AMAG Winter 2016/2017

Culver Winter 2016/17

Alumni Magazine

Ready to Roll

Mo Morales photo.

FR OM T HE E DIT OR

A New Chapter This has been a year of beginnings and endings, hellos and goodbyes, tears and smiles for Culver. The end of one era and the beginning of the next. I was part of that cycle this summer, retiring from Culver June 30th after 31 years of service as a Humanities teacher and Dean of Faculty. I was looking ahead to a more relaxed pace of life, surrounded by my usual stack of books, notebooks, cats and husband. But then a week before I retired, I received an unexpected gift – my former student, Bill Hargraves, now the Director of Strategic Communications, approached me with a job proposition. Knowing my love for storytelling, writing and editing, he asked me to take on the role of Managing Editor for the Alumni magazine, to approach it with fresh eyes, explore new ideas and get “ready to roll.” The “call to adventure” was too strong for me to resist. I said “yes” and have not looked back since.

The challenge has been to share Culver stories that engage alumni, not simply inform them, and to reflect Culver’s timeless values that strengthen the bridge between generations. We already have Culver’s “north stars” to guide us. As Veterans Day speaker Cmdr. Ahmed Querishi ’89 noted, “The values found in the Culver Creed, Code of Conduct and Honor Code are timeless,” and the stories that reflect the “hope to win, the zeal to dare” are boundless.

The focus of stories in this issue is the theme of “ready to roll,” which not only captures the beginning of Dr. Jim Power’s tenure but also highlights the diverse stories that Culver faculty, staff, students and alumni are living. To complement the theme, more strategic pictures and placement within articles has been used, along with carefully selected pictures that separate different sections of the magazine. The Digital Vault has been mined for pictures of campus places and people within articles, juxtaposing them in a “then and now” format to forge a link between the past and present.

Our hope is that you welcome these new changes in your magazine and feel a closer connection. We welcome your feedback and suggestions, but even more, we want to hear your Culver stories. They are Culver’s “communal currency” that enrich and strengthen the fabric of the school’s narrative.

Go to the Culver news site at news.culver.org and press the “Share Your Story” button to get started, or send me an email at Kathy.lintner@culver.org.

— Kathy Lintner

Culver Alumni Magazine

CONTENTS ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Chief Advancement Officer Holly Johnson

ALUMNI RELATIONS Director Alan Loehr Jr. Legion President Dr. Anna Kantzer Wildermuth ‘83 Lafayette, Indiana

Page

18

CSSAA President E. "Ted" Foster W'89 Columbus, Ohio

COMMUNICATIONS Director/Strategic Marketing Bill Hargraves III ’77 Editor/Culver Alumni Magazine Kathy Lintner Asst. Director/Publications Jan Garrison Website Manager Trent Miles Publications Manager/ Museum Curator Jeff Kenney

Saying Hello to

Jim Power Culver’s 13th Head of

DEVELOPMENT Director Mike Hogan Director/Annual Fund Thomas Mayo ’75

INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR Tony Giraldi ’75

MAGAZINE DESIGN Scott Adams Design Associates

PHOTOGRAPHY Lew Kopp and Mo Morales

PRINTING AND MAILING West-Camp Press

Diversity Rocks!

Culver’s second Diversity Day ended with Michael Brun’s ‘10 energetic nighttime concert for the community, which included the Culver choir.

page

Schools has been a man in motion since his arrival on campus July 1.

Riding his bike, walking across campus, observing classes, breaking bread in the Dining Hall, or staking out a comfortable chair in the library, he is doing what he does best: forming relationships and sharing stories. He reflects on what drew him to Culver, what his goals are … and ice cream.

30

Culver (USPS 139-740) is published by The Culver Educational Foundation, 1300 Academy Road, Culver, Indiana 46511-1291.

Opinions are those of the authors, and no material may be reproduced without the editor’s written consent.

Postmaster, please send change of address notice to Culver Alumni Office, 1300 Academy Road #132, Culver, Indiana 46511-1291.

On Our Cover Head of Schools Jim Power rides his bicycle to come to work each day and rides to sporting events and meetings across the campus.

Ryan Smith Photography

Volume 93 / Issue 1 / Winter 2016/2017

Shrek On! Shrek the Musical and Shrek Jr., linking theatrical magic for audiences both young and old, winter and summer, were a great global success!

page

Paying It Forward: The Continuity and Evolution of Culver Leadership

Departments

Three Heads of School - Ralph Manuel, John Buxton and Jim Power – reflect on the Culver mission and values that each one viewed as the foundation on which he built his legacy.

page

28

1 From the Editor 4 Views & Perspectives

24

34 Alumni Class News 37 Our Sporting Alumni 38 Culver Clubs International 40 In Memoriam 48 The Final Word

page

16

Tracing Culver’s WWI Footsteps Humanities instructors Gary Christlieb and Dr. John Buggeln traveled to Belgium and France this summer to research the larger story of Culver’s history in relation to WWI, finding the graves of seven Culver Gold Star men and visiting WWI museums and battlegrounds. They integrated their findings into their new fall class, “Character, Leadership & the Great War.”

THE

MISSION

Restoring the Links The dedicated efforts of Culver donors not only restored the Culver golf course to its original Langford & Moreau 1922 design but also added a new Golf House, garnering high praise as being “arguably the best nine hole course in North America.”

page

Culver educates its students for leadership and responsible citizenship in society by developing and nurturing the whole individual – mind, spirit, body – through an integrated curriculum that emphasizes the cultivation of character.

10

4

WINTER 2016/17

Ryan Smith Photography

VI EW S AN D P E R S P E C T I V E S

“It’s not about the bike” If Lance Armstrong’s book was, “It’s Not About the Bike,” my admittedly premature take on Culver, after four exhilarating months, would be, “It’s Not About the Lake or the Library.”

As breathtakingly beautiful as Culver’s campus is, as delightful as the folks who inhabit it are, and as passionate as its alumni tend to be — what makes the school distinctive is its focus on character development in general, and on cultivating servant leadership in particular. (Given that the U.S. presidential election has been decided, notions of how we might hone our focus even more on these areas of character and leadership development are very much in our collective conscience!)

I confess I am something less than an expert on the ins and outs of how Culver helps its students reach their leadership potential; at first blush it seems to flow from the interplay of residential responsibilities, academic leadership instruction, and the duties and opportunities which flow from its uniquely coordinated military and prefect systems.

That we have a program which promotes all of the above is one thing; actually learning how to execute on it is another. Let me offer one recent example. A student spoke with me last week about a frustrating experience: even though she is in a position of responsibility, a younger girl ignored her instruction. What to do? The look on the older girl’s face suggested, “If I only had more authority, then I could lead!”

I once held that same belief: If only I had more power, more leverage, then I’d be able to get things done! What I failed to grasp early in my career, though, was the difference between power and leadership. The first is simply the exercise of position.

Kim Jong Un undoubtedly has authority; the citizens of North Korea respond with good reason to his whims and directives (By the way, according to North Korean authorities, he pulled off yet another “quadruple double” at a recent basketball game.

Is it enough to admit that the man is an unbelievable athlete?).

But an effective leader is someone who doesn’t have to rely on rewards and punishments to achieve his or her goals. This kind

of leader not only articulates a vision of where we are going (Think of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech), but also is able to develop a sense of trust with his colleagues (Think of Lincoln in Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals”).

As with our mission statement, this effort is aspirational in nature. While we want our students to develop their leadership muscles, few of us mastered all of this by the time we were 18.

Let’s also admit that leadership is based on two foundational virtues: wisdom and courage. The first is a result of reflection on experience, especially painful or unsuccessful experiences.

The latter is, according to Aristotle, more like a muscular activity, rather than an intellectual exercise. “We learn courage by doing courageous things.” Our goal is to give students the opportunity to act (in order to build courage) and reflect on that action (in order to increase wisdom.)

What kinds of opportunities can we provide? Let me offer an example: Research suggests that academic cheating is widespread in secondary schools. If a Culver student witnessed another student’s violating an academic standard, what would we expect him or her to do? What might we do in terms of providing a student in this situation with the language and confidence needed to meet the moment? In order to develop their leadership skills and muscles, our students will need to learn how to have difficult conversations with one another; they’ll need to learn how to talk directly to one another, to master the art of disagreeing without becoming disagreeable, even while they are still in high school. After all, we can’t afford for them to wait until they are 52 to develop their courage!

All of this is messy, interesting, and thoroughly engaging work, especially when you consider the unique stage that is adolescence. But what could be more interesting or more worthwhile, especially at a school with such a lake and library?

PS: I am looking forward to meeting many of you at the One Culver events, reunions, and parents’

weekends. I also encourage you to stay connected to news.culver.org, where you will find many great Culver stories and a monthly blog post I will be writing. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or comments about this, or anything else that tickles your fancy, please feel free to share those on the blog or email me at jim.power@culver.org

Relays to the Finish Line

Above: A shot from the Culver Archives of the 1964 Communications Relay. The Relay was started in 1943 by then-Lt. John F. Roos.

Left: A group of participants in this summer’s Summer Alumni Communications Relay pause in the Naval Building after the race.

T

he end of camp races are always the highlight for both campers and visitors and help wrap up the final week of the summer. They bring back both young and old alumni from around the area, as well as parents who love to stand along the lakeshore or on the hill of the Woodcraft Camp to watch the various activities take place. Every camper is required to participate, which encourages each unit to look at individual strengths first and what each person in the unit can contribute. The rainbow of t-shirt colors, face paint and bandanas always blanket the campus and unit cheers can be heard in both camps throughout the day.

6

WINTER 2016/17

The end of camp relays over on the other side of campus are always long anticipated by both campers and staff.

Campers practice throughout the summer for their leg of the Communications Relay, Pegasus and Great Race and always bring with them spirited enthusiasm and pride for their unit. This year was no exception. Naval 1, Aviation and Deck 5 came away victorious and

Woodcrafters press on for victory during the camp-spanning Kline Relay.

Noah Trevino

Over in Woodcraft, the Kline Relay spans out over most of the camp grounds. The activities this summer included bucket brigade, the soccer kick air rifle, disc golf, archery and Indian Dance as well as a number of long and short running events. New this summer were a couple of activities specific to skills that are learned throughout the summer: campers were required to make their beds “the Culver way” as well as fold their t-shirts up to Culver’s inspection

standards. These were activities that not only every camper could participate in but also had plenty of practice through cabin inspections. Janet Kline, former Girls’ Woodcraft Camp Director, was the official starter of the race. In 1977 she founded this position and held it for eight summers and returned in 2000 as the Director of Woodcraft Camp for another five summers.

Jan Garrison

Mrs. Davis ‘goes viral’ A 99-year-old legend is still on the job – and inspiring others online The international nature of the story didn’t stop there. The “99-year-old secretary still going strong after 80 years” saw publication in Norway’s leading newspaper, in Australian media, the UK’s Telegraph, and doubtless a host of still-unknown venues.

Above: An alumni ‘bucket brigade’ vies for victory during the Summer Alumni Communications Relay.

each ended their day with a celebratory run into Lake Maxinkuckee.

A twist on this summer’s schedule was the addition of the Summer Alumni Communications Relay race, where a number of returning alumni had the chance to participate in the long standing tradition of the Communications Relay on the Saturday of Homecoming Parents Weekend. The thirty participants had the option to choose among seven different events: bucket brigade, a relay-style kayak race, sailing, and crypto with a runner between each event.

Most of the alumni who returned had not competed in these events since they themselves were campers.

This new tradition will carry on next summer during Homecoming Parents Weekend and is open to any alumni who are in town and interested in participating.

Below: On the obstacle course during the Upper Camp Communications Relay.

More regionally, WTHR TV of Indianapolis visited campus and filmed interviews with Davis, Head of Schools Jim Power, and students and staff for a lengthy feature.

Culver graduates through the years have garnered every level of fame and notoriety, but one Culver legend celebrating two significant 2016 milestones became something of an Internet sensation this fall.

Elisabeth Davis, known to most at Culver simply as “Mrs. Davis,” began her career here as a staff member 80 years ago in 1936. Besides that anniversary, it happens that Davis — who quietly makes her way each morning to her office in the Admissions Building — also turned 99 years old in June.

When a video of new Head of Schools Jim Power meeting Mrs. Davis for the first time—and reacting in awe to her experience and work ethic—was posted

by Culver, the story made its way to wider and wider audiences.

Noah Trevino

First it was People Magazine online, with over 300,000 views of that entity’s video take on Mrs. Davis’ story. Within a few short weeks, the story was featured online by the Huffington Post, the Today Show, Inside Edition, ABC News, The New York Times, The Week, and countless others.

Television affiliates across the country, from Fox News in New York to other affiliates in Dallas and Atlanta, featured Davis’ story, which even made its way onto Chinese television.

