Woodberry Forest School Magazine and Journal_Spring 2015

WOODBERRY FOREST Magazine and Journal | Spring 2015

more than a game | making sports a career iconic | double take | reunion and graduation 2015

the mission of woodberry forest school

The purpose of the school is to develop in its students, under Christian principles, a high sense of honor and moral integrity, a deep respect for sound scholarship, a full acceptance of responsibility, a love of excellence, and a will toward personal sacrifice in service to others. It is likewise its mission, based on these ideals, to develop its students into leaders, to train its students toward a useful contribution to the democratic society in which they live, and to give them thorough preparation for the best colleges and universities consistent with their individual potentials.

The abiding concern of Wood­berry Forest School is the personal growth of its students. To this end, the school attempts to provide a broad experience with balanced emphasis on the academic, artistic, physical, and spiritual development of its students.

In so doing, the school believes that well-conceived challenges, together with support and encouragement, will instill self-confidence and a striving for continuing excellence throughout life. Woodberry Forest is committed to helping students become individuals whose sense of values and capacity to reason effectively will allow them to deal with important intellectual, ethical, and social problems and to lead rewarding private lives. In keeping with this objective, the faculty is more concerned with teaching students how to think than what to think.

As a community, the school fosters an atmosphere of civility and cooperation, urging its members to treat one another with the respect and consideration they hope to receive in return.

The underpinning of that effort is the honor system, which is not so much a rigid code as it is a way of life that is fundamental to the decency of the Woodberry Forest community. The school seeks to maintain a secure and healthy environment for its students to go about the process of growing and learning, in the hope that every student will come to think of Woodberry Forest as a second home.

woodberry forest school

Board of Trustees Sion A. Boney III ’74, Chairman (cp ’16)

Gary A. Mance ’74

Patrick F. Bassett

Charles B. Mayer ’62

John R. Belk ’77 (pp ’08)

Lilian Shackelford Murray (pp ’12)

Laura Bucholz (pp ’10)

G. Kinsey Roper III ’73

William K. Caler, Jr. ’63

Owen D. Thomas ’79

Thomas H. Claiborne ’83 (pp ’14, cp ’16)

Giles Tucker ’85 (pp ’13, cp ’19)

John K. Cohen ’74

C. Stewart Verdery, Jr. ’85

Hillsdale, New York

Gainesville, Virginia Charlotte, North Carolina Saratoga, Wyoming

West Palm Beach, Florida Westcliff, South Africa

Greensboro, North Carolina

Franklin S. Edmonds, Jr. ’87 Charlottesville, Virginia

Midlothian, Virginia New Orleans, Louisiana Belvedere Tiburon, California Atlanta, Georgia

Bronxville, New York Manakin-Sabot, Virginia Arlington, Virginia

trustee elect

Joe Grills (gp ’12)

Sumner S. Finch ’75 (pp ’11), Chairman Elect

E. Hooper Hardison, Jr. ’79 (pp ’10, ’12)

Ragan Folan (pp ’10, ’13)

Rapidan, Virginia Charlotte, North Carolina

Carter W. Hotchkiss ’75 (pp ’08) Franklin, Virginia

High Point, North Carolina

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

trustees emeriti

Robert E. Long ’75

Walter W. Craigie ’48

Frederick R. Lummis II ’71

Haynes G. Griffin ’65 (pp ’87, ’92, ’98)

C. H. Randolph Lyon ’61

C. Carter Walker, Jr. ’52

Brookhaven, Georgia Houston, Texas

Lake Forest, Illinois

Richmond, Virginia

Greensboro, North Carolina Washington, Connecticut

woodberry forest school

Advisory Council Lauren and Ted Baker ’96

Rennie and Richmond McDaniel (cp ’17)

Anne and Bo Blessing, Jr. ’90

Mollie and Whitten Meares ’97

Laura and Rob Brown ’87

Laura and Coy Monk ’87

Jan and Kip Caffey (cp ’17)

Jennifer and Chase Monroe (cp ’16, ’17)

Annie Zhang and Edward Cheung (cp ’16)

Karen and Alan Murphy (cp ’17)

Louise and Jim Clement ’77 (cp ’16)

Juli and Alex Neuman ’90

Jen and Prentiss Douglass ’93

Estelle and Akin Oyalowo ’03

Dawn and Bill Hunt (cp ’16)

Daniela and Rodolfo Paiz ’90

Holt and Gordon Kolb ’98

Mary Jo and Bob Prater (cp ’16)

Frances and Tim Krongard (cp ’17)

Marianna and Trey Sheridan (cp ’16)

Emily and Pierce Lancaster ’02

Kwame Som-Pimpong ’05

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida Charleston, South Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina Atlanta, Georgia

Hong Kong, China

Greenville, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina

Newport News, Virginia New Orleans, Louisiana

Reisterstown, Maryland Atlanta, Georgia

Haiyan and Tongtong Li (cp ’18) Beijing, China

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Charleston, South Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Shreveport, Louisiana Lexington, Kentucky

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Miami, Florida

Saint Simons Island, Georgia Charlotte, North Carolina

Washington, District of Columbia

headmaster Byron C. Hulsey ’86 director of marketing and communications Cathy L. Eberly senior associate director of marketing and communications Jennifer A. Dowling

WOODBERRY FOREST Magazine and Journal | Spring 2015 | Volume 54, Number 2

associate director of marketing and communications Ashley R. Denison editor graphic design assistant Rachel K. Strahan communications associate Linda L. Hogan contributing writers David Hollerith, Shari Jacobs photography Michael Bailey, John Berry, Dodie Chavez ’85, Carrie Coleman, Jen Fariello, Linda Hogan, Kelly Lonergan, Coe Sweet, The Fir Tree staff filmmaking Kirby Martin on the cover front: Aerial view of the Caughron Athletic Complex on Woodberry’s campus. Photo by John Berry. back: Members of the lacrosse team head down to practice on a perfect spring day. Photo by Linda Hogan.

Woodberry Forest admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other schooladministered programs.

This school is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.

Woodberry Forest School Woodberry Forest, Virginia 22989

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from left: Kwame Som-Pimpong ’05 and daughter, Anna Olivia, at Reunion Weekend; Thomas Jenkins ’15 celebrates his graduation; longtime football coach Red Caughron; David Budlong and Alex Krongard ’17; Ed Reynolds ’10 in action

features

departments

Classes ending in “5” and “0” visit and celebrate the old and the new

4 From the Forest

18 Reunion 2015

3 From the Headmaster

22 The 126th Commencement

10 Tiger Sports

Celebrating the Class of 2015

44 Alumni Gatherings

28 Double Take

45 Development Report

Tiger athletes who participate in two or more varsity sports

30 Iconic

Many coaches have made an impact at the Forest; here are five examples

32 More Than a Game

Why sports are an important part of Woodberry life

38 Making Sports a Career

Interviews with alumni who work in sports-related fields

48 Admissions Update 49 Web Connections 50 WFS Transitions 51 News Notes 56 In Memoriam 62 For the Record 63 Postscript 64 Photo Finish

Switchboard 540-672-3900 Fax 540-672-0928 Alumni 888-937-7546 Admissions 888-798-9371 woodberry.org Please direct magazine inquiries to Ashley Denison: ashley.denison@woodberry.org 540-661-4024 Please recycle

» on the web

woodberry.org/publications The online magazine goes beyond the printed page with live links, embedded videos, and search options.

spring 2015 1

A sunset view from Hanes Field at Johnson Stadium. Photo by John Berry.

from the headmaster

The Integral Role of Athletics

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oodberry’s athletic program

on the field, just like I saw some of them

binds the school’s alumni com-

struggle every day in class.” Simply put,

munity together more com-

athletics remains a crucible of the Wood-

pletely than any force other than the hon-

berry experience, an institutional com-

or system and the common experience of

mitment that shapes and forms boys in

living together away from home. Through

ways they can and cannot see.

our commitment to discipline, excellence,

I love Woodberry athletics, and at the

teamwork, sportsmanship, and besting our

same time I lament the insidious slide

rivals whenever possible, Woodberry boys

toward specialization that has a choke-

build a battery of skills that last a lifetime

hold on many parents and their children

— long after the whistle blows marking the

nationwide. Boys, in large part, sacrifice

end of their senior season.

their opportunity to specialize when

Today’s Woodberry boys revel in

they come to Woodberry. We don’t have

school athletics. They establish friend-

swing coaches or local AAU teams or club

ships with each other, develop relation-

soccer options for boys who want to focus

ships with their teacher-coaches beyond

on one sport alone. And it is becoming

the classroom, and develop confidence

harder and harder to build sub-varsity

through spirited competition to confront

schedules with mission-similar schools

the challenges and opportunities that lie

Byron and Jennifer Hulsey enjoying reunion weekend.

ahead. School spirit remains at a fever pitch, especially in the run up to the an-

when many of those schools do not field as many teams as we do.

Obviously we can’t make the world

nual clash on the gridiron with Episcopal High School and on late

more like Woodberry Forest. But I love the fact that alternative sports

winter afternoons in the Dick Gym rooting on the Tiger hoopsters.

are emerging — and flourishing — here. More of our boys are moun-

For many boys, athletics is the essence of the Woodberry expe-

tain biking and climbing, competing at the highest levels against

rience. I remember my Junior Orange basketball coach, Chuck

great competition around the state and the region. In five years the

McArver, chastising me for finishing a game playing harder than I

climbing team has grown from six to thirty boys, and the mountain

had at the beginning. I’ve known ever since that I need to be abso-

biking team has jumped from five to twenty boys since 2012. In short,

lutely ready to play from the very start, no matter the task at hand.

athletics is a great mirror of life at Woodberry and beyond. We’ll con-

Athletics remains a crucible of the Woodberry experience, an institutional commitment that shapes and forms boys in ways they can and cannot see.

I’ve heard stories about Coach Glover’s wrestling teams warming up

tinue to strive for excellence in everything we undertake; at the same

eleven minutes before each match rather than the customary ten,

time, we’ll evolve to assure that what we offer prepares boys for their

just to make the point that Woodberry always strives a little harder.

future in a way that keeps competitive athletics, along with academ-

One of my best Woodberry friends was an academic superstar

ics and the arts, at the center of the Woodberry experience.

who was far from distinguished in the world of athletics. I asked him once if he had been opposed to the long-standing school rule that third and fourth formers play a sport each trimester. “No,” he emphasized. “It was important for my classmates to see me struggle

Byron C. Hulsey ’86

» on the web Visit Byron’s blog, What Matters Most, at www.woodberry.org/headmastersblog, to read more from the headmaster. spring 2015 3

from the forest Reynolds Family Dining Room Celebrated

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or the past 116 years, members of the Woodberry Forest School family — students, faculty and their families, and members of the staff — have gathered daily in the Richard S. Reynolds Jr. Family Dining Room for food and fellowship. On the day of the dining room’s final seated meal in May, the history of the space was commemorated with a slideshow and menu items from the past, along with a recognition of the kitchen’s longest-serving staff members. Seniors received a souvenir piece of silverware and signed a waiter’s jacket to be framed and displayed in the new Randall B. Terry Jr. ’53

Dining Hall. The space formerly occupied by the dining room will be reimagined so that future generations continue to enjoy it.

Robertson Lake Rededicated

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n a beautiful Sunday in May, Woodberry welcomed Lucy B Alexander, daughter of the late Russ ’35 and Robbie Robertson; her children, Nate ’10, Alex, and Anne; and friends to enjoy an event at Robertson Lake. New signage was unveiled to commemorate A. Stuart “Russ” Robertson, Jr., in whose memory the lake was given by his widow, Anne Russell Gwyn “Robbie”

Dean of Faculty Appointed

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r. Matthew Boesen recently began his service in the newly created position of dean of faculty. “In this position, Matt has responsibility for the faculty, taking the lead with recruitment, growth and development, and evaluation,” Headmaster Byron Hulsey ’86 said. “He will also

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bear large-picture responsibility for the curriculum — what we teach, why we teach it, and how we are teaching and learning.”

Matt Boesen is a highly respected member of the history department whose students universally praise the academic experience he creates in his classroom. Matt, who earned an undergraduate degree from Yale University and an MA and PhD in history from the University of Virginia, came to Woodberry Forest in 2001 from Phillips Exeter Academy. He and his wife, Christal, Woodberry’s school psychologist, are the parents of two children.

“I look forward to building on Woodberry’s considerable strengths by working with the faculty to make it an even more exciting place to teach and learn,” Matt said. “We are currently beginning a dynamic chapter in the story of Woodberry Forest, and I’m honored to serve the school as the story unfolds.”

Robertson. The event was highlighted by remarks from Headmaster Byron Hulsey ’86, environmental science teacher Graham McBride, and Randolph Walker ’17, who read a list of the organisms introduced to the lake when it was built in 2010. The guests, along with several current students, enjoyed grilling hot dogs and canoeing in the lake.

Vegetable Garden Bears Fruit

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eginning by planting seeds in the Manning Family Science Building’s greenhouse, several students, led by science teacher Jim Reid, raised vegetables to be served in the Terry Dining Hall. The new garden, situated beyond the building’s parking lot, grows spinach, onions, peas, radishes, tomatoes, and squash.

from the forest

Fourth Form Welcomes Special Olympics

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oodberry Forest School and the fourth form hosted a sports festival for Virginia Special Olympics in April. Despite dreary weather, more than a hundred athletes and their families, friends, caregivers, and coaches enjoyed an excellent day competing in swimming and track and field.

“Those who saw any aspect of the event saw Woodberry at its finest,” said Henry Heil, Woodberry’s assistant dean of students and the event’s organizer. “There were lots of compliments about our facilities and our willingness to host the event. But the most meaningful comments I heard were about those boys and faculty who interacted with the athletes.” The competition was staffed

entirely by Woodberry’s sophomore class; the boys cooked, parked cars, timed races, and encouraged the athletes.

Rod & Gun Club Hosts Event Formal

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oodberry Forest School’s fifth and sixth formers welcomed dates to campus in April for the Spring Formal. Once they arrived at the tent, attendees enjoyed a delicious dinner catered by Roadside Chive and Beggars Banquet. Richmond band Trademark coaxed boys to shed their jackets and girls to kick off their shoes with its mix of danceable tunes.

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he Rod and Gun Club hosted a wild game tasting and community skeet shoot at the Julius C. Smith III ’40 Sporting Clays Field and Pavilion in May. Novices got a chance to try their hand at shooting clays, and community members dined on goose barbecue, duck chili, grilled quail, and other delicacies harvested at Woodberry and beyond.

Physics Tournament Yields Second-Place Finish for Tigers

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igh school physics students from nine schools in five states and three countries gathered at the Forest in January for the US Invitational Young Physicists Tournament, a contest that pits teams of two to four students against each other in “physics fights.” Teams worked on their solutions to the open-ended problems for the past year.

Judges evaluate not only teams’ solutions but also their skill in challenging the other teams’ solutions and defending their own.

Woodberry’s team finished in second place, behind The Harker School of California.

Dr. Chat Hull ’02 delivered the keynote address, “Star Formation Through Radio Eyes.” Chat is a Jansky postdoctoral fellow of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, based at the

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Chat earned a BS from the Un iver sit y of Virginia and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.

Welcome Aiden Burke ’88

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iden Burke ’88 joined the faculty in May as the school’s network administrator. Aiden holds a BS in industrial engineering and a BA in history from Lehigh University. He comes to Woodberry from Klöckner Pentaplast where he worked as a system engineer and network administrator. He is the father of Patrick ’16 and Brendan ’17, and the brother of Cliona Robb ’81, Fidelma Rigby ’81, and Niamh Burke ’82. Aiden lives in Charlottesville with his wife, Mary Jo, a Latin teacher at the Miller School. spring 2015 5

from the forest

Curtain Call

comedy takes the stage as thespians explore happy endings GOD OF CARNAGE by Yasmina Reza

DON’T DRINK THE WATER by Woody Allen

This dark comedy reveals the infantile tendencies of two sets of parents who meet to discuss bad behavior between their sons.

A zany cast of characters meets at a US embassy somewhere behind the iron curtain.

january 27–29, 2015 | bomb shelter experimental theater directed by ted blain

february 12–14, 2015 | purrington stage directed by peter cashwell

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN Music by Marc Shaiman, Lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Book by Terrence McNally

This musical took inspiration from the true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a New York con man who posed as an airline pilot and passed millions in bad checks. may 14–16, 2015 | purrington stage | directed by brent cirves; musical direction by wallace hornady

Student Leaders Extend Gratitude

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nder the leadership of Ford Beazley ’16, Woodberry Forest School’s Peer Leadership Council (PLC) gathered donations and created care packages to send to members of the US military this spring. The council is made up of fifth and sixth formers, each of whom have led small groups of new students all year, helping them adjust to Woodberry life. “We decided Operation Gratitude would be a great way to get everyone involved in a really good cause: helping de6 woodberry forest magazine and journal

ployed soldiers,” Ford said. Boys bought items and wrote thank you notes to place in seven care packages filled with snacks, books, playing cards, and hygiene items.

Folio System to Enhance Teaching

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oodberry has adopted Folio, a system for faculty growth developed by teachers at Maryland’s McDonogh School to facilitate conversations about teaching among faculty members. “Folio promises to enhance the collaborative dimension of teaching at Woodberry Forest,” says Matt Boesen, Woodberry’s dean of faculty. “The system will promote faculty growth and support the school’s mission of providing students with an outstanding classroom experience.”

from the forest

Art Exhibits

woodberry forest in detail views of and from home

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ohn Borden Evans ’74 exhibited paintings completed between 1996 and 2014 of the area near his North Garden, Virginia, home. Evans said, “Since my last show at Woodberry in 1999, I’ve been painting less from my imagination and more from real landscape.”

varsity art composite series

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omposite paintings of musicians created through Varsity Art collaborations were displayed this spring. They featured James Brown, Dave Matthews, Lady Gaga, David Byrne, Ann Marie Calhoun, Frank Zappa, and Muddy Waters.

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series of photographs of Woodberry Forest School’s smallest details was on display during Reunion Weekend. The interactive exhibition tested viewers’ visual memories with Linda Hogan’s large-scale photos and provided background information from school archivist Karen Culbertson.

area high schools student art show

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he 18th Annual Area High Schools Student Art Show showed student work from Culpeper County High School, Eastern View High School, Highland School, Willam Monroe High School, Orange County High School, and Woodberry Forest School.

works, 1971–2015

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traveling exhibition featured a retrospective of four decades of the art of Russ Warren. Now living in Charlottesville, Virginia, the artist served as a professor of art at Davidson College from 1978 through 2008. His work, which embraces elements of expressionism and surrealism, has been widely shown in the United States and abroad. spring 2015 7

from the forest

Guests at Woodberry DAVID OWEN An author of numerous nonfiction books and a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1991, David Owen spoke to Woodberry’s sixth formers on March 25, 2015, at the invitation of the English department. David shared photos and humorous reminiscences of his own school days, spent at the all-boys Pembroke-Country Day School in Kansas City, Missouri. He also discussed several of his books, whose subjects range from education to golf to sustainability.

David earned a degree in English from Harvard University, where he was an editor of the Harvard Lampoon. His most recent book is The Conundrum: How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency, and Good Intentions Can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, writer Ann Hodgman.

CHARLIE LOVETT ’80 Charlie Lovett ’80, the bestselling author of The Bookman’s Tale and First Impressions, visited Woodberry on April 22, 2015. Charlie spoke to several English classes, some of which had been assigned his first novel, a mystery about Shakespeare’s true identity.

Charlie remembered several Woodberry influences that led to his current success as a writer. “We didn’t do much creative writing in English class,” he said, “but my Algebra II teacher required us to write a paper every two weeks. I would write little mystery stories that could be solved by figuring out a math equation.” But he credits his trimester with Richard and Wendy MacKenzie’s Woodberry in Britain program with sparking his interest in England and Shakespeare.

“Without the MacKenzies, The Bookman’s Tale wouldn’t exist,” said the part-time resident of England’s Cotswolds.

ESTHER BAUER

By Jannis Stöter ’16 “The first twenty years I couldn’t talk about it, and the second twenty years nobody wanted to hear. It has been in the last twentyfive years that people became more and more interested in what I had to say.”

Esther Bauer visited Woodberry Forest School on April 20, 2015, to talk about her horrifying experiences as a Jewish prisoner in four Nazi Germany concentration camps.

With great optimism, hope, and even humor, she talked directly to the hearts of the Woodberry audience. She reminded all community members of their responsibility to never forget in order to protect the future. Her visit was initiated by Jannis Stöter ’16, Woodberry’s ASSIST scholar from Germany, who met Esther for the first time two-and-one-half years ago.

Along with her biography, Esther shared some very personal moments with the audience. She talked about how, when visiting her hairdresser, she had accidentally met one of the Americans who had liberated her. In addition, Esther mentioned the only object from her imprisonment that she has kept — a homemade aluminum comb — is a piece of luxury that she acquired when she was building airplane parts in Freiberg.

DENNIS MANNING Norfolk Academy Headmaster Dennis Manning took the podium on April 13, 2015, to congratulate the new members of the Cum Laude Society and share his reflections on gratitude and the paths to building one’s best character.

Dennis’s intimate knowledge of and respect for life at Woodberry Forest, along with his wry humor about the “all-in” nature of the life of a boarding school teacher, were

Wrights Fêted

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mmett and Betty Wright were honored on February 3, 2015, with a dinner in Dunnington Recital Hall. Current and former faculty members who served under Woodberry Forest School’s sixth headmaster gathered to pay tribute to Emmett and Betty’s contributions and legacy. In his remarks, Headmaster Byron Hulsey ’86 recalled important advice on leadership he received from the headmaster when he

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evident in his remarks. His first job after earning his BA and MA from Wake Forest University was as a teacher of English at Woodberry. Over his seven-year tenure, he served as associate headmaster, director of college counseling, and director of summer programs; he was awarded the George R. O’Connor Prize for Excellence in 1989.

“I deeply appreciate the time I spent on the Woodberry campus,” Dennis told the assembled student body. “Since leaving Woodberry, I draw all lines back to the school.”

After leaving Woodberry in 1991, Dennis served as dean of freshmen at Washington and Lee University and was headmaster of The American School in England.

CHELSEA CHEN Chelsea Chen performed a program of organ music on April 19, 2015, in St. Andrew’s Chapel as part of the Hill Brown Chapel Music Concert Series. The internationally renowned organist and composer has been called “one of the most promising organists of her generation.” Ms. Chen graduated from Juilliard with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees and studied at Yale University. She has recorded multiple CDs and currently serves as artist-in-residence at both Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York.

Sunday’s recital included Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C Major; BWV 564 by J.S. Bach; a piece by Marcel Dupré; and “Mountain of Youth” from her own Taiwanese Suite (2003). As an encore, she played an original piece she called “a fantasia on the theme from the Super Mario Brothers video game,” telling students she originally created the work as a prank on her brother.

served as senior prefect. “He told me that if I needed to, I could disagree with him,” Byron recalled. He also shared stories from former students and others who offered anecdotes about Betty’s warm hospitality and Emmett’s exemplary leadership, direct communication style, work as a US history teacher, and careful stewardship of Woodberry’s resources.

Emmett Wright served as headmaster from 1974 to 1991.

from the forest

In the Classroom observational astronomy

oral histories

The third-form Honors Conceptual Physics class substituted a daytime class period for one that started after astronomical twilight, about 10:30 p.m. By making observations of the setting moon, planets, and stars, Greg Jacobs and his students examined questions like why Venus is always seen near sunrise or sunset and whether the moon is waxing or waning, depending on a single observation of its position in the sky.

Many of Karen Jordan’s history students completed extra credit projects during Christmas break that are now used as reading material in her classes. Boys were challenged to interview a relative or other person with distinct memories of World War II and write about what they learned about their family’s role in the Corey’s great grandfather, war. Corey Arthur Ratliff Pierson ’17 learned ways the war changed the lives of African Americans. “I talked to family members I had never met and learned many things about family members that died and that I never met,” he wrote. And David Gussler ’17 began to understand the impact his grandfather’s service in the war had on his own life: “I probably wouldn’t be at Woodberry right now if it wasn’t for the GI Bill and my grandpa’s hard work and success.”

