amy Gallivan Damico, Elizabeth Eaton, Dennis Fitzgibbons, Kirsten Slusar Bossin and Kim Sturz Gaynor Back row: Randy Fernandez, Chris van der Kieft, Alicia Coles, Jamie Bray, Hank Forsyth, Anne McCulloch Grogan, Peter Cumming, Stacey Smith Trippe, Robin Herrick Tesoro, Katie Charlston Colgate and Jabez Boyd

Class of 1997 Front row, Clark Teagle, Rob Moran, Bianca Tennyson, Alexcia Harrison, Colette Arredondo, Jane Simmons Bullock, Katherine Robinson Cirelli, Eliza Scott Cook, Lauren Bontecou Reichart, Meredith Lyster Jones and Todd Jeffery Back row, Dave Bernard, George Thompson, Tate Curti, Seth de Kanter, Ken Wilson, Didi Blake Fleisher, Stephanie Timberman Richard, Lindsay Knapp, Courtney Bright de Kanter, Jamie Boynton, Carolyn Cordner LePage, Parker Gibson, Suzi Piker and Diana Zakow Totolos 48

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Class of 2002 Chelsea Tersavich, Margaret Obermeier Lardizabal, Katherine Decelles and Maika Takita

Class of 2007 Front row, Sarah Warnke, Caitlin Romaniello, Liza Winship, Erica Briggs, Chelsea Hall Anderson, Olivia Robinson Reighley and Sky Miers Back row, Adam King, Nick Stevens, Sky Biedron, Melissa Haynes, Andrew Webb, Elsie Swank, Joey Liberator, Will Katz, Kelsea Wigmore, Nick Pitsikoulis, Peter Williams and Tim Gavrich

Class of 2012 Front row, Isha Garg, Caroline Brady, Brooke Brazer, Jay Attys, Jake Medina, Randy Doyle, Jake Cahill, Donald Sonn, Dietrich Ryan, Atesha Gifford, Meaghan O’Herron and Emily Moran Second row, Michelle Aiyanyor, Maggie Hark, Abby Huth, Sarah Dimmitt, Christi DeSimone, Elena Kim and Emily Teschner Third row, Will Stevens, Jeff Smolens, Alex Chaffee, Dillion Gomes, Curtis Mackenzie, Natalie Biedron, Andy Dines, Dillion Tiner, Cam Kurtz, Bill Sistare, Skyler Wasser, Nana Osei, Angel Guerrero, Marissa Mason, Hadley DesMueles, Kadeam Ward, Michael LeBlanc, Franco Serrao and Alessandro Giacometti Fourth row, Ryan Cholnoky, Mimi Ryan, Amory Beldock, Corey Latour, Ellie Baker, Rachel Kennedy, Ben Hill and Simran Kuar Fall 2017

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Members of the Class of 2017 pass the random diplomas they received during the commencement ceremony until they receive their own diploma.

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The Westminster community gathered on Commencement Lawn May 27 to celebrate the graduation of 102 students in the Class of 2017. Headmaster Bill Philip welcomed family members and friends of the graduates to the commencement exercises and spoke about the school’s extraordinary year.

He cited achievements in admissions, The Westminster Fund, the construction of new building projects and college counseling. Approximately 90 percent of the members of the Class of 2017 were admitted to colleges ranked in the “most” and “highly” selective categories of Barron’s Profiles of Colleges and Universities.

He added, “This school continues to flourish thanks to the passion of our school community, whether students, faculty, parents, alumni and friends here on campus today, but also those around the country and the world who continue to cherish and seek to advance this school.”

He also recognized the longtime contributions to the Westminster community by retiring faculty member Richard P. “Scott” Berry Jr. P’11, ’16 and Larry Gilman P’78, ’80, Westminster’s longest serving faculty member, who died in February.

The keynote speaker was Jamie Williams ’81, president of The Wilderness Society. He spoke about finding inspiration for his conservation work from visionaries like Teddy Roosevelt and Mardy Murie, and how important it is to work together. “You really have to challenge your assumptions about others, and if you learn to listen, you might find you have some common ground,” he said. “I have found time and again in 30 years of

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conservation work, from Colorado to Montana to right here in the Farmington Valley, where I worked to save the Farmington River, that if you work to find common ground there is no limit to what you can achieve.”

He referenced the important lessons about community he learned at Westminster, saying it was cultivated at family-style meals, in the dorms, in the chapel, on the field and even washing dishes. “Little did I know 36 years ago that sense of community would be the most important driving factor of the next 36 years to me,” he said. “It has really defined my conservation work, where I worked with local communities all over the country to bring people together in coalitions to protect the places that Americans love. But it also has been critical to the kind of organization I work in because teamwork — bringing diverse teams together — has been the most important element of our success. And I would argue that going forward, the most important skills you can develop are people skills and those abilities to work as a team to get something done.”

In closing, he advised the graduates: “Whatever mountain you seek, go climb it for the view it will give you of the bigger world around you. It will remind you that you are part of something much bigger than yourself, and if you can listen to others, I’m sure you will be able to give back way beyond anything you might ever imagine. So Class of 2017, launch into the world knowing you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Do it with vision and purpose, and the values of integrity and community you gained here, and you will achieve miracles.”

Jamie Williams ’81

Adrian Enchill ’17

In his Salutatory Address, head prefect Adrian Enchill, a Sixth Former from Pittsfield, Mass., talked about the importance of community. “Westminster has shown me life is about giving back and helping others,” he said. “It is about leaving a place better off than when you arrived. Our community has opened my eyes to the fact that our time here is not about individual accomplishments. Instead, it is about leaving a positive legacy on those around you.”

In his Outstanding Scholar Address, Sixth Former Huanshuo “John” Rao, a resident of Avon, Conn., spoke about his passion for photography and how important it is to get to know yourself.

“Find your passion, focus on it, sharpen it, make it clear and make it as perfect as you can,” he said. “And remember it’s OK

John Rao ’17

to be out of focus sometimes because we all have to take bad pictures before we can take good ones. When things don’t work out, just develop from the negatives and take another shot.”

After the prizes were awarded, Headmaster Philip and Chair of the Board of Trustees Brad Raymond ’85, P’19, ’20, with the assistance of Director of Studies Bill Sistare, presented diplomas to members of the class. The graduates then recessed to participate in the Westminster tradition of passing diplomas on the newly renovated Sixth Form Lawn. They formed a circle, and at the signal of the head prefect, passed the random diplomas they received during the commencement ceremony to the left until they received their own diploma. They then stepped out of the circle signifying their graduation.

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FACULTY PRIZES

STUDENT PRIZES

Gretchen Hupfel ’82 Art Purchase Prize Yilun Zheng ’17

Cowing Art Award Sophia Tawney ’17 Mark de Kanter ’91, P’19

Willard Sistare

Lawrence Court

Lewis J. Powers Photography Award Huanshuo Rao ’17

Excellence in Dance Ann Ogden ’17

Edward Scull Jr. ’71 Award for Excellence in Architecture Huanshuo Rao ’17 Peter Briggs ’71, P’01, ’05, ’07

Jessica Keough

Timothy Joncas ’00

Excellence in Science Joel Groves ’17

Twenty-Year Service Pin Mark de Kanter ’91, P’19 Gloria Connell P’99, ’00 (awarded in June)

Excellence in Physics

The John Sherwin Jr. ’57 and W. Graham Cole Jr. Chair

Joyce Wilson Prize for Excellence in Mathematics

This chair is awarded every three years to “recognize a senior faculty member who sets the standard for leadership and embodies the true meaning of Grit and Grace.”

Excellence in Economics

Willard Sistare

The Donald H. Werner Chair in English Named in honor of former Headmaster Don Werner, who served on the faculty from 1960-1993 and as headmaster from 1970-1993, this chair is bestowed upon the faculty member who heads the English Department.

Jacob Szykowny ’17

Hyeon Jo Jeong ’17

Abigail LeBlanc ’17

Class of 1941 Peter Mars Memorial History Prize Anne Hicks ’17

Dramatic Award for Service and Leadership in Theater Anissa Joseph ’17

Lawrence Court

Design Award for Service and Achievement in Technical Support

Nadal Award

Cameron Gould ’17

This award is presented by the Founders League on an annual basis, as warranted, to students, faculty, staff, teams and student bodies, who “play by the rules, accept victory or defeat graciously, respect all who assemble and participate.” It may be awarded in recognition of sportsmanship during a particular contest, throughout a season, or continued contributions to athletics and the league.

Peter Briggs ’71, P’01, ’05, ’07

The Swayze Award Presented annually in honor of distinguished alumnus, trustee and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees Townsend Swayze ’55, this award is given to a member of the faculty for outstanding contributions to the life of the school.

Jessica Keough

The O’Brien Award This award is presented annually in honor of Marianna and Junie O’Brien P’81, who devoted their lives in service to young people and to schools. It recognizes a member of the faculty who has, over the course of the year, been especially selfless and generous with time and care in the nurture and support of students and whose extraordinary, ongoing personal commitment to young people sets an example to the Westminster community.

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J. Lawrence Gilman Award for Achievement in Music and Participation in Musical Activities Madison Paro ’17 and Hyeon Jo Jeong ’17

Gordon McKinley Award for Excellence in English Anne Hicks ’17

Critchell Rimington Creative Writing Award Sophia Tawney ’17

Burdett Prize for Excellence in the Study of French Huanshuo Rao ’17 and Brenna Monroe ’17

Richard P. Hopley Excellence in Latin Prize Sophia Tawney ’17 and Isaiah Preyer ’17

Moncada Prize for Excellence in Spanish Oumou Kanoute ’17 and Jee Hoon Fred Seo ’17

Excellence in Chinese Morgan Peirce ’17

Sixth Form Prizes for General Scholarship First in the Sixth Form: Hyeon Jo Jeong Second in the Sixth Form: Shanntal Morel Third in the Sixth Form: Huanshuo Rao

Butler Bowl The faculty presents this award to a member of the Third Form for character and leadership.

