A-Mag, 2009 Fall/Winter

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Fall/Winter 2009

Riding into the Future Celebrating a new era of Culver horsemanship Remembering Frank Batten ’45 • Museum & Gift Shop Opens


Photograph by Lew Kopp ’71.

Ceiling of the Huffington Library, second floor.


Culver

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Contents

Q&A

A

with Robie Vaughn and Jud Little

Horsemanship Campaign Committee Co-chairs and major donors to the horsemanship program, Robie Vaughn ’74 and Jud Little ’65 share why they feel so strongly about giving back to the program that gave so much to them, and to others.

page The Riding Hall: Through the years . . . and into the future

27

page

Former Director of Horsemanship Jeff Honzik W’60, H’65 explains the equestrian facility of the past, while freelance equestrian writer Sharon Biggs Waller shares how the newest innovations make life easier for horses, riders, and stablehands.

‘Exemplars of the Program’

page

36

The induction of 11 alumni and faculty/staff in the Horsemanship Hall of Fame provided the perfect capstone to a weekend of Culver horsemanship. The Class of 2009 inductees includes polo players, coaches, teachers, breeders, trainers, and owners.

24

Departments 2 4 10 16 20 40 47 54

Letters to the Editor Views & Perspectives A Splash of Summer Eagle’s Eye on Academics Fall Sports Roundup Alumni Class News Passings in Review And One More Thing . . .

ON OUR COVER

2009 Summer/Fall

into Ridingtu re the Fu g a new era Celebratin manship of Culver horse

en ’45 Frank Batt Remembering

• Museum

& Gift Shop

Opens

Trooper Craig Denker ’12 (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia) and Equestrienne Tayler Ferguson ’12 (Warsaw, Ind.) will be able to enjoy the new stable and renovated riding hall until they graduate in June 2010. However, in the years ahead, hundreds of Academies and Summer Camps riders will benefit from the improvements provided and funded by their equestrian predecessors. Photo by Gary Mills.

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


Letotttehers Editor

Of Elliott and V-J Day Congratulations on the most recent issues, particularly the biography of Col. Elliott and the other material (Spring/Summer 2009).

DigitalVault to the rescue I found the article on Col. Elliott (Spring/ Summer 2009) interesting for a couple of reasons. One, I was at Culver at the time of The Vedette article (July 28, 1961). Secondly, I recognized many names included in the final promotion (make) article on the front page. I was hoping you might direct me to a Culver source that would have access to copies or an electronic copy of this Vedette publication so that I might relive those days and Culver historical events. Culver represented an experience that will be always with me. My Culver ring shows wear, but is often recognized in a crowd! Anthony D. Nolan N’61 Grand Rapids, Mich. (Editor’s note: Anthony, there is a great avenue already in place for you and fellow alumni to access past issues of The Vedette, Roll Call, The Quill, and Culver Alumni Magazine. It is a readable, searchable electronic data base called the DigitalVault (digitalvault.culver.org). You can browse decades worth of complete publications, and also search for specific names, words, and phrases. Full access requires a user name and password, and you obtain that by visiting the website. Enjoy!)

It reminded me of what happened in the Mess Hall on V-J Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Superintendent Col. Gregory was on extended active duty and Col. Elliott was acting in his place. Either at lunch or dinner, while the regimental staff stood, we sat at attention awaiting the reading of special orders. After being put “at ease,” we were surprised when, instead of being commanded to rise, the regimental adjutant announced: “. . . the following information from Washington is hereby reported: General Douglas McArthur’s headquarters has just announced that the Imperial Japanese government has unconditionally surrendered.” There was a tremendous outburst in the Mess Hall. Hats, butter pats, silverware, and some dishes were tossed in the air. Sabers were drawn and flourished . . . When we all reached our barracks or tents (in the case of the cavalry) and were dismissed, there was a tremendous amount of shouting and celebration.

A list of greats What a great list (the 125 individuals listed on the Faculty Distinguished Service Monument, page 48 of the Spring/Summer 2009 issue). As a member of the Class of ’52, I was privileged to interact with at least 40 of these giants. And with another dozen-plus years at Family Camp and our daughters’ stay at CGA, we can add almost another 40 to the list. What a great place Culver is, and how fortunate that so many have dedicated their lives to it. Jim Cochran ’52 Richland, Wash.

Corrections & Clarifications The photo of the 1978 classmates pictured on page 32 of the Spring/Summer 2009 issue was taken at the Dirty Martini in Chicago. The bar is owned by Kent Blankenship ’78.

Spring/Summer 2009

Frank S. Berall N’45 Bloomfield, Conn.

A Portrait of Col. Elliott

Volume 87 Issue 3 Fall/Winter 2009

COMMUNICATIONS

ALUMNI OFFICE

INTERNATIONAL

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

Director/Strategic Communications

Director

Director/International Advancement

Bill Hargraves III ’77

Alan Loehr Jr.

Tony Giraldi ’75

Editor/Culver Alumni Magazine Director/Publications

Legion President

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

DEVELOPMENT

Doug Haberland

Russell Sheaffer ’81 Mahtomedi, Minn.

Director

Asst. Director/Publications

CSSAA President

Mike Hogan

Jan Garrison

Kathryn Ryan Booth SS’67 Harrison, N.Y.

Deputy Director

Director/Culver Clubs International

Director/Annual Fund

Lindsey Pick ’95

Chet Marshall ’73

Website Content Manager Annalise Kaylor

Photographer Gary Mills

Mary Kay Karzas

Director/Planned Giving Dale Spenner

2 Fall/Winter 2009

Home Fires Keep Burning for Alumni

• Face(book)ing the

Future


a word from the

Helping Hands, Part II

Editor Doug Haberland, Editor (574) 842-8365 haberld@culver.org

The name was too familiar. It was a death notice for Dr. Robert E. Carroll ’34 (page 47), an innovator in surgically constructing hands for children with birth defects and a teacher of future surgeons. I remember him well. He was Culver’s Man of the Year in 1999, and I had the opportunity to interview him for the magazine while he was on campus. What impressed me at the time – besides his obvious surgical skills, worldwide reputation, warm smile, and snow-white hair – was that the interview was conducted in his bedroom at the Henderson House. (It was a guesthouse then, but is now the home of Head of Schools John Buxton and his wife, Pam). For whatever reason, Dr. Carroll and I couldn’t find a comfortable place where we could talk and that I could take notes, so he suggested a couple of overstuffed chairs in his upstairs bedroom. It didn’t bother him that the bed was unmade or that his clothing had been casually tossed about. It didn’t bother me, either, and I was further impressed he was so nonchalant about it all. “He is at ease; there is no pretense with the man,” I wrote of the encounter. “Unassuming, warm, and real, Dr. Carroll is an ordinary guy with extraordinary surgical skills.” That summer, Culver was in the midst of its Second Century Fund. Having reached the $100 million goal, the ante was upped to $150 million, with an additional $50 million targeted for the endowment. Ten years after, Culver is bearing down on achieving its $300 million fund-raising goal for By Example: The Campaign for Culver. And we are just weeks away from Jan. 30, 2010, the end of the Batten Leadership Challenge, a $50 million challenge that will match every dollar donated to the endowment and/or Annual Fund with a corresponding dollar to the endowment. That amazing financial opportunity is a gift of the late Frank Batten ’45 (see page 9), another unassuming, warm, and real Culver person. “One hand alone is capable of many things,” I wrote in 1999. “Two hands working together can accomplish much, much more. For many hands working together, there is no end to what they can accomplish.”

‘The recent dedication and celebration of the new stable and renovated riding hall is a perfect example of many Culver hands working together.’

The recent dedication and celebration of the new stable and renovated riding hall is a perfect example of many Culver hands working together. There are always key individuals who step to the forefront, but such a task could not have been realized without the participation of the hundreds of Troopers, Equestriennes, Summer Cavalry riders, and others who care deeply about Culver and its horsemanship program. A successful By Example campaign and the Batten Leadership Challenge will be the next great accomplish of those many Culver hands working together. – Doug Haberland

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Views & Perspectives

2009 will be remembered as a pivotal year in Culver history W

by John N. Buxton Head of Schools

hen the historians identify the watershed years at Culver, 2009 will certainly be one of them. This was the year of the dedication of the Robert C. Vaughn Stable and the Jud Little Riding Hall. This was the year that horsemanship officially re-emerged as not only a signature program at Culver, but also as a program commanding national attention. This was the year of Obama’s Presidential Inaugural Parade, the first-ever invitation to the World Equestrian Games, and the official opening of the renovated, restored, and improved world-class facility for horsemanship at Culver. This was the year that Culver reclaimed its position as a leader in equestrian education in the United States. 2009 was the “Year of the Horse.” I have stated on numerous occasions that it is a wonderful thing when a plan comes together. For the last decade we have been working hard on ensuring that the Black Horse Troop and the Culver equestrian programs represented the same excellence they were once associated with and that many other programs at Culver have achieved. The Black Horse Troop has long been one of the special programs at Culver, and when it had been assigned to the endangered species list, it was time to do something about it. Beginning with the Committee of the Horse and moving to the Alumni Advisory Council on Horsemanship, and ending with the Horsemanship Committee of the Board of Trustees; alumni, parents, and friends who cared about the equestrian programs at Culver came together to put a plan in place

to build the Troop, improve the quality of the horses and programs, and bring horsemanship back to the top of its game. Ten years later, we are the beneficiaries of extraordinary support, a wonderful facility, and a healthy herd. Our boys’ and girls’ riding, jumping, and polo programs are extremely successful, and we are being recognized as not only unique but also as a high-level riding and equestrian sports program. We have many people to thank for this, too numerous to name; but our Troopers and Equestriennes have answered the call, and we are seeing a wonderful renaissance in our riding programs at Culver. This was also the year of matching reality with intentions. It was the year of the Batten Leadership Challenge which prompted and allowed all of our alumni and friends to step up significantly for Culver and have their gifts count twice for the school. Frank Batten always saw the value of a Culver education and he understood that while the school was fully built up from the campus perspective, it still needed to build its endowment in order to sustain itself as a leadership school. Frank’s commitment was to encourage other alumni to give generously to support the most important need for our program: financial stability. Frank knew we had to capitalize Culver, and he was willing to do the extraordinary to motivate others to do as he had done. He gave us 18 months to match $50 million, and although it occurred during the worst financial environment in nearly a century, his challenge hit a respon-

‘This was the year that Culver reclaimed its position as a leader in equestrian education in the United States. 2009 was the “Year of the Horse.”’ 4 Fall/Winter 2009


Views & Perspectives endowment, with the growth we have seen in gifts and matching funds, may for the first time ever allow us to take a prudent draw from our endowment of less than 6 percent. We are on our way to a 5 percent commitment in the future. These things do not happen without extraordinary commitment on the part of

the alumni, the parents, and the school. We have been working on a team effort to support the best of the best at Culver while trying to find a way to bring a financial model to Culver that makes sense. We knew we could not save our way to financial equilibrium; we had to build an endowment through a combination of new gifts and fiscal conservation, and we have moved close to that goal. The plan is not fully complete, but we have made an excellent start.

‘Culver has moved to new highs with its endowment levels; and Culver’s people and programs continue to be of the highest quality.’

This was also the year that Culver weathered a very tough financial storm to continue building on the strength and quality of its programs. We admitted a class that is stronger on an objective basis than any we have admitted in the last 10 years. We filled our summer schools and camps in a financial landscape that suggested commitments of resources for things like summer camps would not be viable. We continued to build the strength of our faculty with the addition of some wonderful new professionals, and we did all of this while reducing the draw on our endowment by over $2 million. What we draw from this year’s

Head of Schools John Buxton saddles up to greet attendees of the Horsemanship Reunion Weekend.

The horsemanship program is ready to move to new heights; the Batten Challenge is close to being realized; Culver has moved to new highs with its endowment levels; and Culver’s people and programs continue to be of the highest quality. That said, we did not grant a salary increase to our employees this last year in order to save resources for the future. We have all cut budgets significantly to ensure that this great school’s financial base can continue to grow. We have had to defer many opportunities we might have taken advantage of because of financial constraints. This is what our team has been doing to support the total team effort. I cannot imagine better symmetry in the efforts of all the constituencies of Culver in ensuring the complete resurgence of this wonderful school. Thank you all for what you have done in supporting us during this very important year. We could not be more pleased with your commitment to our excellence. Pam and I could not be more proud.

Haberland photo.

sive chord in our alumni. The plan worked, and while it will still be a challenge to qualify for the full $50 million of matching funds – an amount which is almost a capital campaign in and of itself – we believe that with an extraordinary end of year effort, we can do the impossible and realize Frank’s dream. (Unfortunately, Frank died before he saw the final fruits of his extraordinary generosity, but Jane Batten has stayed very involved in the matching program. Both Jane and Frank were delighted with the progress we had made before his death. We kept them both updated on a regular basis, and they could not have been more thrilled with the response of our alumni body in these trying times.)

Culver Alumni Magazine

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By Example Campaign Update: $50 Million Just the Start Dear Friend of Culver: I had an opportunity recently to share the story about the Batten Leadership Challenge with a charity board colleague who knew of my involvement with Culver and our campaign. To say he was amazed (and slightly envious) is an understatement. We are very blessed at Culver to have the generosity of Jane and Frank Batten directed our way. Very few institutions ever have the chance to receive support at this level to grow their endowments so quickly, especially in this financial climate. The brief conversation reminded me that, although it might seem that way, this extraordinary opportunity is really not just about raising $50 million in order to earn another $50 million in matching funds to grow the endowment. It’s really about transformation and what those millions of dollars can do – and already have done – for Culver and its students, faculty, and staff. First and foremost, Culver always has been about the people and the quality of the education and leadership experience gained here. A significant increase in the size of our endowment will help safeguard Culver’s future and support scholarships, financial aid, and other important programs. You should be well aware by now that the opportunity to earn $50 million in matching funds for Culver’s endowment ends in just a few weeks, on Jan. 31, 2010.

6 Fall/Winter 2009

Until then, your new gifts to the Annual Fund or to the endowment will be matched dollar-for-dollar. As of Dec. 14, thanks to the generosity of many alumni, parents, friends, and supporters, Culver Academies had earned $31 million in matching gifts to the endowment through the Batten Leadership Challenge. In a very real sense, looking to the future, Culver’s leaders owe it to you to match your generosity by using these funds wisely to maximize the potential of the young men and women who enter through our Logansport Gate. There is no better way to honor your commitment to Culver than by careful stewardship of these resources to provide our students an excellent education and outstanding leadership opportunities. We still have $19 million in matching funds remaining on the table. Let’s do our very best to not leave one single penny unmatched, and then let’s put all of those pennies to use on behalf of a fine institution and its people. Please make your gift today! Thank you!

Sincerely,

Miles D. White ’73 By Example Campaign Chair Chairman and CEO, Abbott


Culver Current

Batten Leadership Challenge

Can We Really Earn $50 Million in Matching Gifts? We Just Might, If Everyone Participates! by Bob Quakenbush, Campaign Communications Coordinator

W

ith just over one month to go, it looks like Culver faces a major challenge: specifically, the Batten Leadership Challenge! But your participation is key, because every gift counts, and even small gifts can add up to incredibly large totals – especially when being matched dollar-for-dollar! Thanks to the generosity of many alumni, parents, and friends of Culver Academies, as of midDecember, Culver already has earned $31 million in matching gifts to the endowment through the Batten Leadership Challenge. And that means, with only a few more weeks to go in the Batten Leadership Challenge, Culver still has a chance to earn another $19 million in matching funds. Over a year ago, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Batten Sr. ’45 of Virginia announced an extraordinary “$50 million challenge” to build Culver’s endowment as quickly as possible. If Culver earns the entire $50 million, it will no doubt be because so many people participated and stretched to make the biggest gift they possibly could during challenging economic times. As of the end of November, more than 4,300 gifts (including Annual Fund gifts) had been made to

Forward-funding Your AF Reunion Gifts Class reunion in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Want to maximize your reunion year gift to Culver? There’s an easy way. As part of the Batten Leadership Challenge, your class reunion giving totals for 2011 (those who graduated in years ending in 1 or 6); 2012 (those whose graduation year ends in 2 or 7); and 2013 (graduation years ending in 3 or 8) can be enhanced!

Culver that were eligible for matching funds through the Batten Leadership Challenge. All matching funds go directly to Culver’s endowment. However, you can direct your endowment gift to support any of the areas identified as endowment priorities of By Example: The Campaign for Culver, including faculty and program endowments, student life endowments, facilities endowments, and Summer Schools & Camps endowments. There is no minimum gift requirement to earn matching funds. All new endowment gifts or new Annual Fund gifts received by Jan. 31, 2010 – whether the gift is $1, $100, or $100,000 – will be matched dollar-for-dollar. For those eligible to earn corporate matching funds from their employers, all corporate matching funds must also be received by Jan. 31, 2010, to be matched by the Batten Leadership Challenge. Please help Culver fulfill the extraordinary opportunity presented to this school by Frank and Jane Batten; don’t leave one single penny unmatched! Make your gift today, while you can double its impact through the Batten Leadership Challenge! For more information, please visit www.culver.org/batten.

How does this work? If you can pay your Class Annual Fund gift by Jan. 31, 2010, we will hold that AF payment in a separate account for your reunion year gift. When the money is received by Culver prior to Jan. 31, it will also be matched by the Batten Leadership Challenge, enhancing your class giving total for the reunion year as well.

and Frank Batten ’45 as part of the Batten Leadership Challenge. These matches will go into the general endowment. However, the credit for the match in term of total dollars raised stays with the class!

Enhance Your Reunion Gift to Culver!

If you have questions about either of these opportunities, contact Annual Fund Director Chet Marshall III ’73 at marshac@culver.org or (574) 842-8072.

All Annual Fund gifts made to Culver prior to Jan. 31, 2010, will be matched by Jane

If you have a reunion this year, please accelerate your gift and make payment prior to Jan. 31. Any amount you send to Culver will double and enhance your class total giving.

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Culver

Garrison photo.

Current

Fellows programs reward and inspire Culver faculty By Bob Quakenbush, Campaign Communications Coordinator

E

xperienced and dedicated instructors have always been central to Culver’s success and the achievement of its mission: Culver educates its students for leadership and responsible citizenship in society by developing and nurturing the whole individual – mind, spirit, and body – through an integrated curriculum that emphasizes the cultivation of character. It’s a simple fact that academic success at Culver is greatly enhanced by a talented and committed faculty who help students explore, experiment, and expand their horizons. The Culver academic instructor strives to provide excellence in the classroom and contributes mightily to a strong, nurturing environment outside the classroom through mentor/mentee relationships, chaperoning, coaching, counseling, and other student life-related responsibilities. When the above goals are achieved, a relationship is created that transcends the school experience and lasts a lifetime. For this reason, Culver strives to hire, support, nurture, and retain the very best faculty. Two programs emblematic of the ongoing effort to reward and retain outstanding faculty and professional staff at Culver are The

Williamson Fellows and the Class of 1963 Exemplar Fellows awards. The Williamson Fellows Awards, established in 2004 by J.D. “Joe” Williamson II ’63 and his wife, Judy, honors Culver faculty who have an enormous impact on the education and personal development of Culver students. A new program in 2009, The Class of 1963 Exemplar Fellows Awards, recognizes the fact that a highly qualified and motivated faculty and professional staff is the lifeblood of any school.

The Williamson Fellows Awards It is the view of the Williamsons that talented young instructors are critical to Culver’s success. Starting in the 2004-2005 academic year, the Williamsons have awarded an honorarium and title, Williamson Fellow, to two outstanding instructors from among the group of fifthyear instructors. The two instructors honored as Williamson Fellows are selected from candidates by an executive committee that includes the head of schools, the academic dean, dean of faculty, commandant, dean of girls, the director for Character

Excellence, and one department chairman selected by the academic dean. As part of the selection process, the committee reviews each candidate’s portfolio of proficiency created during this critical fifth year. Faculty members who receive the Williamson Fellows Award are highly motivated, participate in many extracurricular activities, stand out as mentors to the student population, and rise through the ranks of the academic leadership system. They become significant, long-term, contributing members within the school community. Since the inception of the program, eight instructors have been named Williamson Fellows, and seven of these outstanding individuals remain at Culver: Catherine Battersby, Humanities; Richard Battersby, Humanities; Jen Cerny, Humanities; Gabrielle DiLorenzo, Modern and Classical Languages; Tom Haynes, Mathematics; Ed Kelley, Humanities; and Josh Pretzer, Science.