The project “makes the first day back from Christmas break much more bearable,” Karen said. Now she uses a collection of the writings instead of a textbook reading on the war’s home front. “The pieces reflect a wide representation of experiences, both American and international, of that truly World War.”

students judge public school competitions Two groups of Tigers helped students in Orange County, Virginia, by serving as judges in math and science competitions.

Biology students used rubrics to evaluate more than 100 seventh-grade science fair entries on the experimental design, quality of each component of the experiment, and the appearance of the poster. Precalculus and calculus scholars proctored the Regional “24” Math Tournament. The competition brings together third through eighth graders from surrounding counties to compete in the fast-paced math game.

“Our tournament is made immeasurably richer with the inclusion of Woodberry Forest School students as proctors,” said Carol Hunter, the organizer of the event.

“We are grateful for the time they willingly gave to promote an interest in math with so many students.”

virginia artist leads painting workshop Visiting artist Becky Parrish visited the Woodberry campus to lead Introduction to Studio Art and Intermediate Studio Art classes in two-week painting workshops. A self-employed portrait and still-life artist who has taught in the fine arts department at Lord Fairfax Community College and exhibited work in the Washington, DC, area, Becky challenged the boys to paint self-portraits, paying attention to shape and value.

Winter Snow Brings Fun

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he season’s first significant snowfall in February, which brought a halffoot of powdery snow, came when the boys had some extra leisure time resulting from the end of many winter sports seasons, combined with the short Tuesday class schedule. That meant they had plenty of time to enjoy winter fun on a campus blanketed in beauty.

Advisories Play Santa

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oodberry Forest School’s advisory groups pooled their resources to spread cheer to local senior citizens who might not otherwise have gotten a visit from St. Nick. Each participating group picked an ornament with a senior’s wish list from a Christmas tree in the William H. White Jr. Library and took up a collection to fulfill the seniors’ wishes. Woodberry partnered with Home Instead Senior Care to distribute gifts to those in need through its Be a Santa to a Senior program. spring 2015 9

tiger sports varsity | winter 2015 | season reports

Basketball

coach Craig Dawson, Keith Johnson, Steve Stancill ’74, Frankie Lewis captains Davis Cornett ’15, Hawk Swearingen ’15, Clark Yarbrough ’16 record 10–11

individual honors All-Prep Luke Neeley ’15

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he Tiger basketball program has improved each year since Craig Dawson was named head coach in 2012. This year, the Tigers’ talent came from their cohesiveness on and off the court. Players supported and enjoyed one another, celebrated individual successes, and formed a truly unified team.

“This group was talented enough to be a championship contender,” Coach Dawson said. “Their biggest challenge was selfconfidence.” Being much younger than last year’s veteran squad, this group was new to overcoming close games. However, by adding five underclassmen the coach set the foundation for a championship program.

The season began with three victories against Fuqua, Tandem Friends, and, in the Life & Breath Tournament, against TrinityByrnes Collegiate. Joe Foley ’18 started in

his first varsity game against Fuqua, earning fifteen points and five assists.

The Tigers suffered their first loss at the hands of Lexington High School. Despite freshman Maxwell Johns’s thirteen-point run in the first half, the team struggled in the second half, losing by seven points. This defeat was followed by another against the team that was ultimately crowned VISAA state champion, Blue Ridge School.

The Tigers regained their composure on a four-game winning streak at the beginning of January. The peak of their streak came against last year’s Prep League champion, St. Anne’s-Belfield School. Responding to a roaring student section in the Dick Gym, they put together their most complete game of the season, winning 59–53.

With the loss of Khalid Thomas ’18 to ACL surgery over Christmas break, the Tigers had to make critical mid-season adjustments. Senior Hawk Swearingen’s scoring promptly increased by nearly four points, while Felix Culmer ’16 and Davis Cornett ’15 also stepped up to fill the void.

After a home win against Collegiate and a loss to Episcopal, the Tigers played an away game at Fork Union. They led by seven in the third quarter until FUMA pulled ahead in the fourth. Senior Luke Neeley tied the game at fifty, but after a foul on the floor, the team

couldn’t convert on the next possession.

At home a g a i n against St. Christopher’s, the Tigers played their hearts out, but ultimately fell short.

All-Prep player Luke Neeley led all scorers with sixteen points and five rebounds, while co-captain Clark Yarbrough ’16 added fourteen points and four Luke Neeley ’15 rebounds.

Despite these tough games, the Tigers continued to battle and finally broke free in mid-February, prevailing against Christchurch at home. Clark Yarbrough ’16 earned seven assists by game’s end.

“Now that we know we belong, the next step is believing and learning how to win consistently,” said Coach Dawson. And with so many young returning players, the Tigers are destined for greater success next season.

Competitive Indoor Climbing Joel Ndumbalo ’15

coaches Nolan LaVoie, Jeff Davidhizar, Jesse Woody captains Marion Anderson ’15, Joel Ndumbalo ’15, Ross Winston ’15

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record 4th in WAICL

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ndoor climbing inhabits a unique space in Woodberry’s athletic program. Blending aspects of other solo sports like wrestling, cross country, and swimming, good climbing requires core athleticism and introspective flow. As a result, success in the sport requires physical, mental, and technical skills in equal measure.

The game’s true competition takes place between the vertical wall and its climber.

In top-rope and bouldering competitions, climbers strive to earn points by completing as many climbs of varying difficulty as they can within a specified amount of time. As the clock ticks down, a climber’s stamina naturally decreases. Each team member’s score reflects the difficulty of a climber’s top three climbs when time is called.

In its third year with Nolan LaVoie as head coach, Woodberry’s indoor climbing program attracts boys who are best described as cool, calm, and compassionate. After pre-season cuts, the coach accepted thirty boys and created two varsity teams, WFS Orange and WFS Black. Though the size of the program speaks volumes for indoor climbing’s success at Woodberry, accommodating all of the boys

tiger sports in the Forest’s indoor climbing gym proved to be the Tigers’ greatest challenge. Many veteran climbers demonstrated selflessness and dedication to give less-experienced climbers the opportunity and space to rise to their full potential.

“These guys worked together every single day to push each other to get better,” said Coach LaVoie. “Both teams’ greatest strength, far and away, was their work ethic.” And this willingness to work hard extended beyond practice, as every away competition — that is all but the one comp against EHS hosted at the Forest — introduced boys to types of vertical terrain they had never before experienced.

On a Tuesday in January at the Sportrock Climbing Center in Sterling, Virginia, many Tigers faced their first-ever bouldering competition against Episcopal. The Orange team put forth a formidable effort against a group of very strong Maroon climbers.

Though EHS ultimately won, Woodberry’s top-ranked climber, Will Goetzenberger ’17, scored twenty points in his three top climbs.

Woodberry placed fourth in the Washington Area Interscholastic Climbing League (WAICL) tournament, with several climbers coming through in a big way.

Captain and senior Joel Ndumbalo turned in a phenomenal performance as the team’s lead top-rope scorer with twenty-eight points.

KJ Pankratz ’17 demonstrated leadership and even more potential, finishing second with twenty-three points. Juniors Spencer Andrews and Justin Mitchell scored thirteen and nineteen points respectively. Finally, freshman Ben Weaver’s twenty-one points were not only a huge contribution to the team but a harbinger of the program’s future success.

At season’s end, Coach LaVoie was most impressed not by the scores of his climbers, but by how they viewed their accomplishments. “It was exciting to hear them admit that they had never worked so hard or had so much fun participating in a competitive sport,” he said.

Indoor Track & Field coaches Curtis Phillips, Cameron Aubin, Matt Boesen, Erik Born, Ben Hale, Jamison Monahan, Scott Navitsky, Brian Stephenson captains Brady Logan ’15, HT Minor ’15, Nathaniel Tyrell ’15, David Yoo ’15 record 1st in Prep League; 1st in State

individual honors All-Prep Nolan Day ’15, Cameron Finley ’15, Brady Logan ’15, Patrick Shea ’15, Nathaniel Tyrell ’15, David Yoo ’15, Michael Davenport ’16, Ryan Grady ’16, Zach Roderick ’16, Caleb Rogers ’16, James Carrington ’17; AllState Cameron Finley ’15, Hardin Lucas ’15, Patrick Shea ’15, Nathaniel Tyrell ’15, David Yoo ’15, Michael Davenport ’16, Ryan Grady ’16, Jim King ’16, Zach Roderick ’16; Second Team All-State Brady Logan ’15, Michael Davenport ’16; Honorable Mention AllState Nolan Day ’15, Cameron Finley ’15, Ben Foley ’15, Patrick Shea ’15, Jack Claiborne ’16, Caleb Rogers ’16, James Carrington ’17; Prep League Coach of the Year Curtis Phillips

T

o master track and field events, athletes must embrace limitations in the physical world and then tenaciously strive to bend the laws that govern it: acceleration, velocity, distance, and time. It should come as no surprise that Curtis Phillips, Woodberry’s head varsity coach and two-time Prep League Coach of the Year for indoor track and field, is a physics teacher.

As back-to-back Prep League and State champions, the Tigers went into this season knowing they could not shrink in the face of big competition, despite losing a large senior class of all-stars last year. From the 55m dash to the triple jump and shot put, the Tigers demonstrated the highest level of perfor-

mance and victory came from the boys’ ability to switch events where points matter most — in the Prep and State meets. “These boys were willing to do whatever event would best serve the team,” Coach Phillips said.

A significant moment on the way to those culminating meets came when Ryan Grady ’16 — who had dealt with injury and major surgery — came back to break the school record in the triple jump during his first meet of the season. He reached the 45' mark in the Barbee Center, surpassing the previous record of 44'4" set by Wallace Branche ’12.

Woodberry was well-represented at two major track events. Ryan, David Yoo ’15, and Jack Claiborne ’16 all qualified for the New Balance Indoor Nationals Emerging Elite division while Michael Davenport ’16 qualified for the championship division in the 60m and 200m events. And Jack tied the school high jump record of 6'4" at the Kevin Dare Memorial Invitational at Penn State, a meet that saw first-place finishes from Cameron Finley ’15, Brady Logan ’15, Hardin Lucas ’15, Patrick Shea ’15, Michael, and Jim King ’16.

On a chilly Saturday in Richmond, the Tigers out-ran, outjumped, and out-threw their opponents, walking away at the end of the day with another Prep League

Nathaniel Tyrell ’15 and Michael Davenport ’16

title. The victory included two school and Prep League meet records: Michael in the long jump and Michael, Zach Roderick ’16, Nathaniel Tyrell ’15, and Patrick in the 4x200m relay. Six Tigers — including two relay teams, Michael in long jump, Ryan in triple jump, David in pole vault, and Brady in shot put — earned first-place finishes.

The Tigers successfully defended their state title at the VISAA championship at St. Christopher’s with all the skill and finesse they could muster. Scoring in thirteen of fifteen events, the team seemed to defy gravity that day, earning four championships (the 4x200 team of Michael, Nathaniel, Zach, and Patrick; the 4x400 team of Hardin, Jim, Patrick, and Cameron; David in pole vault; and Ryan in triple jump), thirteen All-State honors, and twenty-four top-eight-place finishes. Their peak performance came in the 4x400m relay, in which the Tigers were not even seeded to win. The foursome overcame any doubters in securing their win and proving that sometimes winning a race doesn’t mean bending the laws of physics. Sometimes it just means staying the course. spring 2015 11

as the man of the match. The following Tuesday, Woodberry defeated Gonzaga, but the 5–4 score was a little too close for comfort.

As it turns out, the challenges the Woodberry squad would face over the course of the season were just beginning. Playing in the Tom Flanagan InvitaWilliam von Hassell ’16 and Richmond Adams ’16 tional Squash Tournament against seven other teams, the Tigers were unable to defeat Mercersburg on its home courts and lost twice. coach John Reimers In the season’s center, Woodcaptain Will Peak ’15 berry faced veteran teams of serecord 5–10 niors and nationally ranked players who had, as Coach John Reimers thletes learn a great deal about themput it, “plenty of depth.” The Westminster selves when playing squash: how School’s team, a very strong group of playmuch they want something, how ers from Atlanta, defeated the Tigers 9–0 in they react under extreme pressure, and what Woodberry’s Squash Pavilion. they do when faced with their own limitaAs team newcomer Richmond Adams ’16, tions. Squash resembles other sports in its observed, “Playing better teams makes you capacity to teach its players to deal with both a better player.”

Every Tiger continued to success and defeat and to value both disciwork hard, and as the season progressed, pline and time spent with teammates. more matches began to go in Woodberry’s Woodberry’s 2014–15 varsity squash seafavor. Meanwhile, the competition was son got off to a brisk start, with the Tigers also improving. defeating St. Christopher’s, Gonzaga, and The Woodberry squad finished its seaMercersburg in the December 6 play-around son facing off against rival Episcopal High that crowned William von Hassell ’16

Squash

A

School. Will Peak ’15 and Teddy Garner ’16 each scored some very good points in two long and strenuous matches. Although the possibility of victory ultimately faded for the players, everyone continued to work hard against an intense team. “There were plenty of good points and some extended games, but EHS’s depth was difficult to overcome,” the coach admitted. A highlight of the season occurred when senior Talfourd Wharton capped his season — and his Woodberry squash career — with a win.

Frequently engaged in close matches, the Tigers worked to their limits and got along doing it. They were, Coach Reimers said, “a good group of fellows in a very frustrat-

ing season with many of the players competing at the varsity level for the first time.”

Through it all, they learned to meet the challenges of robust competition.

Talfourd Wharton ’15

Swimming & Diving

coaches Gregory Guldin, Heath Allen ’12, Colin Manning, Graham McBride captains Nick Switzer ’16, Robert Willis ’16 record 4th in Prep League, 3rd in State individual honors All-State Eli Levy ’16, Nick Switzer ’16, Robert Willis ’16, Chas Sigloh ’17; All-American Nick Switzer ’16; VISAA Coach of the Year Gregory Guldin

T Eli Levy ’16

12 woodberry forest magazine and journal

hough their last All-American swimmers had graduated two years earlier, the Tigers didn’t back-step very far this season. Instead they accelerated forward, proving that true progress comes from the mentality a team possesses when faced with limitations. Their greatest constraint this season was a lack of numbers,

meaning the Tigers had to accomplish more with fewer boys in the water.

Leadership helped inspire the team to perform. Junior captains Nick Switzer and Robert Willis made focus routine, preparing everyone for early-morning workouts and maintaining concentration during meets. They were not alone. Heath Allen ’12 stepped up as assistant coach, and, with his natural leadership ability, cultivated integrity and developed leaders among the younger athletes.

Yet at the peak of its mid-season training in Fort Lauderdale, the team’s motivation seemed to evaporate and the Tigers were forced to reevaluate their season goals.

Upon returning from Florida, they had what may have been their most successful practice of the season when they completed the

mentally and physically challenging set known as “4–3–2.” That practice became a touch point, one the captains cited throughout the season in pre-meet pep talks.

When the qualifying swimmers mounted the starting blocks at the VISAA state championship meet, the focus of the entire season’s work, Coach Greg Guldin knew the Tigers could finish no higher than third place — and there was no guarantee the Tigers would even find a spot on the podium. The 400-freestyle relay team of Chas Sigloh ’17, Robert, Eli Levy ’16, and Nick outperformed all expectations with a third-place finish, and Nick Switzer ’16 broke his own school record in the 100-yard breaststroke by almost a full second. Quintin Schwartz ’15 broke

Wrestling

coaches David Budlong, Todd Jarry, Will Sutherland ’09, Alex Tisch captains Jared Engh ’15, Cole Martini ’15, Darby Henagan ’16, Andrew Holmes ’16 record 2nd in Prep League; 5th in State

individual honors All-Prep Jared Engh ’15, Cole Martini ’15, Darby Henagan ’16; All-State Jared Engh ’15, Cole Martini ’15, Shane Maryk ’17

A

t a typical Woodberry seated meal during the winter trimester, it isn’t difficult to pick out the wrestlers.

They are the bruised boys with ice strapped to their bodies, always skimping on dessert yet reaching for that extra helping of winter vegetable medley. They are tough, determined, and proud of what they accomplish.

Though wrestling is arguably Woodberry’s most physical sport, mental willpower is its greatest attribute.

In his third year as head coach, David Budlong has seen the program change in many ways. Last year, he implemented a fit-

Cole Martini ’15

the school’s twenty-four-year-old record in the 1-meter diving event with a lifetime best score of 322.95. Thanks to strong leadership and training — and a healthy dose of grit — the swimmers came through in the relays, both divers did excellent work on the boards, and the team captured a third-place finish behind Trinity Episcopal School and St. Christopher’s School.

For the coach, the season’s real highlight occurred at the hotel where the team stayed during the state meet. Following a team meal, the hotel staff told Greg they had never had a more polite group of young men there as guests. And at the meet, the Tigers were recognized with the Men’s Team Sportsmanship Award. “A small number of people can do incredible things

when they fully commit and dedicate themselves to a comm o n g o a l ,” Coach Guldin said. “ Th at ’s the lesson I want the boys to remember after they leave the Forest.”

Quintin Schwartz ’15

ness and nutrition regimen to help keep the wrestlers injury-free. This season, the Tigers had to overcome the challenge of youth. With such a young team, Coach Budlong welcomed aid from former Woodberry wrestler Will Sutherland ’09, as well as assistant coaches Todd Jarry and Alex Tisch.

The team’s tribulations included learning to compete against more experienced teams in dual matches Jared Engh ’15 and challenging tournaments. Together, the Tigers embraced adverweight sixth seed. And Jared Engh ’15 won sity. The coaches trusted the captains, who the 171st match of his high school career, were supported by seniors and juniors in capturing second place. practice and competition. “Leadership and Going into the Prep League tournament, mentoring from the older guys shaped our which Woodberry hosted, the Tigers were team’s culture,” said Coach Sutherland. expected to finish in the league’s bottom Surrounded by some of the best teams in half. In the end, they celebrated a secondthe nation at the St. Alban’s tournament in place finish and the coronation of three February, the Tigers competed in only sevPrep League champions: Jared, Cole, and en of fourteen weight classes. DeDarby at heavyweight. spite its low number of entries, In the end, Woodberry took on a season Woodberry placed tenth fraught with challenges and turned it into out of thirty-two teams, one of substantial accomplishment. In many a significant achievecases, the boys’ spirit and energy defied the ment. Four Tigers results on the scoreboard. Will Harris ’15, placed in the top Andrew Holmes ’16, Roy Toston ’16, James eight. Seeded sevForbes ’17, Will Medick ’17, Kent Walker ’18, enth overall, Shane and Darby all exhibited leadership and a will Maryk ’17 finto improve that inspired their teammates — ished in sixth place. and will serve the Tigers well in the years Wrestling at 220, seto come. As Coach Budlong said, “I look fornior Cole Martini ’15 ward to getting back on the mat next year and placed fourth. Darby watching the boys grow, mature, and develop Henagan ’16 took sixth as wrestlers and young men.” place as the heavyspring 2015 13

tiger sports

varsity | spring 2015 | season reports

Baseball

coaches Chris Holmes, Andrew Handelsman captains MacLindsay Mitchell ’15, Christian Zaytoun ’15, Patrick McDonald ’16 record 7–11–1 overall; 5–7 and 4th place in Prep League individual honors All-Prep MacLindsay Mitchell ’15, Patrick McDonald ’16; Second Team All-State MacLindsay Mitchell ’15

T

he varsity baseball squad acquitted itself well in the always-strong Virginia Prep League this season. The Tigers were forced to practice indoors for two weeks at the beginning of the season because of heavy

snow on Murrell Field. In fact, they broke for spring break without practicing on their home field even once. They convened in Atlanta for the yearly spring break trip, taking on traditional Georgia powerhouse Woodward Academy and battling to a 4–4 tie after eight innings. The game ended in a tie by mutual consent as both squads had a full slate of games the rest of the week. Both the varsity and JV squads played well against tough competition.

Returning to Virginia, the Tigers opened the Prep League portion of their schedule with a thrilling 1–0 win against Fork Union, whom they would go on to sweep for the season. They also swept

Prep League foe Christchurch and split with Trinity Episcopal. The Tigers lost games 2–1 in Richmond against both St. Chris and Collegiate, the latter against the second-ranked Cougars in nine innings. Woodberry also claimed another victory over Episcopal High School as MacLindsay Mitchell ’15 struck out fifteen of the Maroon in a dominant 8–1 victory over the visitors from Alexandria.

Several Tigers had remarkable seasons.

Patrick McDonald ’16 set the school record with a 0.43 ERA for the season, despite being injured the second half of the season.

MacLindsay tied the single-season record for strikeouts with eighty-one in fortyeight innings. And although Christian Zaytoun ’15 was behind the dish the majority of the year, he found his way in the top single-season efforts with an ERA of 2.95. The team set a season record for lowest ERA at 3.43. All in all, it was great effort by the Tigers, setting the stage for bigger and better things in the future.

To close the season, Woodberry won handily over Georgetown Prep, lost at St. Christopher’s School, and bested Episcopal High School to finish with a 6–2–1 record.

The Tigers were not favored in the Prep League tournament, even though they had won the three previous championships.

Playing their best golf in windy and warm conditions, Woodberry prevailed over previously undefeated St. Chris and the other VPL teams to garner its twenty-eighth league title at The Federal Club in Glen Allen. Peter Knade ’16 (71) successfully defended his individual championship. Peter, Hawk Swearingen ’15 (76), Teddy Garner ’16 (80), Charles Hargrove ’17 (80), and Mac Boney ’18 (81) earned All-Prep honors.

The next week, the Tigers finished second at the VISAA state championship at The Manor in Farmville to St. Chris, 297303. Mac (76) and Basil Boyd ’17 (73) garnered All-State honors.

Peter, the team’s co-captain, won the William H. White Golf Trophy for low stroke average, and Charles won the Thomas Bond MVP Award for his overall play. Hawk finished his WFS career by winning the Sam A. Dougherty Golf Prize for his outstanding play and leadership as a co-captain.

Ten golfers finished with stroke averages below eighty, and eleven of the top twelve golfers return for the 2016 season, promising another season of excellence.

MacLindsay Mitchell ’15

Golf

coaches Marc Hogan, David Smith

captains Hawk Swearingen ’15, Peter Knade ’16 record 1st in Prep League; 2nd in State

individual honors All-Prep Peter Knade ’16, Hawk Swearingen ’15, Teddy Garner ’16, Charles Hargrove ’17, Mac Boney ’18 ; All-State Mac Boney ’18, Basil Boyd ’17

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he 2015 Woodberry Forest golf campaign began with thirty-seven students, a record number, trying out for the varsity team during the last snowy weeks of February. Coaches Marc Hogan and David Smith settled on a group of twenty-three players who battled all season for the coveted six match spots. Weekly qualifying rounds meant a different group played in each match.

An opening tie with St. Christopher’s at home was followed by victories at Trinity Episcopal School, over St. Paul’s School in the Disharoon Cup, and at St. Anne’sBelfield School. The Tigers lost by a single stroke at Collegiate, but got revenge over the Cougars at home the following week.

