Bulletin - Fall 2021 - The Frederick Gunn School by The Frederick Gunn School

BULLETIN Fall 2021

We’re back!

These pages: Students participated in a series of team building exercises on the Quad as part of Orientation in September. In the “Blob Challenge,” students were split into groups and given a shape they had to create only using themselves. This team raced to make a pyramid that stood up, and had to do so as quickly as possible. From top: Natalia Zappone ’23, Jenny Macler ’23, Katie Porrello ’22, Jo Wimler ’24, Sydney Frank ’22, Gianna D’Agostino ’24, Jenna Hunt ’22, and Georgie Charette ’23. (Read more about the opening of school on page 20.)

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

BULLETIN

fall 2021

2 From the Head of School 4 Citizenship in Action 9 Baseball Images Linked to our Past 14 Celebrating the Class of 2021 20 Campus Life 36 Gunn Arts 38 Gunn Athletics 44 From the Archives 46 Supporting The Frederick Gunn School 48 Alumni Weekend 2021 52 Trustee News 54 Alumni Small Businesses 60 Meet the Alumni & Development Team 62 Highlander Journeys 70 Class Notes 86 Remembering Ron Whittle P’80 ’82 88 Faculty Profile On the cover: The 2021-22 Prefects hanging out on Senior Rock (left to right): Liam Koval ’21, Serdar Kaltalioglu ’21, Yoyo Zhang ’21, Head Prefect Eddie Rayhill ’21, Ava Marti ’21, Alex Warren ’21, Gavin Brown ’21, Clara Prander ’21

Fall 2021

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Frederick Gunn School Community, As I write, we are days away from opening the 2021-22 school year, the 172nd year in The Frederick Gunn School’s history. While always exciting, I wouldn’t typically comment on it here. What makes this so special is that it will be the first time that we have had all students, faculty and staff on campus since early March 2020 — and we are thrilled, despite the myriad variables of the year ahead. Our responsibility to each of the 315 students in our care this year, and every year, is to provide an excellent learning environment, one that leverages the many advantages of being a boarding school in Washington, Connecticut, by integrating the classroom, cocurriculars (outdoors, athletics and arts), and residential life into a transformative, holistic growth experience in line with Frederick Gunn’s educational mission to create engaged citizens. To do that as a school, our next responsibility is to the faculty and staff who do that work with students day-in and day-out — the people who, in my phrase, create the ecosystem conditions for student flourishing. Alongside these responsibilities — in fact, undergirding them — is the long-term responsibility for the school to take the right posture to risk. To succeed as an institution requires that we imagine a future that is better than the present, no matter how great the present is. This carries inherent risk: What are we not doing that we need to start doing? What are we doing that we need to stop doing? What are we doing well that we need to do better? Risk means making choices in line with our Core Values that are intended to result in an even more dynamic, transformative environment for students and the people who teach them.

Our core values > Integrated Humans > Hopeful Faculty > Learning Ecosystem > Moral Character Development > Active Citizens

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

To succeed as an institution requires that we imagine a future that is better than the present, no matter how great the present is. This carries inherent risk: What are we not doing that we need to start doing? What are we doing that we need to stop doing? What are we doing well that we need to do better?

not follow every educational trend under the sun. Instead, we will hew to the thought and practice of Frederick Gunn about what it means to be the adults responsible for creating the conditions for student flourishing. Second, recognize that our place — our campus, buildings, and location in Washington — is unique among all boarding schools, and invest in it intentionally for a sustainable, beautiful long term. Third, invest in existing programs — and create new ones — that stem from our Core Values, and hold them accountable to the highest standards available. Simon Sinek, in his 2019 book, “The Infinite Game,” differentiates between finite and infinite games: “Finite games … have known players, fixed rules, and a clear end point. The winners and losers are easily identified, like in a game of football or chess. In infinite games, like business or politics or life itself, the players come and go, the rules are changeable and there is no defined end point. There are no winners and losers in an infinite game. There is no such thing as ‘winning business’ or ‘winning life’ ... there is only ahead and behind.” As a competitive person, it is easy for me to fall into thinking about the school as a series of finite games — winning or losing a year in terms of student life, athletic records, the admissions cycle, or the annual fund. Stepping back from the finite view reveals that the goal is bigger than stacking up a series of winning years. Rather, in the infinite game in which the school competes, the goal is ensuring, to the best of our ability given that we can’t predict the future, that the major strategic decisions and investments we make as a school today will position the institution to be stronger, 10, 25 and 50 years from now, relative to its ideal peer set. Setting our sights on that horizon, rather than only 12 or 36 months out, takes no pressure off of the need to execute on this year’s core commitments to students,

We have set ourselves to this work in earnest. Some of the fruit has appeared already — The Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center and Koven-Jones Glade; our ongoing commitment to the work of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at all levels of the school; the opening of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy (see page 4); the expansion of our Outdoor Program (see page 30); and hiring a Chief People Officer (see page 24), and launching a more proactive professional growth effort for faculty. Much more fruit will appear soon, including plans for a new, 24,000-square-foot facility to replace the current Math and Science Building; hiring an architectural firm to update our long-term campus plan; investing in faculty salaries; and expanding our entrepreneurship program. As we navigate this incredible year and enjoy the presence of everyone learning and living together in person — something we’ve learned not to take for granted — the fuel for all of us on campus is the joy of watching students grow within the school’s learning ecosystem. We have an awesome group of students and faculty and I encourage you to visit and see it in action! Meanwhile, we are planting saplings today through our strategic plan initiatives and ensuring they have the resources they need to grow, confident that future members of the school community will enjoy their fruit.

faculty and staff. It does, however, help us adjust our risk profile and expected results — longer-term investing, requiring a greater commitment up front, and expecting a larger return in terms of the

Go Gunn!

student, faculty and staff experience, and therefore, in the overall health of the school. We have developed a few goals, captured in our Strategic Plan, that reflect our best thinking about appropriate, bold risks for our school. First, invest dramatically and consistently in our people

Peter Becker Head of School

— faculty and staff — in line with our five Core Values. We will

Fall 2021

The Civic Changemakers Project Citizenship in Action Over the summer,members of the Senior Class

were actively engaged in their communities, lobbying for new legislation, building affordable housing, planning a new podcast to bring awareness to mental health issues, and helping children and adults with disabilities, as part of their Civic Changemakers Projects (CCP). A diploma requirement, the CCP offers students an opportunity to work independently on a service project in their local communities, and put into action what they have learned over the course of the school’s four-year citizenship curriculum under the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy. Funded by a $100,000 grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation and matched by school donors, the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy encourages students to explore and practice active citizenship animated by the ideas and example of Frederick Gunn. The four-year curriculum is based on the mission of the school and encourages students at every level to engage in topics and projects of interest that foster self-awareness and responsibility. Through the Civic Changemakers Project, they are becoming active citizens — active in changing the world in the same entrepreneurial way as Mr. Gunn.

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Left to right: Robin Wright ’22, Paul Clement ’22, Sean Hall ’22, Grace Noh ’22, Theo Mercier ’22 and Kyra Briggs ’22 with Bart McMann, Director of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, which is currently based in Tisch Schoolhouse

Lobbying for change Robin Wright ’22 spent two weeks this summer working as an intern for Sean Michael Peoples, Esq. ’79, a partner at the law firm of Brown Paindiris & Scott, LLP, in Glastonbury, Connecticut. In addition to practicing law in Hartford, Peoples has served as the District 6 Probate Court Judge in Glastonbury and Hebron since 2015. As part of the internship, Peoples introduced Wright to family law, criminal defense law, probate, trusts, and estates practice as well as personal injury and workers compensation law. Wright learned how to analyze a complex personal injury file and discuss it, sat in on several Probate Court hearings at the Glastonbury-Hebron Probate Court, and toured the Connecticut State Law Library, Connecticut Supreme Court, and Hartford Superior Court. Wright also had the chance to meet with retired Connecticut Probate Court Judge Timothy Keeney, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who, in 1972, led the team that recovered the Apollo 17 spacecraft when it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. “Robin is a mature, professional, serious, and compassionate student who is not afraid to take advantage of opportunities when they come to him,” said Bart McMann, Director of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy.

It is not surprising that Wright has set his sights on becoming their accomplishments. We want students to know that before their a lawyer. His father, John Wright P’22, is an Assistant Attorney accomplishments, they are known and loved. Theo was willing in his General for the State of Connecticut, and his mother, Veronica Junior Speech to investigate and shed light on the struggles he had, Halpine P’22, is a staff attorney at Greater Hartford Legal Aid. “I’m and I found it to be really brave and courageous. Now he’s having fairly confident it’s what I’d like to do with my life,” Wright said. “I’m conversations with other people to destigmatize this issue and let predisposed to liking that semantic framework rooted in philosophy others know, it can be anybody.” and have been exposed to it over the years through my parents. I’m During the pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. reported interested in criminal and civil law, but it’s variable.” symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, up from 1 in 10 adults For his Civic Changemakers Project, Wright is working who reported those symptoms from January to June 2019, according with the American Civil Liberties Union and attorneys at the to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. University of Connecticut’s Criminal “I think it’s something a lot of other kids Defense Clinic to lobby for plea bargain struggle with talking about. It’s so hard to reform in Connecticut. “It’s a huge problem, talk about your feelings and pinpoint what We do spend a lot of time particularly for juveniles,” Wright said, you’re feeling. We do spend a lot of time on physical health and I explaining that defendants as young as 14, 15, on physical health and I think that mental and 16 are sometimes bullied into entering health is just as important. A lot of times think that mental health is a guilty plea because they face longer prison it’s overlooked and I’d like to bring people’s just as important. A lot of sentences if they do not admit to the charges attention to it,” Mercier said in an interview times it’s overlooked and against them. this summer, around the same time that Wright first became interested in the athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics, I’d like to bring people’s issue of plea bargain reform after speaking including U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone attention to it.” with a circle of lawyers he was introduced to Biles and Naomi Osaka, were bringing their – Theo Mercier ’22 by his parents. After reading more about it, own personal struggles with mental health he said he felt particularly passionate about to light. To Mercier, the example they set doing something about the issue. There publicly helped to highlight what others was a groundswell of support for reform this summer, may be feeling in their day-to-day lives. supported by the ACLU, and Wright is hoping that a “It makes it easier when someone who is so talented bill will be considered by Connecticut lawmakers in an and seems to have this perfect life also struggles with this upcoming session of the General Assembly. Wright and stuff. A lot of other celebrities have also struggled with it,” his twin brother, Phineas ’22, have already reached out to Mercier said, pointing to actor and former professional State Rep. Maria Horn, who represents the 64th District, wrestler Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, who has spoken which includes their hometown of Goshen, in support of openly about his battle with depression and anxiety, as draft legislation. If there are public rallies in support of a another example. “If you see this person, who you perceive bill, they plan to be there, he said. to be the ultimate goal, super successful, and also having fun with life, getting over [talking about] it, it’s kind of comforting. No matter where you come from or what’s going on in your life, this During the 2020-21 school year, Theo Mercier ’22 gave a memorable can affect you.” junior speech focused on his own experiences with mental health For the podcast, Mercier is working with Brad Barrett ’22 to issues. For his Civic Changemakers Project, he is planning to launch interview students while Mercier’s mom, Helen Waldron P’18 ’22, a podcast to bring greater awareness to mental health and offer Director of Admission & Financial Aid at Oxford Academy, will put resources to help others who may be struggling. him in touch with therapists from her professional network, who “Theo is the personification of people in our community who can offer advice to students about how to reach out for help. are making mental health struggles not a taboo subject anymore,” “At the beginning of my whole mental health journey, I didn’t McMann said. “There’s an enormous amount of pressure on really know what to do with myself. A lot of times I would just adolescents, and they often feel like their self-worth comes from ignore it and keep pushing through. When the pandemic hit, I said

Bringing Awareness to Mental Health

Fall 2021

to myself, ‘I need to start dealing with this,’ and put it at the forefront of my attention,” said Mercier, who is planning to discuss resources on the podcast ranging from yoga, art and music to talking to a professional counselor. Personally, he found that art (painting and drawing in particular) as well as music (playing the drums) and exercise (soccer, ultimate frisbee, and baseball) helped him the most. “As long as you do it with a purpose, that’s all that matters.”

Working until everyone has a home Sean Hall ’22 and Paul Clement ’22 chose to spend a week this summer helping to build affordable housing for two families Paul Clement ’22, Brian Mhando, a student at Regis High School in New York, Sean Hall ’22 and in Westchester County, New York. Both Colin Hall ’23 at the affordable housing site they worked on this summer students participated in a Builders Camp sponsored by the Fuller Center for Housing of Greater New York The project comes at a time when builders are facing a steep City, which seeks to end poverty by promoting partnerships rise in construction costs and materials, due in part to the global with individuals, businesses, and community groups to build and pandemic, combined with an increased need for affordable housing. rehabilitate affordable homes. The cost of housing and homelessness were listed as the leading Jim Killoran, the CEO of the Fuller Center, is a parishioner at concerns, ahead of COVID-19, public safety, taxes, education, and the church Hall and his family attend in New Rochelle, New York. jobs, according to a poll conducted by the Manhattan Institute Last summer, Killoran reached out to Hall and his brother, Collin and Echelon Insights of adults in 20 of the fastest-growing ’23, and invited them to help work on a housing project. They did metropolitan areas. that for two months, and returned this past summer with two “The project opened my eyes to problems I had not thought friends, Brian Mhando, who attends Regis High School in New York about before. I did not realize how bad the housing situation was City, and Clement. until I worked with the Fuller Center,” Hall said. Asked why he chose to make his experience the focus of their While volunteers like Hall and Clement have donated their Civic Changemakers Project, Sean Hall said: “Jim Killoran stresses time and energy to the Chappaqua project, and local organizations a lot that we won’t stop working until everyone has a home. His have donated materials, it is one of the Fuller Center’s larger message just struck me. It’s a basic right to have a home to go home projects. “They needed a lot more funding than for a typical house to at the end of the night and I believe in his philosophy, to keep to move forward,” Hall said. Part of the work the students did this building homes until everyone has a home to go to every night.” summer involved building wooden planters and picnic tables that The project they worked on, at 300 King Street in Chappaqua, were sold by the Fuller Center to raise funds for the housing project. New York, was featured on a live radio show Killoran hosts on The picnic tables were purchased by the city for use in a local park, WVOX 1040 AM, and in Westchester Magazine. “It was originally providing an additional benefit for the local community. a Quaker meeting house dated back to the 1820s; it was dismantled A lot of their focus this summer involved carpentry and and reconstructed on its current site in 1883 and was most recently framing. “I made the closets in all the bedrooms,” Hall said. “Last used as a Lutheran nursery school. It also has an ambitious future: summer, my friend and I caulked all the windows of the house. We Ultimately, it will be repurposed as two, three-bedroom residential went on the scaffolding and did a lot of the outside painting. We units that will be sold by lottery to income-eligible purchasers,” the did the insulation and we just learned the process of what goes into magazine reported. building a house and the different components.” 6

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That process included learning about sustainable building standards, which has been a focus for both Hall and Clement in both the IDEAS Lab courses they have taken and the Engineering Club they co-lead with Oliver Chen ’22 at The Frederick Gunn School. “As a historic reuse project, the exterior of the home is being restored to the appearance it had in 1883. In addition, it’s being designed using passive-house sustainability standards, which will result in such benefits as reduced energy costs, building resiliency, and superior air quality,” Westchester Magazine said. “It was a very interesting project,” said Clement, who also learned how to apply stucco over cement to the home’s exterior, helped work on a supporting wall on the first floor, and even chopped wood for the fireplace. “Housing is a basic human necessity, to have shelter, especially at night and when it gets colder for the winter. I wanted to participate in something that led to a change as great as that, working on the house or doing things to support the community, building things.” “It’s important to learn how you can effect social change, physical change, and seeing that you actually have an influence in the world, especially when you finish a project,” Clement said.

McMann, right, leading a Pathways class for freshman in fall 2020

Housing is a basic human necessity, to have shelter, especially at night and when it gets colder for the winter. I wanted to participate in something that led to a change as great as that, working on the house or doing things to support the community, building things.” – Paul Clement ’22

Modeling acceptance and inclusion For their Civic Changemakers Projects, Grace Noh ’22 and Kyra Briggs ’22 both volunteered their time this summer to help children and adults with disabilities. Noh worked with elementary school-age children with autism at a local welfare center in Korea, and Briggs worked with a nonprofit organization in Connecticut that teaches water sports to individuals of all ages and abilities, including those who are blind, have cognitive disabilities, or cerebral palsy. Both students said they were inspired to get involved in their respective programs based on personal experiences. Noh’s mother is a doctor and her father, a dentist. From the time she was four, Noh accompanied them on annual medical service trips to Southeast Asia. Her father is also an amputee and suffers from hearing loss. Noh said seeing him struggle with transportation and access to buildings inspired her to help others who might be facing similar challenges. “That’s how I became passionate about disability, inclusion and accommodation,” she said. Noh, who is a Gunn Scholar this year, sees a parallel between her Civic Changemakers Project

Fall 2021

and Frederick Gunn’s ideals, particularly, his vision to establish a school where all are welcome. “Mr. Gunn was really a progressive leader. He would always seek to make changes in our school community and beyond, integrating African American or Asian students, and allowing more students to join the school community.” Similarly, Briggs developed her Civic Changemakers Project based on her experience as a volunteer at the Leaps of Faith Adaptive Skiers program, where she has taught adaptive water sports since 2018. This summer, she created a video to walk people through a typical day and demonstrate how the program helps people, and how participants feel before and after their experience. Briggs first learned about Leaps of Faith after her brother, Nolan, who has cerebral palsy, participated in its adaptive water sports program on Lake Zoar in Newtown, Connecticut. “I’ve met so many great people. Everyone has so many stories about how they found the program. For some it provides a sense of community. There are a lot of people who are not used to being around people with a similar or more severe disability. They come to us, where that’s a normal, regular thing, and they feel very welcomed and appreciated,” Briggs said. Some participants also come away

with a sense of physical achievement. “Being able to get up out of the water on the ski, progressing from different lines, different equipment, I think it’s just happiness, pure joy. I love waterskiing and the second I get in the water and know I’m about to get up [on my skis], I just have the biggest smile on my face, and for them it’s the same.” For example, Briggs said she skis with a young girl who is blind. “She starts out on the dock. I help her put on skis, hand her the rope, and she slides into the water.” After that, they communicate using a series of signals developed by Joel Zeisler, a former national champion water ski jumper and founder of Leaps of Faith, who also drives the boat. “One tap on the line means they can do whatever. Two taps is another boat coming. Three taps signals ‘let go’ at the end of the run.” Asked how her project ties in with the school’s citizenship curriculum, Briggs said it comes down to one word. “I think it’s acceptance, just learning to accept people for who they are without rushing to a judgment. Everybody does the same thing in different ways. You just have to take your time and be patient and respectful with them.”

Winterim Course Provides a Closer Look at Government in Action This year, some Winterim courses are incorporating travel opportunities for students, including a trip to Washington, D.C., December 5–10, 2021, to see the U.S. Government in action. Bart McMann, Director of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, developed the course in partnership with the Close Up® Washington, D.C., program. After researching and investigating today’s key public policy issues, 20 students will embark on a six-day/five-night excursion to Washington, D.C., where they will make personal connections with the people, institutions, and iconic sites that embody our nation’s past and present. Students will have the chance to discuss current events with political experts, policymakers, and members of Congress or their staff. They will explore Capitol Hill and witness a live congressional committee hearing.

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They will have opportunities to engage in meaningful discussions with peers from around the country and debate the most pressing issues facing our nation in a Mock Congress. They will also visit the famous monuments, worldrenowned museums, and hallowed institutions that define our history and get a glimpse of diplomacy up close by visiting an embassy and meeting an ambassador or diplomat. All students are eligible to participate. Completion of the course will earn full credit for the Senior Civic Changemakers Project (CCP), a diploma requirement. “I look forward to exploring Washington, D.C., with our students,” McMann said. “They will learn more about U.S. history and government while considering a variety of viewpoints. Close Up’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunities coupled with our Citizenship and Just

Democracy Curriculum will inspire and empower students to become active participants in our democracy.”

Bart McMann, Director of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy

Vintage Baseball Images Offer Glimpse of the Past

This stereoview shows a baseball game being played on Washington Green, possibly a few years earlier than the well-known baseball photograph in the school’s archives. Woodruff House, which still stands at 1 Kirby Road, is in the background.

Last spring,

John Gennantonio, a collector of 19th-

In response to Gennantonio’s first question, then-School Archivist

century baseball memorabilia, contacted The Frederick Gunn School

Misa Giroux and Stephen Bartkus, Curator of the Gunn Historical

about a pair of vintage photographs he had recently acquired. One

Museum, both confirmed immediately that the images were indeed

was a small, black-and-white photograph about the size of a calling

taken on Washington Green. “These are amazing!” Bartkus said. “They

card, known as a cartes de visite, or CdV. The other was a stereoview,

are 100% Washington Green and The Gunnery. The building in the

a precursor of the modern 3-D image, which must be viewed with

background is 1 Kirby Road, now known as Woodruff House.”

a stereoscope to achieve a three-dimensional effect. On the back of

the CdV was a handwritten notation, “baseball at The Gunnery,”

of when the images were created — and whether they predate the

Gennantonio’s first clue to the provenance of the photographs. On the

1869 image in the Paula and George Krimsky ’60 Archives and Special

orange mat framing the stereoview was a second clue: the words “first”

Collections — that remains a mystery for now.

Gennantonio was thrilled by this news, but as for the question

and “second” nine, and what appears to be the letters “W.B.B.C.”

When Gennantonio contacted the school, he had two questions:

Just looking for that diamond in the rough

Were these images taken at what was then The Gunnery? And could

A native of Cincinnati, Gennantonio has been fascinated with baseball,

they be even older than the first known photograph of a baseball game

and the Cincinnati Reds in particular, since his youth. “I think it’s

in progress — the one taken at the first Gunnery reunion on August

because I grew up around the Big Red Machine, going to games with

4, 1869, on Washington Green? That photograph, in which school

my parents, and idolizing Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, the

founder Frederick Gunn appears, is a treasured piece of school history,

Great Eight. I started collecting baseball cards and I found out that

a reflection of life in our small town, and baseball in its earliest days. It

I really loved the history of the game,” he said. “Any piece of baseball

was also featured in Ken Burns’ documentary and book, “Baseball.”

memorabilia — a photograph, a glove — there’s a story behind it.” Fall 2021

Looking at the CdV of The Gunnery game, he pointed to the pitcher’s stance, as a tell-tale sign that the game took place before 1869. The pitcher’s right arm is held straight by his side at a 45-degree angle, preparing to throw the ball underhanded to the player at bat. This straight-arm, underhanded pitching style was characteristic of early baseball games that would have pre-dated the one depicted in the school’s 1869 photograph. A pitcher in those early days “was not allowed to touch his body. He was not allowed to bend his arm. He had to throw underhand and keep his arm completely straight. That

A prized photograph from Gennantonio’s collection in Cincinnati shows two teams of baseball players taking their hats off to each other at the end of a game.

was until like 1868,” said Gennantonio, whose collection includes a rare bronze sculpture by Deacon and Muller dated 1868

Early on, he looked to John Thorne, who has been the Official

Historian for Major League Baseball since 2011, and Barry Halper, who amassed an extensive and unique collection of baseball memorabilia,

of a pitcher, or “hurler,” holding his arm exactly the same way. “I call it the A-frame pose. It’s dead-on what you see in the early photographs.”

with great admiration.

The continuation of the story

In his Gunn Scholar report, “Metropolitan Baseball in a Small Town

“I always hung around baseball collectors who were more

historians. I loved the 1869 Red Stockings. They go back to the

Setting,” which is held by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in

beginnings of the game,” he said, noting that in the 35 years he has been

Cooperstown, New York, Mark Rhoads ’04 wrote about the early rules

collecting, he has studied with and lent items from his own collection to

of baseball, and identified many of the players and spectators in the

the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.

school’s photograph from 1869. The players were alumni and residents

of local towns, not students, and it was one of several games played on

He acquired the early Gunnery baseball photos more than two

years ago through an auction clearinghouse. He spends at least 90

Washington Green over the course of that week.

minutes every day, seven days a week, digging through online auction

listings, “scouring through millions of old CdVs and cabinet cards, just

images, which he compared to the one he researched so carefully. “It’s

looking for that diamond in the rough.” Over time, he built a library

amazing to me that something so old, that we’ve looked at so closely,

of books that he uses to research the items he collects, enough to fill a

there’s still other pieces to unfold. It’s a continuation of the story, and I

“memorabilia room” in his home.

wish Mrs. Krimsky was alive to help unfold it, too,” Rhoads said, referring

to longtime School Archivist Paula Krimsky, who established the Gunn

One of the “diamonds” in his collection is a CdV of two baseball

“It’s very exciting,” Rhoads said about the newly discovered baseball

teams taking their hats off to one another after a game. “They’re saying,

Scholar program in 2002 and aided him in his research. “To think that

‘Hazah!’ One team beat the other team, and saluted the other team that

there’s all these Gunnery artifacts around the country is also intriguing.

lost by saying, ‘Hazah!’ It was a gentleman’s tradition. The team that

There might be more out there that we still don’t even know about.”

lost, they raised their hats to the winners saying, ‘Thanks for being good

sports. Thanks for being winners today.’”

school archives to the New Milford and Litchfield historical societies,

the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Sterling Memorial Library’s

Gennantonio’s extensive knowledge about early baseball is also

Over the course of a year, Rhoads’ research took him from the

derived from his participation in Civil War-era re-enactments of

Manuscripts and Archives at Yale University. In addition to identifying

baseball games. His team was sponsored by the Cincinnati Reds and

Mr. Gunn in the photograph as the probable coach of the Washington

played by 1860 rules.

nine, he identified many other figures, including: future Head of School

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Baseball, the national game, was played here as early as in any place, outside of a

“The Gunnery” vs. “New Milford” was taken during the first Gunnery alumni reunion in August 1869. It is believed to be earliest known photograph of a baseball game in progress.

few large cities. This was largely because there were in the school, in the early sixties, three sons of Judge Van Cott of New York, a member of the famous Mutuals, the forerunners of the National ‘Giants’ of today. These three boys were good players, and the Gunnery was playing the national game with

John Brinsmade (then a college student) in center field, William Van Cott Jr., the first captain of the first Gunnery team, as the third baseman, along with his brother, Daniel, who played shortstop, George Richards, Class of 1863, catcher, Hart Lyman, Class of 1864, second baseman, Robert Parsons, Class of 1865, left field, and Walter Southworth, Class of 1863, right field. Also in the 1869 photograph was the scorekeeper, Henry Ward Beecher Howard, who came to The Gunnery in 1863 and was related to Harriet Beecher Stowe, a

out-of-town clubs before Yale and Harvard

Gunn Parent.

had begun their matches.”