The Class of 1963 Exemplar Fellows Award Recently, Culver’s Class of 1963 decided to fund a new award to recognize and reward both exemplary performance and loyalty in continued on page 16

Members of the Class of 1963 and Head of Schools John Buxton sign documents creating the Class of 1963 Exemplar Fellow Award. Seated, left to right, are Joe Williamson, Buxton, and Dick Swennumson, Standing at the far left is the first recipient, Humanities instructor Ed Kelley. With him, left to right, are Bill Roth, John Bartlett, Mike Atkinson, Gene Palmer, Craig Jennings, and John Zanetis.

8 Fall/Winter 2009


Culver Current

Frank Batten will be remembered for his generosity and courage he Culver flag flew at half-staff Sept. 10 and 11 as the Academies honored one of their greatest benefactors. Frank Batten ’45, the creator of The Batten Scholars Program, the Batten Fellows, and The Batten Leadership Challenge, died Sept. 10, 2009, in Norfolk, Va. He was 82.

Frank Batten’s 1945 Roll Call photo.

“He had lived a long and remarkably productive life and was viewed as the embodiment of servant-leadership by any community or organization to which he was connected,” Head of Schools John Buxton wrote to the campus community. “He gave his time, his creativity, and his resources to help those in whom he believed. He certainly made a difference at Culver.”

Mr. Batten had battled a number of debilitating illnesses for nearly two decades, “but he was always a fighter who would never allow his health challenges to keep him down. He lived longer and better than most had predicted, and we always hoped he would continue to beat the odds.

Supporting higher education, the Battens have also donated to the Harvard Business School, the Darden Graduate School of Business in Virginia, and the University of Virginia to establish the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He also supported the Norfolk library, the Virginia Zoo, Virginia Wesleyan College, and Hollins College in Roanoke, Va. A 1945 graduate of Culver Military Academy, Mr. Batten was a communications entrepreneur who made a mark in many ways. Under his leadership as publisher, in 1960 The Virginian-Pilot newspaper received a Pulitzer Prize for articles championing desegregation. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star in Norfolk were the foundation of Landmark Communications, the privately-held media company that he grew by acquiring additional newspapers, radio stations, and television stations, as well as by founding The Weather Channel in 1982. He also served as chairman of the Associated Press from 1982 to 1987.

“The next time you walk through the Batten Quadrangle, remember the contributions of this hero of Culver,” Buxton wrote. “Frank never wanted credit for his gifts to Culver. He was absolutely clear, ‘I am just paying back a school that means more to me than I can say.’ ” Mr. Batten is survived by his wife, Jane, and three children: Frank Jr., Betsy, and Dorothy. Through the years, Mr. and Mrs. Batten have given generously to Culver Academies. The Batten Leadership Challenge, their latest gift, would provide Culver with up to $50 million in matching funds for the endowment. The Batten Scholars program (1999) is a full-tuition, merit scholarship for freshmen and sophomores. The Batten Fellows (2008) program supports outstanding faculty members who serve as mentors to promising faculty. Together, these two programs total another $40 million. Mr. Batten served for many years on The Culver Educational Board of Trustees and was given Trustee Emeritus status when he retired from the board. He was Culver’s 17th Man of the Year in 1984.

Communications Archive.

“He was a prince of a man who was humble and generous as well as entrepreneurial and courageous. He was a great Culver man. We who knew him well will miss him dearly.

During one of his last visits to campus, Frank Batten attended a reception for current Batten Scholars. He is pictured here with Catherine Green ’03 (left) and Maia Tountcheva ’05.

Mr. Batten attended the Culver Summer Naval School in 1940. He served on the Culver Summer Schools & Camps staff in 1944. As a CMA cadet in the 1940s, Mr. Batten earned Gold and Silver A’s, won varsity letters in track and cross country, and was a member of the Honor Guard. He commanded Company C as a first-classman. Graduating in the final months of World War II, he joined the Merchant Marine and was commissioned in late 1945 as a naval officer. Mr. Batten received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 1950 and his MBA from Harvard in 1952. Background image: The Corps of Cadets lower the Culver flag to half staff on Sept. 10-11 in honor of Frank Batten ’45.

Garrison photo.

T

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Weeklong Junior Woodcraft Camp debuts in June; Specialty Camp going on leave

S

omething new, something on hold, and the time-tested standbys best describe the revised Culver Summer School & Camps lineup for the summer of 2010.

Haberland photo.

New in June will be a weeklong Junior Woodcraft Camp for boys and girls 7 to 9 that will precede the traditional six-week Woodcraft and Upper camps. Family Camp, now entering its third summer since being reborn, rounds out the summer offerings in August. Missing from the summer lineup will be Specialty Camps, which is on sabbatical while that program and its effectiveness are being re-evaluated. Specialty Camp attendance has been on a steady decline because of conflicts with the starting date of many public schools and fall athletic practices, said Summer Camps Director Tony Mayfield ’65. Enrollment dropped from 354 in 2006 to just 141 in the summer of 2009, with those attending being mostly the younger ages (11 to 14). But at the same time, Mayfield said he and his staff were hearing from parents who were interested in Woodcraft except that their children were too young and/or the six-week duration too long.

With that in mind, Junior Woodcraft Camp will provide “a dose of the (Woodcraft) experience” with a program designed for a younger age group. “We still want to instill a sense of accomplishment and fun with a purpose,” Mayfield said. Junior Woodcraft will be limited to 150 campers and will also be supervised by twice as many camp counselors, making the staff-tocamper ratio 5-1. The idea for a Junior Woodcraft Camp is bolstered by the recent successes of Mini-Woodcraft Camps during parents and reunion weekends and the recent Halloween Mini-Camp that attracted 56 youngsters 7 to 12. Elimination of Specialty Camp in August also created the opportunity to add a second week of Family Camp, Mayfield said. Family Camp for 2010 has already filled more than 50 cabins for the first (Aug. 8-14) of two one-week sessions. Since it resumed, Family Camp has attracted 60 families and 218 people in 2008 and another 57 families and 210 campers in 2009. Mayfield said this summer will be a good indicator “of how effective this is all going to be” and where the interest level is. The summer 2010 camp offerings in chronological order are: • Junior Woodcraft Camp (June 19-23, 2010) • Woodcraft Camp and Upper Camp (June 25 – Aug. 7, 2010) • Family Camp (Aug. 8-14 and 15-21, 2010) For more information on the Culver summer experience, visit culver.org/summer. – Doug Haberland, Editor

10 Fall/Winter 2009


Gary Mills photo.

Woodcrafters line up for layups.

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Culver Current

Downtown Academies’ museum new home to history and artifacts C

ulver has turned another page in its storied history as the Academies Museum and Gift Shop opened its doors to the public Oct. 3.

Located at the corner of Main and Jefferson streets in downtown Culver, the museum opening culminated over a year’s worth of planning and execution, Head of School John Buxton said.

weekend) was steady and enthusiastic. Everyone is excited that it is here.” Visitors to the Museum and Gift Shop will experience the history of Culver Academies chronologically, starting with the arrival of Henry Harrison Culver to the area and his various endeavors on the land that became Culver Military Academy in 1894. Naturally, Culver’s famous Black Horse Troop is showcased, as are the various summer programs: the Naval School, Summer Cavalry, and Woodcraft Camp. Visitors will learn about the formation of Culver Academy for Girls/Culver Girls Academy.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Kinney.

The history is illustrated through artifacts and “dynamic displays that will change periodically and feature interesting people, buildings, personalities, and events,” Alumni Director Alan Loehr said. For the Academies, the museum is an opportunity to bring some of its most treasured possessions out of storage and share them with alumni, students, and the public, Kenney added. “The purpose of this facility is two-fold,” Buxton said. “One: To promote, preserve, promulgate, and interpret the history of the Academies, Summer Schools, and Woodcraft Camp. Two: To offer an easy-access visitors center for area residents and visitors who wish to explore the school’s history and to learn more about admissions and employment opportunities.” The family of CEF trustee emeritus Jim Dicke II ’64 was the catalyst that brought the museum concept to fruition, Buxton said. Dicke deeded the building to the Academies and also provided invaluable concept ideas and staffing to prepare for the museum opening. The downtown location was preferred in order to capitalize on the visitor traffic created by existing retail and restaurants. “It’s exciting that we’re out of the gate,” curator Jeff Kenney said. “Traffic (opening

12 Fall/Winter 2009

About half of the collection is from the Academies and half donated by local residents. Former Legion President Bill Githens W’60, ’65, for example, loaned more than 200 individual pieces, including many one-of-a-kind movie promotional items and a collection of china and dinnerware used in the dining hall years ago. The museum includes space where guests may view archival footage and learn about the Hollywood films that focused on Culver. Visitors can also peruse a vintage Roll Call yearbook or browse the school’s online archive, the DigitalVault.

Culver Academies Museum and Gift Shop is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with extended hours during special event weekends. Large groups are asked to call ahead for guided tour appointments. The Museum and Gift Shop may be reached by phone at (574) 842-8842. The gift shop will make a variety of Culver-related products more easily available downtown. On the retail side, items for sale include coffee cups, decals, collectibles, and apparel. The opening of the Academies’ museum is the second museum in downtown Culver. The Center for Culver History, developed by the Antiquarian and Historical Society of Culver, is located across the street in the historic Carnegie Room of the Culver Public Library. “We want to complement the work of the historical society and the Center for Culver History,” said Loehr, an AHS board member. “We think there’s room (for two museums) and the history is so rich. We’re going to work together on this.” – Doug Haberland, with information from The Culver Citizen


Culver

Gary Mills photo.

Current

Confucius Classroom dedicated In September, the Academies dedicated one of the first 10 Confucius Classrooms in the U.S. In partnership with the Confucius Institute of Valparaiso University and the Confucius Institute in Beijing, China, the classroom will support the study of Chinese language and culture and foster understanding and friendship between students from both countries. Preceding the dedication, China’s Zhejiang Butterfly Performing Troupe was featured at all-school assembly.

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Culver Current Thornburg, Weaser honored with Academic Chairs

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panish instructor Julie Thornburg and mathematics instructor Guy Weaser were honored during Fall Parents Weekend for their service by receiving academic chairs. The presentations were made at the all-school meeting attended by parents and students. Thornburg was the recipient of the John R. Mars Chair for Teaching Excellence, Julie Thornburg while Weaser received the Al Donnelly Chair of Mathematics. The Mars chair is the latest in a long line of Culver firsts for Thornburg. In 1979, she

became the first female winner of the Spivey Award; in 2001, the first woman honored by the Legion Board with a Culver ring for 25 years of service; and in 2005 was named a Kaser Scholar by the graduating class. A master instructor and 33-year Academies veteran, Thornburg has taught every level of Spanish from introductory to Advanced Placement. She has been a leader in curriculum development and is a strong voice in the Modern & Classical Languages Department. Weaser, who joined the faculty in 1982, is the first recipient of the Donnelly Chair of Mathematics. From the beginning of his career here, his department chairmen have

noted that he is determined that his students learn and he is diligent in finding creative ways of helping them achieve that goal. Weaser has also served as the longtime crew coach. An avid student Guy Weaser of the sport, he approaches it with two goals: self-improvement and team unity. His rowers have coined the phrase, “In Guy We Trust” because they recognize the talents and gifts that he brings to them as individual athletes and to the crew program overall.

Faculty, Staff & Retiree Notes Five members of the Academies faculty/ staff were presenters at the annual TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools) Conference in Chicago Dec. 3-5. TABS is the public voice for college-preparatory boarding schools, representing 300 schools in the United States, Canada, and abroad. The Academies were represented by: Head of Schools John Buxton, who was part of a four-person panel presenting on “Weathering the Storm: Survivability or Sustainability?” Kevin MacNeil, the academic dean, led a discussion on “A Whole New Brain: Neuros in the Common Room.” Director of College Advising Corky MillerStrong headed a session on “Boarding School Responsibility: College Financial Aid & Scholarships.” Josh Pretzer, assistant academic dean, and a colleague spoke on “Leadership Challenges & Opportunities for the Future.” “Cultivating Student Leadership – The Soar Program” was the title of a presentation by John Yeager, the director of Character Excellence.

14 Fall/Winter 2009

Faculty members Dave Sampson (Humanities) and Stacey Warren (Fine Arts) and retirees Colin Stetson (Athletics) and Fred Lintner (Development) sang in the performance of the Mozart Requiem with the South Bend Chamber Symphony on Nov. 1. The concert was held at the chapel of Ancilla College. Joining them were Academies students Kim Asenbeck, Kacie Hermanson, Takashi Izutsu, and Callie Wilkinson. Mary Beth Ryan, the assistant director of Alumni Relations and liaison to the Culver Parents Association, has been honored by the Indiana University Alumni Association with the President’s Award. The award is the highest given by the I.U. Alumni Association to a volunteer leader. Ryan, a resident of Plymouth, Ind., graduated from the IU-South Bend in May 1999. “The Buddha at Culver,” Richard Davies’ sequel to “Swords at Culver” was released by Unlimited Publishing in November. In the sequel, Merthyn Jones and Timothy Marks find themselves the target of a pair of renegade and rogue Native Americans. The Venerable Shi Wu Ling, a Buddhist monk, assists the Culver students in fight-

ing off the attacks and introduces the teens to Tibetan Buddhist meditation techniques. The book ends in a titanic struggle in the Council Ring between the forces of good and evil. An instructor emeritus, Davies retired from the Humanities faculty in 2008. Danny Snow ’74 is the managing partner of Unlimited Publishing, LLC, based in Bloomington, Ind. Marine Lt. Col. Thomas C. Siebenthal, CMA deputy commandant from 19972004, retired in August as the commander of the Wounded Warrior Battalion-East, the Marine Corps’ only East Coast wounded warrior battalion. Siebenthal, from Knox, Ind., was the first commanding officer of the unit based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Established in 2007, the battalion was created to assist wounded, ill, and injured Marines and sailors through the recovery process. Former science instructor and fencing instructor Father Lawrence Calhoun (1979-85) was inducted into the U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame. Also, in February, Calhoun was named as the first Fellow of the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association at the Junior Olympics in New Mexico.


Photograph by Gary Mills.

Enjoying a sunny fall day.

Culver Alumni Magazine

15


Putting Physics and Students’ Learning First! After years of planning, the Academies’ Science Department started to “turn things upside down” this fall: Starting with the Class of 2013 (incoming freshmen and fourth-classmen), a student new to Culver will take physics as his or her first science course, followed by chemistry and biology in subsequent years. We are very excited about this transition for several reasons: The change better fits our mission to make students more scientifically literate. The Physics First course will move the modern concepts of energy and matter to an initial place in the science curriculum.

our freshmen and fourth-classmen wrestle with the question of “How do things move and why do they move that way?” What has been especially encouraging is that the work in ninth-grade classrooms is not substantially watered down from what we have seen in our 11th-grade level regular physics class. Students have less access to math, but their conceptual approach to physics is very similar to upperclassmen.

Research in science education indicates students have a large number of physics misconceptions that are best addressed early in the science curriculum.

A typical example of Physics First student work is included with this article. Students are asked to communicate a lot of their work by summarizing their answers on whiteboards and then presenting their results to the whole class. Here a group is presenting its understanding of forces to the class. Their classmates ask them questions about their work, finding and correcting misconceptions and allowing the group to reinforce their understanding of the concept.

Current research in biology builds upon understandings from physics and chemistry. Biology in the second-class/junior year will allow students to engage in current molecular biological research, thereby achieving understandings at a more sophisticated level.

But aside from the content, student progress in the area of scientific method has been even more encouraging. Students are learning to differentiate between independent and dependent variables, plot data on graphs, and discuss their results in laboratory write-ups and classroom discussions.

We feel strongly that all our students will be better served by the Physics First approach. Students who move through the entire sequence at the Academies will have a more coherent and connected experience. In addition, building a solid foundation on topics such as forces, energy, matter, and quantum physics will afford the most motivated students more opportunities for Advanced Placement or honors research work.

Our chemistry and biology teachers are excited to build upon the groundwork laid in Physics First, including students’ deeper understanding of energy and matter. We are convinced that students will now graduate better prepared to understand the scientific issues of today, such as global warming, alternative energies, and nano-materials, as well as issues relating to the natural world that they’ll encounter in their future.

Students will engage in more hands-on inquiry and problem solving to learn the fundamentals of each before heading into chemistry and biology.

We had the privilege to visit six different classes of Physics First in the fall, and it was exciting to see

Phil Blessman

Josh Pretzer

– Phil Blessman, Science Department Chair, and Josh Pretzer, Assistant Academic Dean A freshman demonstrates inertia by quickly removing a ring from underneath a resting ball, which then drops into a vase.

16 Fall/Winter 2009


Culver Current Relay For Life 3 sets its sights on $120,000

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n 2007, many Culver students had been touched by cancer and wanted the community to join the fight against the disease. The American Cancer Society (ACS) was hesitant to allow Culver students to take on the challenge of hosting a Relay For Life, the signature fund-raising event of ACS; a population of 30,000 is usually required to start a Relay. However, these were Culver students. ACS allowed the student-run Relay For Life at the Academies and a Relay goal of $35,000. That first year, students raised an amazing $110,101 for the fight against cancer and

brought close to 1,000 people from far and near to the April event. With last year’s poor economy, students set out to raise the same amount, but again surpassed their goal with $122,700. Last year’s event featured special guest Dallas Clark, a tight end with the Indianapolis Colts, and Pam Buxton inspired everyone with the story of her battle with the disease. Thus far, this student-founded and -organized event has raised nearly $250,000, brought together 400 student volunteers, and over 2,000 event participants.

The third relay is the hardest to fund raise and create participation for, according to The American Cancer Society. Culver’s goal for this year is to raise $120,000 to help find a cure. Every dollar raised is used to save the lives of those affected by cancer. By clicking on www.culver.org/relay you can do your part to help those who have cancer and to find cures to end this deadly disease. Every donation helps bring us one step closer to a cancer-free world. We invite everyone to come to the event on April 16, and encourage all to bring a group together to make a team! – Joel Florek ’11

Student Notes

In addition to those selected as semifinalists, Culver also recognized four National Merit Scholarship commended students: Tayler Ferguson (Warsaw, Ind.); Lauren Jones (Roseville, Calif.), Michael Nay (Bourbonnais, Ill.), and Kirsten Paff (Rochester, Ind.). These students are among 34,000 commended students who took the PSAT. In October, seniors Deborah OhianiJegede (Merrillville, Ind.) and Tristan Weber (Lafayette, Ind.) were named the Academies’ Outstanding Participants in the

The fall play, Tom Stoppard’s comedy ‘Arcadia,’ takes the audience back and forth between 1809 and 2009 in the same room, as members of the same family wrestle with the quest for scientific knowledge in a romantic world. The spring musical will be ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.’

National Achievement Scholarship Program. Ohiani-Jegede and Weber are in the top 4 percent of more than 150,000 Black Americans who requested consideration in the 2010 National Achievement Program when they participated in the 2008 PSAT/NMSQT. Adriann Negreros ’10 (Warsaw, Ind.) was been named Culver’s Outstanding Participant in the National Hispanic Recognition Program. In 2009, the NHRP is recognizing nearly 5,000 students selected from a pool of over 200,000 students who identified themselves as Hispanic/ Latino. Students with GPAs of 3.5 or higher are designated as scholars, and those with GPAs of 3.0 to 3.49 as honorable mentions.

Photo by Lew Kopp ’71.

