Culver Alumni Magazine | Fall 2020

Culver Fall 2020

Alumni Magazine

Pivoting!

Culver quickly adapts to the dance of change

F RO M TH E E D I T O R

Pivoting: adapting to the dance of change On Jan. 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency. Six weeks later, it announced the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic, and the world as we knew it began to pivot, as the virus affected and continues to affect nearly all aspects of our lives.

longtime Dancevision director, what her definition was: “A pivot indicates a need for an abrupt directional change, right or left.

The eyes spot a new focal point and the body aligns under the head. The pivot is a necessary decision that allows proper function to continue with limited, adjusted maintenance.”

That’s when I first noticed the word “pivot” appearing in the newspapers, on the nightly news and in conversations. A pivot is most commonly defined as “a fixed point supporting something that turns or balances.”

The pivot makes sense, both literally and symbolically, as a metaphor of human resiliency in response to daily uncertainty. It has been a living symbol at Culver during the pandemic. The vertical axis is the Culver mission — immovable as the north star — with its emphasis on “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 staves off fear by anchoring the pivot so the body can turn in a directional change toward light and hope.

Here are three examples of it used as a verb, noun, and adjective.

• In Seattle, focused on finding permanent housing for the homeless, the pandemic forced officials to rapidly “pivot” just to keep the homeless alive.

• Central Florida schools, with over 400 COVID-19 cases, made an abrupt “pivot” from classroom teaching to virtual learning.

• Wisconsin has emerged as the “pivotal” presidential battle- ground in the Fall 2020 election.

Curious about how the word “pivot” is used in Culver’s Dancevision program, I asked Cathy Duke ’70, retired Fine Arts Chair and

While putting this issue together, I repeatedly witnessed the pivoting phenomenon. When Summer Schools & Camps were canceled, instead of mourning, Director Andy Seddelmeyer said that even though the Culver campus would be quiet, nobody could “cancel” the Spirit of Culver. He challenged the staff to pivot and create ways of sharing “pieces of Culver at home” with the campers, reviving their spirits and connecting them to the places on campus

that evoked their strongest loyalty and memories.

The Facilities department was gearing up for its annual pre-summer marathon of preparing the campus for summer camps when they were canceled. They could have adjusted their pace but instead made a pivot in the opposite direction, seeing this gift of time as an opportunity to address deferred maintenance work with the level of professional attention they wanted to devote, and prepare all the classrooms and buildings across campus to be in compliance with COVID-19 protocols. They took pride in their work and their “can do” spirit was leadership by example.

Faculty returning from summer reflected on virtual learning’s successes and limitations for both domestic and international students, and exchanged ideas with colleagues and made ongoing adjustments.

This was and still is their ongoing journey of pivoting toward new ways of thinking and meeting the changing needs of their students.

Culver’s administrative team and Board of Trustees pivoted in response to the changing status of COVID-19 cases, implementing weekly testing for all students, faculty, and staff, closing the Academies to the public and regularly reviewing all protocols for protecting students and adults.

Director Ava DuVernay’s film, “A Wrinkle in Time,” explores the idea that darkness travels faster than light and can “ricochet and do damage in every form it takes.” She found it so easy to get mired in negativity that colors one’s perspective. Instead, she has made a daily practice of “pivoting toward positivity” and seeing the light in people rather than the darkness. This practice has shown her that light is stronger than any darkness. Culver has followed that lead, anchoring its actions in the axis of the school’s mission and pivoting to meet the changing needs.

In anticipation of CGA’s 50th anniversary, we included an article about the early years leading up to the inaugural year of 1971.

One of the only extracurricular activities available to girls was dance, which has become a signature program at Culver. The cover is a fitting tribute to that pivotal decision to include girls at Culver.

Dancers Brett LeVan ’21 and Maria Gamboa ’21 demonstrate the graceful pivot move against the backdrop of Lake Maxinkuckee.

