T H E S C H O O L M AG A Z I N E • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1
DECISIVE moment
the
EBET ROBERTS ’63
Second graders buzzed with curiosity and excitement after harvesting honey from the Hutchison farm during their study of bees. They were mesmerized by the process, from scraping beeswax off the hive frames to harvesting the honey and bottling it to take home. Photograph by Danielle Katz
Photograph by Nina Wurtzel, NYC
DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND JUST KEEP DOING IT. “DO WHAT YOU CAN TO SUPPORT YOURSELF WHILE YOU FOLLOW YOUR PASSIONS, BECAUSE IT’S SO FULFILLING. — EBET ROBERTS ’63
”
CONTENTS FEATURES 8 When Learning Is as Sweet as Honey 10 Theatre: Shakespeare, Chekhov, and … Junie B. Jones? 34 Class of 2021 Graduation
ALUMNAE PROFILES 14 Ebet Roberts ’63:
ALUMNAE NEWS 46 Alumnae Gatherings 52 Milestones: Marriages, Births & Adoptions, Memorials 54 Professionally Speaking 56 Lillie Flenorl ’04: Q & A with the Alumnae Association Board President
57 Class Notes
Capturing the Decisive Moment
28 Laura Sanderson Healy ’77: A Correspondent’s Life
GIVING TO HUTCHISON 42 Giving Thanks to Our Community 43 Why I Give 45 Hutchison Financials
D E PA R T M E N T S 3 Are You Following Us? 12 Board of Trustees and Milestone Service Anniversaries 72 Tennis Round Robin
M E S S AG E | F R O M T H E H E A D O F S C H O O L
dear friends, I once heard a recording of musicians in a studio. Before they began playing, they were tuning up and one musician asked: “Is this practice?” To which another musician answered, “They’re all practice.” When I was in college at Wake Forest, I considered myself a skilled field hockey player. It also took a lot of practice. These days, I am committed to yoga, but it requires me to get up every day, way too early, and practice. That’s not to say that we can’t master certain skills and recognize that everyone has different talents and strengths. I hear similar ideas when I talk to our alumnae. Ebet Roberts ’63 didn’t consider herself a professional photographer at first, but the more she worked—another word for practice—the more she learned. You’ll see how that practice paid off when you read her story and see her amazing photos. Similarly, every time Laura Sanderson Healy ’77 reported on a story for People magazine, whether it was about Princess Diana or Madonna, she learned something new. It was practice for the next story. Both of these alumnae mastered their respective skills. Dr. Kristen Ring with Ebet Roberts ’63 in NYC
There are other skills that require continual practice. Living as a responsible citizen is one of these. It isn’t because we aren’t competent or that we’ve failed in
some way. It’s because the issues surrounding being a responsible citizen are complicated, nuanced, and ever changing. Teaching girls to become responsible citizens is part of the Hutchison mission. It’s something that we discuss with our girls throughout their time with us. We recently produced a video describing how we approach teaching the subjects of history, government, and civil discourse. Two of our teachers, Ronnie Robinson in upper school and Will Askew in middle school, as well as a few of our students, explain how they balance ideas and viewpoints in the classroom. You can watch the video by scanning the QR code below. Life is practice. With practice comes learning and growth. I believe we are lucky for the opportunity. Warmly,
To view the video, open the camera on your phone and scan this QR code.
Kristen Ring, Ed.D. | President and Head of School
MISSION
E D I TO R
P H OTO G R A P H Y
Hutchison School is dedicated to
Max Maddock
Cathy Barber, Brandon Dill, Mark Harlan,
a c a d e m i c exc e l l e n c e a n d t o t h e
Director of Communications
Danielle Katz, Ebet Roberts ’63,
p a ra l l e l d eve l o p m e n t o f m i n d , b o d y,
mmaddock@hutchisonschool.org
Caroline Schaefer ’08, Margie Woods,
and sp i ri t a s i t e d uc ates yo ung wo men f o r s u cce s s i n co l l e g e a n d fo r l i ve s o f
C O N S U LT I N G E D I TO R
Nina Wurtzel, and various Hutchison constituents.
integrity and responsible citizenship.
Lori Guy Director of Strategy
Hutchison Magazine is published by
H U TC H I S O N M AG A Z I N E
lguy@hutchisonschool.org
the Hutchison Communications Office.
A L U M N A E D I R E C TO R
Please forward address changes to:
DECEMBER 2021
HUTCHISON SCHOOL
PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF SCHOOL
Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10
Kristen D. Ring, Ed.D.
mstafford@hutchisonschool.org
1740 RIDGEWAY ROAD
DESIGNER
or khouston@hutchisonschool.org
Barbara Himber 2 | Hutchison
MEMPHIS, TN 38119
Are You Following Us?
Be sure to follow us on
Three Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists Annabelle Bridgforth ’22, Shubhi Singh ’22, and Wylly Willmott ’22 (pictured left to right) have been named National Merit Semifinalists based on their junior year PSAT scores. They will now advance to compete for finalist status and some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships that will be offered in the spring.
Rheagan Crenshaw ’22 Receives Keeper of the Dream Award The National Civil Rights Museum and International Paper recently awarded a Keeper of the Dream Award to senior Rheagan Crenshaw. She was recognized for her acts of compassion, leadership, commitment, and service through her volunteer initiative, Rheas of Hope, which creates volunteer opportunities that connect teenagers and senior citizens at various local nursing homes. Photo courtesy of Demarcus Bowser, IP
Faith Egedegbe ’22 Named Scholar The College Board named senior Faith Egedegbe a National African American Recognition Program Scholar. This program recognizes academically exceptional African American students who have scored in the top 10 percent of the state on the PSAT or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP exams by their junior year. To qualify, they must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Hutchison | 3
Hutchison Faculty Present at TAIS Conference
Dr. Ring Steps Into New Leadership Roles President and head of school Dr. Kristen Ring now serves as the president of the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools and on the executive board of the Memphis Association of Independent Schools. She was also named to The Memphis Business Journal’s 2021 Super Women In Business cohort. The MBJ described the women voted as Super Women this year as “the area’s own mountain movers” and “among the city’s savvies … both awesome and awe-inspiring.”
Fifteen Hutchison faculty members presented at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools (TAIS) Biennial Conference in Nashville in November. The largest independent school conference in Tennessee brings together hundreds of teachers and administrators for professional development sessions and events. Faculty members’ presentation topics included Helping Each Student Discover, Explore, and Share Her Story and Building Community Through Civil Discourse. Alumna Kiya Brown ’21 joined Hutchison faculty for the Civil Discourse session and discussed the impact those seminars had on her as a student.
Girls Help Create Mural for Trezevant
Hutchison students in She Leads, a pilot program with Girl Scouts USA, worked with Memphis potter Kristi Duckworth to create a mosaic mural for the memory care dining room at Trezevant Manor, a retirement community in Memphis. The mural illustrates Memphis history from 1930 to 1960 and is based on images from the Perre Magness Mid-South and Memphis history collection in Hutchison’s library. The Hutchison girls interviewed residents and listened as they recounted stories about their early years. Most of their subjects grew up in the surrounding rural areas before coming to Memphis as young adults, so the mural depicts how “all roads lead to Memphis.” Memphis historian Perre Magness, Kristin Nunn ’22, artist Kristi Duckworth, and Caroline Brickey ’22 at the unveiling of the mural at Trezevant Manor.
4 | Hutchison
Be sure to follow us on
Wilson Society Members Awarded Grants Two groups of upper school girls each received a $1,000 Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation Impact Grant to help them implement service projects in the Memphis community. Seniors, above from left to right: Zoe Borkowski, Mariam Husein, Madison Borkowski, and Hamna Tameez, who started the Gold Star Girls, will work with the Refugee Empowerment Program. Juniors, above from left to right, Juliet Tayloe, Claiborne Collier, and Lucy Chiozza, the GPS (Give, Pray, Serve) VolunTEENS, will plan different events each month for the children who live at the Purdue Center of Hope, a longterm residence for women affected by trauma.
Destination Imagination Team Wins First in DI Global Finals The Hutchison-sponsored Murphy’s Law Destination Imagination team placed first in the DI Global Finals. For the challenges, the team had to create a video game with prescribed elements. Team members from Hutchison include Zoe Ford ’23, Betsy Grimes ’22, Ann Grimes ’22, and alumna Irene Keeney ’19 (Muhlenberg College).