Seniors Irena Balzekas (Hinsdale, Ill.), Lindie Wang (Oxford, Ohio), Stephen Wilson (Newark, Ohio), and David Zaccaria (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) have been named National Merit semifinalists. The Academies’ semifinalists are among more than 1.5 million students in 21,000 U.S. high schools who entered the 2009 Merit Program as juniors by taking the PSAT/NMQT. In a boarding school selection region that includes 26 schools, Culver has already claimed five of the 11 potential slots. Semifinalists will compete for approximately 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $35 million, that will be awarded in the spring.

Trevor Weaser ’10 (Plymouth, Ind.) is the 2009 recipient of the 1st Lt. Andrew K. Stern Scholarship and Rowing Award. The honor is given annually to the rising senior on the rowing team who best exemplifies the traits exhibited by Stern: dedication, honesty, joyfulness, respect, and integrity. Stern ’98 was killed in combat Sept. 16, 2004, in Iraq, becoming Culver’s first fatality in the support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served with the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division of the Marine Expeditionary Force. Weaser is the son of Guy and Laura Weaser, Culver’s crew coach and dean of girls, respectively.

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Culver Current Fellows continued from page 8 Culver’s teaching faculty and staff. The Class of 1963 Exemplar Fellows program recognizes that the lifeblood of any school is a highly qualified and motivated faculty and professional staff.

Briefs Enrollment at 792: The 2009-10 school year opened on Aug. 25 with 792 students (455 boys and 337 girls), The 526 returning students were joined by 266 new students, who began their Culver careers by walking through Logansport Gate during the Matriculation Ceremony. Units and dorms then convened for the first time together for the traditional Opening Convocation and welcoming remarks by Head of Schools John Buxton. The student body represents 39 states/territories and 28 countries.

Community volunteers: About 30 student volunteers participated Oct. 17 in Community Clean-Up Day. The third annual event was sponsored by the Academies’ Community Service Council, the Culver Youth Community Organization, the Town Council, and the Culver Street Department. Volunteers helped community members load discarded items into dumpsters and to pick up items at homes around town.

Vaughn Outdoor Series: “If you don’t try, you’ve already failed” was the message Nikki Stone, America’s first Olympic champion in the sport of inverted aerial skiing, delivered to an all-school audience Oct. 28. Stone, now retired, won the gold medal at the 1998 Nagano, Japan, Winter Games. What made her feat more remarkable was that less than two years before she suffered a career-threatening spinal injury. Stone based her success on “The Turtle Effect”: having a hard shell, soft inner core, and willingness to stick your neck out. Her visit was sponsored by the Vaughn Family Outdoor Leadership Series.

18 Fall/Winter 2009

As a tribute to the outstanding individuals comprising the Culver faculty who shaped their lives, the members of the CMA Class of 1963 established, as their class gift, The Class of 1963 Endowed Faculty Salary Fund with an initial contribution of $1,395.79. Annual contributions from the class to the Annual Fund have been directed to that endowed fund ever since, and the earnings added to the Academies’ annual operating budget for the purpose of enhancing faculty salaries. Almost 50 years later, the Class of 1963 now intends to enhance both the goals and the contributions to this fund as its 50th Reunion Gift to Culver Academies. The Class of 1963 Endowed Faculty Salary Fund has been renamed The Class of 1963 Exemplar Fellows Endowment Fund. It is the intent of The Class of 1963 that the current balance of the Exemplar Fund and all future contributions so designated shall be added to the corpus of the Exemplar Fund and maintained as a restricted endowment. The Class of 1963 has established the Exemplar Fellows Awards and Endowment with the following objectives and guidelines: • To recognize and reward both exemplary performance and loyalty in Culver’s teaching faculty and staff with high student contact, with emphasis on teaching faculty, thereby aiding the school in the recruitment and retention of the best possible faculty and staff; • The Exemplar Fellows Award recipients will be selected by a special committee which shall conduct an objective performance review (evaluation) of the candidates for the award, and recommend its selections of Exemplar Fellows for the following academic year to the head of schools for final approval; • Award recipients will be chosen from those currently employed senior instructors and staff having completed

at least 10, but not more than 25 years of exemplary service at Culver (the 10 to 25 years of service requirement recognizes loyalty to Culver); • Awardees shall be limited to senior instructors and staff whose overall performance is judged to be in the top 25 percent of their peer group (teaching faculty or staff) having the requisite 10 to 25 years of service at Culver. This limitation to the top 25 percent of eligible candidates supports the intent of the Class of 1963 that this award recognizes truly exemplary levels of contribution. The Class of 1963 hopes and intends that the Exemplar Fellow Awards will be a positive motivation for eligible senior instructors and staff. To support the exemplary nature of the award, it is the intent of the Class of 1963 that the dollar value of the Exemplar Fellows Awards shall be substantial. In October, Ed Kelley, a Humanities teacher in his 12th year at Culver Academies became the first recipient of the Class of 1963 Exemplar Fellows Award. According to Dean of Faculty Kathy Lintner, who formally announced the award, “Ed Kelley is the kind of educator who was born to be part of a boarding school community. He is one of the most student-centered faculty members at Culver and has a passion for teaching, coaching and mentoring young people. This is evident to any who watch him interact with students. “Ed’s classroom has become a model for Humanities teaching and student-centered learning,” she said. “Other teachers across the school come to observe his techniques, and he is eager to share his knowledge with them.”

A Promising Future The Williamson Fellows and the Class of 1963 Exemplar Fellows award programs offer substantive ways to recognize and reward excellence in teaching by highly-valued instructors, and most importantly, to ensure present and future Culver students reap an excellent education while guided by outstanding teachers.


Culver Current

Deaths in the Family John Chadwick, longtime soccer coach and French instructor Former French instructor and soccer coach John W. Chadwick, 86, died Aug. 12, 2009, in Culver. Mr. Chadwick taught French from 1963 to 1989, and was also a longtime CMA varsity soccer coach. Mr. Chadwick was born in India, moved with his parents to South Africa when he was 3, and then to England when he was 4 He remained in England until age 40, when he came to the United States about John W. Chadwick 1961 and began his teaching career at CMA. At the time of his arrival on campus, soccer was thought of as a “foreign sport.” In 1963, CMA established its first varsity soccer team with Eric Anderson as the coach and Mr. Chadwick coaching the JV team. Chadwick took over as head varsity coach in 1966, a position he held until 1983-84. In May 2006, Mr. Chadwick was among 18 faculty and their family members recognized by the Class of 1971 at its 35th reunion. Class members created a Class Gift

Fund to honor those who supported them so selflessly during their Culver careers. From that fund, amounts are distributed periodically to honor those faculty and staff members and their families. Mr. Chadwick is survived by several cousins and nephews in England. Funeral services were held in the Memorial Chapel with interment at the Culver Masonic Cemetery. Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society or St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

Ruth Uebel, widow of Martin Uebel Ruth E. (Bossert) Uebel died Sept. 24, 2009, at Miller’s Merry Manor in Culver. She is the widow of language instructor/counselor Martin Uebel, who died in 2008. The couple was married 62 years. Mrs. Uebel taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Franklin County in the 1930s. She was a graduate of Indiana University, where the couple met in 1942. They married in 1945 and Mrs. Uebel gave up teaching full time and followed her husband to Culver Military Academy. She was an active part of the Academy, according to

her published obituary, working part time in the library and teaching Sunday school for many years at Trinity Lutheran Church in Culver. An avid gardener until 88, she had traveled throughout the United States and Europe with husband and family. Mrs. Uebel is survived by two sons, David of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Mark W’67 of Martinsville, Ind.; a sister, Frances Gilbert of Powell, Ohio; three grandchildren, including Ryan Uebel W’84, and two great-grandchildren. Memorials are to the church or the Academies Scholarship Fund.

Eugene A. Keen, former controller Former Academies controller Eugene A. Keen, 83, died Oct. 3, 2009, at his South Bend, Ind., home. Mr. Keen retired from the Academies in June 1990 after eight years of service. He had previously been employed with Clark Equipment for 25 years and Price Waterhouse in Chicago for nine years. Mr. Keen was a World War II Army-Air Force veteran. He volunteered for AARP, helping others prepare their taxes for 19 years. Surviving are a daughter, Debra Mellinger of Evanston, Ill., and a brother, Leonard of South Bend. Mr. Keen was preceded in death by his wife, Lora, in February 2008.

Chicagoan Mary Brumback was active in community service

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ary H. Brumback, the wife of CEF Trustee Emeritus Charles T. Brumback ’46, died Oct. 13, 2009, in Sarasota, Fla. She was a former resident of Chicago, where her husband had been the chairman and CEO of Tribune Company.

Mrs. Brumback was active in community service, according to a published obituary. She was especially dedicated to her volunteer work at Orlando Regional Medical Center during her years in Orlando and at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Mrs. Brumback graduated from Abbot Academy in Andover, Mass., and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass.

In addition to her husband of 58 years, Mrs. Brumback is survived by sons Charles Jr.’72 of Orlando, Fla. and Wesley ’76 of Oviedo, Fla.; daughters Anne Meyer of Sarasota, and Ellen Allen of Lake Bluff, Ill., and seven grandchildren.

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Fall athletes experience success on many fields

The four-year seniors set a new standard for CMA football, winning nine games twice and reaching the sectional championship game twice. The talent of this fall’s athletic teams was evident in just one weekend of competition. The boys and girls cross country teams captured regional titles, girls soccer repeated as sectional champions, boys soccer lost the regional championship game in a shootout, and the football team finished the regular season 7-2 with a 38-28 victory. For the season, Culver teams won four sectional championships, two regional titles, sent both cross country teams to the state meet for the first time in history, and the football team finished with nine wins for only the seventh time in 116 years.

Football With a loss in the sectional championship game to Andrean, the CMA football finished the season 9-3. The Eagles advanced to the championship with victories over Hammond Clark, 21-0, and New Prairie, 14-0. The regular season included big wins over Fairfield, Brebeuf, North Judson, and South Bend Adams. Led by 16 seniors, several players went both ways for the Eagles, including Michael Kime ’10 (Zionsville, Ind.), Josh Wright ’10 (Crown Point, Ind.), Tom O’Neill ’11

20 Fall/Winter 2009

Cross Country

claimed fourth place, qualifying the Eagles for the state meet for only the second time in history. At state, Arroyo finished sixth overall and the team took 14th place. With the CGA team also qualifying at New Prairie, it was the first time that both the boys and girls teams qualified for the state meet. Girls cross country pulled off a similar feat, with junior Waverly Neer (Russiaville, Ind.) and senior Willow Smith (Rhinelander, Wis.) finishing first and second at both the sectional and regional meets. Neer, who missed part of the season with an injury, ran a 19:16.3 and Smith ran a 19:44.0 at the regional. The girls team placed five runners in the top 20 at the regional, giving CGA its third straight regional crown. Kaye Sitterley (Mooresville, N.C.), who sat out the sectional due to a sprained ankle, was the

Boys cross country made history by winning its first regional title, with Alejandro Arroyo ’10 (Leon, Mexico) leading the way. Running on his home course for the last time, Culver gridders rally around the flag. Arroyo won the individual title and set a regional record at 15:43.2. The Eagles placed six runners in the top 20 to score 48 points, which gave them a 30-point margin over the second-place team. That performance came after a dominating win at the sectional. The Eagles took the top four slots and five out of the top seven on their way to a 43-point margin over the runner-up. Arroyo took second and Trace Ostergen ’10 (LaPorte, Ind.) finished 12th at the New Prairie semistate meet the following week. The team

Gary MIlls photo.

Sports

(Naperville, Ill.), Ryan Stec ’10 (Chicago), Vince Vacketta ’10 (Columbus, Ind.), and Mitch Anthony ’10 (Wakarusa, Ind.). Fullback Zach Deery ’10 (Nappanee, Ind.) led the CMA rushing attack until an injury sidelined him in the last regular season game and Juwan Brescacan ’12 (Mississauga, Ontario) was the top receiver.


Culver Sports The only returning varsity player on team, Newell led the team in scoring in all but two matches. The team finished with a 9-2 dual match record and placed fifth at both the CGA Invitational and the Rochester Invitational.

Boys Soccer

Garrison photos.

After a slow start, CMA soccer rolled through the sectional tournament with easy wins over Culver Community in the semis and Winamac in the championship. The team continued that trend with a 5-1 win over Kankakee Valley in the first round of the regional.

Both the CGA and CMA cross country teams advanced to the state meet for the first time in the same season. Waverly Neer (foreground) and Willow Smith paced CGA throughout the season. Neer placed seventh at the state, as the girls finished 19th as a team. CMA placed 14th at the state meet, led by Alejandro Arroyo (inset) with a sixth-place finish.

third fastest runner for the Eagles, finishing 10th overall. The team took the regional title by a 53-point margin. At the New Prairie semistate, Neer slipped while running on the muddy course but still came in fifth. Smith finished 25th and the team finished fifth to qualify for the state. At the meet in Terre Haute, the girls placed 19th overall led by Neer’s seventhplace finish.

Golf The CGA golf team just missed getting through the sectional, but junior Brenna Newell (Frankfort, Ill.) did qualify for the regional as an individual. At the regional, Newell shot an 85, which was a career best for her. She recorded both the lowest 18- and lowest 9-hole scores for the team this season.

The Eagles’ season came to an end when they lost to Portage in a 5-4 penalty kick shoot-out in the regional championship game. CMA tied Portage, 2-2, in regulation to set up a tie-breaker. The team had lost to Portage 6-0 earlier in the season. Andres Gomez (Guadalajara, Mexico), Luther Jacobs (South Bend, Ind.), and Manuel Ituarte, all fourth-classmen, paced the team offensively during their tournament run. The team finished with a 7-11-2 record.

Girls Soccer Last season the girls soccer team defeated St. Joseph’s on its way to a final four appearance. This year, the No. 4 Indians returned the favor, ending the girls’ season in the regional championship contest, 2-1. The teams met two weeks earlier, finishing in a 1-1 tie. The CGA girls were ranked as high as 17th in the state and ran roughshod through the Argos Sectional field. They beat three opponents by a combined score of 15-1 and outshot them 55-1. The team finished with a 14-4-1 record. Juniors Dineo Mmutla (Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa) and Kylee Shipley (Culver) led the team in goals with 16 and 15, respectively. Senior Jasmine Soo (Charleston, W. Va.) added 10.

Boys Tennis The boys tennis team finished an up-anddown season with a steady climb toward the end, culminating in 5-0 victories in the sectional against North Judson and Knox and a 4-1 win over rival Plymouth in the first round of the regional. The Eagles’ season ended in the regional championship against Penn, 4-1. The tennis team graduates only two of its top seven players. Adam Holt ’10 (Boca Raton, Fla.) played at No. 2 singles and Nick Rosen ’10 (Evanston, Ill.) was half of the No. 2 doubles team.

Volleyball CGA volleyball finished the season 9-16 after a loss to New Prairie in the Plymouth Sectional. The team posted wins over area rivals Argos, John Glenn, North Judson, and Culver Community, while losing to traditional powers South Bend Washington and South Bend St. Joseph’s. The team was anchored by seven seniors during the season: Ashley Dawson (Crozier, Va.), Kirsten Elliott (Culver), Mariah Tabor (Terre Haute, Ind.), Kelley Flanagan (Barrington, Ill.), Lauren Jones (Roseville, Calif.), Deborah Ohiani-Jegede (Merrillville, Ind.), and Shaun Devlin (Peoria, Ill.).

Sailing The coed sailing team capped the fall season in the waters of Lake Michigan with a 12th-place finish in the Chicago Yacht Club’s Midwest Championships. The team also qualified for the national Great Oaks Regatta in New Orleans while hosting its home regatta. The season of six weekend regattas including trips to Grosse Isle, Mich., Lake Forest, Ill., and the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. Coach John Buggeln said the hallmark of the season was how many sailors had a chance to compete and develop. – Compiled and written by Jan Garrison

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Culver

Photos by A. Paul Paré W’62, ’67 of Culver, Ind.

Current

October 1, 2010 Culver Parents Association

“Reflections of Excellence” Auction

Multipurpose Building For sponsorship information or any other questions contact: Judy Campbell, Auction Coordinator campbej@culver.org

(574) 842-8495 www.culver.maestroweb.com

22 Fall/Winter 2009

Dean England Day Culver Academy for Girls’ founder Dean Mary Frances England embodied the virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice long before those words were carved into the sidewalk near Logansport Gate, guest speaker Dr. Peggy Riecker Thompson ’77 (inset) told CGA students at Dean England Day in September. A CEF trustee and a Culver parent, Thompson shared her personal insight on England as a person and as a leader. Thompson also is an associate dean for the Grand Rapids (Mich.) campus of the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. “Mrs. England had the daunting task of integrating young women into a community that in many ways was not ready for them. . . . Her wisdom, her courage, and, above all, her willingness to be patient (moderation) made her the perfect fit for the job. I’m not sure that someone with a different style of leadership would have been at all successful.” Thompson said Dean England’s style was perfect for the culture she was changing. “She was smart. She was calm. Above all, she was bravely tenacious. She was proud of the girls in her school. She had a vision for what this school would become, and she was focused on it.” In closing, Thompson said, “You are all leaders, or you will be. You will be called upon to make unpopular decisions. You will be caught up in situations where the noise level and emotions are rising right along with your adrenaline, and you (will) feel yourself getting ready to yell, to talk over everyone to get their attention. Stop yourself. Lower your voice. Speak slowly. Stand firm, be patient, and have courage. It’s the Dean England way. And it works. You and I, and the success of this school, are living proof.”


Celebrating an

Enduring Tradition

Culver Alumni Magazine

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An Enduring Tradition

A

Q&A

n addition to serving as co-chairs of the Horsemanship Campaign Committee, Robert C. Vaughn Jr. ’74 and Jud Little ’65 also played key roles as financial contributors to the new stable and the renovation of the riding hall, resulting in the naming of those respective facilities in their honor.

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As former Troopers, and as men who have continued to be involved with Culver, with horses, and horse people, Vaughn and Little are deeply committed to giving back to the program that gave so much to them, and has given so much to others. Prior to Horsemanship Reunion Weekend, each of them responded to a series of questions from the Alumni magazine about their days as a Trooper, their days since, and why it is important to them to ensure that young men and women who come to Culver continue to have the opportunity “to mount up and learn lessons of leadership from that unique and special perspective that is only available from the back of a horse.” What is your most significant memory from your days as a Trooper? RV- Just being a Trooper and a member of the Black Horse Troop separated you from the rest of the cadets. We had somewhat of a “silent pride.” We knew we were the best and had fun being the best. JL- Playing polo and winning 54 straight matches. Did you ride in an inaugural parade? What did that experience mean to you then, and what does it mean to you now? RV- I rode in Richard Nixon’s second inaugural parade in January 1973. There was tremendous pride and excitement, but it was darn cold with temperatures in the high twenties and windy all day. I remember touring the rotunda in the Capitol, where LBJ lay (in state) just weeks afterward. JL- I rode in the Lyndon Johnson inaugural parade in 1965. I remember it most as a celebration of a peaceful change of government, something that doesn’t always happen in other parts of the world. What other significant appearances/events did you participate in as a Trooper?

Gary Mills photo.

RV- We made quite a few rough-riding exhibitions around Indiana; those were always fun to do. Of course, I witnessed Cotton Bowl parades and Lancer exhibitions in Dallas in the early 1970s.