14 woodberry forest magazine and journal

Teddy Garner ’16

tiger sports

Lacrosse

coaches Brian Hemming, Ryan Alexander, Todd Jarry captains Nate Ingram ’15, Tiger Ripley ’15, Patrick Shea ’15, Talfourd Wharton ’15 record 9–9, 5th in Prep League, 8th in State

individual honors All-Prep Patrick Shea ’15, Wylie Mendicino ’15; All-State Patrick Shea ’15; Academic AllAmerican Nate Ingram ’15

W

hen the varsity lacrosse team graduated eighteen seniors last season, it seemed that inexperience would be an obstacle this year. But the Tigers possessed the right attitude. “These

Mountain Biking

coaches Nolan LaVoie, Alex Tisch, Joe Fischer record 3rd in Virginia High School Mountain Bike Series individual honors Justin Mitchell ’16 earned 2nd in League; qualified for USA Cycling Nationals

I

n its second year as a varsity sport, Woodberry’s mountain biking team competed in a demanding five-race season, riding over 10,000 miles, placing third in the Virginia High School Mountain Bike Series, and qualifying its fastest rider, Justin Mitchell ’16, to race in the USA Cycling Nationals.

Mountain biking has become increasingly popular in the two years it has been a varsity sport at Woodberry — with bikes and trails Thomas Lee ’15

Wylie Mendicino’15

guys never let the learning curve be an excuse. They came out and worked hard every practice,” said Head Coach Brian Hemming “This was a team that had fun and remained great teammates to each other.”

The season began with a scrimmage followed by the spring break training trip to Tampa. “We had new kids learning the sport, so we needed to get up to speed quickly,” the coach said. “Florida gave the team’s less-experienced players time to adapt to the more experienced ones.”

The team won its first game of the season against Mullen School, then lost its second to Avon Old Farms. The Tigers won their next three games and lost four after that.

The players stayed open to changing po-

new to fifteen of the twenty boys on the team. Early in the season, the weather was so cold and rainy that the boys had to practice indoors. Once they could move outside, they rebuilt and renovated the school’s trail system before they could ride. By the end of the season, they had put more than 140 hours into trail construction and maintenance.

Once conditions were finally right, the team set a goal to ride the trails every day. “We found ways to challenge the team and keep the riding fun,” said Head Coach Nolan LaVoie. “We built new obstacles on the trails, set up mock

sitions and learning new plays. Halfway through the season, the coaches changed the playing rotation, switched from man-toman to zone defense, and added new offensive plays. Said Coach Hemming, “As long as we can look back and say we are better today than we were at the start of the week — we are doing all right.”

In the first round of the State playoffs, Woodberry was down to Bishop O’Connell by six goals at the end of the first half; they came back to win by two.

Co-captain Patrick Shea ’15 led team scoring for the season by more than seventy points. At times, co-captain and first string goalie Talfourd Wharton ’15 saved fifteen to sixteen goals per game, while mid-fielder Wylie Mendicino ’15 proved to be one of Virginia’s best at facing off.

Throughout the season, the team’s attitude never wavered. In the second half of a winning game, Patrick Shea retrieved the game ball for a teammate who had scored his first-ever goal with it. Patrick wrote the player’s name on the ball and presented it to him in the huddle after the game. “That gesture made me feel that this team played in a league of its own,” Coach Hemming said.

races, and enjoyed our share of Chinese buffets after races.”

Where the team lacked technical experience — on more mountainous terrain found at other schools, for example — they compensated with raw determination. Woodberry’s final race at Blue Ridge School was particularly rough, with several riders finishing with broken bikes and bruised bodies. “They had strong relationships that allowed them to push each other faster and farther,” Coach LaVoie said. “Most people don’t know that the act of simply finishing the course in a mountain biking race is a huge accomplishment in itself. And this is no slouch league. We are competing against some of the best mountain biking schools in the country. It sort of makes us the ‘bad news bears’ of the sport.”

Justin was far from the only rider to turn in an incredible performance as a leader and sportsman. Will Slicer ’17 and Alex Krongard ’17 found their way to the podium consistently as well. As Coach LaVoie said, “They come early, stay late, listen well, and are very coachable — they’re Woodberry boys.” spring 2015 15

tiger sports

Tennis

coach Mourad Fahim, Drew Collier ’03

Robin Jin ’16

captains Eduardo Corona ’15, Diego Valenzuela ’16 record 5-1; 1st in Prep League

individual honors All-Prep Billy Boyle ’16, Robin Jin ’16, Diego Valenzuela ’16, William von Hassell ’16, Warner Cohen ’17; AllState William von Hassell ’16

T

his season, Mourad Fahim, the new head varsity tennis coach, changed the way Woodberry boys play the game. “Tennis is more than forehands and backhands,” he said. “It’s about anticipating what your opponent will do so that you can play ahead of him.” The coach, a former member of the Moroccan Junior National team, played for Radford University’s Division I team and was voted the col-

Track & Field

coaches Curtis Phillips, Jamison Monahan, Scott Navitsky, John Ransone, Erik Born, Cameron Aubin, Brian Stephenson, Steve Stancill ’74, and Ben Hale captains Brady Logan ’15, HT Minor ’15, Nathaniel Tyrell ’15, David Yoo ’15 record 1st in Prep League; 1st in State

individual honors All-Prep Ben Foley ’15, Brady Logan ’15, Jack Claiborne ’16, Michael Davenport ’16, Ryan Grady ’16; All–State Ben Foley ’15, Jack Claiborne ’16, Michael Davenport ’16; 2nd Team All-State Davis Cornett ’15, Cameron Finley ’15, Hearne King ’15, Brady Logan ’15, Nathaniel Tyrell ’15, David Yoo ’15, Jack Claiborne ’16, Michael Davenport ’16, Lionel Johnson ’16, Jimmy King ’16, Zach Roderick ’16, James Carrington ’17; Honorable Mention All-State Ben Foley ’15, Nathaniel Tyrell ’15, Jack Claiborne ’16, Robert Singleton ’16, Joseph Stephenson ’17; Prep League Coach of the Year Curtis Phillips Brady Logan ’15

16 woodberry forest magazine and journal

lege’s most valuable player. He has been ranked number three in the over-thirty men’s division, midAtlantic section.

With nine returning players, this year’s Tigers possessed camaraderie, which Coach Fahim used to teach them to play a better doubles game. He knew that by improving his players’ ability to play together, the team could earn more wins. So he had his players focus on court positioning and coordinating strategy with partners.

William von Hassell ’16 became fiercely competitive by adjusting to his opponents’ playing styles. Billy Boyle ’16

A

fter back-to-back seasons as state champions, how could Woodberry’s track and field team improve this year? They could set records. Nathaniel Tyrell ’15, Zach Roderick ’16, Lionel Johnson ’16, and Michael Davenport ’16 set the 4x100m relay record at the Woodberry Invitational. Brady Logan ’15 set the school and Prep League record in shot put at the Dogwood Invitational mid-season — and then broke his record during the Virginia Prep League meet with the longest throw in the state. Michael set a school and a Prep League record in the 100m. His most spectacular performance came in the long jump at the State meet, where he broke a record that had stood since 1933.

developed important mental toughness.

The entire team benefited from learning to keep their emotions in check to play through bad games and overcome adversity. Robin Jin ’16 played the same opponent three times in the season. After narrowly winning the first match and losing the second, Robin proved that he had improved as a competitor by beating his rival soundly in the third match.

The team performed best during the Virginia Prep League tournament. At the end of the singles matches, the Tigers had taken second place. Coach Fahim told them to forget their past matches. “All that matters is the present,” he explained. His advice paid off. In doubles, the Tigers defeated St. Chris — a team that had earlier defeated them. The doubles victory gave them the points they needed to achieve their ultimate goal, the Virginia Prep League championship. Coach Fahim summarized, “We learned that hard work pays off, smart play means keeping emotions in check, and learning to win is about using your strengths to take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses.”

But breaking records isn’t enough. “My job is to put athletes in the best position to contribute to the team’s goal,” said Head Coach Curtis Phillips. “There are no ingame adjustments or strategy. There are only the spectators and the trust that the runners, jumpers, and throwers will do their best.”

On a sunny April afternoon, spectators and trust came together at the Woodberry Forest Track and Field Invitational. Michael, Jack Claiborne ’16, Robert Singleton ’16, Ben Foley ’15, Brady, Zach, and Jack Sari ’16 all achieved lifetime bests in their events. And later, at Fork Union, the Tigers edged out their competitors to win their third consecutive outdoor Prep League championship.

At the VISAA State meet in Richmond, Woodberry met every challenge. “I was moved,” said the coach, “by the grace with which the boys handled their success and the relationships they formed with each other and their competition.” The team captured its third state title in a row — a feat never before accomplished at Woodberry Forest.

Tiger Sports is written by David Hollerith ’09.

it's how you play the game WOODBERRY FOREST SUMMER CAMPS Since 1967, Woodberry Forest’s summer camps have been getting boys outside to play their favorite sports or try new ones. Visit www.woodberry.org/summer or call 540-672-6044 to register!

sports camp June 19–July 8, 2016 • ages 10–13 father–son weekend June 10–12, 2016 • ages 5–10 football technique camp July 13–16, 2016 • ages 12–16 basketball camp July 17–20, 2016 • ages 9–16 squash camp July 17–22, 2016 • ages 10–16 lacrosse camp July 21–24, 2016 • ages 10–16 woodberry forest school A boarding school community for boys in grades nine through twelve Woodberry Forest, Virginia 22989 • woodberry.org

spring 2015 17

reunion 2015

Chris Gardner ’65, Fred Rixey ’65, Tristram Holland (wife of John Hyatt ’65), and Bill Wenck ’65

tennis tournament Frank Toledano ’90

Fred Bacher ’85, April and Rob Omohundro ’85, and Andy Scott ’85

Broderick Dunn ’00, Drew Keasler ’00, and Adam Andrews ’00

Ryan Lesko ’10, Robert Spilman ’10, Lee Robinson, Patrick Szyperski ’10, and John Bolen ’10

REUNION

2015

18 woodberry forest magazine and journal

Reunion Weekend 2015 was the best attended ever, with more than 650 members of classes ending in “0” and “5” and their guests returning to the Forest April 17–19 to enjoy the campus and one another’s company.

The fiftieth-reunion Class of 1965 arrived for a special luncheon on the Fir

Tree patio and then enjoyed a panel discussion in Edwards Lecture Hall with a group of sixth formers. There old — and older — boys shared accounts of Woodberry life of today and a halfcentury ago. With several athletic contests on the schedule, alumni gathered in the stands to cheer for the Tigers.

reunion 2015 2014

Sam Rankin ’70

Margie and Dave Burns ’50

Andrew Gutowski ’70; Lee Carter ’70 and husband Greg Bradley

50th reunion forum panel Rick Dent ’65 and Don DuBose ’65

Jim Moyler ’75, Biery Davis ’75, and John Coates ’75

The Class of 1965 enjoyed a cocktail party hosted by Headmaster and Mrs. Byron Hulsey at The Residence prior to dinner in the Baker Gallery, where they presented Dr. Hulsey with their class gift — The Great Woodberry Class of 1965 Scholarship Fund. The class also set two reunion records: First, eighty members contribut-

Steele McGonegal ’85

participants in the ecology of the rapidan walking tour: Bill and Carolyn Luesing ’55, Dick and Judy Allison ’55, Tom Herbert ’75, Kirby Files ’90, Lowell and Constance Hawkins ’80, David Steele ’90, Ryan Dillion ’90, John and Alice May ’60, Pete Page ’60, Joe and Alice Vining ’55, Peter Minor ’75, Sam Hart ’10

ed to the class’s commemorative reunion yearbook; second, fifty members of the class were in attendance for the weekend.

Friday evening parties welcomed individual classes into faculty homes and other campus venues, bringing classmates together to enjoy cocktails and reminiscences of their school days.

Early-rising alumni came together Saturday morning for the Alumni Memorial Run. Many also sat in on classes or took a hard-hat tour of the new Math, Computer Science, and Dining Building.

MORE FROM REUNION » spring 2015 19

reunion 2015 2014

B ’80 and Catherine Hathaway, and Anne and Vee Pittman ’80

Alice Bron, Alex Machado ’90, and son, Cato

CW Sloan ’95, Mack Ward ’95, Tim Hilton ’95, and Jim Ashby ’95 Missy and Henry Brown ’55

BB ’45 and Twiggy Munford golf tournament John Hyatt ’65 Kwame Som-Pimpong ’05 and daughter, Anna Olivia

REUNION

2015

20 woodberry forest magazine and journal

Saturday’s agenda included a gathering in the Walker Fine Arts Center to hear remarks from Byron Hulsey on what boys need for their future and updates from members of the development office.

Later on Saturday, guests chose from a wide range of activities,

Wilson Hallett Hallett ’10 ’10and Ned Ned Hardison ’10 ’10 and Hardison

among them a concert by the strings, wind, and jazz ensembles; a visit to the Norfleet Archives room; a tour of The Residence conducted by Jennifer Hulsey; a game of golf or tennis; climbing at the ropes course; or canoeing and fishing at Robertson Lake.

History buffs heard talks by Richard

reunion 2015

alumni memorial run Jo Watts ’00, Taliaferro Oates ’00, Mike Thomas ’00, and Reed Shelger ’00

Sarah and Pete Page ’60 with Headmaster Byron Hulsey ’86

50th reunion cocktail reception Haynes ’65 and Ginger Griffin, and Gally ’65 and Fielding Gallivan

Sanders Abbott ’95, Dawson Tyler ’95, and John Lowry ’95

Campbell ’05 and Anderson Brown, Andrew Tew ’05, Andrew Wilson ’05, Hannah Daugherty, Joe ’05 and Julie Keenan, Hall Todd ’05, Hanna and Nelson Seabrook ’05, and Parker ’05 and Monica Mothershead

Barnhardt ’66 and Frank Walker ’53, while others took an ecology tour along Perimeter Trail or sampled local wines.

Saturday evening brought all attendees together under the big tent for cocktails, dinner, and class photos. Alumni mingled until late in the evening amid laughter and storytelling. Dick Spangler ’50 re-

marked, “Our graduates all enjoyed themselves. The stories, both real and exaggerated, were fun to hear once again.” Some returned Sunday morning for breakfast in Reynolds Family Dining Room and a chapel service before a final brunch and farewell. spring 2015 21

The

126th Commencement at Woodberry Forest School

commencement address & amici night May 22, 2015 graduation exercises May 23, 2015

Donald

D

Antrim

’77

“You are here — we are here — to honor your accomplishments,” said commencement speaker Donald Antrim ’77 to the ninetyfour members of the Class of 2015. “When you leave here, when you move on, remember what it feels like to discover a talent or a skill, to push yourself in any way — and don’t lay back.”

onald Antrim ’77, a writer whose publications include a memoir, The Afterlife; three novels, including Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World; a collection of short stories; and frequent contributions to The New Yorker; shared deeply personal reflections on the challenges ahead of the graduates assembled in front of The Residence for Amici Night. Educated at Woodberry and Brown University, Donald is an associate professor in the MFA writing program at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. He was among the 2013 recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the “genius grant.”

Mr. Antrim spoke of his joy in reconnecting with Woodberry a year ago when 22 woodberry forest magazine and journal

he spent a week in residence leading a workshop with some of the school’s best student writers. He shared his own story of his bout with debilitating depression and eventual return to life as a writer, doing what he calls the “hardest work I’ve ever done.” As a writer, he told the graduating class, “I have a problem to work on for the rest of my life,” and he urged them to find life’s work that similarly challenges them and brings them joy.

Christian Zaytoun, the class’s senior prefect, also offered remarks. “I can’t tell you what the worst day of Woodberry is, and neither can I tell you what the best day is,” he said, “because articulating the experience of Woodberry is impossible. And that

is what makes the piece of paper and handshake with Dr. Hulsey so special tomorrow.”

The following morning, valedictorian Tim Sheng reminded his classmates of the many changes and improvements the class had seen during its years at the Forest while maintaining the values of its 126-year history. “The great thing about today’s Woodberry,” Tim said, “is that our long-standing tradition, which originated from teaching a few boys who grew up on this farm, is now expanded and shared among thousands of young men from different parts of the nation, different parts of the world, of different cultures, different skin colors, and different social backgrounds.”

The

Class 2015 of

Lee Marion Anderson, Jr. • Cum Laude • Newport News, Virginia

Robert Hartwell Doughty • Cum Laude • Arlington, Virginia

Connor William Anyon • Summa Cum

David St. Pierre DuBose IV • Magna

Laude • Orangeville, Ontario, Canada

Cum Laude • Morehead City, North Carolina

Colin Douglas Archer • WinstonSalem, North Carolina

Joseph Woodrow Baggett III •

Christopher John Dunne • New York, New York

Summa Cum Laude • Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

John Stainer Eades • Cum Laude •

James Atticus Beltz • Crested Butte,

Jared Anderson Engh • Remington,

Colorado

Coleman Hill Bergsma • Cum Laude • Salisbury, North Carolina

Nicholas Jake Bierman • Warrenton, Virginia

Charles Rouse Borden • Magna Cum Laude • Raleigh, North Carolina

Alexander Goold Campbell IV • Stevenson, Maryland

Oliver Blakely Castleman • Magna Cum Laude • Dallas, Texas

Davis Steele Cornett • Lexington, Kentucky

Eduardo Corona • Cum Laude • San Antonio, Texas

Anthony Neal Creasy, Jr. • Lynchburg, Virginia

John O’Donnell Creasy • Charlotte, North Carolina

David Belser Dameron • Raleigh, North Carolina

Nolan Thomas Day • Advance, North Carolina

Samuel Wortham Wyatt Dibble • Cum Laude • Columbia, South Carolina

William Badham Cheshire Dixon • Edenton, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina Virginia

Cameron Spencer Finley • Cum Laude • Bowie, Maryland

Averett Hill Flory • Columbus, Georgia

Rex Hardin Robinson Lucas • Summa Cum Laude • Charlotte, North Carolina

Christopher Jalen Madden • Magna Cum Laude • Union City, Georgia

Christian Charles Magnani • Harlan,

Benjamin Robuck Foley • Menlo Park, California

Kentucky

Cole Mair Martini • Summa Cum

Andrew Lee Garnett • Rapidan, Virginia

Laude • Cary, North Carolina

Douglas Alexander Matz •

Andrew Foster Harris • Summa Cum Laude • Manquin, Virginia

Paul William Harris, Jr. • Henderson, North Carolina

Jared Benjamin Hash • WinstonSalem, North Carolina

William Noblin Hedge III • Roanoke, Virginia

Coatesville, Pennsylvania

Wylie Alexander Mendicino • Charlottesville, Virginia

Zachary Lee Merritt • Raleigh, North Carolina

Edward Ellerbe Miller • Charlotte, North Carolina

Robert Joseph Miller, Jr. • Charlotte,

Edward Lawton Hellmer • Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

William Walker Humphries • Charlotte, North Carolina

Nathan James Ingram • Summa Cum Laude • Charlottesville, Virginia

William Reid James • New York, New York

North Carolina

Harold Tyler Minor • Washington, District of Columbia

MacLindsay Atherton Mitchell • Hickory, North Carolina

Robin Story Moriarty • Orange, Virginia

Christopher Karl Nance • Vienna,

Thomas Smith Jenkins • Greenville, North Carolina

William Cooper Jenkins • New Orleans, Louisianna

Jordan Alonso JonesWright • Riverdale, Georgia

Virginia

Joel Kevin Ndumbalo • Cum Laude • Montgomery Village, Maryland

Brandon Christopher Neath • Magna Cum Laude • Cumming , Georgia

Luke Brookman Neeley • Locust Grove, Virginia

Christopher Campbell Kelemen • Pewaukee,

Jackson Walters Ogburn •

Wisconsin

Chan Sup Oh • Cum Laude • Seoul,

Ryan James Kim • Seattle, Washington

Philip Hearne King, Jr. • Fredericksburg, Virginia

Christian James Krauss • Sausalito, California

Thomas Erskine Lee • Earlysville, Virginia

Collin Campbell Lenfest • Waltham, Massachusetts

Brady Drew Logan • Magna Cum

Thomas Jenkins ’15

HT Minor ’15, Bobby Miller ’15, Edward Miller ’15, and Zach Merritt ’15

Laude • Wallingford, Pennsylvania

Winston-Salem, North Carolina South Korea

Jai Sang Park • Magna Cum Laude • North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Joon Young Park • Cum Laude • Seoul, South Korea

Paul Conroy Parker, Jr. • Wilmington, North Carolina

William Nunnelee Peak • Magna Cum Laude • Wilmington, North Carolina

Jack Tiger Ripley • Annapolis, Maryland

Quintin Thomas Schwartz • Cum Laude • Charlotte, North Carolina

Robert Woodhull Scruggs • Vail, Colorado

Bennett Smedes Setzer • Spartanburg, South Carolina

Christopher Ignatius Shaffrey, Jr. • Charlottesville, Virginia

Joseph Patrick Shea • Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Qicong Sheng • Summa Cum Laude • Hangzhou, China

Rashad Malik Sherrell • Atlanta, Georgia

Andrew Handley Shobe • Charlottesville, Virginia

Pomeroy Smith III • Raleigh, North Carolina

Stafford Hawkins Swearingen • Sedalia, Missouri

Kevin Barrett Treacy • Oxford, North Carolina

Chun Zen Marc Tse • Summa Cum Laude • Hong Kong, China

Graham Nelson Tyler • Louisville, Kentucky

Nathaniel James Tyrell • Brooklyn, New York

Patrick Egan Valliant • Grasonville, Maryland

Thomas Talfourd Wharton, Jr. • Charlottesville, Virginia

Alexander Crawford Whittemore • Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

John Hanson Whitworth • Crozet, Virginia

James Simpson Wilcox IV • Asheville, North Carolina

Taylor Randolph Williams • Somerset, Virginia

Davis Fielding Willis • Albany, Georgia Robert Marsh Willis • Albany, Georgia James Ross Winston • Charlotte, North Carolina

David Edward Yoo • Burlington, Massachusetts

Christian Steele Zaytoun • Summa Cum Laude • Raleigh, North Carolina

Yuan Sheng Zhang • Magna Cum Laude • Shenzhen, China

spring 2015 23

commencement

Universities & Colleges

Montana State University Bozeman

Members of the Class of 2015 will enroll at sixty institutions of higher learning.

Northwestern University

Amherst College

Rhodes College

Auburn University Bates College

Sewanee: The University of the South

Brown University

Southern Methodist University

Campbell University

Stetson University

Carleton College

Texas Christian University

Catholic University of America

University of Alabama

Christopher Newport University

University of California, San Diego

Claremont McKenna College

University of Colorado at Boulder

Clemson University

University of Georgia

College of Charleston

University of Massachusetts, Boston

College of William & Mary

University of Mississippi

Colorado College

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Columbia University

Naval Academy Preparatory School New York University Phillips Exeter Academy Randolph-Macon College

Cornell University

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Darton State College

University of Notre Dame

Davidson College

University of Richmond

Denison University

University of South Carolina

Duke University

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Elon University

University of Virginia

Emory University

University of Western Ontario

Furman University

Vanderbilt University

Georgetown University

Wake Forest University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Washington and Lee University

Hampden-Sydney College

Washington University in St. Louis

Holy Cross College

Wingate University

Johns Hopkins University

Wofford College

Connecticut College

Louisiana State University

Neal Creasy ’15 and family

24 woodberry forest magazine and journal

Graduation Awards a. colquitt shackelford jr. senior master’s award for special service to the community Mark Leonard Beall archer christian memorial medal for character, leadership, and athletic ability Christian Steele Zaytoun class of 2006 residential life award Albert Lee Morton distinguished adviser award for outstanding service Leonard Berliss Mills frank hawkins kenan medal for leadership and outstanding achievement in academics, athletics, and the fine arts Colen Mair Martini frank s. walker award for unselfish performance of duties Allen Wayne Dunaway george r. o’connor prize for excellence John Brockman Amos headmaster’s award for distinguished leadership Rex Hardin Robinson Lucas johnny mercer medal for music Colin Douglas Archer mrs. j. carter walker medal for academic improvement Christopher Ignatius Shaffrey, Jr. robin w. a. bredin memorial award for unselfish service to others and varied extracurricular activities Jai Sang Park service memorial medal for proficiency in scholarship and athletics Brady Drew Logan valedictory award Qicong Sheng vivian slaughter memorial medal for scholarship and creative voluntary activity Lee Marion Anderson, Jr. william b. mason memorial medal for the best all-around athlete in the sixth form Nathaniel James Tyrell william campbell arnold jr. memorial award for character, leadership, enthusiastic participation in athletics, and unselfish concern for others Nathan James Ingram william m. hahn memorial award for exemplary voluntary service work James Ross Winston

Cameron Finley ’15

Alex Matz ’15 and family

Amici Night Awards admissions service cup Eduardo Corona allen a. goodwyn award for choral music Christian Charles Magnani allen barnett reading award John O’Donnell Creasy biology award Chan Sup Oh chaplain’s award Christopher Karl Nance clarence w. chambers drama award Colin Douglas Archer drama director’s award Jared Anderson Engh english award Nathan James Ingram yearbook award William Badham Dixon harry g. bowman latin medal Chun Zen Marc Tse

commencement

We are all brave people here. We chose not to quit. And today we get the reward for not quitting. – qicong “tim” sheng, valedictorian heinz r. pagels jr. physics memorial award Lee Marion Anderson, Jr.

