Hutchison Magazine - July 2022

ON THEIR FIRST SPRING TRIP in two years, eighth-grade girls explored Ruby Falls, a cave system with underground waterfalls in Chattanooga. On the trip, they learned about freshwater and sea creatures at the Tennessee Aquarium, went roller skating, and made their best faces and poses at the Selfie Museum. It was a wonderful way for the girls to bond and share fun memories together before heading to upper school.

photo of teachers from Hutchison’s 1968 Lantern yearbook, L to R, seated: Wanda Mann Langston, English, and Margaret Wellford Tabor ’55, social studies; standing: DeVane Fair Yates, math and French, and Cecil Lawter, physical education and spelling.

dear friends,

I am constantly delighted and o en surprised to see how leadership and service take form.

One of my greatest joys is to watch as ideas and issues manifest as priorities for our girls, and then to see how each girl o ers leadership and service to those ideas. Whether it’s rising h grader Katherine Pace ’30 leading the charge to gather and donate stu ed animals to the Neighborhood Christian Centers or rising senior Eleanor Merchant ’23 taking the initiative to organize a blood drive at Hutchison with the Red Cross.

Leadership, service, and entrepreneurship have been part of Hutchison’s culture since the beginning. I o en hear from alumnae about how Hutchison prepared them for the service and leadership opportunities in their lives. Gi s from visionary donors enabled us to establish Hutchison Leads, Hutchison Serves, and Hutchison Invests, and these programs have taken the work our girls do in these important areas to impressive levels.

is past spring we launched a new initiative at Hutchison called the Institute for Responsible Citizenship that will further organize activities around leadership, service, and entrepreneurship. e Institute will provide focus, additional structure, and expanded opportunities for mentorships. is issue features three alumnae who have proven what a Hutchison education can mean for a life and for the world. Lynn Witte Rodriguez ’78, our 2022 Distinguished Alumna, has worked for 40 years in nursing, bringing insights and discernment to pediatrics. Dot Jones Hammons ’76 has dedicated her life to giving of herself, whether as a teacher or as a servant leader. You can read about her family creating a gi in her honor as part of the Institute. Margaret Wellford Tabor ’55 is an alumna and was a beloved Hutchison faculty member who imparted her love of learning to decades of Hutchison girls. We are recognizing her as our philanthropy award recipient.

My hope is that our alumnae, and our girls, inspire you to lead, serve, or even invent something new for your community and the world.

Warmly, Kristen Ring, Ed.D. | President and Head of School

MISSION

Hutchison School is dedicated to academic excellence and to the parallel development of mind, body, and spirit as it educates young women for success in college and for lives of integrity and responsible citizenship.

HUTCHISON MAGAZINE

JULY 2022

PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF SCHOOL Kristen D. Ring, Ed.D.

EDITOR

Max Maddock

Director of Communications mmaddock@hutchisonschool.org

CONSULTING EDITOR

Lori Guy Director of Strategy lguy@hutchisonschool.org

ALUMNAE DIRECTOR

Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10 mstafford@hutchisonschool.org

DESIGNER Barbara Himber

PHOTOGRAPHY

Brandon Dill, Danielle Katz, Caroline Schaefer ’08, and various Hutchison constituents

Hutchison Magazine is published by the Hutchison Communications Office.

Please forward address changes to:

HUTCHISON SCHOOL 1740 RIDGEWAY ROAD MEMPHIS, TN 38119 or khouston@hutchisonschool.org

Dr. Kristen Ring

Be sure to follow us on Are You Following Us?

Hutchison Earns College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award

Hutchison is one of a select group of schools worldwide to be recognized by the College Board for work toward equal gender representation and expansion of girls’ access to AP Computer Science courses. This marks the fourth year in a row that Hutchison has received the award.

Ella Luter ’22 Honored as Girl Who Means Business

Ella Luter ’22 was named a Girl Who Means Business by the Memphis Business Journal. The award recognized her exemplary academic and extracurricular achievements and community involvement.

Eleanor Merchant ’23 Organizes Blood Drive

Eleanor Merchant ’23 organized a blood drive at Hutchison with the Red Cross to aid hospitals dealing with critically low blood supplies. WREG News Channel 3 also featured Merchant as a Bright Spot, its series on people making a difference in the Memphis community. It is estimated that about 80 people may have been helped from this blood drive alone.

Five Rising Seniors Attend Tennessee Governor’s School

Eleanor Bridgforth ’23, Juliette Forgette ’23, Loralei Forgette ’23, Isabelle Mansour ’23, and Emmy Walton ’23 (pictured L to R) attended the 2022 Tennessee Governor’s School summer programs. They participated in high-intensity programs in subjects including computational physics, international studies, and theatre at universities across the state.

Hutchison Alumnae Uplift Aspiring Student Engineers

Featured in

Hutchison alumnae Phoebe Norcross ’13, Katherine Threlkeld ’06, and Anita Vasu ’02 shared with the Society of Women Engineers Next Club how Hutchison helped prepare them for STEM careers where they are often the only women in the room. Three NASA engineers also spoke on the panel about their careers and shared advice.

Dr. Kristen Ring and Megan Wellford Grinder ’91

The May issue of River City Lifestyle celebrated Dr. Kristen Ring as a “Wonder Woman” for her leadership and for modeling strength, resilience, and joy to young women in the Hutchison community. The issue also featured Board of Trustees Chair Megan Wellford Grinder ’91 and her portrait series that celebrates strong women.

Hutchison Honors Nine Retiring Faculty and Staff

Hutchison recognized the service of Hong Lin, Missy Prewitt, Loraine Galbreath ’67, Grace Anne Morrison, Virginia Baird, Gloria McKinner, Margaret Bell, Pam Shumake ’88, and Henry Hampton (not pictured) at a retirement celebration in the Hutchison courtyard. They have a combined total of more than 250 years of service to the Hutchison community! We thank them for inspiring and influencing generations of Hutchison girls.

You will be missed!

Caroline Schaefer ’08 is Hutchison’s new Athletic Director. While a student at Hutchison, Schaefer was a prolific multi-sport athlete and was on the school’s first state championship lacrosse team in 2007. She returned to Hutchison in 2018 to work in athletics as the Assistant Athletic Director for Student Athletic Experience where she was the creative voice of the @hutchisonsting account on Instagram.

A Spirit of Service

Hundreds of stuffed animals were donated to Neighborhood Christian Centers, Inc. thanks to the work of Katherine Pace ’30 and our lower school girls. She led the Fuzzy Friends project, which collected gently used stuffed animals. She made flyers, spoke at chapel, and visited classrooms to motivate girls to participate.

Camille Mattingly ’22 Curates Art Show

For her Certificate of Arts senior project, Camille Mattingly ’22 curated a show titled EIGHTEEN with Arrow Creative. The gallery featured work from 11 artists who were seniors in high school, including herself and seven other Hutchison seniors: Sara Kate Burnett, Natalie Hall, Lillie Hollabaugh, Curren Ligon, Ella Luter, Shubhi Singh, and Stephanie Woodbury

Caroline Schaefer ’08 Named Athletic Director

Be sure to follow us on

Hutchison Wins Big at Regional Scholastic Art Awards

Hutchison

31 Mid-South Scholastic

year,

girls won

Art Awards this

with 7 Gold Keys, 5 Silver Keys, and 19 Honorable Mentions. Congratulations to Lillie Hollabaugh ’22, Callie Hutton ’23, Angela Jacobs ’23, Ella Luter ’22, Parks Renovich ’23, Isabella Smith ’22, and Stephanie Woodbury ’22 for winning Gold Keys.