Zoe Zerwig Ford ’23 Takes on Artificial Intelligence After completing a summer intensive with Inspirit AI, Zoe Zerwig Ford ’23 was named an Artificial Intelligence Leadership Fellow, a program run by Stanford and MIT alumni. Ford is attending weekly webinars and sessions with global leaders from across the artificial intelligence field, which aims to program machines that can simulate human intelligence processes. From building a model that can detect human emotions to investigating the crop yields of farms in Australia, Ford is just getting started in the world of AI.
Two Juniors Start Mock Trial Team Isabelle Mansour ’23 and Loralei Forgette ’23 founded Hutchison’s mock trial team after they completed the Summer Trial and Advocacy Institute at the University of Memphis this summer. Attorney advisor Noor Obaji ’10 of Lewis Thomason and Professor Demetria Frank from the University of Memphis Law School will hold workshops to teach the girls specific trial skills, including persuasive public speaking, cross and direct questioning, and examining evidence. Hutchison | 5
Cross Country Team Wins Regional Championship Seven team members ran away with the Regional Championship for the Sting: Sarah Davis McAllister ’23, Sara Byrnes ’23, Kristin Nunn ’22, Meriel Rowland ’24, Katie Frazer ’23, Sarah Elizabeth Rowland ’22, and Annabelle Bridgforth ’22. Meriel Rowland won first place overall at the competition. Four of our girls placed in the top 10, and six had personal records.
Golf Team Clinches Regional Championship
Girls Help Create Mural for Trezevant Hutchison students in our She Leads program worked with Hutchison’s varsity golf team beat out St. Agnes in Memphis potter Kristi Duckworth to create a mosaic mural to sudden death to win the Division II Girls Golf Regional be displayed in the Trezevant Memory Unit. They interviewed Championship. Berklee Scifres ’23, Morgan Simmons ’23, Trezevant residents and listened as they recounted stories and Arabella Hall ’23 brought home the win. Simmons about their early years, the only vivid memories left for most also placed second as an individual and Hall placed residents in that unit. Most of their subjects grew up in the fourth. It was the first time that Hutchison has won the surrounding rural areas before coming to Memphis as young Regional Championship in over 15 years. adults, so the mural depicts how “all roads lead to Memphis.” 6 | Hutchison
Thomas Jones Named Pat Summitt Coach of the Year The Basketball Coaches Association of Tennessee named Hutchison basketball coach Thomas Jones the Pat Summitt Coach of the Year for Division II. The award comes after our varsity basketball team had the best season in Hutchison history and won the state championship in March.
Be sure to follow us on
Layla Truitt ’22 Signs for Santa Clara University Senior Layla Truitt signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her volleyball career at Santa Clara University in California. Truitt is receiving a four-year full scholarship, which her coaches said is rare for collegiate volleyball athletes. She plans to study international business.
Celebrating Our Fall Sports Award Winners!
Hutchison | 7
When learning is
as sweet as honey
What better way to finish learning about bees than to see what their busy work produces-and get to share it with your family? Second graders have been working on an in-depth study of bees this year as part of their unit on plant growth and development. The girls learned about the different body parts of a bee, how they construct their hives, and why their work as pollinators is a crucial part of nature. As a culmination of their studies, Alison Chesney, Hutchison’s farm director, demonstrated how to harvest honey from the bee hives that she cares for on the farm. The girls poured honey into jars to bottle and take home to share with their families.
Farm director Alison Chesney brought frames with honeycombs from the hives inside and showed them to the girls before harvesting the honey.
Each second grader got a chance to scrape beeswax off hive frames. 8 | Hutchison
To make it look more professional, the girls got creative and made labels for their honey, giving their jars a name and adding a fun fact. Second graders studied honeycombs and created models of cells for their bees to live in.
The girls learned about the different body parts of bees and built models in the Innovation Lab using various materials.
Chesney put the hive frames in a honey extractor, which the girls spun to see how centrifugal force brings the honey out.
Hutchison | 9
A R T S | T H E AT R E
Shakespeare, Chekhov, and … junie b. jones?
After a challenging year of creating and producing performances for an online audience, Hutchison’s theatre department is happy to be back on stage again with comedy, drama, and music. To bring a unique perspective to William Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It, director and alumna Anne Marie Caskey ’80 decided to set Hutchison’s production in New Orleans and the outlying bayou. The show featured a jazz funeral, fierce stage combat, disguises, adventure tales, and music. Fourteen girls performed in the cast, with an additional 15 girls working on sets, costumes, and as technical crew. For a more intimate theatre performance, seniors Ann
Grimes ’22 and Sara Kate Burnett ’22 led a cast and crew in performances of Anton Chekhov’s drama The Seagull in Hutchison’s Lab Theater. The play helped the seniors fulfill requirements toward a Certificate of Arts award. To top off the fall season, our middle school girls had a blast singing and acting in a production of Junie B. Jones, The Musical, Jr. The show is an adaptation of four of Barbara Park’s best-selling books about the adventures of a sassy first grader. Nineteen girls acted in the show, and a crew of 17 girls worked behind the scenes. Bringing a favorite literary character to life was an exciting experience for all.
As You Like It
10 | Hutchison
Photos by Nick Simpson
The Seagull
Photos by Nick Simpson
junie b. jones
H H uu tt cc hh ii ss o o nn || 11 11
2021-2022 Board of Trustees Hutchison appreciates the service of our retiring board members Erica Stiff-Coopwood, Anne Orgill Keeney ’85, Jeannie Sherman Tabor, and Sanford C. Thomas. The board welcomes the following new members:
Dr. Reginald W. Coopwood
Chris Crosby
Dr. Shari Jefferies
Veazey Gully Krausnick ’78
2 02 1- 2 02 2 BOARD OF T RUSTEES
2021- 2022 LE A D E R SHIP T E A M
The Hutchison board of trustees is the guardian of the school’s mission. In partnership with the head of school, the board sets the vision and strategy for the school and ensures sound financial management and proper stewardship of resources.
Great schools are distinguished by exceptional teamwork and collaboration across the organization. Our faculty and staff are led by a dynamic group of individuals known as our leadership team under the guidance of the head of school.
Dr. Kristen Ring
Dr. Kristen Ring
Katharine Duerr Kent ’95
PRESIDENT &
LOWER SCHOOL HEAD
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Max Maddock
Melissa Baker
DIRECTOR OF
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
COMMUNICATIONS
Beth Corley
Pam Patteson Shumake ’88
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
COUNSELING DIRECTOR
Catherine Chubb
Laura Shy
ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
Tracey Zerwig Ford
DIRECTOR
ARTS AND COMMUNITY
Nick Simpson
ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR
MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD
Adrienne Forgette
Susan Steinkamp
UPPER SCHOOL HEAD
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO
Lori Guy
THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY
Alyssa Villarreal
Eryka Jenkins
ACADEMIC DEAN
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT
Trey Wilson
INCLUSION & BELONGING
DIRECTOR OF THE
Elizabeth Chisholm Jordan ’86
INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE
PRESIDENT & HEAD OF SCHOOL
Megan Wellford Grinder ’91 CHAIR
Will Deupree III VICE CHAIR
William R. Tayloe TREASURER
Edward J. Dobbs S E C R E TA RY
Emily Bryce Bowie ’00 Jenny Werner Carter ’89 Allison Cates Dr. Reginald W. Coopwood Chris Crosby Melissa Conrad Grimes ’87 Dr. Shari Jefferies Veazey Gully Krausnick ’78 Kim Crain Lowrance ’86 Ragan Crawford Magness ’88 Andrew R. McCarroll Michelle Nelson Miller ’84 Richard C. Moore, Jr. Amy Rolfes Poag ’92 Sequoia Taylor ’04 Muffy Farnsworth Turley ’88 Todd Watson Craig L. Weiss McLean T. Wilson Paul A. Young
EARLY CHILDHOOD HEAD 12 | Hutchison
CITIZENSHIP
2021-2022 Milestone Service Anniversaries 35
25
Virginia Baird
20
Carnell Benton
William Jones
Whitney Miller ’88
Gretchen Gintz
Louisa Koeppel
Katie Sentilles
15
Nancy Fields
5
10
Bess Bartusch
Jeannie Gibson
Tara Thomas
Laura Lee Jones
Holly Knowlton
Brianna Lofton
Jerome Owens
Cesar Salazar
Tanya Crump
Chris Zach
Vanessa Zaldana
We appreciate all of you! Eryka Jenkins
5
5
Julie Sharp
Robert Lofton
Rachel Mattson
Mary Aubrey Stafford ’10
Cathy Wilson
Jamie McMahon
Hutchison | 13
Photo © 1986 Mark Harlan
ALUMNA PROFILE | EBET ROBERTS ’63
It is a Thursday night, early March 1977. Ebet Roberts ’63 is at CBGB, a dingy club located at 315 Bowery in Manhattan’s gritty East Village. She’s here to photograph a band, and CBGB* is considered the venue to see the up-and-coming punk and new wave bands exploding onto the music scene.