Lacrosse, Robert F. Gillespie Award Joseph Patrick Shea ’15

james madison prize for excellence in the study of the american constitution and government Rex Hardin Robinson Lucas

Soccer, Hamish J. MacDougall Award Jai Sang Park ’15

leland hume lord memorial medal for excellence in mathematics Qicong Sheng mortimer a. turner memorial medal for excellence in French Andrew Foster Harris nathaniel a. jobe award for history and government Jai Sang Park newspaper award Lee Marion Anderson, Jr.

Spring Track Michael Anthony Davenport ’16 Squash William Nunnelee Peak ’15 Swimming Nickolas Patrick Switzer ’16 Tennis, Palmer Bradley Award William Boyle ’16 Wrestling Jared Anderson Engh ’15 arthur e. sims track trophy Brady Drew Logan ’15

outdoor leadership award Joseph Woodrow Baggett III

climbing award Joel K. Ndumbalo ’15

parker strings music award Jared Benjamin Hash

daniel r. vining jr. track award Cameron Spencer Finley ’15

robert f. vasquez spanish award Robert Woodhull Scruggs

harold i. donnelly soccer award Nolan Thomas Day ’15

robert f. williams memorial medal for English and creative writing Andrew Foster Harris

j.r. flowerree ’99 running award Averett Hill Flory ’15

sons of the american revolution outstanding citizenship award Christopher Jalen Madden violet niles walker visual arts award Harold Tyler Minor

william j. haines jr. memorial medal for achievement in science Qicong Sheng william vass shepherd memorial medal for instrumental music Bennett Smedes Setzer william watkins memorial award Jack Tiger Ripley

Athletic Awards athletic director’s award Joseph Patrick Shea ’15 most valuable player Baseball, Henry M. Armfield Award MacLindsay Atherton Mitchell ’15 Basketball, Steven G. Stancill Award Luke Brookman Neeley ’15 Cross Country Robert Ray Singleton II ’16 Football, Michael M. Reily Award Nathaniel James Tyrell ’15 Golf, Thomas D. Bond Award Charles Hargrove ’17 Indoor Track, Howard P. Conway Award Michael Anthony Davenport ’16

john scott walker jr. track prize Nathaniel James Tyrell ’15 mountain biking award Thomas Erskine Lee ’15 rapidan award Lee Marion Anderson, Jr. ’15 richard godine lacrosse award Thomas Talfourd Wharton, Jr. ’15 sam a. dougherty memorial golf prize Stafford Hawkins Swearingen ’15 william h. white golf trophy Peter Halliwell Knade ’16 master of sports award Winners of three or more varsity letters in the senior year Oliver Blakely Castleman • Davis Steele Cornett • Cameron Spencer Finley • Averett Hill Flory • Jared Benjamin Hash • Nathan James Ingram • Christopher Campbell Kelemen • Philip Hearne King, Jr. • Thomas Erskine Lee • Brady Drew Logan • Rex Hardin Robinson Lucas • Wylie Alexander Mendicino • Harold Tyler Minor • Joseph Patrick Shea • Nathaniel James Tyrell • Christian Steele Zaytoun

Underformer Awards Assembly american invitational mathematics examination Certificate of Distinction Byungjoo Park ’16 brown university book award for academic excellence with clarity in written and spoken expression David Pierce Williams ’16 chemistry award June Pyo Suh ’17 classical association of virginia latin tournament Honorable Mention Evan Thomas Alexander Bubniak ’17, Cordelia Larson Hogan ’17, Chenqui Li ’18, Khalid Thomas ’18 Chun Zen Marc Tse ’15 columbia scholastic press award (gold medal), national scholastic press association award (all american), and the national council of teachers of english award (superior) for the 2013–14

Editors Alexander Goold Campbell IV ’15, Adrian H. Cheung ’16, Andrew Foster Harris ’15, Bradley Maxwell Harris ’16, Anna Grey Larson Hogan ’14, Kiefer Andrew McDowell ’14, Brandon Christopher Neath ’15, Christopher Howard Oldham, Jr. ’17, Robert Stanley Prater III ’16, Robert Sterling Street ’14, and Davis Quinton Teague ’14 copen family cup for forensics Richard Bradley Madden ’16 dartmouth book award for intellectual leadership and extracurricular contributions Robert Stanley Prater, III ’16

Qicong “Tim” Sheng ’15 emmett wright jr. award for european history research James Bennett Parks ’17 emmett wright jr. award for us history research David Pierce Williams ’16 european history award June Pyo Suh ’17 fifth form critical writing award Elias C. Hartman Levy ’16 frederick douglass and susan b. anthony award for humanities David Earl Willis ’16 harvard book award for the most outstanding student in the fifth form Wyatt Sanford Beazley V ’16 john a. stillwell award for writing Evan Thomas Alexander Bubniak ’17, William Carter Friddle ’17, Michael O’Neal Warren, Jr. ’17 leonard w. dick grammar prize for excellence in English grammar Kyle Patrick Kauffman ’18 malcolm l. monroe public speaking award Andrew Scott Haley ’17 national latin exam recognition Gold Medal/Summa Cum Laude Evan Thomas Alexander Bubniak ’17 (perfect score), Howard Bissell IV’18, Cordelia Larson Hogan ’17; Silver Medal/Maxima Cum Laude Joshua Browning Kearns ’17, James Blakeney McCoy ’17, Khalid Thomas ’18;

WFS Class of 2015

spring 2015 25

commencement Magna Cum Laude James Parry Henckel von Donnersmarck ’18, Henderson Hayes Jiranek ’17, Edward Lowndes Laney ’17, Chenqui Li ’18, James Bennett Parks ’17, Dominic Sebastian Pinion ’18, John Powell Pittman II ’16, Chun Zen Marc Tse ’15, David Earl Willis ’16, Robert Barksdale Willis ’16; Cum Laude William Wallace Bruner IV ’17, Hayes Richard Johnson ’17, George McLean Shriver V ’18, Alfred Braswell Cooper Willis ’18 princeton book award for outstanding leadership and academic capabilities as well as leadership contributions outside of school Jannis Stöter ’16

scholastic art & writing awards Gold Key David Nathanial Gussler ’16, Robert Stanley Prater III ’16, Jordan Heath Silberman ’16; Silver Key Andrew Foster Harris ’15; Honorable Mention John O’Donnell Creasy ’15, Spencer Teel Goodwin ’16, Caleb Taliaferro Rogers ’16

religion award John Powell Pittman II ’16

underformer drama award Jared Lucas O’Neal Thalwitz ’16

rensselaer medal for math and science Byungjoo Park ’16

william & mary leadership award for inspirational leadership, outstanding scholarship, and unwavering loyalty Jaquelin Taylor Robertson Claiborne ’16

rhodes book award for exemplary community service Hayes Richard Johnson ’17 samuel b. fray memorial award for distinction in character, leadership, and athletics Caleb Hite Simmons ’18

Joel Ndumbalo ’15 and Nolan LaVoie

stories and histories award Kyle Patrick Kauffman ’18 literary magazine award Robert Stanley Prater III ’16 third form physics award Chenqiu Li ’18 us history award Wyatt Sanford Beazley V ’16

william r. kenan jr. science award for the top scholar in science among the fifth form Justin Drury Mitchell ’16

Senior prefect Christian Zaytoun ’15

Ryan Kim ’15 and family

26 woodberry forest magazine and journal

billy armfield ’52 receives woodberry’s highest honor William Johnson “Billy” Armfield IV ’52 received the J. Carter Walker Award at graduation in May 2015. This award has only been presented twenty-eight times to a person who has served the school with unusual distinction and is deserving of special recognition.

Few alumni can match Billy’s commitment to Woodberry over the years. He has served as a class agent, reunion chair, and a member of the sixth-form parent committee. In addition to serving as national chairman of Woodberry’s Centennial campaign, he was vice-chairman of the recent Our Strong Band campaign effort. He has also been a dedicated trustee, serving between 1978 and 1984 and again between 1992 and 2001. During his second term on the board, he chaired its investment committee. Billy received the school’s Distinguished Service Award in 1989, and he is currently a member of the On My Honor Committee. Armfield Hall is named for the Armfield family; Billy and his wife, Janie, are among the school’s most generous supporters.

Billy came to Woodberry from Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1948. Lauded in the 1952 Fir Tree as “one of the most popular boys on campus,” he was an active and engaged member of the community. He was a member of the monitor board and the German Club. He captained the varsity soccer team and played golf and varsity football.

Billy went on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a degree in business administration in 1956 and ultimately chaired its board of trustees. He then served in the US Army for two years. After receiving an MBA from Harvard in 1962, he launched a highly successful career in the textile industry, including service as president of the American Textile Manufacturers Institute. Billy worked as vice president for marketing for the Madison Throwing Company. He later started Macfield Texturing Company, which merged with Unifi, Inc., a leading processor of multifilament polyester and nylon textured yarns. He left Unifi in 1996 to become president of Spotswood Capital, LLC, a private investment firm.

Billy and Janie live in Richmond and are the parents of seven children, including three who attended Woodberry Forest: Claiborne Hancock of the Class of 1992; James Hancock of the Class of 1995; and Billy Armfield of the Class of 2007.

commencement

2015 Distinguished Service Awards

E

stablished in 1980 by the board of trustees, the Distinguished Service Award recognizes members of the Woodberry Forest family for their dedicated service or generous support. The 2015 recipients, recognized during commencement ceremonies, are Randy Hudgins ’71 and Jack Tankersley ’68.

Curtis Randolph Hudgins III ’71

George Jackson Tankersley, Jr. ’68

Randy, who served Woodberry for twentythree years as a distinguished teacher, coach, and administrator, was honored with the 2015 Distinguished Service Award.

As head varsity tennis coach from 1999 to 2014, Randy led the Tigers to seven Prep League titles and was recognized as Prep League Coach of the Year eight times.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, he joined the Woodberry faculty in 1992, initially serving as dean of new students, head coach of Bengal basketball, and assistant tennis coach. Randy taught algebra, economics, money and banking, and personal finance as the Orin E. Atkins Master. In 2011, the Virginia Council on Economic Education named him a top economic educator. In 2013, he earned a graduate degree from the University of Delaware. He recieved Woodberry’s George R. O’Connor Award for Excellence in 2013.

Jack, a dedicated alumnus and devoted volunteer, received the 2015 Distinguished Service Award.

An Owensboro, Kentucky, native and graduate of Denison University and Dartmouth College, Jack is a former class agent, reunion committee chair, and a member of the Advisory Council and the executive committee for the Our Strong Band campaign. He served on the board of trustees between 2000 and 2009 and remains a member of the board’s investment committee and chair of its steering committee. Jack is founder and managing director of Meritage Private Equity Fund in Denver.

visit www.woodberry.org/photoalbum for more commencement photos!

woodberry legacy

Members of the Class of 2015 gathered for a portrait with their Woodberry alumni fathers, grandfathers, and siblings following the baccalaureate service.

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1. Blakely Castleman ’15 · 2. Ballard Castleman ’85 3. Tiger Ripley ’15 · 4. Stephen Ripley ’84 5. Jack Whitworth ’15 · 6. Chip Whitworth ’81 7. Hardin Lucas ’15 · 8. Charlie Lucas ’80 9. Samuel Dibble ’15 · 10. Charles Dibble ’61 11. Charles Borden ’15 · 12. Edwin Borden ’12 · 13. Martin Borden ’83 14. Reid James ’15 · 15. Bill James ’80 16. Alec Campbell ’15 · 17. Zandy Campbell ’80 18. Thomas Lee ’15 · 19. William Lee ’12 · 20. Christopher Lee ’84 21. Hawk Swearingen ’15 · 22. Staff Swearingen ’82 23. Joseph Baggett ’15 · 24. Joe Baggett ’76 25. Coleman Bergsma ’15 · 26. Henry Brown ’55

spring 2015 27

Joe Foley ’18 HOMETOWN: Menlo Park, CA COLLEGE: Notre Dame is his dream school SOCCER

BASKETBALL

• Position: center attacking midfield • Position: starting point guard • Stats & Recognitions: All-Prep, 2014; • Stats & Recognitions: Scrimmage All-State, 2014; WFS Rookie of the Play Newcomer of the Year; won Year and Golden Boot for highest national free throw contest at age scoring average 13; starts for AAU’s Team Loaded in • Highlight: Scoring all three goals Richmond and winning in overtime on the • Highlights: Doing drills with his Concord Fire team at the California grandpa. “If I make it to a high level state tournament finals of play, it will be because of him.”

Justin Mitchell ’16 HOMETOWN: Appomattox, VA COLLEGE: Plans to study mechanical engineering MOUNTAIN BIKING

CLIMBING

• Stats & Recognitions: Third place at • Highlight: Finishing first-ever 5.11 Nationals, 2013, category 3; Seventh climb in Maryland with only a few place at Nationals, 2014, category 2. seconds left on the clock Now holds Category 1 license.

Second in Virginia Area High School Mountain Bike League, 2015.

• Highlight: Earning a third-place national finish right after switching from downhill racing to cross-country mountain biking

Patrick Shea ’15 HOMETOWN: Oakville, Ontario, Canada COLLEGE: University of Richmond to play lacrosse

28 woodberry forest magazine and journal

FOOTBALL

LACROSSE

• Position: slot receiver • Stats & Recognitions: Three receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Athletic Director’s Award, 2015 • Highlight: Winning against a favored Eastern Christian Academy senior year

• Position: midfield, attack • Stats & Recognitions: Captain, 2014, 2015; All-Prep 2014, 2015; Richard Godine Award, 2014; Robert F. Gillespie Most Valuable Player Award, 2015 • Highlight: Advancing to the state semifinals after beating St. Anne’sBelfield School his fifth-form year after Woodberry hadn’t made it past the quarterfinals in many years

These Tigers Contribute Season after Season An athlete who delivers in two — or even three — varsity sports isn’t so rare at the Forest. Meet five Tigers who do just that with apparent ease, demonstrating top-level athleticism and outstanding leadership all year long.

Hawk Swearingen ’15 HOMETOWN: Sedalia, MO COLLEGE: Studying finance at Texas Christian University and possibly walking on to the basketball team BASKETBALL

GOLF

• Position: starting shooting guard • Stats & Recognitions: Captain, • Stats & Recognitions: Captain All-Prep, 2015; Sam A. Dougherty • Highlight: “With ten seconds to Memorial Golf Prize; 3.0 handicap. go in overtime at Steward School • Highlight: “Being one of the six last year, we were one point down. guys who won both the Prep During a timeout the coach told me League and the State Tournaments I would make the next shot I took. last year was an amazing experiThe ball hit my hands behind the ence, even though I personally three-point line and I let it go. Right didn’t play my best.” as it left my hands, I had a feeling that it was right on the money. That lifted us to a two-point win.”

Nathaniel Tyrell ’15 HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, NY COLLEGE: Amherst College to play football FOOTBALL

TRACK AND FIELD

• Position: cornerback, returner, • Events: 300m hurdles, 4x100 relay, quarterback long jump, 200m dash • Stats & Recognitions: Captain; • Recognitions: Captain, 4x100 All-Central VA, 2013, 2014; All-State, school record-breaking relay teams 2013, 2014; All-Prep, 2013, 2014; in indoor and outdoor track and Scrimmage Play Defensive MVP field, 2014-15; 2nd Team All-State, and Michael M. Reily MVP Award, 4x100 relay, outdoor, 2015; Honor2015; Falcon Club Player of the able Mention All-State, long jump, Week; Bleacher Report Player of the outdoor, 2015; 2nd in State, 300m Week; averaged 1.2 touchdowns per hurdles, 2014; John Scott Walker Jr. game on defense; William B. Mason Track Prize, 2015 Memorial Medal for best all-around • Highlight: Crushing the 4x100 relay athlete in sixth form record time. “Our lead increased as • Highlight: “During a football game we passed the baton around the at Flint Hill, I remember running track until our anchor, Michael Davinto the end zone and hearing enport, seemed like he was the only everyone cheering, including my one on the track. After finding out friend CJ Dunne, who gave me a we broke the record by .4 seconds big hug.” and were one of the fastest 4x100 relay teams in the country, the excitement was at an all-time high.” spring 2015 29

ICONIc Woodberry boys, old and new, revere the athletic coaches who led their teams at the Forest.

These men are but a few of the many Tiger coaches who have earned iconic status.

Leonard White Dick, Jr. WFS Faculty 1924–74

Jack A. Glascock ’43

F

ive decades of service as English teacher, athletic director, and football and track head coach … led the Tigers to two undefeated seasons in his first five years as football coach … his 1928 squad was never scored upon … compiled a 156-71-16 gridiron record … his track teams were perennial Prep League championship contenders … South Carolina native and standout high school athlete … played football and captained track team at Davidson … he and his wife, Pauline, were married in St. Andrew’s Chapel in 1940 … one of Woodberry’s first endowed faculty chairs was established in his honor in 1967 … Alumni Gymnasium renamed in 1976 and its trophy room named in his honor … recipient of J. Carter Walker Award … honorary member, Virginia Sports Wall of Fame … died in Orange in 1985 … inspired devotion by the respect he showed his athletes and students, the clarity of his expectations, and his insistence on self-control and fairness … a patient teacher and a good developer of talent … stressed the fundamentals and constant practice.

“Mr. Dick was a mentor to me. I admired his coaching technique and his enthusiasm for WFS.” Bill Walker ’63 “My most vivid memory is Coach Dick, my track coach, retiring my spikes.”

Stuart Thomas ’63 “Leonard Dick taught and exemplified an organized and focused approach to life.” Coddy Coddington ’64 “In his archetypical, quiet, Southern manner, he placed detailed emphasis on running style and technical fundamentals to improve upon innate ability.

He was always positive and supportive. I have been a runner ever since.”

Chuck Green ’64 “Leonard Dick was the consummate track coach.” Charlie Robbs ’65 30 woodberry forest magazine and journal

WFS Faculty 1949–91

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erved forty-two years as assistant varsity football coach, head JV football coach, and head varsity baseball coach … coached three sports annually early in his Woodberry career … a demanding, yet fair, chemistry teacher … served as school disciplinarian …

Marshall, Virginia, native … as a twoyear, post-graduate student, scored five touchdowns in the 1942 Episcopal football game, which Woodberry won, 61–0 … a superb all-around athlete who helped lead the powerful 1941 and 1942 Tiger football teams through undefeated seasons to two state championships … lettered in football, basketball, and baseball … named to the All-State baseball team … graduated second in his class from Hampden-Sydney College … recipient of the Independence Foundation Chair … lived for many years in House A with his wife, Betty … honored with the George R. O’Connor Award for Excellence and the Distinguished Service Award … six-time Woodberry Golf Club champion … he and Betty currently live at Dogwood Village in Orange … they are the parents of Jack ’70, Elizabeth, and Christine and the grandparents of six … they have one great-granddaughter.

“Jack never realized how good he was. Every headmaster wants a master teacher and a great coach. Jack was both. I will forever be grateful to him.” Headmaster A. Baker Duncan ’45 “Coach Glascock constantly reinforced that you could be satisfied only if you gave your best in whatever you did.” Tom White ’63 “Mr. Glascock was very ‘old school,’ both in the chemistry lab and on the basketball court, but he taught us a lot.” Jim Tatum ’64

Harry W. “Red” Caughron WFS Faculty 1960–92

T

hirty-one-year career as head football coach … thirty years as athletic director … assistant track coach … won fifteen conference championships … produced eight undefeated football teams … eight-time Virginia Prep League coach of the year … career record of 217-56-7 …

Tennessee native … star tackle for William and Mary … recipient of George R. O’Connor Award for Excellence and J. Carter Walker Award … founded Woodberry Forest Sports Camp in 1967 with his wife, Cathy … they had two children, Deb ’74 and Cindy … inducted into Virginia Sports Hall of Fame … died in 2010.

“Coach Caughron was a strong man who was also a gentleman. There was a passion to win but not at any cost.” Redge Hanes ’63 “Other than my parents, Coach Caughron did more to teach me how things should be done than anyone I have ever met. He taught us about character, hard work, caring, sacrifice, teamwork. He’s the best I have ever known.” Alex Robins ’63 “While stern at times, he was always understanding and caring. He was always about fairness. He made me always want to do my best for him. A gentle giant.” Ike Grainger ’64 “Mr. Caughron was an authority figure who made one want to succeed without ever expressly demanding it. You wanted to show him you could do it without his ever asking.” Tom Purcell ’64 “Coach Caughron earned the respect of every boy. His motivational approach was to point out something that one did well. His suggestions were delivered in a non-critical manner, and yet his tone conveyed genuine interest for the individual. Such encouragement raised so many to a higher level of play.” Doug Holladay ’65

Robert F. Gillespie, Jr. WFS Faculty 1963–91

V

arsity football line coach for twenty-seven years … became Woodberry’s first lacrosse coach in 1964 … taught biology, mathematics, and chemistry and served as dean of students … tough and plain-spoken … his Tigers earned one state and six Prep League lacrosse championships … 254-114 final record … Lebanon, Virginia, native … Sewanee and the University of Virginia graduate … held the Harry and William Frazier Chair … inducted into the US Lacrosse Virginia Hall of Fame … received George R. O’Connor Award for Excellence and Distinguished Service Award … history and awards room in Johnson Stadium established in his honor … Gillespie Family Field dedicated in 2010 … he and Catherine were the parents of John ’85, Grayson, and Scott ’91, and grandparents of seven, including Kav Gillespie ’14 … Bob died in 2009.

“Bob Gillespie molded us into a championship lacrosse team by 1965, beating UVa and W&L freshmen and US Military Prep School. He stressed conditioning, teamwork, good sportsmanship, and spirit and emotion for the game.” Conor Ashby ’65 “Mr. Gillespie was assigned the lacrosse team by Mr. Duncan and given a rulebook to absorb. I was his manager. It was a tremendous problemsolving experience starting from scratch.” Bob Phelps ’65 “Bob Gillespie was a major influence on me first as a coach; a mentor; and as a friend.” Temple Grassi ’65 “Bob Gillespie was born to work with young people in team sport. He never played lacrosse, so he took the time to come to UVa and spend hours with us learning how to teach the fundamentals of the game. He loved what he did, and it showed with the enthusiasm of his players.”

Gene Corrigan, former ACC commissioner and Virginia LAX coach

Richard C. “Dick” Glover ’61 WFS Faculty 1977–2005

T

wenty-eight-year Woodberry career as history teacher and wrestling and Bengal football coach … served as associate director of admissions, counseling and athletics and assistant director of Sports Camp … his grapplers won twenty-three Prep League titles, twelve state titles, a national prep title, and 515 dual matches … Charlottesville native, graduate of Wabash College and University of Virginia … gifted student-athlete who lettered in football, wrestling, and tennis … named the E. Craig Wall Jr. Family Master … recipient of the George R. O’Connor Award for Excellence … elected to the Wabash Athletic Hall of Fame … Woodberry dedicated the Richard C. Glover Fitness Center in his honor in 2002 … elected to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame … Distinguished Service Award winner … retired after his diagnosis with Kennedy’s disease, a degenerative nervous system disorder … received the inaugural Dick Glover Lifetime Achievement Award from the Virginia Wrestling Association in 2015 … still a regular campus visitor.