Thanks to Paul Ciaccia in Communications for taking multiple pictures, to the dance teachers, Emily Fought and Ingrid Dehler- Seter, and Cathy Mitzell Duke, for their wise counsel.

— Kathy Lintner

Culver Alumni Magazine

HEAD OF SCHOOLS

CONTENTS

Douglas Bird Ed.D. ‘90

ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Chief Advancement Officer Holly Johnson

The Birth of CGA

ALUMNI RELATIONS Director Alan Loehr Jr. Legion President Raj Chopra ‘89 Chicago, Illinois CSSAA President Richard R. Waterfield W’85 Fort Wayne, Indiana

Looking ahead to CGA’s 50th Anniversary, each issue will highlight a story about the history, programs and leaders who shaped the girls school. This article focuses on CGA’s beginnings, which were firmly rooted in the years between 1957-1971.

Culver Clubs International President Michael E. “Mike” Rudnicki ‘92 W’88 Loveland, Ohio

COMMUNICATIONS Director of Marketing and Communications Scott Johnson ‘94, W ‘89

12

Page

Editor/Culver Alumni Magazine Kathy Lintner Asst. Director/Publications Jan Garrison Marketing and Communications Project Manager Mike Petrucelli Museum and Archives Manager Jeff Kenney

INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR Tony Giraldi ’75

STAFF CONTRIBUTORS Kirk Brown

MAGAZINE DESIGN & EDITORIAL CONSULTING Scott Adams Design Associates

PHOTOGRAPHY

The Next Chapter: Culver’s Class of 2020 COVID-19 cut the Class of 2020’s time on campus short, so they didn’t get to celebrate the next chapter in their lives.

Here is a list of where they are now.

Page

Cover: Paul Ciaccia Inside: Kirk Brown, Paul Ciaccia, Jan Garrison, Richard Immel, Camilo Morales, iStock

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

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

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

24

Volume 97 / Issue 2 / Fall 2020

Inheriting Optimism Jack Chittim, class of 2021, and his great-great-grandfather, James Chittim, class of 1921, share a unique history ­— living through a pandemic. Now Jack has created a new pin to mark the enduring Culver Spirit.

Page

NOTHING TO IT, BUT TO DO IT! Having an empty campus for five months gave the Facilities Department the rare opportunity to tackle some major projects.

Page

28

Departments i From the Editor 30 Alumni Class News

8

34 Sporting News 35 Culver Clubs International 36 In Memoriam

Virtual Summer 2020: Pieces of Culver at Home From reading the signal flags above the Naval Building to sharing milk and cookies with Maj. Maes, Culver Summer Schools & Camps students shared a virtual summer with staffers.

Page

20

THE

MISSION

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

ADVANCEMENT NEWS

Record Numbers Set During Challenging Times I feel so fortunate that a majority of my time is spent visiting with Culver parents and alumni across the country. Dr. Doug Bird ’90, Head of Schools, and I traveled to several cities this past fall and winter. My last trip to visit alumni was to Atlanta, Georgia, with our new major gift officer, Mitchell Gauger. I was heading home feeling positive about the academic year, fundraising progress, and several upcoming events planned for the spring. My plane landed late in the evening on Tuesday, March 10.

The next morning, I went into the office early for our newly-established Coronavirus Strategic Planning Team meeting to learn that we were engaging in conversations about releasing students early for Spring Break due to growing concerns about student and employee safety.

What followed was an intense three-month period of incredibly difficult decisions, carefully crafted communications and planning by the Senior Leadership Team.

Now, six months later, our in-person students are back on campus with new and advanced safety protocols in place, and we could not be more grateful.

I have taken some time to pause and reflect on the incredible outpouring of support that we have seen from our Culver family, especially since March 13.

The third annual Day of Giving was originally scheduled to be held on April 8. Upon careful consideration, we moved the date and rebranded the campaign to be Culver’s Day of Strength to provide an opportunity for all of us — alumni, parents, students, campers, employees, and friends — to connect, reminisce, and celebrate the strength of the Culver network in support of the class of 2020.