Megan Rittenhouse ’20

Brian T. Bruyette ’77 Senior Athletic Award This award is given annually to the Sixth Form boy and girl who best exemplify excellence in athletics and who contributed to the character of the team. It is given in memory of Brian T. Bruyette ’77, who in his enthusiasm, sportsmanship, effort and skills, represented all that is best in this school.

Delando Clarke ’17 and Leah Klassen ’17

Outstanding Scholar Award This award is presented to the Sixth Former who, in the opinion of the faculty, is the outstanding scholar of the class. The award is not necessarily determined by rank in class but is based, rather, on the attributes of the true scholar: curiosity, imagination, power to associate new observations with prior experience, thoroughness, appetite for ideas rather than for grades as an end in themselves and the ability to move easily in the realm of concepts.

Huanshuo Rao ’17

Adams Bowl This award is presented annually to a member of the Fourth Form who best embodies the qualities of Richard and Barbara Adams, who gave devoted service to Westminster for over 40 years, showing outstanding personal qualities and concern for the community and unwavering dedication to students. Barbara served on the faculty from 1995-2011, and Dick served on the faculty from 1970-2013.

Andrew Brownback ’19

Wilbraham Bowl This award is presented annually to a member of the Fifth Form who best embodies the qualities of Geoffrey Wilbraham, who gave distinguished and loyal service to Westminster from 1958 to 1994: high personal standards, consistent respect for others, unswerving commitment to the common good, steady insistence on fair play and abiding human decency.

Paul Winship ’35 Alumni Book Prize This book prize is awarded to a Sixth Former who has made an unusual commitment in both breadth and depth to the school’s programs and activities.

Ann Ogden ’17

Lucy Noel ’18

Keyes Bowl

Richard K. LeBlond II Honor Award This award is given annually to a member of the Sixth Form who exemplifies dedication to academics and loyalty to the school.

Gary Simons ’17

Established by the Class of 1966 and recognized as the school’s most prestigious commencement award, the Keyes Bowl is presented annually to a member of the Sixth Form and recognizes the qualities of loyalty, courage, leadership and humility.

Joel Groves ’17

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The Lawn Ceremony Members of the Sixth Form and the Fifth Form were delighted that restoration of the Sixth Form Lawn was completed in time for the Lawn Ceremony, one of Westminster’s most cherished traditions.

Held the night before commencement, Sixth Formers pulled Fifth Formers 56

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onto the lawn. At the end, members of the Prefect Board pulled on next year’s members of the board: Dallis Alvarez, Alex Biedron, Elizabeth Casey, Lucy Noel, Teagan Stedman, Jack Stevenson, Zach Tarazi and Max Torres. The final two people joining everyone on the lawn were

the new junior prefect, Mike Fiorini, and the new head prefect, Jessie Schuhlen.

Also invited onto the lawn as honorary members of the Class of 2017 were faculty members Mark de Kanter ’91, P’19 and Jessica Keough.

CLASS OF 2017 COLLEGE MATRICULATION Alexandra Elizabeth Aiello

Brinley Paige Cuddeback

Southern Methodist University

Anne Elizabeth Hicks

Kenneth Edward Mazzaro

Spencer Tristen Rellinger

University of Miami

Fraser Thebaud Allen

Jeremy Williams Cutler

Devonte Jasai McCall

Lawrence Arthur Renehan

Elon University

Southern Methodist University

Logan Michael Hinton

Robert Franklin Andrews V

Katherine Barry Eckerson

Peter Richard Horsfall

Matthew Tucker Meltzer

Ray Rivers

Adrian K. Enchill

John Forrest Hunt

Sarah Rose Minella

Paul Joseph Roy

Merlin Oliver Ennis

Brendan David Jacobs

Yuki Mitsuda

John Enders Sargent

Brenna Nicole Monroe

Jee Hoon Fred Seo

Samantha Rae Monte

Gary Kingsly Simons

Shanntal I. Morel

Smith College

The George Washington University

Christopher F. Swanson

Oumou Kanoute William Joseph Kirby IV

Kylie King Murphy

Matthew James Swenson

Leah Mackenzie Klassen

Cornelius Nicholas

Artur Adam Szopa

Samuel Crean Knowlton

Ann Elena Ogden

Jacob M. Szykowny

Daniel Kong

Madison Eliza Paro

Sophia Alyse Tawney

William David Leathers

Morgan Corinne Peirce

Lily Gilbert von Stade

Abigail Marie LeBlanc

Liam Christopher Gregory Peterson

Jeremiah Patrick Wade

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Assumption College

Nicole Paige Armour

Brown University

Middlebury College

Sydney A. Autorino

Colgate University

Cooper John Bellet

University of Richmond Madeline Joan Bologa

Hamilton College Conor Brennan

Washington and Lee University Elizabeth Dillman Brewer

Occidental College

Gabrielle Amelia Brown

Tulane University

Kendall Harris Brown

Trinity College

Stone M. Brown

University of Connecticut McKenna Q. Burelle

Franklin & Marshall College Lauren Elise Ferraiuolo

Endicott College

Jack Griffin Flanagan

Middlebury College

Kyle Todd Forsyth

Springfield College

Leif Fosse-Greiner

Northeastern University Jordan Anthony Gabbidon

Colgate University

Leta Kay Giordano

Georgetown University Cameron Nicholas Gould

University of Richmond Alexa Kristina Green

Hampton University

The George Washington University

John Roger Griffith

Emily Elizabeth Burstein

Mackenzie Anne Griffith

Tufts University

Timothy Patrick Callahan

Springfield College Jason Chung

New York University Dominic James Cirillo

Bentley University

Delando A. Clarke

Wesleyan University

Michael Robert Cornish

Stevens Institute of Technology Alec Sloan Costanza

Cornell University

Colby College

College of the Holy Cross

Maxwell Douglas Grout

Cornell University

Joel Timothy Groves

Wesleyan University

Jeffrey William Guiliano

Wake Forest University

Myles Stewart Hamm

Harvard University

Christopher Peter Hark

Providence College

Timothy Charles Harris

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Vanderbilt University Gap Year

University of Wisconsin, Madison Hobart and William Smith Colleges University of New Hampshire at Durham Hyeon Jo Jeong

University of California, Berkeley Anissa Joseph

Skidmore College

Colby College

Mercyhurst University Kenyon College

Boston University Elon University

Williams College

Calvin Ross LeClair

Gap Year

Elena Davina Lie-A-Cheong

University of Southern California Alexander Douglas Londal

University of Michigan Benita Ann Lopez

Union College

Alexandra Marie Lynch

St. Lawrence University

Nathali Jubilee Madrid

Wesleyan University

Elizabeth Healy Mahoney

Trinity College

Lehigh University

Franklin Pierce University Duke University

Emory University Barnard College

Wesleyan University University of Miami

Butler University

College of Charleston Dartmouth College Babson College Smith College

Simon Fraser University

Jeffrey Eldon Powell Jr.

Gap Year

Max F. Powers

Wesleyan University Payton Michael Prendergast

New York University Isaiah Carl Preyer

University of Connecticut Micaela Catherine Quinn

University of Mary Washington Huanshuo Rao

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Providence College

University of Richmond Tufts University Union College

Tulane University

New York University

Georgetown University The George Washington University Northeastern University Wesleyan University Brown University

Hamilton College Colby College

St. Lawrence University

Wyatt MacLean Watts

Tufts University

Alexander Conrad Weiss

Sacred Heart University

Cynthia McBryde White

St. Lawrence University Yifeng Zhang

Syracuse University Chufeng Zheng

Northeastern University Yilun Zheng

New York University

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Supporting Westminster

New Trustees Five trustees were named to the Westminster Board of Trustees at its October meeting.

Madeleine Ekholm P’19, ’20 and her husband, Borje, and their children, Anna, Carl ’19, Clara ’20 and Julia, split their time living in Greenwich, Conn., and Beaver Creek, Colo. Madeleine earned a B.A. in marketing and communication from IHM Business School and has held leadership positions with numerous organizations. Most recently, she served as senior advisor at Hjart Lungfonden, Sweden’s heart and lung foundation. At Westminster, she is a member of the Parents Committee. Madeleine is a passionate skier.

Hae-Young Lee P’18, ’20 is vice chairman of Daelim B&Co. He earned a B.A. in business administration at Sogang University and an MBA at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He is chair of the Westminster Korean Parents Association and serves on the Parents Committee. He and his wife, Euny Kwon, have three children, Ryan ’18, Scott ’20 and Grace. They live in Seoul, South Korea. Hae-Young is a patron of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and enjoys music, skiing, golfing, hiking and gardening.

Madeleine Ekholm P’19, ’20

Douglas F. Londal P’17, ’19, ’21 is a partner and head of the Private Capital Group at MSD Partners LP. He earned a B.A. in economics at the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He has served on more than 20 for-profit boards of directors in roles including chairman and lead director, as well as chair of audit and compensation committees.

Doug and his wife, Kristin, live in Bronxville, N.Y., with their four children, Alexander ’17, Nate ’19, Christopher ’21 and Nicholas.

Bryan R. Martin ’86 is CEO and founder of D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments LLC, managing director at D.E. Shaw & Co. and chairman of Deepwater Wind LLC. He earned a B.A. in history at Yale University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He and his wife, Katherine, have two sons, Alexander and William, and live in Larchmont, N.Y. Bryan has served as a Westminster reunion committee member and a class agent.