Capturing
DECISIVE moment
the
by Max Maddock
Roberts only carries a few things with her: her camera, a lens, and several rolls of Kodak Tri-X 35-millimeter film. She also carries something intangible: her instinct for capturing a captivating moment. At CBGB, this requires being focused and agile because the club is small, dark, crowded, and loud. The walls and bathrooms are plastered with a variety of stickers and tagged with graffiti that creates an atmosphere of chaos. At the peak of a performance, the room is frenzied. The tiny 10-footsquare stage is a no-frills riser made of plywood, only about two feet higher than the main floor, which is also plywood and uneven in places, making it precarious to walk on. The ceiling has exposed wiring, pipes, and bare bulbs for lighting. The club smells of cigarette smoke and beer. CBGB is the definition of a dive bar, but the club isn’t meant to be glamorous. Quite the opposite.
14 | Hutchison
Because she is shooting film, Roberts is judicious in the number of
who have defined different musical genres for the past 50 years
photos she takes. She won’t know exactly what she has captured
such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Willie
on film until she returns home. When she does, around 2 or 3 am,
Nelson, Bob Marley, Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, and
she starts the second part of her job, developing the rolls of film
David Bowie.
she’s shot earlier in the evening and leaving them to dry. The next evening, when she’s making prints, she must work quickly before the sun rises because the makeshift darkroom in her apartment isn’t completely light tight.
Quite simply, Roberts has photographed pretty much everyone who was anyone in music. She’s been in the front row at clubs, concert halls, and music festivals, as well as backstage, on tour buses, in hotels, and at parties.
Despite the frenetic environment of the club, these quiet
Thinking about her early work
hours in the middle of the night
at CBGB or Max’s Kansas City,
are often the most rewarding.
another popular New York
She edits her photos carefully
music club at that time, Roberts
to find the one or two perfect
recalled, “I wasn’t thinking
shots that illustrate the essence
about it. I was trying to photo-
of the band.
graph the energy and the excitement and put that energy
As she’s making prints, an
into my photographs. I felt like
image begins to appear magi-
that whole scene had to be
cally on the silver gelatin paper
documented. I had no idea that
floating in the developer. It’s a black-and-white photo with dark darks and bright whites.
Talking Heads performing at CBGB in New York City on March 3, 1977. Photo © Ebet Roberts
It’s a quartet caught mid-song: two guitar players, a drummer, a
it would ever become anything so important.”
female bassist, all in their mid-twenties. In the center is a young
Well, How Did She Get Here?
man, in front of a microphone, mouth open wide, singing with
One of the Talking Heads’ popular songs, “Once in a Lifetime,”
passion and playing guitar. His name is David Byrne. The band
features the lyric: “And you may ask yourself, ‘Well, how did I get
is Talking Heads. This isn’t the first time they’ve played CBGB,
here?’ ” Roberts had no idea that she would become a photogra-
but because they haven’t yet released an album, they are mostly
pher, much less a sought-after professional. Her route was indirect,
unknown.
but she found herself increasingly pulled toward it.
A Focus On Music
Her early years were spent in Europe because her father was a
Fast-forward to the year 2021. CBGB the club is no more and its space is now occupied by a designer men’s store, and Talking Heads are no longer a band, but both the club and the band are world famous.
brigadier general in the United States Air Force. When he passed away, her mother, Cornelia Henning Roberts Kimbrough, a 1932 Hutchison graduate, decided to return to Memphis. Ebet enrolled at Hutchison in the fifth grade when the school was located on Union Avenue.
If you don’t happen to know CBGB or the Talking Heads, that’s okay. You’ll likely recognize a few of the countless musicians and
To quench her interest in art, Roberts took classes on Saturdays
bands Ebet Roberts has photographed over the past 40-plus
with Billy Price Hosmer Carroll, a well-known Memphis artist
years. Perhaps you’ve heard of The Police, The Cars, the Sex
and a 1939 Hutchison alumna. After Hutchison, Roberts studied
Pistols, The B-52s, The Cure, or the Ramones. They were relatively
briefly at a small junior college in Washington before transferring
unknown bands in the 1970s, but eventually skyrocketed to fame.
back to the Memphis Academy of Art, which was rechristened
Or consider some of the iconic guitar players she’s captured: Pete
as the Memphis College of Art in 1985. Her concentration was
Townshend of the Who, Keith Richards and Ron Wood of the
painting. “The Art Academy was an amazing school,” she said.
Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler of
“There was an interesting balance of new instructors coming in
Dire Straits, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Tom Petty, and Frank Zappa.
from New York, as well as a lot of traditional artists. It offered the
Then there are the superstars she’s focused her lens on, the artists
best of everything.
Opposite page: Ebet Roberts photographed the Amnesty International benefit concert called “A Conspiracy of Hope” at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 15, 1986.
* Even though CBGB was the heart of the punk rock scene, the club’s acronymic name was somewhat ironic. The memorable white awning above
the club’s entrance actually was emblazoned with two acronyms in bold red letters: CBGB and beneath that, OMFUG—which stood for “Country Bluegrass Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers.”
Hutchison | 15
ALUMNA PROFILE | EBET ROBERTS ’63
“When I graduated from the Art Academy in 1968, I bought a
come backstage and take some photos. It was there that a woman
camera to photograph my paintings,” Roberts recalled. “I always
approached Roberts and said, “I work for Capitol Records and
loved taking photographs, but never thought of it as an art form.
these pictures are great. We have to see them.”
I started taking photographs just for myself, and I continued after I graduated.” When the Academy recruited a young photographer named Murray Riss from the Rhode Island School of Design to start a photography department, Roberts decided to stay on in
“I was standing there saying, ‘I don’t do this for a living. I’m not a professional photographer at all. These photos are an art project for myself,’ ” Roberts said. Fortunately, the Capitol Records execu-
Memphis for a year to continue learning about making photos.
tive would not take no for an answer.
Afterwards, she took a yearlong detour to Colorado, but Roberts
“I didn’t want to show her the contact sheet [a positive print of the
said it lacked a vibrant arts scene and didn’t feel right to her. She gravitated to New York with the intention of continuing her painting. She worked part time at the Guggenheim Museum to pay her rent, and then started waitressing at a jazz club.
negative images from a roll of 35-millimeter film] because they had rejects on them,” Roberts explained. “I didn’t have confidence in my photography, but I finally called her.” Roberts printed only the photos she wanted to share. “They licensed some of those photos and started hiring me. I said to myself, ‘Well, this is interesting.’ ”
She began using photographs in her paintings, made paintings from photographs, and even painted on photographs. She was interested in exploring lithography, too, a printing technique that usually requires a large press, and applied to attend workshops at
At the same time that Max’s Kansas City was buzzing at Park Avenue and 18th Street, so was the CBGB scene roughly one mile to the south. The two clubs had slightly different acts and vibes, and some would say a bit of a rivalry, but
the Penland School of Craft near Asheville,
Roberts was able to glide easily between the
North Carolina. While she was there, she
two. Eventually, her waitressing job ended,
realized, “I kept gravitating to their photog-
and Roberts realized that if Capitol Records
raphy workshops. When I returned to New
continued to hire her and she could do two
York, I felt that I should be painting, but I kept wanting to take photographs.”
or three jobs a month, she could support
“I Don’t Do This for a Living”
“There was never a point where I said, ‘Oh,
herself.
Who knew that doing a favor for a friend
I want to be a photographer.’ I wanted to
could end up defining a career? Roberts
document the CBGB scene, but it felt like a
certainly did not, so when a friend asked
detour from painting,” Roberts said. Never-
her to photograph his band, she initially
theless, she continued photographing bands
declined. “I love music, but I had no interest
at CBGB and then those bands might tell
in taking photographs of musicians or
The Village Voice, a popular weekly tabloid
shows,” she explained. Her friend was per-
newspaper, or Trouser Press, a monthly
sistent though, and she finally agreed. Then
music magazine, to call Roberts for photo-
he asked her to come back and take more
graphs, which resulted in those publications
photos, which she did. “My friend’s band was opening for a band called Mink DeVille. The lead singer’s name
This photo of Willy DeVille of Mink DeVille and his wife, Toots, at Max’s Kansas City in New York City on January 14, 1977, was the start of Ebet’s career. Photo © Ebet Roberts
was Willy DeVille,” Roberts recalled. “When
hiring her directly. “My clients were growing. It escalated without me doing much. I mean, it was a lot of work, but at the same time, I wasn’t looking to
I saw that band, I was completely blown away, and I wanted to
expand it,” she said. “I was trying to support myself and do what
photograph Willy and his wife, Toots, who were real characters.”