Italy Living by Parks Renovich ’23

Our Botanical Life and Death by Ella Luter ’22

Coloring Contest by Angela Jacobs ’23

Painted by Lillie Hollabaugh ’22

Crystalline by Callie Hutton ’23

Protective Crown by Stephanie Woodbury ’22

Vast by Isabella Smith ’22

Zoe Zerwig Ford ’23, Lacy Williams ’23, and Nyla Johnson ’23 received a CrewUP Youth Filmmaking Mentorship from Indie Memphis. The girls will write, shoot, and edit an original film that will compete this fall in the Indie Memphis Youth Film Fest.

ATHLETICS ROUNDUP

Middle School Lacrosse Team Wins City Championship

Both the varsity tennis team and the track and field team took home TSSAA D-II AA West Region Championships. It was the 16th year in a row for the Hutchison tennis program!

Middle School Basketball Wins Shelby League Championship

Tennis and Track & Field Teams Win Regionals Varsity

Middle school girls captured the 7/8 Varsity Division Shelby League Basketball Championship.

Molly Browne ’26 was named MVP of the tournament, and Haney Harris ’26 and Wright Prather ’26 were selected for the All-Tournament Team. This is the Class of 2026’s fourth consecutive Shelby League Championship.

The Hutchison varsity lacrosse team defeated St. Mary’s Episcopal School in the quarterfinal and Ensworth School in the semifinal to get to the state championship game, losing to Harpeth Hall but putting up an incredible fight!

Hutchison’s middle school lacrosse team won the West Tennessee Middle School Girls Lacrosse Championship. Girls on the black team went undefeated this season, outscoring opponents 200-30.

Congratulations to

Lily French Cox The University of Alabama

Bena Elizabeth Grimes Ringling College of Art and Design

Aimen Saeed Kazmi University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Hayden Grace Miller The University of Texas at Austin

Sarah Jane Richey Rhodes College

Kathryn Harrell Weakley The University of Alabama

Caroline Harper Brickey University of Arkansas*

Caroline Nelson Erb The University of Texas at Austin

Lillie Cline Hollabaugh Fordham University

Ava Nicole Maxwell

Layla Sabrena Murray Rhodes College

Isabella Adams Smith Savannah College of Art and Design

Abigail Ingram Arnold Tulane University*

Rheagan Kiera Crenshaw Hampton University

Isabella Mallory Harriman Boston College

Curren Elianah Ligon Auburn University*

Brigid Carrigan Mills University of Mississippi

Delaney Leigh Robertson University of Colorado,

Louise Russell Whittemore University of Arkansas

Madison Simone Bright

Madison Kelsey Neal University of Tennessee, Knoxville*

Madison Lynn Fisher Western University

Hamna Tameez Southern Methodist University*

Emerson Meadows Applegate

Elizabeth Sims Craft George Washington University

Natalie Deering Hall University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Claire Elizabeth Klemis Bennington College

Merrick Taylor Miller University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Devereux McLaurin Ringger University of Tennessee, Knoxville*

Ava Rose Weiss University of Denver

Annabelle Black Bridgforth University of Virginia*

Vanessa Fan University of Maryland, College Park

Acelynn Miller Humphries University of Kentucky

Katherine Casey McCandless Emerson College

Courtney Breland Myers University of Mississippi

Catherine Claire Solberg Southern Methodist University

Lucie Elizabeth Bell University of Mississippi

Lillian Byrn Rodenhiser University of Mississippi

Taylor Temple Crump University of Mississippi

Catherine Collier Wiener Furman University

Hannah Layal Abu-Khraybeh University of Kentucky

Hutchison

Denotes Honors College

Isabella Cynthia Beyer

Kristin Claire Nunn The University of Texas at Austin

Ava Grace Dickson Southern Methodist University

Layla Nzinga Truitt Santa Clara University

Mary Olivia Brundick University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Sarah Elizabeth Rowland Auburn University

Genevieve Lorentz Geno The University of Alabama

Lily Rose Williams Auburn University

Lawson Chandel Bolton University of Arkansas

Linley Francis Downs

Miller Elizabeth Hastings The University of Alabama

Ella Kyle Luter University of Virginia

Dorothy Izabella Moore University of Tennessee,

Lilly Elizabeth Sands University of Tennessee,

Anne Wylly Willmott University of Virginia

Sara Kate Burnett University of Missouri*

Molly Reeves Gooch University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Mariam Ashraf Husein University of Tennessee,

Mallory Watts McQuillen University of Mississippi

Rachel Elizabeth Perry University of Oregon

Cecile Farnsworth Turley Southern Methodist University

Madison Lara Borkowski University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Annaleigh Ruth Eason The University of Alabama*

Caroline Grace Hathcock University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Jane Eleanor Martin Auburn University

Darrielle Renee Morris Georgia State University

Morgan Danielle Schrier Washington University in St. Louis

Stephanie Angela Woodbury Tufts University

Amanda Morgan Campbell Spelman College

Virginia Ann Grimes New York University

Juliana Britton Judge University of Mississippi

Alexandra Nicole McVean University of Michigan

Margaret Proctor Pitts Austin Community College

Marianna Grace Underwood University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Faith Ediryn Egedegbe Vanderbilt University

Zoe Joanne Borkowski University of Tennessee, Knoxville*

Lucy Thompson Hettinger Elon University

Camille Anise Mattingly George Washington University

Talia Deonna Morris Tennessee State University

Shubhi Singh University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Emilia Grace Yambrek University of Georgia

The 2022 May Court: Annabelle Bridgforth; Layla Truitt, May Queen; and Katie Wiener.

Alabama A&M University

Appalachian State University

Arizona State University

Auburn University

Austin College

Austin Community College

Baylor University

Belmont University Bennington College

Boston College

Boston University

Butler University California Institute of the Arts

Carroll College Centre College Christian Brothers University Clark Atlanta University Clemson University Colgate University College of Charleston College of William and Mary Colorado State University Columbia College Chicago Denison University DePaul University Dickinson College Elon University Emerson College

Florida A&M University Fordham University

Furman University

George Washington University Georgia State University

Hampton University Hendrix College

Houston Community College

Howard University Illinois Wesleyan University

Indiana University, Bloomington Institute of the Arts Barcelona

Lafayette College

Louisiana State University

Long Island University

Loyola Marymount University

Loyola University Chicago Maryland Institute College of Art

Marymount Manhattan College Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Miami University Mississippi State University Montana State University Muhlenberg College New York University Northwestern University Ohio University Oklahoma State University Oregon State University Pace University Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University Pratt Institute Queens University Rhodes College Ringling College of Art and Design Roanoke College Saint Louis University Samford University

Santa Clara University

Sarah Lawrence College Savannah College of Art and Design

Shenandoah University Southern Illinois University Southern Methodist University Spelman College St. John’s University Syracuse University

Temple University Tennessee State University Texas Christian University

The Ohio State University The University of Alabama The University of Texas at Austin

The University of the South Trinity University Tufts University Tulane University

Tuskegee University University at Buffalo University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Alabama in Huntsville University of Arizona University of Arkansas University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

University of British Columbia University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of Colorado, Boulder University of Denver University of Florida University of Georgia University of Iowa University of Kentucky University of Maryland University of Memphis University of Miami University of Michigan University of Mississippi University of Missouri University of Montana University of New Hampshire

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of Oklahoma University of Oregon University of Richmond

University of San Francisco

University of South Carolina University of Southern California

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga University of Tennessee at Martin University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin, Madison Vanderbilt University Villanova University Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington University in St. Louis

Western Kentucky University Western University Williams College Wofford College Wright State University Xavier University of Louisiana

Cla of 2022 Acceptances Congratulations!