Thomas W. McCargo ’82, P’21 is president of Urban Villages. He previously served on the Westminster Board of Trustees from 19962008, chaired the Strategic Planning Committee and served on his reunion committee in 2002. He is on the board of directors of the Sewickley Heights Borough Council and the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Community Capital Corporation. Tom earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Vermont. He lives in Sewickley, Pa., with his wife, Sara, and their children, Grant ’21, Fife, Lucille, Meriwether and Augustine. Tom enjoys skiing, sailing and mountain biking.

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Hae-Young Lee P’18, ’20

Douglas F. Londal P’17, ’19, ’21

Bryan R. Martin ’86

Thomas W. McCargo ’82, P’21

Bob Wing ’57, second from left, with classmates Marty Farr ’57, Douglas Lawrence ’57 and Peter Palin ’57.

A Friendship Way Beyond a Lifetime Watts Hall has been a familiar part of Cushing Hall for decades, with many noticing the photo on the wall of Billy Watts ’57, for whom it is named. But for Robert “Bob” Wing ’57, Watts Hall and the photo are so much more.

Bob and Billy were best friends at Westminster and were planning to room together as Fifth Formers.

Unfortunately, they would not get the chance. Billy was killed in an avalanche that summer. The impact of his tragic death had a significant impact on Bob and the Class of 1957. They would always consider him a part of their lives.

Sixty years later, Watts Hall is being renovated in Cushing Hall into an improved office suite for the form deans. Seeing the opportunity to help the school, as well as secure the legacy of Billy Watts and the Watts Hall name, Bob Wing issued a challenge to his classmates and friends. He would match up to $100,000 any gifts to the Watts Hall project. It worked. While the space will have a new and vital function, it will continue to be named in memory of Billy Watts.

Bob Wing took advantage of recent laws passed to take a Qualified Charitable Deduction from his IRA to make his gift. This allowed him to decrease his taxable income for the year and have a tremendous impact on Westminster.

After visiting campus for his 60th reunion, Bob said: “I have been amazed by the development of Westminster — academically and socially. Although I enjoyed my years at the school, there can be no doubt that it is now a much better place for the education of young people.”

For additional information on making a gift to Westminster through a Qualified Charitable Deduction from your IRA, please contact: Jennifer Keyo Director of Gift Planning (860) 408-3039 jkeyo@westminster-school.org

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Supporting Westminster

Sixth Form Dinner The Sixth Form Dinner took place May 19 in the dining hall in Cushing. It began with mocktails and members of the class placing items in the Class of 2017 time capsule.

The guest speaker was Cris Gomez ’10, a member of the Westminster faculty. He addressed the mixed feelings many of the Sixth Formers might be feeling about graduation, telling them that if they are confused, nervous, excited, sad or happy, not to worry about it: “Westminster has prepared you very well as you go on to college, and you need to take advantage of that.” He said his early days as a faculty member back on campus reminded him of his early days as a Third Former. “Even though I was not greeted by the senior class at the top of the hill, the feeling of doubt quickly disappeared when I reached the top of Williams Hill and realized I was back at home,” he said. “This school has been able to retain its essential values because of the current students, the faculty and staff, but, most importantly, because of the alumni who care and love this school.” He encouraged the Sixth Formers to stay involved, saying, “Westminster would not be the same place if it was not for the commitment of its graduates.”

Guests included Aileen Daversa ’90, Newell Grant ’99, Jeannie and Charlie Griffith P’11, ’14, ’17, Jessica Keough, David Pringle ’05, Ted Probert ’80, P’16, Siobhan and Peter Ulrich P’09, ’10, Emily Walsh ’09 and Corinne Werner ’10.

After dinner, members of the class received their Sixth Form blankets and took pictures together near the Sixth Form Lawn.

Class agents include Conor Brennan, Delando Clarke, Adrian Enchill, Joel Groves, Jeff Guiliano, Annie Hicks, Anissa Joseph, Ally Lynch, Manny Meltzer, Annie Ogden and Gary Simons.

Sixth Formers with gift blankets.

Cris Gomez ’10 gives remarks.

The Sixth Form Dinner was held in the dining room in Cushing Hall.

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One Year Out Cookout The Class of 2016 had a great turnout for the One Year Out Cookout May 26 held at Pratt House the night before commencement.

After the meal, members of the class attended the Lawn Ceremony.

Front row, J.P. Schuhlen, Connor Lloyd, Tanner Probert, Ted Sirbaugh, Tommy Jacobs, Declan Horrigan, Jack Werner, Stephen Gasior, Nick Sanford and Teddy Batchelder Second row, Form Dean Grant Gritzmacher, Ashley Carbone, Jayme Stepto, Bryan Yekelchik, Sarah Melanson, Hayley Martini, Devin Selvala, Emma Stevens, Anne Bitterli, Jacqui Richard, Charlotte Lennox, Katie Simeon, Katie Deveaux, Julia Carter, Luke Tressy, Leo Aber, Jeremy Mason, Tyler Rome, Ricardo Vazquez, Maeve DeFronzo, Erin Gorham and Emma Alfeld Third row, Addison Cilmi, Rylan Williams, Brett Roenick, Taggart Corriveau, Chris Connal, Jack Bitterli, Hallie Feibel, Lexi Organ, Kaitlyn McCausland, Jack Horrigan, Eliza Mell, Katherine Berry, Emma Merlin, Paige Brackett, KJ Maturine and Mariah Davis

Young Alumni Gatherings

Westminster alumni attending Colby College got together with Aileen Daversa ’90, director of alumni relations, on Sept. 25 to have dinner at Silver Street Tavern: Aileen, Cricket di Galoma ’14, J.P. Schuhlen ’16, Mario Benicky ’14, Jack Griffith ’17, Katherine Berry ’16, Eliza Mell ’16, Michael Logan ’14 and John Pappas ’14.

Aileen Daversa ’90, director of alumni relations, took Westminster alumni attending Bowdoin College to dinner Sept. 24: Aileen, Emma Stevens ’16, Ellen Gyasi ’16, Jordan Gowdy ’14 and Aaron Rubin ’15.

Young alumni in the San Francisco area visit Airbnb headquarters Sept. 21 thanks to Chris Oetting ‘04, market manager for the U.S. East Coast: Nick Stevens ‘07, Cam Kurtz ‘12, Will Stevens ‘12, Kelly Cheng ‘08, Emma Beck ‘08 and Chris Oetting.

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SEASONAL RECEPTIONS

Asia Receptions Headmaster Bill Philip and Jenny Philip visited Seoul, South Korea, and Hong Kong in June to visit with alumni, parents and students.

SEOUL Euny Kwon and Hae-Young Lee P’18, ’20 hosted the annual dinner of the Korean Parents Association at the Millennium Seoul Hilton on June 17.

Those in attendance, although not all pictured below, included Sook Jin Han and Chul One Chey P’20, Jimmy Chey ’20, Daniel Chey ’18, Seoyoung and Jae Won Chey P’18, Eddie Choi ’97, James Chun ’19, Joolie Kim and San Jun Chun P’19, Jason Chung ’17, Eun Jung Choi and Mong Ik Chung P’17, Kevin Choi ’15, Hyun Jin Lee and Chang Yong Ha P’21, Tyler and David Jeong ’95, Seungnam Cho and Hong Goo Kang P’16, Wonjune Kang ’16, Geena Kim ’20, Jaehee Kwon and Dong Yun Kim P’20, Eugene Kim ’19, Jin Kim ’94, Michelle Kim ’20, Ji-Young and Jungwook Kim P’19, Seungyuhn Yoo and Yuseung Kim P’20, Sang Hee Yun and Byung Jin Lee P’18, Eunice Lee ’16, Scott Lee ’20, Rachel Lee ’21, Ryan Lee ’18, Eun Hee Kwon and Hae-Young Lee P’18, ’20, Jane Lee ’13, SK Lee ’18, Yuni Lee ’19, Sungyun and HyungRok Lee P’19, Matthew Park ’21, Eun and Min C. Park P’21, Jenny and Bill Philip P’06, ’09, Hyun Tae Roh ’05, Eddy Shin ’21, Grace and Jinwoong Shin P’21, Isaac Son ’04, Jae Hee Kim and Uk Hyun Sonn P’12 and Donald Sonn ’12.

HONG KONG Eva Fang and David Lie P’17, ’19 hosted a reception June 20 at the Dynasty Club in Hong Kong.

Front row, Linda Fang P’18, Clara Kooi P’18, Emma Liu Hu P’19, Eva Fang P’17, ’19, Bill Philip and Jenny Philip P’06, ’09, Lori Kaye P’19 and Gaby Simmons ’89 Back row, Rachel Chan ’14, Hannah Kaye ’19, Nadia Lee ’18, Alex Hu ’19, Elena Lie-A-Cheong ’17, Edward Lie-A-Cheong ’19, Justin Kooi ’18, Elliott Choi ’99, Sean Navin ’03, A.J. Harper ’88, Patrick Kaye P’19, Dirk Simmons, Michael Kooi P’18 and David Lie P’17, ’19

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~ SAVE THE DATE! ~

May 11-13, 2018 Friday Alumni Art Exhibit & Reception Class Dinners

Saturday Alumni Art Exhibit Meet the Martlets Sixth Form Induction Alumni Memorial Service Grand March of Alumni Reunion Luncheon Tours on Campus Home Athletic Contests 5th Year Reunion Time Capsule Black and Gold Dinner & Dancing

Sunday Brunch Alumni Art Exhibit

Mark your calendar and make plans! Visit www.westminster-school.org/reunion for more information.