“We outworked, out-hustled, and over-prepared for the competition. This was the Glover formula.”

Duke Pickett ’82 “Coach Glover taught me to win the right way and how to lose the right way. Many of the lessons I learned on the mat have helped me in both family and business environments, I consider myself fortunate to have been labeled one of ‘Dicky’s boys.’” Peery Wood ’85 “Coach Glover was always ready with a smile and encouragement. He preached a mantra of tenacity and perseverance.” Stephen B. Ripley ’84 “Dick Glover never allowed me to quit. He was always there to make sure that I was giving all that I could, usually when I didn’t know what I was capable of doing myself.” Brian Rhodes ’87 spring 2015 31

32  woodberry forest magazine and journal

GAME MORE THAN A

BY LINDA LARSON HOGAN

“I had to move back to my room on B-dorm, leave my girlfriend behind, and pick a sport,” said Donald Antrim ’77 in his commencement address to Woodberry Forest School’s Class of 2015. He was recounting a vivid dream he’d had, decades after his own graduation, in which he received a letter informing him that he hadn’t actually earned his diploma — and he needed to return to the Forest to do so.

Antrim’s dream mirrors the Woodberry experience: academically challenging, residential, single-sex, and sports-minded. And while many in the audience chuckled at his story, some may have wondered how Woodberry’s athletic program had wormed itself, years later, into the subconscious mind of this acclaimed author, professor, and MacArthur Fellow. Why is athletic participation important? After all, isn’t it only a game?

The dream of an alumnus aside, athletics play a significant role in Woodberry life. Driving onto the campus, visitors pass more than a dozen athletic facilities before they reach a single academic building.

A boy spends twice as long each day in athletic practice as he does studying any particular subject. And almost every teacher is also a coach. Though there are several non-athletic afternoon activities — theater, debate, and community service, to name just a few — most boys spend the time between class and dinner engaged in some physical pursuit.

To find out why athletics is so ingrained in Woodberry culture, a trip to the Norfleet Archives Room is in order. There, in a three-inchthick stack of correspondence and speeches written by the school’s first headmaster, is evidence that J. Carter Walker believed sportsmanship, closely tied to loyalty and honor, is one of the school’s chief virtues.

»

spring 2015 33

“School Spirit in athletics is one expression of School loyalty,” he told the student body at the assembly opening the 1908-09 school year, “and in this concrete form you know how we value it.” He went on to describe how supporting a team leads to patriotism and ultimately to staying true to one’s principles. For J. Carter Walker, belonging to a team teaches the true meaning of loyalty.

In those early years, Woodberry fielded a baseball team, its first competitive squad comprising students and faculty members; a football team already involved in its stillunbroken series with Episcopal High School; a track and field squad; and a basketball team. A rudimentary golf course existed, and tennis was a club sport. By comparison, Woodberry Forest today fields fifteen varsity teams — including its newest sports, indoor climbing and mountain biking, which are rapidly gaining in popularity — and nearly twice as many competitive lower-level teams.

During Woodberry’s first decades, the prefects distributed a pamphlet of cheers and songs to new boys that exhorted them to participate in athletics and support the Tigers. “You will hear a good deal about

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that intangible sort of thing called ‘School Spirit,’” they wrote. “To the average boy this means going out for athletic teams or supporting these teams by cheering at the games.”

Participation in athletics soon became mandatory.

In 1913, Mr. Walker wrote that students “shall go in for some form of athletics … those who do not play football, tennis, golf, or any other outdoor game, are required to run around the track a certain number of times.” There was some flexibility, though: “Any boy may be excused two afternoons a week, and a long walk, as to Orange and back, is accepted in place of athletics at the School.”

The headmaster not only understood the health benefits of physical activity, he also believed that a strong interest in sports could sustain boys throughout their lives. “Health and happiness through long years, are often bound up with a love of some outdoor sport that dates back to boyhood days,” he told the Class of 1938 at their commencement. “Amid the sternest realities of the years that lie ahead of you, you will find that you can grapple with your hardest tasks, come back to your grimmest experience, day after day, with zest and vigor that you get from some sport you have cherished through the years.”

Today’s coaches echo J. Carter Walker’s sentiments.

Brian Hemming, Woodberry’s athletic director and former head varsity lacrosse coach, says, “Our coaches teach our students to persevere in the face of adversity and to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat, as these lessons contribute significantly to their development as young men.”

Len Mills, head varsity soccer coach, agrees. “Soccer gives guys the experience of getting out of a tough situation.” Last season, the team faced a challenge

when one of its top seniors suffered a broken leg during an early game. “Younger guys stepped up off the bench, and the team went on to have a great season,” he says.

“Being faced with a negative and then overcoming it gives a great feeling of accomplishment. It’s even better than riding high the whole time.”

David Budlong, who coaches Woodberry’s grapplers, identifies discipline as his sport’s chief contribution to preparing a boy for his future. “Wrestling demands discipline in learning technique, maintaining good nutrition, and training in the weight room. It’s the foundation for anything, whether you are studying, working, or playing the piano.”

Swimming and diving also demand an above-average level of discipline. “Hard work and consistency may pay off in the end,” says swimming coach Greg Guldin. “It is a difficult reality to face that hours and hours and hours of work might conclude with the opportunity to swim one event, sometimes in less than twenty-two seconds.” Greg’s young swimmers do more than knock out morning practices, give up vacation and social time, and keep Woodberry in the top ranks among their competition. Their behavior at meets gets attention, too. “Other coaches have recognized our boys by awarding the VISAA sportsmanship award to Woodberry for five of the past six years.”

Track and field coach Curtis Phillips believes that his sport “challenges the individual both mentally and physically. Athletes practice for hours to compete in an event that may last less than a minute. That tenacity and perseverance serve our young men well in any endeavor they pursue.”

Some athletic endeavors mesh perfectly with one or more of the school’s four values as identified by J. Carter Walker: intellectual thoroughness, good sportsmanship, honor, and a reverence for things sacred. In golf, for example, varsity Head Coach Marc Hogan notes, “There are no referees. Golfers are responsible for enforcing the rules on themselves, aligning the game with the school’s honor system.”

Academic performance is often enhanced by athletic participation. Long-distance track runner Ellis McKay ’18 said, “During indoor track season, I was only doing half of the workouts or leaving early, but Coach Hale noticed and talked to me. I don’t think he knew it, but that winter my grades weren’t great either. After our talk, my grades improved, and I had better results during the outdoor track season.”

Ben Hale, who coaches the varsity cross-country team, is drawn to running, what he calls “sport itself,” for its stripped-down rawness.

“A footrace is mentioned in the Bible,” he says. Running a race in a natural environment “has a spiritual side; it is a meditation, a prayer. Running allows runners to be present, aware, conscious, and mindful.”

» spring 2015 35

Clint Alexander, the Tigers’ head varsity football coach, believes that athletics teaches love. “The most powerful force in football is love,” he says of a sport more commonly associated with strength or even violence. “Getting eleven guys to work together is a small miracle when everyone has to execute a plan and make adjustments for unplanned events. Being happy for someone else is at the heart of it.” Clint believes the best coaches show they care about the boys; his pregame rituals sometimes include players telling one another they love them and why.

Brian Hemming agrees. “Athletics is an area in which relationships are very important,” he says. His favorite moments of a practice include the high fives his four-year-old son gets from players.

“Our guys embrace my family as part of the team.”

Varsity baseball Head Coach Chris Holmes often feels as if he has nineteen sons playing for him. “Coaches say that having their own child on their team is challenging,” Chris says. “It’s like that at Woodberry; we live with our players, have meals with them, teach them, and talk to them about their problems. Coaching them is incredibly rewarding, but tough.”

Relationships between coaches and student-athletes aren’t the only ones that develop on the diamond. Calder Clay ’18 admires former baseball team captain Christian Zaytoun ’15, who also served as the prefect on Calder’s dorm. “Christian’s athletic ability, hard work in the classroom, and leadership on and off the field make me want to become

36 woodberry forest magazine and journal

more and more like him, day in and day out.”

A standout moment for Calder and the rest of the Tigers came when German exchange student Jannis Stöter ’16, who had never so much as tossed a baseball before coming to Woodberry yet chose to become the team’s manager, got a chance to pinch-run in a game.

“It was great to see how excited Jannis was and how pumped the guys in the dugout were for him,” Chris Holmes recalls.

Supportive teammates can mean a great deal.

Woodberry’s tennis players learned something about empathy during the final doubles match of the 2015 state tournament when they began to realize the championship would not be theirs. “As our chance to win the trophy began slipping away, no one on our team was upset or mad at the seniors playing the match,” Sutton Mahon ’17 recalls. “That’s what is so good about Woodberry athletics: Even at the toughest times, the team is always going have your back.”

Having one another’s back means you are accountable to your teammates. Craig Dawson, head varsity basketball coach, recalls such a time early in his Woodberry career. “I had scheduled early-morning practices, and one morning I had to miss because I was on an admissions trip. I knew the guys had gotten my message about working hard when I got a text from them at 7:15 telling me who had showed up.”

When boys pick a sport to play at Woodberry, they’re typically interested in getting better at putting the ball through the hoop, sinking it into the hole, running it into the end zone, or kicking it into the goal. They’re expecting to run, ride, or swim faster and to become more fit. They’re trying to get good at playing a game — and they want to have fun.

There is ample evidence to suggest that Woodberry

CHALLENGES TO WOODBERRY’S ATHLETIC PROGRAM

is good at helping boys meet these goals — Directors’ Cups won, records broken, colleges interested in recruiting students. But athletic victories have never been the school’s top priority. “We encourage our student-athletes to try hard, have fun, and enjoy themselves — while keeping things in perspective,” says Brian Hemming. “If students prepare with purpose, dedication, and commitment, and if they compete to the best of their abilities — only then will they truly be winners, not only on the field of competition, but more importantly, in life.”

Every Woodberry alumnus is certain to face a tough situation one day. He’ll have to do a job honorably so his business succeeds or his family thrives. It’s then that he will call on his experiences on the Forest’s playing fields — times when he tackled a difficult opponent, worked as part of a team, or formed a lasting relationship with a coach or a teammate. In the end, what a Woodberry boy might consider to be just an afternoon of play will ultimately become much more than a game.

In Woodberry’s early years, letters from Headmaster J. Carter Walker document threats to the school’s athletic program — gambling scandals, the use of profanity, and unfair matchups against institutions with dubious academic eligibility standards. Football was a far more dangerous game; Archer Christian of the Class of 1909 was fatally injured in a University of Virginia football game his freshman year, one of ten nationwide who died that fall playing college football. His death led to reforms that made the game safer.

Today the Tiger athletic program is thriving as new sports are added, facilities are upgraded, and participation in some sports, like golf and lacrosse, is at an all-time high. Asked about challenges to Woodberry athletics, coaches express concern about balancing sports and academics; the school’s rigorous six-day-a-week class schedule makes scheduling contests difficult when most opponents come from day schools and travel long distances. Woodberry’s academic calendar, with the winter season punctuated by two long holiday breaks, requires athletic seasons to be compressed, placing additional stressors on athletes and coaches alike. And, as young athletes seek to specialize in a single sport at increasingly early ages, the school must strive to become more flexible without compromising the essential Woodberry experience.

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MA

S G P OR N I K

A CAREER A PASSION FOR THE EXCITEMENT THAT’S PART AND PARCEL OF ATHLETICS PROMPTS SOME TO LAUNCH A CAREER IN SPORTS. WHETHER THEY ARE ATHLETES THEMSELVES OR SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE, THESE FIVE WOODBERRY ALUMNI HAVE FOUND VOCATIONS THAT EMBODY A DEDICATION TO AND AN APPRECIATION FOR THE BEAUTY AND THRILL OF A LIFE IN SPORTS.

BY LINDA LARSON HOGAN AND CATHY L. EBERLY

38 woodberry forest magazine and journal

photos courtesy of WWE

Joe, Sgt. Slaughter, Alice Cooper, Maryse, and Adam Hopkins

THE ROAR OF THE CROWD Joe Pelkofski ’91

JOE PELKOFSKI ’91 is proud to report that he’s only

missed four WFS-EHS games since his third-form year, even though his career has taken him away from Virginia. Currently, he lives in Cape Coral, Florida, where he works as a director of live events at World Wrestling Entertainment. But each November, Joe, his wife, Laurie Mayes, an attorney, and their three daughters try not to miss the opportunity to return to Virginia to visit his parents in Purcellville and enjoy The Game.

Travel was also on the agenda during Joe’s Woodberry days. He toured Germany and Austria with the varsity soccer team, participated in Woodberry in Spain, and completed a trimester in England as part of the Woodberry-in-Britain program. “Woodberry’s travel and study-abroad programs were exceptional and provided tremendous opportunities,” Joe says. The bonds he formed with classmates, teammates, and faculty still keep him closely connected to his alma mater. “The Woodberry experience is about your relationships with special people. I will always remember and appreciate the guidance and support people like Mr. Huber and Mr. Glover provided.”

After leaving the Forest, Joe attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, where he earned a degree in English with an emphasis on non-fiction writing. In 2002, he began to work for WWE. He had first become a fan at the age of ten, attracted to the “athleticism, larger-than-life personalities, costumes, elaborate ring entrances, and pageantry.” Now he sees the way the basic goodvs.-evil story line appeals to audiences by creating an emotional response. “Over the years,” says Joe, “the business has evolved from ‘professional wrestling’ into sports entertainment, which is really multidimensional performance art.”

Show days are busy for Joe, but no matter how hectic things get, he still likes to be on the floor as the performance begins. “Hearing the roar of the crowd the moment the opening pyro hits and the spotlights illuminate a packed house is a great feeling.” And the power for good WWE harnesses also motivates Joe’s commitment.

“Through WWE, I’ve had the good fortune to work with organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, USO, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Special Olympics, to name a few,” he says.

Joe’s responsibilities include coordinating the advertising, publicity, and promotional campaigns for each of his event assignments as well as managing operations with host venues. In the spring, he’ll be in Dallas for WrestleMania 32, the organization’s Super Bowl equivalent. “We hope to produce record-breaking results,” he says. The live event, also broadcast to over a million fans in 170 countries around the world on WWE Network, could attract more than 100,000 fans. Building that audience means drawing on skills he learned at Woodberry Forest. “Team-building is one of the key components of my job,” he says. “When I’m working on a project and trying to get everyone — people of different ages, backgrounds, and skill sets — pushing together towards a common goal, I always reflect on my time at Woodberry.”

Joe believes there will be abundant opportunities in the entertainment field as the demand for content continues to increase. He advises young people who are interested in following a path similar to his to “identify your passion and pursue it with enthusiasm!” And anyone who wants to hear more about working behind the scenes in the sports entertainment industry is sure to find Joe, lending his own voice to the roar of the crowd, at The Game this fall. spring 2015 39

A CAREER ON THE LINKS Ned Michaels ’95 NED MICHAELS ’95

did not grow up dreaming of becoming a professional golfer. He came to the Forest from Atlanta seeking a great education. And he fully embraced his Woodberry experience, serving as photography editor of the Fir Tree, a library proctor, and a member of student council and the chapel council. He also participated in the Woodberry-in-Britain program. But, he says, “my fondest memories of Woodberry are not from the classroom.”

That’s because Ned most enjoyed being outdoors — playing a few holes of golf after dinner or hanging out down by the river.

At first, he played for “Doc” Chuck Straley on the tennis team. Two years later, he found a home on the golf team with Coach Tom Bond.

“It had never occurred to me to think of golf as anything more than a leisure pursuit. I had never even played in a junior golf tournament.”

Surrounded by talented teammates and a supportive coach, his skills improved and he began spending more time on Woodberry’s course.

“I’d get up in the morning and play four holes before class,” he admits. “Yet I didn’t think of playing golf in college — I just wanted to make it into college.”

After helping the Tigers capture the Prep League golf championship his senior year, Ned entered Wake Forest University and walked onto the golf team. But everything changed when the head pro at the Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers, North Carolina, paired him with Mason Rudolph, the legendary Vanderbilt University golf coach. “I had not broken par on this course before, but I shot sixtyseven on the two rounds I played with Mason, and he encouraged me to consider coming to Vandy. Two months later, I transferred.”

His gutsy move paid off. In his senior year at Vanderbilt, Ned won its Craig Rudolph Cup as the team’s top player. And he had a plan. His 40 woodberry forest magazine and journal

next move? To line up sponsors and turn pro. He spent two years on the Hooters tour — accompanied by his girlfriend, Missy, a nationally ranked swimmer at the University of Georgia, who served as his caddy — and won twice. “I was late to the game and I had to catch up,” he explains. “Nobody trained as hard in the off-season as I did.”

By the time he and Missy married in 2003 and settled in Nashville, Ned was one stage away from qualifying for the US Open. When he didn’t make it, a friend suggested he consider the Asian Tour, which was beginning to attract top players. Ned and Missy traveled to Malaysia, where Ned earned his tour card. Over the next six years, he competed in the Asian and European tours, earning three tournament titles, including the Philippine Open, a victory he secured in only his second start.

He returned to the Asian Tour in 2008 — alone this time, since he and Missy had had the first of their two children. After a year, he was ready to come home. “I was playing decently and I still loved it, but after two shoulder and two hip surgeries, I was afraid my body wasn’t going to hold up.”

Ned developed a new plan. Since 2009, he has built a broadcasting career, as he puts it, “one ax-chop at a time.” He currently co-hosts “Golf Talk America” on PGATour.com and “Global Golf Radio” on WGFX in Nashville. But he’s set his sights even higher. “My goal,” he says, “is to call PGA golf for a major television network.”

He also wants to give youngsters a helping hand. He’s started a business, 360 Junior Golf, to prepare high school golfers to play the game in college and beyond. “You can’t make it on talent alone,” Ned explains. “I’m living proof that you have to have a plan, a mentor to help you, and the work ethic and drive to succeed.”

AN “INCREDIBLY EXCITING” SPORT Will Mayer ’04

TWO-AND-A-HALF-MINUTES

is the typical amount of time most people devote to the sport of horse racing each year, when they tune in to the Kentucky Derby, one of the country’s most-watched sporting events. But Will Mayer ’04 maintains his enthusiasm for horse racing year round. “Growing up in central Kentucky, I was immersed in thoroughbred breeding and racing from a young age,” he says. “It’s a sort of cultural touchstone.”

It’s not surprising that Will became a horse racing enthusiast, promoting interest in thoroughbred racing and breeding around the world.

He worked for Keeneland Association, where he oversaw the international development program at the Lexington, Kentucky, racetrack and thoroughbred auction house. “Keeneland is like the Sotheby’s of the horse racing industry,” Will explains. The auction house has sold more champions and stakes winners than any other sales company, according to its website. Its historic racecourse will host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for the first time later this year.

Will began as an intern at Keeneland after graduating magna cum laude from Transylvania University with degrees in finance and French. Through the Darley Flying Start program, a two-year management-training course for the international thoroughbred racing and breeding industry, he studied under top trainers and breeders in Ireland, the UK, Australia, and Dubai. As a sales account executive specializing in international marketing, education, and promotion, he has traveled to Russia, India, and China and throughout South America, Central Asia, and the Middle East to promote American bloodstock.

“Our business is very people-oriented. We spend a lot of time overseas visiting breeders and owners, sponsoring races, and hosting educational seminars to improve horsemanship in developing countries.”

Looking back on his Woodberry days, Will credits his teachers, the well-rounded curriculum, and his time on the wrestling team as instrumental in his development. “I think having an athletic commitment helped me focus on my academic work,” he says. And wrestling taught him something about interacting with others: “I learned not to let preconceptions determine my course of action.

The moments right before a wrestling match are tense. You can’t predict how things will go until the match starts and you first lock arms. I think it’s a great metaphor for how we work with others.” He also calls his summer with Woodberry in France a formative one.

“That summer had a significant impact on my subsequent studies and work. It opened my eyes to the world beyond my comfort zone.”

Will got a glimpse of a special corner of the world this summer in England, where he donned a top hat and morning suit to attend the famous Royal Ascot racing festival. The trip’s highlight was seeing the race run by Undrafted, the horse managed by Will’s friend Gatewood Bell for NFL player Wes Welker. “He’d been sent off as a long shot at 14-1, but stormed home to win by a head,” Will says.

“Standing in the winner’s enclosure, we watched Gatewood accept the trophy from the Queen. It was a spectacular day.”

Will is ready to take his expertise to the next level. He’s been accepted into the MBA program at Vanderbilt University. This fall, he’s left his family in Kentucky, including brothers Pearce ’08 and Solly ’11, to commence his studies in Nashville. But he hasn’t left the horse racing business behind. “Thoroughbred racing is an incredibly exciting business,” Will says. “My hope is to learn from the experiences of other industries and apply them to improve horseracing. I’m looking forward to pursuing a position in racetrack management.”

spring 2015 41

photo courtesy of the Arizona Diamondbacks

A MAN WITH A PLAN Spencer Medick ’09 AS A COLLEGE FRESHMAN,

Spencer Medick ’09 made a game plan. He was at Hampden-Sydney College, playing Division III baseball, but he aspired to play Division I. “I penned out a daily schedule for each day of the week, budgeted my time, and trusted the work ethic that got me through Woodberry. I was no longer a college student, but a man with a plan.” He would wake up at 5:00 a.m. to work out, go to class, attend tutoring, study in the library, and be in bed by 9:00. “Party life became non-existent,” he recalls.

And even hanging out with friends and watching TV was rare.

But the payoff was great: Spencer made the dean’s list and transferred to Elon University to play ball, eventually helping the Phoenix win its first NCAA Division I Regional final in 2013.

Spencer was a baseball standout from the moment he first picked up a ball. He can’t remember it, but his dad, Michael, recalls twoyear-old Spencer throwing a baseball at a T-ball game his older brother, Matt ’07, was playing. “I guess I had a better arm than most of the older kids,” Spencer says, “and it caught some attention.” After that, his parents were fully supportive. “It was just something that came naturally to me, and they took every opportunity to let me play.”

Spencer’s enrollment at Woodberry was presented as a fait accompli, but his first overnight visit convinced him that his parents had found the perfect place for him. He remembers coming across a backpack and calculator on the ground while taking his campus tour. When he suggested that they should be turned in to lost and found, the tour guide assured him they would still be there when their owner returned. “I was awestruck,” Spencer says. “I will al-

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ways remember leaving that tour knowing I wanted to be associated with such extraordinary peers.”

At Woodberry, Spencer, a lefty pitcher and right-fielder wearing number 13, earned All-Prep honors and won the Henry M. Armfield Most Valuable Player Award in Baseball. “He was the only captain on the best Woodberry team of the last ten years,” says Henry Heil, who coached Spencer at Woodberry. “He never settled for less than his best every time he was on the field.”

After graduating from Elon, Spencer was a first-round pick for the Frontier Greys of the Frontier League in the spring of 2014. He ended up making the switch, days later, to the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Now he’s living with a host family in Marion, Illinois, as a rookie on the Southern Illinois Miners. In the off-season, he finds ways to make ends meet, teaching pitching and hitting to young players and working in retail. Eventually, he expects to start a business in the medical or athletic development field. For now, though, Spencer is determined to make the most of the present. “My career could end any day; all it takes is a younger, better player to come along and ‘poof’ — my job is gone.”