Photographs by Nick Simpson

Creepy, Kooky, Mysterious, and Spooky!

WE ALL KNOW THE DITTY about the famous Addams Family, but did you know they also have to deal with real nightmares just like everyone else? For instance, they’re not immune to the chaos of budding romance, the tension of families getting together, and the revelation of deep secrets.

Hutchison was fortunate to have four abnormal nights with Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandma, and Lurch when the upper school presented The Addams Family musical as its spring production, directed by Jay Rapp. The show is based on the characters created by Charles Addams, the artist known for his macabre humor, with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. It was a spectacular run full of dark humor and entertaining musical numbers! Eighteen upper school girls took the stage to bring this famous family to life, so to speak, even though a few of them were actually dead in the show. They were joined onstage by four Memphis University School students. Another 26 Hutchison girls worked behind the scenes in various tech jobs to make sure the lights didn’t go out and frighten us to death. Instead, we screamed with laughter.

Embracing the Turns:

LIVING A LIFE OF PURPOSE

by Max Maddock

It is a vivid memory for Lynn Witte Rodriguez ’78 . She was a sophomore at Hutchison and on a field trip with her biology class, taught by Elsie Yeates, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center. “They packed us into this little room to watch hemodialysis,” she recalled. “I was horrified by the experience. The whole thing scared me to pieces.

I remember sitting there, and someone told me not to lean on one of those little silver instrument trays they put out. All of a sudden I woke up in another room. I had completely passed out.”

AT THE TIME, IF SOMEONE HAD SUGGESTED to Lynn that she should try her hand at nursing, she would have assumed they were making fun of her. Yet, over the last 40 years, she has built an admirable career in nursing, witnessing much more than what made her faint as a 16-year-old. She’s worked in the chaos and trauma of emergency rooms, volunteered to serve on a pediatric helicopter flight team, and dedicated a decade and a half to work in hematology, helping to advance the research and treatment of sickle cell disease. Most recently, she’s pivoted to assisting highly skilled physicians in surgeries for cancer patients.

“The fact that I could go from a fainter to this career illustrates that you can do anything if you want to,” she said.

Her achievements haven’t gone unnoticed. This year, she was named Hutchison’s Distinguished Alumna, an award that recognizes and celebrates alumnae who are making a difference in the world through exceptional professional achievement and selfless and visionary service.

A COURSE CORRECTION

As you might guess, Rodriguez didn’t run to sign up for nursing school right off the bat. After Hutchison, she matriculated to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she was an animal science major hoping to become a veterinarian. The plan seemed promising, but she was challenged by organic chemistry. One of her friends was enjoying nursing studies and encouraged Lynn to consider it. The fact that it would be a secure job and offer a wide variety of specialties appealed to Rodriguez.

It made sense, and Rodriguez decided to change course. After returning to Memphis, she completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing degree at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 1983. She was hired at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center and then received her first assignment—the emergency department. “I cried for two days,” she recalled. “I said, ‘I can’t do this. I will never make it through an emergency room. I’m a fainter. It’s going to be awful.’ ”

Left, Lynn Witte Rodriguez ’78 with husband Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, and their dog, Nacho, at their home in downtown Memphis.

The interesting thing, she admits, is that she loved it. “When you’re in any kind of situation where you don’t have a sense of what’s going on, that’s frightening for anybody,” Rodriguez explained. “However, when you’re in an emergency room, it’s much more controlled. I think that helped me control my emotions and my thoughts, to calm down, to think critically. I learned to take a deep breath and handle situations much differently.” She worked in the emergency room for three years.

For two of those three years in the ER, she also voluntarily signed on for another assignment. At the time, there were helicopter transports for adult trauma patients, but none for pediatrics. To fill the gap, the Memphis Police Department provided helicopters to fly a nurse, a physician (usually an intensive care doctor), and a respiratory therapist to hospitals where patients had been taken after accidents. The trio would continue stabilizing the patient and then fly them back to Le Bonheur. The team was on call for at least one to two flights a month.

“You had no idea what you were getting into,” Rodriguez explained about taking those flights. “The helicopter team was always challenging. I kind of dreaded it every time they called. I didn’t have to do it, but I chose to challenge what I could do and get better at what I was doing. It helped me become more independent.”

AN OPENING DEFINES A CAREER

In 1994, Rodriguez had an opportunity to join St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a pediatric sickle cell nurse coordinator, which was part of the hematology division. Her daughter, Sally Wynn ’12, had just been born, and her two sons, Hank and Luke, were seven and four.

One of her projects was to further develop the newborn screening program in the state of Tennessee to identify children with sickle cell disease. She also became involved in the clinical trials for hydroxyurea, a drug that was being tested as a treatment for patients with sickle cell. At the time, hydroxyurea was being approved for adults, but had yet to be studied in teenagers, younger children, and infants.

“I worked on all the trials from the teenagers to the toddlers. Initially, I was just a state coordinator, but eventually I got to know everybody in the United States who was working on these trials,” she explained. As a result, she was asked to lead the clinical trials for the states in infant hydroxyurea use, which was called the BABY HUG trial. The work started locally in 2003, but eventually there were 14 clinical trial sites in the United States.

Rodriguez directed the national trials and even advocated that the funding and the nursing staff allocated to the different sites be dedicated to this work and not dispersed to other needs. “I learned to really lead at that point,” she noted. She said because she had been involved in the other clinical trials, she never doubted that she could lead the larger trial.

She also sat on several steering committees, including one for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which was unique because she was the only nurse in a group of physicians—mostly men. “I was the one who had the connection with the families. I knew the patients, and I was a voice for them.” When she got some pushback about being on these committees, she remembered saying that she was more than qualified because she understood what was at stake. “I said, ‘I’m a mother of three children, and I know what this means to even consider joining a clinical trial with a child.’ So, it was a growth experience for me that I enjoyed.”

Because of her intense involvement in the clinical trials, it made sense that Rodriguez would take part in the articles being written about the trials for publication. The first article that her name was attached to was published in 1998 for The Journal of Pediatrics. Similar articles followed almost every year.

An article published in 2010 for the journal Contemporary Clinical Trials was particularly exciting. “We had physician partners, but I was the lead author on that, which felt great.” She also contributed to an article published in 2011 in Lancet, a globally recognized general and internal medicine journal.

EVEN IF YOU WERE AN AVERAGE STUDENT AT HUTCHISON, WHEN YOU GRADUATED FROM THE SCHOOL, YOU HAD LEARNED TO WRITE AND TO COMMUNICATE. I THINK THAT’S A TRUE GIFT OF HUTCHISON. ”

She credits Hutchison for her writing skills. “Even if you were an average student at Hutchison, when you graduated from the school, you had learned to write and to communicate,” she added, fondly recalling her English teachers Margaret Wellford Tabor ’55, Jane Caldwell, Missy West Quis ’69, and Mildred Bonner. “I think that’s a true gift of Hutchison.”

To date, she has contributed to over 15 published articles and more than 25 abstracts. She’s also made presentations to many different groups and at medical conferences, has been recognized by St. Jude, and in 2022, received the Advanced Practice Nurse Hero Award presented by The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing.