I loved. I had one camera and one lens when I started. I would get
When she followed up with Willy and asked if she could photo-
paid for something and go buy another lens. I had no clue what
graph them on the street or in their apartment, he suggested that
I was doing. I learned everything from doing it wrong, making
she photograph their show at Max’s Kansas City instead.
mistakes.”
“It was not what I wanted to do, but I finally said to myself, ‘Okay,
She did continue to learn from those who excelled in the field.
just go from A to B and maybe you’ll get to C,’’ ” Roberts recalled.
She recalled a workshop she took at the International Center of
While she was photographing Mink DeVille, Willy asked her to
Photography with John Loengard, a photographer for LIFE magazine
16 | Hutchison
Photograph by Nina Wurtzel, NYC
Hutchison | 17
and later its photo editor. “He gave assignments every week, and
I think Hutchison had a lot to do with that. It gave me real strength
we would bring in photographs to critique. He said, ‘I don’t care
as a woman.”
about the technique. Don’t let the technique get in the way of the image. This class is about content. Nobody in this class wants to look at boring photographs, so please don’t bring them in.’ It was a great way to look at things. I mean, ‘why are you taking these
She knows that sometimes she got hired because she is a woman and might have been considered easy to work with, but that she also didn’t get asked to go on the road as much with bands. Soon
photographs?’ ”
after the band The Cars were signed and Roberts had finished a
What About that Decisive Moment?
was a Monday and he asked what she was doing on Thursday. He
The more one looks at Ebet Roberts’ photographs, the more one realizes that they are not exceptional just because we’re looking at a famous face. Yes, subjects like Prince or Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols or Michael Jackson had an aura that was uniquely their own, never to be seen again. It is the decisive moment that Roberts captures. “It’s instinctual. It’s timing,” she explained. “I knew when I got something and when I didn’t. There’s no lag in time. Somebody goes from looking one way in one second and the next second, everything has changed. It’s capturing a moment that conveys the emotion.”
photoshoot with them, the lead singer, Ric Ocasek, called her. It wanted her to travel with them on their European tour. “As much as I loved traveling with The Cars, it was bizarre, because I didn’t meet any women for a month.” Despite living in New York, she has stayed in touch with Hutchison through the years. In 2014, she was awarded the Distinguished Alumna Fine Arts Award, and in 2017, she visited with Hutchison’s digital media class to talk about her career. Continuing the family tradition, her grandniece is a current seventh grader at Hutchison. “Do what you love and just keep doing it,” she suggested. “Do what you can to support yourself while you follow your passions, because it’s so fulfilling.”
These days, people may take dozens or even hundreds of digital
An Opportunity to Reflect
photos on a camera or a smartphone to net a few good photos.
Roberts has spent over four decades photographing the biggest
When actual 35-millimeter film was being used, some photogra-
names in the music world. Her name is synonymous with immor-
phers relied on a motor drive to automatically advance the film,
talizing incredible musical moments.
but Roberts did not. She said, even with a motor drive, you could still miss that magic second. Or you could be changing film, which
She’s also proud of her work as the photographer for Farm Aid,
was why she shot sparingly.
which she has worked at since its inception in 1985. The annual
What about all the distractions—the music, the lights, the unruly
Neil Young, raises money for family farmers in the United States.
crowds? Interestingly, she believes that the waitressing job at the
The first concert raised over $9 million for farmers.
jazz club she took to pay the rent early on in New York helped train her for that challenge. Much like the clubs and concert halls she would later call her workplace, waiting tables in a jazz club could be chaotic. She believes that experience taught her to concentrate and focus on her work despite everything going on
benefit concert, founded by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and
Roberts has continued to work, although in the past few years she was choosing what she wanted to photograph. Like so many others, her work stopped in 2020 when the pandemic caused the cancellation or postponement of most concerts and public events.
around her.
The bright side is that she’s had some time to finally focus on
It’s also notable that a majority of Roberts’ subjects were men or
punk scene that she was so intimately a part of.
bands made up entirely of men, but she said she didn’t find that intimidating. The only exception might have been Bob Dylan, but she attributed that to being a huge fan of his and always wanting to photograph him. “Other people who were just as famous didn’t faze me, but that made me nervous meeting him. I basically wanted
putting together a book of her photos documenting the New York
“I always thought it would make a great book, so I’m finally doing it,” she said. “I was always too busy, but someone approached me about doing the book, and I guess the pandemic helped because it gave me time to stop and focus on it.”
to make whomever I was photographing feel comfortable so that they would trust me.
To view more of Ebet Roberts’ photos, visit:
“I grew up confident in my own abilities. I had no awareness that
ebetroberts.com or open the camera on your
things were different, or that women were considered inferior by
phone to scan the QR code.
some. I grew up with this feeling that everything was equal.
18 | Hutchison
Photos on pages 19–25: © Ebet Roberts
Pete Townshend of The Who | Shea Stadium | New York City | October 13, 1982 Hutchison | 19
Tom Petty and Bob Dylan | Madison Square Garden | New York City | July 16, 1986
Al Green outside his church, the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church | Memphis, Tennessee | January 8, 1978 20 | Hutchison
Aretha Franklin | Radio City Music Hall | New York City | July 6, 1989
Blondie | My Father’s Place | Roslyn, Long Island, NY | June 1, 1978
David Bowie | the Spectrum | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania July 21, 1983
Bob Marley | One Love for Peace concert | Kingston, Jamaica April 22, 1978 Hutchison | 21
Prince | Roseland Ballroom | New York City | October 2, 1988
Patti Smith | Asbury Park Convention Hall | Asbury Park, New Jersey August 5, 1978
Michael Jackson on stage with The Jacksons | “Destiny Tour” | Nassau Coliseum | Uniondale, Long Island, New York | November 8, 1979 22 | Hutchison
Neil Young and Willie Nelson | Farm Aid | Cyclone Stadium | Ames, Iowa | April 24, 1993
Whitney Houston | “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” video shoot New York City | March 13, 1987
Stevie Ray Vaughan | The Pier | New York City | June 26, 1986 Hutchison | 23
Miles Davis | Amnesty International Concert | Giants Stadium East Rutherford, New Jersey | June 15, 1986
The Rolling Stones at a party | New York City | January 18, 1983 24 | Hutchison
Stevie Wonder | Madison Square Garden | New York City December 7, 1979
Andy Warhol and Lou Reed | David Johansen show | the Bottom Line | New York City | July 20, 1978
Run DMC | Hollis Queens, New York | July 16, 1986 The Ramones | New York City | June 10, 1981
Ebet Roberts’ work has been syndicated and exhibited worldwide and is included in MTV/VH1 television specials, music anthologies, posters, advertisements, galleries, and private collections of rock, jazz, and classical musicians, including Bob Marley, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, R.E.M., The Ramones, The Cure, The Pretenders, Robert Plant, Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Bon Jovi. Roberts’ photographs have been reproduced in innumerable publications, including Rolling Stone, SPIN, GQ, The New York Times, Newsweek, Time, People, USA Today, and The Village Voice, and are also in the permanent collections of The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Seattle’s Experience Music Project, The Grammy Museum, and The Hard Rock Cafe. They are also featured prominently in these books: Blank Generation Revisited; This Ain’t No Disco: The Story of CBGB; Frozen Fire: The Story of the Cars; Punk 365; Farm Aid: A Song for America; The Rolling Stone Book of Women in Rock, and have been included in Rock Stars by Timothy White; Written in My Soul by Bill Flanagan; The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock ’N Roll by Anthony deCurtis and James Henke; Empty Places by Laurie Anderson; Rock and Roll at 50 by Life Books; and Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History 1955–Present by Gail Buckland.
Hutchison | 25
Consider a Gift to the Hutchison Fund Your gift supports: • curriculum enhancements • staff retention and professional development • extracurricular programs • unique campus environment • Hutchison traditions and school culture • so much more!
To learn more, visit: hutchisonschool.org/giving 2266 || H Huuttcchhiissoonn
Every Gift Matters. Will you join us?
Open camera on phone to scan code
Contact Sarah Wright | Annual Giving Director 901-507-2511 | swright@hutchisonschool.org
Hutchison | 27
A L U M N A P R O F I L E | L AU R A S A N D E R S O N H E A LY ’ 7 7
Laura Sanderson Healy ’77 with her dog, Tucker, an English Springer Spaniel, in Marina del Rey, California.