Mrs. Davis’ story received well over one million views on the national-level websites alone, with one touching response from a high school in Washington state, whose students sent Davis over 50 handwritten and illustrated notes of congratulations for her milestone.

Perhaps as striking to readers and viewers as the sheer number of years of her service is Mrs. Davis’ combination of humility, wisdom, and lived experience.

During her tenure, Davis worked under eight Heads of School, having been hired by Dean John Henderson shortly after graduating high school.

In her comments, Davis emphasized that the word “retirement” is not in her vocabulary, discussed the past nature of Sally Port as “a dedicated space” through which cadets were not allowed out of uniform, and noted that for the fore part of her Culver career, no adult was addressed by their first name. That culture changed under Gen. Spivey’s tenure in the 1950s and `60s, but, says Davis: “They must have forgotten mine. No, I’m just Mrs. Davis.”

And so she is.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

7

T

he centrality of the time-honored tradition of Culver’s regard for the nation’s colors and the flags of the State of Indiana and Culver itself has been made all the more visible by way of the new Dietler Oval.

The area surrounding Culver’s flagpoles is being renovated to add more honor and solemnity to the area, now named in memory of Cortlandt S. Dietler ’40 for his generous and loyal support of Culver and its facilities.

The “Oval” has been the site of retreats and parades, time-honored traditions in the military services and at Culver, as well as other significant ceremonial and athletic activities for both the Summer and Winter Schools since the founding of Culver in 1894.

In addition to enhanced paving and stonework, plaques honoring Dietler and explaining the significance of the area and of honoring the nation’s colors at Culver, have been added as well.

Below: Pictured are Culver Summer Naval students preparing to raise the flag in a pre-1920 image from the Culver archives.

8

WINTER 2016/17

Mo Morales

Honor Still Matters

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Q: NAME A GREAT GIFT ONE CAN GIVE A CHILD?

A: The Ultimate

Hoist the sails and set sail for the

SUMMER HOMECOMING WEEKEND

Summer Camp Experience

at Culver!

Accepting (ages7-17) boys & girls for Summer 2017 Go to culver.org/summer or call 574-842-8300 for more information.

ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND

May 19-21, 2017 Honoring the Golden Anniversary Class of 1967 Honoring the Silver Anniversary Class of 1992 Graduate of the Year Ceremony

July 14-16, 2017 Honoring All 50-Year Alumni

We’re Going Down South

SAVE THE DATE Oc Save The SAVE Date THE October 20-22, 2017

Oct. 20

Hit the Links

Culver rededicates “Arguably the finest nine hole course in North America.�

“Arguably the finest nine hole course in North America,” raved Ran Morrissett of Golf Club Atlas online after a visit to the newly-restored course, which was rededicated this fall.

Ironically, an earlier Morrissett writing focusing on the legacy of the course in its original design of 1922 by renowned Midwestern course designers Langford & Moreau sparked Culver chairman emeritus Jim Henderson `52 to consider the benefits of restoring it to its original design.

With the support of project donors including the Dickson Foundation, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. R. Stuart Dickson ’47, Mr. and Mrs. Miles D. White ’73, Mr. and Mrs. J. Gregory Poole Jr. ’53, and Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Vaughn ’74, work towards restoration began in 2013.

Course designer Bobby Weed said he “felt like I had opened up a barn door and found a vintage Porsche 356 underneath dust and hay,” in first encountering Culver’s links some seven years ago.

The Culver family first commissioned the course in response to the “golf craze” of the 1920s, initially envisioning a 27-hole

Trent Miles

Generations of alumni, faculty, and staff have “hit the links” at Culver’s golf course, but few may have realized its remarkable pedigree.

At the original dedication of Culver’s Langford and Moreau-designed golf course in July 1923, American Legion Commander Alvin Owsley takes the first swing.

Culver golf course restoration designer Bobby Weed, right, and co-designer Chris Monti led attendees at the October rededication of the 1920s course, on an in-depth architectural history tour of the project, which they said included something of an “archeological dig” approach based on 1930s aerial shots of the course.

Jim Henderson `52, CEF Chairman Emeritus and a major force behind the restoration project, speaks during the re-dedication.

12

WINTER 2016/17

Hannah Brumback `17 shared her appreciation of the restored course.

A mid-1920s look at the Culver golf course, facing south toward the first hole.

layout with lavish resort hotel. A slew of high profile campus construction projects, as well as the advent of the Great Depression, limited the work to the nine holes familiar to Culver golfers – but what nine holes they are. In the Atlas article, Weed and Morrissett eagerly detail the vision and thoughtful consideration Langford and Moreau invested in the design.

Weed and co-designer Chris Monti, during an architectural history tour of the course at its Oct. 1 rededication, noted they utilized 1930s aerial photos toward what became something of an “architectural dig,” as they uncovered footprints of original bunkers and greens, all brought lovingly back to life.

The Culver course was first dedicated in July of 1923, with American Legion commander Alvin Owsley making the first putt.

Three years later, British and U.S. Open Champion Walter Hagen famously played the course, and in 1943 Byron Nelson (he of 11 consecutive PGA tournament victories) graced its pathways.

That same wartime era saw the necessary neglect of the course, as greens shrunk and costly sand became overgrown with grass, resulting in the landscape familiar to Culver players of the past five decades – a neglect now remedied to the full.

In addition to the restoration, an elegant Golf House has grown up where the former golf club once stood.

Donors make the ceremonial first putt, with former Culver golf coach Tony Mayfield `65 overseeing.

Weed summarized the stature of the project: “I don’t think today that there’s another secondary school in the country that has the ability to be the steward of nine holes of golf with this pedigree.”

By Jeff Kenney

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

13

S

ustainability Interns:

Regina Padilla ’15 and Erin Pickford, Woodcraft junior counselors and sustainability interns, restoring the berm at Kline wetland.

14

WINTER 2016/17

All Photos by Chris Kline.

Making a Difference

Reflecting on her summer internship and sustainability, Padilla said, “I used to think sustainability was all about the environment and natural resources but, through this intern/counseling experience, I’ve learned that although environmentalism is a huge component of sustainability, there are other areas in this field that play an important role in ensuring that everyone’s needs are met without endangering future generations.

Pickford appreciated the opportunity to apply her college studies to the real world:

Regina Padilla ’15 marks a storm drain on a downtown street.

A

s part of Culver’s expanding sustainability program, Woodcraft campers were greeted this summer by two counselors serving in the newly-created position of Sustainability Intern.

Regina Padilla ’15 and Erin Pickford embraced the opportunity to help teach and model environmental sustainability to campers.

Regina, a sophomore at University of Southern California, is studying sustainability and engineering, while Erin, a junior at Miami of Ohio, is studying sustainability and geology.

“Education takes on a whole new meaning when it’s experiential, and everything that I learned [this summer] helped to solidify topics that have been discussed in my college classes.

I appreciated approaching sustainability from multiple angles — hands on, meetings and discussions, research and readings, collaborations and getting my hands dirty.”

As part of their end of summer reflection, both interns gave Kline feedback on what worked and what could be improved regarding their internship. As a result, next summer each intern will identify a particular project he/she will work on throughout the course of the summer — beyond the work done with campers and staff. This project will be developed together with Kline and the Summer School leadership team and will take into account each intern’s academic interests and experience.

By Chris Kline ’82

“Although the term wasn’t in use when Woodcraft was founded, sustainability has always been fundamental to what we teach our campers and how we live as staff,” Woodcraft Director Heike Spahn explained. “We want to leave this place a little better than we found it and lead others to do the same. As we expand our recycling and conservation programs, it makes good sense to have staff with formal training in sustainability.”

In addition to explaining the finer points of Culver’s recycling program to campers and staff, the duo tackled a number of projects throughout the community, including restoring some wetlands and prairie areas, marking storm drains in the town of Culver, developing educational materials for both Woodcraft and Upper Camp and representing Culver Summer Schools and Camps in meetings with many community and regional organizations. Chris Kline ’82, Culver’s sustainability director who supervised the two, was effusive in complimenting the work they performed, “Erin and Regina put forth great effort for Culver and the wider community throughout the summer.

They both worked nonstop, bringing new ideas and a positive attitude to everything they did.”

Four Division 1“Gold C” Woodcrafters from Division 1 showing the trash and recycling they collected during a cleanup of the “Indian Trails.”

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

15

H

TRACING HISTORY

All Photos by Gary Christlieb & John Buggeln.

H H

Culver instructors tour European World War I sites in preparation for a new course and centennial commemoration.

46

WINTER 2016/17

H H

T

T

The unique approach of two Culver faculty members to incorporate Culver’s history with the broader story of World War I led to something of a Culver pilgrimage to Europe.

After teaching “Character, Leadership, and the Civil War” with other faculty for a number of years, Culver instructors Gary Christlieb and Dr. John Buggeln saw the 100th anniversary of “The Great War” as a call to turn their focus to one of the defining moments in Culver history and to bring it to life for the students of today.

WWI class in Legion Memorial paying respect to Culver’s Gold Star Men

When their proposal to present their inter-disciplinary teaching methods at the World History Association’s annual meeting in Ghent, Belgium during the summer of 2016 was accepted, Buggeln and Christlieb had further reason to travel to Europe to investigate World War I sites firsthand.

Dr. John Buggeln in the trench at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917

Intrigued by their Culver research, the two created a new course, “Character, Leadership, and the Great War,” a one-term humanities course primarily for seniors which begins with a tour of World War I-related sites on campus. Building on students’ previous experiences, the course also focuses on applying character and leadership traits to a study of the war, as well as incorporating digital resources with a study of memoirs, letters, propaganda, and poetry relating to the conflict.

Using an American Battle Monuments Commission database, the two located the gravesites of seven Culver Gold Star men buried in American cemeteries in France. The graves of winter school graduates they visited included Raymond Brooks ’08, Janes Canary ’14, Bothwell Cane ’12, James Palmer ’13, Clarence Smith ’01, Willis Storer ’12, *Memorial to Lost Batallion 77th Division – this was part of the and Lt. Maxwell Oswald Parry Lost Batallion exhibit ’01, the son of Indianapolis industrialists and a highly decorated pilot who flew with Quentin Roosevelt in the decisive Meuse-Argonne offensive.

That battle became a focus of the trip, as Buggeln and Christlieb traced the movement of U.S. soldiers, including Culver’s own, from Chateau Thierry to Montfaucon.

The trip personalized the names on the wall of the Legion Memorial Building and inspired further investigation.

Gary Christlieb in Argonne Forest at location of “the Lost Batallion” 77th Division Left: Gary Christlieb and Dr. John Buggeln at the grave of Culver Gold Star man Raymond B. Austin in the Meuse – Argonne American Cemetery in France

Although just at the beginning stages, Christlieb and Buggeln look forward to commemorating the centennial of Culver men’s involvement in the war as well as the end of the war itself, on November 11, 2018.

By John Buggeln

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

17

Head of Schools

discusses the future ... and ice cream.

Head of Schools Dr. Jim Power talked about the importance of “breaking bread” with students and colleagues; students truly believing in the leadership system; and developing character at Culver during a question-and-answer session earlier this year. He also discussed what attracted him to Culver and what alumni and parents can expect from him in the near future. Just don’t talk to him about ice cream . . .

CA: Let’s start with something really hard-hitting: ice cream, chocolate or vanilla?

POWER: Oh, chocolate. It’s a no brainer. I’m not sure I can even talk to vanilla people.You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.

CA: Since you arrived this summer, what have you done to get to know the people, the area, and the school?

POWER: I’ve tried to spend as little time here (his office) as possible. I’ve really tried to get out and about to visit classes, offices, and the dining hall. The dining hall is an especially good place to get to know people. I’ve also enjoyed seeing the cross country, volleyball, football, and soccer teams in action. School life sort of absorbs you, anyway.

18

WINTER 2016/17

CA: Do you like the dining hall because of the casual atmosphere?

POWER: There’s something about breaking bread with people that just makes a difference. I’ve had some of the best conversations with colleagues at 6:30 in the morning at the Culver Coffee Company and Café Max. I don’t know what it is about sitting down with people over a cup of coffee or a hamburger, it just changes the dynamic. Someone once told me that students are more comfortable in shoulder-to-shoulder, rather than face-to-face, conversations.

CA: Is that because they’re not looking directly at you?

POWER: They’re more interested in their hamburger than in me. Can you blame them?

Noah Trevino

“I’ve had some of the best conversations with colleagues at 6:30 in the morning at the Culver Coffee Company and Café Max.”

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

47

Head of Schools

Continued

CA:What have you learned from those discussions? Is there anything unusual that’s come out of them?

They use the language and they believe they are better leaders than they would have been otherwise. I think that’s a win right there. That they believe in the model is half the battle. It’s so much in the forefront of their consciousness that leadership is what we’re about here. It’s not an extracurricular or part-time activity.You don’t get extra credit for leadership. It strikes me it’s a deeply ingrained part of the culture.