– John Brinsmade, the Stray Shot, June 1908

reunion photograph was taken. So the newly discovered photographs

In his report, Rhoads noted The Gunnery nine were playing

games with out-of-town clubs as early as 1859 — a decade before the could certainly pre-date that event, and if they did, the game they

Fall 2021

depicted would have been played by different rules.

“The Gunnery nine was not only a good

example of a new generation of baseball in the country, but the players and supporters were revolutionary leaders in the development of small town baseball,” Rhoads wrote. He pointed out that Judge William H. Van Cott, the first President of the National Association of Base Ball Players (organized in 1858), sent his three sons, Daniel, William, Jr., and Leonard, to what was then The Gunnery. The family matriarch was a member of the Mutual Base Ball Club of New York, and through his affiliation with the school, facilitated the evolution of what was then “a new and improved American game” on Washington

The Gunnery Baseball Team, 1871, from the Paula and George Krimsky ’60 Archives

Green, Rhoads said.

“Until then, only men in cities played using the new baseball

rules, with overhand throws and diamond-shaped playing pitch.

New Milford team, which went by the name the Weantinogues. Or it

The three Van Cott boys were a bridge between New York City and

could stand for the Waterbury or Woodbury teams. The Gunnery took

nearby Washington,” Rhoads wrote.

on all three teams during that weeklong alumni reunion. In his research,

Rhoads found box scores for all of those games recorded in issues of

As he explained in his report, baseball in Washington evolved

from “town ball,” which was played on a square field and during

The Litchfield Enquirer, archived at the Litchfield Historical Society.

which a batter could be called “out” if an opposing player hit him

Along with the scores, the newspaper included a note indicating that

with the ball directly. In fact, Rhoads said Mr. Gunn “was known for

photographer S.C. Landon “was present, and took several stereoscopic

stinging the runner when he threw the ball at them.”

views of the players.”

Another rule in town ball was that the bases were wooden

Gennantonio’s images were recorded by a different photographer,

stakes, projecting four feet from the ground. This does not appear to

E.R. Smith of Easthampton, Massachusetts, whose name is stamped on

be the case in either the 1869 photograph or the versions acquired by

the back. Stephanie Levine, a librarian at the Emily Williston Memorial

Gennantonio. Rhoads confirmed that “some of the rules of town ball

Library and Museum in Easthampton, was helpful in sharing that the

and baseball no doubt overlapped,” but he concluded that the field in

photographer’s full name was Edward Ralph Smith. Born in Naugatuck,

the 1869 photograph was a diamond, not a square, and that the game

Connecticut, in 1845, Smith died in Springfield, Massachusetts, in

being played was baseball, not town ball. “Another way to tell that

1906 of complications of Bright’s Disease. He was married to Jennie E.

this game was not town ball was the score. The final score was 34 to

Lyman and worked as a photographic artist in Easthampton circa 1865,

18,” and town ball required a team to score 100 points to win,

according to the “History of Easthampton,” by Payson Williston.

Rhoads wrote.

father, Ralph Smith, was born in Washington, and his mother, Maria

But what of the newly discovered images? Further research is

clearly warranted.

A Connection to Mr. Gunn

acronym W.B.B.C., written on the stereograph, may be a reference to the

Levine supplied Smith’s death certificate, which revealed that his

Ward Smith, was an artist from Naugatuck. Further research revealed that two of Edward Smith’s aunts, Mary M. Smith and Ellen Smith Woodruff, lived in Washington, and his great-uncle, Bennett Gershom

When Rhoads conducted his research, he was armed with the date of

Fenn, was married to Phoebe Susannah Gunn Fenn — who was Mr.

the event, the name of the photographer, and the names of the teams,

Gunn’s sister! That could explain why Edward was in Washington and

“The Gunnery vs. New Milford,” which were written around the edges

photographed a baseball game at Mr. Gunn’s school. He was Mr. Gunn’s

of the picture. The newly discovered images offer similar clues. The

great-nephew by marriage.

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Additionally, Rhoads identified the Colonial house in the center

of the 1869 photograph as belonging to the Fenn family. According to the Town of Washington’s 1975 Report of the Historic District Study Commission, it was owned by Smith’s great-grandfather, Gershom Fenn, from 1811 to 1882. Those dates at least provide a timeframe for when the photographer may have visited the town.

A great beginning to go on Both Rhoads and Gennantonio were curious about the buildings in the background of the newly discovered images, and in particular Woodruff House, which is situated between The PO and Green Hill Road. Originally a one-and-a-half story house, it was built circa 1790, according to the 1975 Historic District Commission report. Further study of historic photographs, like those on file at the Gunn Historical Museum, as well as a property record search, could help to answer Gennantonio’s question as to when the photos were made.

“The back of the cabinet card says, ‘baseball at The Gunnery.’ I

thought maybe that implied it was The Gunnery team. But it doesn’t say specifically this was The Gunnery nine. My quest is always to be as specific as possible,” said Gennantonio, who hopes to contact Thorne, the MLB historian, and do some research in the archives at Yale and Princeton. He also plans to attend the National Sports Collectors Convention, which will be held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, next July. “It’s a great beginning to go on. Now we just have to find out, was it the same game or was it an earlier game? That history, and that heritage, is just priceless.”

Looking at the photograph, Rhoads pointed out a player on

The pitcher’s right arm is held straight by his side at a 45-degree angle,

second base, looking to run. The shortstop’s position in the infield

preparing to throw the ball underhanded

could suggest he expected the batter to bunt. The catcher is crouching

to the player at bat. This straight-

behind home plate, perhaps waiting for the pitch to dribble in, while over in left field, or perhaps just beyond it, the photographer would

arm, underhanded pitching style

have been standing.

was characteristic of early baseball

games that would have pre-dated the

Rhoads was 17 years old when he started his Gunn Scholar

project, and captain of the baseball team. “I was approached by [former faculty member] Julia Alling ’81 P’19 and loved the idea and

one depicted in the school’s 1869

embarked on what’s become a 17-year journey. Every now and then I’ll

photograph. A pitcher in those early

get a phone call from you all,” said Rhoads, who spoke to two classes

days “was not allowed to touch his

during Winterim last year about his research. “I have been tempted to

body. He was not allowed to bend his

continue the work, or probably more realistically, think that another Gunn Scholar would continue or prove me wrong or expand on it.”

“It’s not like you’re looking at a video of what happened back

then,” he said. “You have to do some research, and those things might over time get confirmed — or the opposite. It’s still a living, breathing thing.”

arm. He had to throw underhand and keep his arm completely straight. That was until like 1868.” – John Gennantonio

Fall 2021

Class of 2021 Commencement

The Frederick Gunn School’s 171st Commencement

“Prize Night” ceremony. “I want to congratulate you all as a

Exercises on May 30 were accompanied by rain, cooler

class. We are proud of you, grateful for you, and grateful for

than normal springtime temperatures, and much joy. The

your families. You persevered in the face of great adversity,

community celebrated the Class of 2021 and all of their

and this day and the diploma you’re about to receive is

accomplishments with the first, large, in-person gathering

just one piece of the evidence that you’ve accomplished a

on campus since the start of the global pandemic.

great deal. Well done! The experience of life since 2020 is

“What an incredible way to end an incredible year,” Head of School Peter Becker said, welcoming those who gathered in person and online to the combined Commencement and

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the best possible preparation for the rest of your lives.” Watch the 2021 Commencement video at

frederickgunn.org/student-life/commencement#video

T h e

C l a s s

o f

2 0 2 1

Bryan Adams

Ernuo “Norman” Fan

Noah Alexander Levy

Daniel Dante Sambuco

Arian Ravi Agadi

Greg Farrow

Declan Michael Long

Jacopo Saporetti

Kaylee Aileen Monteleone

Adam Douglas Feldman

Hailey Morgan Lovallo

Eujin Shin

Jiawei “Tom” Feng

Levon Manasov

Michael J. Sirota

Alexandra Diana Gerry

Tiffany Naomi Martinez

Jayla Marie Stack

Matteo Fortunato Giampa

Kiley Anne Mastel

Lauren Elizabeth Stark

Tung Hoang “Anthony” Giang

Liam Timothy McCarthy O’Hara

Severi Juhana Ilmari Sulonen

Jack Gleason

Emma Rae McCauley

Andrew George Sutherland

Ellen Davis Grady

Ella C. McKhann

Mackenzie Teper

Olivia Rose Grieder

Eleanor Thiel McManus

Anjavie Monet Thompson

Erik Gustafson

Alvari Daniel Mhya

Lam “Tom” Tung Truong

Josephine Kate Hahn

Samantha Michelle Molind

Brandon R. Upshaw

John Owen Hoins

Vaughan Nalley

Astrid Calliope von Seufert

Riley Thomas Hurley

Jonathan Sergio Nichele

Yufan “Yolanda” Wang

Danneuris Infante

Joshua Reid Novick

Robert Anthony Wells

Estela Maria Jana Salcedo

Ruhua Pan

Yiqiao “Maggie” Xiang

Acadia C. Johnson

Emiliano Parodi

Derek Patrick Young

Ksenia Elise Korobov

James Gilchrist Pattillo V

Daniel Brennan Zajkowski

John Christopher Landers

Brandon F. Peterson

Yueqian “Chelsea” Zhong

Samantha Lassman

Tate Cory Kolb Rosenberg

Yongshu “Karen” Zhu

Kaleigh Jeannette Laurendeau

Erin-Elizabeth Farnum Ryan

JinXiang “Joe” Zhu

Ava Katherine Lee

Ahmed Husain Salman

Alexson

Carmine F. Andranovich Henry Vincent Barthelemy John Elwin Blair Julia Rose Bongo Molly Clare Braun Eric David Charpentier Trenton Cole Christensen Sean Christiansen Colten Michael Cicarelli Benjamin Constant-Galland Katherine Louise Cortese Ella Louise Cridland Dallas D’Amato Alexander Diaz Thomas Edward DiCarlo Riley James Edwards Andrew Charles Ellis Lou-Victoria Etoundi Ntsama

Fall 2021

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

CLASS OF 2021 COLLEGE MATRICULATION Adrian College

Fairfield University

Trinity College

Bard College

George Washington University

University of California, San Diego

Babson College Bates College

Bentley University

California Polytechnic State University

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Cloud County Community College Coastal Carolina University College of the Holy Cross Connecticut College Cornell University

Cottey College (Women’s College) Curry College

Denison University Eckerd College Elmira College Elon University

Fairleigh Dickinson University Gettysburg College

Hobart and William Smith Colleges Howard University

Iowa State University Kenyon College

Loyola University Maryland New York University

Northeastern University

Northwestern University Providence College

Santa Clara University Skidmore College

Springfield College

St. Lawrence University Suffolk University

Texas Christian University

University of Bridgeport

University of Colorado Boulder University of Connecticut University of Delaware University of Miami

University of Michigan

University of New England

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill University of Oregon

University of Rhode Island

University of South Carolina University of Vermont University of Virginia

University of Wisconsin, Madison Vanderbilt University

Wake Forest University

Fall 2021

“Prize Night” 2021 Awards for academic excellence and other honors were presented to members of the Senior Class by Head of School Peter Becker and Ed Small, the Anne S. and Ogden D. Miller Senior Master, on May 30 during a combined Commencement and “Prize Night” ceremony. Underclassmen awards were presented the following day during Investiture. Only a few of this year’s award recipients appear on these pages.

Roderick M. Theobald P’09 ’14 of the English Department faculty, who retired at the end of June, was granted the title of Honorary Senior Master for the day and presented the school’s top three prizes:

The Gunn Cup was awarded to Anjavie Thompson ’21 as that student who, through character and achievement, contributed most largely to the success of the school year.

The Brinsmade Prize was awarded to Joshua Novick ’21 as that student who best combined unselfish and sympathetic interest in people with a purpose for citizenship and social responsibility.

The Head of School’s Prize was awarded to Ella McKhann ’21, a member of the graduating class who, by constant excellence and dependability in studies and in extracurricular activities, contributed outstandingly to the success of the school year.

The Percy B. Wightman Prize for outstanding leadership in “things of the spirit” was presented to Declan Long ’21.

The Michael Neal Eanes Award for Greatest Scholastic Improvement was presented to Alex Diaz ’21.

The Top Scholar Award for the Class of 2021 was presented to Yolanda Wang ’21.

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The School History Prize was presented to Ksenia Korobov ’21.

The Senior Mathematics Department Award was presented to Benjamin Constant-Galland ’21.

The Bourne Advisory Council Leadership Award was presented to Eujin Shin ’21.

The Excellence in Art Award, established in memory of devoted art teacher Elizabeth Kempton, was presented to Alexandra Gerry ’21.

The Robert Mortell Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts was presented to Andrew Sutherland ’21.

The Frederick Gunn School News Award for Excellence in Journalism was presented to Ava Lee ’21.

The Dean’s Prize, presented in memory of Norman R. Lemke, Jr., Gunn master and Dean from 1964-1975, was awarded to Ellie McManus ’21.

The Vreeland Rogers Athletic Awards, established in 1998 by Gerrit Vreeland ’61 and Andrew Y. Rogers, Jr. ’61, were awarded to Danny Infante ’21 and Kaleigh Laurendeau ’21.

Fall 2021

CAMPUS LIFE

School Reopens With Record Enrollment to Start 172nd Year

On September 7 and 8, faculty and staff welcomed students and families back to campus in

person for the start of the new school year. Warm weather and abundant sunshine provided the perfect backdrop for Student Orientation to be held on the Quad for the first time in two years.

It was truly heartwarming to see students just enjoying being together as they settled into their

dorm rooms, enjoyed meals in and outside of the dining hall, played games on the turf, the Quad and the Koven-Jones Glade, met their teachers, advisors, dorm parents and coaches, gathered around a firepit and a bonfire and enjoyed ice cream. 20

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The community gathered inside the Tisch Family Auditorium to celebrate Convocation on

September 11, which was followed by the first full day of classes on September 13. “A new year in a

boarding school is an incredible opportunity to recreate our community based on our history, our

mission, and our Core Values,” Head of School Peter Becker said at Convocation. “It is the same as when Mr. and Mrs. Gunn welcomed about 12 students into their home in 1850 to create a learning community — a learning ecosystem — out of the diverse group of people living and learning in close proximity to each other.”

Fall 2021

The school began its 172nd academic year with a record total enrollment of 315 students. This represents a continuation of a trend in increased enrollment in recent years, but is also a reflection of the fact that students want to be at our school like never before, as evidenced by a 10-point increase in this year’s yield. This year, 74 percent of students are boarding. There are 83 day students. Students have come from 23 states, including Indiana, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, and 22 countries, among them, the Republic of Moldova, Hungary and Ghana. Classes are composed of 54 freshmen, 80 sophomores, 81 juniors, 90 seniors, and 10 PGs. Overall, 55 percent are male and 45 percent are female. New students account for about 40 percent of the total enrollment, and there are new classes and new faces among the faculty and staff. The Admissions Office is once again welcoming prospective students and families for in-person tours and this summer welcomed three new staff members: Dan Allen as Assistant Director of Admissions 22

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

and Head Coach, Girls Varsity Ice Hockey; Caralyn Dea, Director of International Recruitment and Associate Director of Admissions; and Rachel Hedden, Assistant Director of Admissions and Head Coach, Girls Varsity Lacrosse. In her new role, Dea works closely with educational consultants and prospective students and families around the globe, leading the school’s global student recruitment strategy. She will travel extensively, promoting The Frederick Gunn School internationally, meeting with enrolled families, and maintaining and growing the school’s relationships with educational consultants in all international markets. She also stewards our international students from their initial inquiry through enrollment, and monitors their time on campus to ensure that they are thriving at the school. A dual citizen of the United States and Australia, Dea grew up on Hayman Island on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. She has lived in Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, London, Texas, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and now Washington,

Connecticut, and brings to The Frederick Gunn School more than 10 years of diverse global education experience. She served for four years as Director of International Education and Boarding at Toorak College in Melbourne, Victoria, and helped it to become one of the most desirable schools for girls — and international female students in particular — such that the school developed a waiting list for international students for the first time in its 140-year history. “The world is an amazing place and we are all here together, diverse in so many ways, with so much to learn from each other. But being a diverse community is different than living well together as a diverse community,” Becker said at Convocation. To live well together as a diverse community takes work. It takes mutual respect, patience, care, and sacrifice. And if we choose to spend time only with people we already know we have things in common with, whether they play the same Marlon Fisher ’01 of the Alumni & Development Office, right, at Orientation sport, are from the same place, share the same interests, or speak the same language, that would be a and establish a connection with someone different. It certainly means missed opportunity, he said. taking a risk and practicing courage, and it might mean choosing to “We want you to practice courage, curiosity, humility and become curious about why someone does what they do or believes creativity every day. My request to you, individually and collectively, what they do. Treat the other person the way you would hope that is to find a way to cross over from whatever is your safe place — the they would treat you. Let’s do that together this year and make this person or group of people with whom you are most comfortable — place and this year incredible.”

The newest members of the Admissions Office, left to right: Daniel Allen, Caralyn Dea and Rachel Hedden Fall 2021

Welcoming our new Chief People Officer Amanda Colarusso has joined The Frederick Gunn School as our new and first Chief People Officer (CPO). While the title of Chief People Officer may be unfamiliar, the role is part of the school’s vision and strategy to focus on our people, our culture and our Core Values. The addition of this permanent role also places FGS at the leading edge of boarding schools and higher education institutions. “Schools are obviously about people — the students, first and foremost, and the faculty and staff who create the context for the flourishing of our students,” Head of School Peter Becker said. “And yet, schools, including ours, have only just begun to learn from other professions about how to most effectively foster the growth of our employees individually as people, both personally and professionally, as well as with regard to their development as members of various teams and departments, and the organization as a whole. Our goal in creating the role of Chief People Officer is to equip our school with a senior-level Human Resources officer whose expertise and experience includes traditional HR functions, but extends to fostering a culture that supports the professional growth of all employees in ways that are aligned with our mission and Core Values.” “I am excited for Amanda to bring her skills and experience to The Frederick Gunn School to help us grow and mature as an institution and as a community of adults dedicated to the goal of student flourishing,” Becker said. “She hit the ground running and is getting us started in raising our game with people.” Colarusso brings to the community 15 years of experience in human resources, risk management, safety administration, and the insurance industry. She worked most recently at Ginsberg’s Foods, Inc., in Hudson, New York, where, among other leadership responsibilities, she co-created the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative and managed all COVID-related guidelines, screenings, and leaves during the pandemic. She managed the company’s recruitment efforts, employee relations and communications, professional development, and worked closely with senior leadership on corporate strategy. We caught up with Colarusso to ask about her new role. What is a Chief People Officer? Many companies and institutions are incorporating the role of Chief People Officer as a best practice. It’s about taking a holistic view of developing people, building boundaries, creating a safe and 24

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

harmonious environment, showing empathy and care and love. Those words are not necessarily associated with a work environment, but I do believe that if you want a flourishing employee base, you can no longer strip away the personal from the work. Most of us integrate all of it, the personal and the professional. That is becoming the norm outside of a boarding school, but in a boarding school it’s tenfold. This is definitely an immersed community and environment. Is your role solely focused on faculty? My role here isn’t strictly faculty-focused. It’s every single employee here. It’s building and grounds, it’s safety, it’s marketing, it’s admissions, it’s all of it. I think every single employee needs to feel like they’re supported and they’re in a trusted work environment and they have an avenue to go to when they need guidance and support. So by supporting faculty and staff, you are actually providing a benefit for students? Traditionally people might not look at it as a benefit to students, but it is. We have high expectations for our employees. They are in loco parentis, so one of the things the school has recognized, which is amazing, is that we need to pour into our faculty the way we expect our faculty to pour into their students. What does that look like? It looks like personal and professional development. It looks like an avenue for them to go to when they have questions and concerns. It looks like building boundaries to create a fair, consistent, equitable work experience for all.

Cassie Ruscz, the new Director of Residential Life, teaching Spanish

Over the summer, several faculty took the Academic Office and new Chief People on new roles, including Cassie Ruscz, Officer Amanda Colarusso. who is now Director of Residential Life in “The past 18 months have been hard addition to her duties as Prefect Advisor, for so many of us and to feel a sense Spanish teacher, Head Coach for Varsity of normalcy is incredible!” Lyon said in Softball, and Assistant Coach for Girls September, shortly after faculty and Varsity Basketball. Ruscz has been a students returned to campus in person. “Our member of the FGS faculty since 2017. At Gunn community is a great one and, I think, Convocation on September 11, Ruscz was we’ve prospered as a whole. Our faculty awarded The Class of 1955 Distinguished are filled with hope that this year will bring Teaching Award. She delivered this year’s us into the next chapter of life after facing Convocation Address about the time she what seemed like an eternity of challenges. found herself in the middle of the What I love about our faculty is that they running of the bulls in Cuenca, Spain. all bring so many different perspectives to (Read about her experience here: our community and allow our students to bit.ly/FGS2021NewRoles). experience this through their guidance and Asked what she is most looking teaching. I hope to bring excitement to our forward to in her new role, Ruscz said: faculty to empower them to take this year “I’m most looking forward to having the on with confidence. I really strive to be a kids on campus and being able really resource for our faculty body and want to to expand on the residential life piece encourage them all to grow personally and that we didn’t fully get last year due professionally. Our Professional Growth Task to COVID-19. Some of the most fun in Force Team has worked over the summer boarding school happens in the dorms to bring growth and vulnerability to light in and outside of classes and I can’t wait to order for us to grow professionally. While Jessica Lyon, Dean of Faculty interact with students in those moments that will take time, I am excited to help and help build those moments in a our faculty thrive to be the best versions healthy, safe, and fun way.” of themselves. There will be good days and there will be Jessica Lyon, World Language Department Chair, difficult days, but if we work to move forward, as individuals officially became Dean of Faculty on July 1. She is also a and as a community, great things will come! As Dean of Spanish teacher and Head Coach for Girls JV Soccer. Lyon Faculty, I work hard knowing that they’ve entrusted me to hit the ground running, launching a newsletter for faculty be a representative of their hope and growth and continue over the summer based on feedback she received from to make strides towards a thriving work environment.” the annual faculty survey, and she is working closely with

Faculty Take on New Roles

Fall 2021

The English Department faculty gathered to take this photograph with retiring member Rod Theobald P’09 ’14 (center) at the end of the Spring Term. Left to right: Misa Giroux, Richard Martin P’20 ’23 ’25, English Department Chair, Tim Poole, Karoline Theobald P’09 ’14, Chris Visentin, Blaire Farrar, Nick Benson, and Kori Rimany ’14.

Fond Farewells to Faculty & Staff boarding schools, a school person,” Head of School Peter Becker In the spring Bulletin, we paid tribute to Peg Small, who retired on said at the Baccalaureate service. “A school person is a teacher or April 1, after 42 years as School Registrar. At the close of the school administrator in a boarding school who loves the whole ecosystem, year, we recognized these faculty members for their years of service who believes passionately in the transformational power of a and thanked them for their many contributions to the students and teaching and learning community filled with teachers who practice our school. hope and optimism about each student.” Roderick M. Theobald P’09 ’14 of the English Department Over four decades, Theobald served as a teacher and coach faculty retired at the end of June, after four decades of teaching, at Berwick Academy in Maine, at The American International including 23 years at The Frederick Gunn School. As a tribute to School (TASIS) in Surrey, England, at Cardigan Mountain School him, the title of Honorary Senior Master was bestowed upon him in New Hampshire, at Wasatch at Commencement by his Academy in Utah, and at colleague, Ed Small, the Anne Look backward into your memories to navigate The Frederick Gunn School, S. and Ogden D. Miller Senior arriving in 1998 with his wife, Master. Theobald also gave this life. Even as you move forward, they become Karoline P’09 ’14, who joined year’s Baccalaureate Address. episodes of the important times that shape us, him as a member of the English Theobald began teaching in define us, and eventually, accumulate into a Department faculty, and their 1978, and dedicated his life and mosaic of pictures that become the cairns that two young daughters, Maisie career to independent schools, Theobald Dokonal ’09 and beginning with The Boys’ Latin direct us on life’s journey ahead.” Lindsay Theobald ’14, who grew School in Baltimore, where he – Roderick M. Theobald P’09 ’14 up on campus and became was a student. “Mr. Theobald Gunn graduates. Through the is what we call reverently in

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years, Theobald developed a keen insight into students and the teaching craft, and shared his passions as a guitarist and avid fly-fisherman. “We all know he cuts a dashing figure on his beloved cobalt blue Honda Metropolitan moped. And he’s the only person in Washington able to pull that off sporting a tweed jacket and a bow tie,” Becker said. “His signature bow tie, I am told, is an homage to Archibald Cox … one of the prosecutors during the Watergate trial, which unfolded as Mr. Theobald came of age.” Cox was also an avid fly-fisherman, and his grandson was once Theobald’s student. In addition to teaching, Theobald was Assistant Director of College Counseling for 18 years. He was the faculty advisor for the Outdoor Club, led a Fly-Fishing Club, and as Head Coach, led the wrestling team to win the Western New England Championship in 2000, 2007 and 2012. He also coached JV and Varsity Boys Lacrosse, Robyn Giordano boys soccer, and is a steadfast fan of the school’s hockey teams. “Memory and imagination are intertwined,” Theobald said in his Baccalaureate Address. “Important memories will, as the author John Steinbeck wrote in his novel ‘Cannery Row,’ burn into our picture memories. Memories give us the landscape to

grow and enhance our curiosity, and ultimately to solve problems and to ponder solutions. Look backward into your memories to navigate life. Even as you move forward, they become episodes of the important times that shape us, define us, and eventually, accumulate into a mosaic of pictures that become the cairns that direct us on life’s journey ahead.” Maggie Bucklin P’10 retired in June, having served for 21 years as the College Counseling Assistant and Testing Supervisor. In her role, Bucklin supported hundreds of FGS seniors through the college process and was a warm and welcoming presence for students and families throughout the years. Bucklin lives in Litchfield and enjoys taking road trips with her husband, Bill, an English teacher at Forman School, spending time with her golden retrievers, Riley and Sadie, and visiting her children and grandchildren in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. Robyn Giordano, who joined the school community in February 1996 and was a member of the Business Office for 25 years under two Heads of School and three Chief Financial Officers, retired on July 30. Giordano was an integral member of the Business Office and the school through thick and thin, often working in unsung-hero roles. Her dedication to the school and faithful contributions throughout her time here are to be commended.

In June, the College Counseling Office expressed their good wishes to Maggie Bucklin P’10, center, upon her retirement. Left to right: Craig Badger, Associate Director, Kate McMann ’05, Director, Seth Low, Associate Head of School, and Emily Abelson, Associate Director.