Leading the nationwide clinical trials for a drug was a full-time job, but somehow during that time, Rodriguez found the

extra bandwidth to continue her studies. In the early 2000s, when St. Jude decided it needed more nurse practitioners, it worked out an arrangement with the University of Pennsylvania.

“Penn offered a master’s in the science of nursing, with an emphasis on hematology oncology. It was an amazing experience,” Rodriguez recalled. “At that time, I had three children at home, and I was working full time. It was challenging with a lot of long nights.” Zoom wasn’t around then, but Rodriguez said that St. Jude was advanced enough to have video classrooms. Most of the work was completed remotely, with a few occasional trips back and forth to Penn, including clinical rotations at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She graduated in 2003.

Lynn with a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Photo courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Hospital

FOR ME, MY NUMBER ONE GOAL IN LIFE IS TO TREAT OTHERS KINDLY, TO BE COMPASSIONATE, TO BE EMPATHETIC, TO BE HAPPY. WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR SOMEONE TO BE HAPPY? I CAN’T RELY ON JUST MY EXTERNAL SURROUNDINGS. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT CITY I CHOOSE TO LIVE IN, OR WHAT DECISION I MAKE, OR WHO I AM WITH. HAPPINESS TRULY HAS

USING WISDOM DURING A TRANSITION

After spending 16 years in hematology, Rodriguez said she was ready for a change. She had traveled a lot for the clinical studies and was frequently in Washington, D.C. “I was tired, and I wanted to stay home with my kids. My middle son was playing college football,” she explained.

In 2010, she transferred to St. Jude’s department of surgery to work as a pediatric nurse practitioner with Dr. Andrew Davidoff, chair of the surgery department and director of surgical research, who is a renowned oncology surgeon.

Even though she loves her work in surgery now, she admitted that the transition wasn’t easy at first. “Surgery is completely different,” she said. “I had gone from clinical trials and a smaller amount of direct patient care to full-on patient care and surgery.”

She said she was able to adjust to her new situation because of two pieces of wisdom. She recalled hearing Dr. Joseph Simone, a skilled clinician and the third director of St. Jude, give a lecture about his famous maxims. One of them was that you must give yourself 12 to 18 months to feel settled after a job change, even when you’re at the same institution.

She also remembered a lesson from her Hutchison Latin class. Her teacher, Bette Carol Scott, had her class translate different pieces from Latin. One was from the Roman poet Horace. The original Latin read: “Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt,” which translates to: “They change their sky, not their soul, who rush across the sea.”

While Rodriguez admits that she didn’t grasp the importance of the Horace quote while in high school, she has meditated on it over the years. She explained what it has meant to her: “For me, my number one goal in life is to treat others kindly, to be compassionate, to be empathetic, to be happy. What does it take for someone to be happy? I can’t rely on just my external surroundings. It doesn’t matter what city I choose to live in, or what decision I make, or who I am with. Happiness truly has to come from within your soul.

With that in mind, Rodriguez thrived in the surgery position. In 2019, she was named manager of surgery advanced practice providers. “I coordinate all of the international surgery now, which I love. It’s why I can’t retire!” she admitted. “I certainly have had hard days like anybody, but I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t contribute. I am honored to work with Dr. Davidoff. Very few surgeons in the world can do the surgery that he and our team do.” Rodriguez also works with Dr. Davidoff’s daughter, Hutchison alumna Sophie Davidoff ’11, who is a pediatric nurse practitioner.

“I think the pieces Ms. Scott had us translate were very wise for young women.”

TO COME FROM WITHIN YOUR SOUL. ”

Photograph by Brandon Dill

Lynn’s husband, Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, is the director of St. Jude Global, the chair of the department of global pediatric medicine, and the co-associate director of community outreach and engagement for the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Lynn’s work with international surgery patients and families dovetails well with the global mission of St. Jude and her husband’s work. Without the long trip to Memphis for specialized surgery, these children might not have a chance of survival.

Rodriguez said she finds strength in her family, her husband, and her friends. One of her best friends is classmate Lee Lowry McComb ’78, who joined Hutchison in eighth grade. Rodriguez was assigned to be McComb’s big sister and still has the letter she wrote to Lee telling her how honored she was to be her guide. “We became best friends and have stayed best friends our entire lives.

“My parents have had the most influence on me of anyone. They gave me a tremendous amount of security and love.” Her mother, Sally Witte, was a beloved kindergarten teacher at Hutchison. “My mom played the piano, and even though she had four children of her own, she would knit Christmas ornament bells for each of her little students. I don’t know how she had time. She always had a gentle voice and hug for each girl.” In addition to Lynn, a number of other family members attended Hutchison, including her sister, Barbara Witte Meloni ’84; Lynn’s daughter, Sally Wynn ’12; Barbara’s daughters Ceil Meloni ’13 and Abby Meloni ’15; and Madison Witte ’13 and Chandler Reece Meloni ’11. Lynn’s father, Dexter, who passed away in 2019, was proud of all of his Hutchison girls and was their most enthusiastic supporter, attending almost every sporting event at the school.

“I am so honored to work at St. Jude. Yes, I wish that I had never seen some of the things I’ve seen, but it’s a situation where I have certain skills, and I need to do my best to help people during their worst times. My wish is to help parents and children survive cancer. That’s the whole mission of St. Jude—‘No child should die in the dawn of life.’

“My path has always been a surprise. It’s not been well carved out. I haven’t been the person that said, ‘This is where I’m going to be, and next year I’ll be here, and next year I’ll be here.’ Opportunities presented themselves, and then I would make them work.”

CHALLENGES BALANCED WITH GIFTS

Beyond working through the immense difficulties of COVID, which essentially required the St. Jude campus to lock down and for employees to be tested weekly for two years, Rodriguez said her biggest challenge is dealing with the highs and lows of pediatric cancer.

“It’s a job of extreme emotions,” she admitted. “You are profoundly happy when things go well. To watch a child complete chemotherapy and celebrate their survival is the most glorious gift you could ever receive. Then, on the other hand, the days when that doesn’t happen are truly the darkest in a person’s life. It’s really a dichotomy.”

Of course, it’s still surprising, even to Rodriguez, that the person who fainted at the sight of hemodialysis is now involved with surgery.

“I’ve been able to challenge myself, and I’ve had a challenging career. I had a great foundation to start it with, and I credit a lot to Hutchison. My advice is: don’t be surprised at how winding your path will be. Your career and your life are going to be unexpected. Embrace the turns of your life.”

Learning takes flight

by Danielle Katz

A little birdie told us the kindergarten girls learned all about birds during the spring! This annual study strengthens their creativity, writing, and research skills while allowing the girls to help birds on the Hutchison campus and beyond. They designed and built feeders, birdhouses, nesting centers, and birdbaths in the classroom and in the Innovation Lab while learning about the birds their inventions will benefit. The girls donated their creations to the Hutchison farm and Memphis Tilth, a local organization dedicated to creating a sustainable and equitable local food system. They were proud to see how their creations and innovation can make a difference!

The girls brainstormed the various ways they could help birds and drew out their ideas in the Innovation Lab.

Each team used Tinkercad, an online 3D modeling program, to create 3D designs and brought them to life using a 3D printer in the Innovation Lab.

the girls used various materials and tools under the supervision of Jennifer Stover, Hutchison’s technology integrationist.

in kindergarten

each girl researched a bird found in Tennessee, made models of the bird and a nest, and wrote a nonfiction Book. The girls’ confidence soared as they showed their projects to their families.