Ryan Smith Photography

I met with a handful of kids and some teachers and administrators. ... they were just wonderful, wonderful people, and I thought who wouldn’t want to work with folks like this?

POWER: The big surprise for me has been how deeply the Culver students buy into the leadership model. Every school talks about how to develop critical thinkers, leaders and lifelong learners, but based on my conversations with students here, I think they really buy into it.

Power walks across campus with CGA junior Sobechukwu Uwajeh (Matteson, Ill.) and CMA second classman Benjamin Burns (New Carlisle, Ind.).

I also did my dissertation on character development in boarding schools, and who does that more intentionally than Culver?

20

WINTER 2016/17

I also think, in general, the culture here is fabulous. I remember listening to girls talk about their big sisters and how they want to be good big sisters themselves. The ethos of care that is already here is just a wonderful thing.

You can see it in the residential life program.You walk into a class and just watch the way the teachers treat the students. There’s just a remarkably high degree of care. Maybe that’s a Midwestern thing, but it just seems like a much kinder, gentler, “we’re in this together” kind of place.

Jan Garrison

Greeting a Naval School student following a Saturday evening parade in July.

CA:What are the differences in overseeing a single gender school and a coed school?

Mo Morales

POWER: There is no right model for everybody. I think some kids flourish in coed schools, while others are more comfortable in single gender environments. The nice thing about a place like Culver, because class sizes are so small, and because of the way we’re structured, I think the adults intuitively grasp that. I think the modern parlance is “differentiated instruction,” but it basically just means really caring for and understanding the individual.

“The ethos of care that is already here is just a wonderful thing. You can see it in the residential life program. You walk into a class and just watch the way the teachers treat the students.”

Power on the reviewing line with Capt. Mike Neller, Commandant of Cadets, during a Sunday parade.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

21

Head of Schools

Continued

I hope we can get to the stage where financial hurdles never block a good student from coming to Culver.

CA: After spending a dozen years living in Toronto (Upper Canada College), what did you pick up from your Canadian friends that can be applied here?

POWER:You know I’m proud to be an American like everybody else, and I love Canada, too. Canada is a fascinating place to live, in part, because of their approach to the French and English dynamic. It’s fascinating to see how a huge and important province like Quebec struggles for autonomy in the mix of a fluid confederation. That Canada looks at itself as being part of a Commonwealth and what does that mean in today’s world makes it all the more interesting.

For Canadians, process is a key concept. In twelve years there, I never heard one person say, “Let’s go with our gut on this.” There are so many different groups, and because of this profound sense of pluralism, people are very conscious about staying in their own lanes and never being aggressive

The Power family (left to right): Liam, Mary, Seamus (who was playing his final football game at Bowdoin College), Jim, Aidan, and Bridget. Patrick (on crutches) is in front.

I’d like to be associated with two important goals: one would be accessibility ... I’m also profoundly interested in issues related to character. in any way. It’s so much more than just being polite. They are such a measured people. This is a broad generalization, but Canadians in general pay attention to nuance, to the process, and they instinctively look at things from multiple lenses.

22

WINTER 2016/17

CA:What drew you to Culver?

POWER: I was here for an ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) conference right after they had built the library. It was during the summer, so there weren’t many Culver people around, but my memory for the last 25 years was just of how spectacularly beautiful the place was. I couldn’t leave the library. I just loved sitting on the soft chairs, looking out at the lake, and reading the newspaper. I just thought it was a spectacular spot.

I also did my dissertation on character development in boarding schools, and who does that more intentionally than Culver? So when the Buxtons announced they were retiring a friend of mine contacted me and said this is the place that does all the stuff you talk about all the time. There would be no better place for you than Culver. So I came here for a short visit eighteen months ago, and again was completely taken. It remains naturally, spectacularly beautiful, but this time I met with a handful of kids and some teachers and administrators. I don’t know if there is a Midwestern earnestness about them all but they were just wonderful, wonderful people, and I thought who wouldn’t want to work with folks like this?

CA:What’s the first thing you would like alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and the students to know about you?

POWER: Talking to alumni especially, I’d like folks to know I didn’t come here to be an instant change agent. Culver has managed to limp along quite nicely thank you, without Jim Power. I get that completely. I think my first job is just to understand the place.

The Power family also includes Peyton (left, named after Peyton Manning) and Jimmer (named after BYU basketball player Jimmer Ferdette).

I’d like to be associated with two important goals: one would be accessibility. We’re so fortunate that so many people have supported this school for so long. We have a wonderful financial aid program, but I’d love to make it even better. I hope we can get to the stage where financial hurdles never block a good student from coming to Culver.

I’m also profoundly interested in issues related to character. All schools have always been about knowledge and goodness, but the knowledge piece is a whole lot easier to measure than the goodness. I’d really like to do everything I can, with everybody else here, to help our students reach their potential, in mind, spirit, and body, so that they can bring some good to their families, their communities, and to the wider circle.

– Jan Garrison

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

23

Lew Kopp Photo.

Passing the Torch:

“For me, it was the mission statement. And the values kept” ­ – Ralph Manuel Retired Heads of Schools Ralph Manuel (left) and John Buxton (center) stand with Jim Power next to the Culver Covenant in the Legion Memorial Building.

24

WINTER 2016/17

Our Commitment to Mission and Values Only three men have served as the Culver Academies Head of Schools for the past 34 years. Ralph Manuel (1982-1999) and John Buxton (1999-2016) returned to Culver to participate in the installation of Jim Power on August 25. Prior to the ceremony, the three men sat down and talked about Culver’s past, present, and future with retired Dean of Faculty Kathy Lintner, who served with Manuel and Buxton. These are their thoughts:

A

fter more than 34 years, Culver Academies welcomed just its third Head of Schools to campus when Jim Power, Ed.D., was installed in August.

Prior to that Ralph Manuel and John Buxton each served 17 years in the position.

That consistency in leadership has kept The Academies stable since 1982, but when the three gathered in the Legion Memorial Building for a brief time prior to the installation ceremony, they each cited the Culver mission statement and the school’s adherence to its core values as the real reasons for this stability.

“For me, it was the mission statement. And the values kept,” Manuel explained while citing what attracted him to Culver. He also appreciated Culver’s approach that, ‘We are going to teach you things: teach you ways of thinking, ways of acting and reacting that will enhance your community, yourself, and this community. That is a life lesson that everybody should have.

“There are some ‘C’s’ that I think about: capability and competence,” he added, saying the students have always been capable and there is “no doubt that Culver teaches competence.”

Buxton said the student leadership system attracted him and his wife, Pam. When they came for a visit and talked with students, “the people we met were absolutely capable of handling himself or herself. They could handle the conversation. They cared about themselves and the school.”

But they also sensed a feeling of “unfulfilled potential.” The foundation was in place thanks to Manuel – the mission statement, the value system, and a professional board of trustees. With a touch of added confidence, they believed, Culver could become “the best in class.”

He likened the atmosphere in 1999 to a photo on the cover of a puzzle box.

The photo of Culver “was clear. Everybody got it.” The frustration was in not doing as well as they’d like to in making the pieces fit.

Likewise, Power said Culver was recommended to him by a colleague, who told him nobody does leadership better. When he visited, he was “taken by the people first. They were clearly who they are trying to be.”

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

25

Lew Kopp Photo.

Passing the Torch (continued)

Ralph Manuel (left), Jim Power, and John Buxton stand on the balcony of the Head of Schools office in the Legion Memorial Building.

The core values remain the same. Culver has the questions of “Who are we?” and “What are we about?” answered, he said.

The question of “How do we do it?” is one that is constantly changing in today’s world, he added. The primacy of relationships is a key component. “How do we maintain a small school feel?

Anything that makes us feel smaller is better.”

Culver has to be a place of the “old school values” of prudence, justice, moderation, and courage, Buxton said, but it must continue to evolve to show how those values are relevant today.

And each student needs to feel he or she is a part of “something larger than myself.”

Students often make decisions “in the moment,” Manuel added, and not wanting to disappoint somebody can be a strong influence. “That is why personal relationships are so important.”

– Jan Garrison

26

WINTER 2016/17

Culver has the questions of “Who are we?” and “What are we about?” answered. The question of “How do we do it?” is one that is constantly changing in today’s world

– Jim Power

A Day of Welcoming James P. Power, Ed.D., was officially installed as the 13th Head of Schools of Culver Academies during a special ceremony in Memorial Chapel August 23, and in less than an hour, he was welcoming 251 new students to campus during the annual Matriculation Ceremony.

Classes began the following day with 814 students from 36 states and 22 countries.

There are 468 boys and 346 girls.

Speaking at the Installation Ceremony, Miles D. White ’73, Chairman of the Culver Educational Foundation Board of Trustees, said Power had Culver’s “four vital assets” to rely on. First, he pointed to the school’s “versatile, talented, and committed faculty,” who he said will give Power their full support. Second, Culver is also blessed with “engaging and capable students” who are “already distinguished from their peers by their willingness to invest in their futures.”

Third, White said, Culver benefits from parents “who believe in a quality education for their children,” and in many cases are sending their children here “at considerable sacrifice.” Finally, White pointed to an alumni body at Culver “uncommon in its love of alma mater and

dedication to what we’re trying to do here.”

Retired Dean Ralph Manuel, who led Culver from 1982 to 1999, and John Buxton, who served as the Head of Schools from 1999 through June of this year, briefly spoke about their tenures and their belief in the Culver ideal.

Power talked of the impact R.F. Delderfield’s novel “To Serve Them All My Days” had on him three decades earlier. The story follows a British World War I veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (shell-shock) who is “gradually healed in the process of giving himself ” completely to the service of his students at a small boarding school.

“That theme is often hidden in plain sight,” Power said.

“That to find ourselves we often must lose ourselves in the service of others. After reading (that novel), it hit me that no other educational institution has the impact of a boarding school – there’s nothing quite like it.”

Of critical import, said Power, are relationships, and the sharing of stories. He added, “I hope we’ll have a chance to share our stories with one another.”

– Jeff Kenney

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

27

Shrek W

A Global Success

hen Richard and Marsha

Coven, Culver’s Theatre Directors, were considering what spring and summer musical to select for 2015-16, they thought about those which could provide a link between the Winter and Summer Schools and be theatrically magical for both younger and older audiences. Having seen the Broadway production and confirming its availability, Shrek the Musical and Shrek Jr. for Summer Camp were the unanimous choice.

The All-Camp play is the only venue in which both the Woodcraft Camp and Upper Camps have an opportunity to work together every day for six weeks, rehearsing and performing a play or musical together. This summer two Winter School actors from the spring production of Shrek, Ethan Carter (Donkey) and Katie Bevil (Princess Fiona) joined as coaches, working intensively with the actors and providing another link connecting the Winter School, Woodcraft and Upper Camps, a truly global alliance.

Campers come into the summer theatre program with a variety of different experiences and backgrounds: twenty campers had previous camp play experience while eleven campers were either new to Culver or to summer theatre. A grand total of 81 campers auditioned to be in the musical, with a record 31 campers winning acting roles and ten serving as stage crew members.

The diverse student body was well represented in Shrek, Jr. with eight international campers performing on stage, as well as domestic campers from seven different states. The camp play was also a family affair, with four sets of siblings participating: three sets on stage and one set on the crew.

The musical begins like this, “Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek…” the musical journey of an ogre who finds himself in pursuit of a fairytale princess. Throw in a dozen fairy tale misfits, a talking Donkey, the Gingerbread Man, an evil lord, tap dancing mice and you’ve got the kind of story that provides an enchanting experience for audiences young and old.

All Photos by Lew Kopp.

Bernardo Quintana ‘17, center, in the lead role as Shrek, with cast members in Shrek the Musical Top photo: Woodcrafter Drew Sellemeyer, right, as Shrek during the Summer Camp’s performance of “Shrek Jr.”

Winter School cast in the spring production of Shrek the Musical.

Middle photo: Amy Baldwin, Upper Camp Theatre Instructor, playing Pinnochio in Shrek, Jr.

The greatest challenge the theatre group faced was the brevity of time allowed to prepare for opening night. The 41 campers had only five weeks to learn the music, their lines, staging and dance numbers. During the summer, theatre takes place during a double period class time of 90 minutes, five days a week. According to Music Theatre International, the licensee for Shrek, Jr. a “60-minute show [should] budget 75 to 100 hours of rehearsal allowing 8 to 10 weeks.” The Wednesday evening that Shrek, Jr. opened in Culver, campers had rehearsed a total of 40 hours over the course of five weeks. This speaks to their hard work and dedication to putting on a quality production.

took seven crew members thirteen seconds to execute. Another impressive feat included maneuvering a twelve-foot long puppet across the stage. Dragon, the purple villain turned love interest to Donkey, took two campers and two adults to operate.