Fall 2021

Prefects Lead by Finding the Silver Lining We are pleased to introduce the prefects for the 2021-22 school year. In the true spirit

of Frederick Gunn, these student leaders have shown resilience in the face of adversity through their ability to see the silver lining in the new opportunities and learning experiences that can come from difficult times.

GAVIN BROWN 5-YEAR SENIOR, DAY WASHINGTON, CONNECTICUT

SERDAR KALTALIOGLU 4-YEAR SENIOR, BOARDING NEWBURGH, NEW YORK

LIAM KOVAL 3-YEAR SENIOR, DAY NEW PRESTON, CONNECTICUT

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“The past year was full of challenges, from being in a virtual classroom to having limited opportunities to hang out with friends. Fortunately, however, thanks to the hard work of students and faculty, we created new environments like hanging out on the Glade and the evening volleyball league that we hadn’t had before. During my senior year, I am hoping to work with my fellow prefects to create a smooth and fun transition back into life on campus with the new health guidelines. In addition to everyone becoming reaccustomed to campus life, I also hope we can help reintegrate many of the awesome social experiences like Firepit Fridays, dorm challenges at School Meetings, and bringing back the Game of the Week that we’ve had on campus historically, and that are open to the student body as a whole.” “It took an extra year for me to get my driver’s license, but fortunately, I learned to skateboard and rediscovered my love of biking. Those activities also brought me closer to my family. This year I’m looking forward to working on making our campus more sustainable and environmentally focused. I want to work on reducing the amount of trash we send to landfills. We could add more recycling bins around campus, especially outside, and talk to students about limiting disposables like plastic bottles and single-use masks. I’d like to get composting efforts off the ground, helping to educate the community on that. I also want to start a conversation with the administration about the community’s energy usage, and ways we could use renewables in the future. I want to push everyone to set ambitious goals for themselves and the community as a whole, and continue setting a culture of respect for the planet.” “Being away from school, I did miss my friends and FGS family but was grateful to spend quality time with my family that I would’ve missed otherwise. With my friends, we learned to communicate better among obstacles. We would spend time together outdoors playing basketball, biking, and finding new hobbies. I learned to always look at the bright side of any poor situation. One thing I hope to accomplish this year as a prefect is to encourage students to take risks and find value in trying new things. For me, trying new things looks like trying a new sport or joining a new club on campus. Being engaged and involved in co-curricular activities at school is a great way to meet new friends, find new interests, and to find your niche on campus.”

AVA MARTI 3-YEAR SENIOR, DAY GOSHEN, CONNECTICUT

CLARA PRANDER 2-YEAR SENIOR, BOARDING STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

EDDIE RAYHILL 4-YEAR SENIOR, BOARDING NEW HARTFORD, NEW YORK

ALEX WARREN 4-YEAR SENIOR, BOARDING OSSINING, NEW YORK

YOYO ZHANG 4-YEAR SENIOR, BOARDING SHANGHAI, CHINA

“In the spring, I really enjoyed being back on campus, in the classrooms, and on the sports fields. I learned that I have to take advantage of what I have now and not take anything for granted because we never know if something so abrupt will occur again. I am looking forward to bringing back more school spirit such as involving everyone in traditions, cheering on our classmates, whether it be on the sports field or going to the plays/musicals, and to helping lead our school on a good path. Prefects are a helping hand to those around us, faculty and classmates. Everyone sometime in their life will need help. So as a prefect, I want to be a friendly helping hand to others.”

“The School offered different, fun courses for students to choose from during those three weeks of Winterim, and I got an amazing new learning experience in the class “Scientific Thinking in Real Life,” taught by Mr. Bailey and Mrs. Haverstock, about the process of making a new vaccine. This year, I would like to bring the community together as well as making everyone feel welcome. I remember my first year at The Frederick Gunn School as a junior and how the prefects at the time always made me feel welcome and as someone that immediately was a part of the community at the school, even though it was only my second day. I want to provide the same security and be as inviting as they were, so that everyone can feel like they belong in this community from the first moment they step foot on our campus. I hope that will bring our community even closer.” “After half a year of being isolated and not being able to do the things I love most, it was amazing to be able to do it again on campus. It was great to see The Frederick Gunn School after such a long time and get some sense of normalcy back in my life. I am extremely excited to get started on campus and work with my other prefects to create an environment that is enjoyable for everyone. This year in particular, I want to first achieve a culture where no one feels like an outsider. I believe that culture is something that the leaders of the community create, and I want to set a culture where everyone is able to succeed while feeling comfortable taking risks while being supported.” “People that I know, as well as myself, found this unprecedented time as an opportunity to explore our passions and talents, as well as to reevaluate values. I, in particular, became more in touch with my creativity, where I found myself painting and drawing more often. I enjoyed it so much that I was able to use my art to spread awareness in nearby towns using a George Floyd poster I made. I find that it is so important from time to time to pay attention to what you want to do, so you don’t lose track of your passions, and to use what you have to make a difference. During my senior year as prefect I look forward to reuniting students seamlessly using exciting activities, dorm challenges, and school dances. I also want to ensure that this year is a positive one that is filled with enthusiasm and hard work so we can carry it on for years to come.” “I achieved a lot during the 17 months I spent in Shanghai. I became a tour guide in Shanghai, telling the stories of Chinese revolutionists to tourists. I was able to spend time with my family and met a lot of excellent peers. My peers and I designed a creative writing summer camp for middle school students. I truly enjoyed working with those middle school students, and it was interesting to see how everyone tells their story in a different way. I can’t wait for my senior year to start and serve as a prefect. I am looking forward to meeting more people and listening to their stories. I am also excited to make the activities on campus more fun but in a safe and healthy way, especially during this pandemic.” Fall 2021

A Different Viewpoint Outdoor Program Brings Lessons on Leadership, Independence, Competence Into Focus

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

We’re going to broaden their

On September 11, the same day the school gathered for a memorial service on the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, and celebrated the official opening of the school at Convocation, Dan Fladager, the new Director of Outdoor Programs, led 15 students on a sunset hike to Waramaug Rock in Macricostas Preserve. The uphill climb to the summit takes on average 45 minutes to an hour to complete, but those who frequent this trail are rewarded with beautiful views of Lake Waramaug and the surrounding hills. The trek seemed a fitting way to begin the new school year, giving students an opportunity to spend time in nature, employ their sense of wonder, and reflect on a different viewpoint. It was also an indication of things to come, as Fladager has great plans for where he’s taking the school’s historic outdoor program next. Since the time of Frederick Gunn, students at his school have been encouraged to experience their natural surroundings — and grow in their knowledge of the outdoors as leaders — by hiking, camping, canoeing, backpacking, and taking their lessons outdoors. Such activities are naturally encouraged by the school’s location in the beautiful Litchfield Hills as well as its proximity to the Catskills, White Mountains, and Adirondacks. Under Fladager’s leadership, the program, now called Gunn Outdoors, will offer more opportunities for students to engage with the outdoors, both close to home and farther afield. “I want the outdoor program to have more of a role in students’ lives and provide more services for the school,” he said. The program will also be more focused on building leaders and developing independence through outdoor skills and competencies. “When you go backpacking, there will always be a student leader of the day. We talk about decision-making, putting the needs of the group over the needs of the individual, and developing skills that will determine how far the group can go.” Rock climbing, fly fishing, and backpacking, current or future skills represented in the program, will teach students how to be competent in an outdoor activity, and how to take care of others who might be less competent to achieve a goal or complete an activity. Students will learn how to plan a trip, plan the route, and make sure everyone stays hydrated. “We’re going to broaden their horizons and push their boundaries a little bit,” Fladager said.

horizons and push their boundaries a little bit.” – Dan Fladager, Director, Outdoor Programs

Training student mentors Prior to the start of the fall term, Fladager transformed the small cabin named for longtime art teacher Elizabeth Kempton into indoor and outdoor classroom spaces he has dubbed “Kempton Commons.” Faculty are welcome to reserve the outdoor space, which is equipped with camp chairs, an outdoor white board, a firepit, rain shelter and sun shelter, for lessons or meetings. Students are also welcome to perch in the Adirondack chairs on the porch, or gather inside, in the meeting space that doubles as Fladager’s office. “I want this to be a place where people hang out and not something that I covet for myself,” Fladager said, noting that Emily Gum, Assistant Head of School for Teaching & Learning, was eyeing the cabin for the Gunn Scholar program’s book club meetings this fall. His near-term plans call for students in the Outdoor Leadership co-curricular program to build new trails for the Varsity Cross

Facing page top, students at Waramaug Rock, overlooking Lake Waramaug, on September 11; At left, Dan Fladager, Director of Outdoor Programs, helps Simon Rhodes ’22 with a clove hitch at Kempton Commons while Ursula Anderson ’22 and Luke Miller ’22 look on. This page: Fladager at the peak of Down’s Mountain in the Wind River Range, Wyoming.

Fall 2021

Country team to use at South Street Fields. Fladager is also working outdoor experiences is a revamped mission for Gunn Outdoors to towards delevoping a new leadership curriculum, through which be guided by three habits of mind that help students be successful students aspire to become Frederick Gunn Guides. “We will have a in- and out-of-doors: “Those three habits of mind are leadership, group of students who are like the prefects of the outdoor club. If we independence and competence. We see these as things that Gunn are going on a backpacking trip, or a canoe trip at Lake Waramaug, Outdoors helps students practice in the outdoors but they are or teaching a Leave No Trace class, we’ll invite them to come and transferable skills, transferable habits of mind. That is what a be mentors. They will be a group of outdoor prefects who are super competitive outdoor program does. It takes people who have never engaged with the outdoors, want to be mentors with their peers, and set foot outside and it can turn them, in a semester, or in a year, into that gives them a chance to practice leadership, independence and competent leaders of their peers in an outdoor skill, whether that is competence,” he said. fly fishing, canoeing, backpacking, His five-year plan for Gunn Outdoors will expand the program or birding.” further. He is already thinking about developing trails at the school’s 25-acre property off Frisbie Road, and giving the Neergaard Cabin there, built in 1959, new life. “That cabin is pristine. The floor and foundation and framing are in good shape,” said Fladager, who Fladager has been working in outdoor education since 2012, when envisions taking students snowshoeing and camping there, and he became a wilderness ranger for the Forest Service in Wyoming. using the site to start a “solo program,” where students could In that role, he was in charge of running a trail and wilderness crew practice independence by camping alone for 24 hours with and built a section of the Continental Divide Trail with a group of minimal equipment. volunteer high school students. He brings to The Frederick Gunn In the meantime, he has already swept out the environmental School a wealth of knowledge and expertise from his three years classroom at South Street, which he is using as the Outdoor there, and as a curriculum developer and backpacking guide for the Leadership classroom. “I have all the gear out there, sleeping bags, High Mountain Institute in Colorado. “This is where I developed my tents. That’s where I hold Outdoor Leadership classes. There’s a lot love for teaching high school outdoor programs,” he said. He also has of space for us to set up tents and it could be a staging ground for completed outdoor educator training from the National Outdoor backpacking trips. We can take everyone Leadership School (NOLS), the goldout to South Street and get ready there. standard in outdoor education. New faculty member Jordana Graveley (in It will serve as the liminal space between “I’m tasked with taking the outdoor cap), who is co-leading Outdoor Leadership campus and the outdoors,” he said. program and making it more academic, with Fladager and Karoline Theobald P’09 ’14, As early as August 2022, Fladager finding new and interesting ways to serve watches as Leo You ’22 builds a fire for the envisions leading a two-week backpacking students and the school, and making it first time at the school’s Frisbie Road property. trip, perhaps in Wyoming’s Wind River a nationally competitive program. To do Range, which he knows well after working that, I’m using curriculum and developing as a Wilderness Ranger for the Forest ideas I’ve seen at NOLS and the High Service for five years. Mountain Institute and other model Closer to home, he is intent on schools. Those are North Stars for me.” leading students on rock climbing The NOLS curriculum, he added, “is adventures. “We have great access to rock a curriculum that I’m trained in and have climbing. Thirty minutes away we have St. taught to students before. It’s teaching John’s Ledges (near the Appalachian Trail them how to lead their peers, and then in Kent, Connecticut). We’re 90 minutes as a support for that, they are learning away from the Shawangunks (near New outdoor skills. They’ll learn how to camp, Paltz, New York). In New Hampshire, learn how to backpack. If you want to there’s Rumney. It’s not a mecca but it’s teach them outdoor curriculum, you darn close.” teach them the NOLS curriculum. There’s The through line for all of these nothing better.”

A love for teaching high school outdoor programs

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

Kiki Shelters ’22, Jenna Hunt ’22, Natalia Zappone ’23, Annie Scovill ’22, Anabel Lota ’22, and Maya Sellinger ’23 at the Pinnacle during the All-School Walk on October 7.

Fladager’s original field of study was English, which he currently teaches at The Frederick Gunn School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Gonzaga University, and a master’s in English from Purdue. He served as a researcher for the Eppley Institute for Public Lands at Indiana University, where he is a doctoral candidate in English and taught courses including Adventure Literature and Wilderness: What is it Good For? His dissertation, “Genres of Preservation,” explores the 19th century literary genres that helped build and give shape to the burgeoning preservation movement that was getting started while Frederick Gunn was starting his school and inventing recreational camping.

an eye toward collaboration During Winterim in December, the school’s new, two-week, intensive curriculum, Fladager and Ed Surjan, Educational Technology and Library Director and an avid outdoorsman, will co-lead “Exploring the Mountains,” a winter mountaineering course with a writing component that will culminate in a winter peak attempt of a nearby mountain. The course will take a deep dive into “questions about the narrative and experience of mountain climbing — why we do it and how to write about it,” Fladager and Surjan said in the course description. “Why are stories of intrepid explorers climbing mountain peaks so compelling? What makes us want to follow in their tracks? What in the world is a crampon and how do I use it?” The class will take every opportunity to get students outside — snowshoeing, hiking, and of course, attempting to stand on a summit. “Students can expect to read a few stories, write one of their own, and take workshops in mountaineering, risk management, and outdoor leadership.”

Fladager and Seth Low, Associate Head of School and Director of Co-Curricular Programs, have talked about getting the outdoor program to touch every student’s life in some way at least once every year. That can be accomplished through self-selecting programs like Outdoor Leadership, and through events such as the All-School Walk in October, Firepit Fridays, and the Live Like Fred activities that are continuing as part of this year’s Community Weekend programming. “I’m on the Student Activities Committee and we are developing programming for all of these things. We are going to think very intentionally about making those experiences ones that are really memorable,” Fladager said. Another collaboration, with new science teacher Jordana Graveley, is introducing students in Outdoor Leadership to birding and naturalism. In a few short weeks, the Outdoor Leadership program was visited by hawks, goldfinches, mushroom hunters, and even an industrious beaver. Graveley, who is teaching AP Environmental Science, is also passionate about augmenting the school’s existing composting program, and plans to make that a service project for Outdoor Leadership this winter. Down the road, Fladager would like to collaborate with Graveley to develop an interpretive trail at the Frisbie Road property, and he is talking with Jay Bell, Interim Director of the IDEAS Lab, about bringing students in the school’s engineering classes there, to see what new uses they might propose for the cabin there. Although the outdoor program has evolved through the years, Fladager still sees its purpose as linked to what Frederick Gunn believed: that education should not be bound by the walls of the classroom and that experiencing the outdoors contributes to the development of character. It’s also about developing skills in the outdoors that are transferable in life. “That’s something that the outdoor program has built into it. That is its soul. Those are the things that it does. We do goal-setting. We learn how to lead each other. We learn how to be good followers. We learn how to work as a team to accomplish a goal. And we learn how to be uncomfortable. The outdoors is an uncomfortable place. You get bit by ticks. You sit in lightning storms. You get rained on, you get snowed on, you get muddy and dirty and gross, and you learn how to have a smile on your face despite all that, because where you are invites joy and invites you to forget the little discomforts in the face of the big beauty of the world. So when you are in college as a freshman and you’re in a tiny dorm room and your roommate is keeping you up all night because they like to play electronic dance music, and you don’t have a car and your bike got stolen, and you have to walk all the way across campus … you’ll be equipped to handle that stuff,” Fladager said. Fall 2021

New Archivist Co-Teaching Gunn Scholar Program Along with new student leaders, two Gunn Scholars for the 2021-22 academic year were announced at Investiture on May 31. They are Grace Noh ’22 and Robin Wright ’22. With the start of the Fall Term, these students began their primary research in the Paula and George Krimsky ’60 Archives and Special Collections, guided by Emily Gum, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning, and Moira Conlan, the school’s new Assistant Librarian and Archivist, who are co-teaching the Gunn Scholars this year. The students began by reading “The Master of The Gunnery,” to learn more about Frederick Gunn and the history of the school as a backdrop for their own projects. They are expected to complete almost all of their primary research and to have an annotated outline written by the end of the term, so when they begin writing their 10,000-word research papers this winter, they will have everything they need, Gum said. The scholars are tentatively scheduled to present their original research at the Rooted Research Conference on campus on April 24, 2022. One of Conlan’s first lessons was to teach the scholars about paleography, or Gunn Scholars Robin Wright ’22 and Grace Noh ’22 with Assistant Librarian and Archivist Moira Conlan and Emily Gum, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning, who are co-teaching the program.

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

how to read old handwriting. She gave them practice in reading some of the early letters that passed between Mr. Gunn and his wife, Abigail Brinsmade, in the years before they were married and started their school. Conlan brings to the school both education and experience in libraries and archives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master’s in library science with a concentration in archival management from Simmons College. She has a strong background in library archival best practices, including creating systems and strategies for organization, documentation, and preservation. Since 2016, she has worked as an archival consultant, training volunteers, librarians, and museum professionals in archival best practices as part of the State of Connecticut’s “Traveling Archivist” program. She has created workshops as well as individualized training for the general public and local institutions on preservation, digitization, and collections management topics. As Executive Director of the Sharon Historical Society, Conlan led a team of volunteers on a project to create finding aids for the collection, implement archival collections and records management policies, and completely process the Institutional Archives. As the project was completed, they were able to reach new researchers by sharing the collections through the Connecticut Archives Online, and other statewide initiatives. She was also an archivist for the Yolo County Archives in Woodland, California, and the Delaware Public Archives in Dover, Delaware, where she coordinated the State Historical Marker Program.

Noh and Wright conducting their original, place-based research in the Paula and George Krimsky ’60 Archives and Special Collections “I firmly believe that the ultimate goal in archival organization and digitization should be making the collections easily accessible for patrons and easily usable for reference staff. Balancing preservation in this task is paramount, but the new technologies available in the field are making this goal more achievable than ever,” Conlan said. While at Yolo County Archives, she collaborated with the San Jose State Library School to create an internship in which she taught graduate students to digitize the photograph collection and create

metadata. At The Frederick Gunn School, she also hopes to make the resources in the school’s archives more accessible, for use by the Gunn Scholar Program as well as other researchers on and off campus, and to inspire more students and faculty to use the archives and learn about Mr. Gunn and the school’s history. “Adolescents in particular are such curious learners, and working with primary source materials at this age leads to strong research and critical thinking skills. This is why programs like Connecticut History Day, the Gunn Scholar, and the Rooted Research Conference are so important.”

I firmly believe that the ultimate goal in archival organization and digitization should be making the collections easily accessible for patrons and easily usable for reference staff. Balancing preservation in this task is paramount, but the new technologies available in the field are making this goal more achievable than ever.” – Moira Conlan, Assistant Librarian and Archivist

Fall 2021

Theatre Program Kicks Off Exciting Arts Season The Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center was a hub of activity at the start of the Fall Term, as students returned to the classroom and the stage in person to take advantage of the school’s expanded arts offerings. “I’m excited to continue to build out

ballet, tap, and hip hop, to choreograph our Dance Team — and get them off on the proverbial right foot! I am excited to be able to offer quality programming in all three areas of the performing arts — music, theatre and dance — utilizing and engaging our beautiful, new performing arts facility

Arts at Trinity-Pawling School, where he taught a popular stage combat class. “There’s a physical component, but also an artistic component. It’s learning about storytelling, connecting to your partner, and it’s rooted in safety,” Burnham said. “It’s the illusion of stage violence, and you’re creating moments

the program and have live performances,” said Ron Castonguay, Director of the Arts and Music Director, who is teaching Concert Jazz Band, Vocal Ensemble, and String Ensemble again this year. Castonguay has planned some exciting additions to the music program. “I’m going to have a lot of ensemble collaborations and I’m thinking more outside the box about contemporary music in the ensembles, to expand beyond the standard repertoire.”

to its fullest potential, and offering a holistic performing arts experience for our students that will create future performers, entertainers, and advocates for the arts.”

that look real.” Burnham is teaching three classes, Pathways and Public Speaking — The Declaration, which are both part of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy’s four-year curriculum, and a new performing arts class, Drama I: Theatre in Practice, which filled quickly. “It’s an overall theatre experience focused on acting, voice, movement, and directing and it will enable students to learn more about theatre and theatre history,” Burnham said. “The class will provide students with an opportunity to explore who they are as well as various characters through acting, improvisation, and scene work. We will watch, discuss, and read great plays. FGS has subscriptions to BroadwayHD and National Theatre at Home, which allows us to watch recent productions such as ‘Pipeline,’ ‘Red,’ ‘The Woodsman,’ ‘Frankenstein,’ and ‘Treasure Island.’ These are fantastic and thought-provoking plays that premiered on Broadway, and in London, and we have an opportunity to watch and discuss them.”

Creating a Dance Program As part of the triple-threat of the Performing Arts, Castonguay is taking steps to create a multi-genre Dance Program at The Frederick Gunn School, adding to his ongoing mission to bolster the school’s music and theatre programs. “I want our students to have the opportunity to learn and experience all genres of dance, from classical and ballet to jazz, tap, and hip-hop,” he said. “We have begun our programming with a Dance Team, open to all students, that rehearses during our newly established evening Arts Block, which eliminates scheduling conflicts with co-curriculars. In October, we brought on a new dance adjunct, Mikki Ferrigno, a top-notch choreographer with more than two decades of experience teaching

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Introducing the Art of Stage Combat The new Arts Block can be utilized for projects, rehearsals, collaborations between ensembles, and to introduce topics such as music theory or jazz improvisation, both of which Castonguay plans to offer. Kent Burnham, the new Director of Theatre Arts, kicked off the first Arts Block of the year by offering a Stage Combat Workshop. The hour-long class introduced students to the art of stage combat, and included how to throw various punches safely, create sounds to enhance the illusion, and how to “sell” the reaction of the hit, just like Dwayne Johnson, Charlize Theron, Keanu Reeves, and Gal Gadot do on the big screen. “We worked on the uppercut, the jab, and the cross punch.” Burnham, who became a certified stage combatant when he earned his MFA in classical acting from The Shakespeare Theatre/George Washington University, also holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Hofstra University, and previously served as Director of Theatre Arts and Chair of the

Directing the Fall Play and Winter Musical Burnham directed the fall play, “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,”

I want to try to provide an opportunity for every student to be involved in the theatre program, either on stage, backstage, directing, or learning about theatre itself. ” – Kent Burnham, Director of Theatre Arts

Kent Burnham, Director of Theatre Arts, giving direction to the cast of the fall play, “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” on stage in the Tisch Family Auditorium

adapted by Dwayne Hartford from the book by award-winning author Kate DiCamillo, who also wrote “The Tale of Despereaux,” and “Because of Winn-Dixie.” Performances were held in November in the Tisch Family Auditorium. Burnham said he fell in love with the play after seeing the world premiere in Arizona and he was excited to bring it to The Frederick Gunn School for its Connecticut premiere. “It’s a really powerful and moving play about the 20-year journey of this china rabbit doll, all the people that he meets along his journey, and the different roles he takes on for these people,” Burnham said. “Edward begins a 20-year journey to learn what it means to love, the pain of losing that love, and the courage it takes to love again.” For the winter musical, Burnham has selected “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a musical comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin, conceived by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss.

Open Mic Night and an Improv Workshop During Winterim in December, Castonguay will reprise his Open Mic Night Class, which will culminate in the second annual Gunn Grammy Awards. Burnham is co-teaching “Project Improv” with Kevin Clemente of the Math Department faculty, who trained with the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York and has previously offered improv workshops to students and faculty. “We’re going to introduce students to an intensive on improvisation,” Burnham said, explaining, “The fundamental basis of improv is ‘Yes, and...’ You agree and build and enhance a scene from that offer. You always accept the scenario, listen, respond, and focus on making your partner look good. There are so many things to learn from that in how we deal with things in our daily lives, how we collaborate and connect with others. It would be exciting if we could build an Improv Company here that is similar to that on the college level.”

In the future, Burnham plans to add an advanced acting class to the arts curriculum, along with courses in stage combat, improvisation/theatre games, directing and playwriting. “I want to try to provide an opportunity for every student to be involved in the theatre program, either on stage, backstage, directing, writing, or learning about theatre itself,” he said. “We can get caught up in our own silos and the arts allow us to step into ourselves while stepping out of ourselves.” Burnham also sees opportunities to engage the community at large in the arts. “There’s such an incredible amount of art and culture in Litchfield County as well as the surrounding area. We have access to some outstanding regional theatre companies — Hartford Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, Yale Rep, Westport Country Playhouse — as well as Broadway, and I’m excited for the FGS community to be a part of that, too.”