Kindergarteners got to see a real-life example of a bird they were studying when they spotted a pileated woodpecker on the Hutchison campus.

The girls presented their projects to Memphis Tilth and discussed the importance of birds.

The Girls learned to work together in teams as they created their designs.

Keeping at it:

A LIFETIME DEVOTED TO SERVICE

Dot Jones Hammons ’76 with her family, from left: son John Hammons III, his wife Josie, Dot (with granddaughters Elizabeth Hammons ’35 and Pearson Hammons ’37 in front), husband John Hammons Jr., and daughter Rachel Hammons Parks ’10 (not pictured: Rachel’s husband, Will, and son, William).

Photograph by Brandon Dill

by Max Maddock

On Christmas morning of December 2021, Dot Jones Hammons ’76 noticed there was one last gi under the Christmas tree.

“It was beautifully wrapped. My sister is an artist, so I could tell my husband, John, had asked her to wrap it,” Hammons recalled. “ e present was lightweight. I opened it and there was a little piece of paper with a picture of popcorn and a drink. It said, ‘Let’s go watch a movie!’ ”

Dot’s daughter, Rachel, had given her some tickets to a show, so Dot thought the “movie” might somehow be related to that gi . She followed her husband and family to the TV room. When they turned the TV on, Dr. Kristen Ring, Hutchison’s head of school, was on the screen saying,

Hello, Dot !

“My first thought was, ‘Why is Kristen Ring on my TV?’ ” Dot recalled with amusement.

Dr. Ring’s videotaped message was short, but it revealed how John and the Hammons family had decided to create an award in Dot’s honor at Hutchison. “We know that Hutchison’s responsibility is to prepare amazing young women to positively impact the world, much as you have, and we take that very seriously,” Dr. Ring explained.

It took a few minutes for Dot to understand what was going on, she admitted. It was unexpected. “I was touched and got a little emotional, because I was overwhelmed,” she explained.

JUST KEEPING AT IT

“Dot’s life is defined by her servant leadership,” John Hammons Jr. said, explaining how he came up with the idea to honor his wife by endowing a student leadership award at Hutchison. “Dot doesn’t have a selfish goal or a self-promoting reason to do what she does. She just does it. It comes from a good place of faith, integrity, character, and trying to help those with whom she comes in contact with. She does it easily and naturally.”

After graduating from Hutchison in 1976, Dot attended Vanderbilt University and then decided she wanted to teach in the Memphis City Schools. She was assigned to teach at Whitehaven Elementary School, which she knew had fewer resources and might be challenging for a new teacher.

She admits that even after receiving an excellent

education at Hutchison and Vanderbilt, she wasn’t sure what she could accomplish in that first year. Nevertheless, she taught at Whitehaven for nine and a half years. What she took from that time teaching is something that she’s been able to use in all her life’s work.

“In under-resourced situations, I learned that you can’t fix the socioeconomic problems and you probably can’t fix the missing resources,” she explained. “You can go in every day and use your skills and your talents, such as helping students read better than they could without you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a teacher or a leader because I’ve done both. Sometimes you see the fruit, and sometimes you don’t, but you just keep at it. It’s satisfying and rewarding to try your best to help someone who doesn’t have the same opportunities you’ve had. I had a desire to help those children in any capacity that I could.

“I loved teaching at Whitehaven. It was transformative and helped shape me,” she added.

After almost 10 years teaching, Dot decided to devote time to her young children at home. In 2003, she began volunteering as the teaching director for the Memphis metro area branch of Community Bible Study, a national nonprofit organization that offers Bible study classes around the world. Her focus in Memphis was helping women and children, and she managed 60 leaders and classes of more than 200 women. The structure was non-denominational, and there were women from many different churches involved, as well as some who were not active in a church.

“We had a children’s program for babies through preschool, and then we had a homeschool element,” she said. “I managed the leaders for the class and gave the Bible lecture.” For nine years, Dot’s leadership impacted thousands of women and their children.

As her parents got older, Dot took time off to spend with them. She is the second of four generations who have attended Hutchison. Her mother, Carol Lewis Jones, Class of 1950, was an active member of the Memphis and Hutchison alumnae communities for decades until her passing in May 2020. Dot’s sister, Caroline Jones Winters, graduated in 1974, and Dot’s daughter, Rachel Hammons Parks, graduated in 2010.

Dot currently has two granddaughters at Hutchison— kindergartener Elizabeth Hammons ’35 and pre-kindergartener Pearson Hammons ’37, daughters of her son, John Hammons III. She also has a grandson, William Parks (1-1/2).

HELPING WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD

Beginning in 2007, Dot began to participate in overseas missions trips sponsored by her church, Second Presbyterian. Her first trip was to Ukraine, where she helped with a women’s conference. She also has served on missions trips to Kazakhstan, one of the former Soviet republics, as well as twice to both India and Kenya.

She noted that mission trip participants are well versed before heading to a particular country. “We have months of preparation,” she said. “We read about the culture and the cultural dos and don’ts to try to be more effective. We prepare our subject matter and there’s a lot of prayer. We don’t go in blindly.”

The work they do depends on the needs in a particular location. “The church partners with locals who are already doing things in a community,” she explained. “We come alongside to help and encourage because they’re already doing it. We work together with the local leaders, preparing the agenda and the topic. Then we come in to teach and assist.”

Many of the places she’s traveled to are in underresourced areas, and she admitted it can feel overwhelming. She carries with her what she learned in her early teaching career, that she can’t always fix the circumstances. “Often, I feel absolutely unqualified to even attempt to help, since I’m

Above: One of Dot’s mission trips took her to Kenya, where she worked alongside women in a sewing class. Right: Children in Kenya working on a biblical craft with Dot.

Dot with her grandchildren: Elizabeth Hammons ’35, William Parks, and Pearson Hammons ’37

not in their shoes. However, I can show them care, concern, dignity, worth as an individual, love, and I can pray for them.”

Additionally, traveling overseas to different countries, experiencing different cultures, and being faced with difficult conditions was challenging at times, Dot admits. She wasn’t always sure she wanted to go, but her faith has been her strength. “If I’m teaching or helping, it’s a task where I feel the Lord wants me to serve. I’m trying to be a good steward of what He’s given me and use the talents or skills that He’s given me,” she said. “If it’s up to me, if I’m just trying to help, I might quit. Yes, it’s satisfying

to a point, because you’re doing good, but it’s different for me because I’m serving Him. That’s the motivation. It’s gratitude too. I’m grateful for so much.

“I would encourage any young woman to engage in cross-cultural experiences,” Dot added. “These experiences help open our eyes and hearts to people different from us, while learning that we usually have many things in common.”

WHERE DID HER PASSION COME FROM?

Dot Hammons attributes her commitment and skill as a servant leader to the example set by her parents and to her experiences at Hutchison. “My parents were strong, godly servant leaders, and they were leaders their whole lives. They set examples before me daily, and Hutchison gave me the opportunities to be involved and to be a leader.”

She said that after her mother passed, she happened upon a handwritten note that fell from her mother’s mirror. Dot hadn’t noticed it before. The note read: ‘If serving is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you.’

“It epitomized their lives,” Dot said. “We tend to think of serving as lowly sometimes, and it’s not.”

Supporting a Love for Service

IN THE SPRING OF 2022, HUTCHISON LAUNCHED THE INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP. It offers upper school girls opportunities to explore the intersection of civic engagement, compassionate leadership, and ethical decision-making in responsible citizenship. By offering girls a number of options for how they pursue service and leadership opportunities, the hope is to harness the energy of youthful idealism and shape it into the promise of a better future for communities near and far.