Two major stage roles came with their own interesting set of challenges. Drew Seddlemeyer, of Drum & Bugle unit, played the unlikely but endearing hero Shrek. To look the part of the green ogre, it took two hours to put on his stage makeup. The evil villain, Lord Farquaad, played by Matthew Dwyer of Drum & Bugle, spent the entire performance on his knees to achieve the character’s short stature. Matthew is currently enrolled as a Bandsman in Culver Military Academy.

There was just as much activity going on behind the curtain for the ten person crew as there was in front. Shrek, Jr. was a fast paced show and gave little rest to the stage crew.

Quinn Henkel, a Woodcraft camper, earned an end-of-camp ribbon for her work backstage, the first time that a member of the stage crew received such an award. The largest scene change

With such positive feedback from Shrek Jr., both the cast and crew are already looking forward to next summer. Their performance was truly a fairytale ending to a magical Culver summer.

Woodcrafter Matthew Dwyer is Lord Farquaad in the Summer Camps’ performance of “Shrek Jr.”

Alexa Murat as Young Fiona, Valeria Prida-Seifer as Princess Fiona, Alicia Aranguren as Teen Fiona in Shrek Jr.

– Kelly Rogers

SHOW YOUR COLORS

The Brun Brothers share life experiences from the classroom to the stage

Above: Michael ‘10 and Pascal ‘12 Brun taking a photo with the crowd just before Michael’s concert which capped the annual diversity day celebration.

All Photos by Mo Morales.

Right: The choir sings before Michael Brun’s diversity day concert.

S – DIVERSITY DAY Left: Pascal Brun in the middle of his Diversity Day speech presentation.

Right: Michael and Pascal conducting a Q&A with members of the Academies’ community.

FOLLOWING IN JEDI

Dante’s View in Death Valley National Park, used in Episode IV: A New Hope

Could learning to paint be anything like the journey of a young Jedi? For Culver Science Instructor David Lawrence, it may very well have been. “In (Star Wars) Episode IV, Luke is naive and foolishly brave... I guess I was like that when writing the grant,” said Lawrence. “Once I was awarded the grant, I realized that I had to learn to paint and show my paintings at some point, with fear and doubt, much like Luke had in his training,” Lawrence continued. “I think that this terrifying feeling that I have over whether my artwork will be acceptable or not is exactly how many students feel in my own classes.”

In his grant proposal, he wrote, “I have always been a consumer of knowledge when it comes to Star Wars information, generating ‘what if’ ideas and scenarios in my head but never conveying those concepts for others...I believe this experience will inspire me to share more of my passions and talents with others and hopefully inspire them to do the same.” Lawrence wanted to follow in the literal footsteps of Sander de Lange, who had completed his own journey of traveling to locations of Star Wars movie sets — work that was published in Galactic Backpacking articles on StarWars.com. Lawrence remembered that when writing the proposal, he came to the conclusion

32

WINTER 2016/17

that it would not be sufficient to find the locations and simply photograph them. He needed to paint them. He chuckled as he recounted his wife’s disbelief when he told her that he would paint the landscapes. His prior experience in visual arts only included technical drawing and Photoshop work.

A young Padawan apprentice must first seek out a Jedi Master.

Lawrence shared his idea with Fine Arts Senior Instructor Jack Williams. When Williams was asked about his first reaction to Lawrence’s plan to learn to paint in three months, he replied, “My first thoughts were that Dave had no understanding of how difficult it is to paint well, so I assumed his plan was doomed; though I didn’t tell him that.” Williams agreed to instruct Lawrence in a painting class, alongside Culver students. “… Dave was an exceptionally quick study. When I saw Dave’s aptitude for learning — the way he’s willing to suppress his ego in order to understand, to submit not to the teacher but to the absolute demands of a difficult medium — I began to reconsider my initial reaction.”

After receiving a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship and acquiring some painting skills, Lawrence set out on his proposed journey. “It was so neat to be where camera crews

FOOTSTEPS and actors had been.” Lawrence shared, “The first movie that I was ever taken to was a Star Wars movie, as a baby. I went to see Return of the Jedi when I was six.” He further explained, “As I got older, in high school, I got into movie-making and film-making. There was a lot of material on Star Wars...”

Williams taught Lawrence to mix his colors, using only red, blue, yellow, and white. Lawrence would arrive with his supplies at a site at around 5:30 in the morning in order to “beat the heat” and then return in the evenings to finish up. He did not visit any one site for more than four days. Lawrence said, “In the paintings, I really wanted to capture color and light — not just recreate the (photographs that I had).

I was trying to be an artist on location.”

When asked if he now considered himself to be an artist, he replied, “As far as being an artist, I would say that I enjoy art more and enjoy painting.

You could consider everyone an artist to some degree. I definitely don’t feel I have experience to solve all of the artistic problems that I encounter … I guess I am still on that journey.”

David Lawrence’s watercolor of Dante’s View

Clearly, Lawrence has had much to share upon returning to Culver. He has talked to his students about the summer journey, “about having no experience, about the anxiety of (being in) a new class, wondering if others know more than I do,” he said.

“I am trying to relate to how they might feel as students with their anxieties. I hope they get that and realize that.” He added, “The struggles that they go through, teachers can go through.

We have fears and doubts as teachers, as well.” Lawrence hopes that his project will encourage lifelong learning in his students. “It’s part of life. You want to keep learning,” he said.

Lawrence is currently adding scenes to the landscapes. When completed, he will have six paintings to share. He plans to present his project to colleagues and seek out a local venue to show the paintings. Lawrence will also hold a beginners’ painting workshop for interested students.

David Lawrence painting on location

– Kristen Counts, freelance writer

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

33

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS

Lt. Nelson B. Collett ‘12 was administered the oath commissioning him as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. See the complete story under the 2010s listing.

1940s

34

Law School grad, is a 1st LT in the US Marine Corps Reserve.

Chris Christ ’47 and his wife, Betty, were the subjects of a glowing and extensive article in the local newspaper in their longtime home of Battle Creek, MI. The “Community Heroes” feature details the Christs’ decades of service on local boards and foundations and in an array of charitable endeavors. The article notes that Culver “had a great influence” on Chris’ life.

Bill Ferguson ’47 reports he’s “still surviving pancreatic cancer after 11 years of local treatments plus clinical trial at Johns Hopkins,” and plans to attend his 70th reunion at Culver in 2017, and hopes most of his fellow 60th reunion attendees will also be able to make the event. Bill and his wife Dorothy live in La Crosse, WI.

Jeff Davis ’47 is leaving his home in Fort Smith, AR, to live with his son and granddaughter (age 9). Jeff, a `51 graduate of Northwestern and a `54 Texas

David Johnston ’47 and his wife of 59 years, Elizabeth, who moved from Maryland to their retirement home in Berrien Springs, MI, several years ago, says he plans to attend his 70th

WINTER 2016/17

reunion at Culver. The Johnstons have three children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Ted Akin ’49 and wife Gloria welcomed their first great-granddaughter, Madeline Jane Green, who was born April 21, 2015.

1950s Ken Csernai ’57, of Big Rapids, Mich., welcomes grandson Cohen in November, the son of Ken’s son Justin, an Indiana resident.

Dick Gessler ’57, who lives

with his wife, Sylvia Chang, in Honolulu, HI, reports that he’s “very blessed with a great life in retirement” and does cross‑fit three to four times per week to keep the “motor” running. He’s also “a full time trader of the markets to keep the brain going.”

Ed Haley ’57 and his wife Elaine recently made the move to Palo Alto, Calif., after four decades in Claremont, to be closer to grandsons Kyle (13) and Kip (10). “It has been the happiest of moves,” reports Ken. “Stanford is across the street and I took a course there winter quarter with my daughter, Blythe. There’s more golf that I

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS can manage and the boys come over to swim, play chess, and watch soccer. Most of all, we see them regularly: they’re growing fast. I think of Culver and Culver friends often and fondly.”

John Bauer III N’58 recently completed nine years as a Trustee of the Samba Financial Group’s UK Pension Scheme. In addition, he spent 38 years with international commercial and investment banks, of which 32 years were based abroad (Germany, Kuwait, Bahrain, U.K. and Qatar). He was honored for his work as Chairman, Republicans Abroad in Kuwait and Bahrain and has been active as a speaker at international conferences as well as regular trips to the Middle East, Europe and the USA. He and his wife Margot live in Nashville, Tenn.

1970s For Peirce Ward III ’71 W’65, and wife Kit, the term “Culver family” has multiple layers of meaning. The Wards recently announced, “with profound happiness,” the addition of granddaughter Culver Ivey Dana to our family. She was born at 4:32 p.m. Sept. 8, 2016, weighing in at 7 lbs and 20 3/4 inches long. “Mom and baby are doing well,” report the Wards, who live in Charlotte, N.C., “(but) husband is a bit weathered from the experience.”

Steve Cooney ’74 and his wife Teri are enjoying their 33 years of marriage in East Moline, IL, and recently celebrated the wedding of their daughter, Katie (a Senior Accountant for Kiesling and Associates in Madison, WI) to Jordan Stauber. Culver grad

uncles attending the festivities included Martin ’72, Allen ’79, and Cristian ’82 Cooney.

Callie Holland ’74 is enjoying 32 years (“and going strong!”) of marriage to husband David, at their home in Houston, TX. Two of their four children are married (and all out of college), and, she says, “the icing on the cake, I have a granddaughter and grandson. Nothing better!”

Tim Swaney ’74 H’71 writes that he’s a helicopter pilot for the Maryland State Police. “Got lots of flying experience at Culver’s Summer Aviation program between troop hikes,” adds Tim, of Pittsburgh, PA. Pete Collins ’77 W’72 and new wife Kathleen are enjoying marital bliss in Fairfax Station, VA, following their recent wedding at Chagrin Falls, OH, which was attended by his children, Macgregor and Keely, as well as his Culver roommate, Gil Bundy and his wife.

1980s Russell W. Sheaffer ’81 recently made the move from his past position of President of the Central region for Cummins Engine, to President of Komatsu dealer Road Machinery and Supplies (RMS) in Minneapolis, Minn. Russell spent more than 30 years with Cummins, serving starting in 1996 as Vice President ‑ Sales & Marketing at what was then Cummins North Central in St. Paul, Minn. He played an important role in the successful merger of Cummins North Central, Cummins Great Lakes and Cummins Northern Illinois ‑ forming Cummins N

Power, the first Joint Venture in the North America distribution system. He and his wife Victoria reside in Mahtomedi, Minn.

and husband Jack announced the arrival of her first baby, Lily George Tantleff, on June 10, 2016. The Tantleffs live in New York City.

1990s

Liz Kinsey ’06 is spending a year in Itaim, São Paulo, as part of a secondment with Pfizer as the Public Institutional Sales Manager for Brazil. She previously worked with Pfizer on the regional team for Latin America as the Regional Tenders Lead, explains Liz, “so this secondment is a great opportunity for me to learn the dynamics of working in a country to be more effective in future regional/global roles.”

She’s enjoying her time in Brazil and took advantage of an opportunity to attend the Olympics in Rio over the summer.

Maya Gruber W’92 and her husband Frank Gruber proudly announced the birth of their daughter, Alessandra Delphine Gruber, on July 13, 2015. The Grubers live in Chicago, IL.

2000s Michael Giannetti ’01 successfully completed coursework and exam to become a Certified Financial Planner CFP in May, 2016. Michael resides in Euless, TX. Alan Shaw ’04 W’00, currently on Broadway in Les Miserables, had the privilege of singing the National Anthem prior to the start of a New York Yankees home game against the Boston Red Sox in mid‑July. Shaw had returned to Culver in February to work with students as a visiting artist and perform a one‑man show. A 2000 Woodcraft Camp graduate, Shaw completed two years at Culver before transferring to the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Mich. Moving to Manhattan at age 17, he was the youngest student ever selected to attend the Circle in the Square Theatre School. Shaw performed in the off‑Broadway productions of Children of Eden, Big River, and The Sound of Music, then toured with the 25th anniversary tour of Les Miserables, prior to its opening on Broadway in 2014.

He resides in New York City.

Katy White ’06 W’03 shared the joy of her marriage to husband Jack on Aug. 27, 2016, with Katy’s sister Casey Johnson W’04 SS’07, who served as Maid of Honor, and several Culver grads in attendance. The Whites live in Chicago.

Lindley Bassett ’07 W’03 graduated from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Law on May 15, 2016. Her article, “The Constitutionality of Solitary Confinement: Insights from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” was chosen for publication in the 2016 volume of Health Matrix: Journal of Law‑Medicine. She also received a Pro Bono Recognition Award for providing over 50 hours of service to underserved communities. She is a graduate of Denison University and lives in Miramar, FL. Megan Millard ’07 graduated

Haley Swindal Tantleff ’04

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

35

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS

from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business (M.B.A.) in May, 2016, and is relocating from Greensboro, NC (where she worked for Procter & Gamble) to Seattle, WA where she’ll work in the Sports category of Amazon as a Senior Product Manager in the company’s Retail Leadership Development Program. Megan is an ’11 Vanderbilt University grad.

