Keeping Up With the Joneses

Remembering Rufus Jones ’52 and Reflections of Lee Jones Hargadon ’48

By Terence Maguire, WFS Archivist

Wilmot Rufus Jones III ’52 passed away on January 13, 2021 and was a member of a class which produced a raft of jurists, scientists, and very successful businessmen and bankers. They have also been exceptionally faithful alumni of Wilmington Friends, and Rue (as he was called by his friends and kin) was among the most successful and loyal. He was the second child of Wilmot Jones, Head of School at Wilmington Friends from 1935 to 1962, the longest-tenured head of school in our history. Wilmot presided over the last two years of the old school at Fourth and West, opposite the Wilmington Monthly Meeting House that still stands; in 1937, the school moved into the Alapocas campus and building, its first new location in 189 years. Little Rufus was not even three years old when the family moved from an apartment near Brandywine Park to what was called the Farm House and is now known as the Jones House (pictured above), a house that was first built even before Friends School began in 1748. His sister Lee, 3 1/2 years older, began kindergarten that year at WFS, and Rufus entered kindergarten three years later. Rufus’s son Stephen has beautifully recounted his father’s journey through many homes, many business positions, many manufacturing innovations and an ever-expanding family. The Alumni/Development office staff, which is housed in the Jones House, thought it would be interesting to capture, if we could, Rue’s time at Friends School in the 1940s and early 1950s. We interviewed Rue’s sister Lee Hargadon ’48, who has lived most of her adult life in Maine, not far from the greater Jones family compound at South China, which goes back to the early 19th century. We also thought that it would be of interest to learn what we could of those first 8-10 years of life on the new Alapocas campus. We also asked a number of Rufus’s classmate friends about him, and the portrait that arose was that of a fun-loving, slightly–even very–mischievous young man.

Memories of Rufus’s Classmates

Fred Pardee A classroom prank: Teacher of French, Jane Rittenhouse, marked Rufus absent from class one day. As the class progressed to the halfway point, the door to the broom closet opened and Rufus stepped out and calmly took his seat. Teacher Jane was so infuriated, she was speechless, and all she could do was point her finger toward the exit like an umpire calling the third strike for an out. Rufus complied silently as well, knowing instinctively that his next stop was his father’s office following his wait on the horsehair sofa in the front lobby. [Recurrent theme of popping out of closets?]

Before class started, Rufus and I were caught throwing erasers at the blackboard to get the gratifying explosion of chalk dust upon impact. When we were sent to Wilmot’s office, we were introduced to Wilmot’s version of creative punishment suited to the offense. Wilmot took us outdoors behind the farmhouse to a tree with a suitably large trunk. He drew a chalk circle on the tree trunk and gave us a supply of erasers. We had to throw erasers at the circle for a long enough time to get it out of our systems.

Hersch Loomis I know Fred and Mark have a ton of Rufus stories. I remember one: One of us, I think it was Fred, regularly brought a hard-boiled egg in his lunch. Rue would reach over, take the egg, and crack it on his head. Then, he’d hand it back to Fred who peeled it and ate it. Well of course one day Fred brought the raw egg. Rue without hesitation performed the ritual cracking with obvious results. I doubt he went home to clean up.

Mark Ball This Rue Jones story goes back to age 15, when I visited Rue and his family in South China, Maine. It has to do with Rue’s fitness as a boy and young man. It was too windy one day to go sailing in the Thistle (Wilmot called it “Do It,” as in “Thistle do it”), and so Wilmot suggested that a few of us boys get in a skiff, hold up a towel or something like that as a makeshift sail, and take off downwind. We did. It was splen-

did. We were at the end of the lake in no time. Then the question arose: how are we going to get back to the Jones cottage--a distance, as my enhanced memory would have it, of miles. There was no rowing back against that day’s wind. Swimming that far was something I myself couldn’t possibly do. The solution: Rue jumped in the water, grabbed the painter, and swam back to the cottage, towing me (and another boy?) along in the skiff. A stalwart lad, if perhaps a bit of a show-off. No wonder he was a block of granite in the Friends football team line.

Jack Porter Rather than a particular event, I will comment on a consistent, happy and sometimes mischievous style that Rue expressed throughout his life. During our lower school years I enjoyed some sleepovers at the Jones house. Wilmot Jones and wife Barbara naturally commanded due respect, and sister Lee appeared quite mature to two young guys. Not to be intimidated, Rue developed a practice, when we were not in position to be overheard, of referring to his mother as Babs and to my mother Eloise as El — delivered with a bit of a grin. I saw this lighthearted attitude throughout our school years and reunions, just being in Rue’s presence put a smile on my face. My memories of him still do the same.