SEASONAL RECEPTIONS

Ekwanok Country Club, Manchester, Vt. Peter Philip GP ’06, ’09 hosted a Westminster golf outing at Ekwanok Country Club in Manchester, Vt., on July 14.

Sprague Simonds ’82, Rennie Washburn ’82, Julie Morris Ogden ’82 and Stuart Valentine ’82

Mark Wallace ’78, P’07 and Tread Mink ’77, P’11

Bob Maxon P’18, Denis Horrigan P’16, ’16, ’18, David Burstein P’15, ’17 and Scott Wilson P’18, ’19

Dennis D’Onofrio ’76, John Seymour ’76 and John Fowler ’76

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Dale Ribaudo P’06, ’08 and Mark de Kanter ’91, P’19

Ursula and Tom Lamotte ’54, P’82, and Larry Gavrich, P’07, ’10

SEASONAL RECEPTIONS

Greenwich, Conn.

Curt Brockelman ’86, P’19 hosted a reception for members of the classes of 1980-1999 at The Belle Haven Club in Greenwich, Conn., on June 1.

Matt Warner ’91, Scott Brockelman ’88 and Erik Steen ’79

Lauren Bontecou Reichart ’97 and Annina Kammer Fugger von Babenhausen ’96

Scott Brockelman ’88, Ellen Brockelman Bailey ’90, P’21 and Curt Brockelman ’86, P’19

George Clements III ’88, Lars Noble ’80, P’18, ’20, Matt Warner ’91 and Bob Stockton ’90

Bob Stockton ’90, Rob Verrengia ’90, Peter Mihan ’90, Betsy Cameron ’90, Ellen Brockelman Bailey ’90, P’21, Daphne Watson Ely ’90, Aileen Daversa ’90, Sarah Davis Johnson ’90 and Matt Warner ’91.

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ALUMNI AND PARENT RECEPTIONS

Greenwich, Conn.

Elise and Greg Green P’16, ’20 hosted a reception for parents Sept. 13 at their home in Greenwich, Conn.

Curt Brockelman ’86, P’19, Bill Brewer P’17, ’21, Debra Kanabis P’21, and Greg and Elise Green P’16, ’20

Mike Knauf P’19, ’20, John von Stade ’84, P’17, ’21 and Lars Noble ’80, P’18, ’20

Mike and Annika Sotirhos P’21, and Elizabeth and Lennox Stuart P’19

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Erika Brewer P’17, ’21, Allison Moses P’21 and Sarah Casey P’18

ALUMNI AND PARENT RECEPTIONS

New York, N.Y. Parents Committee co-chairs Lisa and David Wolf P’19 hosted a reception for parents Oct. 4 at the New York Yacht Club.

Bill Philip P’06, ’09 and Serena Shi P’19

Carolyn Hoogkamp P’21 and Kathleen Devaney P’19

George Zahringer P’20 and Bill Dye P’20

Diana Renehan P’17, ’19, Monique Walker P’19 and Jennifer Murphy P’19, ’21

Christina Gerry P’20, Bill Detwiler P’19 and Jacqueline Schellbach P’20

Mason Flinn ’85, P’21, James Turino P’20 and Julie Kalberer P’20

Gregory Hoogkamp P’21 and Achim Daub P’21

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From the Archives Commencement ceremonies at Westminster were not a part of early traditions.

Westminster’s founder, William L. Cushing, had marked the departure of Sixth Formers with “nothing more than heartfelt private sessions with each,” according to “By Grit and Grace: The First One Hundred Years at Westminster School.”

Westminster’s second headmaster, Lemuel Gardner Pettee, wanted more pomp and circumstance to celebrate the occasion and initiated the school’s first commencement in 1922.

Clockwise from top: The Westminster Review for 1922 includes the program for the first commencement; commencement circa 1922; Headmaster Raymond Richards McOrmond with the graduating class of 1934; and commencement exercises on the East Lawn in 1934.

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Clockwise from top left: Each Sixth Former escorted a Fifth Former to the seated circle on the Sixth Form Lawn during commencement weekend in 1963; commencement in 1970; a diploma cover circa 1968; commencement circa 1980; the Lawn Ceremony in 1984 and commencement in 1961.

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A Martlet in the Bering Strait Region of the Arctic

Gay Sheffield ’81

In northern and western Alaska, coastal communities rely on diverse marine resources that are essential for their nutritional, cultural and economic well-being. Embedded in the Bering Strait region is Gay Sheffield ’81, the farthest north Alaska Sea Grant agent in the country. In Alaska, the Sea Grant Program is run from the University of Alaska Fairbanks where Gay is an associate professor.

The Alaska Sea Grant Program is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) mission to enhance the practical use and conservation of marine resources in order to create a sustainable economy and environment. Gay conducts outreach and education, connecting researchers and the people in her region. She also conducts and/or assists in marine research projects, and is the author or co-author of numerous research papers on topics ranging from bowhead whale entanglement rates and ship strikes, to Alaska Native subsistence harvests to walrus diet.

In the Bering Strait region, there are 20 federally recognized tribes living among 15 coastal communities. Gay is based in Nome, approximately 150 miles east of the Russian border. “Nome is a dynamic community, and with an airport and harbor, it is the transportation hub,” said Gay. “Our biggest maritime issues revolve around the rapid loss of sea ice. Our region is warming with breathtaking speed, resulting in a longer sea ice-free season.

This is causing dramatic changes — socially, ecologically and industrially.”

Gay and her colleagues embedded at other Sea Grant stations statewide coordinate and support coastal community monitoring programs, including investigating trends in marine mammal health, paralytic shellfish toxins and potential range extension of marine species.

“In the last six years, we have experienced many unexpected maritime events such as the first federally designated Unusual Mortality Event that involved all four species of iceassociated seals, the first Unified Command response in the region due to several heavily oiled seals and seabirds, and the first cases of avian cholera in Alaska,” said Gay. “Since people utilize all our marine resources for food, these events are not only a conservation issue but public health and food security issues.”

Gay grew up by the sea on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island. She was among the first group of women boarding students at Westminster, arriving as a Third Former in 1977.

“Westminster was a big change from my island life,” said Gay. “It is probably hard for students now to understand how much has changed — not only the campus buildings but we were not yet in the digital age. I suppose you could say it was fairly ‘old school.’ Westminster was a good experience and gave me a strong foundation.”

After earning a B.S. in environmental conservation at the University of New Hampshire, Gay traveled to Alaska, where she volunteered one summer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Once settled in Alaska, she stayed working for state and federal agencies on marine mammal issues before earning an M.S. in marine biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. For more than 15 years, she worked primarily in the Bering Strait region and eastern Beaufort Sea regions as a marine mammal biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Gay wonders how her classmates are doing and was sorry to learn of the recent loss of Jay Niles ’81. Her most unexpected Westminster reunion story took place in the late 1990s when a C-130 aircraft she was traveling on could not land on the runway at McMurdo Station in Antarctica due to fog and malfunctioning onboard equipment. “We were forced to land off the runway in a difficult location,” she recalled. “Later, track vehicles were sent from McMurdo Station to retrieve us. Steve Dunbar ’81 was one of our rescuers!”

Gay met her husband, Daniel, in Fairbanks, where they were both working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

“There is not a lot of free time,” she said. “I enjoy practicing our local subsistence activities (fishing, hunting, berry-picking), as well as working in my greenhouse and visiting with friends. We have our ‘Alaska family’ that we have accrued over a number of years.”

Nome is located 500 miles from the road system and accessible only by boat (seasonally) or aircraft. Gay travels several times a year to Anchorage and several of the coastal communities in the region by aircraft. “Our greatest concern is the reduction in sea ice,” she emphasized. “Many indigenous cultures are not well understood, and the situation is very serious to people who live in this area. It is nothing but a privilege to work with the people, marine resources and the current issues in the Bering Strait region.”

Gay aboard the oceanographic research ship Sikuliaq.

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On the Forefront of Change in Digital Entertainment Peter Naylor ’84 is helping to change the way you watch television and driving revenue at the digital streaming service Hulu, where he has served as senior vice president of advertising sales since 2014. Though his career has largely centered on upand-coming digital entertainment, his affinity for the media has decidedly analog roots, starting when he was a boarding student at Westminster.

Peter shared the spoils of roommate Chris Hanson’s ’84 contraband rabbit-eared seven-inch black-and-white television, reportedly smuggled into their Memorial Hall dormitory room in a milk carton after winter vacation. “The common thread between us was always media,” recalled Peter, who says they would stay up past curfew to watch David Letterman. “Chris was a huge influence on me. I’ll never forget the night he orchestrated for us when we went from seeing the Grateful Dead and then went straight to a midnight showing of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’”

Peter also credits economics teacher Peter Briggs ’71, P’01, ’05, ’07 with starting what would become a lifelong habit of reading the newspaper every day. “He’d say ‘readers are leaders.’ He would make us read the business section of The New York Times daily, and we had quizzes weekly. The littlest things end up being critical. If you stay informed, it’s a competitive edge.”

While at Westminster, Peter participated in Black and Gold and the Student Activities Committee, and volunteered at Hartford Hospital. He also played soccer and basketball, and was a member of track. He has returned to campus regularly for reunions. “My Westminster classmates will remember that I was an average athlete and an unremarkable student,” he said. “I read Rolling Stone and listened to a lot of music. They’ll remember me more for being a music lover, more than any game-winning play or academic achievements.”

Peter earned a B.A. in English and economics from Denison University in 1988. “I ran track and was in the Greek system, but that all took a backseat to the campus radio station, WDUB,” he said. His experience as a disc jockey and as business manager during his senior year set his career in motion. “That’s when I figured out what I wanted to do,” he explained. “I started right away in radio ad sales after college and then quickly moved to magazines, working at Spin magazine and then Vanity Fair.”