Branden James ’08 and his wife, Erika, announced the birth of their son, Waylen, on Aug. 22.

He weighed 10 lbs. 8 oz. and joins his big brother, Easton.

Branden is the new counselor for Battery B. Brothers Adam Shippey ’08 and M. Parker Shippey ’10 are working in the film and television industry in New York, with Adam (a 2012 Princeton grad) as an actor and stuntman, SAG/AFTRA, and Parker (NYU Tisch Film School ’13) in the camera and electrical department. They recently worked together on an episode of “Gotham,” Adam in front of the camera and Parker behind the scenes. Their amassing credits can be found online on imdb.

Bryce Newell ’08 was joined by a number of Culver alums for his wedding at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island June 6, 2015, to wife Jennifer. Among fellow Culver classmates in attendance were Elizabeth Molloy, Brenna Newell, Robert Molloy,Yoshi Takamura, Aaron Fletcher, Chris Hamm, Ari Grazien, Cameron O’Banion, Stephanie Gehring, Thomas Anderson, and Lauren Lavery. The Newells, who live in New York City, are expecting their first child in February.

2010s Madeleine (Gillingham) ’11 and Tyler Reeves W’04 N’08 welcomed their first child, Tyler James “Jay”Junior, on June 21st 2016. The two were married in August 2015 in The Culver Memorial Chapel, and live in Dayton, OH. An extensive article on the Pucks and Recreation hockey website (pucksandrecreation.com) reports on the Culver experience of Tyler Rostenkowski ’11 as the primary influence in his NAHL detour to serve at the Air Force Academy. Rostenkowski told the website he “loved it” at

The following is a list of new directors added to Culver Legion Board: Evan Heckman ’06 Howard Mosley NB ’75, ’77 Nick Ramtin ’05 Michael Rudnicki ’92 (Culver Clubs International Ex Officio) Andrea Weaks Tabler ’81

36

WINTER 2016/17

Culver and was reminded of his times here when he came to the Air Force Academy, adding he was “very comfortable with the military uniforms and the certain structure that goes on daily, and the potential to serve my country and give back to people who have given so much to me in my daily life was a massive factor to the reason I came here.”

Rostenkowski played with the now‑defunct Texas Tornado, Wenatchee Wild and Amarillo Bulls, during his four seasons in the North American Hockey League. His play in juniors drew the attention of college teams, and he was eventually recruited

by Air Force, where as a senior today he is an assistant flight commander.

Nelson B. Collet, W ’12 (Battery B) of Leawood, Kansas, a Princeton graduate, was administered the oath commissioning Collet ’12 a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army (USA) May 31

by Comdr. Jay R. Jennings II United States Naval Reserve (Retired), ’72 N ’70 of Mission, Kansas. The commissioning ceremony was held in Nassau Hall, Princeton University.

Observing the ceremony to the right of Lt. Collet, from left to right, are Lt. Col. Kevin McKiernan USA, Director of Army Officer Education, Princeton University; Gen. Mark Milley USA, Chief of Staff of the United States Army; and Dr. Christopher Eisgruber, President, Princeton University. Upon completion of advanced officer training, Lt. Collet will serve in the 69th Infantry Regiment (e.g., “The Fighting 69th”), New York Army National Guard.

Shaughnessy Lindquist ’13, of Pickerington, OH, recently graduated from Eckerd College with High Honors after three years. There, she received the Female Senior Scholar Award for having earned the highest GPA among female athletes.

Shaughnessy was an NCAA athlete for all three years and an Academic All American last year as a sophomore/junior, and will most likely earn that All American title again this year. She sailed for Eckerd College in the College Sailing Nationals earlier this year, and in August began an 11-month period working in Annecy, France.

Stuart Pomeroy ’13, of Glenview, IL, recently completed a summer internship position with J.P.Morgan Chase in downtown Chicago. He was part of the Renewable Energy Asset Management team in the Investment Bank branch of the company.

O UR SPO RT I N G A L U M N I

Left: Meeting in a lacrosse fall ball game were (from left) Dawson McKenzie, Riley Thompson, Ethan Walker, and Zach Currier.

for the 2010‑2011 season. The Providence Bruins qualified for the Calder Cup players four out of the five seasons that Dean served as assistant coach.

Our New CGA Head Hockey Coach

Old Home Week

Boston Bruin connections

It felt like Old Home Week when the Princeton and Denver men’s lacrosse teams met this fall in the inaugural game at William G Tierney Field at the US Lacrosse headquarters in Baltimore.

The dedication game honored Denver coach Bill Tierney, who also coached at Princeton from 1988 to 2009.

When the Boston Bruins opened the season this fall, it brought two former Culver Military Academy hockey players together, Kevin Dean ’87 and John Michael Liles ’99.

It also brought four members of the Culver Military Prep Lacrosse team together.

Ethan Walker ’16, now plays at Denver and Zach Currier ’13, Riley Thompson ’14, and Dawson McKenzie ’15 play at Princeton.

The People You Meet You never know the Culver connections you’ll run into. When Deanna Dilts ’11 was playing soccer at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., she ran into her old coaches: Harry Canellakis and Nate King. Canellakis is now coaching at McDonough School and King is coaching at Shattuck St. Mary’s. All three were part of the CGA soccer team that reached the final four in 2009. Dilts played collegiately at Marian College in Indianapolis.

Dean begins his first year as the head coach of the Providence Bruins, the American Hockey League affiliate of Boston, and Liles is beginning his first full year as a defenseman for the Bruins. He joined the team late last season as Boston made a run for the playoffs.

Dean, a former NHL defenseman, started his coaching career in 2006 when he joined the New Jersey Devils’ AHL team as an assistant and served as a coach there until 2011. He was head coach of the Trenton Titans of the ECHL

Jackie Wedster‑Kooistra ’03 has been appointed CGA Head Hockey Coach. Jackie has been very active in girls’ youth hockey in the Chicago area and national landscape.

She will also be teaching one of Culver’s LLL classes (Living, Learning and Leading) classes for the freshmen/4th classmen. Jackie and her husband Christopher live in Culver with their two children

Golfer of the Week Lauren Read ’16, a freshman at St. Mary’s College, was selected as the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s Women’s Golfer of the Week for her performance at the Hanover Fall Classic during the week of Sept. 6 through 11. Read, from Bremen, Ind., led her team to the tournament title, shooting a 77 on day two and finishing first in the tournament.

Rowing Championship

Pro Football Alum Juwan Brescacin ’11, currently of Mississauga, Ontario, is now playing pro football with the Calgary Stampeders in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, as of May, 2016.

Kevin Dean (left) and John Michael Liles talk during the Boston Bruins training camp.

James K. Green ’70 won the World Masters Rowing Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the 60-and-over age class. He finished in an unofficial world record time of 3:16 (tailwind aided). In August, Green and seven other members from the Palm Beach Rowing Association won the U.S. Rowing Masters national in the same age class.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

37

C U LV E R C L U B S I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Culver Club of Chicago members ended the summer in style by enjoying an evening at the Columbia Yacht Club. Pictured are President of the CCC Katherine Harper and numerous other members.

The Culver Club of Georgia enjoyed a reception at the historic Capital City Club in Downtown Atlanta featuring keynote speaker Katherine Dorsett Bennett ’90, an international writer for CNN.

Members of the Capital City Culver Club spent an evening at the historical Capital City Club for a social hour and update on recent Culver happenings.

The Culver Club of Culver enjoyed their yearly “Day at the Range” with instructor Ed Little.

At the Culver Club of Cleveland event, Jim Power chats with Lee Greene of Cleveland, a Woodcrafter who just completed his Bronze C this summer.

38

WINTER 2016/17

Looking for an event in your area?

December 5th The Culver Club of Indianapolis Culver History Event Columbia Club: Indianapolis, Indiana December 10th The Culver Club of Chicago Holiday Event Casino Club: Chicago, Illinois Above: Culver Club of the Carolinas enjoyed a Panthers pregame tailgate hosted by Libby & Alan Simonini ’71 this past September.

Pictured are Culver Club of Central Ohio leader Jenna Albers accompanied by Gus Hoster ’49 and the evening’s hosts Liz and Russell Bundy.

January 21st The Culver Club of North Texas Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo Event Fort Worth, Texas January 21st The Capital City Culver Club Inaugural Celebration Dinner National Museum of the Marine Corps: Triangle, VA February 10th The Culver Club of South Florida Palm Beach Lunch International Polo Club: Wellington, Florida

Graduates of the Naval “Super 2” Class of 1976 were back at Culver for Homecoming this summer for the 40th anniversary of their graduation from Culver Summer Schools & Camps.

February 24th The Culver Club of Southwest Florida Naples Luncheon Isle Yacht Club: Naples, Florida May 6th The Culver Club of Chicago Derby Day 2017 Event Arlington Park: Arlington Heights, Illinois Indianapolis was the first of three stops for Mary and Jim Power, Culver’s new Head of Schools. It was great to see so many alumni and alumnae, parents and prospective families turn out to meet the Powers.

We welcome all ages of alumni, parents and friends of Culver to attend our events. Please visit alumni.culver.org for more information on the events above and additional events to be scheduled in your area.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

39

Mo Morales photo.

IN MEMORIAM

Sam B. Cook W ’34 of Jefferson City, MO, died July 15, 2016. He served in WWII as a junior officer and later took on intelligence and counterintelligence duties, serving as aide-de-camp to General Townsley, Jr., commanding general of the XXXVI Corps.

His service in France, Belgium and Germany earned him the Meritorious Service Award. After earning a degree with honors in Economics from Yale, he joined the family business at Central Missouri Trust in 1950, assuming the role of President and CEO in 1961. Instrumental in forming Jefferson Bank and Central Ban-

40

WINTER 2016/17

company, he served as chairman of the Board for both since 1981, growing its assets to over $12 billion. Committed to his community and state, Mr. Cook became deeply involved in numerous corporate and civic boards, with a focus on affordable housing, environmental issues, architecture, higher education and the fine arts. He is survived by his wife, four children, eight grandchildren, one stepson and one step-grandchild.

Ira S. Jones N ’35, ’36 (Band) died February 9, 2016 at his home in New York City. He and his wife of 45 years,Vasso,

worked together in his private Ophthalmology office. Dr. Jones also served as a professor in the Ophthalmology department at Columbia University Medical Center and was a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons and the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

He retired at age 86. Dr. Jones is survived by his wife and son Ira N’60, ’62 (Co. B).

John D. Glab ’36 (Co. D) formerly of Dubuque, IA, died on July 9, 2016. He earned a degree in engineering from Iowa State College of Agriculture, and

then enlisted in the U.S. Army, stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii when the Japanese launched the surprise attack in 1941. He spent the remainder of the war in the South Pacific as Company Commander of the 389th engineering battalion, building airfields on Okinawa and Guam.

He was also sent to Korea before returning to the States. Duncan, as he was called, became the President of Morrison Brothers Company for 50 years before retiring in 1997. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, three stepdaughters, one stepson, eighteen grandchildren and nine step-grandchildren.

IN MEMORIAM Robert Schoenhof Weil, ’36 (Co. A) of Montgomery AL, died on October 25, 2016. Upon graduating from Dartmouth and the Harvard Business School, he served in the U.S. Army for four years, after which he joined the family cotton company, Weil Brothers-Cotton, Inc., rising to the position of Chairman of the Board, which he shared with his brother Adolph, Jr. He held a number of leadership positions in the cotton industry, including President of the American Cotton Shippers Association, and was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame.Very active in the Montgomery community, he served on a variety of philanthropic boards and earned high accolades for his service. He was also committed to education and the arts and served on 12 boards across the country. Mr. Weil is survived by his two daughters and one son, Robert Weil II, W’65, seven grandchildren, and eight greatgrandchildren.

Theodore S. Field, Sr. N’37, ’37 (Battery C) died on September 16, 2016 at his home in Studio City, CA. His theatrical skills as an actor, writer, producer and director of cadet stage shows began at Culver. He declined a scholarship to Northwestern’s Theatre program and opted to study at the Pasadena Playhouse instead. After graduation he moved to New York to become a “legitimate actor” but was called to duty in WWII, where a general who remembered him from his acting days at Culver recruited him to become the theatrical producer for GI shows in the Pacific theatre. After WW II, he and his brother Morry bought a small novelty hat factory that

became the Happy Cappers, which they parlayed into the world’s largest manufacturer of sport headwear. Their most famous creation was designing the famous Mickey Mouse hat with ears and becoming the exclusive manufacturer for 30 years.