An Interesting Prank

However, one Rufus prank was beyond slightly mischievous. The faculty was meeting one afternoon in the Emma Worrell Library, the front second floor, Wilmot Jones in the front of the assembly. From the third story were heard cries, “No, Rufus, no! Don’t jump!” followed by a body plummeting past those windows. In an instant Head of School Jones dashed out the door, so fast that on his way up he greeted the other teachers rushing down, with the assurance that it was only a dummy, a false alarm. Whose idea was this, and what were the consequences for Rufus Jones?

Said Fred Pardee. “OK, Terry…operating on the principle that confession is good for the soul, especially at my age, I can add a little to the front end of the now legendary tale.

“I can remember entering the garage with Rufus where athletic equipment was stored to find the football tackling dummy. Then it was fun to choose the best set of Rufus’s clothes in which to dress the dummy…plaid flannel shirt, khaki pants, etc. The rest of the story is pretty much in the public domain by now.

“As an unknown conspirator, I did not have to face the aftermath that Rufus did…sitting at the family dinner table that night when Wilmot’s exquisite choice of punishment was to invoke the silent treatment, never making a comment, while Rufus squirmed in his seat during the entire meal expecting the hammer to fall.”

The last time Rufus was on campus, he shared that consequence, adding that it was several days of awaiting that hammer--the wait, of course, being the punishment itself.

In the write-up next to Rufus’s senior picture (pictured on Page 7) in the 1952 yearbook is the phrase, “Aloof goof.” We can wonder what the “aloof” might have referred to, but the “goof” part is easy to see.

Reflections of Lee Jones Hargadon ’48

Do you remember your first impressions of Farm House, which is now known as the Jones House?

It was really nice. When you went in the front door, to the right were two rooms. The front room was the kitchen. Everything got remodeled...The fireplaces all worked at one time. Dad used to get wood stacked on the side porch, so that he could just go out the Dutch doors and get wood. And staff meetings were held in the living room.

The cellar is still rather primitive. It would seem the kind of place kids would love to play in. Did you do that?

We used to roller skate in the basement. It had a cement floor. Occasionally we would go up to the attic, but very seldom. We were outside a lot, a lot of room. And we used to have the old barn, which was terrific. It blew up in a hurricane [tornado, actually, in 1941].

Where were each of your bedrooms? If you went up the steps and made a right turn, that was my room; and then you made a U-turn and went up 4-5 more steps, that was Rue’s on the right.

Did you have lunch at the school or did you ever go

home for lunch? No, we never did. We always ate at school. The dietitian was Hazel Smith.

Did school friends come to visit you at the Farm

House? By and large no--but occasionally. I had a boyfriend at one time, and he would occasionally come over. Rue would sometimes hide in a closet and pop out at inconvenient times. A perfect little brother, right? Yes, a pain in the ass.

How were the two of you able to handle the potential social pressure of being the kids of the Head of

School? I don’t remember that ever being a problem that other students brought it up. I remember walking down the main hallway one day, and my father was coming toward me, and said, “Miss Jones, you’re chewing gum. That’s Saturday detention.” That was consistent. There was no favoritism.

School heads are persons who often have great demand placed on their time. To your knowledge, could your father keep home separate from the business of school, especially since home was the same place as business, more or less?

Dinner was at six o’clock. Dad walked in about two minutes before six. And after dinner, four nights out of five, he would go off to a meeting of some sort. And mother ran the household. And, as near as I can make out, made the decisions--including sending me off to George School. I never graduated from Friends School. Not my choice.

WFS Class of 2021

Front row: Elise Johnson, Elissa Belleroche, Lucy Taylor, Grace Terranova, Felicia Froio, Olivia Delgado, Leah Agne, Cassandra Williams, Dallis Smith, Kalise Dyton

Second row: Kyle Nisbet, Manon Magnan de Bellevue, Marie Horne, Erin Mann, Sarah Stovicek, Maxine Chou, Blythe Wallick, Tamryn Sainten, Emily Fenimore, Abigail Emsley, Estelle Hegenbarth, Madison McCoy, Mariah Aldridge, Isabella Bukowski, Kayla Farley, Kennedy Barnes, Aine Grubb, Meenatchi Ganeshkumar, Anniina Lappalainen, Luke Munch, Nathan Rashkind