The Dot Jones Hammons Award for Responsible Citizenship aligns well with the strategic goals of the Institute. The award will recognize an outstanding student in the late fall of her sophomore year. This student will have exhibited the extraordinary characteristics that the award’s namesake, Dot Jones Hammons, has demonstrated throughout her life: intellectually curious, steadfast and loyal, kind and compassionate. Additionally, the recipient will be an academically strong student who improves her school community as she prepares to leave her positive mark on the world.

As part of the award, the student will receive a stipend covering a travel experience connected to work in the Institute for Responsible Citizenship. Each recipient will have the opportunity to leverage this prestigious award in the college search process. This award will be presented annually, and the Hammons family will be invited to attend the senior capstone presentation of each award winner. Selection will be determined by a committee comprising the Director of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, the Upper School Director, the Upper School Head, the Director of College Counseling, and the Head of School.

Hutchison helped shape me and laid a foundation for my life,” Dot said. “I am glad to be able to give back and help some young women in a tiny little way. I hope it helps spur them onward to whatever trajectory … anywhere they can imagine.

She believes Hutchison had an impact on her as well. “I feel strongly that a single-gender school helped me personally. I was able to do more things than I would have if I had been in a co-ed school. I might have held back some or not been as eager to participate or lead.”

ships. She remembers what is important to me, offers to help, prays, follows up, and does this with so many. She is a person of deep commitments and integrity with a great laugh and is so easy to love.”

It was the recognition of Dot’s steadfast life of service that John said spurred him to endow the award named after Dot. The goal is to inspire future generations of Hutchison girls to serve and lead similarly.

“A lot of people can lead,” John explained, “but then there’s leading with humility and leading with service and getting your hands dirty at a base level. That’s not everybody. There’s a lot of sacrifice. I think you truly have to love and respect people for who they are and realize you can contribute by moving the needle even a tiny bit for them. I think that is where Dot comes from. She just wants to be a piece of the answer to a community. It’s a natural outpouring for her. She’s more about others, and I really respect that.”

When asked about Dot’s life of service to others, Sandy Willson, Pastor Emeritus of Second Presbyterian Church said, “Dot is an outstanding Hutchison alumna who has faithfully served her family, her church, her city, and her world. As a gifted leader and teacher, she has given her time, her skills, and her heart to bless thousands of people through the years.”

FOLLOWING HER EXAMPLE

Although service and leadership can be altruistic, it does require confidence, skill, and often the ability to step outside of one’s comfort zone.

Dot explained that when she was in high school, another student, Blanche Butler Montesi ’71, invited her, along with several classmates, to a Bible study in her home. That devotional time became a habit, and as an adult, Dot makes sure to spend time each morning with the Bible and in prayer. “This is my foundation and motivation for all I do the rest of the day.”

DEVOTED TO

When she began to understand the gift that her husband, John, and her family had given her, Dot said she felt unworthy. Numerous people have tried to dissuade her of that feeling. Fellow 1976 classmates Meg Bryce Robertson and Cathy McClure Leslie have both known Dot since they were about four years old. Meg Robertson described Dot as having “a special sense of honesty and integrity and a servant’s heart. She makes those around her better with her encouraging spirit and deep faith in God.”

Cathy Leslie expanded upon this, saying, “Dot puts so much thought, attention to detail, and love into her relation-

What are the characteristics of a student nominated for the Dot Jones Hammons Award for Responsible Citizenship? Rachel Hammons Parks ’10, Dot’s daughter, said, “Some of the characteristics that come to mind for me in a nominee would be a girl who is genuine, honest, humble, caring in nature, empathetic, and curious. Authenticity is important. A lot of people perform community service for their resume. The girls who receive this award will be doing service because it is genuine to who they are. I also feel like this girl is going to have a curious mindset on how she can effect change in the world.”

To that list, Dot would add: kindness, integrity, compassion, and hard work. She also believes that a girl may not always feel equipped to do what she’s called to do. “I say, go ahead and plunge in. Take a chance and stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone. You might end up enjoying and even having a passion for something you didn’t know.”

She gave an example: “For one of my mission trip locations, I was apprehensive. I didn’t want to go, because I knew that

On her mission trip to northern India, Dot helped women during a conference with teaching and support.

Dot said that after her mother, Carol Lewis Jones ’50, passed away, she happened upon a handwritten note that fell from her mother’s mirror. Dot hadn’t noticed it before. The note read:

Dot said. “We

particular trip was extra challenging in every way. After many hints from the Lord that I was supposed to go, I finally said yes to going. I ended up absolutely loving the incredible women in that beautiful culture, so much so that I went back again to serve there. If I hadn’t gone, I would have missed experiencing and learning to love a different, amazing culture and connecting with remarkable women there.”

Perhaps most important, Dot recognized that it took a long time for her to understand much of this. “You don’t start out as a servant leader. You have to grow into it. Just as you

grow in your faith and as you grow in life and situations. It’s important for young women to know that whatever their interests are, whatever their skills or talents are, they can be used in very individual ways to affect their communities and to help others.

“Start with your family and then outward from your family to your neighborhood, your city, and then globally. You can have a ripple effect. You can do that with just a regular old ordinary life.”

If serving is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you.

“It epitomized their lives,”

tend to think of serving as lowly sometimes, and it’s not.”

Four generations of Hutchison girls: Dot’s daughter, Rachel Hammons Parks ’10, Dot Jones Hammons ’76, granddaughter Elizabeth Hammons ’35, Dot’s mother, Carol Lewis Jones ’50, and Dot’s sister, Caroline Jones Winters ’74.

Love was in the air on February 10, 2022, as the community came together to honor special friends, teachers, coaches, students, and more on Hutchison’s second annual Giving Day. Parents, grandparents, alumnae, faculty and staff, and so many more participated in giving on this special day.

Below:

Thank you!

Current students and their parents honored teachers with messages of love, thanks, and appreciation. Alumnae honored class reps, classmates, and past teachers with messages of thanks and praise. Tributes were also made in memory of beloved Hutchison friends and family

members. Long-lasting friendships were remembered, and precious Hutchison memories were shared.

While spreading Hutch love, the Hutchison community collectively raised more than $190,000 for the Hutchison Fund, which supports athletics, arts, sta and faculty professional development, school culture and experiences, and so much more. The campus was filled with joy, appreciation, and HUTCH LOVE

Left: Lilli Eggers ’23 honored Mr. Robert Lofton with her tribute “for being my favorite human on the planet!”

Lower left: Katheryn Horne ’94 and Christy Muller ’91 served up coffee and smiles in the middle school carpool line.

Below: Katherine Pace ’30 and classmate Isabella Harris ’30 helped welcome families to campus with honks, cheers, and hugs.

2021–2022 Hutchison Fund chair Julie Wunderlich, board member Ragan Magness ’88, parent volunteer Carey Snider ’91, and Dr. Kristen Ring helped announce that Giving Day was here and served coffee in carpool.

Left: Mary Lawrence Baker ’36 strikes a pose in her Giving Day attire.

Hazel Collier ’37 honors a special SPARK teacher, Ms. Emily Aguilar.

Honoring

MARGARET WELLFORD TABOR ’55 | ALUMNA & RETIRED HUTCHISON FACULTY

Hutchison is proud to honor Margaret Wellford Tabor as the Anne Marie Newton Walker ’47 Philanthropy Award recipient, created in recognition of Anne Marie’s passion for service to her alma mater. This award is presented to an alumna who advances philanthropy to Hutchison through personal giving and serves as an inspiration to the larger community.