Fall 2021

The spring and fall seasons brought a return to playing athletic contests in person

following a long hiatus due to the global pandemic. Six of nine spring teams were able to compete, and in the fall, all teams resumed a normal season, with students and parents cheering them on from the sidelines. “Students were craving as much of a return to normalcy as possible,” said Mike Marich P’23 ’24, Director of Athletics and Head Boys Lacrosse Coach. “For the spring athletes specifically, many of them lost their 2020 season, so they were looking at the better part of two years of not being part of a team and the sports that they love — tennis, golf, lacrosse, you name it. They wanted to get as back-tonormal as possible.” A similar story unfolded in the fall. Students couldn’t wait to get back out on the playing fields with their friends. Interest in girls soccer was so high, the school fielded a JV Girls Soccer Team for the first time in recent years. Many of the requirements put in place due to COVID-19 in the spring were waived this fall, when students returned to campus fully vaccinated. “I give our student-athletes a lot of credit for sticking with it,” Marich said. “Preparing for a high-level contest is hard enough. You want to limit distractions and COVID was just a giant distraction. They were able to do it and compete and play pretty well. Baseball had a great season. Boys lacrosse had a solid season. Girls lacrosse was competitive. They represented our community with class and the feedback from the students at the end of the year was mostly thankful for making the season happen. I was lucky to be able to work with the other schools to allow the students to have those experiences.” 38

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

A Return to Play

Fall 2021

Four Student-Athletes Selected to Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Tournament

Eddie Rayhill ’22 Three members of the Boys Varsity Lacrosse Team and one member of the Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team were selected to play in the 2021 Under Armour All-America Underclass Tournament this summer in Maryland. Eddie Rayhill ’22 of New Hartford, New York, was named to the Upstate New York Boys Highlight Team, Parker Hoffman ’24 of Glastonbury, Connecticut, was named to the CONNY Boys Command Team, Owen Laatsch ’25 of Missoula, Montana, was named to the West Boys Command Team, and Julia Bella ’24 of Norwalk, Connecticut, was named to the CONNY Girls Command Team. “It’s a national tournament,” explained Mike Marich P’23 ’24, Athletic Director and Head Boys Lacrosse Coach. “Each region has a tryout. The tryouts have 200 students or more competing for about 20 spots per region. Each of the regions then send their teams to play against each other in Maryland at the end of July. College coaches are there. It’s one of the biggest showcases on the summer lacrosse circuit. To have four students represent our school, it’s incredible. They were playing against the best players in the country.” Players are selected into two divisions. Hoffman, Laatsch and Bella made the Command teams for their respective regions, which include rising high school sophomores and freshmen, and Rayhill made his region’s Highlight team, for rising seniors and juniors. From his Upstate New York division, Rayhill, a defender who also plays soccer and ice hockey, was named to the 2021 Under Armour Boys Division All-Tournament Team. “It’s a great honor to be selected to the all-star team at the end of the tournament,” Marich said. In addition to that, Rayhill and Hoffman were named to the Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Senior Watchlist from the tournament. “I am so proud of all of our students for all they have 40

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

Parker Hoffman ’24 accomplished. It’s great for our programs and it’s great for the students. They have all put in a tremendous amount of effort, both prior to coming here and during their time here.” Marich said. “It takes a lot of commitment and it’s a credit to their parents for supporting them through these events. It was the first time we’ve ever had four players at the same time at that event. I’m super proud of them and everything that they’ve accomplished, and super proud of the way that they represented Frederick Gunn.” Bella has been playing lacrosse since she was four years old. In 2020, she went to the Under Armour Underclass Tournament tryouts and got called back, but did not make All-American. “This year, my goal was definitely to make the team because I was one of the older girls this time. You know you made the team because everyone else that didn’t make it has to leave, and they basically get eliminated. This year, I did get called back and I made it, so it was pretty cool.” Getting ready for tournament play took some effort following the global pandemic. “It definitely took a lot more practice to get back into the groove of things, especially playing with girls I’d never played with before from New York and other towns and cities in Connecticut,” Bella said. “There were girls from California and Oregon, from all the way across the country, flying in just to play against us, because we were one of the best teams. It was pretty cool knowing that they came just to try to beat us.” Her dad and grandparents were there to cheer her on through games that were played in the heat, humidity and rain, but Bella, who plays defense, said she was well prepared. “I was with some of the girls who play on my club team. When it’s hot, we have to do a lot of conditioning so we can get prepared for the heat. We were prepared to be able to run two miles in a game. We were all ready to run in

It’s one of the bigger showcases on the summer lacrosse circuit. To have four students represent our school, it’s a big deal. They were playing against the best players in the country.” – Mike Marich P’23 ’24, Athletic Director and Head Boys Lacrosse Coach

Owen Laatsch ’25

Julia Bella ’24

100-degree weather,” she said. A three-season athlete, Bella rows crew and plays Girls Varsity Ice Hockey, and this spring, she hopes to play midfield and defense for the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team, a move that would help her score the 20 goals she is aiming for, to compete with a player from her old school, who scored 100 goals in her high school career. In the upcoming season, Bella will play for the first time under the direction of the school’s new Head Coach for Girls Varsity Lacrosse, Rachel Hedden, who joined the Admissions Office this fall. “My goals are to establish a healthy team culture, an environment where girls can try new things and explore the lacrosse world for themselves, and see themselves as lacrosse players, even if that isn’t their first sport. I played soccer and it took a lot not to see myself as a soccer player who played lacrosse. There are a lot of girls that feel that way,” Hedden said, adding that Bella brings a high level of exposure to the team, having experienced a style of play from each region of the country, and the overall fast pace of the game, “which is what we want to bring here.” “I’m excited to have Rachel step in as the head coach knowing this is what the program has deserved and needed for so many years,” said Assistant Coach Emily Abelson. “Like all of our girls, Julia brings such a dynamic force to the defensive line that we’re really excited about. Her lacrosse IQ, stick skills, and the way she moves her feet — it’s going to be awesome to watch her play.” For Rayhill, who has been playing lacrosse since kindergarten, being named to the all-tournament team was a great honor. “It’s not really something that I aim for. My coaches encouraged me to try out for the team and I decided to do it and I feel very honored to be selected for that team, but it’s not the reason I like playing the game

or why I do it. It was just a nice kind of accomplishment that came with playing the game.” His goals for this year? “To have a lot of fun, to get better and prepare for the next level,” said Rayhill, who is committed to the admissions process at Cornell University. Like Rayhill, Hoffman has been playing lacrosse since kindergarten and hopes to be recruited to a DI team. His coaches also recommended that he try out for the All-America tournament. “There were seven teams at the tryout and there was a callback game after you played every team. There were two teams at the callback game, and they would choose the full team out of the callback game, so it was pretty stressful,” explained Hoffman, who also plays varsity soccer and basketball for the school, and was cheered on by his dad at the tournament. His parents, he added, “were pretty happy that I made it because it was a pretty big deal.” Mid-fielder Laatsch, who also plays football and basketball, said he spent about eight months during the pandemic practicing lacrosse in his backyard in Montana. Last summer he was able to practice in person with the Salt Lake City Lacrosse Club. “I drive down there every week from Montana and practice with them. That was the only in-person practice I had until this summer. I was really nervous going into the tryout,” he said, “and once I got there, I just played as hard as I could and it worked out.” When he learned he had made the All-America team, he said: “It was awesome. I just felt great. That was the first big team I’ve made. I’ve made a bunch of little teams and I’ve always had that on my shoulder and this was the first big thing on my shoulder.” His goals for the upcoming season: “To just keep working hard, keep playing, and just getting better.” Fall 2021

Marich Named NEPSAC District IV Vice President Mike Marich P’23 ’24, Director of Athletics and Head Boys Lacrosse Coach, has been named Vice President of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC), District IV. Founded in 1942, NEPSAC is an organization of athletic directors from preparatory schools in New England with two members from Lower Canada. The Frederick Gunn School is a Member School in District IV. “NEPSAC has four regions or divisions of Member Schools. Each division has representatives, or officers, and this past spring, Geoff Barlow, the Director of Athletics at Avon Old Farms School and President of Division IV, asked if anyone was interested in being an officer,” explained Marich, who stepped up and offered to serve. Although he was initially appointed Treasurer, over the course of the summer he was offered the opportunity to fill the role of Vice President for the region, which he accepted. “It’s a great opportunity for professional development, for me to learn from people I trust within the athletic director community,” Marich said. “It allows me to get some experience and a bigger view of athletics in New England. It also gives our school a voice in some of these discussions, and maybe I can bring some of our experience of what it is like to be a smaller school within NEPSAC to these discussions, and give us a voice at the table.” This is not the first time Marich has garnered regional recognition. He was twice named the Mike Fuller Head Coach of the Year by the Western New England Secondary School Lacrosse Association (WNESSLA), in 2016 and 2019. The honor is selected by coaches in the league. Marich joined the Highlander coaching staff in 2013 and has

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served as Director of Athletics since 2016. A native of Long Island, New York, he played four years at defense for John Danowski at Hofstra University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He has remained actively involved in the sport since graduation. He has coached boys at all levels for John Jay Youth Lacrosse in Westchester, New York, and for 3D NE South Lacrosse here in Connecticut. In 2016, he led the boys varsity lacrosse team to win the Colonial Tournament and capture the WNESSLA Division II title, and this year three of his players were named to the Under Armour All-America Underclass Lacrosse Tournament. Regarding his appointment as a regional VP for NEPSAC, he said: “This is the first time for me stepping up as an athletic director to say I’d like to take on more of a leadership role outside of our immediate school community. I’ve been the Director of Athletics for five years now. I needed time to understand what the role was, what my role as AD within the community was. As I’ve grown in that I felt a little more at ease to put myself out there and represent the NEPSAC community and ours at large.” In doing so, Marich is modeling leadership, which is something he tries to instill in all students at The Frederick Gunn School through our athletic and co-curricular programs. “Hopefully it’s an example to not only our students but to my fellow coaches to believe in yourself and volunteer your services for something that you want to make better, and to help out. When you volunteer to be part of a coaches’ association, whether it’s something here at school or in your own community, half the battle is raising your hand. I didn’t expect this. I expected to be Treasurer and work my way through. So I’m thrilled to help out, and it just goes to show you that sometimes you just have to raise your hand and say you’re willing to help.”

Clockwise from left, Sal Lilienthal paddling in Boston Harbor, cycling in Newport, Rhode Island, and pausing on his revolutionary ride in front of The White House

In August, Sal Lilienthal, Crew Team Operations Coordinator, completed a nearly 700-mile bike and kayak trip, from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia. By land and by sea, he followed the path of the French and American armies during the American Revolution, adhering closely to the WashingtonRochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail. “The reason it’s so important was this was the decisive military campaign that won the American Revolution. It’s the one that made the difference,” said Lilienthal , who originally conceived of the trip as a large-scale public event. He spent years planning it and received a $10,000 grant from the National Park Service to fund it. However, due to COVID-era restrictions, Lilienthal ended up completing the twoweek journey solo, aided by a single support vehicle, a few staff, and people who helped them as they made their way through nine states. “We only stayed in hotels for three nights. People put us up the whole way, they’d cook us dinner. We were like real revolutionaries supported by the people.” Lilienthal started his trip at a statue of Rochambeau in King Park, at the edge of Newport Harbor. He kayaked through Boston Harbor and

A Revolutionary Journey Chesapeake Bay, and cycled past the White House and on to Annapolis and Valley Forge. “His most notable stops were Morristown National Historical Park, where Superintendent Tom Ross, staff, and volunteers welcomed him to the park,” the National Park Service noted on its website. “Sal also stopped in the Village of Brandywine, in Wilmington, Delaware, where he performed a bike clinic and led about 30 inner city youth on a ride.” A Greenwich native and graduate of Hobart and WIlliam Smith Colleges, Lilienthal was the team mechanic for the U.S. Cycling Federation and a mechanic for the Motorola Cycling Team, captained by Lance Armstrong. He now lives in Kent and owns the Bicycle Tour Company. His interest in American history was sparked on a cycling trip he organized for a

client over 20 years ago. When they reached Washington Crossing State Park, along the Delaware River in New Jersey, he walked over to look at one of the historic markers and thought, “This is where General Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River.” He started researching the American Revolution, and in 2014, published a book, “Revolutionary Battles: Experience America’s Roads to Independence,” combining his passion for cycling and history. Returning to campus just days after his historic ride, Lilienthal’s wheels were already turning with thoughts of his next trip. He noted that 2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. Reprising his revolutionary ride as a public event will require the assistance of multiple support vehicles, local paramedics, and in some areas, road closures to guarantee safety. Until then, he will share his expertise with students through the Winterim course, “Revolutionaries, Spies and a Traitor.” The class will focus on the stories of America’s first spy, Nathan Hale, British Major John Andre, and fallen patriot Benedict Arnold, and include day trips to West Point and Groton Heights in New London. “We’re exploding with revolutionary war history where we live,” Lilienthal said. Fall 2021

FROM THE ARCHIVES

William Hamilton Gibson This July marked the 125th anniversary of the death of William Hamilton Gibson (1850-1896), a renowned naturalist, painter, author, and alumnus, Class of 1866. We looked into the Paula and George Krimsky ’60 Archives and Special Collections to learn more about Gibson and how he viewed the natural world.

“Son of a New York financier with a summerhouse in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, ‘Willie’ Gibson distinguished himself early as an observer and painter of nature,” according to a biography by the late Paula Gibson Krimsky, longtime School Archivist and the artist’s great-granddaughter. Though self-taught, he was known for his meticulous depiction of the natural world. Gibson came to what was then The Gunnery in 1882, and according to a family story, Mr. Gunn “wrote to his father that he ‘sent Willie out into the woods to paint and excused him from Latin grammar because it is a talent at which he excels.’” In a letter to Gibson’s mother, dated 1864, Mr. Gunn wrote that her son was “always painting, drawing, when he should be studying, but meeting

William Hamilton Gibson, from the Paula and George Krimsky Archives and Special Collections all reproofs with that winsome smile.” “His interest in nature was strongly encouraged and developed through a series of botany classes he took while at the school, but he was left alone to pursue his enthusiasm in art; at the time Mr. Gunn offered no such art class, but undoubtedly encouraged Gibson’s interest,” Alyse Dufour ’07 wrote in her Gunn Scholar project, “A Place Called Home: The Pastoral in the Photography and Art Work of William Hamilton Gibson (1866) as Understood and Interpreted.” As part of her project, Dufour made prints from Gibson’s glass negatives, which were loaned to the archives by the Gibson family, “tracing their evolution into book illustrations and paintings,” and assembling an exhibition of his original work paired

An illustration of Mount Washington, from Fabyan House in the White Mountains, W.H. Gibson 44

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Gibson and his wife, Emma Blanchard, had three children: Hamilton, who graduated from The Gunnery in 1902 and became the school’s third headmaster; Dana, who died in a hunting accident in 1911; and a daughter, Elizabeth, (not pictured) who later married Tertius van Dyke.

with her own photographs of Washington landscapes, Krimsky said. After leaving The Gunnery in 1866, Gibson enrolled in the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, but his education was cut short following the death of his father two years later. Following a brief stint in the insurance industry, and with no formal training as an artist, Gibson launched himself headlong into a career as an artist. After approaching Harper’s publishing with a few of his drawings to sell, the head of the art department told him, in essence, he would never succeed as an artist, Dufour recounted in her report. Undeterred, Gibson won his first, large commission from Appleton & Co., and by 1873, was earning money regularly for his artwork. His first book, “The Complete American Trapper,” which he wrote and illustrated, was published in 1876. The editor of Harper’s Monthly subsequently encouraged Gibson to write about and illustrate his summer sojourns in Sandy Hook and Washington, Connecticut, Dufour said. Those stories and illustrations became a book, “Pastoral Days,” published in 1881. It included accounts of Mr. Gunn and his school, affectionately depicted as Mr. Snug and the Snuggery. In all, Gibson was the author and illustrator of 10 books about nature, as well as the editor and illustrator of “The Master of The Gunnery,” a memorial tribute to Mr. Gunn written by

One of the only candid photographs of Gibson in the archives. Handwritten on the back it says, “Frolic on the Brownley lawn, summer of 1889; Will Gibson and his wonderful steed.”

A photograph of the Shepaug RIver by W.H. Gibson, printed from his original glass negative by Alyse Dufour ’07 for her Gunn Scholar project

An illustration of Judd’s Bridge in Washington, by W.H. Gibson

his students. “Gibson later took up residence in Washington and maintained close ties to the Gunn family,” Krimsky said, noting that he built a summer cottage, “The Sumacs,” designed by another Gunn alumnus, Ehrick Rossiter, Class of 1871. In the 1940s, Gibson’s studio became the home of The Gunnery’s third headmaster, and Gibson’s son, Hamilton Gibson, Class of 1902, and later his grandson, R. Dana Gibson ’32, Krimsky said. A memorial to Gibson, a bronze medallion attributed to sculptor Henry Kirke Bush-Brown, was mounted on a large stone overlooking Green Hill Road upon his death in 1896 and remains there today.

Background: In a letter to his father, dated June 2, 1862, Gibson wrote, “I was so glad to get a letter that I told about every boy in the house of it. I should like to get one from you or mother. I am not homesick yet, so you need not be afraid.” To this, Frederick Gunn added a note to Gibson’s father, saying “Willie is a dear little fellow, just as good as he can be.” Fall 2021

SUPPORTING THE FREDERICK GUNN SCHOOL

In the fall of 2019, the Board of Trustees approved our most recent Strategic Plan. The plan states that, by 2025, The Frederick Gunn School will become “a uniquely attractive place for students and faculty to learn, live, and thrive.” And to do so, we will “establish the School as a nationally recognized leader in the theory and practice of secondary boarding education,” modeled by — and in the vision of — Frederick Gunn.

To do so, we assert we will: • develop and care for our faculty and students around our Core Values; • transform our campus according to the 2016 Campus Master Plan; • build unique programs that promote comprehensive and holistic learning.

Implicit in that statement is the assumption that those decisions will increase interest in our school (tuition revenue) and opportunities for strategic investment in its future (philanthropy). Together, the Board and the Leadership Team are committed to completing a set of strategic objectives and taking on the inherent risk of making aspirational statements. At the close of year one of putting this plan into action, despite the challenges created by a global pandemic and social and political disharmony, the implications of this plan have been met with incredibly positive support. Said another way, early feedback has affirmed our assumptions. As I write this, we are five days from opening the 2021-22 school year with the largest student population in recent history. Applications for admission were up 5% over the previous year, and our admission yield was 10 percentage points higher than in 2020. Similarly, we closed the 2021 fiscal year with unprecedented philanthropic support from all constituencies. Prospective families and alumni have embraced the vision of our relaunch. On June 30, 2021, The 1850 Fund finished its most successful year ever with a total of $1,660,047 from 1,202 donors, exceeding a goal of $1.65 million and growing by 9% over the record-setting total from the 2020 fiscal year. As we continue working toward a sustainable $2 million annual fund by 2025, the Fund has grown 26% in dollars since the 2018 fiscal year. In 2021, 548 alumni made at least

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their second consecutive gift to the annual fund; at the same time, 64 alumni made their first-ever gift. Between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, we also received cash and pledges totaling more than $25 million to support the goals and objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan. For context, The Campaign for The Gunnery, completed in the early 2000s, generated $23 million in gifts over five years. The fundraising initiative to construct The Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center, completed in 2019 and spanning approximately two years, generated just under $22 million. Through early gifts to support the endowment and capital priorities of the Strategic Plan: • nearly 100% of our current Trustees have made 3-5 year pledges; • 36 donors have made their most significant ever commitment to the School; • 25 donors have doubled their lifetime giving with their most recent commitment. We are excited by and grateful for the support we’ve seen from all constituencies. We look forward to continuing to celebrate success with all of you as the Alumni & Development Office begins to travel and host in-person events again. We thank you all sincerely for the work you do to ensure the future of this great school — your school.

My request to you is this: • If you’ve previously given to the annual fund, please consider matching your most recent gift this year. If you’re not sure what or when it was, call me and I will find out. • If you’ve never given before, please consider giving at a level that is meaningful to you and that you could see yourself sustaining over multiple years. – Sean Brown P’22

But the work is far from done. Another implicit goal of the Strategic Plan is to instill and maintain a healthy culture of philanthropy among, in particular, our alumni. All great schools strive for this. I noted earlier that 548 alumni made at least their second gift in a row. When adding all other constituencies, 782 donors from 2020 renewed their support in 2021. On the one hand, this is excellent news: 61% of our annual fund donors gave two years in a row. On the other hand, 39% of donors, or 490 individuals, did not. That means, to reach our goal in 2021 required 420 “new” donors. Of that number, 144 individuals made their first gift ever. So, 276 donors made their first gift since 2019 or before. A healthy culture of philanthropy requires broad and consistent support from all constituencies. Between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2021, 2,380 unique individuals have given to the annual fund. The total dollars generated by the most recent gift from those 2,380 donors is $2,302,711.

The foundation is built, and the pieces are in place. Now is the time for every member of the Highlander Faithful to stand up and be counted. Every gift is meaningful and essential. We’re all grateful for your support. Onward,

Sean Brown P’22 Chief Development Officer

Fall 2021

ALUMNI NEWS

Alumni Weekend 2021 : A Return to Campus Alumni returned to campus in person and via Zoom on June 12 to celebrate a year of record-breaking giving, tour the campus in all of its spring splendor, and honor the newest Hall of Fame inductees and two Alumni of the Year (for 2020 and 2021). While more modest in scale than previous Alumni Weekend celebrations, this year’s gathering gave Highlanders the opportunity to just be together in a place that will always be home. “On behalf of the alumni office, I’d like to express our gratitude to all of

will continue to focus on the priorities outlined in the current Strategic

you for being here,” said Sean Brown P’22, Chief Development Officer,

Plan and refine the Campus Master Plan, beginning with a science,

who welcomed alumni and guests from the stage of the Tisch Family

math and technology center that will become a hub for innovation and

Auditorium in the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center.

sustainability, great science and math programs, and the IDEAS Lab,

“We’re particularly thankful for those of you in the Os and 5s who hung

which encapsulates courses in engineering, robotics and science.

in there with us and waited patiently for a reunion one year later.”

2019 by a $100,000 matching grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation,

Brown noted that two weeks earlier, on May 30, students in the

Class of 2021 had been inducted into the Alumni Association as the

is now entering its third year of helping to prepare students to be

first graduates of The Frederick Gunn School, following the school’s

active citizens in the model of Frederick Gunn. That ongoing work,

historic name change in July 2020. Six days later, on June 5, the newest

which is part of every student’s experience, is aligned with the school’s

inductees — from the Class of 2020 — were welcomed into the Alumni

commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. At the same time the

Association as the last graduates of The Gunnery. “Like several of you, the

school is preparing to launch an entrepreneurship program to equip

Class of ’20 waited a year to celebrate,” he said.

students with a mindset to engage the world proactively and creatively

Campus Update

The Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, kickstarted in

with problem-solving skills, Becker said.

In addition to all of this, the school hired a new Chief People

Head of School Peter Becker provided a campus update, noting that

Officer, Amanda Colarusso, who has joined the Leadership Team, and a

from an enrollment standpoint, the school has seen incredible growth

new Director of Outdoor Programs, Dan Fladager. With his experience,

year-over-year in what continues to be an incredibly competitive

the school expects Gunn Outdoors, which is already a cornerstone of

market. Fundraising remains strong, and many alumni have been

the student experience, to become a preeminent high school outdoor

asking — from even before the Arts and Community Center was

program, Becker said.

completed — “What’s next?” In response to that, Becker said the school

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The current list of college acceptances is yet another indicator

Classes Celebrate Record Giving, Alumni Awards, and Coming Home of the school’s forward momentum, Becker said, reeling off a long

• W. Russ Elgin Award (for the youngest alumni class, up to 10

list that included Cornell University, University of California, Los

years out, with the largest class gift) — to the Class of 2012

Angeles, University of Michigan, University of Virginia, University of North Carolina, Middlebury College, Williams College, Colby

Alumni to Alumni

College, Lafayette College, Vanderbilt University, Northwestern

The Alumni Weekend ceremony is also a service of remembrance.

University, and University of Washington.

Class Representatives read the names of alumni who are no longer

1850 Fund Awards

with us and celebrate their lives. This year, those in attendance paused to remember deceased alumni from classes ending in 0, 1,

Brown announced the leaders of the 1850 Fund Awards, noting that

5 and 6.

1,200 alumni, parents, students, grandparents, faculty, and friends

contributed unrestricted funds, raising $1.65 million. That figure

attended in person were invited to come forward to receive their

grew to $1,660,047 by the close of the fiscal year on June 30 while the

alumni pin. “The pin itself is small and simple. What it represents

leaders held fast:

is quite the opposite,” Brown told them. “The pin can only be

• Kenneth J. Brown 1911 Award (for the largest gift) —

worn by alumni. And like the numbers after your name, it is

earned. The ceremony of being pinned — alumni to alumni —

to the Class of 1960

• Margaret P. Addicks H’02 Award (for the highest class

Following the singing of the School Hymn, alumni who

links you not only to the pinner but to the person who pinned

participation with a minimum alumni body of 20) —

them, and so on. It’s the continuation of a chain that stretches

to the Class of 1957

back as far as the oldest living alumnus, and should always serve as

• Susan G. Graham H’12 Award (for the young alumni class, up to

a reminder of the bond you all share as Highlander Faithful.”

10 years out, with the highest participation) — to the Class of 2014

Above, photos left to right: Chief Development Officer Sean Brown P’22, Ted Seibert ’61, Lori Seibert, Sam Newhouse ’70, Trustee Tom King ’60, and Rick Dickson ’71; Steve Garvan ’70, Amanda Worrall Maruyama WR’68, and Susan Sheldon Crysler WR’69; Trustee Emeritus Gerrit Vreeland ’61, Steve Davol ’61, Former Trustee Bruce Bradshaw ’51, and Trustee Tom King ’60; and Curt Smith ’70, Former Trustee Sam Newhouse ’70, Steve Garvan ’70, Clifton Graves ’71.

Fall 2021

Alumni Weekend 2021 — A Return to Campus Alumnus of the Year The Alumnus of the Year Award is given annually to the alumnus who, in the opinion of the Alumni & Development Office, has contributed most significantly to the school through his or her volunteer efforts and who, in those efforts, has represented The Frederick Gunn School to the highest standards. In addition to this being the first time the school has awarded two Alumnus of the Year Awards in one day, Sean Brown P’22, Chief Development Officer, announced that as of this year, the award had been renamed The David N. Hoadley ’51 Alumnus of the Year Award. “Aside from being the epitome of what the award stands for, David Hoadley ’51 was also the first-ever recipient in 1989,” Brown said.

The 2020 recipient of the David N. Hoadley ’51 Alumnus of the

Year Award was Trustee Tom King ’60. After graduating from what was then The Gunnery, King received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston University followed by a Masters of Business Administration from Boston College. Following service in the U.S. Air Force and New York Air National Guard, King worked at Lehman Brothers as a security analyst following the metal industries. After several years he joined Merrill Lynch where he was a Vice President of Merrill Lynch Asset Management, the newly formed registered investment advisory unit of the firm. In 1984, King joined the Trust and Investment Department of Chemical Bank as an Investment Manager. Following several mergers, the resulting organization became known as J.P. Morgan Chase, from

Brown presenting the 2021 David N. Hoadley ’51 Alumnus of the Year Award to Tim Gaillard ’61

which King retired in 2004 as Vice President of Investments in its Personal Asset Management Division. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees in April 2020.

The 2021 recipient of the David N. Hoadley ’51 Alumnus of

the Year Award was Tim Gaillard ’61. A graduate of Colby College, Gaillard’s first job at the age of 19 was at the Hilton Hotel in New York City, specializing in food and beverage and sales promotions. He left Hilton to manage several country inns, building a reputation for innovative marketing and promotions. His first entrepreneurial venture was founding his own hotel and restaurant consulting firm called The Bottom Line. Gaillard then switched gears, starting a new career in advertising and public relations. He worked for several respected Connecticut ad agencies before forming his own agency in 1983 and has created award-winning campaigns for both consumer and business-to-business clients. He has lectured on marketing and public relations trends and techniques at area universities and has served on the boards of six business associations. His clients have appeared on The Today Show, CBS and NBC evening news, UPI, AP, and numerous trade publications. Now in semi-retirement, he has launched a new Brown presenting the 2020 David N. Hoadley ’51 Alumnus of the Year Award to Tom King ’60 50

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business called “No 2 Alike,” making furniture and accessories from his woodworking shop.