Robie Vaughn ’74

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with Robie Vaughn and Jud Little JL- Troopers played polo at Yale and Cornell, attended the Bloomfield Hills and Cincinnati horse shows, and were interviewed by host Jack Lescoulie on NBC’s “The Today Show” while in Washington, D.C., for the inaugural parade. What individuals in the horsemanship program made an impact on you? Why and/or how? RV- Colonel Townsley liked the Vaughns. He was as solid as they come and from the old school cavalry. Sarge Hudson – “Smoke ’em if you have ’em” – on trail rides. Although I did not smoke, I appreciated the respect and freedom he gave the students. Also, counselors Bob Meek and John Barry were interesting and supportive men. JL- Colonel and Mrs. Gerald J. Graham. They were the best mentors anyone could have. As a student, why did the horsemanship program at Culver appeal to you? RV- As I said, we were different and it was a fun escape. JL- I’ve been horseback since I was 3, and could not see me without a horse close by. Polo was particularly appealing. Did your parents or grandparents attend Culver and were they involved with equitation? How about your children? RV- My brother, Jack, was Troop A commander my first year. That was both good and bad, as one can imagine. My son Robert ’06 played polo and was a Lancer captain, and daughter Browning ’08 was captain of the Equestriennes. JL- My mother had three- and five-gaited saddle horses. My son, Penn ’02 played polo, and my daughter, Mattie, is a professional barrel racer ranked in the top 25 in the world standings. If Culver had not had a riding program, would you still have attended? RV- Probably. I was very interested in the athletic facilities and getting away from the cliques growing in a small private school I had previously attended.

Gary Mills photo.

JL- I probably would have, as my dad was insistent.

Jud Little ’65

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An Enduring Tradition A

Q&A with Robie Vaughn and Jud Little (continued)

What new equestrian activities were you involved with at Culver that you hadn’t done or weren’t familiar with prior to coming to Culver?

What will these changes mean for the students, for the program, and for the stablehands and instructors who work with our horses every day?

RV- Rough riding primarily; we had a blast doing that. I had done some jumping, but really fine-tuned it and my riding style at Culver.

RV- It is one of the best, if not the best facility in the country, particularly as a high school/secondary school facility. The pride and opportunity goes with these great facilities.

JL- Polo

JL- I envision that everything will be easier in all phases of the operation, much safer, and, with things like automatic waterers, a savings in operating costs.

Explain how horsemanship has been part of your life/career since leaving Culver? RV- Just a continuing attachment to horses and horse people – that can never be taken away. The understanding of what a great educational tool horsemanship can be and the knowledge one gains by trying and becoming proficient at anything. Haberland photo.

What are the important lessons learned “in the saddle” that you want to ensure that Culver students will continue to receive? RV- You can do it. Not if, but when you fall off, get up and get back in the saddle. Try again, and again . . .

JL- I went on to play polo for twentyseven years, then retired when my JL- The greatest thing is learning leaderchildren came along. I also fieldship from the saddle. trialed horseback shooting dogs, Jud Little and Robie Vaughn at the western-themed celebration on raised thoroughbreds and quarter horses, then got back into roping, and Saturday of Horsemanship Weekend. Before them is a cake created Some might say these accommodations for horses are extravagant. How would in the shape of the Riding Hall and iced appropriately. started raising barrel racing horses. you counter that? Horses have been a huge part of my RV- Extravagant relative to what? If you want to be the best, you life and the program has been extremely successful, having won a shoot for the stars. number of world championships. Were you involved with horses while attending college? How? RV- No, just a bit of polo for one or two summers. JL- I played on the famous horseless polo team (we borrowed horses) at the University of Pennsylvania, and we won the National Intercollegiate Bicycle Polo Tournament. Why was helping to make these improvements in the riding hall a reality important to you? RV- It is something that needed to be done. It was an opportunity for the Academies and we all felt strongly the horsemanship alumni would support it! The BHT is a brand within a brand for the Academies. JL- We really needed to update what was state of the art in 1917. The conditions of the tie stalls were perceived by many as inhumane. To attract really top-notch riders and horses, Culver needed a first-class facility.

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JL- There is very little extravagance. Everything there is there for a purpose, to promote ease and efficiency of operation, safety, and low-cost operations. Speak to the importance of the riding program as a unique and highly visible aspect of Culver that exposes the school to the masses? RV- In many respects, Culver is known by its Black Horse Troop. As I said, the BHT is a brand within a brand. Never underestimate that fact. JL- I have always said that the Black Horse Troop is to Culver as cornflakes are to Kellogg’s. The Black Horse Troop is the image of Culver to many people. A lot of people don’t know of Culver but they do know the Black Horse Troop. We are not done! We have phase two, and a lot of herd upgrading to do. We need to get back to the place where all horses are black. I am looking into the famous black horse breeding program of the Binion family.


The Riding Hall ‘. . . born through necessity, vision, leadership, planning, preparation, and execution’ n June 14, 1916, less than eight months after a tragic stable fire killed all sixty-six mounts of the Black Horse Troop, Culver Military Academy laid the cornerstone for a new riding hall on the east side of campus. When the Riding Hall was opened in early 1917, it was widely hailed as one of the finest equestrian facilities in the country. The building was 317 feet long, 163 feet wide, and sixty-five feet high. Inside, there were locker and shower rooms, furnaces on each corner of the three hundred- by ninety-foot riding arena, elevated seating for eight hundred people, and individual stalls for 125 horses.

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For six decades the Riding Hall did yeoman service, providing space for the equitation classes, polo, jumping, and rough riding. In times of bad weather, it served as shelter for reviews, government inspections, and even alumni functions. In 1969, it provided the backdrop for the graduation on the parade ground. During the late 1960s, though, the building began to show its age. In 1967, Colonel Donald Griffen, a 1917 summer graduate and troop counselor, hosted a weeklong alumni event to kick off a fund-raising campaign to renovate the building. In 1969, led by Dale McMillen ’32, $300,000 was raised and work began. The old locker room, gang showers, and old wire lockers were replaced by new horsemanship staff offices, a large central hall, restrooms, and the Black Horse Troop Lounge. In 1982, when further improvements were needed, the Vaughn family of Dallas pledged $1 million in the memory of Jack Calvin Vaughn. The Vaughn family, Mary Jo Vaughn Rauscher and her children Jack Jr. ’72, Robert ’74, Sharon Vaughn Gallivan ’76, and David, originally established the gift as a matching grant against other donations. However, because of the condition of the roof and stable overhang, the Vaughn family agreed to release $450,000 to cover the cost of a new precast concrete roof and other repairs.

Over time, a total of 146 alumni and friends of the horsemanship department stepped forward to raise $1.25 million to exceed the Vaughns’ match. During Alumni Reunion Weekend in 1991, Chairman of The Culver Educational Foundation Board of Directors James A. Henderson ’52 announced that the facility would be officially known as the Jack C. Vaughn Equestrian Center. During the latest renovation, the Vaughn Equestrian Center has gone through a major reconstruction involving creation of ninety-four box stalls, a veterinarian area, three tack rooms, a farrier’s area, parade room, new locker rooms, storage room, a break room, and shavings area. The new stable has been named the Robert C. Vaughn Stable. The riding hall also received a complete makeover, including new lighting, renovation of the seating gallery, energy-efficient windows, and an elevator. It has been christened the Jud Little Riding Hall. On the following pages, two contributing writers offer before and after perspectives of the equestrian facility. Former Horsemanship Director Jeff Honzik (1980-88) provides his perspective on the building that served the Academies for ninety-two years. Honzik gleans his information from the days spent in the saddle as a Woodcrafter and a member of the Summer Cavalry, plus nearly twenty years with the Academies, during which he worked with and learned from some of the legends of Culver’s equestrian program. In the second, freelance writer Sharon Biggs Waller looks at some of the innovations and special features that have been incorporated into the latest renovations. A rider and riding coach, Waller is a frequent contributor to various horsemanship publications and the wife of Mark Waller, Culver’s director of Horsemanship Instruction.

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An Enduring Tradition The Riding Hall

Through the Years...

By Jeff Honzik W’60, H’65

here has always been speculation regarding the architecture of the 1916-era Riding Hall. Some thought that it was a copy of the riding hall and horse facilities at the United States Military Academy. Others have speculated that the front (south) façade was designed to resemble the entrance into Antwerp, Belgium. I believe that the design was influenced primarily by the U.S. Army. At that time in our country’s history, the cavalry was the primary arm of the Army and no one knew more about the care and stabling of horses than the U.S. Army.

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If one studies the engineering of the riding hall and stable, it was a marvel for its time. The original stable housed 136 head. The stalls were built on a north/south axis and were aligned with the doorways to the riding arena. Windows on the south wall of the riding hall opened to capture the southerly winds that swept across Lake Maxinkuckee and the parade field. The windows aligned with the doorways between the arena and the stables; everything was designed on center. The ten-horse rows were situated with the backs of the stalls in line with the doorways to the arena and the doorways on the north side of the stable. Urine troughs ran along the backs of the stalls and the stable aisles had ventilator copulas through the stable roof. All of this engineering provided for passive ventilation from south to north with currents that would sweep the air from the stables, carrying it out the north doors or through the ventilators in the roof. Since all of this alignment was done with the stall rows, any drafts or air currents would sweep over the horses’ rear ends. The horse is very susceptible to respiratory infections when stabled, but the position of the stalls and the wall as a barrier kept the horses’ heads out of any drafts. Although always a source of debate, the standing stalls were about five feet across, which allowed most horses to lie down. The concrete stall floors slanted slightly toward the urine troughs. The troughs were connected to a sewer system and every row had several “pots” to catch solid matter so as not to clog the system. In the 1970s, rubber mats were added to the stall floors

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...and into the Future

By Sharon Biggs Waller

ulver’s new stable is not only esthetically pleasing, it is an ergonomic wonder for horses and a healthy and safe place for students and faculty.

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When the stable was built in 1916 it was innovative. But despite good intentions, over time many of the features didn’t always prove to be the best. The cement floors and small standing tie stalls might have been easy to clean, but it wasn’t the best environment for horses. “The old stable was very dark and... didn’t smell very nice,” said Mark Waller, director of Horsemanship Instruction. Our understanding of horses has evolved, and the stable’s new features reflect cutting-edge innovations. Just like office desk chairs have become ergonomic, stable equipment is being viewed in the same way. The water drinkers are designed with the horse’s natural drinking patterns in mind. Exhaust systems and fans prevent respiratory illness. And the stall mats mimic the benefits of a horse’s natural habitat. “The new stables are something I thought I would never be able to see,” said senior Caitlin Juricic (Michigan City, Indiana), co-captain of the Equestriennes, who also worked one summer as barn staff. “Nothing about it lacks, and it shows. The people behind its construction put in anything and everything that horses would ever need. The most meaningful part of the barn to me is the stalls. ...Now horses have a place where they can finally relax and enjoy their new spa.” Here are just a few of the new innovations and technology in the riding hall that are making life easier for horses, students, stable hands, and riding instructors:


The Riding Hall for more comfort. During the 1980s, the stalls were cleaned in the morning, leaving enough straw to capture urine during the day. The stalls were heavily bedded during the late afternoon and early evening. The stable was darkened after ten o’clock and, with fluffy, dry bedding, most horses laid down overnight. The riding arena design was equally unique. • The sideboards and stable doorways slanted away from the floor. This provided safety; a rider’s leg could not be pinched between the wall and a horse’s body. • Each corner of the arena had a coal-fired furnace. The chimney in each corner was disguised as a parapet on the roof. Coal was stored in the corner and it was the stable employees’ job to stoke the fires each morning. (The coal furnaces were replaced in the ’60s by overhead natural gas heating units. In the 1980s the overhead units were replaced with a thermo-cycler furnace in each corner.) • The mirror that was on the south wall of the arena was added during Colonel Kitts’ tenure (1948-52). This allowed riders to watch themselves and their horse’s action while schooling. Over the years the arena floor underwent several changes. The arena floor’s foundation was a clay hardpan almost a foot thick. The floor surface was tan bark, which could be loosened to provide a soft surface or compacted for a polo match. In the ’50s, the arena floor was totally sand, probably due to the expense and availability of tan bark. Sand also provided a great surface for indoor polo when compacted and rolled, and could be softened using a spring-tooth harrow for equestrian activities and jumping. Health regulations required the sand to be changed annually because of the defecation and urination by the horses. It was a laborious task; the twenty-seven thousand square-foot arena floor required over fifteen tons of sand to provide a six-inch riding surface. When the stable was completed, the blacksmith shop was at the east end. Separated by fire doors, the forge vented through a chimney masked by one of the parapets. In the late ’40s the blacksmith shop was moved to the Armory and the area became a sick bay/veterinary room. Over the years four box stalls were built to stable such notable horses as The Clock, Var (Colonel Graham’s personal mount), Gone Away (Colonel Townsley’s personal mount), American Lady (Kitts’

Innovative Stall Mats At first glance, it seems a bit odd that there is very little stall bedding. But this is because the stall mat is a mattress itself. Underneath the mat’s covering is precision memory foam, and it mimics the support and softness of an old forest floor. It also answers many maintenance problems, such as time spent cleaning and the cost of shavings. The foam underlay cuts down on the need for bedding for comfort. As a result, with fewer shavings, the manure can be spread over the hay fields directly without composting. This has, in turn, reduced the amount of fertilizer purchased for those fields. A manure pile can be environmentally unfriendly, so this was another bonus. “If you have a hard rubber mat or concrete floor you have to build a complete nest of bedding on top,” said Edgar Little, the director of Horsemanship Operations. “With this system, the role of bedding is to absorb the urine. With our old system we used straw, which wasn’t very absorbent and it was dusty and costly. Now I’m able to buy inexpensive bedding from a sawmill that grinds shavings from pallets, and they deliver a semi-truck load every month.” It has taken a little time for the barn staff to get used to the new mats. After a bit of practice, they were able to trim time spent on cleaning from seven hours per person to three hours. Proper support of the horse’s foot in the stall is often ignored. Culver’s new stall mattress supports the cup and flexibility of the hooves and encourages blood flow from the foot to the heart. A flat-footed horse will have impaired circulation in his feet and will be more susceptible to stone bruises, laminitis, and concussive injury. The horses are better rested because they are able to lie down and stand up easily on the mats. “Their attitudes have improved vastly because they rest a lot more,” Waller said. “In class, the instructors have noticed that even the less compliant animals are better.”

Stall Latches No matter how good intentions are, it’s easy to forget to open the stall door wide enough to accommodate a horse’s wide haunches. Catching a horse’s hip on a protruding door latch is another common stall injury. The finger latches on the new stalls completely eliminate protruding parts. Students can easily access the latch from inside the stall.

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An Enduring Tradition The Riding Hall mount) and Oso Negro. The only foal born at Culver, “Spirit of Culver,” was foaled in one of the stalls. (Editor’s note: The birth of “Spirit of Culver” was an accident, not an experiment, Honzik explained. The mare was pregnant when purchased, but no one knew until the foal dropped. Breeding was never an option for Culver; black is a recessive gene and a black foal is never guaranteed even from two black horses. Further, raising horses that couldn’t be broke or ridden until they were three-to-five years old was nothing but an expense.)

The Entranceway and Troop Lounge In 1967, fund raising began to add a new entranceway and offices on the west end of the building. Construction was completed in 1970 and the old shower/locker room became a memory. The Black Horse Troop Lounge was designed after European hunting lodges with trophy cases displaying memorabilia. The focal point of the entranceway and stairs to the balcony was the new BHT Crest. The original crest was made to resemble a large wood carving, but B.B. Culver decided that it was too plain and commissioned a St. Louis artist to paint it as we see it today. Over the years the stalls have had several different looks. Originally, the stalls were wood and treated with linseed oil for protection. The iron and steel work was painted to prevent rust and deterioration. From the late ’40s to late ’60s the wood stalls underwent several color variations: dark green to match the stable’s ceramic brick walls; bright yellow with black ironwork (Troop colors); and tan with brown ironwork accents. By the latter half of the ’70s the stable area, particularly the stalls, were showing signs of deterioration. Horses were kicking out boards and bending or breaking the end posts that had finally succumbed to years of urine and rust. One of the first improvements undertaken in 1980-81 was to replace the stalls. This was done in-house with stable labor doing all of the work. When the students were on vacation and the horses out to pasture, two or three rows of stalls would be replaced. The blacksmith fabricated all of the ironwork from raw stock. Eleven red oak trees were harvested from the Bird Sanctuary and the lumber was cut by a Plymouth, Indiana, sawmill. Stable labor rebuilt 132 stalls with a total material cost of about $23,000. By now, however, the removal of the overhanging roof on the north side of the stable during the construction of the BHT Lounge had resulted in problems to the stable’s structural integrity. The stable was engineered with a cantilevered roof with the north wall of the stable acting as the fulcrum. The overhang, which extended almost twelve feet in a free span, was balanced by the weight of the roof over the main stable. Removing the overhang caused the stable roof to buckle, and by the early ’80s structural cracks occurred. With the freezing and thawing of winter and heavy rains, water began to permeate the roof.

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A Quiet Stable Although horses can see each other across the aisles, they aren’t able to see their next-door neighbors or touch noses, but this is actually a benefit. “When we fed in the old tie stalls, the horses would kick at each other at feeding time,” Little said. “Now they are much more settled and I have yet to see a horse kick the walls. During turn-out they do get their social time, and five times a year they go out one week to three weeks on eighty acres.”

Room to Move Students saddle their lessons horses in the stalls; this could be a difficult task in the cramped space of a tie stall. “Now, horses are tied to their stall walls for tacking up and students can move around them better. The students are so happy, and we have less absenteeism,” Waller said. “They are eager to come to ride.”

Non-slip Surface The beautiful patterned rubber bricks that line the aisles cut down on slip and fall injuries to both humans and horses. Pinholes in the rubber allow moisture to pass into the drains below. At first this system created a challenge for barn staff because manure and sawdust is a constant problem in a stable. “Now we’ve got a fairly decent vacuum system that picks it up pretty well,” stable manager Don Relos said. “It won’t pick up the heavy clods of dirt, but it deals with the little stuff pretty well.”

Breathing Easy Health of the respiratory system is always a concern with horses housed indoors. A horse can pass a gallon to a gallon and a half of urine at a time, which can overwhelm even the most absorbent of bedding. Much of the urine would drain away under the standard mats. There, naturally present bacteria fed on the urine and the byproduct was ammonia. With the new non-porous sealed mat no urine will be able to seep through. The barn staff can remove all the urine immediately, leaving no opportunity for ammonia to form. The higher ceilings and the big fans really help the air flowing. The new exhaust fans cuts down on odor by pulling the air upward.

Feeders and Drinkers Water is the most important nutrient for horses and they require a lot to keep the gut functioning well. Horses are picky drinkers and they like to dip their muzzles and swish water in their mouths first before they take a drink. Horses will also leave the last few inches of water in a bucket. They won’t drink that no matter how thirsty they are. The new automatic waterers have deep bowls that refresh often. They are also hooked up to a computer system so the barn staff can tell each morning which


The Riding Hall horse is drinking well and which horse is not. Knowing early that a horse may not be drinking adequately can also save money on veterinary care.

Facilities A new horseshoeing facility is makes things easier for both horse and blacksmith. “My job takes half the time because the horses are right there by the shop; I don’t have to go get a horse to shoe it,” farrier Kent Mullenix said. “The horses are more relaxed because they are with their herd and in a nice quiet area.”

Tents of wood and plastic were erected over the stall areas to keep the horses dry. Concern about weakening of the stable roof and its safety eventually moved Academies administrators to renovate the area. The renovation of the stable roof in 1985 was a significant project and a challenging undertaking. It also became a great opportunity to improve the comfort of the horses. A new ventilation system, new stable lighting, a sprinkler system, and other amenities were part of the re-design. The replacement of the stable roof included a new overhang beyond the north wall. This again provided protection from the weather where a week’s worth of hay and straw could be stored outside the building. The renovation project was completed in less than a year and served the horses well until the most recent improvements. I am sure that the second century of equestrian activities will be well met by this grand old building, ensuring the comfort and well-being of the horses for decades to come. Editor’s note: R. Jeffrey Honzik W’60, H’65 served as director of Horsemanship from 1980-88. His recollections are gleaned from over twenty years at Culver learning from and working with some of its most notable horsemen. He was involved with four inaugural parades and played an integral part in the creation of the Equestriennes in 1981.