Though he says a career in professional athletics is not as glamorous as it might seem, the sacrifice is worth it. “Even if you don’t make it, knowing you put forth your best effort will always be your greatest accomplishment.” Spencer is grateful to his family for their support. “The least I can do is take advantage of every day they have given me and ride it out as long as I can because, after all, how often does someone get to play baseball for a living?”

photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles

GRIDIRON GOALS Ed Reynolds ’10 CURRENTLY IN HIS

second season playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Ed Reynolds ’10 is also in his second season as a member of the practice squad. Selected in the fifth round of the 2014 Draft, he has a big goal: to secure a spot on the roster. But he isn’t spending a lot of time worrying. A former All-American free safety who helped the Stanford Cardinal earn a 2013 Rose Bowl victory, he is far too busy training.

Ed was born into a football family. His father, a former University of Virginia standout, had a nine-year NFL career as a linebacker with the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. “Like my dad, I was determined to play the game,” Ed says. “I remember writing in the second or third grade that I wanted to be a professional football player when I grew up.”

His parents taught him that being a good athlete wasn’t enough — it was also necessary to get a great education. “The NFL is not a lifelong career,” Ed says. “It’s just a spot you occupy for a time. You have to be able to find your way off the field, too.”

When his parents moved the family from New Jersey to North Carolina in 2006, they began searching for the right school for Ed, the eldest of their four sons. One of his dad’s friends suggested that they look at Woodberry. “I had never thought about attending boarding school,” Ed recalls, “but I liked the combination of academics and athletics at Woodberry.”

As a new boy, Ed says, “I opened myself up to new people and challenges, and academics came first. I knew I wanted to take hard classes and earn high honors. I wanted to be good at everything.”

Quickly recognized as a leader, he was named deputy senior prefect, and he received the Headmaster’s Award, given to the sixth former

who has distinguished himself as a leader, at graduation. He was among the first Woodberry students to travel to South Africa on a spring break service trip. And not surprisingly, he excelled as an athlete. On the gridiron, he played safety and running back for the Prep League champion Tigers, tallying fifty tackles and three interceptions and earning 1,314 yards and nine touchdowns on 154 carries his final year. He earned All-Prep and All-State honors and received the Michael M. Reily MVP Award at commencement. He also played lacrosse and lettered in indoor track and field, setting a school record in the triple jump.

Top colleges and universities came calling. “A Stanford recruiter came to Woodberry. I knew the school’s academic reputation, and when I visited campus the summer before my senior year, I loved it. My dad encouraged me to choose a school with a stable quarterback situation, and the fact that Andrew Luck was the Cardinal QB helped to seal the deal.”

Thanks to his Woodberry education, Ed was ready for Stanford’s academic challenges. “Of the twenty-five students in our recruiting class, I was one of only four to place out of the freshman writing class.” Even after he was drafted, academics remained his top priority.

Instead of participating in spring practice during his first season with the Eagles, he stayed at Stanford to finish his political science degree.

Looking ahead, Ed plans to play football “as long as my body holds up.” And he’s already grateful for his Woodberry experience. “I learned how to manage my time and make study an active choice,” he says, “and I got to play football with a bunch of guys with similar aspirations.” spring 2015 43

alumni gatherings

Tiger Gatherings

Here are a few of the events this spring that brought together alumni, parents, and friends of Woodberry for fun and fellowship. Wherever Tigers gather, it’s sure to be a good time.

CHARLOTTE ASSOCIATION March 24, 2015

CAPITOL ASSOCIATION SPRING FLING April 22, 2015

CHARLOTTE RECEPTION May 12, 2015

2015 Alumni Cup Challenge golfers

Alumni Cup Challenge Sets Records

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he seventeenth annual Alumni Cup Challenge brought together Woodberry and Episcopal High School golfers to compete at the Country Club of North Carolina located in the sand hills of Pinehurst.

This year’s event, played May 1 and 2, 2015, marked several milestones. Contributions gathered from both teams since the tournament began in 1999 eclipsed $1 million, and

the field surpassed seventy players, up from eleven in the inaugural year. More than 200 participants have played in this event.

This year, Episcopal was victorious in match play, bringing the series standings to 11–5–1 in favor of Woodberry. Two Tigers, Ed Lucas ’68 and Teddy Hull ’08, went 3–0 over the two-day Ryder Cup-style contest. Kinny Roper ’73, one of the tournament’s founders,

received the George Covington Award for his outstanding leadership and work increasing interest in this successful event.

The Alumni Cup Challenge was established on principles that have never wavered.

It provides need-based scholarships to deserving students, fosters longstanding camaraderie between alumni of the rival schools, and promotes healthy competition.

woodberry.org/alumni •facebook.com/woodberryforestschool 44 woodberry forest magazine and journal

development report triangle young alumni oyster roast 2015

Jack Taylor ’02 sent in this photo of the attendees with the following recap: “We held the 5th annual Triangle Young Alumni Oyster Roast and once again had a great turnout. It was held at the Milburnie Fishing Club in Raleigh, NC on March 6th. It helped raise money to send a young man to WFS sports camp which is always a great cause.”

Class of 1965 Scholarship Fund

M

Tiger Day 2015

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iger Day, held February 11, 2015, offered a day full of special activities and treats for the boys. Tiger Day t-shirts designed by contest winner Shep Sims ’16, fresh donuts from the Strite’s food truck, and a Tiger Hunt for prizes hidden around campus brought a feeling of Tiger spirit to campus.

Current parents demonstrated their own Tiger spirit in a friendly competition by giving to the Amici Fund. Parent volunteers from each form called their peers and encouraged gifts in pursuit of the goal of garnering the highest participation rate by the end of Tiger Day. Led

by McNair and Diggs Bishop ’78 of Great Falls, Virginia, the third-form parents emerged as winners by exceeding 95 percent participation. They earned

a picnic for their sons catered by Shawn’s Smokehouse BBQ at the Pavilion on Robertson Lake during the final week of classes.

Congratulations to the third form and thank you to the parent volunteers in the fourth and fifth forms for making it a successful day.

embers of the Class of 1965 capped a record-setting fiftieth reunion by presenting the school with a scholarship fund for financial aid in memory of their deceased classmates. The Great Woodberry Class of 1965 Scholarship Fund will make a Woodberry education possible for qualified young men whose families would not otherwise be able to afford tuition. This gift will increase Woodberry’s academic excellence and enhance its long-term financial strength by making a Woodberry education available to more young men.

“If a young man qualifies for admission to Woodberry, his family’s financial status should have absolutely no bearing on whether or not he attends,” said Temple Grassi ’65, reunion committee co-chair. “The Class of 1965 believes in this ‘need-blind’ policy. We’d like to think we are helping to ensure funds will be available for this important goal.”

Woodberry’s long tradition of financial aid began when founder J. Carter Walker made the school’s first financial aid award in a handwritten note he sent a boy from Orange inviting him to join the student body.

Haynes Griffin ’65, reunion committee co-chair, said, “Our fiftieth reunion gave us all a chance to reflect on the gifts we received from Woodberry, including life-long friendships, character, intellectual growth, and life learning. We made a special effort to ‘stretch’ to help Woodberry continue to play a formative role in young men’s lives.”

The members of the Class of 1965 have given and pledged more than $500,000 to the scholarship fund and other initiatives this year, and several designated planned gifts for the fund. They invite further contributions from class members.

With more than fifty members at their reunion, the Class of 1965 broke the school’s fiftieth reunion attendance record. spring 2015 45

development

J.R. Flowerree ’99 Award

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he inaugural recipient of the J.R. Flowerree ’99 Running Award, presented on Amici Night, is Averett Hill Flory ’15, of Columbus, Georgia. The prize, in the form of a Jefferson Cup, recognizes the top varsity distance runner within the cross country and track and field programs.

The award was established by members of the Class of 1999 to honor their beloved classmate who died on the eve of their fifteenth reunion. It is given to a varsity distance runner who embodies J.R.’s inspiring zest for the sport and for life, his sincere devotion to teammates, his humility, and his amazing grit.

Averett was co-captain of the varsity cross-country team and ran long-distance on the indoor and outdoor track and field teams. He is attending Hampden-Sydney College as a Patrick Henry Scholar.

Woodberry’s First Career Symposium

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ifteen alumni returned to campus on February 27, 2015, to share career advice and experiences with fifth and sixth formers as part of the inaugural Woodberry Forest School Career Symposium.

The event began with a large group meeting in Bowman Gray Auditorium, where students heard from a handful of alums on topics like risk-taking, networking, graduate school, and pursuing a passion. “Graduating from Woodberry equips you well,” said Boyd Steinhoff ’04, “to become your own coach, your own adviser, and even your own headmaster.” Boys also learned that they would graduate into a large network of supportive fellow alumni. Ed Testerman ’02 said, “A Woodberry Forest grad will pick up the phone when a Tiger is on the line.”

During afternoon breakout sessions in the Manning Family Science Building, students talked with alums about specific careers that interested them. Student moderators

hosted two or three alums and two-dozen students in each informal meeting, offering boys a chance to ask questions in a relaxed atmosphere. Alums shared their successes and failures while providing a realistic view of the challenges new graduates might face.

Perrin Chiles ’95, an Emmy Award-winning producer and writer with a background in private equity, finance, and entrepreneurship, offered a keynote address to conclude the symposium.

The young alumni, most of whom received their diplomas in front of The Residence less than fifteen years ago and who work in fields as diverse as advertising, finance, real estate, the military, and journalism, gave today’s students a broad sampling of the possible paths that lie ahead. And boys enjoyed the opportunity to encounter firsthand one of the school’s strongest assets — the Woodberry Forest alumni network.

Seniors Commit to Amici Fund

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he members of the Class of 2015 rallied to show extraordinary support for their alma mater by making a one time, four-year commitment to the Amici Fund. An astounding 100 percent of the class participated, the highest Amici Fund participation rate by an exiting class in school history. Please join us in congratulating each member of the Class of 2015 on this milestone achievement!

46 woodberry forest magazine and journal

development

On My Honor Initiative Highlights How Planned Giving Can Make a Difference

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oodberry’s On My Honor effort On My Honor committee member shares his continues to raise awareness reason for joining: about the benefits and impact of “I joined the Walker Society by making a planned gifts. More than thirty Woodberbequest in my will because I want our school ry alumni, parents, and friends have joined to thrive in a future of uncertain economic Woodberry’s Walker Society since the initimes and continue to provide a special optiative launched, increasing total memberportunity for young men from all walks of ship to 400. life. As a member of the last Those who pledge to inclass to admit students in the clude Woodberry in their second form as eighth gradestate plans — through proviers, I would never have had sions in their wills, life insurthe Woodberry experience ance policies, IRAs, trusts, or without the financial aid proannuities — know their gift vided to me by thoughtful will help sustain Woodberry and generous benefactors. My in the future. The school’s brother, Page, who followed endowment has been built me at Woodberry, was also largely through estate gifts, the beneficiary of that generand Walker Society donors osity. The lessons we learned can direct their gifts to areas at Woodberry, the friendships of great priority for them and we formed, the disciplines we Hunter Morin ’61 the school, such as financial were taught, and the tradiaid, faculty support, and protions we learned to revere are gram development. now ours to protect and preThe On My Honor initiative is being spearserve. In my case, I look forward to my young headed by a loyal group of alumni, faculty, grandchildren having the same opportunity I and former parents, all of whom are Walker had to earn demerits, to observe and value a Society members. Each has written to many white flag, to beat Episcopal, and to graduate of the Woodberry faithful, sharing what mowith a Woodberry Forest degree!” tivated them to include the school in their Hunter Morin ’61 estate plans and asking others to join them in Fredericksburg, Virginia supporting the school they love. In the next The impact of your own planned gift will phase of the effort, Walker Society members last in perpetuity and will impact generawill host meetings and events to continue tions of Woodberry students. To learn more to raise awareness about the importance of about the On My Honor campaign, visit the planned giving. website at www.woodberryforestschoolonIt is a personal decision to make a provimyhonor.com or contact William Brownsion for Woodberry and to decide how your ing ’82, planned giving officer, at william. future support will impact your school. An browning@woodberry.org or 540-672-6058.

The Mothers’ Fund

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hen dress shoes meant to last all year are too small by Thanksgiving, most Woodberry boys can call home for a new pair. When the team is taking a pre-season training trip, it is time to order a tuxedo for Formal, or a family emergency requires an expensive flight home, many boys can make financial arrangements without missing a beat.

But for others whose families have already stretched to give them a Woodberry education, extra expenses can be a significant hardship. The Mothers’ Fund was es-

tablished in 1998 by John S. Steele ’67 and his sons, Shelton ’97, Mac ’00, and James ’04, in loving memory of their wife and mother, Amy, to address needs like these. The fund is administered by Jennifer Hulsey, who responds to student needs as identified on campus by faculty and students.

Gifts to the Mothers’ Fund are a beautiful way to assist deserving Woodberry boys.

If you have questions about the fund or wish to support it, please contact Catherine Wharton at 540-672-6183.

Stay Connected with Your Fellow Tigers!

In response to many requests, we have decided to partner with PCI of Dallas, Texas, to develop the 2017 Alumni Directory for Woodberry Forest School.

We plan to launch this project in February 2016. Watch for letters, postcards, and email messages from Woodberry and PCI that will tell you how to update your contact information — and help you stay connected with your fellow Tigers!

Parents and Grandparents Show Support

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he Senior Parent Gift Committee successfully met its goals of reaching 100 percent parent participation and raising $500,000 for the Class of 2015 Senior Parents’ and Grandparents’ Gift. Sixth formers and their families gathered for the dedication of the Class of 2015 Lobby in the new Math, Computer Science, and Dining Building on Amici Night. Funds raised above the $500,000 goal were designated to support Woodberry’s financial aid program. spring 2015 47

admissions update New Admissions Team Members

SCOTT SCHAMBERGER

ELAINE ALEXANDER

SPOTTY ROBINS ’04

Scott Schamberger arrived on campus in July to begin service as assistant headmaster for admissions and college counseling.

In this new senior administrative position, Scott will oversee the school’s relationship with students and their families beginning with their early interest and continuing through their admission, enrollment, and college matriculation.

“This is a very important position for Woodberry Forest,” said Headmaster Byron Hulsey ’86. “I am excited to work with Scott on behalf of the boys already at Woodberry and those who will join us in the future.”

Scott comes to the Forest from Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, where he served as its director of institutional advancement. Before joining the Randolph faculty five years ago, he worked in admissions at Emory University. Scott earned a BS in biology from Emory University and an MEd in educational administration and policy from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Tracy, along with their two children, live in the Class of 2005 Faculty Residence.

Elaine Alexander recently joined Woodberry Forest School’s admissions office as an assistant director. She’ll also direct Parents and Alumni Assisting Woodberry (PAAW), cultivating parent and alumni outreach in support of the school’s admissions process.

“I’m looking forward to reviving the PAAW program so prospective families will have a variety of contacts throughout their admissions experience,” Elaine said. “And as a Woodberry community member and parent of two current Woodberry boys, I’ll use my personal experiences to help families get to know the school.”

Elaine comes to Woodberry from Grymes Memorial School in Orange, Virginia, where she served as director of development. She holds a BS from Eastern Michigan University. Elaine lives in Griffin House with her husband, Clint, the Tigers’ head varsity football coach and assistant athletic director. They are the parents of Shelby, Wyatt ’16, and Colton ’19.

Spotswood “Spotty” Robins ’04 returns to Woodberry to serve as assistant director of admissions and as head coach of the varsity lacrosse team. “It’s an honor,” Spotty says, “to return to Woodberry Forest, and I am excited for the opportunity to help young men grow as people and athletes at a school that means so much to me.”

After graduating from Woodberry, Spotty attended Washington and Lee University, majoring in American history and playing lacrosse. Over four years at the Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia, Spotty taught in the history department; coached football, basketball, and varsity lacrosse; and was the Robins Campus and Cougar Sports Zone coordinator. In 2014 he earned his MEd from the Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Sport Leadership. Spotty is the brother of Rand Robins, Jr. ’01.

If you know a boy who should be considering a Woodberry Forest education, send in the applicant referral card (in the front of the magazine) or encourage him to visit www.woodberry.org/admissions. And please consider hosting an event to introduce new families to Woodberry; call 888-798-9371 for more information!

48 woodberry forest magazine and journal

web connections Online Resources for Alumni, Parents, and Friends Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

facebook | facebook.com/woodberryforestschool Become a member of our community and share the Woodberry experience with more than 4,000 fans!

social networking

twitter | twitter.com/woodberryforest Have the latest Woodberry news delivered right to your feed.

linkedin | alumni can search under “groups” for “woodberry forest school” at www.linkedin.com Connect with Woodberry alumni all over the world. Find your next internship, job, or a great ally in the professional world.

instagram | instagram.com/woodberryforestschool Glimpse inside the Forest with photos of the school’s people and places.

youtube | youtube.com/woodberrytv Get a vibrant look at Woodberry life.

multimedia

alumni app Access contact information for fellow alumni, map fellow Tigers in the area, check the latest scores and news, submit updates, and more. Download the Woodberry app on iTunes or Google Play.

woodberry.org/photoalbum See, order, and download photos from Woodberry events.

woodberry.org/blogs Get firsthand accounts of study-abroad trips, summer camps, literature courses, and, of course, athletic events!

news and contacts

directory for alumni and parents Sign in as an alumnus or parent at www.woodberry.org and click on “Directory” to search for fellow classmates or parents. Email Jennifer Dowling at jennifer.dowling@woodberry.org for sign-in instructions.

woodberry forest school calendar | woodberry.org/calendar Keep up with all Tiger happenings on and off campus!

woodberry forest newsletter | link emailed to parents and alumni This insider’s view of campus activities is emailed each month. Not receiving it? Send us your current email address!

WOODBERRY FOREST All boys, all boarding

publications | woodberry.org/publications View the online version of the Woodberry Forest Magazine and Journal or catch up on back issues.

spring 2015 49

wfs transitions

School Bids Farewell to Departing Senior Teaching Faculty

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oodberry Forest offers gratitude and a warm farewell to three of its longest-serving faculty members.

Jay Gnanadoss (center)

Randy Hudgins ’71

Peter Cashwell

50 woodberry forest magazine and journal

JAY GNANADOSS Jay Gnanadoss brought a sense of humor and a global perspective to Woodberry’s campus during his twenty-eight years on the faculty. He served as a math teacher, adviser to the International Forum, director of the community service program, and coach of soccer, squash, and intramurals.

A native of India, Jay traveled worldwide with the Merchant Marines as an engineer and worked as an instructor at SUNY-New Paltz before coming to Woodberry in 1987.

He was educated at Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Pittsburgh.

The most senior member of the mathematics department at the time of his departure, Jay was known for his high standards and serious approach to academic expectations. He now teaches math at Blair Academy in New Jersey and oversees its maker space. He is the father of Nishant ’11 and Vasanth ’12.

RANDY HUDGINS ’71 When students, alumni, and friends conjure an image of “Hudge,” as Randy Hudgins ’71 is known, they’ll likely remember him on the low wall above Armfield Courtyard or rooting for Tiger athletes from his bright orange golf cart. The beloved economics teacher taught some of Woodberry’s most popular courses and coached its successful tennis teams.

Randy came to Woodberry from Norfolk, Virginia. As a student, he captained the soccer team and played varsity tennis.

He holds degrees from the University of Virginia and the University of Delaware.

He began teaching at Woodberry in 1992 after working as an investment consultant and serving on the faculty of Christ School in Arden, North Carolina. Randy received Woodberry’s George R. O’Connor Award for Excellence; he held the Orin E. Atkins Mastership. He earned legendary status as head varsity tennis coach, a role in which he excelled from 1999 until stepping down in 2014. Coach Hudgins led the Tigers to seven Prep League titles and was recognized as Prep League Coach of the Year eight times. Woodberry awarded him its Distinguished Service Award at graduation upon his retirement.

Randy currently lives in Mathews, Virginia, in a home near his parents on Hudgins Creek, where his family name goes back to the shipbuilding industry in the 1800s.

PETER CASHWELL Whether Pete Cashwell was calling a Tiger sporting event for a Woodberry broadcast, serving as front man for the faculty rock band Poor Judgment, teaching English, directing a play, acting onstage, or heading up the debate team, he had one of the most recognizable voices at the Forest.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate came to Woodberry in 1995.

An outdoorsman who led Rapidan groups or worked in the outdoor education program, this avid birder identified 123 species of birds he’d seen on campus. He is the author of two published books, The Verb ‘To Bird’ and Along Those Lines, which draw in part on his observations, experiences, and friendships at Woodberry.

Pete is now teaching at Seven Hills School, a middle school for boys in Richmond, Virginia, where he and his wife, Kelly Dalton, a librarian, are enjoying city life.

He’s already started a list of birds observed in nearby Forest Hill Park and begun work on a novel. Pete and Kelly have two sons, both graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University; Ian also lives in Richmond, and Dixon ’11 lives in Chicago.

ADDITIONAL DEPARTURES — 5+ years served (2014–2015 school year) name years

Andrea S. Smythers

27

Donna J. West

25

Brenda G. Pulliam

19

R. Bruce Tibbetts

18

Ann H. Powell

15

Jason M. Slade ’90

11

Jeff S. Davidhizar

5

J. Harrison Stuart ’98

5

M. Marc Hagen

5

Housekeeping Housekeeping Development Facilities

Post Office Admissions

Mathematics Admissions

Development

news notes

1940s

Rufus Phillips ’47 was inducted into the Infantry Officer’s Candidate School’s hall of fame on May 20, 2014, at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

John Wright ’57 and his wife, Trula, have had their international trips plagued by disaster over the years.

The couple was in Egypt during the overthrow of Mubarak; in Turkey during an earthquake that killed over 50,000 people; on a cruise ship attacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean; and they were trapped in a hotel elevator in Bali. Their Christmas trip to The Gambia avoided disaster, but a failed coup occurred less than a week after their departure.

1950s

1960s

Corky Shackelford ’46 announces the birth of his first great-grandchild, Sydney Anne Broyles, born February 8, 2015. Sydney is also the granddaughter of Fred Shackelford ’74 and the niece of Charles Shackelford ’05.

David Barnhardt ’54 is living at a Presbyterian home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is still active and working three afternoons a week.

He is the proud father of four children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

JB Bagby ’60 retired from Northrop Grumman’s information technology division in 2006. He and his wife, Barbara, now live on the Outer Banks where JB has been active in the United States Power Squadrons, a non-profit dedicated to safe boating. He has served twice as commander of an award-winning squadron, and has enjoyed writing articles for boating magazines. “Come on down for a swim, boat ride, and some Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue,” JB says.

Bill Wallace ’56 and his wife have recently moved into a villa home in the Short Pump area of Richmond, Virginia, where they have a view of a lake and the eighteenth hole of the golf course. Bill stays active with golf, tennis, and walking the dog, and he sends his best to his classmates.

In February 2015, Angus Kress Gillespie ’60 was selected by the US Navy to be a distinguished visitor on board the USS George H. W. Bush, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier out of Norfolk, Virginia. The honor was given in recognition of his work in the study of maritime history.

Alex Galloway ’53 announces the birth of his third grandchild, Celia, born December 24, 2014. She joins her cousins, Lane and Alex IV, whose father is Alex Galloway III ’89.

1

2 1 Hobie Claiborne ’41 poses with the two tur-

keys he shot with his son, Hobie Claiborne ’73, on the opening day of the 2015 Virginia spring gobbler season. “At age ninety-one,” says young Hobie, “Dad still loves to hunt, and, as the photo shows, he can still shoot!”

Bob Feller ’62 greatly enjoyed his recent trip to Costa Rica, where he was able to see a variety of wildlife in numerous habitats, visiting both coasts and taking part in a canopy zipline experience.

Austin H. Olive ’03, assistant district attorney in Rowan County, South Carolina, announces the retirement of William C. Kluttz ’64 from his position as district court judge.

Austin writes, “As a judge who had a profound impact on the lives of many people in varying, oftentimes distressed situations, Judge Kluttz was unfailingly fair to every party involved, thoughtful in his decisions, and gracious in his actions. As a person, he is a consummate gentleman who was, and always will be, a welcome sight around the courthouse; however, I am sure he’d say, in his self-deprecating manner, that the courthouse is no longer a welcome sight to him.”