2021 Hall of Fame Inductees The Arts and Letters Hall of Fame Clifton E. Graves, Jr. ’71 was inducted into the Arts and Letters Hall of Fame. The current Judge of Probate for New Haven County, Graves grew up in North Carolina and his family moved often to pursue better employment and educational opportunities. Landing in New Haven, he was awarded a scholarship to The Frederick Gunn School.

“To say he survived and succeeded would be an understatement,”

Sean Brown P’22, Chief Development Officer, said. “Judge Graves flourished in the face of difficult times and adversity.”

Graves matriculated at Tufts University, where he was awarded a

bachelor’s degree in political science, and graduated from Georgetown Law Center, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree and completed additional studies in international law and diplomacy. His professional career spans over 30 years in public service. He was honored in 2018 as one of the 100 Most Influential African Americans in Connecticut by the NAACP, and has received numerous awards and citations for community service and mentoring young people.

Graves sees himself as a “change agent,” one who adheres to the

adage made popular by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “injustice anywhere, threatens justice everywhere.”

The Athletic Hall of Fame Roger Walters ’52 was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Former

Clifton Graves ’71 spoke at his induction into the Arts and Letters Hall of Fame on campus in June.

Trustee Bruce Bradshaw ’51 accepted the award on behalf of Walters,

At Camp Rucker, he played backup quarterback to Brad Rowland

who was unable to attend the event in person. Walters came to The

of the Chicago Bears. Following the war, Walters returned home to

Frederick Gunn School from the University School in Cleveland, Ohio,

successfully run, build and eventually sell his family business. He

in 1948, in the middle of his freshman year. He went on to win nine

continues to play sports, golf being his game of choice.

varsity letters and play on five championship teams. As the quarterback, he led his 1952 team to a rare undefeated season, and won the Athletic Cup. A standout, three-sport athlete, he was also a leader who left his stamp on every team he played on, getting the most out of all his teammates. His best Frederick Gunn School memory was being captain of his undefeated basketball team during his last year at the school.

Walters briefly attended

college but with the start of the Korean War, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he continued to play football, basketball and baseball.

Roger Walters ’52, was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame; At right, Walters in his baseball uniform in 1952.

Fall 2021

TRUSTEE NEWS

A Warm Welcome Kevin Bogardus ’89 was appointed to the Board of Trustees in June. Bogardus has a proven track record of building successful businesses from scratch in Asia, most recently leading Chubb China, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NYSE-listed, $74 billion market capital Chubb Ltd. During his junior year at The Frederick Gunn School, Bogardus spent a year abroad in Rennes, France, as part of the School Year Abroad program run by Andover, Exeter and St. Paul’s schools. He graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Tufts University, where he double majored in international relations and Asian studies. He has lived in several countries in Asia for 28 years and Shanghai for the past 16 years. He began his career as the chief representative for Winterthur Insurance Company in Shanghai and Beijing. From 1996 to 2009, Bogardus served as Taiwan CEO and Hong Kong and Mainland China Managing Director for AON Benfield. From 2009 to 2015, he served as Chief Advisor to Huatai P&C Insurance Co., Ltd., where he led a team of ACE advisors focused on underwriting, claims, distribution, financial planning, and execution. He became managing director of

the ACE Division of Lloyd’s China in Shanghai in 2015, and since 2016 has served as Country President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Chubb Insurance Co. Ltd., in Shanghai. He is also board member for Chubb Insurance Hong Kong. In 2019, Bogardus was honored with the Silver Magnolia Award in recognition of his contributions to Shanghai’s Kevin Bogardus ’89 development. Fluent in three languages, English, Chinese, and French, he serves as vice chairman of both the Beijing Foreign Investment Association and the Shanghai Association of Foreign Investment. He is a founding member of the Shanghai Global Reinsurance Committee and has been a featured speaker at numerous seminars and conferences, including the 2021 Chinese People’s Political Consulting Conference. He and his wife, Christina, have two boys, Conrad, 11, and Nolan, 8.

Fond Farewells The Board of Trustees has expressed its admiration and gratitude on behalf of the entire Frederick Gunn School family to these three Trustees, who retired from the board this past year. William T. Tolley P’08 ’14 served for nine years as a Trustee and valuable member of numerous committees, including finance, investment, enrollment, and the governance committees. He has been a loyal Frederick Gunn School parent, friend and supporter. He retired from the Board in April. Tolley brought a steady hand, thoughtful commentary, and valuable insight into matters of progress and growth. He proved to be a thoughtful leader of the Finance Committee, helping to establish policies and processes to help ensure financial sustainability for the School. As treasurer of the Executive Committee, he will leave a lasting impact on the

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William T. Tolley P’08 ’14

work of those committees and the constituencies they serve. Tolley received an undergraduate degree from Tufts University and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and has had a successful multi-disciplinary executive career in finance, manufacturing and engineering. These experiences have enriched his contribution to The Frederick Gunn School as a wise counselor and a respected voice among his fellow Trustees. He and his wife, Chris, live in Southbury and are the parents of Andrew ’08, and Jared ’14. Roy Simpson, Jr. ’68 retired from the Board in April, having served for six years as a Trustee and valuable member of numerous committees, including the Strategic Plan Steering Committee and the Governance Committee, and served as the Chair of the Long-Term Campus Planning Committee. He brought a steady hand, thoughtful commentary, and valuable insight into matters of progress and growth. His contributions to the Students and Faculty Committee and as a critical member of the Arts and Community Center Building Committee will leave a lasting impact on our campus and on those committees and the constituencies they serve. Simpson graduated from Principia College and Vanderbilt University Law School, and has had a successful career as Partner for Colson Investments and as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Colson Services Corporation. These experiences enriched his contribution to The Frederick Gunn School as a wise counselor and a respected voice among his fellow Trustees. He has served the school as a loyal Frederick Gunn School alumnus, friend, and supporter.

Cynthia Urda Kassis P’19

Cynthia Urda Kassis P’19 retired from the Board at the end of March, having served for four years as a Trustee and a valuable member of the Governance Committee, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, and the Legal Task Force, and chair of the Students and Faculty Committee. Kassis has been a loyal parent, friend and supporter of the School. Kassis has spent 37 years working at Shearman & Sterling, representing borrowers and lenders in project, finance and joint venture transactions worldwide. She has extensive experience in the energy, infrastructure, mining, and general manufacturing industries, as well as in power and infrastructure restructurings. Kassis is ranked as a leading lawyer in project finance by Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Chambers Latin America, IFLR 1000, Legal 500, PLC Which Lawyer?, Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers in Project Finance, The International Who’s Who of Project Finance Lawyers and The International Who’s Who of Mining Lawyers. She was also named “Dealmaker of the Year” (2008) by The American Lawyer. Kassis received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, her master’s from the University of Notre Dame and her J.D. from American University. She and her husband, Jay, live in Washington, Connecticut, with their son, Michael ’19, a sophomore at Connecticut College.

Roy Simpson, Jr. ’68

Fall 2021

Alumni Small Businesses Are Branching Out Inspired by community-based events such as Small Business Saturday, the Alumni & Development Office came up with a plan to catalog and promote small businesses owned by Frederick Gunn School alumni. Businesses are

listed at gogunn.org and members of the FGS community are encouraged

to support them. In this issue of the Bulletin, we are pleased to introduce two

alumni who are growing in the world of small business. If you are interested in having your small business featured, please contact Jess Baker, Director of Engagement & Operations, at bakerj@frederickgunn.org.

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

communications and a double minor in marketing and management at Syracuse (he was recruited to the school’s Division I Men’s Rowing Team), oversees the nursery’s operations, from trucking During the global pandemic, Garden State Nursery, a wholesale and client meetings to accounting and marketing. He works with grower of premium trees and shrubs, did not shut down for a the company’s production manager to oversee production of all single day. Instead, the company, based plant material. in Chesterfield, New Jersey, experienced “We have over 350 varieties in a 20-percent increase in growth. Sales We’re pretty much on every Ivy production, including Japanese maples, have tripled since 2016, when Andrew dogwoods, viburnum, Green Giants, and League campus in the country. De Paulis ’12 became Business Operations many more unique species,” he said. “We Manager after graduating from Syracuse Our trees are in Manhattan, in plant between 10,000 and 15,000 trees per University, and his goal is to triple the most of the notable parks, and year. Our trees are graded by hardiness company’s growth again. on estates all over the country, zones, so we grow specifically to serve the Phil De Paulis P’12 came up with the Northeast Region” especially on Long Island, and idea to start a tree nursery after retiring The staff includes 10 full-time in 2000 from the construction industry. throughout New England’s employees as well as seasonal employees “He grew up on a farm and he wanted Cape and islands.” who help out during the busy season. to spend the rest of his life on a farm,” “From the third week of February – Andrew De Paulis ’12 Andrew De Paulis said. So the family through June 1, we work seven days a moved from Rumson to Chesterfield in week around the clock. On an ordinary 2010 and has been there ever since. day, I typically get to work around 6:15 a.m. and probably stay to Garden State Nursery specializes in shade, ornamental, a minimum of 7 p.m. I’m tagging, I’m overseeing production, I’m flowering and evergreen trees and shrubs that grow on the nursery’s working digging equipment and loading trucks myself if need be. more than 700 acres. De Paulis, who earned a bachelor’s degree in

Putting Down Roots

Andrew De Paulis ’12 is the Business Operations Manager for Garden State Nursery, a wholesale grower of premium trees and shrubs, in Chesterfield, New Jersey. At left and above, a view of trees at the nursery. Fall 2021

It’s just an unbelievably time-consuming process. I’m going tree to tree, making sure they meet our standards and our customers’ standards as well,” said De Paulis, explaining that color-coded ribbons are used to identify trees as they are selected or “tagged” by customers. Staff use one of four different tree spades, which are mounted on track machines, as well as wheel loaders, to dig out and deliver the trees, and the largest trees are still dug by hand. Among the many, high-quality trees the nursery grows, they specialize in evergreens, oaks, and flowering dogwoods. The evergreen trees planted behind the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center on The Frederick Gunn School campus also came from Garden State Nursery. “We’re pretty much on every Ivy League campus in the country. Our trees are in Manhattan, in most of the notable parks, and on estates all over the country, especially on Long Island, and throughout New England’s Cape and islands. We ship as far as Michigan and Louisiana,” De Paulis said. It came as a bit of a surprise that one of the primary marketing tools for the industry is Instagram. “All the landscape architects who are designing jobs are on Instagram. We weren’t marketing that way at all, but since we started, we have picked up countless clients that way,” De Paulis said. During the global pandemic, the company thrived in the digital realm. “There was a lot of FaceTiming and Zooming to show people trees. There were not a lot of nursery visits. We gave customers the opportunity to rely on us to pick out plant material, and we’re reaping the rewards from that now as

The nursery’s largest trees are dug by hand in preparation for delivery. 56

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Andrew De Paulis ’12 with one of the 350 varieties of trees grown by his family’s small business our customers see we are what our mission statement says we are: ‘Quality Grown Trees.’ Whether you come to the nursery or not to select the trees, you’re going to get what you’re looking for.” His future plans for the business? “I’ve been here five years and I’ve exactly tripled the size of our business sales-wise. The goal is to triple it again. Obviously, it’s not going to happen again on that same timeline. It’s an ambitious goal, but we see ourselves doing that, hopefully in the next 10 years.” The work is labor-intensive and most of the company’s competitors don’t have a next generation to pass the business on to, or there is simply no interest. “It’s a rocky, tough road to start out for those who are willing to do it. I’m one of six children and I’m the only one who decided to get involved,” said De Paulis, who views his competitor’s lack of succession planning as an opportunity for future growth. “We are actively purchasing land to expand and constantly seeking more market share.” His family-run business is also family-oriented. “We’re less than 50 people, which I believe constitutes a small business. Every single Monday, I’m there with coffee and doughnuts greeting our employees and discussing our short weekends. When we work Saturday and Sunday, I bring our team lunch. We go to local breweries and soccer games as well. It keeps everyone down-to-earth and on the same page.”

Global Entrepreneur Malachi Garff ’05

Celebrating the Work of Undiscovered Artisans

In August, Anthropologie added a new item to its Curated by

Anthropologie line, the Magda Made Cipriano Basket. Handwoven by a group of artisans in Guapi, Cauca, a small town along Colombia’s Pacific Coast, the baskets are as beautiful as they are functional. Even more intriguing is how they made their way from the hands of a small group of artisans in an indigenous community to the carefully curated website of a global consumer brand. Malachi Garff ’05 founded Magda Made in 2018 with her friend and business partner, Shannon Hill, with the goal of celebrating the work of undiscovered artisans, and having a socio-economic impact on their communities. They built the business from the ground up, and despite the challenge of the global pandemic, their network has expanded. It now includes 22 artisan communities whose handmade products are sold directly from the Magda Made website, magdamade.co, and in small shops from California and New Orleans to Italy and Japan. “Our network has grown significantly and it’s very exciting,” Garff said by phone from her home in Burlington, Vermont, this summer. Garff graduated from Tulane with a bachelor’s degree in international development and anthropology, and earned her master’s in international affairs, with a focus on governance and rights, from The New School in New York. She met Hill in New Malachi Garff ’05, right, with her business partner, Shannon Hill. Together they founded Magda Made, which sells products made by artisans in Colombia, including the resilient stoneware Pato Y Cruz canisters, above. Fall 2021

Orleans and they traveled together to Southeast Asia, India, Central America, and Mexico. They knew they wanted to work together on a socially-minded project that would allow them to integrate their passion for international travel. For Garff, it was about more than seeing new places. She wanted to learn about different cultures. What are their art forms? What are the things that they use in the kitchen? What are the tools they use? What are typical textiles you would see in a home? In 2018, Hill moved to Colombia with her partner. “She called me and said, ‘There is such an abundance of cultural artisans here,’” Garff recalled. “It’s not Mexico, Guatemala or even Morocco, where travel is synonymous with artisans. Colombia is a little different. It has a stigma of being a drug cartel-run country, not a popular travel destination. There was kind of a whole untapped network of incredibly talented artisan communities whose work has not been seen or valued and appreciated the way we thought it should be.” Garff took her first trip to Colombia in 2018 and she and Hill started Magda Made later that year with a handful of artisan partners. “My business involves traveling a lot, and cross-cultural communication,” said Garff, who is often asked how she finds new artisans. “You’ll occasionally see something in a shop or that a friend has, and they’ll tell us what town they got it in. A lot of the artisans are quite recognizable if you visit the town. The towns are so small. Connecting with locals is a way that we find the items we incorporate in our inventory. We have been to so many areas of

Chamba, a traditional black pottery made in central Colombia, is considered to be the oldest form of ceramics found in the Americas.

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

The Magda Made Cipriano Basket was added to the Curated by Anthropologie line in August.

Colombia that Colombians haven’t visited. We get told that all the time: ‘You’ve seen more of this country than we have.’ To travel and explore and find beautiful things — we want to get to know the artisans and spend lots of time in very remote areas of Colombia.” The pandemic hit Colombia later than the United States, and the impact was significant. “There was quite a serious wave of political protest that has disrupted the logistics landscape. Aside from the pandemic, that added another layer of obstacles,” Garff said, sharing what she tells their customers: “Many of our artisan partners are located very remotely. Some of them we can’t get to. Most of them don’t use email; some don’t have cell phone service. Some of this is par for the course in this field. If we have an order and there is a heavy rain and it prevents the fibers from being dried properly or on time, then the whole order gets delayed. We can’t control the weather in a remote region in Colombia and that’s how they make their bags.”

Specifically, Garff referred to the natural fibers such as fique, iraca palm, moriche (a sturdy, non-itchy palm fiber), paja tetera (wild vine) and chocolatillo, that artisans in Colombia weave into bags that are like individual pieces of art. As the website explains, “In recent years, artisans have formed the Asociación de Artesanos la Gloria de Dios — a predominately female weaving collective focused on basketry. Baskets are made from two types of naturally dyed palm fibers and larger baskets can take up to several weeks to complete.” “If it rains for three weeks straight, that affects production,” said Garff. “We have to be prepared to problem-solve. We always make sure to say the end result, the product that you’re selling, depends on a lot of factors: the weather, the political situation, the growing

Top: Baskets made from bejuco yaré, a resilient and natural vine fiber native to South America; Above, hand-pressed palm prints on paper made from fique (succulent fiber) plants.

We always make sure to say the end result, the product that you’re selling, depends on a lot of factors: the weather, the political situation, the growing season.” – Malachi Garff ’05

season. If a natural dye is made from a seed that grows in a special climate, and the crop doesn’t grow, we won’t have that color. It makes it really interesting and exciting and never a dull day. Aside from the pandemic there are a lot of factors that change day-by-day so we’re used to having to problem-solve pretty regularly.” Beyond this, Garff said the impetus for starting the business was always to have a socio-economic impact. “One of our original ideas was to open an ecohotel. Shannon is a yoga teacher. I have a background in human rights and development. We never went into business to make money. We are not fair trade certified for a number of reasons, however we work under the guidelines of a lot of the fair trade standards. We have thorough discussions with our partners about their time, labor, material costs, etc., and we make sure that they are pricing their products appropriately, and well within, if not above, a minimum wage equivalent. At the top of our priority list is making sure these artisans have economic opportunities.” For the past few years, Garff has tended her growing business carefully, and Magda Made is now ready to secure more investors and start scaling. “We feel confident in who we are as a brand and what we’re hoping to accomplish. We would love to be in bigger stores,” Garff said. As for that Cipriano Basket featured by Anthropologie? It’s part of Magda Made’s collection of “cuatro tetas” baskets, named for their feminine shape. The artisans who make them are part of the Canaán indigenous community, consisting of more than 30 families who were displaced by Colombia’s armed conflict 12 years ago. “This business doesn’t rely solely on us,” Garff said. “We prefer to act as a platform for our partners, and we never take credit for design or work. We are always transparent in who made the items, where they were made, and what from, so that customers can have as much information as possible about the items they are purchasing.”

Fall 2021

Alumni & Development

Meet the Team

The Alumni & Development Office has modestly restructured our staff, and welcomed a few new team members in recent months. We are pleased to introduce the team,

which now includes three alumni members, and encourage you to keep in touch with us — and each other. We look forward to seeing you at alumni events and back on campus, and we’re here if you need help connecting with fellow alumni.

HANNAH ALLEY-KELLER has recently joined the Alumni & Development team and manages day-to-day planning to secure funding for strategic priorities. She brings

STEVE BENDRICK is Associate Director of Database Operations. Steve joined the Alumni & Development Office in 2015 after working for a few summers in the

to the team more than a decade of experience in higher-education and independent school fundraising. As Director of Annual Giving for Marist College, Hannah oversaw a team responsible for alumni and parent giving. She has served as Associate Director of Alumni Giving at Kent School, Director of Alumni Relations at Trinity-Pawling School, and the Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Wofford College. Before relocating to the Northeast, Hannah was the Associate Director of Development for Hollins University, where she oversaw the significant growth of the Hollins Fund and worked as a Major Gifts Officer as part of the Alumnae Engagement Initiative.

Business Office and Admission Office while completing his college degree. In his current role, Steve maintains and develops policies for the database that the Alumni & Development Office relies on for its day-to-day operations.

JESS BAKER has been named Director of Engagement and Operations. She leads the team focused on alumni/ parent engagement and donor relations through events, targeted communications, and opportunities to connect with students and faculty on and off-campus. Jess continues to oversee the expansion and rollout of the restructured Alumni Association. Jess joined The Frederick Gunn School in 2015 as the Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications. She is a proud contributor to the Bulletin and is currently working toward her MBA at the University of Connecticut School of Business, with a focus on digital marketing strategy. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School, she was the Community Outreach Coordinator at Ability Beyond in Bethel, Connecticut, where she designed marketing and communications material in addition to internal and external communications. 60

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CHRISTIAN BIANCHI ’08 is Associate Director of Reunion Programs. Prior to joining the Alumni & Development Office, he was an account executive for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and an international sales executive for Lenco Armored Vehicles. He was also an income analyst for State Street Bank. In his current role, Christian helps every major reunion class have a successful reunion year. He enjoys speaking with as many alumni as possible, whether by phone, via email or in person. SEAN BROWN P’22 is Chief Development Officer and has led the Alumni & Development Office since his arrival at The Frederick Gunn School in 2014. In his 19th year as a development professional, Sean previously served as Director of The Lawrenceville School, Director of Principal Gifts at The Rutgers University Foundation, and Director of Alumni Affairs & Development at The University of Chicago — Booth School of Business.

BILL CURREN is Associate Director of the 1850 Fund. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School, Bill lived and worked in New York City as a producer and director for documentary and feature films, short films and TV commercials. He also served as Associate Director of Annual Giving/Athletics at Trinity College. In his current role, he manages philanthropic efforts with alumni stakeholders and volunteers for all classes prior to 1990 that are not in their reunion year. MARLON FISHER ’01 has joined the Alumni & Development team as Associate Director of the 1850 Fund. A combat veteran, Marlon served in the U.S. Army as an All-Source Intelligence Analyst from 2008-2016. He has spent the bulk of his career working with at-risk youth and families in various settings. In his current role, he works with young alumni classes from 1991 to 2021. ALLISON FODOR has joined the Alumni & Development team as Associate Director of Special Events. Alli brings more than 10 years of experience in sales and hotel operations to The Frederick Gunn School. She served in a variety of managerial roles at The Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts, in Washington, most recently as Catering Services Manager. In her current role, she works closely with colleagues within the alumni office, the Head of School’s office and various academic and administrative departments to plan events on and off campus.

Let us know if you have any questions

and tell us what you’re up to by visiting frederickgunn.org/alumni or emailing alumni@frederickgunn.org.

ASHLEY JUDSON ’16 joined the Alumni & Development office in August 2021 as Alumni & Development Assistant. In her current role, she assists with database operations, alumni mailings, and event preparation. Prior to returning to The Frederick Gunn School, she attended the University of Connecticut, where she earned her bachelor’s in psychological sciences. JAMES LEBLANC is Associate Director of Major Gifts. James has lived and worked in boarding schools for over 13 years. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School in 2020, he had served since 2008 as the Major Gifts Officer at Hebron Academy. During his tenure at Hebron, James also served as the school’s Assistant Director of Admission for Student-Athletes for six years. He taught French in both the middle and upper schools, and was Head Coach for varsity golf, varsity boys ice hockey, and varsity boys baseball. From 2006-2008, he served as Assistant Coach of the Men’s Ice Hockey Team at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. In his current role, James seeks to continue building relationships with alumni from coast to coast. HOPE THORN has been named Director of The 1850 Fund and Special Gifts. She leads the team that raises unrestricted gifts via the annual fund, which currently accounts for roughly 10% of the annual operating budget. Hope also continues to manage the Parents Fund and, additionally, carries a small portfolio of “up and coming” prospects, mainly younger alumni who represent the next generation of volunteer leaders, trustees, and benefactors. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School in 2016, she worked as an apprentice on two Connecticut farms and at Trinity College in Hartford, where she was a member of the alumni office’s annual giving team.

Fall 2021

HIGHLANDER JOURNEYS

Start-up Advisor, Mentor and Angel Investor In mid-August, we caught up with Simone Koo Ishikawa ’00 who, like many people, had time to reassess during the pandemic. In June 2020, she decided to leave her job as Director of Customer Success at NextGen credit platform OakNorth to go out on her own as a fintech advisor, angel investor and mentor to a handful of impact start-ups globally. At the same time, Koo Ishikawa has found time to nurture her long-held desire to teach. She has been tutoring MBA candidates in entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford. In April 2021, she was also named an Honorary Practice Fellow at the Imperial Business School’s Gandhi Centre for Inclusive Innovation. All of this follows her 15-year career in asset management and investment banking at powerhouses including JP Morgan Chase, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and KPMG. “What I’m doing now is so exhilarating,” Koo Ishikawa said, speaking via Zoom from her home in Buckinghamshire, England, where she lives with her husband, Tets, and their three children, Rio, 14, Benji, 12 and Gloria, 9. Her fast-paced career has taken her from the trading floor to small start-ups, and through the challenges of the financial crisis and the global pandemic. Yet Koo Ishikawa has remained true to herself and is embracing her entrepreneurial spirit. 62

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Simone Koo Ishikawa ’00 “I’ve always been the type of person who thrives in the portfolio career environment,” she said.

An Opera Quiz Kid Koo Ishikawa grew up in Korea, and attended an international school in Thailand before coming to what was then The Gunnery for two years. She lived in Brinsmade and Van Sinderen, and was named Top Scholar in her senior year. “I still have it on my CV, on the last line. I worked very hard at it.” In the Red and Gray, she wrote about several of her teachers, including Ray Reich, who taught physics and was her chess coach. “Do you remember the first time you showed me the satellites of Jupiter one Wednesday night after study hall? How cool it seemed to have a telescope set up in the middle of the quad.” She still keeps up with her interest in space and satellites by working with a ClimateTech company Sust Global. Her math teachers were Sue Werkhoven and Ed Small, the Anne S. and Ogden D. Miller Senior Master. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t use statistics. That’s something you should learn whether you go into finance or not,” she said.