The Day of Strength set a record with more than $1 million in lead gifts and a total of $2.5 million in giving for the campaign, which

4

FALL 2020

ran from May 18 to June 3. These gifts and every gift play an essential role in ensuring that Culver has the necessary resources to continue providing the superior educational and camp experiences for which we have been known since 1894.

I was especially touched by the parents who gifted their boarding school credit back to the Culver Fund, resulting in 87 gifts totaling more than $180,000.

These are perfect examples of how the Culver family continues to rise to the challenge and lead by example.

As we begin the 2020-2021 academic year, the Advancement team will continue working remotely and we will not be hosting events this fall. We look forward to engaging with you over the phone, on Zoom or through our exciting new Alumni engagement tool, Culver Connect (details on page 48).

Thank you for investing your time, talents and resources in Culver.

It is because of you that we are able to provide a world-class education to our students and campers. I would also like to personally thank you for your patience and ongoing feedback as we all adapt to these challenging times. When we get through this, we will be stronger than ever. #weareculver #since1894

With immense gratitude,

Holly C. Johnson Chief Advancement Officer

FACULTY NOTES

Bardo, Ragsdale honored by students When the students of Culver Academies were asked in the spring who in the faculty or staff best exemplify the ideals of Culver, they nominated two members of the World Languages and Cultures Department. Dorothea Ragsdale ’74, a senior instructor in Spanish and French, and Spanish instructor Aaron Bardo were named the recipients of the Dean Ralph N. Manuel Award.

The award is named after the 11th superintendent/head of schools.

Because everyone was home due to the pandemic, the award was presented virtually during the final academic convocation program via Zoom.

Dorothea Ragsdale ’74

Ragsdale said she was surprised to learn she had been nominated by the students. “I am not the ‘techiest’ nor trendiest faculty member on campus,” she said.

“The Culver paths lie empty, awaiting your spilled goldfish and imminent coffee stains. The hallways are shuttered, begging for your booming voices and unrelenting laughter. The fields plead to be stomped by a spike ball or a Frisbee.

“Beason beseeches a few seniors to take in the sun on its vacant chairs, and hopes for a few daring underclassmen to step onto its sacred ground.”

Aaron Bardo

He added the class of 2020 is one he will always remember. “I will remember working with incredible students on and off campus as the honors seminar made a real difference in our community and in communities around the world. I will remember driving a very unique Spanish conversation class in a minibus every week to Plymouth High School before eating at Frida´s or Mila´s together.

Yet, she is humbled and grateful to know that the students have been enjoying the process of learning languages with an alumna who cherishes them and has shared this Culver path. She has been teaching at Culver for seven years.

“I will remember the expressions of utter joy and horror as my Spanish 3 classes flipped their tortilla Española. I will remember coaching — or maybe I should say being coached by — some of the finest JV soccer and lacrosse athletes that this campus has ever seen.

“At Culver, we are ‘Sowers of Seeds’ and I truly believe that in a classroom, it is my mission to help each student find the relevance of the language experience to his or her own life experience. My students are my guides and I am always inspired to adapt my instruction to their own interests and needs,” Ragsdale said.

“Whether on the sports fields, in the classrooms, or in the dorms, you are the students who have made this year one for the record books. We already miss you and cannot wait until you are all back on campus someday, celebrating your achievements in proper Culver décor and fashion.”

Five years ago, she designed an elective course titled Hispanic Cultures and Cuisines. This year, she will be teaching three sections of the course.

“We explore the history and cultural life of Spain, Mexico and South America and cook specialties from the cuisines of those regions as well,” she explained. “Our students have been very receptive to these experiences.”

Since she has taught at all levels, Ragsdale said she is asked what group of students she enjoys the most. “I cannot decide between the excitement of a young student exploring French or Spanish for the first time or the pride that more advanced students take in using their acquired language as they develop fluency,” she said.