Photo by Margie Woods
WRITING ROYALTY:
A Correspondent’s Life by Max Maddock
In the 1970s, Laura Sanderson Healy’s mother, Jane Sanderson, wrote stories about a king, so it seems appropriate that Healy, Class of 1977, ended up reporting about royalty as well. Of course, her mother, a veteran entertainment reporter for the Memphis Press-Scimitar and People magazine, was filing stories about Elvis, who, while not technically royalty by blood, was christened the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Jane Sanderson’s review of a 1974 Elvis concert at the Mid-South Coliseum, nearly a half-century ago, still simmers with the spectacle and excitement of that night. 28 | Hutchison
“Blaring of trumpets, rolling of drums, beating of kettles, flashing of lights, and the ruler of rock arrives. Momentum propels to such heights that the first glimpse of Presley sends the audience into a frenzy. Like a streak of white lightning, Presley darts on stage. He is dramatically clad in all white, which sparkles with jewels and nailheads with a jacket slit to the waist and a diamond cross hanging from his neck. He nods approval to the overwhelming hometown reception, and he begins to sing.” A little over ten years after her mom rhapsodized about about Elvis, Healy was living in London and working as a correspondent for People magazine. “My husband and I arrived in July 1985. We stayed for nine years, and it was go, go, go the entire time,” Healy recalled. One of Healy’s regular beats was keeping tabs on the House of Windsor, particularly the ups and downs of Charles and Diana, but she also went where assigned. One day, for instance, her editors asked her to jump on a plane and rush down to Cornwall, England, to interview Simon Le Bon, the lead singer of Duran Duran, who had narrowly escaped death after his yacht capsized and trapped him and his crew underneath. Another time, she was lucky enough to join a junket to Amsterdam with Boy George to report on the launch of MTV Europe. And then there was the day they begged her to trek out to Woodside, the name of Elton John’s countryside manor west of London, to report on the glitterati at his famous White Tie and Tiara Ball. Someone had to cover those events, and Healy was more than happy to oblige. She was one of a number of correspondents around the world who were on the ground and responsible for feeding the publication with the most salient facts to create vivid stories. As a result, Healy often shared writing credit with other correspondents. This excerpt from People exemplifies Healy’s kind of storytelling:
A ROYAL UPBRINGING April 25, 1988 — On a blustery day last January, England’s Prince William, 5, clambered to the top of a red antique fire engine, clamped on an old-fashioned fireman’s helmet,
clanged the bell and exuberantly yelled, “Where’s the fire?” The scene captured in microcosm the delights and drawbacks of perhaps the most extraordinary childhood in the world. For while many children dream of becoming firefighters when they grow up— and in the meantime would gladly settle for a rampage in a station house—the boy’s play was a privileged but hardly spontaneous romp. Wills and his companions that day, younger brother Harry, 3, and cousins Peter and Zara Phillips (Princess Anne’s children, 10 and 6 respectively), were clambering over a 1939 engine that once belonged to their great-grandfather, King George VI. And they were on display at a preplanned “photo opportunity” staged by Queen Elizabeth at her Sandringham estate in Norfolk for the benefit of a phalanx of photographers. The Queen’s hope was that the press, sated, would then depart her 20,000-acre spread, leaving the family to enjoy its holiday privacy. Her Majesty’s ploy failed, and she was roundly criticized for pandering to the press and for her naïveté in thinking she could rid herself of the paparazzi. Hutchison | 29
I grew up at my mother’s desk at the Memphis Press-Scimitar. I was always down at 495 Union Avenue hanging out with her.” Her mother’s instincts as a reporter and skills as a writer rubbed off on her. Laura and Jane Sanderson, her mother and mentor
Like her mother’s story about the Elvis concert, this story
After graduation, Healy’s father encouraged her to head
evokes a sense of being at the Sandringham estate and
to Washington, D.C., and apply for newspaper jobs, but she
watching the Prince from a distance.
found herself competing with a sea of seasoned journalists
Writing royalty begat writing royalty, it seems.
SHADOWING HER MOTHER “I grew up at my mother’s desk at the Memphis
in search of work. Never discouraged, she had an idea. She hopped on a train for New York City. Some context: Healy graduated from Hutchison in 1977. Just before leaving for college, a defining Memphis moment
Press-Scimitar. I was always down at 495 Union Avenue
occurred: On August 16, 1977, Elvis was found dead at his
hanging out with her,” Healy recalled fondly. Her mother’s
Graceland home. “My mom was at Baptist Hospital when
instincts as a reporter and skills as a writer rubbed off on her.
they brought Elvis in because it was right down the street
After graduating from Hutchison, she was off to The
from the Press-Scimitar,” Healy said. Everyone was scram-
College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, char-
bling to figure out what had happened, and her mom called
tered in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II. Healy
her in to help sort through photos as they put together the
studied English and also started an interview show at the
story for the newspaper.
college’s radio station. When she returned to Memphis in the summers, she accompanied her mother on her interviews.
“A year later, People magazine contacted my mom to help on a cover story about what had happened in the year since Elvis died,” Healy explained. “That’s how my mom
“We’d go down to Jerry Lee Lewis’ farm in Mississippi, and mother would do her interview for the Press-Scimitar for the showbiz section. Then Lewis would give me an interview for the radio show.”
started writing for People in 1978 and continued for 20 years.” When Healy arrived in New York in 1981, she made a beeline for the People magazine offices and asked to meet with Hal Wingo, a pioneering reporter for Life magazine who was a co-founder of People magazine. Healy had met Wingo previously when accompanying her mom to New York. The next thing she knew, Healy was working as a freelance fact checker. To get closer to the stories she loved to cover, she moved into a secretarial position in the entertainment section. She was not content to just answer phones and file papers. “I weaseled my way into getting assignments to do on
She got her first taste of covering the royals in 1981.
my off time,” Healy recalled. MTV started that same year and
“Two weeks before my graduation, the summer of Charles
helped spawn the Second British Invasion of music acts from
and Diana’s wedding, Prince Charles came to William and
the United Kingdom. Healy remembered doing stories about
Mary, and I covered it,” Healy said. “That was one of my first
English bands like the Thompson Twins. She covered the
assignments and my first press pass from the State Depart-
opening of the Hard Rock Café with its Memphis connection
ment.” In the year of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of
in co-founder Isaac Tigrett. Healy’s sister, Lisa Sanderson, a
Yorktown, the Prince of Wales was receiving an honorary
member of the Hutchison Class of 1980, joined her for some
fellowship from the college.
of her adventures in New York.
30 | Hutchison
Eventually, Healy was fed up with the banality of her “day job” as a secretary and resigned. By that time, she had accumulated enough stories with her “byline” that she had some street cred as a reporter.
CROSSING THE POND In 1985, Laura Sanderson married John Healy, an Irishman. “I met John at William and Mary. He grew up with Irish parents and lived in Lima, Peru, Santiago, Chile, and Connecticut,” Healy said. “I liked the way he talked about travel and thought ‘I want to stick around with him.’ We continued to date, even after college; he went to Chicago, I went to New York, and we got married after I left New York.” That same year, John was hired as the director of finance for the London Marriott Hotel, so he and Laura packed their bags. With his Irish citizenship, he could live and work in London and so could Laura. She decided to drop in to the London offices of People magazine. “I had left New York on good terms, and I had a letter from
Occasionally, being a correspondent had great perks. In 1987, MTV chartered two 727 jets to fly guests from London to Amsterdam to celebrate the launch of MTV Europe. Healy hitched a ride with singer Boy George and friends to cover the event for People magazine.