Said Small: “She could have done anything she wanted. I’m excited that she wanted to use her math skills, but she could have done anything. She was that bright. She took the BC Calculus course then, and statistics for psychology students.” It was only the first or second year the statistics course was offered, and only four or five students enrolled. “She was certainly the leader of the pack.” As a group project, the class gathered the dimensions of all of the MLB baseball parks and calculated the ratio of fair ball to foul ball area, Small recalled. “More foul ball area meant there was more opportunity for fielders to catch a foul ball for an out. Very little foul ball area would give the batter more of a chance to get a hit. We contacted the general managers and head groundskeepers and the Elias Sporting Bureau and the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. She was the leader of that group. We were asking questions that other people hadn’t asked,” he said, referring to Koo Ishikawa by her nickname, “Smiley.” “She was always smiling. Everyone called her Smiley. It fit her well.” Taking AP history with Willie Smith, she recalled “was painful. I had a 3 [out of 5 on the AP exam] so for me it was like a fail. English isn’t my first language either. All of it was quite a challenge, but I think what that did teach me is, if there is a hard subject, don’t avoid it. You can do it. Now, I do a lot of writing. I do think that the history, being able to tell the background story — the context — is such an important skill.” She fondly remembers going to The PO, eating a lot of cup noodles in the dorm (no matter how good the food was in the dining hall) and walking from campus to Washington Food Market in Washington Depot. “It was a fun time in my life. I was very independent,” she said of her years at Gunn, recalling that she was also able to try new sports, including horseback riding (through the equestrian co-curricular led by Nancy Schenck, whose husband, Tom, was Director of Admissions at the time), tennis, and cross country, which stuck with her. She ran six half marathons in 2010 alone. “I really took up running into my adulthood and I have since run three marathons, after each of my kids were born,” said Koo Ishikawa, who also took the Arts Option co-curricular with thenhumanities teacher Tom Adolphson. “As part of that we used to get these Standing Room tickets at the back of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York to attend dress rehearsals of operas like ‘Rigoletto’ and ‘La Traviata.’ Ali Kagan ’00 and I were also part of the Opera Quiz kids. We came close to winning,” she said, referring to the 20-minute intermission feature that has been part of the Metropolitan Opera’s weekly radio broadcast since the 1940s. In fact, Kagan was featured in an article in The New York Times as one of three Opera Quiz semifinalists from

the New York region in 2000, along with Adolphson, whose dogs, the newspaper noted, were named Fasolt and Fafner “after the giants in Wagner’s ‘Ring.’’’ “These kids are closer to this art form than they realize,’’ Mr. Adolphson told the Times. “I always tell them that everything they see on the opera stage in the evening is played out in terms of drama at the student center every day.’’ Over the years, Koo Ishikawa has stayed in touch with classmates including Kagan and Sarah Kushwara ’00, and she had dinner with Tharin Laorauvirodge ’00 just before the pandemic hit, when he was in London. She’s going to be visiting in July 2022 as part of her oldest son’s college tour trip across the East Coast and would love to reconnect with her Gunn connections.

Growing up in a fast-paced environment From Gunn, Koo Ishikawa attended Smith College for one year, where she took classes in environmental engineering and water treatment, before transferring to Georgetown University. She graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree with honors in mathematics and economics in two years, supported by the AP courses she had completed earlier at Gunn and some summer courses at Columbia and the London School of Economics. She started her career as an analyst for residential and commercial mortgages at KPMG in McLean Virginia, and was very quickly headhunted to Goldman Sachs in New York City, where she worked as a junior trader from 2004-2006. “It was still a heyday for them,” she said, recalling that she worked alongside a lot of people who, like her, were math majors in college. In June 2006, she joined Morgan Stanley in London, starting out as a structurer in its Securitized Products Group and then moving in 2008 to its Institutional Equities Division for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. She was named Chief Operating Officer of the division, which at its peak, managed revenues of $10 billion. Then the mortgage crisis hit. “Six months in, Lehman Brothers went down. JP Morgan bought Bear Stearns and Morgan Stanley was on a lifeline. I picked up a lot of things that I wasn’t ready for. Crisis presents some opportunities that way.” In addition to managing the day-to-day running of the division, she worked with strategy consultants to see how the company could better position itself. After the birth of her third child, she decided to take some time off. “I took three years out, and I tried to get back in the industry from two years on. I think that, for me, was personally the most challenging,” she reflected. “When you grow up in a fast-paced environment like a trading floor, being a mom with children is a very different experience.” Fall 2021

HIGHLANDER JOURNEYS

She was offered an opportunity to teach, but around the same time, also heard about a return-to-work program at Credit Suisse for women who had taken time off to care for their children or other family members. She decided to join the cohort program and within three months was offered a job as Vice President of Coverage Management and Simone Koo Ishikawa ’00, second from left, on a horse named Minty, in the Equestrian Head of Strategy for the Investment Banking co-curricular program in 1999 Divisions at Credit Suisse in London. She stayed for a year before moving to JP Morgan Diversio (which provides Diversity & Equality ratings for banks, Chase in London, where a lot of her former colleagues at Morgan venture capitalists and their portfolio companies); Nosy (which Stanley had landed. She started as Vice President of Business produces “the only air filtration wearable that is fashionable and 10x Management, Equities and Fixed Income and then moved into being better than face masks”); and Sust Global (which is “transforming Head of ETF Sales Strategy within Asset Management. complex climate science into meaningful financial indicators”). “Check out my advisory companies,” her LinkedIn profile says, “they are changing the world!” In late 2019, Koo Ishikawa made the bold leap to OakNorth, as In addition to serving as an advisor, mentor, and angel investor, Director of Customer Success. The unicorn start-up was founded Koo Ishikawa is a lecturer and frequent speaker. As a guest lecturer by Rishi Khosla and Joel Perlman, who in 2015 launched a retailat Cambridge Judge Business School, she covered a variety of topics, friendly, next-generation credit platform that disrupted the financial including how big banks work with fintech, which is the integration services industry. “I learned a lot from the founders,” she said, of technology into financial services offerings. In May 2020, she describing them as “super scrappy” and “anti-corporate.” spoke about Ethics and Inclusion in Artificial Intelligence as part of “Start-ups have become a huge area because of the Silicon Valley the Social Impact Day sponsored by the Gandhi Centre for Inclusive success of companies like Uber and Airbnb Innovation. This past summer, she was a coming up and being disruptive,” and featured speaker at the 2021 CogX Festival I help them across product, OakNorth did the same thing for financial on Women in Fintech, and she discussed services, she said. However, her work at tech investments in and by women as part growth, sales strategy, that point required a lot of travel. And then of a panel organized by Hatch Enterprise. team, governance, and came COVID. In January 2021, she became a tutor in the fundraising.” “I was reassessing with COVID. Entrepreneurship Project at the University I recently sat down with one of the founders of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. – Simone Koo Ishikawa ’00 of OakNorth and I said, ‘I’m going to try “We have 40 students from January to something very different. I love the impact May in eight different teams who come up I have with the early stage companies I work with and would love with a business idea and do some research and prove their case. I’m to pursue this. Now I have a portfolio of four to five companies that here to guide them in the right direction and help them determine I’m an advisor for,” she said, explaining that she is also a mentor how this could work, what might be feasible. That’s been a fun at start-up accelerators and incubators, including the FinTech experience,” Koo Ishikawa said. “I wanted to teach and I’m kind of Innovation Lab London and Unreasonable Group. “Some of the doing it now. I probably spend 40 to 50 percent of my time working companies that I meet there ask me to be on their board and be with startups, 30 percent teaching and mentoring, and 20 percent their advisor. I help them across product, growth, sales strategy, with my family. I love this a lot more than when I had a full-time job team, governance, and fundraising.” and highly recommend it to the younger generation. You need to be According to LinkedIn, among the companies she advises are a lot more organized though.”

Advising Companies that are Changing the World

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

Osias Beert, Still Life with Various Vessels on a Table, about 1610; Oil on canvas, Susan and Matthew Weatherbie Collection. Photo: © MFA Boston

Peter Sutton ’68 Helps to Launch MFA’s New Center for Netherlandish Art As one of the preeminent curators and art historians in the country, Peter Sutton ’68 had a transformative effect on the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, increasing attendance and curating shows that raised the profiles of both institutions. Since retiring as Executive Director of the Bruce Museum in 2019, Sutton has continued to tend to his lifelong love of Dutch and Flemish masters, helping to launch the new Center for Netherlandish Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston this fall. Billed by the MFA as “an innovative research center for the study and appreciation of Dutch and Flemish art,” the new center will include a library, fellowship program, and offer academic and public programs. Its mission is to stimulate research, nurture future scholars and curators, and “expand public appreciation of Netherlandish art — especially works from the 17th century.” Speaking by phone from his home in Rye, New York, this summer, Sutton said his involvement with the new center stems from his relationship with founders Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo and Susan and Matthew Weatherbie. “I encouraged them 35 years ago, and they started an astonishing collection of 17th century Dutch and Flemish art,” he said.

In 2017, the two families made the decision to donate 118 paintings to the MFA. According to the MFA, their gifts represent the largest donation of European paintings in the museum’s nearly 150-year history, and nearly doubled its holding of Dutch and Flemish paintings. The collection will be featured in the MFA’s new Galleries of Dutch and Flemish Art, which were scheduled to open November 20. In an interview with WBUR Radio, Rose-Marie van Otterloo “remembered Sutton asking them why they were collecting horse carriages and British sporting paintings and watercolors. ‘He made us understand that since we both spoke the Dutch language, and our heritage was Dutch and Flemish, it would be natural to collect Old Masters.’” “He took the couple to auction houses and introduced them to dealers. ‘And then it didn’t take long to buy our first painting — a Jan van Goyen — which we still own today,’” van Otterloo told Boston’s NPR news station, noting that some of the paintings they donated to the MFA have also been shown at the Peabody Essex Museum and Yale University Art Gallery. In preparation for the opening, Sutton was cataloging paintings from the collection, including a painting By Peter Paul Rubens of the Coronation of the Virgin, which exists in multiple variations, Fall 2021

Peter Sutton ’68 and his brother, Sean Sutton ’72, competing in the Masters National Doubles Championship, which they won together six times. ranging from free oil sketches to finished altarpieces. “The variation of these designs reveals a great deal about the artist’s creative process,” Sutton said.

A David E. Finley Fellow Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sutton was one of four children. His brother Sean Sutton, Ph.D., ’72, who passed away in 2018, was an astrophysicist and accomplished oarsman. He rowed at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Vesper Boat Club of Philadelphia. He was a medalist in the Open USA National Heavyweight Division and together the two brothers won the Masters National Doubles Championship six times. Peter Sutton arrived at what was then The Gunnery as a sophomore, and was able to nurture his interest in art. “I spent a lot of time in the art studio and did a lot of painting. My senior year, I did an independent study that allowed me to paint and go to the Silvermine Art Center,” he said. “I showed a final exhibition at the end of the year.” He took art with Margaret Titus, chemistry with former Head of School Michael Eanes H’90 P’90 GP’20 ’23 ’25, and English with Mac Simms P’76 and Wally Rowe H’57 P’77 ’79. In his senior year, he was named a prefect and inducted into the Cum Laude Society. He was head of the Library Committee, a member of the Student Council, the Red and Gray, the Art Club and many other student clubs, rowed crew, and played varsity basketball and football. “Some of my best friends ever are from The Gunnery, including Ben Cook ’68. Ben and his wife, Leslie, come and visit us all the time. Kenneth Glantz ’68 is a distinguished author. He has written several novels, one of which is a kind of roman à clef of my life. He lives in Denmark, has a wonderful, wry sense of humor, and was the smartest guy in our class. [Trustee] Steve Baird ’68 was an amazing athlete. I never saw anybody who was so graceful and coordinated,” Sutton said. And Seth Whipper ’68, whom he remembered as a good athlete and football player, served for 22 years in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Sutton graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 1972 and earned his master’s degree three years later from Yale. He was awarded the David E. Finley Fellowship for the training of museum curators from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and was a research fellow at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. “I saw all the capitals and museums of Europe,” he said. When pressed to name a favorite, he said, “It might be the Wallace Collection in London. It was the inspiration for the Frick, and so it’s pretty amazing. It’s 66

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in Leicester Square in London and it has just unbelievable pictures. I love the Mauritshuis in the Hague,” he added, referring to a small museum that houses the Royal Cabinet of Paintings, mostly Dutch Golden Age paintings.

A great place to begin Sutton earned his Ph.D. from Yale in 1978. His first job was at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where he was Assistant Curator of European Paintings for three years, followed by two years as Associate Curator, working under legendary curator of European art Joseph J. Rishel. “I couldn’t get any work done because I wanted to eavesdrop on his conversations and laugh at his jokes,” Sutton said, recalling that Rishel’s wife, Anne d’Harnoncourt, who was Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, came up with a solution, moving Sutton into a closet behind the elevator. “I did get that catalogue done,” he joked. “It was a great place to begin.” From Philadelphia, Sutton moved to Boston, serving as the Mrs. Russell W. Baker Curator of European Paintings at the MFA for 10 years. In 1987, he curated the exhibit, “Masters of Seventeenth Century Dutch Landscape Painting,” which was exhibited over two years at the MFA, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and he authored the 563-page exhibition catalogue. During his tenure, Sutton was also consulted by the authorities who were investigating the theft of 13 paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The artwork was never recovered, despite a $10 million reward. Among his many accomplishments, “The Age of Rubens,” a blockbuster exhibition at the MFA in 1993 stands out. It was an enormous effort that included a general survey of Flemish art. “It’s not a Rubens show exactly, but it puts us in his world,” art critic

Paul Richards wrote in the Washington Post. “Vast religious battles rumble through the galleries. Monsters writhe, peasants burp, spies conspire with emperors — and while all this is going on Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) keeps looming ever larger. He rules this exhibition as he ruled his era. Never has a painter played a role so large in the turmoil of his time.” “Rubens often seems larger than life,” Sutton confirmed in his introduction to “Drawn by the Brush: Oil Sketches by Peter Paul Rubens,” another of his books, published in conjunction with the 2005 exhibit of the same title at the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Bruce Museum, and Berkeley Art Museum in California. “In addition to his artistic endeavors, he was an active player in the world of affairs and politics, serving as a diplomat, secret emissary, and intimate of kings and princes.”

Spending all of your life looking at pictures From Boston, Sutton served as the Senior Director of Old Master Paintings at Christie’s for two years. His experience there “sharpened my eye and connoisseurship,” which he defined as “a kind of distinction that comes from spending all of your life looking at pictures and assessing their condition and attribution.” Connoisseurship was among the many things that were lost during the global pandemic, because people could not go to museums and see art in person. “There’s no Zoom for connoisseurship,” Sutton said. “I’m on the vetting committee of the European Fine Art Fair, the largest art fair in the world, in Maastricht, Holland. We got together every year until March 2020. We would show up a week early and we would go through the galleries that had been installed by the dealers and decide if their attributions were right. You can’t do it remotely.” From 1996 to 2000, Sutton was the Director of Wadsworth Atheneum, the nation’s oldest public art museum, and succeeded in drawing tens of thousands of patrons with blockbuster shows, including “Caravaggio and His Italian Followers,” and “Pieter de Hooch: 1629-1684.” De Hooch was “the pioneer of the so-called Delft School, and one of the most innovative artists of Holland’s Golden Age,” according to the catalogue, which Sutton authored, along with his dissertation on the artist at Yale a decade earlier. From 2001 until his retirement, Sutton served as Executive Director of the Bruce Museum. “In nearly two decades of leadership, Peter transformed the Bruce, bringing international recognition to a formerly local institution,” Trustee Leah Rukeyser said in a tribute

published by the museum. “He quickly increased the endowment and engineered a solution to enable planning and funding exhibitions so creative that it astounded us. Peter had that unique touch and reputation that allowed him to borrow prized works of art from the world’s leading museums.” Under the leadership of Sutton and the Board of Trustees, the museum embarked on a $60 million capital and endowment campaign for the “New Bruce,” which has been hailed as his legacy. “This unprecedented initiative will double the size of the existing building, add state-of-the-art exhibition, education and community spaces and dramatically enhance the art and science collections,” the museum said. Sutton brought “Lady Writing a Letter with her Maidservant,” a loan from the National Gallery of Ireland, to the museum in 2004 for the exhibition, “Love Letters: Dutch Genre Paintings in the Age of Vermeer.” The painting was the first Vermeer ever to be shown in Connecticut. In 2006, he organized an exhibition at the Bruce Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam on “Jan van der Heyden (16371712),” who was considered “the preeminent painter of cityscapes in the Netherlands,” and was also an inventor and an engineer. Sutton also brought works by Rembrandt, Whistler, Dürer, Wyeth, Sisley, and many other well-known artists to the museum. Asked why he has been drawn so deeply to Dutch and Flemish masters, Sutton said, “We’re inspired by our teachers when we are young.” Although he initially planned to study Chinese art and history, he changed course after meeting Seymour Slive, Director of the Fogg Museum and a Harvard faculty member, who was an internationally renowned Rembrandt scholar and expert on 17thcentury Dutch art. “He was a very vivid man, very animated. He would fill a lecture hall.” His other mentor was his thesis advisor, Yale Professor Egbert Haverkamp Begemann, “a wonderful, patient teacher and unrepentant bibliophile,” whose library is now at the Center for Netherlandish Art. Currently, when he is not researching and cataloguing art, Sutton enjoys spending time with his wife, Mary Lynn “Bug” Sutton, their son, 33, and daughter, 37, and four granddaughters, who are all under the age of 8. He is also a member of the school’s Visual Arts Advisory Council and in that role, recently helped to secure three paintings by American Abstract Expressionist painter Cleve Gray. The paintings were displayed in the Perakos Family Cares Art Gallery of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center this fall.

Fall 2021

Gift Establishes The Thomas R. King ’60 Family Teaching Chair The Frederick Gunn School will have a new endowed faculty chair beginning in fall 2022, established through the leadership and generosity of Trustee Tom King ’60 and his wife, Kathy. The gift of $1 million to the School’s endowment was given to honor esteemed Frederick Gunn School educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math and entrepreneurship. The new Thomas R. King ’60 Family Teaching Chair will be bestowed on a rotating basis, once every three years, to an exemplary member of the School’s faculty, after which the title will be awarded to another recipient. Each will receive an immediate $10,000 stipend that the School will renew annually for as long as the honored faculty member remains employed by the School. The Head of School, or his designee, will announce the first recipient at Convocation in September 2022. When asked what led to this generous gift, Tom replied: “When I look back at

my years with the Class of ’60, at what was then called The Gunnery, and now 60+ years later assess the current Frederick Gunn School environment, what stands out as the most consistent and valuable asset we have is the excellent faculty. In order to attract and retain such highly qualified educators requires a sound and attractive compensation package.” Growing the endowment and providing additional revenue to support our faculty is our highest priority right now, and we are grateful to Tom for recognizing the importance of the teaching faculty, and for his leadership and generosity to the School,” said Sean Brown P’22, Chief Development Officer. Tom was appointed to the Board of Trustees in April 2020. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston University and earned his MBA from Boston College. Following service in the U.S. Air Force and New York Air National Guard, he

Tom ’60 and Kathy King worked at Lehman Brothers as a security analyst following the metal industries. Tom later joined Merrill Lynch, where he was a Vice President of Merrill Lynch Asset Management. In 1984, he joined the Trust and Estates Department of Chemical Bank as an Investment Manager. Following several mergers, the resulting organization became known as J.P. Morgan Chase, from which Tom retired in 2004 as Vice President of Investments in its Personal Asset Management Division. He and Kathy have two children and four grandchildren and reside in Stamford, Connecticut.

save the date for alumni weekend JUNE 10–12, 2022 Visit GoGunn.org/alumni-events

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

On Saturday, September 11, in the Tisch Family Auditorium of The Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center, Convocation marked the official start to the 2021-22 school year. It was the first time everyone was together in that space since March 2020, the first time the entire school met in person as The Frederick Gunn School, and it included the largest student body in our school’s history. Earlier that day, the whole community met in the Bourne Garden to honor all the lives lost 20 years earlier, on September 11, 2001. Since then, we’ve had several School Meetings, an all-school speaker — Marc Morial, former Mayor of New Orleans and current president of the National Urban League — and a visit from Zi Wang ’09, our first alumnus from mainland China in more than a century. These early gatherings resonate with me in how they represent our school community and our extended alumni family. Students meet in a fabulous new space, in a state-of-the-art facility, and look forward to the future. When they do, it’s to celebrate important traditions and honor and recognize the past, not only of our school but also our country and the world. As the saying goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Our school is thriving. While it may look different and have a new name, it’s all for the best. And it is still very much our school.

In December, barring changes in regulations, the annual holiday events will occur in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston on December 7, 8, and 9, respectively. We will celebrate the longanticipated opening of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center on campus on April 23, 2022. And finally, June 10-12, 2022, we will return to what we expect to be our first “normal” Alumni Weekend since 2019. If you haven’t been back to campus recently, please consider a visit. While the campus is not fully open to visitors right now, you can attend athletic contests or connect with someone in the Admissions or Alumni & Development offices for a tour. I hope to see many of you over the next several months. Come back. Stay connected. Warmly,

Laura Eanes Martin ’90 P’20 ’23 ’25 President, Alumni Association Executive Committee

Fall 2021

What have you been up to

since you last were in touch

with us? Drop us a line and tell us

your news! Submit class notes to clementj@frederickgunn.org or fill out the form at

GoGunn.org/classnotes. = Celebrated reunion in June 2021

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1955

as a Judge Trial Referee — Judicial Department — State of Connecticut in the Family Court Division.”

his children: “The School did a very generous interview of me in the Spring 2021 Bulletin (page 58), and I did not mention any of our three children! Jennifer graduated from U.C. Berkeley, and then, with her business executive husband, sailed down to South America, then across and around the Pacific for four years on their boat, and is now a San Francisco suburban mom of three. James rowed for and graduated from UCLA, is a veteran computer graphic artist in Hollywood, mountain climber and inveterate traveler; married to a USC professor and father of two teenagers. Jessica graduated from Northwestern after service as a teacher’s assistant in a village school in the Himalayan foothills of India, and is now married to an ER doctor in the Chicago area, and with him has three children and a soybean and corn farm nearby. (Sorry, kids, for not having mentioned you guys!)”

Jim Kenefick P’79 wrote: “I continue to work

1954

Malcolm Bird sent a real-time update Faith and Bob Hyde ’48

1948

Bob Hyde and his wife, Faith, celebrated their

50th wedding anniversary this year!

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Ogden D. Miller, Jr. P’84 was moving in

after U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan: “Through my ESL teaching, I’ve had a phone link to a woman in the throng outside the Kabul airfield. She is with her husband and two young sons. They spend the night on the floor of a crowded mosque where she, the men and children are each segregated. At first light, they check if any of them has been taken during the night by the Taliban. Back in the heat at the airport they hope, based solely on rumors, that rescue comes soon enough.”

David Bancroft shared an update about

August, “from Washington, D.C. to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to be closer to my family: daughter, Anne ’84 and her family, eldest grandson Tyler, 31, and his fiancée, granddaughter Shelby, and great grandchildren, Scarlett 5 and Connett 2. My email address and cell phone remain the same.”

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Bruce Bradshaw shared some exciting

news in June: “Oldest son, Tucker, and wife, Eugenia (five kids) had an exciting spring with #2 son becoming a doctor (physical therapist), #3 son about to get second tryout with the Canadian Football League (Wipeout), and #4 daughter graduated and landed a job with the New York Mets.” 70

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Ogden D. Miller, Jr.’s ’50 P’84 grandchildren (left to right): Harlan, Christopher and Berkeley Miller. “They are students at Ole Miss, Arkansas and Missouri. Their parents are my son, Christopher, who graduated from Tulane and is a real estate figure in Dallas, and his wife, Patti. Christopher was born in Saigon when I served there. The five beautiful Labradors are (left to right): Beau (who died last April), Kato, Hippie, Tucker-Monfils, and Emma.”

Peter Smith ’57 was happy to report that Oxford University Press has released his latest (and last) book, entitled “Talons of the Eagle: Latin America, the United States, and the World,” fifth edition (2021). “Written with university students in mind, but suitable to the FGS library (I think),” he said.

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Colin Colston shared a pandemic update

from across the pond: “The last 18 months have been difficult in England as lockdown has been long and tedious. We are lucky to have a garden and live within walking distance of Salisbury Cathedral. We got both our COVID-19 jabs in the cathedral with wonderful organ music playing as we did so. We got to Worcester Cathedral on Easter Day, and so could hear the sermon by the bishop, who is married to our daughter, H-J. We have just had five days in Cornwall with glorious weather and special walks along the coast and through historic gardens. Great to be able to go away for the first time in nearly two years. Warmest greetings to members of the Class of ’56.” Jerry LeVasseur is still competing and

setting records: “This year we started to get live road races back in Maine but there had not been a USATF National Masters track meet for a year and a half until July 22-25 in Ames, Iowa. It was well run and with the virus rules we felt safe. Since our club, New England 65 Plus Runners Club, had set national 80-84 club records in the indoor 4 X 400 and 4 X 800, we put together a team for the outdoor 4 X 400 and 4 X 800 in Ames, where we set new national records. We also placed first in the 4 X 100. I placed second in the triple jump and fifth in the steeplechase. It was a fun time.”

1957

Tom Braman, great-great grandson of

Frederick Gunn, shared some family history, inspired by the letter Mr. Gunn wrote to his father-in-law, Daniel Brinsmade, from Goldsboro, North Carolina, in 1843. Two of his sisters, Louisa Gunn Andrews and Sarah (Sally) Gunn Pike, had married and moved to Goldsboro, and Mr. Gunn went there to see and study slavery first-hand. “The Gunns in North and South Carolina, as far as I know, fought for the Confederacy during the war. (I have looked

at all of these bits and pieces of genealogy from the 1600s to present day. Surprisingly, Gunns were all over the place in Europe, too. More than a dozen were at Waterloo and the name would turn up from time to time at British military cemeteries from WWI and II. As I recall, the national service memorial at Edinburgh Castle lists more than 40 Gunns killed in the two wars — a hell of a price to pay for such a small clan.)” “I guess it’s a fact that it is difficult for the students to find heroes these days and maybe that’s the way it goes,” Braman continued. “I’m not so sure I was very concerned about idols when I was at The Gunnery. We always had ‘Ike’ to rely on. The election of 1960 was turning the page, so to speak. I met JFK in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, at a rally, shook his hand, was hooked, and headed for Washington ASAP. By the time I got there, however, he was gone and LBJ occupied the White House. I got to personally meet him in 1966 and answer some questions on Latin America. It was all very interesting for a very young CIA officer. (No Washington heroes, however, in the Vietnam situation.)” Braman worked under six subsequent presidents, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and met Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — twice. “The second meeting was when I was called down for an evening session at 10 Downing Street. I was notified at the last minute and had to drive across London to the PM’s residence. I pulled up to the entrance of

the street in my blue Honda Accord and asked the guard where I could park. He said, ‘Are you the Yank?’ He then pointed to a spot right in front of the residence. How I wish I had a picture of that old car in front of 10 Downing Street. I walked in to murmured greetings in the back of the room and then the PM looked up and said, ‘Is the American here?’ After my ‘Yes,’ she said ‘Let’s get on with it.’ The Iron Lady was indeed an Iron Lady.” Peter H. Smith has continued productive

work while in retirement (and without pay). His latest project is the fifth (and final) edition of his book “Talons of the Eagle,” an interpretive study of U.S. relations with Latin America from the beginnings to the present (Oxford University Press, 2021). It exposes American history as a complex tale combining big-power domination with ideological invocations of justice and democracy. On a personal level, Peter reports that his children and grandchildren are happy and well. Son Jonathan is a banker in San Francisco, Peter Jr. is a lawyer in Denver, daughter Sasha is studying to become a physician’s assistant and Amanda is about to begin a graduate program in management. “They fill my breast with heartfelt pride,” said the doting dad. “They all work to make the world a better place.”