“There are so many things that we are doing well at Culver and each day as I step on campus and get a glimpse of the lake, I silently thank my dad (Nick Noyes ’49), for the gift of this ongoing Culver experience.”

Bardo is starting his fourth year teaching Spanish. When he accepted the Manuel Award in the spring, he told the students the past few months “have not been easy on any of us.

Phil Cook

Also honored was master instructor in chemistry Phil Cook, who received the Kaser Scholar Award. The award, which is presented to the faculty member “whose scholarly interests, enthusiastic teaching, sympathetic understanding and wise counsel combine to inspire students and kindle in them a zest for life and learning.” The honor is named after Mark B. Kaser ’75.

Cook is known for more than his work in the classroom. He has a global reach via the internet. He is known as @chemteacherphil for his experiments on TikTok. He has a following of 2.7 million. He also has an Instagram account (just_a_science_guy) with 38,900 followers and 4,400 subscribers on his Phil Cook channel on YouTube. He has also been interviewed and performed experiments on news segments on different television stations across the country.

In the end, despite a global pandemic — or even because of a global pandemic — these instructors are three remarkable examples of the Culver way: Rising to meet a challenge with excellence as their goal, as Culver faculty and staff have done since the school’s founding in 1894.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

5

Making the pivot to online learning From studying about a pandemic to teaching and learning through one, Culver faculty and students had to quickly adjust to new ways of instruction last spring.

Here are five examples of how instructors and their students made the transition from classroom to online learning work this spring.

over. But, in one sense, the pandemic was “perfect timing” for the students to put into practice what they were learning.

“It led to some really great conversations” during their Zoom classroom sessions, Vinson said. The transition from school to home gave students time to reflect on their own behaviors and what they would do better or, at least, differently.

The students asked if that could really happen, she said. On March 13, they got their answer.

Everyone was sent home. By April 1, the Culver faculty was teaching remotely to students who were spread across the nation and around the world.

The Health Behaviors program covers global health, mental health, fitness and nutrition, chemical and substance abuse, and human relationships. Based on the PEMMSS (Physically, Emotionally, Mentally, Morally, Socially, and Spiritual) model, Vinson leads sophomores and third-classmen through a variety of exercises and discussions covering their personal wellness and the health and wellness of those around them.

What she really didn’t expect was the students to start putting what they learned into action when the coronavirus pandemic sent everyone home before classes were

6

FALL 2020

Making the material relevant “My students are the best part of this job,” Aaron Bardo, who has been teaching Spanish for three years, said. “In my class, we like to have fun while we learn. In order to do so in a meaningful way, I am constantly seeking ways to improve the curriculum and the classroom experience.”

Yes, it can happen Shortly before Culver Academies closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, wellness instructor Chantel Vinson was showing her Foundations of Health Behaviors class the 2011 movie “Contagion.” The movie description reads “Healthcare professional, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic as the CDC works to find a cure.”

watched the taped sessions, which often featured his face as Vinson’s background.

“I would have the kids say ‘Hi Henry’ so he knew we were thinking of him.” To make up for the time difference, she would also meet with him in the early morning as he needed.

Chantel Vinson

The students were following the leadership model during these discussions, she said. “I really enjoyed the classes a lot.”

Finding content that covered the curriculum was not that different, Vinson said, because so much has been produced.

Students were able to use existing technology to do their research, then choose the platforms of their choice to produce their work.

And his efforts have not gone unnoticed.

He received the 2020 Ralph N. Manuel Award for the teacher who “best exemplifies the ideals of Culver.” The recognition is special because it is voted on by the students. High praise coming at a time when much of Bardo’s instruction came during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown period.

Bardo said he wants “to inspire my students to be the protagonists of their own learning.

I try to enable them to feel comfortable, have fun and create community in order to learn more about their own culture and those of the world around them.” He worked to maintain those ideals when Culver switched to online learning in April.

Vinson also gave her students bonus points for making videos of them cooking, dining, and being in close quarters with family members. She was especially excited to see the quality of their public service announcements about mental health during the pandemic.