Peter, who lives in Summit, N.J., with his wife, Robin, and their daughters, Katherine and Brooke, made the professional shift in 1996 from magazines to the then-nascent internet industry. “I was a 30-year-old with a newborn, and the internet was bubbling up,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the new thing and was lucky enough to move from magazine to digital before it was fashionable. It was a common refrain from skeptics that ‘the internet is the CB radio of the ‘90s’ but, wow, were the skeptics wrong. I have been looking through the digital lens for over 20 years.”

He joined Wired Digital that year, which was promptly acquired by Lycos, where he rose to vice president. He went on to serve as senior vice president of sales for iVillage, which was later acquired by NBCUniversal in 2006. The following year, Peter sold charter advertising space for the NBC/Fox joint venture that would eventually become Hulu, where he’s currently leading the advertising sales effort.

“I’ve been leading Hulu for the last three years, and it’s a wonderful time to be here,” noted Peter. He says viewers who curate their own experiences through their viewing choices have created major change in the industry. “This massive disruption in the TV space is caused by viewers who now are in control of their TV viewing like never before. On the business side of TV, the advertising is more tailored to viewers than conventional TV, and the business is under rapid change. It’s the golden age of television for viewers and a great ride for businesses leading the way in the TV business.”

Peter Naylor ’84

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Representing the Army in the Halls of Congress Major Meg Fitzpatrick ’02 has taken her military service to the halls of Congress where she serves as a legislative liaison for the United States Army. Meg is one of just 23 legislative liaisons assigned to the Legislative Liaison Office, which is directly responsible to the Secretary of the Army for legislative affairs.

“We explain to members of Congress matters of importance to the Army, its Reserves and the National Guard,” said Meg. “Together we share a portfolio of issues. My portfolio is mainly personnel-related issues including sexual harassment and assault prevention education as well as recruiting, training and retention.”

Meg graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2006 with a B.S. in political science and served for 11 years as a military intelligence officer, deploying to both Iraq and North Africa. “The longest deployment was 15 months,” she said. “I left for Iraq when I was 22 and returned at 24. I enjoyed it. I was on patrol with my commander every day, monitoring battlefield conditions. The 20-hour days made time fly by.”

Meg Fitzpatrick ’02, center, with her parents, her supervisor and Sen. Richard Blumenthal at her promotion ceremony.

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She was accepted to the Army’s Congressional Fellowship program in the spring of 2015, which allowed her to earn a master’s degree from a civilian institute. She completed a master’s degree in legislative affairs from The George Washington University. “It’s a good way to round out your career,” said Meg. “When you get accepted to the program, you know your path.”

Meg’s interest in military service started between her Fifth Form and Sixth Form years at Westminster when she attended a military summer workshop for high school students. “I went on a whim, but I was enthralled,” she recalled. “It was such an adventure. West Point was the only academy I considered. I felt that other colleges, especially Northeast liberal arts colleges, would be presenting me with experiences similar to what I’d

already had.” She was nominated to attend West Point by former U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and learned of her appointment by phone. “I did get a big fancy letter and a huge packet in the mail,” she added.

At Westminster, Meg played field hockey and ice hockey, and participated in track. She was also a member of the Dance Ensemble, worked on the yearbook and was editor of the Martlet. As a day student, Meg was able to pursue her equestrian interests on her family’s Old Beech Farm in West Granby, Conn., a hobby she was able to continue at West Point as a member of the Army West Point Equestrian Team.

One of her earliest adventures occurred before the military when she traveled to Italy with Minal Patel ’02, Silvia Schmid ’03 and Sandra Gollob ’03. “Silvia’s family owned an apartment there, and we spent several weeks together before I reported to West Point,” said Meg. “It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, and I appreciate that my parents gave me that degree of trust.”

Meg found similarities between West Point and her experience at Westminster. “I didn’t understand it until I was there a couple of weeks,” she explained. “It was school, drill and sports. It was already old hat for me. Many of my fellow students weren’t ready for the academic schedule, plus the other demands. Those things were central to Westminster, so it was an easy transition.”

One of the downfalls at West Point, says Meg, was gender integration. “As a female cadet, I did not have the opportunity to pursue infantry. It has been great to watch that unfold and change in the last 11 years. It’s getting so much better.”

Meg and her husband, John, whom she met at Fort Bragg, N.C., were married in May 2016. “He likes to tell people he pulled me out of a burning truck,” said Meg. “It was a training exercise that went kind of wrong.” He is stationed at Fort Bragg and is currently preparing for deployment while Meg resides in Old Town Alexandria, Va. “It’s not much of a married life, but we are together weekends,” she added. “I do not get a lot of time for fun, but I do spend a lot of time on I-95. I am enjoying exploring the District of Columbia.”

Meg’s parents still live at Old Beech Farm, and she says that though she tries to get back to visit the area, she has never been able to attend one of her Westminster reunions. “I was training for deployment for the first reunion, I was out of the country for the second and last year I had to work,” she explained.

Meg had expected her tenure as legislative liaison to last two years, but she recently learned that she has been selected by the Under Secretary of the Army to serve as his military advisor.

“I have choices now,” she said. “My whole career has been a surprise. After graduating from West Point, I never expected to stay beyond my five-year obligation. I have no idea what’s next, but I’ll stay in the Army if I keep getting offers I can’t refuse.”

Affecting Change Through Economic Development “The struggle is in the neighborhoods,” says Will Beckford He also found benefits in the athletic program. “It forces you to try new sports,” he said. “When I arrived on ’89. As managing director at the Baltimore Development campus, I didn’t know what squash was, but by the end of Corporation, he leads economic development efforts for freshman year, I loved the sport. Dave Buckhoff ’89 was a city facing two identities: one of income disparity, crime my roommate. We must have broken 10 rackets that year, and a shortage of affordable housing, and the other, with gaining an appreciation for the game.” a booming waterfront and downtown job and residential Will remains connected to many of his Westminster growth. “There’s a lot of inequity in Baltimore,” said classmates including Rob Horsford ’89, Hector Gordon Will. “Not just housing, but in other necessities like job ’89, Mtu Pugh ’89, Fletcher Brooks ’89 and Brett opportunities which people need in order to better their lives.

Moyer ’89.

My work at the Baltimore Development Corporation allows “When I’m back on campus, I always try to sit down me to focus on bridging the gap and affecting change for with students of color,” he added. “I tell them two things: the citizens of Baltimore.”

Currently, the city is leveraging one of the largest No. 1, your friends at home are your friends. Never forget ($635 million) tax increment financing projects in the country Will Beckford ’89 the people who shaped your formative years and enjoy your as a way to help bridge that gap — a projected 25-year time at home with them. And No. 2, the kids at Westminster $5.5 billion transformational redevelopment project on 266 are your peers. They deserve the spirit of collaborative acres in Baltimore’s Port Covington industrial neighborhood. The development will respect, as they will help you to become your future selves. Take advantage of the consist of massive public infrastructure improvements, a new light rail stop, 50 new opportunities around you, and you will be thoroughly rewarded in the future.”

Will and his wife, Randy, whom he met at Westminster, are parents to city blocks, parks, 10,000 new residents (10 percent affordable units), 20,000 new 13-year-old William Jr., a student at Boys Latin School of Maryland, and 12-yearjobs and a new 50-acre global headquarters for Baltimore-based Under Armour.

Multibillion-dollar developments are only part of the solution. Small business old Ava, who attends The Garrison Forest School. There could be a future Martlet in microloans, commercial façade improvements and various other incentives are the household. Will recently had lunch in Baltimore with Headmaster Bill Philip to integral to his agency’s efforts to improve conditions in the city. “A bank does not whom he handed a sealed envelope. “It was a letter my then 11-year-old daughter want to lend a small business $5,000 to $35, 000,” said Will. “To them, the juice had written to Bill when she was in sixth grade,” explained Will. “She wanted to is not worth the squeeze. We take a different approach with the small business know what she had to do to be a prospective student and if he had any tips for her model, a more community-focused approach.” as she prepares for the Class of 2023 at Westminster. While I’m not sure I’m ready

Will explained that a typical day for him may start by meeting with a to let go of my daughter or my son, I certainly understand the need for aspirations. barbershop owner in the morning to discuss a loan, a visit to Pompeian Inc. — And Westminster is certainly a goal worthy of pursuit!” the largest olive company in the world — to discuss expansion needs at noon, a meeting with a local brewer in the afternoon and ending the day with the Johns Hopkins University president.

Will is a member of the board of directors of the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce, board of directors of Gilchrist and vice chair of Gilchrist Baltimore, the only residential hospice in Baltimore City. He is also a former Board of Visitors member at Coppin State University. Additionally, he is a founding member of the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative, which collaborated with Johns Hopkins University to create the first city-approved food desert map in the nation. This group is working to attract more healthy options and grocery to the city. “Recently, six sole proprietor neighborhood grocery stores went out of business,” said Will. “We were able to replace five out of six with new grocery tenants, while also adding two large-format grocers elsewhere in the city.”

Will’s interest in economic development started at a young age. “My grandfather was a chef at Westminster, and he also owned a couple of apartment buildings in Hartford,” said Will. “He would take me with him to meet with contractors, collect rent, etc. He took care of his buildings and felt that just because people were without means, they didn’t have to live in squalor.”