The veterinary room is on par with the facilities at an equine veterinary clinic. The veterinarian can drive his truck in and shut the door behind him. The “hospital” stall has a wide opening and also includes a camera so barn staff can watch the horse from a distance. The stocks hold nervous horses still so that the veterinarian can work safely. There is also online access in the room so staff can input information straight into a computer. “Lockers! We now have lockers,” Juricic said. “It’s amazing to walk over in gym shoes and change in the locker room. It really makes it feel like the school treats us like they do in every other sport. It’s such a gift to not have to walk over in tall boots and drag my helmet and polo mallets over, especially in the snow.” With these brilliant innovations, Culver horses can now live more comfortable, safe, and productive lives. The stable is a happier place to work, and everyone takes pride in one of the most beautiful equine facilities in the United States. Editor’s note: Sharon Biggs Waller is a freelance writer and children’s author. She has written for various national horsemanship publications and is also a riding coach. Sharon and her husband, Culver’s Director of Horsemanship Instruction Mark Waller, live in Chesterton, Indiana.

“Always driven, Honzik had a particular gift for administrative detail, something not high on the list of most horsemen,” Culver historian Bob Hartman wrote in “Boots and Saddles.” Honzik resigned in 1988 and was co-owner of the popular Corner Tavern in Culver until 1994. He was commandant of cadets at St. John’s Academy from 1990 to ’93, when he was named director of the Marshall County (Indiana) United Way. Two years later, when that organization joined with the Marshall County Community Foundation, he was appointed executive director of both, serving until 2007. A resident of Culver, Honzik and his wife, Rebecca SS’70, are the parents of daughters Cristina W’92, SS’98 and Heather-Marie ’98. Honzik is a former member of the Indiana National Guard.

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An Enduring Tradition Major Horsemanship Campaign Donors (In Descending Order by Gift Level - Alphabetical within Each Level - Planned Gifts Included)

Mr. Senour T1942 & Mrs. Susanne Hunt Anonymous

Mr. Robert Bath 1949 WG

Mr. Poncet Davis Jr. T1948

Mrs. Jimmie & (D) Mr. Hugh T1941 Bradford Mr. David Cushwa H1987 SG Mr. John H. Fritz

Mrs. Charlene Harris & (D) Mr. D. George Harris T1950 Mr. Jud Little T1965 Mr. Robert T1974 & Mrs. Fallon Vaughn

The Russell Bundy Family (Mr. Gilbert T1977 & Mrs. Kristina Bundy, Maj. William T1993 & Dr. Nicole Bundy, & Mr. Robert Bundy T1999)

Mr. William T1945 & Mrs. Judy Fuller Mr. Scott T1968 & Mrs. Paula Gross Mr. Bradley T1976 & Mrs. Bettina Scherer Mr. Brian & Mrs. Patti Hart 1983 Smallwood

Mr. Richard 1970 & Mrs. Patricia Jennings Mr. Harold T1959 & Mrs. Linda Johnson III Mr. R. Crosby H1943 SG & Mrs. Mary Kemper (D) Mrs. Marion H. Keys Mr. Glenn T1973 & Dr. Ellen Sheridan Kinsey Mr. Albert T1944 & Mrs. Barbara Koegel Mr. H. Ward Lay T1964 Mr. Albert T1959 & Mrs. Susan Leader

Mr. Thomas & Mrs. Robyn Shanahan

Mr. Fernando H1976 SG & Mrs. Dora G. De Maiz Garza

Mr. John T1943 & Mrs. Gertrude Sheaffer

Mr. Rex 1970 & Mrs. Alice Martin Mr. Charles W1936 & Mrs. Marilynne Marvin

Mr. Kenneth T1949 & Mrs. Eugenia Ackerman

Mr. James T 1935 & Mrs. Harriet Fullerton

Mr. Burton Allen Jr. H1946 SG

(D) Mr. Robert Reid T 1924

Dr. Jonathan H1966 SG & Mrs. Sarah Alspaugh

Mr. John T 1961 & Mrs. Janis Ruan

Dr. Rudi T1950 & Mrs. Elisabeth Ansbacher Mr. Manuel T1954 & Mrs. Maria Arango

Mr. G.A.N. “Gus” T1952 & Mrs. Jean McFaddin Mr. J. Mark T1948 & Mrs. Amy McLaughlin Mrs. Elsa & (D) Mr. Raul 1978 Nieto Mr. Elliot T1935 & Mrs. Virginia Phillips Mr. Andrew & Mrs. Jennifer Dicke 1994 Prewitt Mr. H.Wolflin & Mrs. Julie Phillips 1976 Puckett

Anonymous

Mrs. Carolyn Coburn & (D) Mr. Theodore Auman III T1953

Mr. Bertram Culver III T1958

Dr. Thomas Bachman T1966

Mr. A. Langrell T1973 & Mrs. Erin Price

Mr. G. Edward & Mrs. Suzanne Curtis

Mr. Alberto T1950 & Mrs. Maira Bailleres

Mr. Bernardo 1959 & Mrs. Alexandra Quintana

Col. Wallace 1960 & Mrs. Gerry Graham 1960 Gram

Mr. Harry T 1945 & Mrs. Helen Blythe III

Mr. David T1985 & Mrs. Regina Reese

Mr. Richard & Mrs. Pamela Boundy

Mr. Richard Robbins Jr. T1961

Mr. Brian 1983 & Mrs. Catherine Bourgraf

Mr. Denny T1949 & Mrs. Yvonne Speidel

Mr. Pinckney Brewer T1944

Mr. John T1977 & Mrs. Laura Vanderkolk 1978 Spensley

Mr. James T1956 & Mrs. Rachel Dunlap Mr. Jose & Mrs. Rosemary Gordon 1974 Panuco Mr. DeForest Hamilton Jr. H 1945 (D) Mr. Dinwiddie T1934 & (D) Mrs. Elizabeth Lampton Mr. Preston T1952 & Mrs. Anita Madden Ms. Marcia V. Mayo L1971 Mr. Wilbur T1947 & Mrs. Lucy Sensing (D) Mr. Frank & (D) Mrs. Dorothy Shirey Mr. William T1947 & Mrs. Joanne Sinclaire Mr. V. Courtlandt Smith II T1949 Mr. Donn T1952 & Mrs. Daisy Tognazzini Mr. Miguel Zaragoza & Mrs. Esther Carrillo

Judge Chad & Mrs. Tammy Carey Mr. Frederick T1959 & Mrs. Patsy Cuthbert Mr. Paul DeCleva Jr. T1971 Mr. Federico T1949 & Mrs. Guadalupe De la Vega (D) Mr. Cortlandt Dietler T1940 Mr. Craig T1962 & Mrs. Janet Duchossois Mr. Reed N1967 & Mrs. Jane Doehrman 1973 Eberly

Mr. Albert T1944 & Mrs. Margaret Price

Mrs. Margaret Bourne Spensley Mrs. Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal 1977 Mr. Scott T1939 & Mrs. Patty Taliaferro Mr. George T1967 & Mrs. Karen Thagard III Mr. James T1969 & Mrs. Shari Vlasic Mr. Robert T1944 & Mrs. Nancy Vlasic Mr. John T1988 & Mrs. Lucrecia Waggoner

Mr. Justo T1959 & Mrs. Monica Fernandez Jr.

Mr. J. Lawrence 1954 & Mrs. Barbara Wilson

Mr. David and Mrs. Linda Fites 1981 Reed

Mr. James T1949 & Mrs. Elizabeth Yocum

Mr. Donald & Mrs. Sylvia Fites Mr. P. Lamar Gable 1961

Anonymous Mr. James T1964 & Mrs. Janet Dicke II Mr. Greg N1962 SG & Mrs. Sarah Gingery Mr. Seward Mellon Mr. Raul & Mrs. Margarita Nieto Mr. Thomas T 1968 & Mrs. Barbara Shirey

Mr. Paul 1949 & Mrs. Ellen Gignilliat Mr. John H1950 SG & Mrs. Gloria Goering Mr. Willard T1952 & Mrs. Charlotte Hagenmeyer Jr. Mr. John T1965 & Mrs. Mary Hargrove Mr. Charles H1945 SG & Mrs. Nancy Heller Mr. Robert & Mrs. Amy Henderson 1987 Chandler Mr. James 1952 & Mrs. Toots Henderson Mrs. Beverly & (D) Mr. Geoffrey W. Hill T1964

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LEGEND: D H L N NB SG T W WG

– – – – – – – – –

Deceased Summer Cavalry Ladies Upper Camp Naval School Naval Band Summer Schools & Camps Graduate Troop Woodcraft Woodcraft Graduate


Fiberglass additions to the herd are ‘workhorses’ wo life-sized fiberglass horses were seen everywhere during Horsemanship Reunion Weekend: decorating the stable lobby, standing on the stage in the auditorium, and wearing Western saddles at the cowboy-themed barbecue. They made quite a splash, but where did they come from and what are they doing at Culver?

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Haberland photos.

Mark Waller, director of horsemanship instruction, had expressed his wish for the horses to Donna Chandler, mother of Squadron Commander Captain Austin Chandler (Whitestown, Indiana). “Sometimes new students can be nervous around live horses, so I wanted to have two fiberglass black horses that they could use to practice saddling, bridling, and leg wrapping,” Waller said. “I asked Donna Chandler if that was possible and could she find a way to make it happen.” “I looked online for fiberglass horses and found a company in Chicago called Cowpainters which agreed to give us a pretty good discount,” said Trooper Eddie Kim tries his hand at wrapping Chandler. “Since we had a horse’s leg. to move them, the horses needed to be on low platforms with locking casters. They also needed to have their mouths slightly open to allow for the bit, so the company generously customized the mold for no charge.”

into a necklace. The Culver Campus Store provided the pins at cost and the jeweler charged only six dollars per pin for the bales. Through sales to Culver parents, alumni, and staff, Chandler was able to fund at least one of the horses. Lynne Greenburg, mother of Staff Sergeant Ian Greenburg (West Linn, Oregon) generously paid for the second horse. Cowpainters wanted extra to deliver the horses, but since Waller lives only an hour from Chicago, he agreed to pick the horses up with the Culver horse trailer. He didn’t realize the company was in the heart of the city. City traffic and horse trailers don’t always mix, and the warehouse Caitlin Juricic uses the width of her hand to check location required him to the tightness of the bridle on one of two fiberdrive down a one-way glass practice horses. street going the wrong way. But he arrived safely; the horses were haltered, bubble-wrapped, and secured in the trailer. He got several strange looks from motorists on the way home. The horses are officially a gift from the Class of 2010. The Equestriennes named one horse Relincho (Spanish for neigh) and the Troopers named the other horse Centurion (in honor of a former Culver horse). Although the horses now reside in two stalls in the barn, they will make honorary visits throughout the campus wherever they are needed. You never know where they might turn up next!

Chandler also came up with a way to fund the project. She modified the Culver mother’s pin by having a jeweler add a bale to the top making it

– Sharon Biggs Waller

Culver riders invited to 2010 Games in Lexington Culver has accepted an invitation to participate in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games’ opening ceremonies in September 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky. It is the first time the games have been held in the United States.

The 16-day games showcase world-class equestrian athletes competing for championships in eight equestrian sports: dressage, eventing, jumping, driving, endurance, reining, vaulting, and para-dressage. For further information on the 2010 Games visit www.alltechfeigames.com .

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An Enduring Tradition

Reaching New Heights Excerpts from Robie Vaughn’s address at the Horsemanship Reunion Weekend Kickoff Reception and Dinner. “When one stands before a horse, in the anticipation of climbing on its back for the first time, one feels things like anxiety, even fear, something you’re not comfortable with. Much the same can be said about business, sports, and life in general. “From being a plebe at Culver, to being introduced to rough riding and polo, to business challenges, to climbing Mount Everest – there are always unknowns to overcome. With the confidence from learning, doing, experiencing, and enjoying, one may thrive in almost any environment. But, you gotta want to do it!

Jud Little Riding t C. Vaughn Stable and ber Ro the of tion ica ded n Buxton, Cutting the ribbon at the ’65, Head of Schools Joh Vaughn ’74, Jud Little bie Ro on ’52, Rev. ht, ers rig nd to He left , Jim n are Hall ’50; CEF Chairma rris Ha e org Ge der D. of and Squadron Comman Charlene Harris, widow ptain Ali Davidge ’12, -Ca Co ne rien est Equ Johanna Wagner, Austin Chandler ’12.

“Preparation and perseverance were linchpins in the positive experience and success I have had in the Riding Hall, at the Academies, in business, sports, and climbing, especially climbing Mount Everest. “My approach to planning and raising capital – like our current Horsemanship Challenge – or to climbing is similar. Do your due diligence... try to figure out beforehand what can go wrong and set about eliminating or reducing the probability of those potential obstacles. On Everest, as in all things in life, there will always be inherent and uncontrollable risks...

Friends and admirers gather aro und Jack Fritz, front and center, the former director (1956-57) longtime adviser to the horsema and nship program. Directly behind Fritz , left to right, are Susie Leader, Fred Cuthbert, Deitra Robertson, and Patsy Cuthbert. In the bac k row, left to right, are Joan Cul Bowman (Jack Fritz’s cousin), Dav ver, Bill id Culver ’59, Gus Leader ’59 , and Bill Robertson ’59.

“A dog may be man’s best friend, but the horse wrote history.”

“My goal on Everest evolved and was not necessarily to summit, although I was attempting to position myself if everything went my way. My goal was to have fun and do the best I could do! Every day. Every moment. Think about that when getting on a horse, starting a new business or just as a daily philosophy... Think about that when you’re walking through and admiring the renovated Riding Hall and new stable born through necessity, vision, leadership, planning, preparation, and execution!”

Author Unknown

Margaret Anne W’98. Joyce Brown-Gillespie ’70 and her daughter,

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“Your generosity has provided us with more and improved horses, outstanding opportunities to represent Culver around the country, and a new facility that gives us a chance to compete at the highest levels in everything we do.” Ali Davidge W’05, ’10 (Culver) Co-Captain Equestriennes/Jumping Team

Left to right, CEF trustee Penny Redington, Char lene Harris, Browning Vaughn ’08, and Fallon Vaughn

“There’s nothing so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse.” President Ronald Reagan

A foursome of Finches. From left, Louis Finch ’88 and his wife, Jaime, Jacquelyn and Sam Finch ’90. Louis and Sam were both Troopers.

y a lively discussion. Culver ’59 and Jud Little ’65 enjo Each making his point, David

Wilbur Sensi ng ’47 with his wife, Lucy .

“Every horse in this great facility deserves it. They work long, hard hours for us to be able to be a successful group of brothers, sisters, and comrades.” Austin Chandler ’10 (Whitestown, Indiana) BHT Squadron Commander (First Make) These and many more photos from Horsemanship Reunion Weekend and the Horsemanship Hall of Fame may be viewed and ordered online at culver.mycapture.com. Photos by Gary Mills and Doug Haberland.

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2009 Horsemanship Hall of Fame Inductees are ‘exemplars of the program’ he induction of eleven alumni and faculty/staff into the Horsemanship Hall of Fame was the capstone event to “a wonderful weekend of horsemanship at Culver,” Head of Schools John Buxton said at the October 4 ceremony in Eppley Auditorium.

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Like the four classes before them, the 2009 inductees included distinguished polo players, coaches, teachers, breeders, trainers, owners, jumpers, and benefactors. Since 1897, black horses and Culver have been synonymous, and the core disciplines that horsemanship teaches young riders are the same virtues that Culver stands for – wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice – Buxton said in his opening remarks.

Craig Cameron H’63 Craig Cameron grew up dreaming of being a cowboy and seemed most at home on his family’s cattle ranches. At Culver, he learned a great foundation of horses and horsemanship. When he graduated from high school, Cameron turned down a college football offer to answer the call of a cowboy. His father, an orthopedic surgeon, wasn’t pleased Craig Cameron H’63 with his son’s career choice as a professional bull rider. Cameron also competed in bareback and saddle bronc riding.

He noted that 112 years after Commandant Leigh Gignilliat orchestrated the purchase of Culver’s first sixteen black horses, his grandson, Paul Gignilliat ’49, now seventy-five, had taken his first trail ride to see what all the excitement was about.

In the early 1970s, he moved to the family ranch in Giddings, Texas, where he learned the ranching business from the famous Hamer family. Cameron’s innovations in breeding techniques led to world-class bucking bulls before such operations were popular. Along with ranching, he maintained a professional rodeo career for over two decades.

The excitement, Buxton explained, is all about “a rare opportunity to learn a craft that sharpens a rider’s skills in leadership and self-discipline. It provides students with the opportunity to take charge and lead. Those willing to take on the challenge are forever touched by the impact these lessons have on their lives.”

On his ranch, Cameron also began to take in problem horses and used a slower, natural approach in working with them. Following Ray Hunt’s communication methods, Cameron became one of the original clinicians. Now he performs his magic for enthusiastic horse owners around the world and appears regularly on the RFD-TV network.

The 2009 class of inductees represent “exemplars of the horsemanship program,” Buxton said. A biographical sketch of each inductee follows:

He has been given the name “Captures Many Horses” by the Crow Indian nation and is also a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Horsemanship Hall of Fame inductees or their representative present for the October 4 ceremony were, left to right, Barbara Newill Klatt ’73, Dawn Durrett Vass ’87, accepting for her father, Walter Durrett ’66; Charles Maull ’60 and Betty Schuster ’65, accepting for their father, the late Colonel Charles Maull Jr. ’33; Perry Sutherland H’75, and Todd Sutherland Jr. H’75, accepting for his father, the late Dwight Sutherland H’39; and Sergio Nieto ’94. Inductee William Robertson ’59 was unavailable for the photo.

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Gary Mills photo.

An Enduring Tradition


2009 HHOF Inductees Robert Estill Courtney H’38 As the son of the founding treasurer at Keeneland, Robert Courtney was naturally drawn to horses and farm life as a youth. When he came to Culver, Courtney chose to spend his three summers in horsemanship instead of following his brother into the Naval School. Cameron studied agriculture at the University of Kentucky while working at race tracks and for Robert Estill farm implement, feed, and hay companies. He Courtney H’38 also spent four years in the Army and was serving in occupied Japan when he was discharged in 1946. At the age of 21, Courtney purchased his first mare for $50 and later leased one hundred acres, which he farmed at night while maintaining his day job. As his land purchases grew, he established a successful market breeding operation at Crestfield, where he raised horses for the yearling market as well as boarding mares for clients and partners. In 1972, he purchased Hasty Queen II at the Keeneland winter sale. The mare produced six stakes winners, including Fit to Fight, which swept the New York Handicap Triple Crown (the Metropolitan, Suburban, and Brooklyn handicaps). His involvement in the thoroughbred industry has garnered him several honors, including Farm Manager of the Year in 1970 and an honorary lifetime membership in the Thoroughbred Club of America in 2003. Courtney sold Crestfield Farms in January 2008 and retired.

Walter Durrett ’66 Walter Durrett began his Culver career in the Summer Cavalry in 1962, where he was named the Best Horseman during his final year. At Culver Military Academy he went on to ride in President Lyndon Dawn Durrett Vass ’87, accepts a Hall of Johnson’s Inaugural Parade, Fame award for her father, Walter Durrett ’66. captain the jumping and Presenting is Jud Little ’65. polo teams, was a member of the Lancers, and received the Best Horseman Award in 1966. Following graduation, Durrett worked in the Horsemanship Department during the summer. In 1971, he received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University. He went on to become a successful Thoroughbred trainer and established his own racing stable outside Columbus, Ohio, which he sold in 2004. For recreation, Durrett played polo for the Del Rancho team with CMA graduate Albert “Bud” Strouss ’42. He later founded the Alum Creek Polo Club, playing with/against the late Jeff Williams ’75, Warren Bonnie ’74, and Dan McCarthy Jr. ’76. Durrett resides in Tampa, Fla., where he still trains horses at Tampa Bay Downs.

His legacy includes daughter Dawn Durrett Vass ’87, who accepted on her father’s behalf, and grandsons Devin ’10 and Dalton ’12, both Troopers. “My father is very grateful,” Vass said. “Culver has always been an important part of his life. I love this school, and am honored to have both of my boys here.”