“I have found that one of the best ways of getting students invested in online learning is to make sure that all the material is relevant,” he said. “Current events seen through the lens of social media have really gotten my Spanish 3 students to learn much more about the U.S. and Latin America during these unsettling times.”

“They did some incredible work,” she said.

“I think they did better work because they had more space and time at their disposal.”

A department of one

The one Asian student in the class, Henry,

Senior instructor Cali (Girard) Miller has had a lot happen in the past six months.

Culver golf course is officially world class Along with making the transition to online teaching with the rest of the Culver Academies community, she married Humanities instructor Peter Miller, and was named the first chairperson of the new Computer Science Department.

She jokes that her department meetings are short, because, right now, she is the only faculty member in the department.

But it doesn’t mean that she wasn’t busy developing the curriculum and collaborating with other members of the math and science departments for multi-disciplinary learning opportunities for the students.

When it came time to move classes online, Miller said it was not that difficult to move the information over since much of it is readily available. What she did miss was the collaboration and connections that come from classroom interactions. Group work suffered, she said, but students did seem to come together after about two weeks. She also made sure that students knew she was available, telling them “I’m here for you.

I want you to get better.”

Keeping students involved When Josh Danforth pivoted to online learning, he made sure to remember those international students living in the Asia/Pacific region. With a time difference of 12 to 14 hours, students couldn’t be asked to attend classes in the middle of the night.

While Zoom sessions were recorded and placed on Schoology so they could watch. Danforth believed they were missing out on an important part of class: the opportunity to be actively involved in the classroom discussion.

With four students in one class and three in another, Danforth combined his international group into a special class.

He then met with them at 8 p.m. (8 a.m. in Beijing).

It was one of the changes he made so every student was given the same opportunity to participate and learn. And, as the AP test moved to an essay format, Danforth adapted his classes to give his students more opportunities to write in order to prepare.

Danforth gives much of the credit to the Culver students, who he describes as “highly motivated.” Their ability to work at the level they have with so many distractions, their willingness to try, to learn from their failures, and their grit to try again still amazes him after 12 years. “Teaching in a community of learners like this is a privilege.”

World of Warcraft pays off When it came time for Humanities instructor Raegan Russell to make the pivot to online learning, she thought “All those years of playing World of Warcraft finally paid off.” The technology wasn’t a challenge for her thanks, in part, to time spent playing the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, so she was better able to support her students from a place of “calm confidence.”

Setting up units that challenged students each week was a fun task, Russell said, as she watched them gain confidence in their ability to navigate difficult texts and ideas on their own. That allowed them to identify challenges to their own learning and ask for help.

That allowed their Zoom class sessions to delve into key concepts, analyze film together, and share pieces of work with others for critique. It also provided some “hilarious running commentary” in their group chats, she added.

They said it. We didn’t.

“They” are Golf magazine’s 88-member Top 100 Courses ranking panel, its editors, course architects, and “other short-course aficionados.”

“It” is the naming of Culver Academies’ R. Stuart Dickson ’47 Golf Course as the third-best nine-hole course in the world, second-best in the United States.

The high ranking appears in the magazine’s first-ever listing of nine-hole courses around the world and is included in the SeptemberOctober issue. On the magazine’s website, the “expert’s take” on the course said: “I strongly believe that site selection is the most important factor in golf course architecture, and these nine holes may be one of the world’s best examples. Incredible landforms perfectly utilized by Messrs. Langford, Morreau, and more recently (Bobby) Weed.”

The top 50 listing is for stand-alone, ninehole courses. Culver’s course follows the Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Course in Suffolk, England (University of Cambridge’s home course) and the Whitinsville Golf Course in Whitinsville, Massachusetts.

The lead-in article to the Top 50 listing is written by Ran Morrissett, the architecture editor for Golf. Morrissett has played the course twice. The first time in 2006, prior to the restoration of the Langford & Moreau course. He appreciated the course — for what it had been. But, he said at the time, he was not a fan of what it had become after years of neglect.