At Westminster, Will played football, was captain of First Basketball and was a member of track. He also was a member of Black and Gold, and the Spanish Club, and volunteered at Holly Hill nursing home. He was elected president of SPHERE, and Will with Baltimore City Council President Bernard “Jack” Young he served as a summer tutor at a Hartford elementary school. “Westminster had a at a ShopRite grocery store bagging event called Help Bag Hunger very active role in shaping me,” he said. “There was a lot of interaction with people that involved community leaders. from different cultures and socioeconomic situations and being on campus was an equalizer. No one was rich or poor. I learned how to deal with people.”

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In Memoriam

1944

1952

Dudley A. Hawley Jr. of Chardon, Ohio,

Jerome “Jay” Long III died Feb. 26, 2016.

died May 16, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Marias Hawley; two children, Dudley and Elizabeth; his brother, Wash Hawley ’48; and his grandchildren.

At Westminster, Jay loved football, hockey and baseball, and enjoyed coaches Ron Michelini and S. Harris Squibb. John Gow’s physics class was one he enjoyed most. Jay was honored to have received the school’s athletic award at graduation.

After a year playing first string college football, Jay served three years in the U.S. Marine Corps in Korea and Virginia, taking college courses whenever possible.

He became a land surveyor and earned a pilot’s license. He later went back to school and graduated from Tufts School of Civil Engineering with a B.S. and M.S., and attended Harvard School of Special Studies and UConn School of Engineering, earning a Ph.D. Jay had his own civil engineering land surveying business in Weston, Mass., for 33 years.

He also was the author of “Stepping Stones Across New Hampshire,” which was about his hikes and geology of the Belknap Mountains.

Jay is survived by his wife of 58 years, June; two sons; four daughters; 13 grandchildren; and by his brother

1948 E. Bosworth Grier Jr. of Madison, Conn., died May 24, 2017. Bos studied engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He played ice hockey both at Westminster and RPI and continued to love the game throughout his life.

During the Korean War, he served as first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Adjutant General’s Corps. Early in his professional career, he co-founded American Can Company in Hartford. He moved to Russellville, Ky., and served as president of the Auburn Hosiery Mill. Later in life, he fulfilled his dream of becoming a stockbroker, working at White Weld & Co. and Merrill Lynch.

Bos was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and uncle, who deeply cherished his family and friends. He especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. His guidance, kindness and generosity coalesced with his subtle and gentle mannerisms, making all of those who knew him feel comfortable and welcome. His passion for travel, literature, art and history were contagious, making him a knowledgeable and humorous conversationalist and host. Bos loved the beach and the ocean and spent countless hours in the yard of his family home reading, lying in his hammock and enjoying holidays with family and friends.

Bos is survived by his three children, Edward B. Grier III, Elizabeth Grier Walter and Roger Nelson Grier, and their spouses, as well as five grandchildren.

Bos was predeceased by his wife, Mary Kimball Grier.

Arthur P. Hendrick of Oakatie, S.C., died May 28, 2017, and is survived by his wife, Peggy Hendrick.

William “Bob” Long ’55.

Anthony H. Palmer of Dover, N.H., died Sept. 2, 2017. He was born in Stamford, Conn., and graduated from Yale University and attended MIT. He was known as a mathematician and an avid gardener. Anthony is survived by his wife, Linda; two brothers, Joseph ’57 and Geoffrey ’59; and two sisters, Patricia Stecher and Pamela Everets.

1953 Gordon S. Carrigan III of Deptford, N.J., died April 2, 2017. He was born in Philadelphia, lived in Arizona for 15 years and was a resident of Deptford for the last 14 years. Before retiring in 2001, Gordon was personnel manager for the state of Arizona and also worked in the banking industry. He was active in the parish of Christ Church and volunteered in the

office as well serving as treasurer for Friends of the Library in Deptford.

Gordon enjoyed outdoor activities such as horseback riding in the mountains and desert of Arizona, and tending to his flower and vegetable gardens. He was proud of his accomplishment as an Eagle Scout and loved to perform. He was still going to the gym well into his 81st year.

Gordon is survived by his wife of 36 years, Rosemary; two daughters; a son; and four grandchildren.

Classmate Joel Brightman writes: “Gordon was my roommate Fifth Form year. He was an unassuming guy who drove me nuts with his guitar and country songs. What I learned many years later is that the quiet guy had a secret ‘townie’ girlfriend. I met her at a social gathering in the late ’60s. She spoke of what a wonderful, gentle young man he had been.

True words.”

1954 William T. Hincks of Old Lyme, Conn.,

died April 16, 2017. He attended Yale University where he earned a master’s degree in forestry. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps. After Yale, his work took him to the Southern Pacific Railroad in Mount Shasta, Calif., before moving to Big Stone Gap, Va., to manage 100,000 acres of land and timber for the Virginia Coal Company. His next move was to Hot Springs, Va., where he supervised the operation and management of forestland for Virginia Hot Springs Inc. He spent the winter seasons working with the local ski patrol and snowmaking operations.

He and his daughters moved back to Connecticut for the support of his family during the illness and passing of his wife, Jane. He remarried to Claudia Huber Hincks in 1971, and they resided in the communities of Simsbury, Norfolk and Madison.

William worked with his brother, Robert, at Data Management in Farmington as its vice president of sales.

As a man of many pursuits, he also worked for the LandVest organization and took part ownership of a New Haven marina (now the Pequonnock Yacht Fall 2017

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In Memoriam Club). He also owned the Ciglia-Wilson custom rod and tackle shop. Eventually, he returned to Data Management where he worked until his retirement to Old Lyme in 1994.

William’s love of all things land and sea were a focus of his life. He also was an avid photographer. He served as president of the Madison Land Trust in the early 1990s, and he and Claudia were active members of the North Cove Yacht Club for over 30 years. In his later years, William was actively involved in remotecontrol sailboat racing. He is survived by his wife, Claudia, three daughters, a son, eight grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.

1955 John Watts Kearny Hibbard of

Greensboro, Ga., died July 25. He was born in Manhattan, N.Y., and raised in Charlottesville, Va. After graduating from Westminster, he went to Williams College, MIT and Harvard Business School. He married Adair Jones in January 1976.

Kearny made his career at Westinghouse and as treasurer of Thomas and Betts Corporation. He later enjoyed assisting friends as a consultant for their businesses.

In 2001, Kearny and Adair left central Jersey for the Reynolds Lake Oconee community, their permanent home of the past 16 years. Kearny loved golf, marathoning and Westminster, where he served on the Board of Trustees for almost 20 years. A prolific blood donor, Kearny gave more than 12 gallons over the course of his life, an enthusiasm matched only by his keen fashion sense. He is survived by his wife, Adair; his daughter, Elizabeth Hibbard Sianturi ’94 and her husband Jumantro; grandchildren Maruli and Nauli; and his son, Stephen Watts Kearny Hibbard ’96.

Robert L. Ireland Jr. ’85 writes: “Kearny and I overlapped on the Board of Trustees in the late ’90s/early 2000s.

He was warm, friendly, funny, smart and, perhaps most importantly, passionate about the school and its core values of character, community, balance and involvement. He formed a committee 84

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during our strategic planning process that assessed and reported on the mission and core values. Perhaps that’s why those core values are still ingrained in my head. After that presentation, the board always used them as a means of governing and guiding on all decisions great and small.

“Kearny was unwavering in his support of the Thring Society, an alumni group that provided for Westminster in their wills — both living and deceased. I decided after several years on the board to do so, and at a subsequent board meeting, he got up, gave me the Thring Society pin and proceeded to carry on about how the society should have 100 percent board participation. At the time, I wanted to crawl under my chair in Graham’s office (where we had meetings during my first term), but I eventually realized what an honor that moment truly was. Kearny Hibbard was grit and grace, and he will be deeply missed.”

In excerpts from his remarks at Kearny’s memorial service Sept. 15, classmate Alan Brooks said: “We had one great thing in common: our love of Westminster School. It has been my life’s vocation for 57 years. It has been Kearny’s lifetime passion (golf not withstanding) for at least as long.

“Kearny was totally committed to what Westminster School was, what it had become and, most of all, to what it could be. Whatever our differences, that common cause brought us close together. As director of development, I worked with Kearny in all his volunteer capacities — from class agent, to president of the Alumni Association, to campaign fundraiser, to longtime trustee and, lastly, to honored Westminster Fellow. …

“Our friendship during these years was only strengthened by Kearny and Adair’s children, Elizabeth and Stephen, attending Westminster along with our children. Both Elizabeth and Stephen captained their respective swimming teams, and in honor of Kearny’s longtime support of the swimming program, the school in 2003 named its new aquatic center after him.

“What I came to admire most in Kearny, more than his good humor or loyalty or wonderful generosity, was his

integrity. He is about the most upright guy I’ve ever known. It is no wonder so many companies were willing to put him in charge of their finances. With Westminster, Kearny knew when to wear his trustee hat and when to wear his parent hat. He didn’t confuse the two.

That is no easy thing.

“If a school issue came up from the students, even if from Elizabeth or Stephen, or for that matter, a teacher, Kearny knew to get the full perspective — ‘to walk around the issue’ as he and I used to say. Kearny would seek the facts and only then acted on his beliefs. He never shaped the facts to fit his opinion, but rather let the facts, if it came to that, change his opinion. A very special quality, indeed, in a very special guy.”

Richard J. Minnium of Medford Lakes,

N.J., died May 21, 2017. He grew up in Erie, Pa., and graduated from Gannon College. Following graduation, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army for three years. He went on to have a 40-year sales career in the medical packaging industry.

Dick was a winter resident of Sarasota, Fla., and enjoyed sports, nature and music. He was a devoted father and grandfather whose favorite activity was spending time with his children and grandchildren. He could always be seen at their school and sporting activities. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Ann McGinnis Minnium; eight children; and many grandchildren.