Third row: Camille DeBeary, Henry Wieman, Caroline Schumacher, Aristotle Makoujy, Leila Mulveny, Alexander Saville, Katherine Harron, Ely Longwill, Slade Baldwin, Meghan Malone, Matthew Banschbach, Sophie Mullen, Maximiliano Rios, Carter Gramiak, Brooke Goodman, Ian Wilhelm-McKinley

Back row: Dare Barsczewski, Carby Wise, Marleen Ueberall, Christian Rosado, Theodore DeVoll, Brandon Williams, Bryce Young, Isaiah Gaines, Sander Katz, Mark Wilson, Patrick McKenzie, Peter Erskine, Rosaleen Cochran, Max Grimes, Samuel Boulos, Bennett Ross, Andrés Pardo, Lyle Knudsen, River Kendle

WFS Class of 2021

Congratulations to the Class of 2021! Members of the class are listed below with college choice, service project/agency, and senior exploration.

Leah Agne

Tulane University of Louisiana Dominican Republic Service Trip Career shadowing

Dare Barsczewski

Undecided Bullock Garden Project Examining literature of race and class

Maxine Chou

Case Western Reserve University El Paso Service Trip Health and Exercise Routine Exploration

Mariah Aldridge

American University Rodney Street Tennis Association Cooking

David Slade Baldwin

Villanova University Dominican Republic Service Trip Woodworking

Matthew Banschbach

Rice University Rodney Street Tennis Association German culture and language

Kennedy Barnes

Marist College Nemours AI Dupont Hospital American Sign Language

Elissa Belleroche

Amherst College Retirement Activity Center of Yan’an Courtyard in the Xinbei Community Chinese Media and Pop Culture

Samuel Boulos

Northeastern University Council on Language Instruction (Northwestern University) Coaching tennis with youth program

Isabella Bukowski

Cabrini University Operation Warm Learning to cook

Rosaleen Cochran

Bryn Mawr College AI Dupont Nemours Yoga

Camille DeBeary

The University of Tampa Letters of Love To Seniors Beach Volleyball, Driving in CA, Adulting

Olivia Delgado

Barnard College El Paso Service Trip Photography

Theodore DeVoll

Drexel University Emanuel Dining Room Learning to play the accordion

Kalise Dyton

Hampton University Dalissy J. Washington LLC Hair braiding

Abigail Emsley

Clemson University Hinde’s Animal Rescue Oil Painting

Peter Erskine

Clemson University Dominican Republic Church Trip Living “off the grid” in South Carolina

Kayla Farley

Stevenson University Best Buddies Adulting Skills

Emily Fenimore

Elon University El Paso Service Trip Caring for a blind person

Felicia Froio

Villanova University Special Olympics of DE Adulting Skills

Isaiah Gaines

Indiana University (Bloomington) El Paso Service Trip Audio Engineering

Meenatchi Ganeshkumar

University of New Hampshire (Main Campus) Hindu Temple Acc. Inc Learning to cook Indian cuisine

Brooke Goodman

George Washington University South Africa Service Trip Learning new things: juggling, hoola hoop and whistling

Carter Gramiak

Northeastern University St. Ann’s Cross Country Coach Veganism across different cultures

Max Grimes

Washington College ReLax Collections Making an original podcast

Aine Grubb

The University of Tampa Anna Marie Dance Studio Investigating careers in sports

Katherine Harron

New York University Leukemia and Lymphona Society Fashion in NYC

Estelle Hegenbarth

University of Vermont El Paso Service Trip Midwifery

Marie Horne

Albright College Lyte Hair braiding

Elise Johnson

Vassar College Delaware Theater Company Exploration of Law

Sander Katz

Bates College Outdoor Adventure Camp Learning to pilot an airplane

River Kendle

Undecided Tennis Rocks Tennis Rocks

Lyle Knudsen

University of Denver El Paso Service Trip Filmmaking and Editing

Anniina Lappalainen

Washington College Cab Calloway Camp CPR and First Aid Certifications, Narcan administration

Ely Longwill

Colorado College FC Brandywine Soccer Club Making a family cookbook

Manon Magnan de Bellevue

Hofstra University Plarn Field of Hospitality

Aristotle Makoujy

Tulane University of Louisiana Pass the Wisdom Shadowing in the real estate industry

Meghan Malone

George Washington University South Africa Service Trip Learning how to fly an airplane

Erin Mann

University of Kentucky Brandywine Warriors Studying AMPS: Amplified Muscular Skeletal Pain Syndrome

Madison McCoy

Howard University South Africa Service Trip Researching Books / Learn to Love Reading (again)