Ten years later, he played the Langford & Moreau course after it was fully restored to its original form by golf course architect Bobby Weed. He called the golf course one of the best ­— if not the best — nine-hole courses in the country at the time.

Morrissett is one of several golf writers who have visited the course since its restoration.

He wrote about his return trip in 2016 on his blog, Golf Club Atlas.

— By Jan Garrison

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

7

I O T G N I H T O “N B

IT ” !

T I O D BUT TO

A

drone shot’s panoramic view of the Culver campus reveals a Midwestern jewel nestled along the shores of Lake Maxinkuckee with beautiful buildings, expansive green grounds and new construction underway on three more buildings.

But as the lens zooms closer, one can see more detail — in addition to students and faculty crisscrossing the campus, there are Facilities Department trucks, vans, or carts parked outside a barrack or dorm, grounds crews mowing grass, and the busy traffic flowing in and out of the motor pool, uniform and warehouse areas.

Before and after: a cadet room with floor stripped and polished, and walls painted.

And, if we were able to zoom inside every campus building, it would reveal more than 133 facilities workers in 21 different departments, ranging from building maintenance to the post office, all focused on their daily tasks.

Jeff Kutch, director of Facilities and Facilities Administration, can’t speak highly enough about his dedicated employees. “I was once told by a visiting collegiate coach that our facilities team is the biggest bunch of can-do players he has ever seen. I couldn’t agree more but would add that, coupled with their skills and knowledge, there is no better team out there anywhere.”

The majority of the student rooms had not been completely painted for almost 20 years, so the painting crew got to work and painted 117 student rooms in CGA and 244 rooms in CMA. Deferred maintenance tasks involved repairing the campus main chiller line at the uniform department; replacing the valve at the main sewer house; doing leak repairs on the pipes near the Benson dorm and the Crisp Visual Arts Center; replacing the Fleet Gym restroom fixtures; fixing an underground leak at the Uniform Department; and repairing and calibrating the boiler for the Roberts Hall of Science and the Dicke Hall of Mathematics.

That team was presented with a unique opportunity this summer when the decision not to hold Summer Schools & Camps was made on May 13. Facilities personnel would normally have been gearing up for the end

Upgrades focused on refurbishing a small backup boiler that allows shutdown of the

cleaning, and having a very narrow window to prepare dorms, barracks and cabins for maximum Summer School occupancy.

uring the Campus Store and replacing faucet fixtures and showerheads in the barracks.

S ILITIE C A F T OUR SEEN.” A H T n OACH HAS EVER Facilities Administratio C E T A LLEGI LAYERS HE irector of Facilities and O C G N P utch, d larger boilers; - Jeff K VISITI OF CAN-DO A Y B repairing the sewage lift station H D TOL UNC B E C T N S in Woodcraft Camp and installing a new GE SO “I WA IS THE BIG of the school pump on the boys side year, doing needed repairs and of the camp; reconfigTEAM

Instead, they had the rare “empty campus opportunity” to address deferred work that included the following: power washing stone buildings and wall caps in the quad; power washing and repainting the Eppley Auditorium fountain; repairing furniture in student rooms; re-grouting bathroom showers; and stripping and refinishing the floors in student rooms and hallways.

Above: Rene Chapdelaine removing obsolete steam lines within the tunnel

10

FALL 2020

Alongside the deferred campus work, a new initiative on Culver COVID-19 preparedness also went into effect.

In the Lay Dining Hall, demolition of the old beverage stations, salad James Risner painting a barracks hallway

THE PAINT IN 117 STUDE G CREW GOT TO WORK NT ROOMS IN CGA AND AND PAINTED 244 ROOMS IN CMA.

bars and condiments lines decreased existing bottlenecks, which allowed a new serving line design to promote social distancing and a different presentation of food offerings.