Hal Wingo. By the end of the week,
made predictions of what the others would be doing in the
I had a job. I was
future. “Somebody said about me: ‘Laura will know every
a London bureau
rock star on Earth.’ ”
correspondent.” It was in August of that year that Healy found herself sprinting to Cornwall to interview Simon Le Bon about his yacht accident. Duran Duran was a supergroup at the time. They had performed at Live Aid in July, although in Philadelphia, and had recorded the theme song for the James Bond movie, A View to a Kill. “I’m getting the words from Simon, and I’m phoning it down the line to New York,” Healy explained about her interview with the rock star. “The People photographer comes and takes photos, and it became a cover story for
“I was so lucky,” Healy said. “I reported stories in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, all over England. I covered the royal family incessantly, especially Fergie and Diana.” She also wrote stories about actors, writers, artists, musicians, and the London theatre.
the magazine. It was exactly a year after I had quit in New York. It was being fact checked by someone in the New York
In 1993, she had the meeting of a lifetime. It was the
office where I once worked as a fact checker.” The article’s
300th Anniversary of the charter of The College of William
title, “A View to a Spill,” was a play on the title of the
and Mary, and Healy and her husband were invited to attend
Bond movie.
a reception at Drapers’ Hall in London. Queen Elizabeth II
At one of her gatherings with Hutchison alums about five years after they graduated, Healy recalled that they each
would be attending. Healy had reported on the Royals for eight years but had never met the Queen face to face. “I had Hutchison | 31
Photo by Margie Woods
There were assignments that I could do when Diana died, and others that I just didn’t want to do … because she had been so much a part of my life.”
seen her at the Royal Ascot races, and you could roam
remembered. She recalled fondly how a whale came right
around her and other people out by the horses,” Healy
up to Diana’s boat.
explained. “I did a lot of my reporting of the royals that way,
The following year, in February, Buenos Aires prepared
just observing them like Jane Goodall did her chimpanzees
for another famous visit. “My nemesis, Madonna, who I
in the jungle, studying them. That’s what it felt like.”
was always writing about and chasing but could never get
A SOJOURN IN SOUTH AMERICA Having lived in Peru and Chile when
an interview with in London, came to make the movie Evita,” Healy explained. The movie was a musical biopic about Eva Perón, the Argen-
he was growing up, John Healy was
tine actress, politician, activist, and
fluent in Spanish. In 1994, he was tapped
First Lady, from 1946 to 1952, to
to become the director of finance at the
President Juan Perón. “I knew all
Marriott Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires,
the people she was working with
Argentina. So, Laura and John picked up
because I wrote about them, such as
and flew south. Healy admits that at the
director Alan Parker and his whole
time she was burned out from her nine
crew. I wrote a story for People
years of running from story to story.
about Madonna making Evita, and I
She was still considered a People
did a story about Eva Perón herself
correspondent, but she didn’t plan to
for People in Espanol.”
work full time. Nevertheless, in November 1995,
While in Buenos Aires, Healy and her husband welcomed their
the BBC broadcast a bombshell inter-
daughter, Lucy, into the world in
view with Princess Diana in which she
September of 1996. Healy decided
admitted to having an affair and described married life with
to take a turn at being a mom. By May of 1997, they were
Charles as being miserable. Three days later, Diana arrived
back in London again after John was promoted. Healy
in Argentina on a goodwill ambassador trip. Healy followed
popped by the People offices with Lucy in tow, and decided
Diana to the south for a whale watching trip in Patagonia. “I
to work freelance. “I wanted to stay home with Lucy and do
said, ‘I will be damned if I’m going to miss this trip!’ ” Healy
whatever stories I could from there,” she explained.
32 | Hutchison
Once again, her timing could be viewed as either fortunate or unfortunate: on August 31, 1997, Diana died in a car crash in Paris, France. “It was 6 am, and I heard the terrible news about Diana. I asked my nanny to hang on to Lucy, jumped on the Tube with my Filofax, and went roaring into the People offices. We put together three magazines. “There were assignments that I could do when Diana died, and others that I just didn’t want to do,” Healy admitted. “I didn’t want to go out and meet the plane bringing her body back, for instance, because she had been so much a part of my life.” The Healys lived in London for another 10 years until 2007. “Lucy grew up in London. I loved being a mother and working only as much as I wanted.”
LIFE ON THE WEST COAST, WITH TRIPS TO MEMPHIS These days, Laura and John live in Marina del Rey,
Keeping her connection to Hutchison, Healy recently served as a virtual mentor for Hutchison senior Alex McVean ’22. McVean was comparing the way the media treated Diana with their recent treatment of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and wife of Prince Harry. Healy offered McVean her own recollections of covering Diana and the royal family for so many years.
California, near her sister, Lisa, and nephew, Benjamin. Lisa owns her own production company, working as a film
Healy also visits Memphis to see her daughter and
and television producer, writer, composer, music publisher,
mother, who recently celebrated her 96th birthday.
and philanthropist. “I came to California for auntie duties,”
“My mom covered stories in 22 states,” Healy said with
Healy said happily. She’s riding horses again, too, which she
admiration. “I will never be able to touch her. She’s like the
enjoyed when she lived in London and Buenos Aires.
Energizer Bunny.” Hutchison | 33
Graduation CLASS
of 2021
Dr. Kristen Ring with Leah Grace Wolf, who received Four Year, Top Honors and Senior Year, Top Honors
Dr. Kristen Ring with Kiya Brown, 2021 Baccalaureate Poet 34 | Hutchison
Jamie Sokoloff received Four Year, Second Honors and Senior Year, Second Honors
Camilla Johnson, our 2021 Meg Thomas Student Speaker
We can’t wait to see what they do next!
Caroline Halliday received Senior Year, Top Honors and the Edward P. Russell Award. She is pictured with her mother, Grace Moore Halliday ’94. photographs by Michelle Evans Art
Frances Cates, Ideal Hutchison Girl, with her mother, Allison Cates, Board of Trustees member Hutchison | 35
Senior athletes Carmyn Harrison, Maddie Prather, Audrey Still, Kaia Barnett, and Maxine Engel with Assistant Head of School Catherine Chubb
Melissa Conrad Grimes ’87, Board of Trustees member
Megan Wellford Grinder ’91, Board of Trustees Chair; Dr. Kristen Ring, Head of School; and Dr. Kelly Rodney Arnold ’96, our 2021 commencement speaker
Mary Crow with her mother, Alice Trotter Crow ’88
Sarah Abbay snaps a selfie with her mother, Lisa Abbay.
36 | Hutchison
Anna Rose Thomas and Betty Jane Thomas with parents Susan and Sanford Thomas, former Board of Trustees member
Mary Franklin Williams with her mother, Abbie Ware Williams ’89, and father, Duncan Williams
Lillian Barcroft with her mother, Susan McClanahan Barcroft ’85
Sydney Short with her mother, Lisa Kustoff Giardino ’90
Emma Day with her mother, Anne Marie Caskey ’80 (right), and aunt Julie Caskey-Reichmuth ’84
Miller Johnson with her mother, Coleman Barton ’88
Nealy Parker with her mother, Corinne Ridolphi Summers ’90 Hutchison | 37
Renee Grinder, faculty, and daughter Elizabeth Grinder
Nia Drayton with parents Van and CC Drayton
Lasha Pope with parents Gerar and Cassandra Pope
Libby Moak
Maxine Engel, Nealy Parker, Kate Downs
Hutchison Class of 2021
38 | Hutchison
Abby Brown
Annie Hescock and Caroline Robertson
Eve West with father Casey and Ashley West
Eliza Kamara
Sarah Chandler
Hutchison | 39
Nia Drayton, Sophia Mansour, Madeline Wilson, Madeleine Jehl, Kati Ballo, Katie Bennett, and Caroline Senter
Left: Jenna Davis and Amellia Hausmann Above: Megan Nunn, center, and Lauren Hopper wait in line with their classmates as they enter Idlewild Presbyterian Church for their graduation ceremony, Below:Victoria Martin, Kiya Brown, Camilla Johnson, and Anna Cole
Above: Leen Amro
Katie Davis, Grace Goughnour, Mary Crow, and Micah Watkins
Betty Jane Thomas and Amelia Cates
Madelyn Simcoe, Amellia Hausmann, and Justine Ettingoff
Audrey Still, Bailey McNamara, Alexis Corzine, Sophie Skolnick, and Lillian Barcroft
Above: Maya Risch and Megan Nunn Left: back row: Kati Ballo, Adele Keeney, Brooke Bohlke, Caroline Senter, Madeline Wilson, and Macy Pisahl Front row: Areeba Aman, Marjorie-Ann Templeton, Madeleine Siler, Gabby Robbins, and Madeleine Jehl Hutchison | 41
Giving Thanks to Our Community
Photo by Jayme Lewis
Every girl matters. Every gift matters. The Hutchison Fund makes a difference in the lives of our students. Yearly giving ensures we can maintain our campus facilities, extend learning beyond the classroom, and offer professional development for faculty. Thank you to our generous donors. To see our Report on Philanthropy, scan the QR code or visit:
hutchisonschool.org/grateful 42 | Hutchison
Sequoia Taylor ’04 Hutchison Alumna Even though she lives in San Francisco, Sequoia Taylor ’04 is an engaged alumna and a member of the Hutchison Board of Trustees. Here’s why:
“As an alumna, I feel it is extremely important
for me to give to Hutchison. The school has made a huge impact on my life and the person that I am today. Moreover, as a former student of color, I find it imperative to maintain a connection with the school. I feel one should always leave a place better off than they found it, and giving regularly, no matter the gift size, is the most effective way to have your voice heard in an effort to help make it a better place for all future Hutchison girls.”