Margaret loves Hutchison fiercely. She has known the school as a student, alumna, faculty member, and parent and grandparent of students and alumnae. In fact, she has known seven heads of school at Hutchison. She also has been a loyal donor to Hutchison for more than 30 years. We appreciate her wisdom, knowledge, friendship, and support.

We’ve invited her daughters to tell you a little bit about Margaret’s life.

Thank you, Margaret Walker Wellford Tabor, Class of 1955, for teaching us how to love learning, how to love our families and our communities, and how to appreciate our school and our teachers.

Margaret Wellford Tabor’55:

Our Mother and Beloved Hutchison Teacher

By Kyle Tabor Furr ’81 and Mary Tabor Engel ’82

OneSeptember morning, some 80 years ago, an eager five-year-old hopped out of her carpool, and with little white socks and saddle oxford shoes, walked into her first day of kindergarten at Miss Hutchison’s School on Union Avenue in Memphis.

With a neatly placed barrette holding her sandy brown hair out of her eyes, she smiled shyly, brimming with excitement. Her mother had regaled her with tales of Hutchison classes and friendships. Her grandmother, a middle school principal, had played reading and math games with her for as long as she could remember. She knew that learning was fun. And from the moment she stepped into Miss Taylor’s kindergarten class, this little girl knew she was in her right place.

Fifteen years later, this young woman returned home from Connecticut College and answered a call from Hutchison’s then Head of School, Dr. William Atkinson. An English major, Margaret began her teaching career

Margaret Tabor ’55 with her daughters, Kyle Tabor Furr ’81 (left) and Mary Tabor Engel ’82 (right); son, Wellford Tabor; husband, Dr. Owen Tabor Sr.; and son, Dr. Owen Tabor Jr.

at Hutchison as a middle school science and penmanship teacher, determined to share her love of learning with her young students.

Soon graduate school at Duke University, marriage, and military service called this young teacher away from Memphis, but not for long.

By the late 1960s, she returned with her young family and enrolled her two daughters at Hutchison and began to teach. Her reputation as an e ective, joyful teacher who could engage even the most distracted student soon became legend. This “Jill-of-all-trades” taught AP classes, pitched in with college counseling, helped with SAT prep, and taught sex ed. She was even recruited to handle rowdy classes full of MUS boys.

Over the years, our mother shared her love of literature, poetry, history, and drama with students ranging from second graders to seniors. She inspired students to think beyond the confines of race, gender, religion, and economic status. She helped young women find their voices and write clearly. She believed every student had a meaningful story to tell.

In later years, by the time she turned in her final set of grades, our beloved mother had taught and mentored thousands of students. She was honored to be chosen by one of Hutchison’s Presidential Scholars as that student’s most influential teacher. She had a regular stream of forever students who still stop by our house and stay for a long time, seek her out at random gatherings, or track her down in the grocery store just to thank her for teaching them to love Shakespeare. She still loves to explore literature’s wisdom and humanity, from Shakespeare to Wright, from Austen to Capote.

In addition to teaching, she has worked as a cheerful alumna volunteer. Over the past 65 years, she has shared her time, talent, and treasure. If she wasn’t working full time, she regularly filled in as a substitute to help those teachers who might need a little time o .

She helped young women find their voices and write clearly. She believed every student had a meaningful story to tell.

Mary Tabor Engel ’82 with mother Margaret

Margaret as senior English teacher

Furr ’81

According to

Our mother has taught us to give back to our schools, and to remember that participation is much more important than the dollar amount. Mom said even $10 a year is enough, just do it every year. For more than half a century, she has given generously to Hutchison every single year, never needing pushing nor prodding.

Hutchison has been by far our mother’s most beloved of institutions. It is not just family to her. It is mission. It is passion. It is celebration. She refers to Hutchison regularly and easily as her home. She still speaks with love and awe about teachers who nurtured and inspired her, and classmates with whom she shared happy experiences.

Margaret

What was your favorite book to teach?

I don’t know that I had a favorite book. But Laurence Perrine’s Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry, and Understanding Fiction by Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren, were both excellent guides for teaching. We could read the great writers’ short fiction and poetry and learn about the voice and style of each writer. When Bob Lynn hired me to teach, he told me I could design my own course. I was floored. But he said he needed me to teach writing and composition, so we used those books as a guide. For example, for one quiz I took the fairy tale of “Cinderella” and wrote di erent paragraphs in the voice of di erent authors, such as Joyce, Hawthorne, or Faulkner, and the students had to match the writers and the corresponding style paragraph.

What is your favorite novel?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Because, well, I don’t know. I just have read it over and over. It is so classical that every time I read it, Austen seems to address the current problems in the world. It is just so well written.

What is your favorite play by Shakespeare?

If I had to pick one play that I have read and taught more, it would be Hamlet. It contains a wealth of insight and wisdom, of trying to understand man’s search for meaning in life.

Do you have a favorite Shakespeare quotation?

In As You Like It, Celia fusses at Rosalind for talking all the time. Rosalind’s response is: “When I think, I must speak.”

What is something students will remember about you and your class?

I think what they liked the most about my teaching is that I really liked being there with them, and I liked teaching. I expected them to be disciplined, and I expected them to study. I gave them a PLQ (Picky Little Quiz) every single day. I was tough, but I knew that they could do it. I had lots of padding in my tests, so nobody ever failed one. I had ways for everybody to do relatively well, but it was also challenging for the very top students. I never gave the same test twice. EVER.

What is something you will remember most about your students?

That I looked forward to going to Hutchison to teach them every day. They were all di erent. They were from everywhere and every place, and for the most part, they were good classmates. They were good team players. It was a very pleasant atmosphere to teach in.

What is one of your favorite trips you’ve taken and why?

Oh, there was a time when my husband, Owen, said that we had to have a theme when we were traveling, so we went to discover where Camelot might have been. That was probably my favorite trip.

To read more “According to Margaret” Q&As online, including memories of her favorite teachers, scan the QR code or type in the web address below.

hutchisonschool.org/margaret-tabor55

Hutchison has been by far our mother’s most beloved of institutions. It is not just family to her. It is mission. It is passion. It is celebration.

Margaret with daughter Margaret Kyle Tabor

Alumnae Award Honorees

Lynn Witte Rodriguez ’78 was presented the 2022 Distinguished Alumna Award by Mary Aubrey Stafford ’10.

Margaret Wellford Tabor ’55 was honored with the 2022 Anne Marie Newton Walker ’47 Philanthropy Award.

Megan Wellford Grinder ’91 congratulates Christy Smith Muller ’91, recipient of the 2020 Alumna Service to Hutchison award.

Susan Springfield ’82 accepts the 2021 Distinguished Alumna Award.

Judi Centko received the 2022 Honorary Alumna Award, pictured with her daughter, Chrissie Centko Tashie ’96.

On behalf of her mother, Aggie Ming Turley ’40* (above), Dee Turley Muller ’67 (right) accepted the 2020 Anne Marie Newton Walker ’47 Philanthropy Award.