In June 2014, Barney Black ’66 retired from the US Coast Guard, where he was a civilian senior systems engineer. He and his wife, Helena, are enjoying having more time together. Barney writes that he has been cleaning out his closet of suits and ties, but he is keeping his Hawaiian shirts. His sons are also doing well: Terry is a software engineer and Robert Black ’06 is a recent law school graduate. (We received notice

3 2 Suzanne Wright, wife of Cleve Wright ’63,

poses with the couple’s second granddaughter, Caroline, at her christening in April 2015. Caroline and her older sister, Connor, live in Charleston, South Carolina, with their parents, Amanda and Cleveland A. Wright, Jr.

that Barney passed away on July 29, 2015. His obituary will appear in the next issue. —Ed.) Beech Watson ’67 and his wife, Jean, traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia in April 2015. “The trip was very educational and gave us a great look at countries that played such a role in our country’s life in the seventies and beyond,” he reports.

1980s

James McMurtry ’80 recently released a new album, Complicated Game, which was very positively reviewed on NPR’s Fresh Air. According to rock critic Ken Tucker, the new album “is a really satisfying collection,” including more expressive vocals than in previous work and highlighting James’s talent for guitar playing.

Jerome Thalwitz ’81, along with other members of his family, is a subject of a new book, Becoming the Bavarian Chef. Written by his wife, Christine, the book tells the history of the family’s restaurant through its most popular recipes. Jerome and Christine are the parents of Jared ’16.

Dawson Tanner ’82 has left a tenyear position as pilot and chief pilot for Air Serv International/Air Serv Limited for a new job as a pilot with Eurex Aviation.

4 3 & 4 Cameron A. Gillespie ’67 and his wife,

Tomoko, supported a project that sent five classical musicians from Virginia to Japan in November 2014 to perform a benefit concert called “Elegance and Romance from Virginia” at Yamaha Hall in Tokyo. The musicians’ efforts raised funds to help victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Send your latest news to Linda Hogan at linda.hogan@woodberry.org or 898 Woodberry Forest Road, Woodberry Forest, Virginia 22989. Or visit the Alumni section of our website at www.woodberry.org/alumni to submit your news online.

spring 2015 51

news notes second child, Stella Raquel Williams, on September 23, 2014. Gene is now senior vice president at CBRE, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm.

Jackson Duncan ’99 was married in December 2014 to Sarah Dalrymple. He recently purchased his family’s business, City Lumber in San Angelo, Texas.

2000s backpacking brotherhood

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fter his twenty-fifth Woodberry reunion, Dick Spangler ’50 organized a weeklong backpacking trip in Yellowstone National Park the following summer. He invited classmates Russell Robinson, John Lee, and Ballard Morton to join in.

In all but three of the next twenty-one summers, the group embarked on similar backcountry adventures, with Dick charting their course and Ballard doing the cooking. And each year, a changing cast of classmates and friends joined them in locations ranging from Glacier National Park to the Canadian Rockies, and from the Wind River and San Juan Mountains to the North Cascades.

This spring, when the classmates convened at the Forest for their sixty-fifth reunion, they looked back fondly on this remarkable tradition. “We took two sets of quadrangle maps for safety,” Dick recalled.

“Our only book was a wildflower book. No one ever complained.

There were no arguments. We stopped every fifty minutes to rest and change leaders.”

“The challenges — fording streams with a heavy backpack, rain, ice, eating whatever Ballard cooked, mosquitoes, bear encounters, sore feet, and blisters — affirmed our strength, resourcefulness, and sense of humor,” John said.

“I learned to appreciate even more the quality and reliability of my classmates,” said Dan Ritchie. “I define those transformative trips as friendship,” Ballard added. And, said Russell, “In that one touch of nature each year, we did indeed find tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and our love and trust of each other strengthened.”

1990s

James Ashby IV ’95 has been promoted to first vice-president at Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer, a commercial real estate broker.

Leighton Grant ’95 won his fifteenth Emmy award in January 2015 at the Twentieth Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. Leighton and colleague Christine Nelson’s entry, “The Per-

fect Match,” won the category of serious feature news report.

Jamie Hancock ’95 was assistant producer of the animated film Cheatin’, written and directed by Bill Plympton. The film opened in April 2015 and was recently reviewed in Village Voice. The film tells an off-the-wall story of a romance gone awry and fraught with misunderstanding.

Gene Williams ’96 and his wife, Sonya, announce the birth of their

52 woodberry forest magazine and journal

Van Taylor ’00 and his wife, Kelly Smith, are moving to Shanghai, China, where Kelly will be starting a Latin program at Concordia International School Shanghai. The couple is “incredibly excited” about the move.

Super Lawyers magazine recently selected Christian Staples ’01, a lawyer with Shumaker, Loop, & Kendrick, LLP, in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a 2015 North Carolina Rising Star in the area of business litigation.

Tyler Moffett ’03 was featured in a video produced by GM for the 2014 LA Auto Show showcasing his work designing the Chevrolet Colorado.

Vincent Ruland ’05 and his novice rowing team from St. John’s College at Oxford won the prestigious Fairbairn Cup boat race in December 2014, edging out the rival Trinity College by a three-second margin.

Christopher Freer-Lancaster ’07 graduated from the University of Virginia with a master’s degree in May 2015.

T-Ford Dyas ’08 graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in creative writing and then spent the winter working as an alpine ski guide at Keystone Resort in Summit County, Colorado. He entered the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce this fall to pursue a graduate degree in business marketing.

2010s

Parker LeCorgne ’10 graduated in 2014 from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in history and economics.

George Ligon ’10 was a finalist in the Legatum Institute’s 2014 Charles Street Symposium, an essay competition for young researchers addressing the question, “Why do societies prosper?” George’s essay, “Individual Fear and Collective Prosperity in De-

mocracies,” put forth the idea that fear is a major motivator for citizens of liberal societies.

Hatcher Williams ’10, Alex Hagood ’10, and Eliott Nelson ’10 spent the summer of 2014 working at A Bar A Ranch in Wyoming, and then moved on to Breckenridge, Colorado, for the winter.

Charlie Archer ’11 won the Nellie Award at Jacksonville University’s annual athletic banquet for his contributions to the lacrosse program.

The award honors unsung heroes.

Jon Goldstein ’11 graduated from James Madison University in 2015 with a degree in history.

Henry Holmes ’12 was recognized by the governor of Maine for his work with Colby College’s Military Appreciation Day football game. Henry was one of the leaders of the effort to raise money for the Maine National Guard’s Christmas Across Maine program, providing military families with gifts, utilities payments, and more during the holiday season. Military families were also invited to attend the game against Colby’s rival Bowdoin College and to share in the tailgate festivities.

John C. Williams ’13 finished his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina, where he lived in the Delta Kappa Epsilon house with fellow Tigers Richard Hunt ’13, Harrison Cozart ’13, Blake Bozymski ’13, and Phillip Howerton ’13. “Drop by to see us when you’re on campus,” says John C. Eric Ways ’14 had a strong freshman track season at Notre Dame, finishing seventh in the 400-meter dash and third in his 4x400-meter relay at the ACC indoor championships in February 2015.

Davis Teague ’14 was part of the NYU Abu Dhabi basketball team that took first place in the United Arab Emirates National Day tournament in December 2014.

Faculty & Friends

The Rt. Rev. Sam Hulsey, father of Headmaster Byron Hulsey ’86 and retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas, has been honored with an endowed faculty chair named for him at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas.

news notes Former English teacher Jennifer Hubbard’s latest novel, And We Stay, was named one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2014. The story is inspired by boarding school life and Emily Dickinson.

The Falcon Club of Charlottesville, Virginia, gave Clint Alexander the Outstanding Private School Coach of the Year award for the 2014 footballseason.

Chinese teacher Scott Navitsky was recently re-elected vice-president of the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Virginia. He is also serving on an advisory committee for the department of education to help set recommendations for a seal of bi-literacy for Virginia high school diplomas.

Head varsity swimming coach Greg Guldin was recently quoted in an article in The NISCA Journal (National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association) discussing high school team rituals and traditions. The article, “Just Add Water,” included a description of the sheet covered with inspirational quotations that Woodberry uses to motivate the swimmers at the State meet.

Former Woodberry foreign language teacher and track coach Edgar Soudek has announced his retirement from teaching. He writes that he would be glad to hear from his past students at Edgar_Soudek@yahoo.com.

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2 1 David Sutton ’67 sports his favorite Woodberry hat while on a fly-fishing trip near Casa Blanca, Mexico, in May 2015. He credits Bob Vasquez for providing him with the ability to communicate in Spanish while traveling abroad.

2 Roliff Purrington ’69, center, wearing a dark shirt,

poses for a photo with students from the University of Basrah in Basrah, Iraq, where he served as a visiting professor in 2015. Before returning to Houston, Roliff

visited several other cities in Iraq, as well as Dubai and Addis Ababa. He is the mayor of Houston’s International Trade and Development Council for the Middle East and North Africa and serves on the US Secretary of Commerce’s US – Iraq Business Dialogue.

3 Markham Dossett ’71, Bill Dossett ’79, and Rob-

ert Camp ’79 went duck hunting in the Mississippi Delta in January 2015.

dick glover ’61 recognized at vpl tournament

T

he Virginia Wrestling Association awarded Dick Glover ’61 its inaugural Dick Glover Lifetime Achievement Award during the Prep League Wrestling Championships on February 7, 2015, in the Leonard W. Dick Gymnasium in the presence of many Woodberry classmates, former wrestlers, and colleagues.

Presented by Andrew Farrar, executive director of VAWA, the award “commemorates the legacy of Dick Glover who set a standard of integrity, competitive excellence, and tireless promotion of scholastic wrestling in the state of Virginia over the course of his outstanding career. The recipient will be selected each year and, like its namesake, will embody the highest ideals of sportsmanship, character, and servant leadership.” Andrew also announced the creation of a college scholarship honoring Dick Glover to be awarded to a college-bound high school wrestler.

The Virginia Wrestling Association is the state chapter of USA Wrestling. Nearly 7,000 athletes, coaches, and wrestlers belong to the organization, which promotes “an environment that encourages athletes, coaches, and officials alike to show leadership, sportsmanship, hard work, perseverance, and continuing education while training for success at any level.”

spring 2015 53

news notes

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7 1 Painter John Borden Evans ’74

is the subject of a documentary by Eduardo Montes-Bradley, WHITE: A Season in the Life of John Borden Evans. The film premiered at the Richmond International Film Festival in March 2015. John is shown here, left, with the director.

2 Rags Coxe ’79 was ordained in 2014 and is serving as assistant rector at Prince George Winyah Episcopal Church in Georgetown, South Carolina. Pictured here at his ordination, from left to right, are Lee Burrows ’78, Tom Coxe ’48, Ragland Coxe ’11, Thomas Coxe ’73, Bill Ragland ’78, and, kneeling, Rags.

Randy, Headmaster Byron Hulsey, and St. Christopher’s head tennis coach Richard Peyton

hudge honored at tennis invitational

A

highlight of the 44th Woodberry Forest Tennis Invitational was a presentation honoring Randy Hudgins ’71 for his outstanding leadership, dedication, and service to his sport.

He played in the first Woodberry Invitational in 1971 and served as Woodberry’s head varsity tennis coach from 1999 to 2014, during which time the Tigers won seven league titles.

54 woodberry forest magazine and journal

3 Chris Harris ’91, Winslow Hastie ’91, and Craig Comer ’91 got together in Charleston, South Carolina, to celebrate Craig’s upcoming marriage.

4 Barnett Greenberg ’97 poses

with his bride, Heather Meibach, at their wedding in Chicago in October, 2014. The couple honeymooned in London, Paris, and Rome, and now live in South Carolina, where Heather is an event manager and Barnett is a realtor and entrepreneur.

5 Anna Prather, Margaret Sta-

ples, and Bos Maddison are the children of John Maddison ’97, of Raleigh, North Carolina, and his wife, Cason. John took a new position with Balentine, an Atlantabased wealth management firm, in 2014 and is serving his first term as president of the CFA Society North Carolina.

6 William Ware Smith IV had a great time visiting Woodberry with his parents, Alison and Ware Smith ’99.

7 Patrick Paullus ’00 graduated from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in June 2014 and is now a resident in neurosurgery at Louisiana State University Shreveport. He was married in 2008, and he and his wife, Katherine, welcomed their first child, Sterling Everest, in 2013.

news notes

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1 Robert Gentil ’01 married Susan Cook in July 2014 with many Tigers in attendance. In the front row, left to right, are Susan, Conner Gentil ’03, Robert, and Rand Robins ’01. In the back are Steve Gentil ’70, Ruffin King ’70, Bud Noland ’62, Broderick Dunn ’00, and Ben Noland ’01.

2 Caylor Mark ’04 celebrated his marriage

to Ellen Kane on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, in November 2014 with a large group of the Woodberry family in attendance. front row: Conner Gentil ’03, Rob Sellers ’04, Bowen Chapman ’04, Merchant Garnett ’04, John Barron ’04, Carter Henderson ’05, and Joe Farmer ’04. back row: Graham Gardiner ’04, Stuart Bonner ’03, Billy Butler ’04, Jay Steele ’04, Jack Pritchett ’04, Boyd Steinhoff ’04, Trevor Slaven ’04, Eli Montague ’04, Andrew Tew ’05, Chip Mark ’75, Weldon Woodall ’04, Brent Bell, Chip Farrar ’04, Elliot Parks ’04, Will Gordon ’03, Paul Funkhouser ’05,

8 George Paschal ’04, Andy Brantley ’04, Charlton deSaussure III ’04, Charlton deSaussure, Jr. ’71, and Fletcher Gregory ’73. Also present were Jim Woolford ’04, Richard Pate ’04, Charlie Morris ’02, Richard Cutler ’00, Massie Meredith ’75, Doug Monroe ’74, Roddey Dowd ’74, Doug Holladay ’65, Vernon Geddy ’75, and Brendan O’Shea.

3 & 4 John-David Morris ’06 married Anna Glenn Auman in Stone Mountain, Georgia, in December 2014. Woodberry guests at the wedding were, left to right, Carter Sitterson, Jr. ’98, Geoff Simpson, Max Ashworth ’08, Robert Blackburn ’06, John-David, Jon Karunakaran ’06, John Grey ’06, and Perrin Van Allen ’06.

5 Michael Sharpe ’09 and Woodberry art

teacher Kelly Lonergan met up in April 2015 during Woodberry’s annual art trip to New York.

6 Charlie Archer ’11 and Benny Pugh ’13 were reunited on the lacrosse field in Jacksonville, Florida, when the Richmond Spiders defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins, 17–8.

7 Saul Shimmin ’12 poses with his finisher’s

prize at the Nuit St. Georges half marathon, held March 15, 2015, in France. He finished first in his age group and fourteenth out of 1,298 overall participants. Saul spent this past year as a student at the University of Burgundy, Dijon, as part of his degree program with the University of Birmingham, England.

8 Todd Fedyck ’14 and his teammates celebrate Denver’s win over Maryland to become NCAA Division I Lacrosse National Champions in May 2015. Todd is in the center of the back row.

spring 2015 55

in memoriam LYNN R. HAMMOND JR. ’34 1915 – 2015

LYNN R. HAMMOND JR. ’34 1915 – 2015

JOHN W. CASTLES III ’38 1921–2014

W. TRENT RAGLAND JR. ’38 1920 – 2015

MATT R. LONG JR. ’39 1920 – 2015

Lynn Rhea Hammond, Jr., of Roanoke, Virginia, died January 15, 2015.

At Woodberry, Lynn was a member of the golf team, dramatic club, and German club. He went on to the University of Virginia, where he played on the golf team. He graduated in 1938, after which he took a year of courses in lithography at Carnegie Tech.

Upon his return home to Roanoke, Lynn worked for the family business, Hammond’s Printing and Litho Works. He kept up with his golf game and was the first and youngest player to win the Roanoke Country Club golf championship three times.

He joined the US Navy in 1944, serving as a lieutenant during World War II. After his service, Lynn returned to his hometown where he continued in the printing business and was active in local organizations, including the Business Men’s Club, Roanoke German Club, Kiwanis Club, and Second Presbyterian Church. He retired in 1977.

Mr. Hammond is survived by a brother, Albin B. Hammond ’50; four sons, Lynn R. Hammond III ’60, Larry D Hammond, C. Reif Hammond, and John Barnett Hammond; eleven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. He was the uncle of Albin B. Hammond ’76, Martin B. Hammond ’79, and E. Murray Hammond ’85; and great-uncle of William B. Hammond ’12 and Perry B. Hammond ’14.

JOHN W. CASTLES III ’38 1921–2014 John Wesley Castles III, of Okatie, South Carolina, died December 8, 2014.

56 woodberry forest magazine and journal

At Woodberry, Jack was known as an excellent wrestler, captaining the team and winning the state championship twice. He was a prefect and a member of the football and baseball teams, century club, the athletic association, and German and W clubs.

After leaving Woodberry, Jack spent a year at Andover before continuing on to Yale University.

In college, he continued his wrestling and football careers and participated in the Naval ROTC program. Immediately upon graduating in 1942, he joined the US Navy and served as an officer in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines.

Jack earned a law degree from Columbia University in 1948 and spent forty years as an attorney at Lord, Day, & Lord in New York City. In addition to serving as a class agent for Woodberry, he also volunteered as a director for Recording for the Blind.

Mr. Castles is survived by his wife, Arminda; a son; a daughter; two stepsons; and six grandchildren.

W. TRENT RAGLAND JR. ’38 1920 – 2015 William Trent Ragland, Jr., of Raleigh, North Carolina, died March 1, 2015.

As a Woodberry student, Trent played football and basketball and was a member of the German club. After graduation, he spent one year at Virginia Military Institute before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he graduated with a geology degree in 1941.

Trent returned to the Charlottesville area and worked in the family business, Superior Stone Company, until he joined the US Navy during World War II, serving on the staff of Admiral

Chester W. Nimitz in the Pacific.

After the war, he attended the US Naval Academy Post Graduate School. He became president of Superior Stone in 1954 and led the company until it eventually merged with Martin Marietta.

Trent continued to sit on the board of Martin Marietta Aggregates until his retirement, after which he was named senior vice president, emeritus.

Founder of the North Carolina Aggregates Association, he was a board member of numerous philanthropic organizations, served on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Visitors, and was known for his generous support of schools and libraries through the William Trent Ragland Jr. Foundation.

Mr. Ragland is survived by his wife, Anna; two daughters; a son; a brother; four grandchildren, one of whom is Trent Ragland IV ’14; and one great-grandchild.

He was the nephew of John T. Gregory of the Class of 1919, the brother of William M. Ragland ’41, the uncle of William M. Ragland ’78, and the cousin of John T. Gregory ’55.

MATT R. LONG JR. ’39 1920 – 2015 Matt Ransom Long, Jr., of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, died May 13, 2015.

While at Woodberry, Matt played varsity football and ran varsity track. He was a member of W club, German club, prefect board, hop committee, and Oracle board.

After high school, he continued on to Davidson College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied engineering. He served as a first lieutenant in the US Army Signal Corps during World War II, after which he returned home and opened Long

in memoriam Engineering Company in 1949. His company later became Long Communications Group and then Strategic Connections. He retired as president in 1986.

Matt was a member of many organizations, including the airport commission of Forsyth County, of which he was a longtime chairman. He enjoyed playing golf, especially with fellow Woodberry alumni with whom he maintained lifelong friendships.

Mr. Long is survived by his wife, Emmie Lou James Long; a daughter; and a brother, James S. Long ’58. He was the uncle of Scott G. Long ’93; the cousin of Clyde C. Long ’50 and Howard C. Long ’86; and the great-uncle of Thompson Long ’14.

Episcopal Church. He served on the boards of First Union National Bank, Rex Hospital Foundation, Wake Country Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Center, and St. Mary’s College. He was an avid golfer, tennis player, fisherman, boater, and billiards player until a hunting accident took his sight in 1988.

Mr. Ragland is survived by two daughters; a son, William M. Ragland, Jr. ’78; and seven grandchildren. He was the nephew of John T. Gregory of the Class of 1919; the brother of W. Trent Ragland, Jr. ’38; the father-in-law of Thomas F. Darden ’73; the grandfather of Thomas F. Darden ’98; the cousin of John T. Gregory ’55; and the greatuncle of Trent Ragland IV ’14.

WILLIAM M. RAGLAND ’41 1923 – 2015

FRANKLIN F. STARKS JR. ’42 1924 – 2015

William McKenzie Ragland ’41 of Raleigh, North Carolina, died March 31, 2015.

Bill played football and basketball, ran varsity track, and was a member of book club, dramatic club, and German club. He also served on the Oracle and Fir Tree boards.

After two years at the University of North Carolina, Bill entered the US Navy’s officer training program and attended midshipman’s school at Northwestern University. He was commissioned as an ensign and later promoted to lieutenant, serving in the Pacific during World War II. Following his service, Bill returned to school and earned a degree in business administration.

He worked for the family’s business, Superior Stone Company in Charlottesville, Virginia, until 1957, when he moved to Raleigh and purchased Cherokee Brick Company. He served as the company’s president until retiring in 1984.

Bill was a member of the vestry and senior warden at St. Michael’s

Franklin Ferguson Starks, Jr., of Louisville, Kentucky, died April 7, 2015.

Known as a lively and enthusiastic Woodberry student, Franklin played golf, football, and basketball; ran track; and was a monitor and a member of the German club.

Franklin entered Yale University’s class of 1945W, an accelerated year-round wartime program. He served in the US Army from 1943 to 1946, reaching the rank of second lieutenant in the Signal Corps.

After his service, he finished his degree in 1948.

In partnership with his father, he leased and managed property until 1987 when the family sold their buildings. At various times, he served as director of the National Building Owners and Managers Association, president of the Louisville Central Area, and board member of First National Bank of Kentucky, Louisville Investment Company, Boy Scouts, Bingham Child Guidance Clinic, Tri-State Golf Association, and Gulf Shore Property Owners Association in Naples, Florida.

Mr. Starks is survived by three children, Seashols Noell Starks, Franklin F. Starks III ’73, and Henry Powell Starks; three grandsons, including Roscoe Willett ’04; two step-grandchildren; and a sister.

He was the cousin of William O. Alden ’42, and the uncle of William O. Alden ’72.

FRANKLIN F. STARKS JR. ’42 1924 – 2015

CHARLES A. JOHNSON ’43 1925 – 2015 Charles Aglionby Johnson ’43 of Carmel, California, died March 16, 2015.

Originally from Charleston, West Virginia, Charles was a member of the track, tennis, and golf teams at Woodberry. After graduation, he enlisted in the US Army, serving from 1943 through 1946 and earning the Combat Infantry Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Medal, and a Battle Star for European Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

He continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a two-year certificate in 1948, and the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned a BA in business administration. He later returned to school at the University of Massachusetts, earning a degree in landscape architecture, the field in which he spent the majority of his working years. Charles had a great love of the outdoors and was a member of Sierra Club, California Native Plant Society, and the Audubon Society. He began practicing Buddhism in 1986.

Mr. Johnson was the son of William R. Johnson of the Class of 1903; the brother of William R. Johnson ’41; the cousin of Harrison B. Smith ’42; and the nephew of Francis L. Johnson and J.P. Johnson, both of the Class of 1906.

spring 2015 57

in memoriam EDWIN M. WILSON ’43 1925 – 2014

EDWIN M. WILSON ’43 1925 – 2014

WILLIAM C. SEAMAN ’44 1926 – 2015

JOHN A. STILLWELL ’45 1926 – 2015

W. BOATNER REILY III ’46 1928 – 2015

Edwin Moir Wilson of Roanoke, Virginia, died December 30, 2014.