1957 William Fellowes Crosby died Sept. 1, 2017, in Tuscon, Ariz. Bill enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1957 and was stationed at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., and served as an official photographer for the Marines. His photograph of the cherry blossoms at the Jefferson Memorial was selected as the Inter-Service Photography Contest winner.

Post service, Bill attended American University in Washington, D.C., where he received his B.A. in fine arts, before entering the Yale School of Architecture.

His highlight from experiences at Yale

was his involvement in the Pulsa Project in 1967, an experiment in sound and light with exhibitions at the Boston Public Gardens and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. His love for open spaces and indigenous cultures drew him to the Southwest where he moved to Arizona in 1971, originally settling on a ranch in southeastern Arizona. After moving to Tucson in the late 1970s, he became more involved in his work with native people, most notably the Navajo and Apache tribes of Arizona. A dedicated conservationist, his pursuits touched the lives of many through his support of indigenous rights, alternative energy, and environmental and cultural preservation.

He is survived by a daughter, two sons, two granddaughters and two brothers.

Classmate Bob Wing writes: “I knew Bill quite well, as we were classmates continuously for 10 years starting in the third grade in New Haven (70 years ago!).

After Westminster, where he received the

prize for mechanical drawing, Bill enlisted in the Marine Corps and served as an official USMC photographer. His photo of the blooming cherry trees in our nation’s capital was presented to Japan’s Crown Prince Akihito by President Eisenhower.

“Bill attended his 50th reunion in 2007, and his classmates were impressed by his full, white beard. At the time, Bill was actively opposing the Large Binocular Telescope project, located on Mount Graham within sight of the San Carlos Apache reservation. That made our reunion a bit awkward since my department at Ohio State University is one of the collaborators in the construction of that facility. But it was great that we had that opportunity to sit down together on the Hill and discuss the issues.”

A.C. “Ladd” Morgan of Darien, Conn.,

died June 8, 2017. Ladd attended North Carolina State University, where he majored in textile chemistry and business

management. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy immediately before the Cuban missile crisis and served in a land-based antisubmarine squadron at Millington Naval.

Ladd spent the majority of his business career in the textile industry. In 1969, he founded A.C. Morgan & Company, a global textile firm with offices in New York City. In 1990, he retired and was able to marry his lifelong patriotism to his career in textiles, whimsically opening an American Flag Store in Rowayton, Conn., in 1995.

He was a beloved figure in the Connecticut coastal communities, where he raised his family and was known for his outsized personality and charming eccentricities. He was often spotted on his bespoke red, white and blue bicycle, greeting passers-by and dressed in his signature blue blazer, pale pink shorts and bow tie.

A lifelong member of the New York Athletic Club, he swam competitively as

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In Memoriam a member of the masters team; and was a member of The St. Thomas Yacht Club in the U.S. Virgin Islands and The Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla. In Darien, he was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the Wee Burn Country Club. Ladd is survived by Molly Funk Morgan, their son, A.C. “Lord” Morgan IV and his wife, Mandi; and his beloved granddaughters, Eloise and Gigi; and a sister, Bonnie.

William Campbell Moore of Alpharetta,

Ga., died Aug. 18, 2016. Bill was a graduate of Duke University and was married to Helga Moore for more than 50 years. He worked as a real estate developer and contractor in Atlanta, was president of GOBeyond Charities, a member of the Atlanta Athletic Club, and a Duke University Iron Duke. Bill enjoyed weekends at his house on Lake Chatuge, cheering on the Duke Blue Devils and spending time with his family. Besides his wife, Helga, he is survived by his three children, six grandchildren, a sister and many other family members.

1959 John Beyer ‘Jack’ Engelke died Aug. 21,

2016. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; sons Marty and Teddy; daughter Meredith Peck; and seven grandchildren.

Classmate Art Gilliam writes: “When I completed my Fifth Form at Westminster, Jack was completing his senior year at Simsbury High School. I met him when he enrolled at Westminster after deciding to do one postgraduate year. We were roommates for the 19581959 school year. Two things stood out for me about Jack: He was an athlete (He received trophies as most valuable basketball player and as most valuable baseball player. He also received the senior athletic award trophy.), and he was something of a jokester. I feel certain those are characteristics he carried with him throughout his life and that he shared with his family. I know he will be missed, and I express my sympathy to his family.”

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1970 Daniel H. Cohen died Sept. 2, 2016. He was born in Manhattan and graduated from Tufts University. He was the greatgrandson of Adolph S. Ochs, the family patriarch who bought The New York Times in 1896 and the first cousin of Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr., the company’s current chairman and publisher, and of Michael Golden, the vice chairman.

Daniel held a number of positions and owned several successful businesses. He was the senior vice president in charge of advertising when The New York Times became the first publication to generate more than $1 billion in advertising in a single year. He was a volunteer and an avid outdoorsman. Daniel is survived by his wife, Leah Keith; his sons, Alex and Adam; and his brother, Jace.

Classmate Steven Truter writes: “Dan Cohen was one of the best and brightest. I was his roommate for two years at Westminster, and I am quite sure I would still be there if he hadn’t helped me with algebra, geometry, chemistry — the list goes on. His mind worked in marvelous ways. To explain one ridiculously complex mathematical equation to me, he used a metaphor that included zoo animals and somehow it suddenly made sense to me. When in New York City, he told me he had devised the best way to learn your way around.

At every street corner, we would cross wherever the walk sign came on first.

Perhaps he used a randomized algorithm; maybe he was just being whimsical. With Dan you never knew. Regardless, we zigzagged through the city, and I’m sure we visited parts of town most people never see. To paraphrase Butch Cassidy (to Sundance): Boy, Dan’s got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals.”

1981 John C. “Jay” Niles of Marblehead, Mass.,

and Woodstock, Vt., died July 9, 2017.

Jay spent the majority of his youth in Londonderry, Vt., and Hanover, N.H., where he developed his love for the green

mountains and skiing. Jay received a B.A. in history from St. Lawrence University, where he played varsity soccer and lacrosse. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Jay was on the Board of Trustees at Westminster and took great joy in this role.

Jay began his professional career with Bank of Boston before moving on to more entrepreneurial endeavors. He was an early member of the management team at First Marblehead Corporation, where he helped grow the company from its early days as a startup to a publicly traded entity on the NYSE. He followed his passion of sustainability and alternative energy to several companies, most recently Comet Biorefining, where he led business development. He was an enthusiastic leader with a tireless work ethic and unparalleled ability to solve complex problems. It was at St. Lawrence that he met his future wife, Cara, who shared Jay’s lifelong passion for the outdoors, which they passed down to their three children. Jay was a gifted skier and a dedicated fisherman. He also was a loving boat owner, spending countless hours in his last months restoring and enjoying his Boca Grande 26, SKATE. Jay’s creative soul can be seen through his talent as a craftsman and general purveyor of all things that needed fixing. His kindness, quiet nature and love for life were felt by all whose lives he touched. Jay’s greatest joy was being surrounded by family in the many beautiful places life took him. He is survived by his wife, Cara (Bertrand) Niles, and children Lily Barrett Niles, Charles Bushnell Niles ’14 and Isabelle Alden Niles ’18; his father, John Adams Niles; and sister, Wende Niles Briggs.

In excerpts from his eulogy at the celebration of Jay’s life held Aug. 8, Trustee Ben Williams ’81 spoke: “Jay Niles is the friend I have known the longest and loved the best. We met as 14-year-olds at Westminster School, became roommates and essentially grew up together.

“It was, candidly, easy and immensely gratifying to be Jay Niles’ friend.

Beyond all those conspicuous qualities

and aptitudes, which are so natural to admire, he was genuine, principled and kind. He was more inclined to laugh than to judge. Loved a good problem, especially one that he could solve with his hands. Had an eye for design and was uniquely and powerfully resourceful. It was Jay who came up with our stickball uniforms junior year, each of which was emblazoned with our team name, Holmes’ Space Rangers, on the front and the name of a character from the TV show “Dukes of Hazzard” on the back. So coveted were the jerseys, in fact, that the highly unimaginative Stettler’s Studs tried to steal them from us before the championship game.

“Our dorm room was where Jay put his tinkering skills to optimum use. Senior year he built platforms to raise our beds above the relatively limited living space then fashioned a balance beam between them, just because he could. Years later when we fished together in Alaska and his waders sprung a leak, Jay decided not to try to patch the waders. That was unlikely to work, he said. The water was coming in from too many places. So he wrapped his feet and legs in garbage bags and duct tape, making him look like a modern day centurion. He happily squished his way through the trip with what he claimed were ‘nearly dry, almost warm feet.’

“Ivan Doig, one of the great writers of the West, wrote of his mother’s passing in ‘This House of Sky.’ He begins: ‘My mother’s breathing wheezed more raggedly than ever, then quieted. And then stopped. My remembering begins out of that new silence.’ I understand what Doig means, for in the silence of the present, we can look only to the past for the moments we spent with Jay. There are so many favorites, and more keep coming, unlocked perhaps by the need to live more — even if only in memory — with a special man. I can see his face, the one I first knew, before time and age did their work. I can hear his voice. He remains the only person in this world who called me ‘Bennie.’ I can feel his pain…

“But other, older memories speak better to the man we all loved. One of them was on that Alaska trip in 2008, right around the solstice. It was near

midnight on the fourth day of our float trip, and the sun had dropped low on the horizon, hanging just above the confluence of two rivers. Jay had just landed a beautiful big rainbow trout and as he released it into the water, he looked at the sight before him. He leaned back against the shore in his perpetually leaky waders and said, ‘Bennie, can you believe this?’

“I don’t know what heaven looks like or even if it’s the same for everyone.