1958

From Thomas Archbald we heard: “I’m well, working as a marriage and family therapist in my garden office behind the garage. I’ve been married to Manuel Márquez for 25 years, more or less. A shout-out to John Schwabacher and Russell Chubb, who I gather are still around. Hope they are both doing well.” George Moseley has been busy. “I have

not submitted alumni notes for several years,

Fall 2021

CLASS NOTES

1959

Steve Bent shared an update: “Now that I am

a Florida resident I see Bill Plotkin a couple of times a winter. Bill is still certified as a PGA pro, is affiliated with a club in Stuart, Florida, and claims he can still shoot his age. In June, I flew out to Wyoming to spend some time fishing with Mike Renkert. The fishing was great and it was nice to be in the open spaces after months of lockdown.”

1960

Jeff Farrington shared this update: “This Steve Bent ’59 and Mike Renkert ’59 during a streamside break in the action

so I have some catching up to do. I live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, so that I can be near the Harvard School of Public Health, where I have taught for most of my career. For the last 10 years I also have been a Visiting Professor in Healthcare Management at Strathmore Business School in Nairobi, Kenya. More recently, I have given presentations on health care reform in Argentina and Gaza City, Palestine. I have written several textbooks on health care

strategic planning and legal compliance. Three years ago, with some colleagues at MIT and Harvard, I began forming a new venture that will apply AI technologies to the automation of the strategic planning function performed by most corporations in the world: https:// ai-driven-strategy.com/. For the last decade or so, I have paddled with the Harvard University dragon boat racing team.”

Jeff Farrington ’60 (right) and campers at the end of summer camp

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summer I recently traveled to Fort Bragg, California, to chaperone a summer camp for inner-city children from the Tenderloin of San Francisco. This is a very special time for these children, who rarely have the opportunity to travel from their homes in one of the most diverse and poorest areas of San Francisco. Homelessness, drugs, and poverty are rampant in the area. The summer camp provides the children with a safe place to play and to grow spiritually and socially. I am truly blessed to be associated with these youths and this ministry.”

1964

Bob Brush and his wife, Karen, got together

with Scott McCampbell and his wife, Nina, this summer at the McCampbell’s “camp” on Virginia Lake in Maine. “It was a time to reminisce about our years at the School and enjoy the solitude of the lake.”

Bob Brush ’64 and Karen Brush, and Scott McCampbell ’64 and Nina McCampbell in Maine

Andrew Littauer is enjoying life in Sarasota,

“where among other things, I am completing the book I have been writing for years. (Yes, I procrastinate still.) Over oysters at lunch, I shared a catch-up afternoon with now fellow Sarasota 1960 classmate, Reginald Fawcett. Reflecting on life post-graduation, I see that I didn’t really appreciate its many chapters as I was living them, though I am happy to reflect back over 60 years now.”

1962

Sandy Van Sinderen finally retired from

Montgomery Community College in Troy, North Carolina, at the end of 2019. “I was an instructor of English writing and literature, plus public speaking, since 1995. I am truly hopeful to be back to Gunn School for my 60th anniversary! (2022)”

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1963

years, I have been a team leader supporting the charity, LOVE 146, an anti-child trafficking organization whose motto is ‘End child trafficking and exploitation — now!’ As a fundraising idea I said, ‘Let’s have a tag sale on our church lawn.’ The $3,200 surprise intake went to LOVE146.com the next day via Vimeo. Love146.com — a very solid and deserving organization — just like The Frederick Gunn School!”

“Drove in June to San Diego to see son, Paul, finish as a United States Marine. Myself, I only made USAR in the ’60s, ducking my opportunity to step up to the plate. God bless.”

Tim Gaillard sent this note: “For about 10

Marcy L. Sperry wrote in August: “Certainly

sorry to have missed our class reunion, but I had a good excuse. One granddaughter had her high school graduation in New Hampshire on the Friday before our reunion, and the other granddaughter graduated from college on that Sunday in New York State. On Saturday, we drove from New Hampshire to New York. Hope all my fellow classmates had a fun time.”

Bill Ambler was in California this summer.

Bill Snydacker said: “After 41 years of living

on the banks of the Mississippi in Iowa, my wife, Melissa, and I transplanted ourselves to the shores of Rantowles Creek just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. To our astonishment, we discovered we live around the corner from Gunn alum Tim Caroe ’77 P’10 ’10, and his wife, Kay P’10 ’10.” Raymond White sent an August update:

“Both of our daughters, having reached their 30s, now prefer to concede to human biology. One has already made us grandparents, on July 20, 2021: a boy.”

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James Freedman wrote in late August:

“Kate, my partner and wife of 44 years, and I live in Asheville, North Carolina. I still have my construction consulting business in Southwest Florida with no plans on retiring anytime soon. I have worked remotely before it was ever popular. Wishing all my classmates good health.” Stephen Knight is still living in central

Maine, “gardening, teaching some college classes, and working with immigrants. The virus has, of course, changed a lot as with everyone else … no more travel or visiting family in California. Oh well, I am still alive and healthy!” Mike Sicher was reminiscing: “George

Sheets and I used to exchange 007-inspired

notes. For example, I might have sent him something like: ‘This note has been saturated with a deadly contact poison. Nice knowing you.’ His response might have been, ‘I keep a supply of a universal antidote so I was unaffected and was able to place a toxic gas in the ventilation system.’ Inappropriate? Not by the paradigms of the early sixties and our teen years. What a wonderful, easy camaraderie we shared, replete with kidding, caring, sharing, and the joys and pains of growing up. The nurturing environment of The Gunnery provided the kindling. We brought the spark. Miss you all.”

Fall 2021

CLASS NOTES

1966

Rick Lazar reflected: “We’ve evolved? From

the sea to the land: in mid-August Deb and I moved off Kalliope, left the South Florida Caloosahatchee River ranch country, packed up the RAV4 and two pods, and headed back north to metro New York City. Will end remote-only work and go hybrid: part time at my Westbury office/part time remote via Teams. Allyson is still busy managing/enjoying Boston; Hillary is teaching/finishing Ph.D. at University of Pittsburgh (with son Benji, partner Brandon for company/support). Deb is handling the logistics of our transformation (trading ’gators for squirrels) while I continue to enjoy the heavy construction game. Had the pleasure of intermittently learning how to help out the reunion effort. Hopefully, I will attend next year — proximity helps. Best to ’66 and those keeping the Gunn School functioning and contributing to our society.”

Rick Lazar ’66 left Caloosahatchee River ranch country for metro New York.

as well as teaching and writing about fine furniture. My kids are now over 50 — how does this happen? Their kids range from 15 to 28. Three are out of college and working, one grandson departed for a year of study abroad

Bill Post was hoping to hear from more of

his classmates this summer. “But no luck, so this is all you get this time. Winnie Dwyer WR’67 and I are still ‘going steady’ and sharing the same address for 54 years … (Thanks, in part, to her sense of humor.) We are currently in the Netherlands aboard our 1932 barge. We managed to dodge the spring floods on the Rhine and hope to spend the winter in Amsterdam. We have both renewed our EU pilot’s licenses and I have been studying diesel mechanics and learning Dutch. We are healthy and trying to stay that way. Wishing all you Gunn ’66 guys would communicate better!!!”

1967

From Bruce Adams we heard: “After 34 years teaching and 10 years running a town, I am finally retired. Loved both jobs but am so glad I’m not doing either during COVID. Last year I sold my large house in Kent, Connecticut, and downsized to a much smaller house (so small I had to put on an addition) in Washington, 74

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

Bill Post ’66 and Winnie Dwyer WR’67 aboard their barge in the Netherlands. He said, “FYI, I am the one with short hair.”

where I grew up and attended The Gunnery as a day hop. Great memories every time I pass the former Gunnery baseball field. The campus looks great.” Andrew Glantz said: “I’m sure that my past

year and current life is similar to most of my classmates’ experiences. My wife, Roberta Adams, M.D., and I still live in the Phoenix area. She is a Mayo Clinic physician and is the Chief of The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. We celebrated our 35th anniversary this August. I am still making furniture and furnishings,

Snorkelers Andrew Glantz ’67 and his wife, Dr. Roberta Adams

in Seoul, Korea, last month, and the other two are in high school. Our normal travel plans have been on hold. We are scheduled to return to Indonesia in June of 2023 to snorkel in Cenderawasih, our third trip to the islands, and we are hoping to get back to Europe when we can travel safely again. I’d love to hear from classmates and our home is always open for visitors — as long as you have been vaccinated! Write to me at andy@zenith-design or call 480.432.0043.” Bill Oman and his husband, Larry Crummer,

circumnavigated Iceland in July. The two of them have already booked four more cruises, including another World Cruise. They were leaving on a 23-day land and river cruise from Prague and ending in Amsterdam September 5. They write: “The pandemic is a reminder to all of us how unpredictable life is and there is still much more we want to see and do before our ‘sell by’ date comes up.”

1968

David Coburn said: “I had the privilege of

visiting School this past July and got a hosted tour of the whole campus, including the new Thomas S. Perakos Arts & Community Center (TPACC). My reaction? Wow! The annual Litchfield Jazz Camp was using the center while I was there, making the experience of touring it all the more realistic, with rehearsals going on in the auditorium, students practicing their instruments in the practice rooms and even impromptu singing groups rehearsing in the stairwell. This facility is absolutely spectacular. No corners cut, TPACC seems to have been equipped with quality everything. I urge my classmates and fellow alumni to not miss any opportunity to see this magnificent new building (perhaps at the dedication). Also, I was most impressed during my walk-around (thank you host, James LeBlanc), in how beautiful the whole campus seemed. Cheers and thanks to Peter Becker and his team for preserving the magic and beauty of our School.”

Bill Oman ’67 (right) and his husband Larry, got close to a glacier on a Zodiac Boat Tour in Iceland this July.

1969

Steve Browne welcomed two grandchildren

in 2020. “Couldn’t get to one as Clara was born in locked-down New Zealand. Traveled to Kauai in June with Michele — our 42nd anniversary. Good times. Still working on motion picture marketing commercials (Marvel,

Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, UA). Trying to get to Australia in spring next year. Two out of three children are now here in Southern California, so we see them and their spouses often. Oldest still resides in Wellington, New Zealand. Went to one Dodgers Game, but Delta variant scared us back into the house. Hope everyone is staying safe.”

David Coburn ’68 touring campus in July

Fall 2021

CLASS NOTES

1970

Roger Netzer ’71 shared a fascinating note

about his pal, John Burstein. “He has had an inspiring and consequential career working with the contemporary Maya in Chiapas, Mexico, as a human rights activist, anthropologist, scholar, semiotician, writer and gallerist. John was a Gunnery star: first in his class, Harvard Prize, president of the Gunn Association, editor of the yearbook, etc. He went from The Gunnery to Harvard. At Harvard, he participated in the Anthropology Department’s Chiapas Project, a program that situated Harvard folk in Mexico to practice anthropology during the summer. Harvard’s Chiapas Project operated in San Cristobal de las Casas, an old colonial town in Chiapas. San Cristobal is ringed by hills, where the Maya still live and farm and maintain their traditional culture. John mastered the Mayan Tzotzil language, became a beloved part of the Maya community, and has lived in San Cristobal off and on ever since. He completed an honors thesis at Harvard on the ancient Mayan sacred foundational text, the Popol Vuh. After Harvard, he got his master’s from Columbia in international relations. After that he worked

in Washington, D.C., holding prominent positions for organizations focused on Mexico, including The Inter-American Foundation, Washington Office on Latin America, and Save the Children. Twenty-eight years ago, John married a Mexican citizen, became one himself (he remains a U.S. citizen, too), and moved to Chiapas for good. His wife is Marieclaire Acosta, a distinguished human rights activist and scholar, who served as Ambassador for Human Rights in the government of Mexico President Vicente Fox.” Burstein has also founded multiple NGOs dedicated to securing the human rights and culture of the Maya, including Galeria MUY, a prize-winning art gallery dedicated to indigenous artist; the Chiapas Writers Cooperative; Foro para el Desarrollo Sustentable; and Voces Mesoamericanas, which works with Chiapanec migrants who have returned from the United States, Netzer said. Bill Rose and his sports agency are now

advising LHP Michael Esposito ’18. “Michael will be pitching at South Carolina this year and is expected to go high in the draft.” Bill and his firm currently represent nine major league players as well as some of the most highly touted prospects in the game.

Stu Levitan ’71 was training for a halfmarathon in November.

1971

Rick Dickson shared this note: “Being a

member of the 50th Reunion Committee (Charlie Baum, David Neale and Stu Levitan), it was fun to reconnect with Ed Garin, Chuck Poindexter, Clifton

Graves, Charlie Mead and Tom Porcher

during our Zoom mini-reunions this spring. I was honored to be present when Cliff received his Arts and Letters Hall of Fame induction in June. I was saddened to hear of Ron Whittle’s P’80 ’82 passing in August after battling Parkinson’s (see page 86). He was a positive force in my life when, as a junior at Sarah Lawrence College, I interned under his steady hand teaching American and Chinese history at FGS.” Stu Levitan sent us an update: “I was pleased

John Burstein ’70 at his home in San Cristobal de las Casas

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

to receive two first place recognitions for ‘Best Writing For Audio’ in three years in the statewide journalism competition run by the Milwaukee Press Club for my weekly feature on WORT 89.9 FM, ‘Madison in the Sixties,’ adapted from my book of the same name (Wisconsin Historical Society Press 2016). I also do a weekly author interview program on WORT, ‘Madison BookBeat,’ but will be on hiatus next year to finish my third book, ‘Madison: The Illustrated Sesquicentennial History, Vol. 2, 1932-2006’ (Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 2023). I’ve stepped down as chair of the Madison Landmarks Commission, but still serve as VP of the board of listener-sponsored

community radio WORT and on the board of the Madison Development Corporation, and on the Student Council of the University of Wisconsin student government (as a Senior Guest Auditor special student). My recovery from a mild heart attack last summer is going well enough that I’m in training for a halfmarathon in November.” Last spring, Roger Netzer shared with the Alumni & Development Office a photo of Hamilton Gibson, Class of 1902 and third Headmaster of what was then The Gunnery, in retirement “making a kite for local boy, Dimitri Rimsky, and teaching him to fly it, circa 1956. Incidentally, Dimitri, who posted this, is still a local boy and a remarkable historical resource. He knows it all, including the undocumented parts. He was a friend of Edward Fuller Barnes ’35, for example, The Gunnery boy killed in a local traffic accident, whom the Edward Fuller Barnes Memorial Award commemorates.” Netzer also shared another school-related Facebook find. “It is a short documentary about the catastrophic 1955 flood that devastated Washington Depot and many other parts of Connecticut, including Naugatuck and all communities through which the Naugatuck River flowed,” he wrote. “The video features

Edward Fuller Barnes ’35, who died in the summer of 1933, just before what would have been his junior year at what was then The Gunnery

Headmaster Hamilton Gibson (Class of 1902) making a kite for young Dimitri Rimsky of Washington, who gave permission for us to reprint the photos here

then-Headmaster Ogden D. Miller H’69 P’50 ’54 ’55 GP’84, starting at the fourminute point. Oggie, an extremely nice man, was still Headmaster when I got to The Gunnery in 1967.” Netzer continued: “Gunnery (as the locals called it, omitting the definite article) played a key role during Washington’s recovery in the flood’s immediate aftermath. Because so many were without uncontaminated water, Gunnery opened the Memorial showers to townspeople. I was one of them. I was only two, but what I saw and experienced was so novel and exciting I remember it to this day.” “The reporter in the video,” Netzer noted, “is local celebrity John K. M. McCaffery, then the anchor of the ‘11th Hour News’ on WNBC in New York. McCaffery lived for decades just beyond The Gunnery wall at Kirby Corners, the pillared house built by Ehrick Rossiter

(Class of 1870) for U.S. Senator Orville H. Platt (Class of 1847), author of the Platt Amendment. Kirby Corners is the intersection of Kirby Road and Ferry Bridge Road, I think. I knew John McCaffery very well because I was close friends with his four sons.” Watch the video on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=l5Ty5NNt8vc

1973

David Albala, M.D., was featured on

Spectrum News 1 in Syracuse after being ranked among the top 2% of scientists in the world by a Stanford University Study. “Not only is Dr. David Albala, who is a urological surgeon at Associated Medical Professionals in Syracuse a ‘top doc,’ but he also writes, teaches medicine and once worked for the White House,” reporter Lacey Leonardi wrote. In the

Watch the interview with top-ranked surgeon David M. Albala ’73 at https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2021/06/03/ central-new-york-surgeon-ranked-globally#

Fall 2021

Used with permission, Archives of the Episcopal Church

CLASS NOTES

Wykeham Rise was featured on the cover of this Episcopal newspaper in 1927.

interview, Albala talked about developing a laparoscopic surgical technique that is now the standard of care, building the robotic surgery program at Duke, and working with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Frederico Pena at the White House in the 1990s to reduce the risk of accidental deaths among children due to airbag deployment. “Albala has written more than 218 medical articles and six medical textbooks. He says despite being ranked top in the world, the books and the White House fellowships, the appreciation and lives of patients are what matters most,” Leonardi said. Scott Fursmidt has been making the rounds.

“Visited with Jorge Albala ’74, and spoke to Winthrop Carty. Sad to hear about my friend, Stephen Sachs ’74 (who passed away in October 2016). Would love to hear from Duke Webb ’74; tried to contact him, no luck. I just returned from Cape Cod, visiting with my sisters and family. My youngest son is on his second year of med school. My wife and I are fine, enjoying another Michigan summer.”

started to work on condensing some of the articles Cheryl Kinney WR’84 has been collecting,” Marshall posted, explaining that in doing some research, he came across “The Witness,” a National Paper of the Episcopal Church, published in Chicago. The issue dated August 4, 1927 included a cover story on the 25th anniversary of the founding of Wykeham Rise, “Famous School for Girls.” As author Fanny E. Davies recounted, “The School under its present name began in October, 1902, in a house on Washington Green, and in addition to the boarding department took over a small private day school for younger children.” “In less than five years the School had outgrown the available accommodation and for a time it seemed as though it might be necessary to leave Washington and settle in some place which would afford sufficient space. While various plans were under consideration a public-spirited resident came forward and offered to put up a suitable. building and rent it to the School in order ‘to keep Wykeham Rise for Washington.’ His offer was gratefully accepted, and in 1907 the new building was ready for occupation. The large white Colonial building standing on the hillside with beautiful old maples and ash trees around it became a well known landmark on the Litchfield Road. The new building was at once filled to capacity and with the larger numbers the school soon made its mark in scholarship and sports, holding its own even through the difficult years of the war,” Davies wrote.

1975

Craig Cooper loves living in Sarasota:

“Wonderful culture, great restaurants and spectacular beaches. Met up with Barry Lerman. Had not seen him in 45 years!”

1976

Breck Perkins P’22 is shifting gears. “After

20 years of working in Manhattan, I am now working on the Los Angeles County Art Museum for Directional Logic, based in San Francisco, from my desk in Stonington, Connecticut. This welcome change has removed hours of commuting and days away from home. Miles Draycott and I are working on Resilient Energy Partners, financing sustainability in the new green markets of real estate in New York and New England. Natalie ’22 is at the Frederick Gunn School, and Jack is at Stonington High School. We are looking at colleges near and far. Jack had an excellent adventure on a NOLS trip to Wyoming, hiking and rock climbing for three weeks this summer. Jack steered the Stonington High School crew team’s first boat to an undefeated season as a coxswain. We are looking forward to a school year not so adversely affected by COVID this year.” In July, Chris Healy and Allen Steiger made a golf bet: “First one to lose their school golf ball has to make a donation to the school. It didn’t take long, as the second hole did Chris in,” Steiger said.

Susan Eanes H’91 P’90 GP’20 ’23 ’25

noticed that Larry Marshall shared something interesting with the Wykeham Rise Alumnae Facebook group this summer. “I’ve 78

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

Allen Steiger ’76 and Chris Healy ’76 on the golf course

1978

for America in Hawaii for two years, loving it all. The whole family celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in Hawaii in June for two phenomenal weeks; it was an amazing trip we will all long remember. I also attended a conference in Milwaukee right in time for Game 6 of the NBA finals! So exciting to see the Bucks win and be there for the festivities. I still keep in touch with Melanie Klein-

Scott Milas sent this update: “As summer

winds down we have enjoyed our summer vacation in Cape Cod with family and friends. We welcomed a new grandchild, Tatum, two more by the end of September, all adding up to six!! The summer also included lots of golf and tennis. My career transition consulting continues to grow. Visit my website: scottmilasfranchisecoach.com.”

Robbenhaar P’15, Poppy Baldwin

1980

Scott Milas ’78 with his wife, Ewa O’Malley, on Cape Cod this summer

“I made it through the pandemic unscathed and can’t wait to get back to some sense of normalcy. Still loving life in Annapolis, Maryland, and occasionally run across fellow alumni Jeremy Parks ’90. Poppy Baldwin sent me her yearbook for me to copy, as I lost mine in a flooded-out storage locker. My three kids are grown and flown and all doing wonderfully: Oldest doing cyber for the University of Maryland system; middle has the worst job ever as an investigator for Child Protective Services for North Carolina; and youngest just moved up to Manhattan to live in a closet and work in a fantastic PR/ Communications firm. I have found a fantastic partner in crime and am having the time of my life here in Maryland!”

Jennifer L. Zito reflected on the class missing

John Frenaye sent an update in August:

its 40th reunion last year due to COVID! “Hard to believe it’s been that long! I’m still practicing law in Connecticut, doing primarily criminal defense and university misconduct/ Title IX defense for college kids all across the country. COVID gave rise to unprecedented academic misconduct cases due to online learning. My twins are now 21 and studying at Boston University and George Washington; one is an artist/filmmaker and the other intends to attend law school. My oldest is with Teach

Andrew Gazitua shared: “I just read about

the passing of Ron Whittle P’80 ’82. I wish to send my condolences to Jonathan, my fellow classmate, and Sarah ’82. Although I spend most of my time living in Europe, I have a house in Belfast, Maine, where Ron lived for many years and I often saw him in the past. He was my history teacher during my Gunnery days and he introduced me to many aspects of American history, which, coming from living in Latin America, became a cornerstone of my own understanding of my country’s roots. I was awarded the History Prize in my senior year and Ron was someone who certainly influenced my interest and knowledge. Good memories.”

Jennifer L. Zito ’80 was in Milwaukee for Game 6 of the NBA Finals

and John Robards, and Andrea Terni Bullard. Facebook is a great tool to keep up-to-date on each other’s lives, connecting me to so many other Gunnery alumni. I love seeing Susan Eanes’ H’91 P’90 GP’20 ’23 ’25 grandchildren, and Penny White’s ’82 posts, Sarah Scheel Cook’s ’82,

Ludo Chapman’s ’79, Tom Meek’s ’81,

Melissa (Varley) O’Neil’s … It’s heartening

to know you’re well or to be able to share your sorrows. I look forward to seeing you all once again on campus or on Facebook. Until then, I wish you all peace in your lives.”

1981

Julia Babson Alling P’19 sent this update in

early August: “The Alling Graneys have enjoyed two COVID summers with all of our children at home. William ’19 is headed to Prague for a semester abroad from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. A caddy during the summers, he is taking extra ‘loops’ to prepare his wallet for the semester in Czechoslovakia. Josephine is a sophomore in environmental engineering at UVM and spent her second summer at home working in a bakery from 4‒10 a.m. and then waitressing in Woods Hole in the afternoons. Wells is a rising 8th grader at St. Thomas Choir School in New York City. He is beginning to think about high school and considering all the possibilities. Paul and I continue to enjoy living on Cape Cod. Paul’s work as an energy consultant was non-stop through the pandemic months. I switched jobs right before the pandemic and I am working for The Episcopal Church in the Office of Development, running the national Annual Appeal. It was a good and

Fall 2021

CLASS NOTES

1984

Arnd Wehner wrote: “After moving from

Phil Dutton ’81 P’23 on the slopes with his daughter, Juliette ’23

timely switch for multiple reasons. This past winter I had a blast co-chairing the Class of 1981’s reunion committee with Tom Meek. We were joined on our Zoom calls by Al Lussier P’10 ’13, Martin Johnson, David Kaplan

P’13 ’15 ’20, and Dave Means. Though light

on planning, the calls were amusing for the roles that everyone easily dropped back into after 30 years. Should you be coming Cape-side, let me know; would love to meet up!” In April, Phil Dutton P’23 completed the training requirements to become a National Ski Patrol member. He is looking forward to providing service and safety on the slopes this winter!

Athens, Greece, to Salzburg, Austria, in early 2019, my current BMW Group assignment made me move to Warsaw, Poland, in January 2021. Due to winter, coronavirus and language barriers, the first three months were quite tough, but now I am enjoying summer life in Warsaw and at the Polish coastline (family vacation).”

1985

Suzi (Black) Beck said in August: “I recently

completed my recreational scuba diving certification and am ready to track down Jeff Donnelly in St. John. First real dive will be Cozumel in December.”

1986

Sarah Berkey Fahey says her “globe-

trotting lifestyle continues … We are still in Hong Kong at the U.S. Consulate, where we have been posted for two years. It has been a fascinating, if not challenging, assignment as

the political dynamics continue to change. We will be empty nesters for our next assignment, so we will see where we end up. It has been a great run thus far as we have bounced between Asia and Europe for the last 20 years. COVID has scuttled our travel plans for the time being but we hope to get back home for a visit soon.” Russ Osterman sent greetings from Folsom,

California! “Out of our five kids, we’re down to one left in the nest. She goes off to college in two years. My oldest lives in Marin County and works at Restoration Hardware corporate; we have one at Cal Poly, one at University of California, Santa Cruz, and one at University of San Francisco. Our lives are slowly returning to a new normal after the last year and we recently road tripped to the Four Corners area and to Las Vegas. Work-wise, I rejoined Accenture in June as Managing Director in their Salesforce Business Group. My wife, Christine, is a retired public high school English teacher who now teaches creative writing workshops.”

1987

Tiffany (Kurtz) Hillkurtz wrote: “Hello

All! Bonjour from Paris! I have been living in

1982

Chip Allard sent a note in June: “I am alive

and living in Hong Kong. If anyone from Class of ’82 wants to contact me, please do: Cjajr@yahoo.com.” Doug Francis said, “We finally took a

vacation in July at the beach in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Personally, I really needed to relax on the beach and learn how to laugh again. One night, we had a really fun sunset dinner with Charley Kellogg ’84 P’25 in swanky Watch Hill. He’s doing great and is into surfing year round! I’m super excited to see everyone at our 40th Reunion in the spring. Email me and let me know where to mail a new ‘82’ button to you!” His email is doug@DougFrancis.com.