Known at Woodberry for his athleticism, Ed was a member of the varsity football, wrestling, and track teams, and he participated in the choir and German club.

Following graduation, he attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned two degrees, one in electrical engineering and the other in business administration. He later returned to school and earned a doctorate in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia in 1967.

Ed’s career included real estate and teaching. He spent eighteen years as a professor at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, where he taught in the engineering, computer science, and medical departments.

He moved to Roanoke in 1984, serving as a member of the vestry of St. John’s Episcopal Church and as a board member of the Art Museum of Western Virginia (now Taubman Museum of Art) and Greenvale Nursery School.

He was also an avid gardener and outdoorsman.

Dr. Wilson is survived by his wife, June March Wilson; two sons, Edwin M. Wilson, Jr. ’95 and John M. Wilson ’97; and one grandchild.

WILLIAM C. SEAMAN ’44 1926 – 2015 William Cann Seaman of Savannah, Georgia, died April 1, 2015.

While a Woodberry student, Bill played varsity football and baseball, ran track and played golf, and was a member of the hop committee and the W, German, and music clubs. He also served as a monitor.

Bill attended the University of

58 woodberry forest magazine and journal

North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he enrolled in the naval preflight school. After graduation, he went with friends to Alaska, where he worked as cook in a construction camp. After a short stint with American Airlines, he began a forty-year career in television and advertising.

He spent seven years working for ABC and twenty-five years with William Esty Company, where he concluded his career as executive vice-president of marketing and television. He retired in 1990.

Bill and his family lived for many years in Westchester County, New York, before moving to Georgia, where he was a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Savannah. In addition to serving Woodberry as a class agent, he also volunteered at the Veterans Administration hospital in Savannah.

Mr. Seaman is survived by his wife, Joan Seaman; two daughters; a son, Bleecker Seaman ’81; and five grandchildren.

JOHN A. STILLWELL ’45 1926 – 2015 John Amos Stillwell of Charlottesville, Virginia, died February 27, 2015.

An llinois native, John came to Woodberry as a third former. A talented athlete, he earned letters in football and wrestling and ran varsity track. He was also a member of the Oracle board and the book, dramatic, German, W, and current events clubs.

John earned his Woodberry diploma early and began studying at Williams College before he turned eighteen. In 1944 he joined the US Navy, serving two years during World War II as an aerial gunnery instructor before returning to Williams and graduating in 1949. He worked for an agricultural machinery manufacturer until he was called back to serve during the Korean War.

In 1957, John returned with his family to teach English at Woodberry. During his nearly thirty years on the faculty, he earned an MA from the University of Virginia; founded the Bengal Book Club; worked in admissions; and coached football, wrestling, lacrosse, and track.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Award in 1990 and the J. Carter Walker Award in 1999. He served two terms on the board of trustees.

Mr. Stillwell is survived by his wife, Gay Stillwell; and three sons, Newcomb Stillwell, John B. Stillwell, and Charles M. Stillwell ’81. He was the uncle of Roderick P. Miller ’79, and the cousin of Ira C. Pierson ’47 and Ridgely B. Pierson ’53.

W. BOATNER REILY III ’46 1928 – 2015 William Boatner Reily III of New Orleans, Louisiana, died January 5, 2015.

While at Woodberry, Boatner worked on the Fir Tree, was head photographer for the Oracle, and was a member of the rifle club, German club, monitor board, and the varsity wrestling and track teams.

He briefly attended Yale University before transferring to Tulane University, from which he graduated in 1950. Boatner spent his career in the family business, William B. Reily & Co., Inc., a food company, where he served as longtime president and chairman.

Boatner was an active civic leader in New Orleans, where he was the ten-year captain of Rex, the carnival krewe that stages one of the city’s most celebrated Mardi Gras parades. He was named Rex in 1982. An avid runner and marathoner, he started the annual tradition of the Rex Royal Run. He was also a major contributor to Tulane Universi-

in memoriam ty, where he served five years on the board, and a supporter of Tulane University Hospital. He was co-founder of the Greater New Orleans Foundation and director of Standard Service Companies, Abita Springs Water Company, and FleetCor Technologies, Inc. In 1995 Tulane awarded him an honorary LLD, and in 2000 he received its lifetime alumni achievement award.

Mr. Reily is survived by his wife, Wendy Griswold Reily; a daughter; a son; and two grandsons.

H. WILLIAM CARTER JR. ’52 1934 – 2015 Hugh William Carter, Jr., of Columbia, South Carolina, died April 15, 2015.

At Woodberry, Bill was known as a quiet and likable student.

He was a member of the monitor board, German, W, and rifle clubs, and he played soccer and ran varsity track.

He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1956 with a BS in economics and had a long career as a banker. His employers included MS Bailey & Son Bankers and First Citizens Bank.

After retiring in 1999, Bill was involved with the South Carolina Association of Naturalists and the Kiwanis Club.

Mr. Carter is survived by his wife, Margaret Kelley Carter; three sons; eleven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

HUGH MCLENNAN ’54 1937 – 2014 Hugh McLennan of Malvern, Pennsylvania, died December 14, 2014.

As a Woodberry student, Hugh was a member of the rifle, dramatic, century, and German clubs. He was a monitor and the senior studies editor of the Fir

Tree, as well as a member of the track, cross-country, and varsity wrestling teams.

At Williams College, Hugh was a member of the ROTC program. He graduated in 1958 with a degree in history. He joined the US Air Force as a second lieutenant and was sent to the Philippines, where he was a tactical fighter pilot with the Thunder Tigers, a division of the Thunderbirds. At the time of his discharge in 1963, he had achieved the rank of captain.

After his service, Hugh earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance. He worked for DuPont for a few years before founding West Chester Cycle Center, where he sold motorcycles. He also founded Hugh McLennan, Inc., a property maintenance company.

As a volunteer, Hugh worked with Home of the Sparrow, Good Works of St. Peter’s Church, and City Team Ministries.

Mr. McLennan is survived by his wife, Patricia Metz McLennan; two sons; two daughters; two stepsons; four granddaughters; and one great-granddaughter. He was the stepbrother of Andrew L. Cushman ’32 and Walter M. Cushman ’35 and the uncle of H. Marston Smith ’70 and Walter L. Smith ’75.

J. WILLIAM FERRELL III ’57 1938 – 2014 James William Ferrell III of Richmond, Virginia, died December 21, 2014.

At Woodberry, Billy was a member of German club and the varsity wrestling, track, and football teams. He attended Hampden-Sydney College and graduated from Guilford College with a degree in English. He spent time in the US Army before beginning his career in the banking industry. He also worked for

General Electric for many years, achieving the title of regional vice-president.

Mr. Ferrell is survived by his wife, Dorothy Ewing Ferrell; a son; a daughter; three grandchildren; a nephew; and a sisterin-law. He was the son of J.W. Ferrell, Jr. ’24 and the cousin of William J. McGill ’53.

H. WILLIAM CARTER JR. ’52 1934 – 2015

C. DOUGLAS SMITH JR. ’57 1939 – 2015 Charles Douglas Smith, Jr., of Shamong, New Jersey, died January 13, 2015.

In Doug’s two years at Woodberry, he was a monitor and a member of the Oracle staff and the German, science, and electronics clubs. He also played soccer and golf and was the recipient of the German Medal.

After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1962, Doug pursued a career as a mathematician, working for Wolf Research and Development and later with Interstate Realty as a senior programmer. He enjoyed photography, reading, and music.

Mr. Smith is survived by his wife, Lee Harris Smith; two sons; and five grandchildren. He was the brother of Stuart Smith ’61.

HUGH MCLENNAN ’54 1937 – 2014

C. DOUGLAS SMITH JR. ’57 1939 – 2015

WILLIAM D. THOMPSON ’60 1942 – 2015 William DeForest Thompson of Fort Myers, Florida, died March 8, 2015.

A popular and friendly Woodberry student, Bill worked on the Talon and was special publications editor of the Oracle.

He was a member of the German and W clubs, and he played varsity football, basketball, and baseball, lettering in all three.

Bill continued his education at West Virginia University, earning BS, MS, and JD degrees.

WILLIAM D. THOMPSON ’60 1942 – 2015

spring 2015 59

in memoriam

R. PRESTON GRAVES JR. ’62 1943– 2014

CHARLES S. HATCHETTE ’66 1948 – 2015

From 1967 to 1971 he served as a captain in the US Army, working in the Judge Advocate General Corps in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and later in Vietnam.

Following his discharge from the service, Bill moved to Florida and practiced law, first with Howell, Kirby, Montgomery, D’Auto, Dean & Howell, then later as a partner with Fazio, Dawson & Thompson. From 1980 until 2015 he was managing partner of William Deforest Thompson, PA, specializing in representing plaintiffs in negligence, insurance, and medical malpractice cases.

Mr. Thompson is survived by a son, a daughter, three grandchildren, and a brother. He was the brother of D. Reed Thompson ’62 and the uncle of David E. Thompson ’92.

R. PRESTON GRAVES JR. ’62 1943– 2014

SAMUEL H. MARSHALL ’66 1948 – 2013

T. AUSTIN FINCH III ’68 1950 – 2015

HENRY L. SLOAN III ’68 1950 – 2013

Robert Preston Graves, Jr., of Houston, Texas, died July 17, 2014.

At Woodberry, Preston was a prefect and a member of the varsity soccer, track, and football teams who lettered in football. He was also a member of the German and current events clubs and the discipline and regulations committee.

Following his graduation from Woodberry, Preston attended Virginia Military Institute and earned a civil engineering degree from the University of Missouri in 1972. He served as an officer with the US Army Corps of Engineers, completing two tours in Germany and one in Vietnam before returning to the US and beginning a career as a packaging engineer. He was awarded five patents.

Mr. Graves was brother of George D. Graves ’77 and the uncle of Griffin L. Ratley ’85. He was the son of R. Preston Graves, Sr., who taught math at Woodberry from 1973 to 1993, and

60 woodberry forest magazine and journal

Alma Graves, who worked at the school as a switchboard operator and tutor.

CHARLES S. HATCHETTE ’66 1948 – 2015 Charles Stakely Hatchette of Fort Collins, Colorado, died January 21, 2015.

Stakely, as he was known at Woodberry, was a member of the dramatics and German clubs, public speaking honor society, and the cross-country, track, and wrestling teams.

He continued his education at Austin College, from which he graduated in 1970. Seven years later, he received his MD from Tulane University.

Charlie, as he was known to friends later in his life, started the first walk-in medical clinic in Fort Collins; he later taught himself computer programming and founded Advert, Inc., a data collection system that aids in hiring practices. He enjoyed flying his experimental airplane, composing music, designing and building an off-the-grid house, sculpture, microscopic photography, magic, and practical jokes.

Dr. Hatchette is survived by his wife, Gwen Hatchette; a son; and two sisters.

SAMUEL H. MARSHALL ’66 1948 – 2013 Samuel Harrison Marshall of Reidsville, North Carolina, died December 17, 2013.

A quiet and friendly student who came to Woodberry from Winston-Salem, Sam was a member of the electronics and German clubs and a member of the track, cross-country, and wrestling teams. He went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina before earning a divinity degree from Wake Forest Baptist Seminary.

Mr. Marshall is survived by two sisters. He was the uncle of William A. Allen ’90, and the cousin of John C. Davis ’24, Archibald K. Davis ’29, Zach Toms ’47, Peter C. Toms ’57, and Newby Toms ’61.

T. AUSTIN FINCH III ’68 1950 – 2015 Thomas Austin Finch III of Sea Island, Georgia, died March 3, 2015.

While a student at Woodberry, Austin was the governor of the investment club and a member of the sons of alumni club. He also played football and golf. A decade after his graduation, Finch Hall was named in his family’s honor.

Austin graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 1972 with a degree in economics. He earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1974 and launched a long career in finance — first as an investment banker at Kidder Peabody & Co. in New York City and later as partner and vice president of Salomon Brothers. He enjoyed sailing, scuba, travel, and baseball statistics.

Mr. Finch is survived by his wife, Jill Meredith Finch; his mother, Meredith Person Michener; a stepson; a step-grandson; three brothers, including John L. Finch ’72 and Sumner S. Finch ’75; and a sister. He was the son of Thomas A. Finch ’40; the nephew of John C. Slane ’47; the cousin of Willis H. Slane III ’69, Thomas V. Slane ’72, and Robert C. Slane ’74; and the uncle of W. Austin Finch ’11.

HENRY L. SLOAN III ’68 1950 – 2013 Henry Lee Sloan III of Charlotte, North Carolina, died December 13, 2013.

in memoriam Henry was known to his peers at Woodberry as a considerate and hard-working boy. He was a member of chapel council and lounge committee, and he served as assistant editor of the Oracle.

He earned both undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he spent his professional career as a tax attorney in his hometown. Upon his retirement, Henry was able to pursue his love of investments and golf. He was also active in the North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program and Serenity Church.

Mr. Sloan is survived by his wife, Vicki Davis Sloan; a daughter; and two sisters. He was the son of Henry L. Sloan, Jr. ’42.

OSCAR C. CARR III ’69 1951 – 2015 Oscar Clark Carr III of Memphis, Tennessee, died April 6, 2015.

During his three years at Woodberry, Bo served as assistant editor of the Oracle and a member of the investment and debating clubs and the new boy change committee. He went on to earn a BA in English from the University of Virginia in 1973, followed by a JD from Emory University in 1976, where he graduated summa cum laude as the salutatorian of his class.

Bo had a long and distinguished career in commercial litigation with Glankler Brown, PLLC, in Memphis. He was named to The Best Lawyers in America in 2012 and 2013. In January 2015, he was sworn in as a chancery court judge by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam.

Bo was the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation president and a vestryman at St. John’s Episcopal Church. He was an avid hunter, golfer, dog lover, and passionate civil rights advocate.

Judge Carr is survived by his wife, Mary Leatherman Carr; a

daughter; a son; and a grandson.

He was the nephew of John T. Fisher ’52.

JAMES D. HARRELSON JR. ’70 1951 – 2015 James Dow Harrelson, Jr., of Sumter, South Carolina, died April 10, 2015.

Jimbo attended Woodberry for a short time before returning home to graduate from Edmunds High School. He earned a degree from Emory University before joining the family business, Sumter Laundry and Cleaners, of which he later became owner and president.

Mr. Harrelson is survived by his wife, Kim Brown Harrelson; a daughter; a son; and a sister.

Deaths in the Woodberry Family Ruby Mae Abbott, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, died on January 7, 2015. She worked in Woodberry’s food services department from 1977 until her retirement in 1989.

Tim Alan Garber of Weyers Cave, Virginia, died December 10, 2014. Tim came to Woodberry in 1997 and spent seventeen years as the networks systems administrator, greatly advancing the school’s technology during the course of his tenure. Ross Winston ’15, who shared Tim’s love of technology, honored his mentor’s memory with a plaque hanging in the school’s technology department. “Tim was the only member of the Woodberry faculty I called by his first name,” Ross said in his remarks at the dedication of the plaque on May 19, 2015. Mr. Garber is survived by his wife, Mary Bell Garber; his mother; a son; a daughter; a brother; and a sister.

Mary K. Rogers, of Portland, Maine, died on January 14, 2015.

She was the grandmother of Philip J. Rogers ’10.

Joseph Y. Rowe of Orange, Virginia, died January 4, 2015. Joe grew up in Maryland, graduating from Charlotte Hall School in 1939. He earned a degree from Western Maryland College in 1943, after which he joined the US Army, serving in the Corps of Engineers in France during World War II. Joe began teaching math at St. James School in Maryland. In 1952 he came to Woodberry, where he was part of the math department for decades. He was the first master to hold the William Leland Lord Chair of Mathematics. He was a dorm master, manager of Woodberry Forest Inn, and faculty adviser to the ESU scholarship exchange program, Civil War club, and art club. He also earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Virginia.

From 1973 until 1981, Joe served as headmaster of Grymes Memorial School in Orange, where he had previously been a trustee. He later returned to teach at Woodberry, retiring in 1984.

Mr. Rowe was active in the local community, serving as a Sunday school teacher, vestryman, and senior warden at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. He was also president of Orange County Historical Society and a member of the Arts Center in Orange, James Madison Museum, and Friends of the Library. He published six books pertaining to local history, including Old Masters and Old Masters II — collections of biographies of legendary Woodberry instructors.

In 2013, Joe was awarded Orange County Education Foundation’s lifetime contribution award. He was the uncle of David H. Rowe ’58 and the great-uncle of R. Wilson Tarbox IV ’10.

OSCAR C. CARR III ’69 1951 – 2015

JOSEPH Y. ROWE 1923– 2015

Katharine Ravenel, formerly Kathy Woods of the Woodberry Forest English department, died March 9, 2015. Kathy was married to Rik Woods, who served as Woodberry’s history department chairman and academic dean in the 1970s.

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for the record Births

1985 To Lt. Col. John W. Black III and Ms. Adriana Palacios Bonarrigo, a son, Xavier, February 8, 2015 1996 To Mr. and Mrs. M. Eugene Williams, a daughter, Stella Raquel, September 23, 2014

Deaths

1934 Lynn R. Hammond, Jr., January 15, 2015 1938 John W. Castles III, December 8, 2014 1938 W. Trent Ragland, Jr., March 1, 2015

1997 To Mr. and Mrs. John M. Wilson, a son, Penn Augustus, June 7, 2013

1939 Matt R. Long, Jr., May 13, 2015

1997 To Mr. and Mrs. John B. Maddison, a daughter, Margaret Staples, April 9, 2014

1941 William M. Ragland, March 31, 2015

2000 To Dr. and Mrs. Patrick E. Paullus, a daughter, Sterling Everest, September 9, 2013

1943 Charles A. Johnson, March 16, 2015

2000 To Mr. and Mrs. D. Whitworth Holladay, a daughter, Mary Katherine, February 26, 2015

1944 William C. Seaman, April 1, 2015

1942 Franklin F. Starks, Jr., April 7, 2015

1943 Edwin M. Wilson, December 30, 2014

2004 To Mr. and Mrs. William R. Cage, a son, Everette Crawford Grady, December 14, 2104

1945 John A. Stillwell, February 27, 2015

Faculty Births

1952 H. William Carter, Jr., April 15, 2015

1946 W. Boatner Reily III, January 5, 2015

1954 Hugh McLennan, December 14, 2014

To Mr. and Mrs. David Budlong, a son, David Russell, Jr., February 24, 2015

1957 J. William Ferrell III, December 21, 2014

Marriages

1957 C. Douglas Smith, Jr., January 13, 2015

1997 P. Barnett Greenberg to Heather Meg Meibach, October 26, 2014 1999 Jackson K. Duncan to Sarah Dalrymple, December 6, 2014 2000 Patrick E. Paullus to Katherine Christina Amerson, July 12, 2008 2001 Robert S. N. Gentil to Susan Cook, July 19, 2014 2002 Edward W. Wood to Katherine Ann Bruce, November 22, 2014 2004 B. Fletcher Fortune III to Jaclyn Burke Maloomian, May 9, 2015 2004 J. Caylor Mark III to Ellen Kane, November 1, 2014 2006 Anson B. Howard to Meredith Cerie Muecke, October 4, 2014 2006 John-David P. Morris to Anna Glenn Auman, December 6, 2014

1960 William D. Thompson, March 8, 2015 1962 R. Preston Graves, July 17, 2014 1966 Charles S. Hatchette, January 21, 2015 1966 Samuel H. Marshall, December 17, 2013 1968 T. Austin Finch III, March 3, 2015 1968 Henry L. Sloan III, December 13, 2013 1969 Oscar C. Carr III, April 6, 2015 1970 James D. Harrelson, Jr., April 10, 2015

Faculty Deaths

Tim A. Garber, December 10, 2014

Former Faculty Deaths Katharine Ravenel, March 9, 2014 Joseph Y. Rowe, January 4, 2015

62  woodberry forest magazine and journal

postscript

Save the Date

Then and Now

Visit www.woodberry.org for details!

DECEMBER 2015

Track at the Forest!

17 Winter Instrumental Concert & Community Candlelight Service

FEBRUARY 2016

4–6 Winter Black Box Production 18–20 Winter Main Stage Production

APRIL 2016

15–17 Reunion Weekend

MAY 2016

> circa 1962

Keep Us Posted!

> 2014

Send us your latest news! Fill in and mail the card at the front of the magazine, email linda.hogan@woodberry.org, or visit www.woodberry.org/alumni.

Book Report

Recent Publications by Woodberry Alumni

first impressions Charlie Lovett ’80 Viking Press Subtitled “A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen,” Charlie Lovett’s new book imagines a romantic mystery that changes the literary world.

19–21 Spring Main Stage Production 27–28 Commencement

Fun Fact

The Woodberry Forest china on which generations of students have dined is made by the only manufacturer currently firing chinaware in the United States, Homer Laughlin Company in West Virginia. “Our pattern requires a special production process and a minimum order is required for the company to produce our pieces,” said Clyde Firman, Woodberry’s food services director.

the last buffalo hunt and other stories Jim Merritt ’62 iBooks, Inc. This collection, written over the years for Field & Stream and other magazines, includes historical profiles of Daniel Boone, Theodore Roosevelt, John, Muir, and many others. For details, visit www.southriverpress.com.

spring 2015 63

photo f inish

Clark LaVoie, son of Nolan LaVoie, Woodberry’s outdoor education director, shows off artwork depicting himself sporting a Moubray wear shirt. “When I grow up, I want to be a coach,” Clark wrote during his first grade class’s career

64 woodberry forest magazine and journal

week, “because my dad is and they are cool.” Clark lives in the Old Brookman House with his dad; his mom, Becca, an English teacher at Madison High School; and his brother, Will.

Photo by Linda Hogan.

What is your Woodberry legacy?

EDWARD D. C. CAMPBELL JR. ’66

WILLIAM T. GOODSON ’01

Kip

Will NEXT REUNION

50th in 2016

15th in 2016

DEGREE

BA, MA, Virginia Tech; PhD, University of South Carolina

BS, North Carolina State University

OCCUPATION

Retired editor and museum, historical society, and research library administrator

Senior financial advisor, Goodson & Nichols Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC

SIXTH-FORM DORM

House A; roomed with Bill DePass

Prefect on A-dorm

SPORT

Soccer (letterman), lacrosse, track

Basketball, baseball

FAVORITE MEAL AT THE FOREST

Leisurely Sunday morning buffet with donuts and coffee

Fir Tree breakfast platter

FAVORITE TEACHER, AND TOUGHEST

Coach Falconer instilled confidence, Leonard Dick the tools of language, Arthur Latham a love of writing and books, and Hamish MacDougall the concept of subtle polish; Baker Duncan, Bob Eason, Sam McLaughlin, and Jack Marr instilled an awareness of how fine teachers critique while encouraging a confused and hesitant boy.

Dr. Hulsey had the biggest impact on me at Woodberry, both as a teacher and a baseball coach. Dr. McArver was my JV cross-country coach my first year and he was certainly the toughest on me— I got ten demerits for refusing to run five miles when it was thirty-two degrees outside and snowing!

WHY DID YOU BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WALKER SOCIETY?

I often thanked my father, Ned (Class of ’39), and mother, Jane, for the opportunities Woodberry provided: friendship, scholarship, self-discipline, an unwavering code of conduct to carry us through life, guidance by faculty who cared deeply that we succeed, and a very special sense of community. I am in debt to Woodberry for shaping my life.

I met my best friends at Woodberry. And though we’ve all gone our separate ways to start careers and families, when we get together, it is like we haven’t missed a day.

By becoming part of the Walker Society, I am able to honor those friendships by giving back to the place where it all came together.

Join the Walker Society.

Help ensure that future generations have the same opportunities Woodberry gave you.

Visit www.woodberry.org or call 540-672-6058 to learn more.

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Non-Profit Organization US Postage

WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL Woodberry Forest, Virginia 22989

PAID

Permit No. 97 Orange, Virginia

Address Service Requested