Mr. Field was one of the earliest manufacturers to visit China and establish a working business relationship. He and his wife Joan were very active volunteers in the Studio City community Little League, Temple Beth Hillel and UCLA Law School, as well as being longtime members of Actor Equity and the Screen Actors’ Guild. He was also a dedicated Culver alumni booster and fundraiser, serving on the Legion Board, where he earned the Legion Service Award, and as an officer in the Culver Club. He returned to Culver in May 2012 as the only remaining member of his 75th class reunion and Grand Marshal for the Parade. Mr. Field is survived by his sons Ted, Jr. ’64, Jim ’66, Michael ’71, grandson Ted III ’92, and five great-grandchildren.

William M. Eisele N ’39 died on September 14, 2016 in Hot Springs, AR, at the age of 94. A graduate of the University of Arkansas Medical School in 1945, he was then commissioned as an officer in the Army Medical Corps, serving in Arkansas and Hawaii. After the war, he pursued a surgical residency in St. Louis and then a cancer residency at Sloan-Kettering in New York City, then returned to his hometown of Hot Springs, where he went into private practice with Frank Burton, establishing the Burton-Eisele Clinic. He was one of the first Board certified physicians in Arkansas. Dr. Eisele

worked tirelessly to serve his community, serving on many local and state medical society boards, as well as several arts, education and industrial commissions and boards. He was an avid global traveler, golfer, hunter, pilot, photographer and sailor. He is survived by one brother, two sons, and one grandson.

Otto J. Schlesinger Jr. N’39, ’43 (Battery A) from Hinsdale, IL, died on August 1, 2016.

He served in WWII as a 2nd Lieutenant in one division under General George Patton. He graduated from Purdue with a degree in mechanical engineering and worked for General Electric before joining the family business, AA Electric Supply, where he served as President.

Mr. Schlesinger is survived by his wife, three children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Robert L. Parker, Sr. ’41 (Co. C) of Tulsa, OK, died on July 9, 2016. While still a Culver cadet, he became the youngest person ever to become the World’s Open Skeet Champion, selected to be on the U.S. All American First Team in Skeet and to be inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame. After he graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Petroleum Engineering, he joined the U.S. Army where he served as an officer in post-war Germany. On his return, he joined his father in the Parker Drilling Company, learning the business from the ground floor up, ultimately becoming the owner. Under his leadership and vision, the contract oil and gas driller expanded internationally

and became known for its technological advances through a concerted research and development effort. The company became the first western drilling contractor to operate in China, Vietnam and republics of the former Soviet Union and now operates in more than 50 countries. Committed to his faith, his business, his family and community, Bob garnered countless awards for his service, including: Culver Man of the Year in 1981; U.S. Secretary of Energy’s Distinguished Service Medal; American Petroleum Institute’s Gold Medal; and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and Tulsa Hall of Fame.

Mr. Parker is survived by his son Robert, Jr. N ’64, and daughter Debbie, eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Marvin J. Williams, Jr. N ’41, ’44 (Band) died on December 10, 2014. He is survived by one daughter.

Robert Zerby Shreffler, ’42 of Chester,VA, died on September 24, 2016. After graduating from Culver, he enlisted as a Sergeant in the Army Air Corps during WWII, stationed in the Bahamas, where he was responsible for maintenance and communication for the U.S. Air Transport Command. He earned a degree from Juniata College in 1949. He had an extraordinary understanding of machinery and design. His career included working as a statistician at Owens-Corning, as an engineer at Thiokol Chemical, where he registered six patents relative to solid rocket propellants, and as a design engineer at Allied Chemical. Known for his passion to inspire others to learn, he tutored grade school children

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

41

IN MEMORIAM

who struggled with math and science, and was a docent at the local science museum for 17 years. In his late ’80s he was awarded his last U.S. Patent award for the design and fabrication of an efficient wood-burning residential fireplace insert. Mr. Shreffler is survived by one daughter, one son, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Robert Wetherill Copeland, ’44 (Co. C), died on June 3, 2016 in Bryn Mawr, PA. He is survived by his three children and three grandchildren.

Urban J. Schreiner H ’45 died on August 24, 2016 in his Orange County (Cal.) residence.

A native of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, he graduated from Dartmouth College, where he was in Phi Kappa Psi social fraternity, and the UCLA School of Law. An Army veteran of the Korean conflict, he conducted covert surveillance operations against foreign agents. He specialized in Municipal Water District Bond law, and was a highly regarded expert in this very specialized area of Law. In his early years as an Attorney in Los Angeles, he also served as Chairman of the Los Angeles Open Golf Tournament for the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce. He is survived by 3 daughters, including Julie Ramos-Cardenas (Rodrigo ’90), and one son, as well as 13 grandchildren. His wife Joan preceded him in death in 1986.

Charles C. Enyon, Jr. H’47 of Alliance, Ohio, died at home on August 28, 2016. After graduating from DePauw University with a degree in Economics, he served in the U.S. Army for

42

WINTER 2016/17

two years as Battalion Finance N.C.O. He then joined his family’s business, the Enyon-Guthrie Insurance Company. In 1967 he founded the Enyon Construction Company, building single dwelling homes and commercial buildings throughout eastern Ohio. He served his community extensively through volunteer work, service on the county council, Chamber of Commerce, planning commission, congressional liaison to Washington, DC for Association of Builders and Contractors, and several local boards and clubs. Mr. Enyon is survived by his wife, four daughters, and three grandchildren.

Philip R. Powell W ’47, ’47 (Band) of Greentown, IN, died on September 15, 2016. He served in the U.S. Army, after which he earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University. He worked at Delco Electronics in Kokomo for more than 40 years. He loved tennis, ballroom dancing and working on classic cars. Mr. Powell is survived by his wife, two daughters, one son, Mark W ’04, ’08 (Band), one stepdaughter and stepson, five grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

David F. Remensnyder N ’47 of Belleville, PA, died on February 2, 2015. He graduated from Grove City College with a degree in electrical engineering and worked for U.S Steel, Standard Steel and Penelec Steel.

After retiring in 1995, he dedicated his time to the Belleville Lutheran Church, Lions Club and zoning board. He is survived by his wife, four children and several grandchildren.

William M. Schlangen ’47 (Battery A) of Kenwood, CA, died on August 1, 2016. He is survived by his sons Charles N ’90 and William and a daughter Susan.

Roger Plumb Johnson, ’48 (Troop) of Carmel, IN, died on September 27, 2016. He attended Denison University but was called to serve in the Korean War, after which he finished his degree at Indiana University. He was a small business owner in West Lafayette until his retirement in 1991. Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife of 62 years, three daughters, two sons and eleven grandchildren.

Robert U. Nash ’48 (Co. D) of Anna Maria, FL, died on July 8, 2016. Bob met his wife of 67 years, Peggy, on his first trip home from Culver at age 14, and married her after graduating from Culver. He attended Youngstown State University and joined his father’s firm, the L.W. Nash Company, in East Palestine, Ohio, which designed and manufactured machinery for the metals industry. He retired in 1977 after serving as Executive Vice President. Mr. Nash had a lifelong interest in fishing and supported many conservation organizations. He is survived by his wife, four sons, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

James E. Hatch W ’49 of Terre Haute IN, died on October 9, 2015. He earned a degree in Film Production from UCLA and a Master’s in Literature from the University of Michigan.

He was an English professor at Indiana State University for 38 years, as well as being an accom-

plished playwright, photographer and documentary filmmaker.

He won awards for playwriting, photography and his films “Tor House: Lines from Robinson Jeffers” and “Jack London: The Sailor on Horseback.” Dr. Hatch is survived by his wife, two sons, one daughter and two grandsons.

Charles R. Johansen W ’49, ’54 (Co. D) died on July 1, 2016 in Oregon. He is survived by his wife Claudia; three sons and two daughters, and one stepdaughter, Genevieve Evans SS ’96.

James Creighton Thomas Rogers, Jr. N ’49, T ’51 of Naperville, IL, died on September 25, 2015. He is survived by his wife, sons James Creighton Thomas Rogers W’72, T ’77 and Martin, daughter Melinda SS ’78, ’80, Nancy SS ’77, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Orion F. “Budd” Treat N ’49 of Plymouth, IN, died on August 8, 2016. A graduate of Culver Summer Naval School, he returned to teach in that summer program. He earned an Accounting degree from the International Business College of Ft. Wayne.

“Budd,” as he was known, began his business career but took time out to serve in the U.S. Navy as the Captain’s Yeoman on the USS Des Moines, which cruised the Mediterranean in support of U.S. allies. He started a very successful business career with Yardley Bath Products but left it to pursue his dream of owning his own business. He opened Treats Squire Shop in Plymouth, which is still the anchor of the downtown area, added a second store in Columbia City and a Treats for Her in Plymouth.

RE M EM BE R I N G T H E FA MI LY Dennis Phillips, 66, of Culver, Indiana, formerly of Michigan City, died on January 11, 2016 in Culver, IN. He worked as a mechanic at the old Airport and later in Facilities.

Ruth E. Kline, 100, passed away peacefully on July 1, 2016 in Culver, surrounded by three generations of her family. Ruth married Wayne Kline in 1937. Ruth worked throughout her life, both on the dairy farm with Wayne, and later as a sales person at J.C. Penney and then secretary to the business manager at Culver Academies. Her legacy will live on through her children Robert, Carol and Patricia, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren which include two Culver grandchildren who are Culver Academies’ graduates Chris ’82 and Jenny ’84, great-grandchildren Maeve, ‘14, Frank ‘15, and future Culver graduates Patrick ‘17, and Nora ‘19.

Harvey Firari, 94, passed away on July 20, 2016 in Cazenovia, NY. Harvey served in the Air Force from 1942-46, with overseas duty in North Africa and Italy. He received his bachelor’s degree from Carroll College, a master’s from Northwestern University. Harvey taught English, History, Speech and Theatre at Culver from 1952-1987, coached tennis for 15 years and served as the chairman of the Fine Arts Department, and the Director of the Theatre.

He directed 90 plays during his tenure and was the author of 14 full length plays and two published books. Harvey was inducted into the Culver Academies Arts & Letters Hall of Fame in 2008. He is survived by his two children, Robert Allen Firari W’71 and Fairlie Allen Firari, ’74; three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Harvey was preceded in death by his wife Nancy in 1985.

Gladys G. Willhite, 84, passed away on August 5, 2016. Gladys was born in Somerset, KY, to Everett and Blossom Goggins of Somerset, the youngest of eleven children, who all preceded her in death. Gladys moved to Culver, Indiana in 1956, marrying Henry L. Willhite.

He and their son, Jeff Willhite, preceded her in death. Gladys is survived by two sons, Michael and Lee Willhite and a grandson, Zach Gates.

Jeanette A. Sanders, 84, of Culver, passed away August 7, 2016. After graduating high school, she married Jack L. Sanders, who

preceded her in death in 1999. After moving to Culver, Jan was a popular server in the Culver Inn and a Health Center aide for many years after the Inn closed. She was an active member of Grace United Church of Christ and the FinneyShilling VFW Ladies Auxiliary. Jan is survived by one daughter, Jackie Elliott, four grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.

Eugene Farris, 78, passed away at his daughter’s home in Dwale, KY, on August 17, 2016.

He worked in the Horsemanship Department until his retirement. He is survived by his wife, Violet; four sons, six daughters, forty-three grandchildren, sixty-two great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Donnabelle L. Bernhardt, 89, of Culver, passed away on August 28, 2016. After her graduation from Culver High School, she worked at Culver Military Academy in the public relations and accounting offices. She is survived by a son, Douglas; a daughter Deborah, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her husband, Charles, a former principal at Culver High School, preceded her in death.

Janice J. Carter, 87, formerly of Plymouth, passed away on August 29, 2016 in Culver. She worked at Culver from 1965-1993, when she retired from Culver Academy as the chief purchasing agent. Her husband “Bus” preceded her in death in 1998, as well as a daughter, Cynthia.

Jan is survived by one daughter and two sons.

Father Jeffrey A. Largent, 59, longtime priest of St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church in Culver and Culver Academies, passed away September 8, 2016. He completed college course studies at IUSB and then entered St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. He also studied at the North American College in Rome, Italy, and there worked as an altar server for St. John Paul II. Father Jeff was ordained to the Priesthood on August 4, 1984 in St. Matthew Cathedral, South Bend, where he was employed as a principal, teacher and parish priest.

Through the years he has been assigned and served in nine Indiana parishes, including an unprecedented re-appointment to St. Mary of the Lake ­— Culver. Fr. Largent also served as Chaplain of the Indiana State Police for many years. He is survived by his mother, Florence J.

Largent of South Bend, brother Steve Largent of South Bend, sister Nancy (Chuck) Largent-Campbell of Powell, Ohio, and David (Carol) Largent of Kennesaw, Georgia. Seven nieces and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by his father Arthur.