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

Doug Francis ’82 and Charley Kellogg ’84 P’25 caught up in Watch Hill this summer.

Tiffany (Kurtz) Hillkurtz ’87 and her husband, Alex, in Italy

a nice and needed change and it truly aligns with my purpose. Kismet Life Coaching has their clients look at their life through different lenses, question their own self truths, promote further self-discovery, and have them make goals to become accountable to become the most successful, healthiest, happiest versions of themselves.”

Steve Lindquist shared an update: “I worked

in the corporate world for about 10 years in Columbus, Ohio, and then moved back to the East Coast and made the switch to working in boarding school for almost 15. Living in Maine with my wife and two children and enjoying the simpler life now.” Van Wilshire and Rachel Wynne

Emily Greenberg ’89 is embarking on several entrepreneurial ventures.

Paris, France for the last eight years, with my husband, Alex, and our two darling cats, and we are all loving it. Continuing my work in the film industry (34 years now), I am currently working as a film editor on Animated Feature Films. While still keeping his toe in the film business as well, Alex has been focusing on his fine art as a watercolor painter in Paris. :-) I worked from home for 15 months during the severe pandemic lockdowns, and actually liked it a lot. We are fortunate to have space, and wonderful views; we’ve had fun cooking more, and the cats thoroughly enjoy the humans being at home. Now slowly transitioning back to the office, I am enjoying seeing my much-missed co-workers in person. We just got back from a 12-day trip to Tuscany, Italy, where Alex was teaching a painting workshop, and we stayed at a villa with a gourmet chef. Dreamy! No plans on moving away from Paris any time soon, so, if you come to this part of the world, please look us up! I’ve been back every five years for Gunnery reunions, so hoping to see everyone there next year for our 35th!”

1989

In late May, Emily Greenberg wrote: “Hello from Maine! Relocated to Midcoast Maine in January 2021. Revived and inspired to live in an extraordinary place with equally extraordinary folks. Will be embarking on several entrepreneurial ventures including producing/hosting a podcast, curating and selling children’s books in a unique format and writing poetry. Informing it all is the beauty of the natural world that pulses through every ounce of being in this most unique state. Being here has reignited deep feelings of endearment for the four years spent at The Frederick Gunn School (when we called it The Gunnery). Many meaningful memories and an overall sense of place flow regularly through my soul. Deep gratitude. Hugs to all!”

Wilshire ’88 live in Mill Valley, California,

with their two daughters, Ella,17, and Ava,13. They spend their summers at their house on the Cape in Truro, Massachusetts. “Starting the high school and college process this year keeping us busy…”

1997

Travis Otto is working in Lakewood Ranch,

Florida, as a clinical psychologist. “Married, two kids, Hunter, 11, and Emerson, 8. Go Gunn!!!”

Meredith (Walsh) Smith said: “I am

excited and grateful to be celebrating the one year anniversary of Kismet Life Coaching LLC. I decided to make a life pivot and go back to school in the fall of 2020 when our two, middle school-aged children were home due to the pandemic, and I got certified in Life Coaching a year later. After over 20 years of working corporate in the luxury retail industry, it was

Steve Lindquist ’89 sent greetings from Maine.

Travis Otto’s ’97 wife, Meaghan, and their children, Hunter and Emerson Fall 2021

CLASS NOTES

At the book launch, left to right: Michael Walker of the Philadelphia Eagles, DuJuan Daniels of the Las Vegas Raiders, Obi Melifonwu of the Eagles, Sean Stellato ’97, his daughter, Gianna, Nick Thurman of the New England Patriots, Ifeatu Melifonwu of the Detroit Lions, Boston Bruins alumnus Bob Sweeney, and Brandon King of the Patriots.

Sean Stellato shared this news: “My

daughter, Gianna, and I were excited to release the sequel of our children’s book, ‘Football Magic: A Pirates Tale’ at the iconic House of the Seven Gables in Salem this past July. We received great support from Patriots Coach Bill Belichick and Saints Coach Sean Payton. We are using the book as a platform to educate people on autoimmune diseases in children. Gianna suffers from juvenile arthritis.”

2001

Cora Free is the daughter of Tess and James Free ’01.

2004

Joseph Solosky and his wife, Erica,

their first child, Cora Free, into the world July 10, 2021. “Mother and daughter are doing great. We are truly blessed.”

welcomed their first child this summer. Calvin Stephen Solosky was born on July 7, 2021. Joseph and Erica recently relocated to Charlotte for a new job he took as an executive at NASCAR.

Jamie and Mark Zambero ’99 with Bryan Nemecek ’97 and his son, Terrance, in Aruba

Erica and Joseph Solosky ’04, with their son, Calvin

James Free, Jr. and his wife, Tess, welcomed

1999

Mark Zambero and his wife, Jamie, met

up with Bryan Nemecek ’97 and his son, Terrance, in his native hometown, Oranjestad, Aruba, this summer.

2000

Jen Jolliffe started a master’s program in

renewable energy at the Iceland School of Energy at Reykjavik University in July.

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

2013

Michael Spencer Cohen has been working

in real estate in New York City for Greystar! “They’re a rental housing management company with properties throughout the country — I’ve been doing administrative work out of their New Jersey corporate office!”

2014 At the Boston birthday celebration: Sarah Macary ’07 and Hilary Benjamin ’08 (back row) and Kara Grogan ’07 and Liz Calderoni ’07

2008

Hilary Benjamin celebrated her birthday

in May in Boston with Sarah Macary ’07, Kara Grogan ’07 and Liz Calderoni ’07.

2010

Penn Portman married Gianpatrick Dennies

in Harbour Island, Bahamas, on May 1, 2021! “There were lots of fellow Gunnery alumnae in

Top Scholars and cousins Yolanda Wang ’21 and Chao Liu ’11 at Cornell

attendance, and even in the bridal party! It was a colorful, lively and beautiful celebration.”

2011

Chao Liu safely delivered her cousin,

Yolanda Wang ’21, to Cornell University in

late August, where Wang started her freshman year. Both were named Top Scholar in their respective senior years at The Frederick Gunn School and “astute academicians,” according to Steve Bailey P’09, who also taught both AP Physics.

Washington College Athletics published an alumni profile of Skyler Clark in June. A four-year varsity soccer player and twoyear varsity lacrosse player, Clark double majored in biology and chemistry with a minor in theatre. According to the college, he graduated in 2018 and works at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, with Washington College alumnus and former assistant men’s lacrosse coach Tim Kerr. Asked why he chose Washington College, Clark said: “My dad [Terry Clark P’91 ’98 ’03 ’05 ’14] taught and coached at The Gunnery (now The Frederick Gunn School), a small independent boarding school in Connecticut. I grew up on campus before eventually enrolling as a student there. My high school experience consisted of small classes where my teachers really got to know me and were able to hold me accountable whenever I was not reaching my full potential. I learned to appreciate the benefits of small class sizes and I knew I wanted more of the same when it came to college.” Read more at washingtoncollegesports.com/general/2020-21/ releases/20210618f217fa

2016

Chad Varney was named to the Dean’s

List at Hamilton College for the spring 2021 semester. Varney is a senior this fall, majoring in art. To be named to the Dean’s List, a student at Hamilton must have carried throughout the semester a course load of four or more graded credits with an average of 3.5 or above. Penn Portman-Dennies on her wedding day in the Bahamas Fall 2021

2017

From proud Gunn Parent Ralph Keleher P’17 we heard: “Sean Keleher graduated Springfield College, magna cum laude, 2021, and is now entering his second year of law school at Western New England University.”

2018

Christian Kummer wrote to us in mid-

September to let us know he has been elected to Middlebury College’s Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society after six semesters of study. “This honor is reserved for the top 2% of students in the Senior Class. I have additionally accepted a full-time offer, beginning in July of 2022, to be a Human Capital Management Analyst at Goldman Sachs after completing two summer internships. Please reach out to me if you are interested in learning about opportunities at the firm!”

Reed Dolph ’20 at West Point; and with his brother, Cael ’23, on Acceptance Day

2020

Power forward Mark D’Agostino committed to play his final season of junior hockey with the BCHL’s Powell River Kings, prior to joining the University of Connecticut, the Powell River Peak reported in June. “This will be an awesome opportunity,” D’Agostino said, according to the Peak. “The coaches at UCONN could not say enough about the staff and development with the Kings and helped me get in contact with the team. I am excited to get out to Powell River for the season.”

Wykeham Rise alumnae celebrated a reunion on campus in June. They organized a “Wykeham Table” at the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center. The Wykeham Rise Alumnae Association is also excited to welcome a new Executive Board for 202122, including Cheryl Kinney WR’84, President, Carol Dorn WR’80, Vice President, Jean Burke WR’74, Secretary, and Daphne Ward Cheatham WR’69, Treasurer.

2019

University of New Hampshire Head Men’s Hockey Coach Mike Souza announced in July that Robert Cronin was selected as one of five members of the freshman class for the 202122 season. Cronin played the 2019-20 and 202021 seasons for the Dubuque Fighting Saints (U.S. Hockey League). He led the team in scoring in 2020-21, with 28 goals and 25 assists for 53 points over 48 games as the team won the Dupaco Cowbell Cup, the Portsmouth Herald reported. From proud Gunn Parent Reisha Moffat P’19 we heard: “Paige moved to Princeton, New Jersey, for the summer, where she taught Chinese lessons to and nannied the elementaryaged children of the head of Princeton’s International Relations Department. In her free time, she also studied under other Princeton faculty, specifically international finance.” Paige Moffat ’19 with her mom, Reisha, on the campus of Princeton University this summer

The Frederick Gunn School Bulletin

From proud Gunn Parent Bret Dolph P’20 ’23 we heard in late August: “Reed Dolph was accepted into the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has now made it through BEAST, which is their basic training, and has been Accepted! Classes have begun and he is loving the experience.” Reed was also visited by his brother, Cael Dolph ’23, on Acceptance Day at West Point.

Above, left to right: Carol Dorn WR’80, Amanda Worrall Maruyama WR’68, and Susan Sheldon Crysler WR’69 in the Tisch Family Auditorium at the Wykeham Rise reunion in June

Faculty News

IN MEMORIAM

Congratulations to Sarah Archer, World Languages faculty and Assistant to The Frederick Gunn School Theatre Program, and her husband, Rodney, on the birth of their son, Nathaniel, on June 28. Two members of the Alumni & Development Office welcomed new additions to their families this summer! Jess Baker, Director of Engagement & Operations, and her husband, Chris, welcomed a son, Jack Richard, on July 11. He joins big sister, Norah.

The Frederick Gunn School Community is saddened by the loss of many cherished sons and daughters and sends its condolences to their friends and families: Mr. Charles E. Arntsen ’43 Nathaniel Archer

7/12/2021

Mr. Lloyd W. Elston ’44 P’68 ’70 GP’05 ’06 ’10

8/1/2018

Mr. Douglas H. Kolb ’46

8/8/2021

Frank J. Gavel, Sr. ’47

Hope Thorn, Director of the 1850 Fund & Special Gifts, and her husband, Lyndon, welcomed a son, Clark Ericson, on September 10.

8/12/21

Mr. Richard D. Holahan ’56

8/1/2021

Professor Rod R. Keating ’58

And Collin Grimes, who is teaching history and economics and coaching Varsity Football and JV Boys Ice Hockey, and his wife, Allyson, welcomed a son, Dorian Beau Grimes, on September 9.

4/11/2020

Mr. G. Timothy Severin ’58

12/18/2021

Mr. Robert B. Stewart, Sr. ’62

6/16/2021

Mr. Robert G. Richter ’63 Norah and Jack Richard Baker

1/2019

Mr. William A. Larned ’66

1/10/2019

Mr. Jorge Trevino, Sr. ’00

6/24/2021

Mr. Seyed N. Ahmadzadeh ’09

8/13/2021

Former Faculty Mrs. Sandrine Baker P’96

7/2/2021

Ms. Nancy Walker-Main

6/29/2021

Mr. Ronald G. Whittle P’80

Clark Ericson Thorn

Dorian Beau Grimes

8/17/2021

Follow The Frederick Gunn School online at GoGunn.org

Fall 2021

Remembering Ron Whittle P’80 ’82 Beloved faculty member Ron Whittle P’80 ’82, who served for over a decade as History Department Chair, a teacher, librarian, and coach, passed away August 17, 2021, from complications of Parkinson’s disease, according to his daughter Sarah Stoffel ’82. “My dad started his teaching career at The Gunnery many years ago,” said Stoffel, who grew up on campus with her brother, Jonathan Whittle ’80, and attended the school as a freshman before transferring to Choate Rosemary Hall, where her father also taught. “The family has such fond memories of The Gunnery.” A native of Massachusetts, Ron Whittle was born in Worcester on August 11, 1938. He graduated from Major Beal High School in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and matriculated to Brown University, where he played baseball and ran track, graduating in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in sociology and anthropology. He earned his master’s in history from Clark University in 1962. He and his wife, Carol, were married on August 12, 1961, and arrived at what was then The Gunnery as newlyweds two weeks later. “I came directly from graduate school with no teaching experience and neither one of us had any experience with the world of boarding schools,” Whittle reflected in 2013, on the occasion of the Class of 1963’s 50th reunion. “During our first year at The Gunnery we also became parents — again without experience. We adjusted with the help of colleagues, had fun, and developed friendships that have lasted a lifetime. Except for four years at a day school in Westport during the mid-60s, we were at The Gunnery until 1979 — yes, Oggie Miller H’69 P’50 ’54 ’55 GP’84 had the good sense to hire me twice!” Whittle taught history, specializing in U.S. history and the Civil War, and served as History Department Chair and Librarian. He was also Head Coach of Boys Varsity Hockey, Assistant Coach for Varsity Football, a member of the Curriculum and Executive committees and Secretary of the Faculty. He left The Gunnery to teach at Greens Farms Academy from 1964‒1968, and was later an instructor in anthropology at Mattatuck Valley Community College for two terms. He was reappointed as Chairman of the History Department and Librarian at The Gunnery from 1968‒1979. In 1975, then Head of School C. Burgess Ayres asked Whittle to assist Adam Korpalski, a local resident and friend of the school, with his research for a book, which was ultimately published as “The Gunnery 1850‒1975: A Documentary History 86

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of Private Education in America.” Ayres also credited Whittle with revising the history curriculum at the school. “Ron was a beloved teacher, coach and dorm master,” said former Head of School Michael Eanes H’90 P’90 GP’20 ’23 ’25. “He was the epitome of the triple threat, winning affection from his students in all three spheres.” “Mr Whittle is what The Gunnery is all about,” Walter E. Longo, M.D., ’74, said via email. “A scholar, an athlete, an educator and a family man. I am glad I was able to get to know him and learn from him, while I lived in Gibson Hall, on how to approach life.” Ed Small, the Anne S. and Ogden D. Miller Senior Master, recalled the positive and lasting influence Whittle had on new faculty. “When The Gunnery went coed in 1977, there was a large contingent of new faculty members brought on board to take the place of the Wykeham Rise faculty of our sister school on Wykeham Road. Wally Rowe H’57 P’77 ’79 and Ron Whittle mentored the new faculty for a few years before they moved on to Governor’s and Choate, respectively. Before they left, they both conveyed the importance of being professional and the necessity of putting the students’ needs before your own. Ron in particular led by example. He taught us to learn from our mistakes, and to value getting better every day. He would say that teaching is a craft that you had to learn. Ron was a good example to follow. He led well.” “Ron was the consummate professional: outstanding teacher, department head, dormitory adviser, coach, and mentor to both students and faculty,” said John Ford, who joined the faculty in the fall of 1975 and was among those watched over by Rowe and Whittle. “Few could match his ability to combine serious purpose, sense of humor, and an ability to get to the core of an issue efficiently and effectively. He taught me so much about every aspect of teaching, in and out of the classroom. A year after Ron took a job at Choate, I followed, so our friendship grew and strengthened. But our years together at Gunnery were special. I have made boarding school teaching my career, and whatever success I’ve had is undoubtedly in part due to Ron and Carol Whittle’s support, and Wally and Carol Rowe’s, also. In my eyes, and I hope also in the school’s eyes, Ron Whittle will always be a pillar of Gunnery’s strength.” From his home in New Hampshire, Rowe shared memories of time spent with Whittle, who was one of his closest friends. At The Gunnery, they taught and coached each other’s children.

Outside of teaching, Whittle served as a Trustee of Gunn Memorial Library, Chairman of the Gunn Historical Museum and a coach for Washington Youth Hockey. He was also an active member of St. John’s Church. At Choate, he served as Chair of the History Department, coached a variety of sports, and worked part-time in the college counseling office. His family moved with him to Wallingford in 1979, with the exception of Jonathan, who completed his senior year as The Gunnery’s Head Prefect. Deciding to move nearer to their summer home on the coast of Maine, Whittle took a job as Friends and former faculty members Wally Rowe H’57 P’77 ’79 and Ron Whittle the Associate Dean of Admissions at Colby College, P’80 ’82 with their wives, “the Carols,” en route to Quebec in 2010 where he spent 15 years. He retired in 2001 and he and They traveled together to Spain, England, Germany, China, Carol enjoyed spending time in Belfast, where their waterfront and France, sometimes on their own, sometimes with their home had an unobstructed view of Castine and the mountains of wives (both named Carol) and with their families. When he Mt. Desert Island. They remained active in their church and civic and Whittle were in the market for new cars, they unknowingly organizations. Whittle played tennis and golf and became a purchased exactly the same model Ford station wagon. Whittle’s teacher and student at the local senior college. They spent was butterscotch, Rowe’s was red and they discovered their winters in Florida with Stoffel and their grandchildren and keys were interchangeable. They also co-taught a class on the great-grandchildren. disruption of the 1920s, combining their expertise in literature “Ron was always passionate about what he did, which made and history. him terribly likeable as a result, and it went over into sports as “We had a lot of funny things happen in Paris. Ron was well, which I loved, of course,” said Bruce Bradshaw ’51, who met a good looking man and when we were in Paris, we went the Whittles when he worked in admissions and coached three shopping at various places. We went to see a fashion show at sports at The Gunnery, from 1959-1961. “We became friends. He Galeries Lafayette. Then afterward, we went to get various just absolutely loved and was passionate about tennis and golf, as things to bring back with us, food and such from a charcuterie. I’ve always been myself. He was a great guy,” Bradshaw said, noting There was a rather attractive young woman who waited on us that after they retired, the Bradshaws, the Whittles and the Rowes and after we left, she figured out we gave her a few francs too traveled around New England and “had some great times together.” much. It was a nominal amount, but she ran a few blocks “Our memories of The Gunnery are uniformly positive and, after us, calling ‘Mr. Whittle!’” Rowe recalled, laughing at until our move to Maine, really considered Washington as home,” the memory. Whittle recalled in 2013. “It is difficult to choose from among those In 2019, when the School offered an opportunity to name memories but coaching football with Rod Beebe, hockey on the a seat in the Tisch Family Auditorium, Rowe purchased one ponds with Tony Golembeske, and team teaching with Wally Rowe for himself, and one for Whittle. “I got him a seat next to me,” were, as I am sure you can imagine, truly unforgettable. I attribute Rowe said, and Whittle wrote to thank him. “He said, ‘you’re any success I had as a teacher to my years at The Gunnery. kind of like the brother I never had.’” It was a sentiment Rowe I profited greatly from the help — and criticism — I received was happy to return. from my more experienced colleagues, especially Wally, Former faculty member and Senior Master Russ Elgin, who Rusty Chandler H’63, Norm Lemcke P’84, and Bill Posey ’50. arrived at The Gunnery in 1975, coached hockey with Whittle I also learned an enormous amount from my students.” and remembered how much they savored a win over Canterbury His family has requested that memorial gifts be directed in 1979, following a challenging season. The two have remained to The Frederick Gunn School, 99 Green Hill Rd. Washington, good friends through the years and Elgin recalled how much CT 06793 or online at gogunn.org/makeagift; or St. Margaret’s Ayres admired Whittle’s knowledge as a fellow historian. Episcopal Church, 95 Court Street, Belfast, ME 04915. Fall 2021

FACULTY PROFILE

Ten Minutes With Jeff Trundy Jeff Trundy has served as the David N. Hoadley ’51 Baseball Coach since he joined the faculty of The Frederick Gunn School in 1997. Trundy is also one of the longesttenured managers in the history of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), where he is a local legend. Having just completed his 23rd year as Head Coach of the Falmouth Commodores, he has been named Coach of the Year in the Cape Cod league three times over the course of his career, and was honored in 2018 for his 20 years as manager of the ’Dores. As one might guess, Trundy lives and breathes baseball, and has since he started playing on a town team in Maine, alongside his cousins and uncles, at the age of 13. He grew up in Hebron, Maine, and began his baseball career at the University of New Hampshire, where he was the team captain and made the All-New England teams. After college, he coached the team at Corey High School in Augusta, Maine, where he received the Maine Public School’s Coach of the Year Award three times. He was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 and is a former scout for the Toronto Blue Jays. Many of Trundy’s former players in the CCBL attribute their success in the major leagues to him, according to Steve Kostas, past president of the Falmouth Commodores. Several of the studentathletes he has coached at The Frederick Gunn School have also gone on to play baseball in college and in the MLB, including Justin Dunn ’13 (Seattle Mariners), P.J. Higgins ’12 (Chicago Cubs), and Brooks Belter ’07 (Tampa Bay Rays). When he is not teaching or coaching, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Patti. They have three daughters. Q: What advice do you have for new students? A: Take it all in, experience as much as you possibly can. There’s so much offered outside the classroom. Becoming part of teams, clubs, doing as many things as you possibly can is a great opportunity for our students. Once they have the chance to look back, they’re going to look on this place more fondly than they do already. Q: What is your favorite day of the year? A: Opening day for baseball. It’s exciting. Baseball’s back. It’s also the time of year. The grass is getting green, the leaves are coming out, the warm weather is coming. There was a gentleman, Bart Giamatti, he was the Commissioner of Major League Baseball for a while and

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he passed away at a young age. He said: ‘Baseball breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again … and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall all alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.” It’s a very accurate description of people who have a passion for baseball and how they feel. Q: What would you say to Mr. Gunn? A: I would want to know what it was like standing on the Green watching that baseball game. I would like to ask him what it was like to observe a baseball game back in the 1800s. What was the focus? What were the things that were important? If I had to guess, I would say it was having fun. But what was it like to be part of The Gunnery team at that time and what was baseball like back then? Q: What is your favorite expression? A: I know Justin Dunn ’13 can recite these three goals: You work to improve each day. We work toward respecting our teammates. And finally, we work towards respecting the game. Those three things we live by. Myself and the coaching staff, Assistant Coaches Richard Martin P’20 ’23 ’25 and Ed Small, we collectively express those things on a daily basis. Q: Who has been your biggest influence? A: My father loved baseball. He loved the Red Sox. Growing up, he was one of five boys. Every one of them played baseball. In 1946, the Boston Post called them “the playingest baseball family in Maine.” You could look at a box score of the West Minot town team and there would be five Trundys in the lineup. It was ingrained in me. It would have been wrong for me not to play baseball. Education University of New Hampshire — BS, Physical Education/Biology University of Colorado — MS, Physical Education and Recreation Responsibilities Teaching Biology and Anatomy and Physiology The David N. Hoadley ’51 Baseball Coach Former Head Coach, girls and boys soccer, and former Assistant Coach, Girls Soccer Accolades The Noto Family Chair for Dedicated Service, 2018-2021

THE FREDERICK GUNN SCHOOL BULLETIN FALL 2021 Peter Becker Head of School BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2020-21

DESIGN John Johnson Art Direction, Riverton, Conn. PRINTING David Emery ’73, GHP, West Haven, Conn.

OFFICERS 2020-21 Patrick M. Dorton ’86 Board Chair Neil Townsend P’18 ’20 Vice Chair Wanji Walcott P’19 Vice Chair Beth W. Glynn Secretary Ashleigh Fernandez Treasurer

Stephen W. Baird ’68 William G. Bardel Peter Becker, Head of School Robert Bellinger ’73 Kevin Bogardus ’89 Sarah Scheel Cook ’82 Jon C. Deveaux Gretchen H. Farmer P’05 Susan Frauenhofer ’88 Adam C. Gerry P’21 Sherm Hotchkiss ’63 Peter R. Houldin ’92 Thomas R. King ’60 Jonathan S. Linen ’62 Paul McManus ’87 P’21 ’23 Len Novick P’18 ’21 Krystalynn Schlegel ’96 Omar Slowe ’97 Richard N. Tager ’56 Robert M. Tirschwell ’86 Dan Troiano ’77 Rebecca Weisberg ’90

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TRUSTEES EMERITI Stephen P. Bent ’59 Leo D. Bretter ’52 P’88 Jonathan Estreich P’06 Edsel B. Ford II ’68 David N. Hoadley ’51 Joan Noto P’97 Jonathan Tisch ’72 Gerrit Vreeland ’61 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Laura Eanes Martin ’90 P’20 ’23 ’25 President Omar Slowe ’97 Vice President Scott A. Schwind ’89 Krystalynn M. Schlegel ’96 PARENTS FUND COMMITTEE Keith Gleason P’19 ’21 ’23 Committee Chair

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Frederick Gunn: An American Original Head of School Peter Becker, Emily Gum, Associate Head of School for Teaching and Learning, and Bart McMann, Director of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, presented “Frederick Gunn: An American Original” on September 13 as part of the Gunn Historical Museum’s Guest Lecture Series. The program, which was co-sponsored by the museum at the suggestion of Trustee Jean Solomon and Curator Stephen Bartkus, focused on Mr. Gunn as an abolitionist, educator and citizen. “We hope you see from this brief dive into three distinct elements of Frederick Gunn why we believe he deserves recognition not only as ‘an American original’ but also far beyond the recognition that he has garnered thus far in American history,” Head of School Peter Becker said. “The founder of American camping, the key figure in the first known photograph of a baseball game, an abolitionist and Underground Railroad leader, and a wise, creative, studentcentered educational pioneer — we believe he deserves recognition among the great figures of American 19th-century history.” View the recording online at https://youtu.be/OG9qbg2JyaE.

Bart McMann, Director of the Center for Citizenship and Just Democracy, with Jean Solomon, Trustee of the Gunn Memorial Library & Museum, Head of School Peter Becker, Curator Stephen Bartkus and Emily Gum, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning, outside the Meeting House on the Green in September

Bulletin - Fall 2021 - The Frederick Gunn School

Articles inside

Faculty Profile

Alumni Small Businesses

Meet the Alumni & Development Team

Class Notes

Remembering Ron Whittle P’80 ’82

Trustee News

Alumni Weekend 2021

Campus Life

Supporting The Frederick Gunn School

Baseball Images Linked to our Past

From the Archives

Gunn Athletics

Gunn Arts

From the Head of School

Citizenship in Action