Comeback Coffee & Conversation

Kelly Witt Wells ’80, Laurie Fraser Stanton Elliott ’65, Kyle Tabor Furr ’81, Cynthia Britton Cross ’80, Jeanne Bowen Hollis ’75, Missy Nichols Rainer ’77, Margaret Wellford Tabor ’55, Barbara Crain Williamson ’77, Mary Tabor Engel ’82, Chris Robinson Sanders ’72, Marilyn Hammons Hergenrader ’79, and Mary Adamson Edwards ’78

Pauline Merrill Foster ’82, Irma Merrill Stratton ’78, and Lee Stewart Bowen ’72

Stewart Taylor Hunt ’06 greets Margaret Wellford Tabor ’55 and Mary Tabor Engel ’82.

Shirley Condon ’72

Lauren Kaiser Malone ’02

Lee Smith Yates ’02, Russell Wood Chambliss ’02, and Hadley Green Inabinet ’02

Below: Kyle Tabor Furr ’81, center, and Mary Tabor Engel ’82, right, spoke about their mother, Margaret Wellford Tabor ’55, left, alumna and a former Hutchison faculty member, who was honored as the 2022 recipient of the Anne Marie Newton Walker ’47 Philanthropy Award.

Jimmye Pidgeon ’60 and Laura Simmons Martin ’73

L to R, front to back: Meg Bryce Robertson ’76, Martha Wiener Horton ’76, Natalie Walker Sherman ’76, Mary Beth Foster Berry ’76, Cathy McClure Leslie ’76, Dot Jones Hammons ’76, and Dr. Kristen Ring

Laurie Fraser Stanton Elliott ’65 enjoys a warm embrace from Jenne Prest Williams ’82.

Mary Adamson Edwards ’78, Lynn Witte Rodriguez ’78, and Irma Merrill Stratton ’78

Dr. Kristen Ring welcomed alumnae back to campus during a morning convocation.

To see more photos from Alumnae Weekend, open your phone’s camera and scan the QR code or type in this web address: qrco.de/alumweekend

Milestone Mimosa Brunch

Above: L to R, front to back: Abby Meloni ’15, Sally Wynn ’12, Sally Witte, former faculty, Lynn Witte Rodriguez ’78, Ceil Meloni ’13, and Barbie Witte Meloni ’84

Left: The Raines girls: Virginia Raines Rowland ’80, Florence Raines Friedgen ’82, Lucy Raines Wilkinson ’55, and Ellen Raines Hendry ’77

To see more photos from Alumnae Weekend, scan the QR code or type in this web address: qrco.de/alumweekend

L to R, front to back: Class of 2012, Hannah Mims Barber, Ginni Jones, Caroline Hughes Robinson, Alex Lenschau, Allison Blankenship, Bonner Williams Morgan, Elizabeth Jones, Lawrence Jones, and Sally Wynn

Grace Bricken ’25 with her grandmother, Gaye Gillespie Henderson ’67

Rhea Clift ’84 and Julie Bancroft ’84

Class of 1977, L to R: Carolyn Reeder Thomas, Barbara Crain Williamson, Janet Misner, Anne Kirkpatrick, Missy Nichols Rainer, Ellen Raines Hendry, Douglas Patteson Kirkpatrick, Peggy Latham McClure, Cary Jehl Broussard, and Laura Looney Phillips

Class of 1982, L to R, front to back: Dawn Bass Popovitch, Susan Springfield, Dudley Boren Selinger, Becca Garner Howell, Laurie Towner Haddow, Sally Holmes Thomas, Cathy Saino Morton, Angie Royer Lenschau, Pauline Merrill Foster, and Florence Raines Friedgen

Angie Royer Lenschau ’82, Alex Lenschau ’12, and Betty Riggan Padgett ’60

Class of 2002, L to R, front to back: Hadley Green Inabinet, Lauren Kaiser Malone, Claire Frisby Bell, Lauren Pharr Parks, Leslie Tarrant Stewart, Christie Rutherford Bowman, and Shibahn Singh Rodda

Milestone Mimosa Brunch

Class of 1980, L to R: Amy Atkinson Shreve, Linda Parrott Coleman, Kelly Witt Wells, Cynthia Britton Cross, and Virginia Raines Rowland

Kristen Ring, Claire Frisby Bell ’02, Hadley Green Inabinet ’02, and Shibahn Singh Rodda ’02

Laura Sanderson Healy ’77 is greeted by Max Maddock, dIrector of communications.

Class of 1972, L, front to back: Chris Robinson Sanders, Jennifer Baker Atkins, Frances Ferguson Walinsky, Lee Stewart Bowen; R, front to back: Mary Miles Loveless, Merideth Smith Arnold, and Shirley Condon

Class of 1981, L to R: Kyle Tabor Furr, Deborah Utkov Matthews, Leslie Bouldin, and Jeannie Isbell Goin

Farm Lunch & Learn

Ann Camp Lee ’79 and Cary Jehl Broussard ’72

Bonnie Hollabaugh ’86, Dudley Boren Selinger ’82, and Mary Taylor Sullivan ’62

Class of 2012: Caroline Hughes Robinson, Carolyn Dellinger, Sally Wynn, and Elizabeth Jones

Mary Miles Loveless ’72 and Shirley Condon ’72

Tara Skelley Burrows ’03, Ben Maslyn, Libby Moore ’07, and Kristen Farmer Davis ’99

Tate Simpson Wilson ’02

Black & Gold Fiesta

Above: Class of 2002, L to R, front to back: Lauren Pharr Parks, Shibahn Singh Rodda, Lauren Kaiser Malone, Lauren Noel Jones, Claire Frisby Bell, Caroline Capstick Sones, Ashley Bryce Riney, and Hadley Green Inabinet

Left: Class of 2005, L to R: Helen Morrison Guyton, Meredith Beaty Roper, Loren McRae Lancaster, Brokke Simpson Hall, Jennings Pitts Barnes, Martha Campbell Robertson

Class of 2012, Elizabeth Jones, Carolyn Dellinger, Caroline Hughes Robinson, Ginni Jones, Alex Lenschau, and Bonner Williams Morgan

Florence Raines Friedgen ’82 and Dudley Boren Selinger ’82

To see more

from Alumnae Weekend, scan the QR code or type in this web address: qrco.de/alumweekend

Right: Class of 1972, L to R, front to back: Corinne Dimou Welsh, Jennifer Baker Atkins, Chris Robinson Sanders, Merideth Smith Arnold, Lee Stewart Bowen, DeeDee Kenworthy Tate, Vivian Caldwell, Anne Hughes Sayle, Shirley Condon, Cristie Upshaw Travis, Frances Ferguson Walinsky, and Julia Anderson Cook

Jennings Pitts Barnes ’05 and Ashley Bryce Riney ’02

Class of 1991, L to R: Carey Wilson Snider, Caroline Johnson Crosby, and Curry Hyde Rosato

Taylor Bell Bailey ’09 and Audrey Webster ’09

Geordy Wells, Kelly Witt Wells ’80, Virginia Raines Rowland ’80, Amy Atkinson Shreve ’80, Carla McCann Parris ’80, and Bill Parris

Lauren Lewis Rower ’87 and Babs Chase ’87

Left: Class of 2017, Kate Grace Cunningham, Daria Letcher, Jasmine McGill, Ariel Bulloch, and Daisye Rainer

photos

Photo by Amy Threadgill Photography

1740 Ridgeway Road Memphis, Tennessee 38119 (901) 761-2220

PARENTS of ALUMNAE: If your publication is addressed to your daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumnae Office of her new mailing address at (901) 762-6664.

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED.

DATED MATERIAL—PLEASE EXPEDITE

©Hutchison School 2022

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 750

Hutchison accepts qualified female students regardless of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.