Peter D. Trone, 86, of Culver, Indiana, passed away on October 19, 2016. A native of Indianapolis, he attended Culver Military Academy Naval School, where he graduated as Midshipman Regimental Commander. He attended Butler University and Rollins College in Florida. During the summers between 1946 and 1948 Pete was a Woodcraft Counselor and Instructor between 1949 and 1951. In 1951 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and spent time in Germany until 1953. Upon his return from Germany, Pete worked in the family business, The Don Trone Shop. He continued his involvement at the Academy in 1953 and became Assistant Camp Director and Admissions Officer from 1962 to 1968 and Woodcraft Camp Director and Admissions Officer from 1969 to 1977. Pete was involved in Culver civic affairs for many years, serving on several boards and commissions. In 2004 the Culver Lions honored Pete as Citizen of the Year. Pete is survived by his wife, Bev, and stepson Bradd Geariety ’79.

Jennifer M. Davis, 64, passed away on October 26th from the devastating effects of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). She worked as a proctor in Beason Hall and other campus duties.

A graduate of St. Joseph’s College, she served as coordinator of the Allen County Democratic Party and married Charles Weaver in 1975. A respected career woman, she held positions in public relations and marketing, mostly in the health care industry, developing a program for expectant mothers and serving on several boards of directors such as the Starke County Community Foundation, Starke County Legacy of Women, and Marshall/Starke Development Center. Always civic minded, Jennifer helped develop a program for expectant mothers which became the first W.I.C. Program in Starke County, served on the Board of Directors for Starke County Community Foundation, Starke County Legacy of Women, The Broadway Theater League and the Marshall/Starke Development Center. Jennifer is survived by her two sons, two grandsons and six siblings.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

43

IN MEMORIAM

Budd was committed to numerous community clubs and organizations and was honored in 2012 with St. Joseph’s Medical Center’s Community Spirit Award. Mr. Treat is survived by his wife, three sons, and three grandchildren.

William Gerard Louis- Dreyfus ’50 (Co. C) died on September 16, 2016 in Bedford, NY. A billionaire businessman, art collector and father to actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, he was born in France and grew up in Paris.

His father was part of the French resistance in WWII and his mother was an American-born daughter of a Brazilian father and Mexican mother. Coming to America with his mother after his parents divorced, he graduated from Duke Law School and began a legal career in New York, eventually going on to serve as chairman of Louis-Dreyfus Energy Services. He also had a creative side and was a poet and served as chairman of the Poetry Society of America. He built an art collection with works of over 170 artists estimated to be worth $50 million. He donated a large portion to the Harlem Children’s Zone, which supports underprivileged children. He also opened his own gallery to support causes like the Bedford Hills Free Library and Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund. Mr. Louis-Dreyfus is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Joseph F. Hampton, Jr. ’50 (Band) died on July 17, 2016.

He is survived by two sons.

John Hutcheson McDonald N’47, ’51 (Co. B) of Atlanta, GA, died on February 23, 2016.

He attended the McCallie

44

WINTER 2016/17

School before coming to Culver Military Academy, earned a bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and received an MBA from Harvard Business School. He was an independent investment banker, most recently in Atlanta.

His strong interest in improving education led to his involvement in several philanthropic causes, including Year Up Atlanta, McCallie School, Boys and Girls Club and Peachtree Presbyterian Church. Mr. McDonald is survived by his wife, three children and four grandchildren.

John F. Pohle ’52 (Co. D) died on July 27, 2016 in Carlsbad, CA. He served in the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam during the Tet offensive. He was a master scuba diver and worked as a research diver with his wife, Mary, and Dr. Eugenie Clark of the University of Maryland, observing and documenting reef fish. In 1997 he discovered a new species of deep dwelling sand tile fish in Papua, New Guinea, which was named in his honor, Hopolatilus Pohle. He logged 2,290 lifetime scuba dives, most recently at 80 years old at 140 feet in Fiji. Mr. Pohle is survived by a son and two grandchildren.

William Edward Maine II W’49, H ’53 died on October 9, 2016 in Youngstown, Ohio.

He attended Kiski Academy and Culver Military Academy.

William was an engineer with the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and then started his own auto body business, becoming known as “the Dent Man.” He was an avid water and snow skier and won many trophies.

Mr. Maine is survived by two sisters.

William S. Smith ’53 (Troop A) of Manchester, N.H., died on August 30, 2016. He is survived by his wife, one son and three daughters.

J. David Johnson N ’54 of Evansville, IN, died on September 19, 2016. He served in the U.S. Army and then graduated from the University of Evansville.

He retired from Kraft General Foods after 22 years and spent his retirement in Florida before returning to his hometown in 2004. Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife, two sons and two stepsons, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren.

Harry George Northey ’54 (Troop) of Minden, Nevada, died on July 13, 2016. He was originally from Waterloo, IA, where he spent his summers at Camp Vermilion for Boys; later he worked there as a counselor and canoe guide, taking campers into the Quetico, Crane Lake and Boundary waters areas. He and his wife Linda settled on Lake Vermilion for 10 years before relocating to Nevada to be closer to family.

John L. DeVault ’55 (Band) of Houston, TX, died on August 24, 2016. His life epitomized “the zeal to dare,” never giving up and challenging and encouraging others to pursue the next adventure. He earned a degree in Chemistry from Case Institute of Technology and later a degree in Mathematics from Mac Murray College. He also received his private pilot’s license at the Illinois Institute of Aviation.

After taking a cargo ship to

France, he found a job as a seismic computer specialist, which began a 50 year career as an exploration geophysicist, spanning every continent but Antarctica. This included finding important oil and gas discoveries in Australia, Alaska and Peru; mapping the Australian Outback; surviving two plane crashes and one hijacking; working for a French geophysical instrumentation manufacturer and propelling the brand to world class status; and serving as a gas and oil operator, consultant and board member for various companies.

His passion for educating young people led him to serve on the Culver Legion Board, Houston Culver Club and the Advisory Board of the Honors College at the University of Houston. He also loved to entertain guests with the “the ceremony of the table”- good food and good wine. Mr. DeVault is survived by his wife, two sons, and six grandchildren.

Richard C. Fye ’55 (Troop A) died on July 27, 2016 in Schaumburg IL. He worked for many years in his family’s printing business and owned and showed horses throughout his life.

Richard E. Rhoads N’56 died on August 26, 2016 in Monticello, FL. He is survived by one son and two daughters.

Lewis A. Portnoy N ’57 of Canton, MO, died on July 17, 2016. After pursuing his education at Menlo College, Columbia University and Washington University, Lewis became a commodities broker for nine years, then bought a camera, which changed his life.

He said that all he ever wanted

H ARV EY F I R A R I : A R E M E M B R ANC E The Fall of 1968 featured a number of dazzling events at Culver, of which three stand out for me: 1) the opening year of the unified Fine Arts Department chaired by Arthur Hughes; 2) the opening season of Harvey Firari’s long tenure as Culver’s Director of Theater and 3) Harvey’s choice to begin that year’s Concert Series: The “Electric Circus!”

The latter was a show based on the psychedelic disco music featured at a popular Manhattan nightclub of the late ‘60s and it represented nothing less than a “giant splash” to announce that a colorful new season and a new director had arrived! Harvey was already an established member of the Culver faculty by then (for some 16 years), but this new appointment placed him at the top of his game as a dedicated theater person – a position he would exercise with grand panache for the next 18 years.

Harvey was an “original” in nearly every respect, not the least of which was his keen ability to sense the ironies and the pathos of the human condition, and to portray these with his characteristic, often savage, wit. I like to think of him as a soul brother to Kurt Vonnegut, representing a similar generation and experience (both were World War II veterans), and similar interests as detailed in their writings. True, Harvey didn’t attain world renown with his plays and later writings, but in the smaller worlds of Culver and Cazenovia, N.Y. (where he spent his later years), he definitely “marched to the beat of his own drum,” and left some wonderful memories in his wake.

I became acquainted with Harvey a few years into his tenure as Director of Theater, when I volunteered as a faculty assistant for the Eppley productions. Working with him and Gordon Uyttebrouck, another amazing Culver “original,” I learned the ropes of stagecraft, set building,

and the process by which a playwright’s words on a page become a fully realized slice of life.

Harvey had a special talent for casting his shows, offering innumerable students the opportunity to shine as they perhaps never had before. On a few occasions, a student would need to drop out of a show due to low grades or a disciplinary infraction. One such event happened during a production “Dark of the Moon,” a play based loosely on the folk ballad “Barbara Allen” and set in Appalachia. Harvey suggested I step into the vacant role — just a few days before the opening! I stammered, “Buh-but I can’t learn the lines or develop a character that quickly — how can I even think about this?!” His response was characteristic: he tossed me a lady’s fur muff (from the props room), and said, “No problem — you can tuck your script into this and pretend it’s a coon you’ve just shot. The audience will never know.” By all accounts, it worked!

National Book Critics Circle. When the digital age arrived in force, he moved to the Internet by establishing a wide network of email correspondence with friends, along with a lively blog, “Small-Town,” which detailed the local goings-on with his characteristic irony and wellhoned wit. He continued the blog after moving to Cazenovia, NY, in 2004 to be close to his daughter Fairlie & her family — only reluctantly giving it up as his eyesight declined eventually into blindness.

School year 1986-87 represented another major transition for Culver, as well as for Harvey and for me: this was Harvey’s decision to retire in mid-year. By that time he was wearing two hats: Director of Theater and Chair of the Fine Arts Department, both of which needed to be filled in the midst of the usual chaos of a Culver academic year. Christy Mendoza arrived from New Mexico to take over as Director of Theater, and I was named as Fine Arts Chair — also moving into a newly evolving position to oversee the technical aspects of Eppley productions.

Initially, Harvey and his wife Nancy had contemplated moving to New York (where she was from originally), but sadly, her death the previous year meant a reconsideration of the options. After selling his house and most of his furniture, Harvey bought a snazzy white pickup truck, and decided to head south to Key West, where he spent one (winter) season before deciding to return to Culver!

Here he spent the next 17 years living the “poster guy” life of an active retiree, staying active on his ever present bicycle and the tennis courts with other retirees; also continuing his literary interests as a book reviewer for the

In late Fall of 1986, shortly before he retired, Harvey presented the Fine Arts Department with a framed photograph taken of himself with his bicycle, standing next to his pickup truck. On it he wrote this caption: “The poet e e cummings once wrote, ‘Listen, there’s a hell of a good universe next door — Let’s go!’ Your time has not yet come, but mine has — Ta Ta!” Harv Rest in Peace dear Friend!!

David R Sampson Bloomington, IN. August 2016

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

45

IN MEMORIAM

on a business card was “Photographer.” A successful athlete and artist, he began photographing the St. Louis Blues which expanded to all levels and types of sports, as well as corporate work.

His legacy of work is included in halls of fame for hockey, baseball, tennis, golf, rodeo, skiing and the U.S. Olympics. He is survived by his companion of 43 years, their three sons and two grandchildren.

John W. Flannery H’59 died on March 24, 2016. He is survived by a son Brian N ’91.

Donald B. Houder ’59 (Co. D) of Ft. Pierce, FL, died on April 14, 2014. He is survived by two sons and one daughter.

Robert W. Glaze ’60 (Band) died on September 16, 2016 in Indianapolis. He was better known as “Cowboy Bob,” who hosted the children’s variety show “Chuckwagon Theatre,” which later became “Cowboy Bob’s Corral,” airing from 1970-1989. He has deep roots in Culver going back to 1955, when the Glaze family moved from Oklahoma so his mother could take a secretarial job in the Academy Business office. While a cadet, Bob Glaze participated in choir and played the trombone in the Band, besides roles in Culver theater performances.

His first appearance on WTTV television was as a guest on Jack Noel’s “Happy Valley Show” in 1963. By 1969, Glaze had developed his famous cowboy persona, first appearing in January, 1970 as “Cowboy Bob” on the “Chuckwagon Theater” TV show. His own program featured a host of iconic regular characters but the center of the show was “Cowboy” Bob, whose focus

46

WINTER 2016/17

was on educating children about safety and animals. The show was cancelled in 1989 after 20 years on the air. Glaze continued through to make frequent personal appearances, most recently performing at the 2016 Indiana State Fair. “Most of the ‘kids’ that come to my appearances are 40 something now,” Glaze told Bannergraphic.com in 2014.

“They’ll say, ‘We grew up with this guy,’ and I respond, ‘That’s good because I never grew up.”

“Cowboy Bob” is survived by his wife.

David M. Garrison ’61 (Co. B) died on September 2, 2016 in Springfield, MO. A graduate of Southern Methodist University with a degree in mechanical engineering, he worked for Ralston Purina Corporation and later as a real estate agent, vice president and broker for Carol Jones Realtors.