University of Notre Dame South Africa Service Trip Teaching American History

Sophie Mullen

Union College Dominican Republic Service Trip Becoming a poet

Leila Mulveny

Emory University 4-H Riding Theraputic Program Triathalon

Luke Munch

Amherst College El Paso Service Trip Shadowing physical therapist

Kyle Nisbet

Lehigh University Delaware Stock Market Club Financial analyst shadowing

Andrés Pardo

Northwestern University El Paso Service Trip Making an original podcast

Nathan Rashkind

Gap Year Boys & Girls Club Sports Media Production

Maximiliano Rios

Hartwick College Zooniverse.com Shadowing a Pediatrician

Christian Rosado

Ursinus College St. Ann’s Cross Country Coach Coaching

Bennett Ross

University of Virginia (Main Campus) Dominican Republic Service Trip Sports statistics

Tamryn Sainten

Howard University Leadership Initiatives Self-Defense

Alexander Saville

Gettysburg College Dominican Republic Service Trip Cooking

Caroline Schumacher

Denison University Bridge to Learning Home Renovations Morgan State University Be My Eyes Automobile Maintenance

Sarah Stovicek

College of the Atlantic Delaware State Parks Service Scriptwriting a play

Lucy Taylor

Pennsylvania State University (Main Campus) Dominican Republic Service Trip Woodworking

Grace Terranova

University of Pittsburgh (Main Campus) Delaware Theater Company Home Renovations

Marleen Ueberall

University of Stuttgart Blood Bank of Delmarva Learning vegan and vegetarian cooking

Blythe Wallick

Bucknell University South Africa Service Trip Horseback riding

Henry Wieman

Williams College El Paso Service Trip Learning bass guitar

Ian Wilhelm-McKinley

California State Northridge Bullock Garden Project Exploring a real estate career

Brandon Williams

Fordham University Jack & Jill Inc Healthy Routine Makeover: Yoga, Exercise, and Meal Prep

Cassandra Williams

University of Delaware South Africa Service Trip Learning to play the piano

Mark Wilson

University of South Carolina Dominican Republic Service Trip Making an original podcast

Carby Wise

Undecided Dominican Republic Service Trip Nutrition and physical training

Bryce Young

Moving from Possibility Reality to

“Society doesn’t always listen at first, but, in time, we almost always inevitably do.”

REMARKS FROM DELAWARE STATE SENATOR SARAH MCBRIDE

The Class of 2021 was thrilled when Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride accepted the invitation to speak at commencement. Below is an excerpt of her speech.

“I’m sure, today, there are those of you who are out there who fear - for whatever reason - that your dreams are impossible. Some of you may worry, like I did, that who you are and what you want to do with your life are mutually exclusive. I’m sure there are some who wonder, despite our progress, whether the heart of our community is big enough to love you too. And I am here today to say: nothing is impossible.

“You may be entering a world that doesn’t seem ready for your ideas. It may not even seem ready for you. But if there is one thing we see from history - and if there is one thing I’ve seen in my work and my life - it’s our individual and collective capacity to transform what once seemed impossible, not just into possibility, but into reality. And the key to that change? It may seem trite. It may seem cliché. But the key lies in our youth - in the willingness of young people to fight for change and the confidence of the more seasoned among us to channel our own inner young person.

“At events like these, we can often put so much focus on the future - on our future education, our future careers, and our future selves - that we can forget the unique potential and perspective that each of you bring, inherently, as young people…the power that you hold, right now, to bring about change…to make a real difference in our community and our country. Indeed, it has always been young people who have pushed - and in many cases led - us toward a more inclusive, compassionate world.

“It was, at the start, a young Harriet Tubman - working with the Wilmington Quaker Thomas Garrett - who helped Black Americans up the Underground Railroad, through Wilmington, on their way to freedom.

“It was young suffragettes who pushed their older, more experienced counterparts for bolder action that, eventually, resulted in votes for women through the passage of the 19th Amendment.

“It was the bravery of young servicemembers in WWII that liberated a continent from tyranny. It was a 25-year-old John Lewis who led civil rights marchers across a bridge in Selma in pursuit of voting rights. It was the big hearts of young people who, in educating their parents and grandparents, helped lay the foundation for marriage equality in every state in this nation. And, today, we see the power of young voices in calling for all of us to act to protect our planet, advance racial justice, and eliminate violence in all of its forms.

“Society doesn’t always listen at first, but, in time, we almost always inevitably do.

“...So let your generation be the generation that sees those massive moral blind spots in real time. Let your generation be the one that continues to look at the world with the moral clarity, imagination, and urgency of youth…to be forever young so that your children and your children’s children will look back and be proud of the chapter you will write in our history books.