David and Catherine Willmott Parents of a Hutchison Senior David and Catherine Willmott describe how their daughter, Wylly Willmott ’22, was welcomed and supported when she transferred to Hutchison.
Why I give
Members of our community share how Hutchison has made a difference in their lives and why they choose to give back generously.
We give to Hutchison from a place of awe and “ deep gratitude, and selfishly to give our family another connection to the wondrous hive! Our daughter came to Hutchison in the middle of her junior year and felt at home instantly. The magical combination of teachers who believed in her from day one, the many hallowed and super fun school traditions she got to join in on immediately, the kindness of classmates who graciously made room for one more, the truly excellent, welcoming, and supportive athletic program (Coach Gearhardt!), and the innovative, committed school leaders made the mid-year transfer a huge success. Priceless is the word that best captures our daughter’s experience at Hutch. Thank you!”
Hutchison | 43
Why I give
John and Antoinette Good Parents of Hutchison Alumnae & Grandparents of Three Students The Goods’ daughters, Sophie Good Edwards ’05 and Hannah Good Crowley ’08, who teaches at Hutchison, have benefited from a Hutchison education. Now their three granddaughters will, too.
We have had 30 great years as part of the “ Hutchison family! The school’s academic excellence and nurturing culture have been key contributors to the growth both of our daughters and our granddaughters. Our grandson even receives much Hutchison love in the faculty nursery! None of this growth would be possible without faithful giving to the Hutchison Fund by parents, alumnae, and grandparents. Annual giving is our way of ensuring that the current and future generations of daughters and granddaughters will be able to reap the same benefits of the Hutchison education that our daughters and granddaughters have enjoyed.”
Michelle and Chris Clothier Parents of Three Hutchison Students For all the reasons to give to the Hutchison Fund, Chris and Michelle Clothier can narrow it down to the smiling faces of their three daughters: Sophie ’27, Margo ’29, and Andi Rose ’33.
Passion and promise. These two words define “ why we love Hutchison and are eager to support its mission. Our three girls have different personalities, interests, strengths, and weaknesses, yet each is met exactly where they are every day. They have so many opportunities to explore and find what they are passionate about, and then they are given the freedom and encouragement to grow. Equally as important to us is the potential promise of a strong, confident, well-rounded graduate in a few years. As that promise blossoms in our daughters, it is a real blessing to be able to give to Hutchison because it is giving so much to our girls. It’s our sincere hope that one day they will be inspired to follow our example of giving to the passion and promise of future Hutchison students.”
4 44 4 || H H uu tt cc hh ii ss o o nn
F R O M T H E B OA R D O F T R U S T E E S
Hutchison Financials Operating Budget/2020-2021...... $19,796,833 Giving at Hutchison should be celebratory and joyful. It should never feel transactional or obligatory. To help foster a culture of philanthropy, it is important that we explain the importance of the Hutchison Fund and the many ways the fund impacts each and every girl. We often say that tuition only covers a little more than 80 percent of the cost of a Hutchison education. While this is true, it might lead one to wonder how this is possible, given that the tuition is not inexpensive. Additionally, while we have a healthy endowment fund, we only draw from that the small percentage that is allowed every year. The Hutchison Fund supports the many areas that ensure a robust experience for the girls—the wonderful theater performances, travel to athletic events, curriculum, maintenance of the farm, social and emotional programming for all ages, and classroom libraries are a few examples. Much of the magic of Hutchison—from community-building events such as Black and Gold Day to the special events at each grade level—is supported by the Hutchison Fund. We are a school dedicated to meeting the needs of each girl. We are not a school of 825 girls; we are a school of 1 girl, 825 times. Our learning specialists, the amazing counseling team, the high-quality teachers and coaches all have the resources they need to best serve each girl because of the Hutchison Fund. Every gift matters. Each gift is a clear indication of your support and advocacy of our school. Thank you for your commitment to Hutchison.
2020-2021 CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS Endowment & Capital Gifts.........................$481,964 Hutchison Fund Gifts.................................$1,110,333 Total Gifts................................................ $1,592,297
ENDOWMENT FUND BALANCE as of June 30, 2021............................... $26,961,801
1902 SOCIETY Planned Gift Donors.............................................. 47 Estimate Value....................................... $11,722,000 Audited financial statement available upon request.
SOU
RCES OF REVENUE
OPE
R AT I N G E X P E N S E S
Net Tuition & Fees...... 83% Philanthropy.................. 9% Auxiliary/Misc................ 8%
Sincerely, Salaries & Benefits........82%
Kristen Ring, Ed.D. | President and Head of School
Program Support ......... 14% Physical Plant................. 7% General and Administrative..............7%
Hutchison | 45
Charlot te
A L U M N A E G AT H E R I N G S
Back row: Claire Frisby Bell ’02, Mary Tabor Engel ’82, Lawrence Freeburg Zucker ’07, Morgan Jeffries ’15, LeAnn Glover Sommerkamp ’87, Nancy Edwards Bourne ’05, Claire Covington ’96, and Liz Early Gore ’83; front row: Ashley Norfleet ’07, Betsey Haight Hawthorne ’05, Betsy Dumas Gebhardt ’53, Maddie Prather ’21, Kristen Ring, and Porter Johnson ’17
Nashville
From top of stairs, L to R: Elizabeth Saxton Inman ’99, Paula Ilabaca McGowan ’98, Elizabeth McNeill Sherrard ’00, Courtney Carlisle Bolton ’98, Allison Barnes ’02, Natalie Cuicchi ’99, Maggie Leavell ’12, Emily Howe Gianis ’09, Lauren Lorentz Wilson ’95, Tricia Thomas McCarter ’95, Ashley Martin Webster ’87, Lauren Lasseter ’11, Hardin Powell Meade ’04, Stacey Wilson ’95, Carrie Austin Playfair ’93, Katie Maples ’04, Morgan Lynch Ribeiro ’01, Kristen Ring, Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10, Mary-Katherine Phelps Prince ’00, Caché Truitt ’14, Margaret Shaul ’14, Lisa Patton Southard ’76, Kiya Brown ’21, Myra Fort Leathers ’76, Chandler Pera Pemberton ’04, Missy Flinn Sidney ’01
Charleston Standing: Susan Lee ’96 and Suzy Sullivan Edwards ’84
Sitting: Ivy Wagerman ’15, Kristen Ring, and Lindsay Stucker McDaniel ’96
46 | Hutchison
New York
Back row: Kelley Guinn McArtor ’12, Lauren Stallworth Imbrosciano ’05, Helen Crawford Del Riego ’61, Kristen Ring, Caroline Couch ’20, Madison Morris ’21, Marie Tashie ’14, Anne Catherine Demere ’14, Tori Crnogorac ’14, Emily Woodbury ’08, and Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10. Front row: Julia Harrison ’11, Mary Crow ’21, Sally Clark ’14, and Katherine Hammons ’12
Kristen and Mary Aubrey also spent some time with photographer Ebet Roberts ’63, who is well known for her photos of musicians in the New York punk music scene in the 1970s, her photos of Farm Aid since its inception in 1985, and many other famous musicians over the last four decades. See a profile of Ebet on page 14.
Mary Aubrey Stafford ’10 and Kristen Ring met up with 1972 classmates Ann Hoehn and Corinne Dimou Welsh at the Teatro LATEA in New York City. They all attended the play Thirty Days, which is based on Hoehn’s memoir Smell the Raindrops, written under her pen name BA Austin. The play was presented as part of the New York Theater Festival’s Fall/Winterfest.