Barbara Newill Klatt ’73 As an active professional in the equine industry for over 35 years, Barbara Klatt has been involved with facility management, program development, show and clinic management, general instruction, coaching, and competition. Klatt was a member of the Culver Academy for Girls’ Varsity Show Jumping Team her sophomore through senior years. At Emory University, she rode Lippizans in Atlanta. She transferred to Eastern Kentucky, earned her bachelor’s degree, and taught riding at a private facility.

Barbara Newill Klatt ’73

She returned to Culver in 1978 as the Academies’ first female horsemanship instructor. In 1982, she achieved certification as a British Horse Society Instructor, adding the British Horse Society Intermediate Instructor certification in 1983. In 1993, she became a Master Instructor/ACI, with certification from the Certified Horsemanship Association. Since 1983, Klatt has taught and coached at various levels, becoming a freelance trainer and instructor in 1987 and serving as a clinic instructor for the CHA for the past twelve years. In 1997, she was awarded Coach of the Year from the national Capital Equestrian League in Maryland and Virginia, and in 2004 was named the CHA’s Clinic Instructor of the Year. Klatt has ridden upper level dressage and competed in lower level dressage. She is a member of the CHA Board of Directors. “I am honored and humbled,” Klatt said. “Culver gave me an opportunity to do more than ride horses,” referencing leadership and other sports she wouldn’t have enjoyed anywhere else. In her acceptance, Klatt related valuable lessons learned from three Culver horsemen: • Colonel Townsley taught her the use of a snaffle bit, her legs, and her seat; “If you needed more (than that), you weren’t getting the full benefit of the relationship between rider and horse.” • Horsemanship Director Major Jeff Honzik taught her to breathe. He had students singing “Dixie” while jumping. “If you’re singing, you’re breathing.” • And Sarge Hudson taught her the necessity of caring for the horse on the ground before you get on its back. Her husband is Emil Klatt ’73.

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An Enduring Tradition 2009 HHOF Inductees Sergio Nieto ’94 Introduced to Culver as a Woodcraft Cub in 1985, Sergio Nieto returned to Culver several years later with the intent of leaving a lasting imprint on horsemanship – and he did. Though he was heavily involved in the horsemanship program, Nieto still graduated forty-third in his class, was a member of the Spanish Honor Society, and received the Silver Bowl Award as CMA’s top Sergio Nieto ’94 horseman. He was the squadron commander and was awarded Most Efficient Cavalry Officer. His three years in the hunter/jumper program earned him the Jack Warner Award, Chittim Crop, Hatfield Award, Van Schwartz Trophy, and the Kitts Memorial Trophy. Charles “Topper” Maull ’60 and Betty ‘Jean’ Schuster ’65 accept the award for their father, the late Colonel Charles Maull Jr. ’33, from Bob Hartman.

Charles Maull Jr. ’33 (Retired Staff) Colonel Charles Maull Jr. ’33 also attended Woodcraft Camp in 192829. Maull was known as one of the best riders Battery had ever known. He played varsity polo four years and received numerous medals in equitation. In 1933, he led Culver to its first National Interscholastic Polo Championship. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery, Maull was assigned to Culver in 1941 as an assistant professor of military science and tactics. He was called to active duty in 1944 and served three years in Europe with the 83rd Infantry Division, receiving the Bronze Star. Maull returned to the CMA military staff in 1946. In 1949, he became the owner/publisher of the Culver Citizen. In the early 1950s, he took over running the family business in St. Louis. He returned to CMA in 1958 and retired in 1978 as the deputy commandant. Upon retirement, he received the Distinguished Service Medal from Indiana Governor Otis R. Bowen for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding and distinguished service to the young men of Indiana. “If my Dad would’ve had a middle name, it would have been Culver,” said his daughter Betty “Jean” Schuster ’65, who was joined by her brother Charles “Topper” Maull ’60 to accept for their late father. “He was a patient, kind, and gentle man,” Shuster said, and “a beautiful horseman.” Maull married Betty Lysell, the sister of Harry Lysell ’50. The couple had two other children who attended Culver: Ann ’60 and John ’66. A niece, Harry Lysell’s daughter Betty Hudson ’74, also graduated from Culver. The Colonel Charles Maull Jr. Memorial Award is presented annually at the Culver Awards Convocation to the best polo player.

Following Culver, Nieto continued as a hunter/jumper, competing with the Mexican Equestrian Team in the World Cup. In 1998, he placed second in a competition in Calgary and then continued to place well in international competition. In the Derby in Monterrey, Nieto placed second in 1998 and third in 1999. At Aachen, Germany, in 2000, he was sixth in the speed class, seventh in the Derby, and ninth in the Saturday Grand Prix. In 2001 he won the national Grand Prix of Balvanera and the Grand Prix of Monterrey in Mexico. Nieto’s win at the 2002 Monterrey competition helped earn him the opportunity to represent Mexico at the World Equestrian Games in 2002.

William G. Robertson ’59 Bill Robertson grew up around draft and harness horses in rural Indiana during the 1940s. After watching “National Velvet,” his first pony, Midge, was a candidate for the Grand National, at least in his mind. But Robertson set his sights on the United States Equestrian Team after being a member of the Black Horse Troop, co-captain of the show jumping team, and being named Horseman of the William G. Year in 1959. In 1961, he became a member of Robertson ’59 the USET and was named to the Nation’s Cup Team for the 1962 European Tour. In Aachen, Germany, Robertson jumped two clear rounds to help win the U.S. team’s first Cup. While in the Army during the mid-1960s, Robertson rode for the U.S. Pentathlon Team. After the service, he owned and operated Winter’s Gone Ranch in Humble, Texas. From 1965 until the late 1980s, Robertson-trained horses were abundant winners at the Pin Oak horse shows. He moved to Colorado in the 1990s and became fascinated with the work of Bill and Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, and their disciples. He and his wife, Deitra, have become strong believers in the benefits of understanding the basic nature of the horse. “The horse is perfect by nature,” Robertson said. Referencing lessons learned from Fritz and Feeley, he added that “horses don’t learn unless they are in a relaxed state.”

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“We need to learn to get out of the way; the horse already knows all this stuff,” he said. The best way to communicate is “with lightness. The horse lives in the moment.” Robertson asked young riders to keep these principles in mind. “Life is short, enjoy it. Enjoy it all, and enjoy your horses.”

Darrell V. Schwetz H’79 Eight-year-old Darrell Schwetz fell in love with horses when his family moved to Boca Raton, Florida. There, he had the opportunity to ride on weekends at the old Royal Palm Polo Club. At ten, Schwetz purchased his first horse, Bedford, and received his first polo mallet. From 1976 to 1979 he was a member of the Summer Cavalry and commander of the Lancer Platoon his final summer. He also was a member of the Rough Riders and spent hours in the polo cages with Sarge Hudson.

Darrell V. Schwetz H’79

Dwight D. Sutherland Sr. H’39 Nineteen Sutherlands have attended Culver Summer Schools & Camps, including Dwight and son Perry H’75. Dwight Sutherland attended Princeton for two years before transferring to the University of Kansas in 1942, majoring in mechanical engineering. He left Kansas to serve in the Merchant Marines during World War II. After the war, he returned to Kansas City to Dwight D. operate the family business, Sutherland Lumber Sutherland Sr. H’39 Company, with his brothers. Among his other interests were ranching, gas and oil exploration, and thoroughbred racing and breeding. Sutherland served on the boards of several corporations and non-profit institutions, including the Sutherland Institute at the University of Kansas Medical Center, which is dedicated to facial reconstruction of children. He died Oct. 25, 2003, at the age of 81. The award was accepted by his widow, Delores, and Perry Sutherland.

After graduation, Schwetz’s career as a professional polo player took him across the United States and to Canada, Africa, and Jamaica. In 2003, he became a USPA professional umpire and now travels the country, which kept him from attending the induction ceremony. Schwetz has officiated at The Geebung Polo Club in Pakistan. He also instructs beginning players and hopes to further his coaching at the interscholastic or intercollegiate level.

Dale J. Schwetz ’85 Even as a young high school student, Dale Schwetz’s skill as a polo player was evident. As a fourth-classman he was voted Most Valuable Player at the Chicago Polo Benefit. He was the leading scorer for the CMA polo team for four years, team captain in his third- and second-class years, and co-captain in his first-class year (1985), as well as top varsity player. Dale J. Schwetz ’85

Schwetz’s varsity team won numerous championships, including the Interscholastic Polo Championship in 1982, 1983, and 1985, and the title of national champions during each of his four years. He was awarded the Fleet Cup as the best all-around horseman in his first-class year. Not limiting himself to the Troop and polo, Schwetz captained the soccer team his first-class year. As a professional, he was captain of the United States Polo Team and competed in the 2000-01 World Cup. His career has been well rounded, including managing high goal polo clubs, being a USPA AA professional umpire, umpiring the U.S. Open Polo Championships, and developing his own competitive polo horse training facility, Full Circle Farms, in south Florida. As a professional, Schwetz obtained a fivegoal rating. His primary club is the Palm Beach Polo Club in Florida.

Perry H. Sutherland H’75 Perry Sutherland also attended Culver Academies for one year. Along with his father, Dwight, they raced thoroughbreds under the colors of the Choctaw Racing Stable. Often in partnerships with others, the Sutherlands owned interests in Grade One winners Sister Act, Gentlemen, Puerto Madero, and Favorite Trick. Hot Jaws, winner of the Count Fleet Spring Handicap (G3), was a Perry H. favorite of Dwight’s. For Rubies, a two-time Sutherland H’75 stakes winner; Spavinaw, a Belmont Park Stakes winner; and Tyus, another stakes winner, also were owned by Choctaw Racing Stable. Sutherland played professional polo and is a member of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. He served on the executive committee of the American Royal and was chairman of the Rodeo Committee for five years. He also served on the board of several other corporations and committees. Since his father’s passing, he has assumed the role of president of Sutherland Lumber-Southwest, Inc., and Dardanelle Timber Co., Inc. Making his first visit to Culver in 25 years, Sutherland said “I am very excited about what’s going on here, and the new stables. I am awed by the people – today and previously – in this hall of fame.”

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Culver Class News

Alumni Class News Class news published in this issue was received and processed prior to October 1, 2009. Alumni Class News for the Academies and Culver Summer Schools and Camps are combined and listed under the graduation year.

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70th Reunion • May 20-23, 2010 Homecoming • July 23-25, 2010 The Texas Sports Hall of Fame will induct K.S. “Bud” Adams and nine other athletes at ceremonies at Baylor University in February. Bud co-founded the American Football League with the late Lamar Hunt W’42 in 1950 and is one of two surviving original owners. He is the former owner of the Houston Oilers, who won the first two AFL titles and lost in the championship the third year. The franchise has since moved to Nashville as the Titans and has appeared in a Super Bowl.

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Having survived two cancer surgeries, Otto J. Schlesinger is feeling great and walks his dog, Bear, every day in Hinsdale, Ill. Otto sends regards to his Batterymates and crew buddies.

1944

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Warren H. Wright and wife Rosalie have been traveling (Ireland and Tahiti) thanks to travel prices being down. “We’re going broke saving money!” Warren writes from Oro Valley, Ariz.

1949

Gold Medal h Haberland photo.

1940

1949 Winter Reunion Weekend, Jan. 15-16, 2010, Del Ray Beach, Fla. George S. Hoster Jr. was sorry to miss reunion No. 60, but the economic conditions have him glued to his cell phone and in front of his computer 14 hours a day, plus he must be near an airport for sudden trips. Gus and his wife live in Presque Isle, Mich. James A. Yocum enjoyed the 60th reunion and the fact those Culver friendships are growing strong. Jim and Beth reside in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

1951 Gunnar Jenson reports that his memoir, “Gunnar’s Learning Curves,” is available at

Troopers Dr. Rudi Ansbacher ’50 and Bill Green ’49 share memories.

Amazon.com. In Chapter 4 (which is devoted entirely to Culver) Gunnar recalls the night in late 1949 that he and a few friends rendezvoused at Logansport Gate and were prepared to go AWOL. Before passing between the pillars, Gunnar posed the question, “Will my father still have to pay my tuition if I leave?” One of the cadets responded that, “Yes. I know for sure he’ll have to pay for the whole year.” Gunnar couldn’t do that to his father. He

John S. Bonner III and his wife, Betty, are at an independent living facility in Houston. John says he has CRS (can’t remember stuff) and that the 65th reunion sounded like a good time.

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In October, CEF trustee Franklin D. Schurz Jr., president of Schurz Communications Inc. of South Bend, Ind., was the recipient of the 2009 Chancellor’s Medal from Indiana University-South Bend. The medal recognizes contributions that have advanced the university and its mission through his/her support and dedication. Recipients personify the attributes of leadership, trust, respect, dignity, and teamwork. Schurz Communications is a media holding company that owns the South Bend Tribune and other newspapers and radio stations in several states.

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Haberland photo.

1948

Bob Bath H’49 and an unidentified partner take a turn on the dance floor during the Horsemanship Reunion Weekend celebration party.


Culver Class News turned back, and his friends followed. Some 60 years later, Gunnar thanks that unknown cadet who had the right answer at the right time and asks, “Was it you?”

1952

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Arthur L. Bowman III of Cincinnati recently had surgery and is going through rehab. Retired as a Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee, Art travels with family, which includes his three children, their spouses, and five grandchildren, and enjoys a time share in Cabo.

Looking for something to do? David G.S. Greene offers free ballroom dancing lessons (waltz, rumba, tango, and more) every Monday evening in Sandy Spring, Md. Ronald H. Witort (N’50) of Turlock, Calif., is still in the teacher education department of California State University Stanislaus. He plays some golf and is writing a book about the No Child Left Behind legislation.

1954

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Eugene A. Burns Jr. was sorry to miss his 55th, “but I am one of those working stiffs who is still putting in the 9 to 5.” Gene has been in the health food business for almost 40 years. He and wife Linda live in Tucson, Ariz. Charles A. Laube II of Monroe, N.C., is doing OK despite losing both legs below the knee to diabetes. An Aug. 6, 2009, article on the Miami New Times website detailed Gustavo Villoldo’s personal war against the men who killed his father, stole his family’s fortune, and drove him from his homeland. Gustavo and his brother Alfredo ’55 have recently won a $1 billion civil suit against Fidel Castro and the Cuban government, but of course have yet to collect. Gustavo also played a critical role in the capture of revolutionist Che Guevara, according to the article. Gustavo lives today in southern Florida.

Haberland photo.

Gordon N. Gerson (W’47) visited Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia this past spring and returned to Costa Rica in the late summer. His home base is South Bend, Ind. Former Alumni Director now historian Robert B.D. Hartman welcomes Bill Gram ’60 and his wife, Gerry Graham Gram ’60 to Friday’s opening reception. Gerry Graham is the daughter of Colonel Gerald Graham, director of horsemanship from 1958-68.

1957

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Scott H. Banninga (N’55) is a senior at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, studying social work. Since returning to the classroom, Scott has chalked up 14 A’s, five B’s, and two C’s. He will graduate with a bachelor’s degree. He also volunteers for Read to the Blind. Stephen D. Shankman is the grandfather of four, ranging from a 10-year-old to a college sophomore. Steve lives in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

1960

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50th Reunion • May 20-23, 2010 Homecoming • July 23-25, 2010 Richard W. Ashby and his wife, Virginia, are doing well in Mission Viejo, Calif. They have three children (an administrator at the University of Virginia (Ph.D.), a pro golfer, and a minister) and six grandchildren. Peter V.R. Hicks (W’55) is retired in Antioch, Tenn., with his wife, Linda. They saw classmates Tom Yendes and Murphy Thomas and their wives in Nashville. After 35 years in financial management in the Silicon Valley, Rammy G. Rasmussen is enjoying retirement in Palm Desert, Calif., with his five grandchildren. Rammy

also plays golf and tennis and travels with wife Carol.

1962

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Paul W. Barada Sr. (NB) of Rushville, Ind., is a grandfather for the eighth time. Benjamin Barada was born July 20, 2009, the third child of Jonathan NB’93 and Brooke Barada. John M. Davis retired in January 2009 after 42 years in rotorcraft research and development with Bell Helicopter Textron and the U.S. Army. At this year’s annual forum of the American Helicopter Society, International, John was one of two individuals recognized with an AHS Honorary Fellow award. John and his wife live in Menlo Park, Calif.

1967 Harcourt S. Patterson Jr. continues as a partner in Donahue/Patterson Associates, executive search consultants in Chicago. Buzz also sits on the board of directors of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, an environmental advocacy group.

1968

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Michael R. Scholz (W’64) is back in the hotel-restaurant business in Big Sky, Mont.

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Culver Class News Mike and a co-owner have re-claimed Buck’s T-4 Lodge. He had sold the exclusive millionaires-only club in 2006, but when the new owners went into bankruptcy, Mike agreed to forget the debt in exchange for the deed. Mike’s parents bought the T-4 in 1972 when it was just a bar and café and he took the business over a few years later.

1970 40th Reunion • May 20-23, 2010 Homecoming • July 23-25, 2010 Richard S. Rafes of Lewisburg, W.Va., was installed Oct. 2, 2009, as the fifth president of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Rich previously served as president of East Central University in Ada, Okla., and in various capacities for 26 years with the University of North Texas System. He holds a doctorate of philosophy degree in higher education administration and a law degree. Patrick A. Spensley (W’65), who died in 1974 in a traffic accident two months before his graduation from Miami University, was remembered by a classmate in a piece titled “Such Friends” on the university website (miamialum.org). Author Mark Massé described Patrick’s room as a place to hang out that was filled with lively debate and much laughter. “Now, decades later, we are left with his larger-than-life memory and the recurring mysteries of why and what if,” Massé wrote.

1971

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Peirce C. Ward III (W’65) gave his daughter, Whitney, away in marriage, but still has his business partner. Whitney was married in March, and works with her father as a financial services representative with New England Financial in Charlotte, N.C. Huntley “Bud” Hornbeck of Naples, Fla., wrote an article that appeared on the Naples (Fla.) News website (naplesnews.com) on Sept. 10, 2009, sharing the opportunity of a lifetime for his 7year-old grandson, Boomer. Boomer, who has cerebral palsy and underwent surgery in March, was able to walk up and shake hands with University of Florida Coach

42 Fall/Winter 2009

Urban Meyer at the Winged Foot Scholarship Banquet in May. (Bud is a cofounder and chairman of Winged Foot; Myer was the keynote speaker.) What the article doesn’t share is the Culver connection: Meyer is a business associate of Culver trustee and former Culver parent Mike Wilcox, who had a hand in getting Meyer as the speaker. That meeting, led to an invitation from Meyer for Boomer and his family to meet quarterback Tim Tebow at the Sept. 5 opening game. Tebow guided Boomer’s wheelchair on a tour of the athletic facility and stadium the day before and on game day wheeled Boomer around on the field to shake hands with each player. Boomer also celebrated with the team in the locker room after the game. It was an unforgettable day for Boomer, as well as for Grandpa Bud.

1973

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The Rev. Emil H. Klatt III has been awarded a Doctor of Ministry degree in pastoral counseling and spiritual formation by Ashland (Ohio) Theological Seminary, a seminary of the Brethren Church. Emil is pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Ohio. In October, he accompanied his wife, Barbara (Newill) ’73 to Culver for her induction into the Horsemanship Hall of Fame. Abbott Chairman and CEO Miles D. White was named “Executive of the Year” at the 5th Annual Scrip Awards and one of 2009’s “Best CEOs in Corporate Governance” by Directorship magazine. Miles is a Culver Educational Foundation trustee and chairman of the Academies By Example capital campaign.

1974

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Stan Mefford (W’71, NB) and a Verizon colleague co-authored an article in September that appeared on the Supply & Demand-Chain Executive website. The topic was “Creating the Well-oiled Machine: Best practices for managing a massive contract workforce program.” Stan lives in Allen, Texas, and is the senior consultant for program and project management of supply chain systems for Verizon Service Operations.