After retirement, he continued on as a tour guide, coordinator and advisor for many new and seasoned agents. Mr. Garrison is survived by his wife, four children, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Timothy Kenneth Strothman N ’62 of Rochester, MI, died on October 3, 2016. His career was spent brokering leases in the oil and gas industry. He could always be found at the Annual Petroleum Club outing. He loved life and enjoyed traveling, music, dancing and cooking.

Mr. Strothman is survived by his daughter, Traci, stepdaughter Tifiany Walker ’92 (Court) and son Troy, as well as six grandchildren.

George Keith Elmund W ’59, ’63 (Co. C) passed away at home in Fort Collins,

Colorado, on September 19, 2016. He attended Colorado State University, earning a BS in Microbiology and served six years in the Air Force and Air Force Reserves, earning the rank of First Lieutenant. He earned a PhD in Environmental Microbiology from Colorado State University in 1977 and worked for the City of Fort Collins Utilities as the Environmental Services Manager until the time of his death. During that time he managed two laboratories and served as mentor to countless young scientists and colleagues, as well as serving on research committees for graduate students at Colorado State University.

He was also a talented musician and played violin for the Front Range Music Guild and other local groups, as well as composing his own pieces, which he enjoyed recording in his home studio. Mr. Elmund is survived by one sister, three nieces and two grand-nephews.

Alan Robert Hutson ’63 (Co. B) died on September 30, 2016 in Greensboro, NC. He is survived by his wife and one son.

Robert C. “Chips” Lindt ’63 (Co. D) of West Dundee, IL, died on July 9, 2016. He was employed in sales and manufacturing jobs and started his own business, Dairy Home Delivery.

Later in life he drove a bus for special needs children. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and two grandchildren.

Robert G. Kellam N’61 ’65 (Co. E) died in Raleigh, NC, on August 5, 2016. His grandfather, Col. Leroy Kellam, was a longtime staff member as Dean of Guidance and Dean of Studies at Culver Military Academy, serving

from 1918 through 1953. After graduation from Culver, Robert earned a business degree from Yale and an MBA from Duke.

For over 30 years he worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air Quality and Standards and retired as the Associate Director of Information Transfer and Program Integration Division.

In retirement he switched his focus to sustainable agriculture on a 60 acre farm he inherited from his Grandfather Richardson, where he raised 40 organically grown fruits and vegetables. He was tireless in promoting public education about wildlife and nature conservation, writing books and videos, serving on boards and volunteering. Mr. Kellam is survived by his wife and one daughter.

John Foster Armour N ’66, a lifelong resident of North Canton, OH, died on October 9, 2016. He served proudly for six years in the Navy during the Vietnam War, earning the honor of becoming a Golden Shellback.

He worked for 30 years at Republic Steel and then several more at RPG Industries, then finishing his career as a real estate agent.

His two passions were golf and making homemade wine. He is survived by his wife, one stepson, three nephews and two nieces.

James D. “Buddy” Doenges ‘66 (Troop) of Bartlesville, OK, died on August 2, 2016. After earning a degree in business from Southern Methodist University, he worked for auto dealerships in Dallas and in Austin, where he sold Willie Nelson his first Mercedes. He and his wife Pearl owned a successful Austin restaurant named the Waller Inn.

In retirement, Buddy returned to Bartlesville and assisted with the family’s auto dealership and ranch. He is survived by two daughters, two brothers and four grandchildren.

Sanford E. Rosenberg W’63, NB ’66 died on May 24, 2014 in Carmel, IN. He earned a degree in Music from Indiana University, and studied computer programming for two years after college. He worked for 33 years at Majesco Mastek as a computer programmer. An accomplished musician, he played in a band, was a classical pianist and sang with a barbershop quartet.

Mr. Rosenberg is survived by one sister, one niece and one nephew, and six great-nieces and great-nephews.

Peter B. Stander W ’67, NB ’69, ’72 (Band) died on August 5, 2016 in Cincinnati, OH. Scott Dyer McKee’69 (Co. B) died on September 28, 2016 at his home in Butler, PA. He worked as a Human Resources Manager for GENC and was a dedicated volunteer for the Kairos Prison Ministry, where he served as Financial Secretary. He enjoyed reading, singing, cooking and traveling with his wife.

His father, Ralph, was a N’42 attendee. Mr. McKee is survived by his wife, one daughter, one adopted daughter, two sons, two grandchildren and one adopted grandson.

James G. Napier W’70 of Culver, IN, died on August 22, 2016. He worked for Biomet in Warsaw. He is survived by his wife, one daughter, two sons, three stepchildren, seven grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Thomas Richard Pabich N ’68, ’72 (Band) of Hinsdale, IL, died on October 1, 2016.

Fritz W. Musser W 85, ’93 (Battery A) died on August 2, 2016.

Phyllis J. Reid SS ’71, ’73 (West Lodge) died on August 2, 2016. She is survived by her mother.

Kimberley B. Roark W’85, ’90 (Benson) died in Lexington, KY, on July 14, 2016.

Peter Y. Bromley ’74 (Battery A) died on September 2, 2016 in Jacksonville, FL. His great love was adventure and strategy games.

He and his brother Darwin amassed an extensive collection of early adventure games, war games, role playing and collectible card games, which they donated to the National Museum of Play for use by future researchers and gamers. After graduating from the University of Chicago, he, his brother and other gamers founded Mayfair Games, Inc. in 1981.

Peter attended to the high quality of the products and financials but was also involved as a game designer, developer and sales. He was a constant in the company until this year. He loved to travel and play other gamers. Peter was also a great animal lover. He is survived by his mother, three brothers and six nieces and nephews.

Janice C. Vaughn L’74 died on September 16, 2016 in Indianapolis, IN. She graduated from Purdue University. She is survived by her husband, a daughter, a son and two grandsons.

William J. Schnarel ’77 (Co. A) died in Fort Worth, TX, on August 14, 2015. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and met his wife, Deborah, while in Chef School. Computers and programming were his passion; he did work for Legoland, Cattle Ranchers, IBA and the Republican Party. He is survived by his wife, daughter and two sons.

Thomas E. Loughlin, Jr. ’93 (Battery A) died in Tampa, FL, on September 10, 2016, of drowning. He graduated from North Carolina State University and worked as a Certified Financial Planner at Independent Financial Solutions. He was a member of Idlewild Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and teacher. An avid outdoorsman, he was also a member

of the Advancement Committee for Tall Timbers Research Station and the Land Conservancy. He is survived by his wife and six children.

Ruben E. Jaen W ’99, N ’02, ’05 (Co. C) died in Miami, FL, on July 10, 2016.

Matthew E. Fuller ’09 (Co. B) died on July 5, 2016. He attended Western Kentucky University. Matthew is survived by his parents, brother and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Frank Newton Anderson IV ’12 (Battery C) died on October 6, 2016.

C OR R E C T IONS It’s John, not Tom Thanks to Raymond Dewey ’62 for pointing out an error concerning our mistakenly referring to Thomas Dewey in the last Views & Perspectives. It is John Dewey who is considered to be a leading educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Thomas Dewey, of course, was the governor of New York State, and the subject of the 1948 “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline in the Chicago Tribune.

Wrong name A short story in Faculty and Staff Notes had the incorrect married name for Emily Thews-Baldridge ’06. She is director of Financial Aid and Analytics for the Admissions Office at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. She is also the head girls basketball coach.

Location change John F. Cooper ’68 points out that our obituary for James R. Winchester W’55, who died April 11, 2014, incorrectly stated that Mr. Winchester died in Pendleton, Ore. Instead, he passed away in hospice care in Charlottesville, Va.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

47

THE FINAL WORD

Restoring a landmark on Vonnegut’s ‘Aegean Sea’ Culver alums preserve the architectural legacy of a Maxinkuckee literary legend The labors of a group of mid-’90s Culver alums to preserve one of the Lake Maxinkuckee childhood haunts of legendary novelist Kurt Vonnegut Jr. have made waves across Indiana and beyond, including the work of another grad who incorporated the story into an award-winning documentary film.

The 1890 home of Clemons Vonnegut, Jr., at 814 East Shore Drive in Culver, was one of several owned by various members of the well-known Vonnegut family of Indianapolis, and was a cherished part of the childhood of the late author, who called Lake Maxinkuckee his “Aegean Sea” and his “Eden lost,” a hallowed mix of communal family life and natural beauty which he said informed much of his later literary work.

The house was slated for the wrecking ball when a `94 alum (who wishes to remain anonymous) suggested to fellow grads from the same era that they partner to preserve a bit of cultural and architectural history. Among them: George Birrel 93 SC89 W88, Josh Clemons 95 NB93, David Karst 95, Jack Lewis 94, Rick Mehl `95, Dr. Fegus Peacock 95 W91, Brad Pick 95, Adam Stockton 95, and a `94 grad who wishes to remain anonymous. Lindsey Pick ‘95 continues to serve as Property Manager at the house.

Work took place during 2013 and 2014, with great emphasis placed on restoring the house as closely as possible to its 1890s specifications, while also maintaining focus on ecological aspects of the work such as installation of geothermal heat and proper stewardship of the lake shore.

The result is a rental house (vonneguthouse.com) which has garnered praise from groups like Indiana Landmarks, a preservation award from Marshall County-based Wythougan Valley Preservation Council, and a flurry of media attention. That includes an online video film shot at the house, “No Deodorant in Outer Space,” which includes Mehl in interviews alongside Culver Academies Museum curator Jeff Kenney, detailing Vonnegut’s connection to the area and relationship to the school.

The project also led another grad, Kevin Finch ‘75 NB ’75, to bring the story to a much wider audience. Finch, a television journalist who has covered national-scale events through the years, drew on his past as a TV news director in Indianapolis to discuss with Indy-based PBS affiliate WFYI-TV a documentary project on Kurt Vonnegut’s Indiana roots.

The resulting film, “A Writer’s Roots: Kurt Vonnegut’s Indianapolis,” debuted in 2015 and included a segment beautifully shot at Culver, both on campus and at the house itself, telling

48

WINTER 2016/17

the story of the impact of the local culture on Vonnegut’s life and work.

“Here’s a kid who grew up with the culture of Culver all around him,” says Finch, who teaches full-time at Washington and Lee University. “(He) was obviously sort of a non-conformist kid and not into the military lifestyle, which is ironic since he volunteered for the Army during the greatest war of all time and saw combat.” “(I was excited) to have an opportunity to be part of a project like this,” says Josh Clemons, “and then for it to be in proximity to (Culver) grounds I hold so dear – and then in conjunction with my best friends…and a fourth layer is the Vonnegut connection, with him as such a cultural figure. Even if it’s a gamble and a risk…there’s enough there that I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve got to do this.’”

Renovation of the house, says Clemons, was “not all smooth sailing” (that process was documented in a book, “Renovating Vonnegut,” by a member of the crew who handled the work, Sarah Handyside), but one unexpected set of results were the bonds formed among Culver grads involved.

“We all talk a lot more and have seen each other more in the last four years since this project started than in the last 15 years combined,” says Clemons. “Most of us are parents now, too, so now we’ve got our kids coming, being able to explore the campus within walking distance, and becoming friends with each other.”

– Article and Photo by Jeff Kenney

I grew up in a family that gave, not only because they could, but because they felt others deserved the same fortunes that benefited them. We have all heard “Give ’til it hurts,” and then I learned, “Give ’til it feels good” makes more sense.

Culver giving makes more sense, too. Those before us gave, enabling each of us to have our own experience. What we learned, where we played, how we grew was because of their legacy and … wait for it … their giving! It is the least we should do, to again provide for someone else’s future (and trust me, we benefit as well), today, tomorrow, always.

I often tell the story of my two children. My son Blake, who is older, went to Summer Specialty Camp, enjoying every bit of it, and brought others with him.

Winter school was not a good fit at the time for him. My daughter, Skylar, asked me why I never asked her about going to Culver but provided the opportunity to her brother. I mentioned, “Because I love him more??” to which she darted back “O.K., I accept that, but as a father and a Culver man, you owe your daughter that same opportunity.”

Two days later we were at Culver for the “formal” visit. As we flew home, I told her the 24-hour rule applies: wait at least a day to process before making a decision. I found out three hours later when we arrived home that she had already spoken with her mother, Paula, explaining “I belong there and I don’t want to look back and think what if I don’t take this opportunity.”

Fast forward—she graduated Class of 2014 (CGA).

Pamela Christiansen Director of Planned Giving Pamela.christiansen@culver.org (574) 842-8181

We are steadfast in our annual gifts to Culver and also have included Culver in our estate plans so others will have the same experience learning, same growing.

If you have attended Culver, you already understand why we give and invite you to do so as well.

It is what we do!

Paula & Scott B. Gross (Troop A) Class of 1968 Akron, OH

Culver Alumni Magazine

The Culver Educational Foundation 1300 Academy Road Culver, IN 46511-1291

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

“Time lapse of the night sky over Woodcraft Camp” Photo by Lew Kopp