Kristen Ring and Mary Aubrey Stafford ’10 traveled out to Brooklyn to meet with Sarah Morgan Ashey ’03, co-owner of Kings Kolache, a Czech-Tex bakery she coowns with her husband Paul Ashey. They were surprised when Ashey presented them with some amazing, Hutchison-themed kolaches, which are Czech pastries made of a yeast dough. Delicious! Hutchison | 47
A L U M N A E G AT H E R I N G S
Young Alums
Above: back row: Hannah Mims ’12, Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10, Kristen Ring, Anna Lane ’11, Amelia Brown Williamson ’10, Ann Thompson ’10, Corinne Mestemacher ’10, Lawrence Jones ’12, Claudie Wilder ’12, Shelton Wittenberg ’14, Tayloe Lowrance ’15, Neely Leavell ’12, Elizabeth Oxley ’15, Mary Margaret Moore ’15, and Katy Nair; front row: Mary Crockett ’10, Carolyn Dellinger ’12, Danielle Rassoul-Alexander ’10, Maggie Donoghue Zambetti ’10, Meredith Taylor ’10, Kendra Powers Hooper ’10, and Claire Tenent Murk ’10 Right: Class of 2010 gathered for a photo: Claire Tenent Murk, Danielle Rassoul-Alexander, Meredith Taylor, Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford, May Todd, Amelia Brown Williamson, Maggie Donoghue Zambetti, Ann Thompson, Kendra Powers Hooper, Corinne Mestemacher, and Mary Crockett
Craft Cocktails
Ivy McPherson Hayes ’84, Julie Bancroft ’84, and Sheri Bancroft ’88 Kim Crain Lowrance ’86, Ingrid Stuckey ’86, Tayloe Lowrance ’15, Mary Margaret Moore ’15, and Beth Humphreys Moore ’77 48 | Hutchison
Tennessee-Ole Miss tailgate
Molly Browne ’26, Eryka Jenkins, Caroline Schaefer ’08, Lilly Hussey ’26, Wright Prather ’26, and Haney Harris ’26
Back row: Caroline Robertson ’21, Josephine Redd ’19, Blair Threlkeld ’18, Alyssa Hausmann ’19, Mary Demere ’19, Anne Grinder ’19, Madison Grinder ’19, and Ellie Weeks ’19; front row: Katie McBride ’19, Elizabeth Pierotti ’19, Ainsley Holliday ’19, and Haley Clift ’19
Grace Galler ’19, Paige Patteson ’19, Eryka Jenkins, Sara Hopper ’19, and Hannah Gardner ’19
Bess Bartusch, Anne Tyler Bartusch ’26, and Sarah Bartusch ’23
Top: Caroline Gibert ’24 with parents Janice and Jason Gibert Above: Mary Franklin Williams ’21, Anne Grinder ’19, Izabella Moore ’22, and Sarah Chandler ’21
Alumnae Book Club Hutchison alumnae gathered virtually to discuss Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton. Top, L to R: Ellen Gannaway Lail ’84, Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10, Melissa Moore Faber ’79; bottom, L to R: Peggy Diggs Simons ’64, Theresea Duldt Holland ’84, Estie Woodall Harris ’79, not shown: Nelle McCorkle Bordeaux ’83. Hutchison | 49
golden bees
A L U M N A E G AT H E R I N G S
September event November event
Standing: Jeanne Jacobs Sutherland ’67, Kristen Ring, Elise Morgan Stratton ’67, Gaye Gillespie Henderson ’67, Julia Gray Manning ’55, Dabney Coors ’69, and Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10; seated: Meredith Gotten Pritchartt ’53 and Stella Orgill Blocker ’55
Top left photo: Betty Chalmers Peyton ’54 and Dabney Coors ’69 Above: Blount Devlin Smith ’54 and Katherine Walton Person ’70 Right: Nancy Hughes Coe ’70 and Carey Madison Moore ’64 50 | Hutchison
Flora Maury Bratton ’61, Marilyn McGee Wiener ’61 and Lyn Rembert Bailey ’64
Betty Riggan Padgett ’60 and Lillian High Trotter ’60
Top: Kristen Ring and Sarah Russell Haizlip ’65
Carey Madison Moore ’64 and Laurie Fraser Stanton Elliot ’65
Above: Dale Ragland Parker ’52 Hutchison | 51
A LU M N A E A S S O C I AT I O N B OA R D | Q & A W I T H L I L L I E F L E N O R L ’ 0 4
Lillie Flenorl, Class of 2004, is Hutchison’s Alumnae Association Board (AAB) president for 2021-2022. Flenorl works for FedEx Freight as a Senior Communications Specialist. We asked her a few questions about why it’s important as an alumna of Hutchison to continue to engage with the school.
Q: What inspires you to give back to Hutchison? A: I received a phenomenal education. I learned so much
Q: Why is it important for Hutchison students to interact with alumnae?
about myself from both an academic and personal standpoint.
A:
A lot of those things I still carry with me to this day. It is important
self? We’ve been in their shoes, and we can provide insight.
that we stay engaged and support the school that has given
Even though I don’t have it all figured out, I do have some
so much to us. Additionally, these last few years have not been
advice that I can share with someone younger that could be
easy for anyone. I want students and faculty and staff to know
beneficial to them. It’s about helping them see all the many
that they are supported, and that we appreciate everything that
possibilities available to them. If a student is interested in a
they are doing.
particular career field and we can pair them with an alumna who
Q: What is your priority as the AAB President? A: It is simply to get as many alumnae involved as we can.
One thing I think about a lot is what would I tell my younger
works in that field, it’s so valuable. Sometimes it’s about exploring and finding out what you’re not interested in too. You won’t know unless you have an experience and someone to
We have a supportive network, but if we can even grow that
teach you and guide you. It’s important to find those networking
network even more, it will be beneficial for the students and the
opportunities, even if that is virtual.
school. For alums who haven’t been back on campus in a while, we’d love for you to visit. So much has changed, in a good way.
Q: With COVID, it’s hard to know what we’re doing the next
There’s an expanded farm. There’s a new athletics facility. There
minute. How do we plan around that?
are many more leadership and service opportunities available
A:
for students. When I saw all of these new additions, it made me
ently. It’s forced us to be more innovative and think outside the
so excited.
box. I have noticed over the last year or so, during the pandemic,
Q: Before COVID how were you staying engaged with Hutchison?
A:
COVID has forced us to think of ways to do things differ-
that some alumnae who maybe weren’t engaged before are engaged now because they can join virtually or mentor virtually. Alumnae from New York or California or Europe can join a Zoom
I am an advocate of mentoring. I will take any opportunity
to speak to students about my experiences and the things that
call and be here to support our girls.
who supported me throughout my life in anything that I wanted
Q: What are your hopes for current Hutchison students? A: I hope current students realize what a great education
to do. It’s important to give back and encourage other people.
they’re receiving. What they are learning now they will be using
I’ve learned, because that was done for me. I always had people
20 years from now. I hope they have the confidence to pursue what they are interested in, and know that they can do whatever they want.
2021-2022 ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION BOARD OFFICERS Lillie Flenorl ’04 | President Caroline Johnson Crosby ’91 | Events/Programming Chair Meredith Taylor ’10 | Career/Mentoring Chair Lane Patton Patikas ’88 | Annual Giving Chair Allison Blankenship ’12 | Regional Planning Chair Dabney Coors ’69 | Golden Bee Chair 56 | Hutchison
2021 Tennis Round Robin The 2021 Tennis Round Robin was a grand slam thanks to all of our players and sponsors. We truly appreciate everyone who came out to support Hutchison!
Overall Champion: Jennifer Magee Section winners: Jennifer Magee, Caroline Hopkins, Sandra Horn, Eleanor Mascoli, Melissa Reddoch PRESENTING SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSOR The Dabney Nursery
72 | Hutchison
COURT SPONSOR Belly Acres Christy and Eddie Murphey Hammons Investment Group Hollis and Burns Insurance Independent Bank Jim Keras Automotive
Nancy Smith String ’n Swing ZupMed LUNCH SPONSOR Wild Beet Salad Company
join us! Hutchison alumnae gatherings are held in different regions of the country throughout the year. These events provide alumnae with opportunities to learn about current happenings at Hutchison, to meet other alumnae in the area, and to reconnect with classmates and friends. UPCOMING HUTCHISON ALUMNAE EVENTS Hutchison in San Francisco Tuesday, January 25 | 6 pm Hutchison in Los Angeles Thursday, January 27 | 6 pm Hutchison in Atlanta Thursday, February 17 | 6 pm Hutchison in Dallas Thursday, March 3 | 6 pm ALUMNAE WEEKEND 2022 Friday & Saturday, April 1 & 2 For location information and to RSVP, please email Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10, Alumnae Director mstafford@hutchisonschool.org.
we hope to see you!
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage 1 74 0 R i d g e w a y R o a d M e m p h i s , Te n n e s s e e 3 8 1 1 9 (901) 761-2220
PAID
Memphis, TN Permit No. 750
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 2021
Hutchison accepts qualified female students regardless of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.
Returning to campus this year!
ALUMNAE WEEKEND 2022 Celebrating 100+ years of friendships! Friday & Saturday, April 1 & 2
Return to Hutchison and reconnect with your classmates. All alumnae are welcome with a special emphasis on reunion years ending in 2 and 7 as well as the past two years of reunion classes. More information coming soon. We can’t wait to celebrate with you in 2022!
Hutchison Beeline Bazaar
Saturday, April 2 | 10 am–4 pm | Goodlett Gym | free Shop goods such as jewelry, art, food, textiles, stationery, pottery, and fashion from local artisans. Proceeds contribute to Hutchison’s Community Service Endowment Fund. This fund is managed by the student-run Philanthropic Literacy Board and serves as a way for girls to learn about philanthropy and the grant-making process.