1975

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35th Reunion • May 20-23, 2010 Homecoming • July 23-25, 2010 Kevin D. Finch (NB) has joined Indianapolis-Calamari Productions, an award-winning documentary producer for several TV networks. Kevin had most recently been news director at WISH-TV, the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis. Under his leadership the station won Outstanding News and Weather Operation awards from the Indiana Associated Press, an Emmy Award for Best Newscast, and recently Best Newscast from both AP and the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists. Don W. Fox, the general counsel at the Office of Government Ethics in Washington, D.C., spoke in September at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) AntiCorruption and Transparency Symposium in Seoul, South Korea. Don, who spoke on the promotion of civil rights ethics, was one of more than 150 heads of non-government organizations and officials sharing expertise and experiences from their homeland.

1976 The Right Reverend David M. Loomis has been consecrated Bishop in the Anglican Communion, Province of Rwanda. David, whom most call simply “Doc,” previously served as the canon missioner for the Anglican Province of Rwanda in North America, overseeing international church planting efforts. He graduated from CMA as the regimental aide to the chaplain and writes that CMA Chaplain Rev. William Martin “was the first person to recognize the call that God had for my life.” Doc lives in Medina, Ohio, with his wife, Ellen. They have four grown children, including son Damian Dollard ’94.

1977

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Jim and Laura A. (Yocum) Battenberg have moved to Denver, where she hopes to do more skiing. Antonio C. Garcia lives in Madrid, Spain, with his wife and 4-year-old son. Tony is a consultant in Angola and South Africa for international companies.


Culver Class News 1978

At Reunion Weekend, Suzy Menne Kirkhoff and Rajiv Chopra accepted the Joseph H. Levy Award for their role as class gift chairs for the Class of 1989. The award was created in 2008 by the CEF Board of Trustees and is endowed by Craig Duchossois ’62 as a tribute to Levy’s dedication to Culver. The award honors exceptional alumni/ae for their contributions to the school, especially in support of fundraising efforts.

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In mid-2009, Drymax, owned by W. Augustus Blythe of Paso Robles, Calif., received Alpine Institute’s Guides’ Choice Award for its socks and fiber technology. Drymax was recognized for devising a fabric that forces water through the sock and away from the foot, keeping it dry inside the boot.

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U.S. Army Maj. Ray H. Bauer (A) is based in Afghanistan on a United Nations mission. Previously, Ray had similar duties in Bulgaria, Poland, and Germany.

1981 Sarah Martin Abernathie has a daughter, Jane, who is a sophomore at CGA this school year. Sarah reports from Richmond, Va., that her father, former chaplain Rev. William Martin, is afflicted with Alzheimer’s “but is still a wonderfully loving man.” Bradley F. Burns flies out of Las Vegas for Berkshire Hathaway’s Netjets, now as a captain on the Gulfstream 550. Brad is still trying to make the final table at the World Series of Poker in Omaha High-Low Split. Sava Alexander Vojcanin and his wife, Valerie, announce the birth of their son, George, on April 15, 2009. George joins siblings John (5) and Elizabeth (2) at home in Lake Bluff, Ill. Mark Zeigfinger is an assistant vice president with Wells Fargo Business Credit in Dallas. He and his wife, Corinne, have two daughters, Emily (almost 2) and Katherine, born Aug. 11, 2009.

1984

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Army Lt. Col. G. Wesley Millner Jr. is deployed to Iraq/Afghanistan as the operations officer working aviation issues for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom. His wife, Melanie, and three children await his return in Atlanta.

Army Lt. Col. Eric W. Young will be attending the Naval Command and General Staff College through mid-2010, and plans to stay and teach for a second year. Haberland photo.

1979

1990 20th Reunion • May 20-23, 2010 Homecoming • July 23-25, 2010 Smith Yewell ’84 was one of four businesspeople who met with students Oct. 5 during a daylong series of seminars sponsored by the School for the Entrepreneur. Smith is the founder and CEO of Welocalize in Frederick, Md. Welocalize specializes in software for globalized marketing and outsourcing. The “Celebrating Innovation” sessions also included Molly Allen ’96.

1988

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Army Maj. Robert A. Curris was selected as a battalion commander in May and will return to Fort Bragg in June 2010 to assume command of the 3rd PSYOP battalion. Bob is “excited but humbled” at the prospect; only six battalions and only two commands were available.

1989

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Culver native William E. Furry (N) was the man of the hour in June 2009 as Culver’s Uptown Cinema debuted the Disney documentary “Morning Light” at an event that doubled as a fund raiser for the Maxinkuckee Yacht Club’s Junior Fleet. Bill, now of Grand Rapids, Mich., spent several years coaching and sailing in the San Diego area before gravitating to running regattas and sailing events in Chicago, Key West, Fla., and Newport, R.I. This led to training crew members on the team formed by Roy Disney (Walt Disney’s nephew) to race a 52-foot sloop from California to Hawaii, which became the basis of the documentary.

Shane Sorg’s (W’85, N’88) twins, Ekaterina and Christopher, turned 1-yearold on May 21, 2009, in Moscow. They were born in Russia, where Shane works in telecommunications.

1991

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Jeremy Duff (W’86, N’89) chairs the volunteer board of Open Arms Housing, a non-profit based on the concept that all individuals are entitled to safe, decent housing, and that their access to this housing should not be contingent upon their participation in services. Jeremy lives in Washington, D.C., where he is the principal with DHR International, a worldwide executive research firm. Small Bar, the Chicago hot spot of brothers Troy ’91 and Ty Fujimura ’93, was featured in the September 2009 edition of Chicago magazine in an article noting the top 30 hamburgers in the Windy City. Small Bar is on West Division Street in the Ukrainian Village area.

1992 Rebecca H. Bernstein (W’87, SS’90) and her family (husband Calvin Tomkins and 2-year-old son Noah) have settled in Asheville, N.C. Rebecca is a hospitalist (a hospital-based internist) at Mission Hospital and leads a Journal Club for her fellow physicians.

Culver Alumni Magazine

43


Culver Class News

Finding the corporate job, stable income, and big house in the suburbs unfulfilling, Jeff Oliver (W’86) and his wife, Kara, sold their house, car, and most of their “stuff” and left Nashville, Tenn., along with their two children, for a year of service with the United Methodist Church in Malawi, Africa. With an MBA from Vanderbilt University, Jeff will focus on micro-business development in rural communities throughout the country.

1993 Small Bar, the Chicago hot spot of brothers Ty ’93 and Troy Fujimura ’91, was featured in the September 2009 edition of Chicago magazine in an article noting the top 30 hamburgers in the Windy City. Small Bar is on West Division Street in the Ukrainian Village area.

1994

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Mike and Missy Lange Boyle are parents of their first daughter, Neala, born April 13, 2009. She joins brothers Finn (5) and Brady (4) in Park City, Utah. Lauren Hockert Ciarochi remains employed full time in Dallas with children Stephanie (6), Rebecca (4), and Christopher (2). Lauren and husband Joel travel frequently with the children and are busy with local activities. J. Coe Schlicher and his wife, Abby, are parents of a son, Charles, born Aug. 4, 2009, in Albuquerque, N.M.

44 Fall/Winter 2009

1995

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15th Reunion • May 20-23, 2010 Homecoming • July 23-25, 2010 RJ and Christine Schlicher Johnson ’96 are parents of a daughter, Prideaux, born Aug. 13, 2009, in Dallas. A son, Mack, was born Sept. 21, 2009 to Hilary and Bryce W. Prosser of Chicago. Nick Silvers (W’90) and his wife, Kelly, are first-time parents. Daughter Isabel was born Aug. 21, 2009. The family lives in Cypress, Texas, and Nick is vice president of Ironwood Homes in Houston.

1996

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Nate C. Clendenin writes that MamelodiStories.org took best category for Blogs at the 8th Annual Horizon Interactive Awards, an international competition. Nate and his wife have been blogging about their year as volunteers in South Africa with Africa Revolution. They also teach web design and small business courses at a local church’s skills development center. RJ ’95 and Christine Schlicher Johnson are parents of a daughter, Prideaux, born Aug. 13, 2009, in Dallas. A son, Charles, was born Aug. 7, 2009, to Tony and Molly Allen Tuesca of Silver Spring, Md. The maternal grandfather is Jack Allen ’66. Molly’s business, Molly Allen Associates, provides campaign strategy, consulting services, and fund raising for Democrats in the House of Representatives, as well as Democratic candidates for the House.

1998 Kristen P. Bunch (SS) graduated from medical school and is a resident in OB/GYN in Tacoma, Wash.

2000

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Haberland photo.

In September, TIME magazine published a news article on Warrior Mind Training, a program co-founded by Sarah E. Ernst in 2005. Sarah is the managing director of the training program at Fort Bragg, N.C., and at Camp Lejeune. Warrior Mind Training draws on the image of the mythic Japanese fighter who hones his battle skills along with his mental precision. The premise is that razor-sharp attention and razor-sharp marksmanship result in a fearsome warrior. The Defense Department also hopes that giving soldiers tools to fend off mental stress will toughen its troops at war and at home.

Molly Allen ’96, founder of Molly Allen Associates in Washington, D.C., returned to campus Oct. 5 to take part in a daylong seminar titled “Celebrating Innovation,” sponsored by the School for the Entrepreneur. Allen provides strategy, consulting, and fund-raising services to Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as Democratic candidates for the House. Also participating was Smith Yewell ’84.

Morgan M. Rich has received a graduate assistantship to the College of Fine Arts and the doctoral program in music at the University of Florida-Gainesville. She also has been selected to receive the Grinter Fellowship Award. Morgan received her master’s degree in music history from Bowling Green State University.

2001

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Lauren S. Corcia (SS’99) has accepted a position as national brands manager with Interstate Brands Corporation of Dallas. IBC is the largest wholesale baker and distributor of fresh bakery products in the United States. Catherine E. Jennings and Clint Gardner were married June 13, 2009, in Dallas.

10th Reunion • May 20-23, 2010 Homecoming • July 23-25, 2010

2002

Erin M. Bunch (SS) graduated from the University of Minnesota and is working in Minneapolis-St. Paul. She lives in Plymouth, Minn.

John C. Dawson divides his time in West Lafayette, Ind., between work as a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual and operating Dawson Angus farm with his father. John’s breeding operation was


Culver Class News recently featured during the summer by AgriNews.com. John graduated from Purdue University with majors in economics and psychology.

Erick R. McDaniel of Battle Creek, Mich., had the fourth-highest point total of any male competitor as the Western Michigan University’s precision flight team, the Sky Broncos, finished third at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association championship in May 2009. Erick was named WMU’s outstanding team member for the competition, which attracted 300 pilots representing 28 of the top aviation schools in the nation. Erick graduated in August with a bachelor’s degree in aviation science and administration.

Regina M. Solis and William Lee ’03 were married March 28, 2009, in her hometown of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. The newlyweds are now living in Atlanta.

2003 Susanne Jendro has been promoted to developer and celebrated two years with Ogilvy and Mather in Chicago. Susie shares an apartment with Culver roommate Abby Hunter ’03.

Michelle H. Weeks is working on a law degree at Michigan State University. She graduated this spring magna cum laude from the University of the South.

Robert D. Lisk Jr. has deployed to Iraq for the second time. He is a sergeant with the Army’s 82nd Airborne. His wife, Tara Huberty ’03, and son Parker (2) are stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Jim Wentzel of Leiters Ford, Ind., graduated from Manchester College in May with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training.

Kristin L. Seiffert is pursuing her master’s degree in International Relations at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Pfc. Andrew D. Jay is stationed in Afghanistan with the 4th Infantry Division, 4th Brigade.

2005

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5th Reunion • May 20-23, 2010 Homecoming • July 23-25, 2010 Jack Jolley graduated from George Washington University in May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and has joined Merrill Lynch in Chicago. Tom Landis is starting the master’s program in professional communication while teaching introductory communication to freshmen at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (Ind.). He is also interning with Campus Ministry.

Julie E. Menken has taken a year off from Georgetown University to join Team in Training, a marathon program that raises funds to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

2007 Defenseman Michael A. Sdao was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the seventh round of the National Hockey League Entry Draft in July. Mike is a freshman at Princeton University and will be skating for the Tigers. He spent the last two years playing for the Lincoln Stars of the U.S. Hockey League.

2008

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2004

the Junior World Championships for the third straight year. Hans was unable to participate in the international competition because of a prior commitment – he was a Woodcraft counselor. A senior at the University of Southern California, Hans is in Navy ROTC and will serve four years after graduating. And he has his sights set on the 2016 Olympics.

Mari Teasdale ’06 at the summit of Mount Fuji at sunrise. Mari studied in Shinjuku, Japan, during the first semester. She is a student at Miami University (Ohio).

2006 University of Tulsa softball player Jackie L. Lawrence was named to the First Team AllConference (USA) and the Conference USA All-Tournament Team last season. The Golden Hurricanes were regular season Conference USA champions and won the post-season tournament. Hans M. Lauzen (N) placed second over the summer in the modern pentathlon in the U.S. Junior Nationals and qualified for

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Emma L. Clark has transferred to the University of New Hampshire, where she will be playing women’s hockey this season as a sophomore. Emma played last season for St. Lawrence University, scoring three goals in 32 games. Kyler Scott has switched schools and switched sports. The former CMA placekicker started out at Indiana University, but soon found his competitive fire for football had gone out. Preferring to call it retirement from the gridiron, Kyler transferred to Webster University and is playing golf for the Division III school in St. Louis.

2009

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Jenna M. Iwaniec played soccer this fall for Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo. She is majoring in human performance and physical education with aspirations of becoming an athletic trainer.

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Gary Mills photo.

Classbound cadets.

46 Fall/Winter 2009


Culver Passings

Passings in Review Death notices published in this issue were received and processed prior to October 1, 2009. Full obituaries are limited to alumni who have died within three years of the publication of this issue.

The Office of Alumni Relations has received notice of the deaths of the following alumni, but sufficient information for a complete obituary was unavailable. The city listed may be the last known address and not necessarily the place of death. Lewis A. Hayden ’30 (Troop) October 2008 (Aurora Colo.) Jack Vanderbleek H’44 July 10, 2009 (St. Petersburg, Fla.) John R. Vehling H’45 Oct. 28, 2008 (Anderson, Ind.) Charles A. Burkholder Jr. ’48 (Co. A) April 18, 2009 (Phoenix, Ariz.) Albert M. Lechner N’47, ’48 (Co. B) 2007 (Glenview, Ill.) Harry F. Ruhf ’49 (Co. A) July 14, 2009 (Toppenish, Wash.) Dean W. Dornan W’52 May 9, 2009 (Douglas, Mich.) Gordon H. Campbell N’56 (Indianapolis) William M. Fearing N’58 Feb. 4, 2006 (Green Bay, Wis.) Greg O’Shaughnessy W’58, ’63 (Co. B) Aug. 3, 2009 (Rockford, Ill.) George W. Hawker ’60 (Artillery) (Kankakee, Ill.) Philip J. Frickert III ’61 (Artillery) Aug. 22, 2009 (Midlothian, Va.) Richard W. Weilburg ’85 (Co. A) June 21, 2009 (Los Angeles) Margaret T. Brown SC’05 May 19, 2009 (Indianapolis)

W. Glenn Caughey N’29 died Nov. 26, 2007, in the Veranda Place Assisted Living Home in South Beaver Township, Pa. He had been a regional salesman for the H.J. Heinz Corporation before his retirement. He then pursued his life interest in tennis and became an instructor at several tennis clubs in western Pennsylvania. He won the Beaver County Senior Doubles Tournament and was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He is survived by daughter, Susan Kraynack of Chippewa Township, Pa. Former Man of the Year (1999) and an Emily Jane Culver Scholar, Robert E. Carroll ’34 (Co. A) died Aug. 16, 2009, in New York City. Dr. Carroll was a pioneer in the field of hand surgery and reconstruction, a professor emeritus of clinical orthopedic surgery at Columbia University, and a consultant at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University as the regimental hospital lieutenant. He earned a bachelor’s degree and his medical degree from Yale University. During World War II he served in the Pacific Theater as a captain in the Medical Corps. At New York Orthopedic Hospital, a division of the Columbia-Presbyterian, Dr. Carroll was instrumental in establishing the Division of Hand surgery, acting as its chief until 1986. He was one of the founders and subsequently a president of the New York Society for Surgery of the Hand, as well as a vice president of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. He served as a consultant to the Navy, Air Force, Veterans Administration, and the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Carroll taught and lectured on surgical techniques throughout the world and was honored with membership in the hand societies of 16 countries. In 1997, Columbia University College presented him with the Distinguished Service Award. The trustees of Columbia University also

established the Robert E. Carroll Professorship in Surgery of the Hand in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Surviving are his wife, Jane; two daughters, a son, stepson, and eight grandsons. A retired physician, Isaac E. Michael ’34 (Band) died Aug. 1, 2009, in Indianapolis. Dr. Michael graduated from the University of Chicago and Rush Presbyterian Medical School. He was awarded the Bronze Star as a member of the Army Medical Corps in World War II. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., worked briefly in Ohio, and then founded what would become Northside Internal Medicine in Indianapolis. Dr. Michael was a past president of the Marion County Medical Society. He retired at 78, but continued consulting, volunteering, and honoring speaking requests in the medical community. He is survived by two daughters, a, son, a brother, David N’46; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Richard L. Glasser ’36 (Troop) died Aug. 24, 2009, in Indianapolis. Mr. Glasser majored in business at the University of Chicago. He started his working life at the family business, H.P. Wasson & Company, and retired as president in 1971 after 37 years. He served on the Advisory Board of St. Vincent Hospital for 37 years, rising to become chairman. Mr. Glasser also was a board member of the Seton Corporation, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana. He also served on the boards of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, being appointed in 1970, and of the Boy Scouts of Central Indiana. He is survived by his wife, Ann; a son, two daughters, and seven grandchildren. A member of a family with long and continued ties to Culver, John G. Nichols ’36 (Co. C) of Naples, Fla., died Sept. 7, 2009. Mr. Nichols spent his early years in

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Photo by Lew Kopp ’71.

Second floor of Huffington Library overlooking Lake Maxinkuckee.

48 Fall/Winter 2009


Culver Passings Danville, Ill., where he and his brother had interests in consumer finance and banking. He retired early and moved to Naples in 1975. He was a graduate of Indiana University. He is survived by his wife, Betty; a daughter, son Robert W’60, and a stepson. He was predeceased by a brother, George ’33. Harry C. Block Jr. ’37 (Co. B) died July 4, 2009, in Indianapolis. The grandson of department store founder William H. Block, Mr. Block was the family historian, preserving and passing down stories, photos, and traditions. A veteran of World War II, his life was enriched by family, friends, and acquaintances from his youth, his Culver years, Block’s department store, Block’s Bicycle Shop, years of collecting aviation history, the Indy Aero Club, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and his church, according to his published obituary. Mr. Block took great pride in his world class aviation collection and Indy 500 memorabilia, but what really mattered to him was family. He is survived by his wife, Tirzah; three daughters, seven grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

Army, 97th Division, in World War II, first in the European Theater and then in the Occupation Army in Japan. Surviving are his wife, Eleanor; two daughters, a son, and seven grandchildren. Elijah P. Faulconer III ’43 (Co. A) of Harrodsburg, Ky., died Aug. 18, 2009. Mr. Faulconer was co-owner of FaulconerBreeden Builders, an engineer for Kentucky Utilities for 27 years, and, after retirement, opened small engine service in Danville. He was a great-great-great-grandson of Kentucky’s first governor, Isaac Shelby. An Army veteran, he graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in engineering. Summers were spent at Camp PetO-Se-Ga in northern Michigan, both as a camper and later as a counselor, before and after his military career. He was a Boy Scout and a Cub Scout leader. Mr. Faulconer is survived by his wife, Linda, two sons, a daughter, two sisters, and six grandchildren.