In Jay’s case, I hope there is a boat to tinker with and waterways to cruise and windows to look down upon all of us he loved so dearly in this world. And I hope there are rivers and sunsets, willing fish and moments of wonder.

“There is a memorable tale that every fisherman knows, written by Norman Maclean, about the many misadventures of two brothers, one of whom dies tragically. The surviving brother struggles not simply to deal with the loss, but to understand it. Driven by his frustration and confusion, he seeks out his father saying, ‘Perhaps all I really know about my brother is that he was a fine fisherman.’

“‘You know more than that,’ says the Reverend Maclean. ‘He was beautiful.’

“Indeed he was.”

1994

Staff Diane Dombeck, Westminster School student center and campus store debit systems manager, died May 11, 2017. She worked at Westminster for more than 20 years and truly enjoyed her interactions with students and their parents. She was a graduate of the former Sacred Heart School and Torrington High School.

Survivors include her mother, Mary; a son, Eric P. Dombeck; a brother, Raymond J. Diulio Jr., and his wife, Agnes; and a nephew, Daniel Diulio.

Former Faculty Dr. Benjamin Timothy Santoro died Sept.

9, 2017, in South Chatham, Mass. A brilliant physician, as well as a beloved father, husband and brother, Ben touched many lives. He was the unofficial town doctor of Dover, Mass. While Ben loved being a physician, he never let go of the idea that he might have loved teaching as well, history and literature in particular.

After completing his English major at Yale, Ben did, in fact, teach English for a time at Westminster, an experience he treasured and fondly recounted many times over the years. Ben is survived by his six children, two stepdaughters, 11 grandchildren and his first wife.

Mary Erin McGuigan Parker died May 16, 2017. Erin attended the University of Vermont, University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac University where she graduated with her master’s degree in health science. She became board certified as a physician assistant (PA), serving as a PA at Hartford Hospital for eight years.

Erin was actively involved with the PTO at John Trumbull Primary School. She also was an EMT and a member of the National Ski Patrol. She was an avid runner and ran collegiately at UVM. In addition to her husband, Lee, and her parents, Austin and Joan, Erin is survived by her two daughters, Eibhlin Walsh and Maibel Tobin Parker; her sister, Kerry Hoffman; and her brother, Ryan McGuigan ’90.

Fall 2017

87

Closing Thoughts

Never Stop Learning

By Paul Kendall Faculty member in the English Department and Form Dean

Two months into my first year of teaching, I had to stand up onstage in front of senior faculty and trustees for an impromptu speech explaining my teaching philosophy and what I enjoyed most about being a teacher. I remember only pieces of what I said, but what I remember most vividly is explaining that my favorite part about living at a boarding school is that learning never stops. Thirteen years later, I realize this mantra was more genuine than I could have imagined. I believe people select teaching as a career partly because they want to cling to learning themselves. When I stood on that stage, I told the room that the most important and enjoyable part of my job was that I learned something new every day, especially from students. Their raw truths and decisions never cease to surprise me.

Teachers are professional students, and in today’s secondary school climate, having a graduate degree is increasingly necessary.

In my own attempt to cling to learning, I began my graduate work at Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English a few years before I arrived at Westminster in 2012. Admittedly, the first time I heard about the program I remember chuckling to myself waiting for a punchline. Web searches for Bread Loaf will likely yield images of the iconic yellow buildings on its campus in Ripton, Vt., and searchers will also likely see an Adirondack chair or two resting silently in the middle of a grass meadow.

Neither of these images made me think of graduate school, but after five years of rigorous study, the bucolic landscape and the study of literature are forever linked in my mind.

While not every student at Bread Loaf is an educator, most of the students who descend upon one of Middlebury’s three campuses each summer are middle school or secondary school teachers. For six weeks each summer, these students from all over the United States and the world gather to consume literature.

While classes are integral to the program, Bread Loaf cultivates an intellectual culture extending beyond the lessons. This culture is one of the school’s defining characteristics. At its campus at Lincoln College in Oxford, U.K., students gather for “high table” meals where discussions of Shakespeare and Chaucer are shared over elderflower water. Middlebury uses St. John’s College in Santa Fe, N.M., as a satellite campus, where students may choose to take courses exploring regional folklore and view firsthand the landscape inspiring the works they read. I was fortunate enough to study at all three campuses — Oxford, Santa Fe and Ripton — before completing my Master of Arts in English this year.

The work I completed each summer at Bread Loaf connects directly to what I teach in my classes at Westminster. After each summer, I returned to school a better reader, a better writer and

88

Westminster Bulletin

Paul Kendall

a better thinker, as faculty member Michael Cervas so eloquently comments about his students. While in Oxford, I was fortunate to study under Professor Emma Smith, one of the leading scholars of early modern drama, in a course titled Early Modern Tragedy. This course explored the tragedy of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and it opened a new world for me.

While my students don’t always share my passion for dramatic tragedy, I like to think my interest helps my students engage with what we learn. Studying in Santa Fe, my course investigated the literature evolving through the complex history of this border region. Much of what I learned in this course filled the curriculum of a Sixth Form spring elective on the literature of the Southwestern United States. Whether I am discussing the world of Russian authors, or I am helping students understand the literature evolving from slavery and abolition in the United States, my work at Bread Loaf enriches my classes immeasurably.

Westminster’s dedication to professional development and its financial support of graduate study enable faculty to cling to learning and keep ahead of the enormous growth happening in education. I think teachers are often the best learners, and the casual discussions at dining room tables and in offices are often the most productive conversations involving new ideas.

Throughout the year, faculty are engaged in their own learning, and this adds to the intellectual life of our campus, enriching these very conversations. I am grateful for the school’s willingness to devote the resources necessary for teachers, such as myself, to engage in their own academic pursuits, and ultimately enrich the community and character of the school.

I still learn from my students every day — their grit and grace, their kindness and compassion, and their ambition and curiosity — and this remains a fundamental aspect of why I teach. Living at Westminster also keeps me close to my own intellectual exploration, and I hope that I may return to Bread Loaf to take more classes during summers in the future.

Learning should never stop.

TRUSTEES 2017-2018 John S. Armour ’76 Emeritus Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

Elisabeth M. Armstrong P’04, ’06, ’07 Emerita Dallas, Texas Stephen W. Bailey ’89, P’21 Austin, Texas Beth Cuda Baker P’09, ’12, ’15 New Canaan, Conn.

Ellen G. Breed P’11, ’15 Greenwich, Conn.

William D. Brewer P’17, P’21 New York, N.Y. Curtis F. Brockelman Jr. ’86, P’19 Greenwich, Conn.

Zooey Brown P’15 Batesville, Va. Abram Claude Jr. ’46, P’71, ’80, ’84, GP’02 Emeritus North Salem, N.Y.

John A. Cosentino Jr. P’00, ’18, ’18 Simsbury, Conn.

Edward V. Dardani Jr. P’14, ’18 Waccabuc, N.Y. John H. Davis P’05 Emeritus Longmeadow, Mass.

Lori P. Durham P’13, ’15 Denver, Colo.

Colin S. Flinn ’82 Sanibel, Fla.

S. Bradley Mell P’14, ’16, ’21 Far Hills, N.J.

Heather Frahm ’86, P’21 Springfield, Vt.

T. Treadway Mink Jr. ’77, P’11 Emeritus New Canaan, Conn.

Joseph L. Gitterman III ’55, P’86, ’86, ’90 Emeritus Washington Depot, Conn.

Powell W. Holly III ’82 Fredericksburg, Va. Robert T. Horsford ’89 New York, N.Y. David H. Hovey Jr. ’78, P’09, ’11, ’14 Simsbury, Conn.

Martin R. Irani ’83 Encino, Calif.

Moyahoena Ogilvie Johnson ’86 Vice Chair of the Board Bloomfield, Conn.

Jeffrey E. Kelter P’12, ’14, ’19 Locust Valley, N.Y.

Thomas D. Sargent II ’77, P’10 West Hartford, Conn.

John Sherwin Jr. ’57, P’83, ’89 Emeritus Willoughby, Ohio

Hae-Young Lee P’18, ’20 Seoul, South Korea

Kirsten Sichler Webb ’98 Greenwich, Conn.

Jane Kessler Lennox ’88, P’16, ’18 New Albany, Ohio

Sara L. Whiteley ’91 West Chatham, Mass.

Douglas F. Londal P’17, ’19, ’21 Bronxville, N.Y.

Benjamin D. Williams IV ’81 Carpinteria, Calif.

Bryan Martin ’86 Larchmont, N.Y.

David R. Wolf P’19 Ex officio New York, N.Y.

Madeleine Ekholm P’19, ’20 Greenwich, Conn.

Andrew D. McCullough Jr. ’87 Houston, Texas

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C. Bradford Raymond ’85, P’19, ’20 Chair of the Board New York, N.Y.

Bernhard L. Kohn Jr. ’66, P’92 Bloomfield, Conn.

Thomas W. McCargo ’82, P’21 Sewickley, Pa.

FALL 2017

William V.N. Philip P’06, ’09 Headmaster Ex officio Simsbury, Conn.

Samuel Thorne ’46, P’74, ’76 Emeritus Bedford, Mass.

William C. Egan III ’64, P’92, ’95, ’00, ’02 Emeritus Jackson, Wyo.

Westminster Bulletin

Mary M. Peck ’90 Ex officio Denver, Colo.

Lisa Bjornson Wolf P’19 Ex officio New York, N.Y.

Editor

Darlene Skeels, Director of Communications and Publications dskeels@westminster-school.org Director of Marketing and Communications

Jeff Kennard

Class Notes Coordinator

Beth Goldstein Soycher Photography

Richard Bergen, Yoon Byun, David Newman, Janet Reed, Stephanie Riefe and Spencer Sloan

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