Donald O. Cook Jr. N’41 of Owosso, Mich., died Aug. 14, 2009. He resided most of his life in the Flint-Owosso area. Mr. Cook was a Navy veteran of World War II. He sang with the Barber Shop Quartet, Capitol City Chordsmen. Surviving are two sons, two daughters, a brother, Bruce N’46 of Owosso; 15 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Ralph C. Raabe ’44 (Co. A) died June 14, 2009, in Shalimar, Fla. Mr. Raabe was an aeronautical engineer in the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s, after which he served in the Air Force Reserve for over 20 years. He was employed as a research liaison and engineer with several manufacturing companies before retiring in 1982. Mr. Raabe also was a volunteer tax preparer for AARP. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Surviving are wife, Anita; two sons, a daughter, his mother, Ruth Schult of Van Wert, Ohio; a sister, and five grandchildren.

F. Parker Colby ’42 (Troop) of Concord, N.H., died Aug. 13, 2009, of complications from Parkinson’s disease. Mr. Colby’s career was spent in Detroit as a merchandising manager at the J.L. Hudson Co. (now Target) and as a vice president in the trust department at The National Bank of Detroit (now J.P. Morgan Chase). He also was a volunteer director of both Goodwill Industries of Detroit and the Detroit YMCA. In retirement, his greatest interest was in the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) branches in Portsmouth and Dover. He also worked with handicapped adults. Mr. Colby graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Business School. He served in the U.S.

John O. Gilbert II ’46 (Artillery), past president and general manager of KOAATV, died June 12, 2009, in Surprise, Ariz. Mr. Gilbert was senior captain/regimental commander and senior class president, honors that resulted in a four-page national spread in Parade magazine. After briefly helping run the family chocolate company, he turned to a career in broadcasting. Ultimately, Mr. Gilbert assumed the position of Vice President of Affiliate Relations for ABC, headquartered in New York City. During his tenure, he was responsible for the discovery and acquisition of sportscaster Howard Cosell and pioneered the on-air editorial, according to a published obituary. An avid fan of the Colorado outdoors, he

left presidential positions with Television News, Inc. and TEL COM, to assume the helm of a small NBC affiliate owned by the Evening Post Publishing Company. Under his guidance, KOAA-TV in Colorado jumped to second place in the ratings by 1978. He retired in 1999 and moved to Arizona. Two sons, three daughters, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren survive. James L. Kretchmar ’46 (Troop) of Muskegon, Mich., died Sept. 5, 2009. Mr. Kretchmar lived in Chicago for many years before retiring as an architect in 1988 and moving to the Muskegon area. He graduated from the University of Michigan School of Architecture. Surviving are his wife, Beverly; four children, among them Stuart ’70 of Wilmette, Ill.; a brother, Richard ’57 of Oak Ridge, Tenn.; eight grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. Mr. Kretchmar was predeceased by two brothers, Arthur ’40 and Harold ’41. Walter T. White ’46 (Co. D) of East Winthrop, Maine, died Sept. 19, 2009. He graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He served in the Army Signal Corps and worked for Wright Aeronautical Corporation in Wood Ridge, N.J. He was a member of several barbershop quartets and barbershop choruses, including the Central Maine Harmony Buoys, and participated in many national competitions. He is survived by his wife, Rose. John R. Hager H’45, ’47 (Artillery) of Lancaster, Pa., died Aug. 30, 2009. Mr. Hager was an executive at Hager’s Department Store and then Watt & Shand. He participated in the development of the Park City Shopping Center and was the manager of Watt & Shand from 1970-81. Mr. Hager retired to pursue his love for flying and was instrumental in bringing Hot Air Ballooning to Lancaster County in 1972. He taught ballooning, offered pleasure flights, attended balloon events across the country, and worked with the Federal Aviation Administration as a designated pilot examiner and as an accident prevention counselor. He flew the Alps twice in a gas balloon. Mr. Hager received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University with an

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Culver

Photo by Ron Robinson.

Passings

ROTC commission. He was an Army artillery officer and served as a forward aerial observer in combat during the Korean War. Survivors include his wife, Joanne; three children, including Joanne Bucko ’75 of Chesterton, Ind., and John ’77 of Nome, Alaska; a brother, and five grandchildren. Richard C. Smith ’47 (Co. A) of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., died Dec. 21, 2008. He was the president of Schmidt, Lamb and Smith for 20 years. Mr. Smith formerly worked for R.G. Olsen Company and previously owned the Kenwood Inn in St. Augustine, Fla. He received an engineering degree from the University of Michigan and his master’s degree in business from the University of Detroit. He served in the Army from 1951-54. A son, two daughters, and 10 grandchildren survive. M. Richard Wickham ’47 (Artillery) of Detroit died July 29, 2009. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne; a son, daughter, and four grandchildren. Frederick W. Tahse Jr. ’49 (Co. A) of Green Valley, Ariz., died July 2, 2009. The senior captain/regimental commander of his class, Mr. Tahse attended Yale University, and Cal Tech, earning a master’s degree in geology. He moved to Arizona in 2002, where he advocated for the preservation of the Coronado National Forest. Mr. Tahse also was actively involved with the non-profit organization Save the Scenic Santa Ritas. Surviving are his wife, Carol; four daughters, including Cindy Hempy ’78 and Jackie Melbon ’80 of Newport Beach, Calif., two brothers, Martin ’48 of Los Angeles and Robert ’62 of Bradenton, Fla., and nine grandchildren. He was predeceased by his father, Frederick Sr. ’27. J. Moritz Grolimund ’50 (Co. C) of

50 Fall/Winter 2009

Elkhart, Ind., died July 6, 2009. He operated a private law practice from 1962 until his death. He served as City Court judge from 1964 to 1968 and at that time was the youngest person to hold that position. Mr. Grolimund established a volunteer probation program, driver improvement school, and alcohol information school. He was a graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., and the Indiana University School of Law. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, stationed in Japan with Armed Forces Radio. Mr. Grolimund served as a director for Indiana Council on Crime and Delinquency, the Elkhart Youth Service Bureau, Elkhart County Ambulance Service, and the Elkhart Concert Club. He enjoyed piloting his own airplane and international travel. A sister and brother survive. Joseph S. Stone ’50 (Co. C) died Oct. 2, 2009, in Genoa, Ill. Mr. Stone graduated from Duke University and served in the Air Force with the 27th Air Refueling Squadron-27th Strategic Flight Wing as pilot/navigator. After spending time in the active reserves, he was employed with CR Industries in market research and sales. He was a longtime class agent at Culver and active on various committees, including the Legion Board of Directors. Surviving are his wife, Earlene; a son, daughter, five grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. His father, Maj. Lew Stone, a member of the horsemanship staff from 1919-1957, and a brother, Wallace ’54, preceded him in death. Peter M. Husting N’51 died June 4, 2009, in Salt Lake City of injuries from an auto crash. He spent 33 years with Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago and headed up the agency’s international staffing in the late 1980s. Burnett’s international business tripled in the years Mr. Husting ran human resources for that area, according to an obituary in the Chicago Tribune. As an adman, he had handled such accounts as Pillsbury, Procter & Gamble, Memorex, and Green Giant. Mr. Husting sat on several corporate

boards, including Columbian Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Bernina of America Inc. He also was a board member of the Better Government Association and a trustee of the Shedd Aquarium. He was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Surviving are his wife, Carolyn; two daughters, a son, Charles H’81; a sister, and two grandchildren. Raymond S. Livingstone Jr. ’53 (Co. C) died June 18, 2009, at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Mr. Livingstone served in the Army with the 82nd Airborne from 1953-55. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Case Western Reserve and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Livingstone moved to Boulder, Colo., and in 1974 founded Equipment, Investment, & Management Company, a successful computer leasing firm. He served on the Board of Directors of Computer Consoles Corp. from 1974-85. More recently, he invested in local start-up companies in the computer industry. Mr. Livingston also was co-owner of the Boulder Theater from 1981-95. Surviving are his wife Guity Livingstone; two sons, a daughter, Ophelia Oshaneh Larson ’92 of Louisville, Colo.; a sister, four grandchildren, and two stepchildren. Charles A. Laube II ’54 (Co. A) of Chester, S.C., died July 20, 2009. Mr. Laube owned and operated the Laube Family Restaurants of Buffalo, N.Y., which were started by his grandfather in 1907. The restaurants continued to thrive until they were sold in 1977. He attended Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., and was a U.S. Army veteran. Survivors include his wife, Kathryn; a daughter, two sons, and two grandchildren. J. Edward Henderson ’55 (Troop) died Jan. 22, 2009, in Jackson, Tenn. Mr. Henderson was associated with Master Club Advisors, LLC, and was formerly general manager of the Jackson Country Club. He retired in 1999 after 38 years of managing private clubs in Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, and Louisiana. Surviving are his wife, Martha; a son, two daughters, and two granddaughters. James H. Endres ’56 (Co. C) died July 28, 2009, in Eureka, Mo. A son, daughter, and three grandchildren survive.


Gary Mills photo.

The Color Guard returns from the Andrew Stern Scholarship Award ceremony. (See page 17).

Culver Alumni Magazine

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Culver Passings Terrence H. Howard ’56 (Co. D) died May 17, 2009, in San Rafael, Calif. Mr. Howard was a stockbroker, had owned his own brokerage firm, and was a principal with Mutual Securities. He worked out of a home office from 1979 until he retired. Mr. Howard graduated from Beloit College with a degree in economics. Every year he spent several weeks hiking in the Grand Canyon, had trekked around Annapurna in Nepal, hiked the John Muir Trail, and traveled with family and friends to many places around the world. He is survived by his wife, Kathie; a son, two daughters, and five granddaughters.

Photo by Ron Robinson.

William C. Mueller ’57 (Artillery) died June 12, 2009, at his home in Ruidoso, N.M., of an untreatable lung disease diagnosed in June 2006. Mr. Mueller took great pride in the fact he developed his own treatment. And while it may not have slowed the disease’s progress, it improved his quality of life and kept him free of pain and mentally sharp until the end. He spent his career in computers and computer software, and spent many years developing commercial software packages, including a stock market analysis system. Mr. Mueller developed the web platform that allows for the development and maintenance of class websites on culvergrads.com. and donated it to the Alumni Office. His hobby was photography. In the weeks leading up to his death, Mr. Mueller wrote that his Culver experiences “became the foundation for my whole life; particularly a high standard of ethics and perseverance.” He loved rowing crew at Culver and “it was a thrill to get back on the lake in a shell during our 50th Reunion.” Survivors include his wife, Victoria, three children and several grandchildren.

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Known to many as “Wild Bill,” W. Vincent Thelander Jr. H’59 of Cave Creek, Ariz., died June 29, 2009. The Thelander family moved to Cave Creek in 1959. Mr. Thelander and his brother Bob N’60, who survives, became “instant cowboys,” according to a newspaper obituary. They would ride into Cave Creek wearing their six-guns to the delight of tourists who took pictures of “real cowboys.” Mr. Thelander became an expert at team roping and bareback riding and attended the National Finals Rodeo for over 30 years. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in agriculture. He and his brother had a jojoba business for several years in Tacna, Ariz. For 13 years he was an Arizona Highway patrolman. The Thelander family also was instrumental in starting and participating in the planting of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. Thomas E. Hayes III ’60 (Co. C) died June 22, 2009, in Vero Beach, Fla. Mr. Hayes was the president of Ballauf Manufacturing in Washington, D.C., and Matrix Engineering in Fort Pierce, Fla. He was educated at Lehigh University. Survivors include his wife, Susan; a son, daughter, two sisters, and four grandchildren. Thomas H. Monaghan ’61 (Co. A) of Coral Springs, Fla., died June 26, 2009. A native of Ohio, Mr. Monaghan had resided in Coral Springs since 1993. He is survived by his wife, Madora; four children, and two sisters. Stephen E. Prosser H’63 of Clarkston, Mich., died March 19, 2008. He is survived by a son, his mother, Ali Prosser; and a sister, JoAnn Nelson SS’68 of Lake Orion, Mich. Gregory C. Michael ’65 (Artillery) died Aug. 30, 2009, in Scottsdale, Ariz. A graduate of Arizona State University, Mr. Michael was a lawyer, entrepreneur, pilot, stockbroker, mentor and leader, according to a published obituary. He is survived by his wife, Jeanine; two sons, two daughters, six sisters, two

brothers, and four grandchildren. Mr. Michael was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth ’30. James G. Flynn ’73 (Artillery) of St. Louis died Aug. 20, 2009. Mr. Flynn’s banking career included working for the FDIC in Tennessee and Arkansas. He later worked in the Washington, D.C., area before accepting a job with Boatman’s Bank in St. Louis. He received a scholarship at the University of Tennessee, where he was a member of the rifle team. Surviving are his parents, Maurice and Hazel Flynn, and a brother. James R. Cox ’75 (Artillery) died Sept. 17, 2009, in Madison, Ind. He was a graduate of Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and German and also attended the Air Force Academy. Mr. Cox earned a master’s degree in petroleum engineering from Tulane University and received a degree in environmental law (1993). In 2002, he received his LL.M. with distinction from the Georgetown University Law Center. Since 2006, Mr. Cox was an attorney with the law offices of Peter G. Angelos in Baltimore. Previously, he was associated with the law office of Sacks & Smith in New Orleans, working on environmental issues and litigation. He began his working life as a civil engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers and several other engineering companies, including six years with Schlumberger Offshore Services in Belle Chasse, La., as a general field engineer. He spent 2000 working with Al Gore’s presidential campaign and served as a legislative counsel with Earthjustice in Washington, D.C., in 2003. Mr. Cox is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his parents, Charles and Kathleen Cox; two brothers, a stepbrother, and two stepsisters. Everett L. Richardson ’81 (Artillery) of Leonardtown, Md., died Oct. 24, 2008, following an extended illness. While at Culver, Mr. Richardson played football, basketball, and ran track. He attended Vanderbilt University and Kent State University, where he enlisted in the National Guard. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. During his final year in college he secured a position at General Electric, beginning a career as a computer network engineer. Surviving are his wife, Tracy; two


Culver Passings sons, two stepsons, his parents; Vera Richardson and Willie Matthews; four sisters, and two brothers. Michael J. Pemberton W’84, NB’87 of Bedminster, N.J., died Sept. 14, 2007, of complications resulting from an automobile accident. Mr. Pemberton was an Information Systems Specialist for Siemens Corporation. He returned to Culver as a counselor for the Woodcraft Drum & Bugle Corps in 1990 and ’91. At a memorial service, former Woodcraft counselor Lyle Whybrew NB’66 provided a musical score of the Taps Chorale (Taps for Michael) which brought back memories of Culver and was a tribute that will be remembered, wrote his father, James Pemberton NB’59 of Flanders, N.J. Also surviving are his mother, April; a brother, Matthew NB’91 of Clifton, N.J., and a sister, Susan Pemberton SS’93 of Brooklyn, N.Y.

School of Professional Psychology, Chicago. His many and varied professional endeavors included teaching and interviewing research subjects and their caretakers in the field and in institutions, jails, and prisons for the Northwestern University Medical School Psycho-legal Studies Program. Surviving are his parents, Gloria and George M. Kirkpatrick NB’55 of LaPorte County, Ind.; two sisters, three brothers, and his longtime girlfriend, Kelly Williams.

Joel A. Brugh W’91, ’96 (Artillery) of Rochester, Ind., drowned July 28, 2009, in a boating accident in Emigrant, Mont. He is survived by his parents, Jim and Ronda Brugh of Rochester; three brothers, among them Joshua W’92, ’97 of South Bend, Ind., and Jason W’87, ’91 of Livingston, Mont.; a sister, his maternal grandmother and paternal grandparents. Mr. Brugh’s father, Jim, is a longtime German instructor and boys’ soccer coach at the

Christopher M. Kirkpatrick ’90 (Troop) died in Juneau County, Wis., on July 14, 2009. Mr. Kirkpatrick was a psychology intern at the North Chicago VA Medical Center and had transferred to the VA Medical Center in Tomah, Wis., as a resident psychologist. He was known as “Dr. K” by his patients at the medical center. His love of horses, equitation, and the game of polo was developed at Culver. He was an equitation instructor to children and adults in Clarendon Hills, Ill., and also coached boxing for adults and youths in the Rogers Park and Northtown neighborhoods as a volunteer for the Chicago Park District. He received a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology with a minor in anthropology from Northwestern University. He earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology and his doctorate in clinical psychology at the Adler

Gary Mills photo.

Donald E. Guthrie N’90 died Aug. 16, 2009, in Bloomington, Ind. He was employed at U.S. Trade/Jarman Construction in Frankfort as a welder and ironworker. He attended Vincennes and Indiana State universities. Survivors include his father, Edward L. Guthrie of Linton, Ind.; his mother and stepfather, Paula and Jerome Stillions of Bloomington; a daughter, a sister, a brother, his paternal grandmother, and his fiance, Heather Smith of Bloomington, and her daughter.

Culver Alumni Magazine

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And one more thing... Holding Cort . . . Passion for horses and Culver keeps Courtlandt Smith ’49 coming back By Thomas Smith

W

hy would a retired 78-year-old man give up the beautiful West Virginia weather to spend part of his spring, summer, and fall in Culver, Ind.? For Courtlandt Smith ’49, it’s an opportunity to instruct and mentor students of the horsemanship program.

and support he and his family received from the faculty, staff, and students. From the experience, Smith realized that “there’s more to life than just business,” and that he needed to devote more time toward kids and his lifelong passion for horsemanship.

Because of the life lessons horsemanship can provide, Smith is devoted to increasing awareness and participation in both programs. “Cort is a fanatic when it comes to growing the Troop and Cavalry programs,” Little said. Smith has helped to create and fund scholarships for students and sponsors the Collett Smith Memorial Award in remembrance of his son, an award given each year to the best rough rider.

Haberland photos.

A volunteer, Smith said he finds “nothing more rewarding than seeing a kid develop, improve, and grow.” He recalls that horsemanship back in the ’40s “was more military and you had to pick things up through osmosis.” Though many might describe Smith’s approach as “old school,” it is his ability to combine the traditional instruction with authenticity and passion that enables him to educate and develop students.

For the past six years, Smith has been a cornerstone in the Horsemanship Department. Ed Little, the director of Horsemanship Operations, said, “Cort has a passion for Culver, a passion for Troop, and a true love for rough riding.” Smith’s work ethic and passion for Culver has helped to energize horsemanship for both the summer camps and prep school programs, and the department depends on his experience for guidance and support, Little added. A defining moment in Smith’s life came in 1980 with the tragic death of his oldest son, Collett, then 16 and a CMA cadet. During the difficult days that followed, Smith recalls being struck by the kindness

54 Fall/Winter 2009

Shortly after he obtained his undergraduate degree from Duke University, Smith was called into the U.S. Air Force. Smith served as a special agent in the Office of Special Investigations for two years before launching a successful career in the oil and gas industry. He credits many of his accomplishments to the life lessons and experiences gained from Culver and its horsemanship program. With the belief that horsemanship is tremendous training for life, Smith returned to Culver in 2003 with the desire to give back. The program at Culver “not only teaches a kid to ride, but it teaches them about fear, risk assessment, and gives them the confidence” they need to be successful, Smith said in an October interview.

Horsemanship is a sport of passion, commitment, and patience. Not only will these qualities make you an outstanding rider, but they can guide you through life’s challenging moments. Cort Smith’s passion, commitment, and patience for students and horsemanship are what drive him to give up the beauty and warmth of West Virginia warmth and sunshine. It is also what makes him the true essence of a Culver horseman. Editor’s note: Thomas Smith is an intern in the Communications Office for the 2009-2010 school year. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University in communications with a master’s degree in business from Bluffton University. Smith, who is not related to Courtlandt Smith, assists with the website, is an assistant coach for cross country and track, and does his residential duty in Battery C.


Photograph by Lew Kopp ’71.


CULVER MILITARY ACADEMY • CULVER GIRLS ACADEMY CULVER SUMMER SCHOOLS & CAMPS


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