COVID-19 also added another important task to the work facilities people do — to make sure that all classrooms, offices, and shared public spaces were cleaned regularly and disinfected and that personal protective equipment and sanitizers were plentiful, as well as installing new air purifiers.

Fogging disinfectant is sprayed in all classrooms and shared spaces regularly.

The workers also helped Jim Walters chiseling out a section of the tunnel after a relief line was cut. set up the COVID-19 testing sites and employee work areas. Work in over 100 academic classrooms focused on maximizing the space by taking out old teacher desks, student chairs, and old bookcases; replacing them with more flexible furniture that can be arranged to maximize social distancing and yet preserve a dynamic learning environment.

Facilities personnel were faced with gargantuan tasks this summer, but they embraced them, knowing how important they were for

Demolition of beverage stations and salad bars in Lay Dining Hall

the safety of all Culver students, faculty, and staff. It was their “can-do” spirit and determination to succeed that lifted other people’s spirits as well. They took pride in their work for a job well done, but they would not have settled for anything less. As Estill Rice, the manager for Environmental Services, is often quoted as saying, “Nothing to it but to do it!”

A perfect Culver motto for the summer of 2020. ­— Kathy Lintner Harry Johnson power washing limestone outside the Steinbrenner Recreation Center

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

11

The Birth of CGA An Experiment “ ” with Wonderful Results

“Women have been part of the fabric of Culver from the very beginning…

However, when the Academy began, the students were young men.”

— Mary Frances England in Culver Daughters Sing Thy Praise

In her book “Culver Daughters Sing Thy Praise,” Mary Frances (Mai-Fan)

England, who served as director and then dean of Culver Academy for Girls

(CAG) and Culver Girls Academy (CGA), wrote of the many women who served at Culver prior to 1971–1972. She also talked about the studies, committees, decisions, and planning that led up to the 1971 founding of CAG. Any history of CGA would be incomplete without some insight into the years leading up to the initial 1971–1972 school year: the studies that were conducted before the decision was made to admit girls to Culver, the significant contributions of those faculty, staff and board members who supported this major decision, and the voices of the pioneering women who attended Culver and received CMA diplomas prior to 1972.

Before T hey Were CAG Prior to 1957, daughters of faculty and staff at Culver Military Academy were permitted to “audit” courses. In her book, Mai-Fan recalled how her older sisters had studied French and how some of the faculty daughters audited other subjects. Though this was common, coeds would not receive CMA diplomas until 1959 when Greta Hughes Berlin and Jean Curry Stephenson became the first two graduates.

T hose Memories How T hey T hrill Me “In the summer of 1957, my father told me the school was ‘thinking’ of having girls attend, so they felt they would ‘try out’ the faculty girls. I took a test and was told I would be a freshman (4th class) that fall… It was with great trepidation that I started. I had no choice and wanted to be with my friends in town… Being shy and going through puberty made it even more difficult…”

—Sheila Strow Yale ’61

Some of the faculty daughters from the 1959 Roll Call. In the first row are Kay Convington, Carry Graham, Tina Hughes, Mary Todd, and Ann Maull; in the second row are Barbara Moore, Sheila Strow, Greta Hughes, Jean Curry, Virginia Gleason, and Judy Gollnick.

Greta and Jean were the first female graduates from CMA.

Some of these early coeds (there were 39 graduates between 1959 and 1971) felt as if they were part of an “experiment” that, if successful, might ultimately lead to a girls school at Culver. While writing her book, Mai-Fan corresponded with some of these CMA graduates who told stories of their time at Culver. Greta Hughes Berlin recalled, “I was going to be part of an experiment, one that my father, Art Hughes, had worked long and hard to achieve. He often said that his three daughters should have the right to the same fine education at Culver as his son.”

This feeling of being part of an experiment would resonate with future CAG coeds and graduates.

In fact, when the founding of the school was announced in April of 1971, even the national news referred to it as an “experiment.” The WIND Radio station of Chicago, Illinois featured a story called “The Coedization of Culver.” Marty Sladek, a news producer for the station, interviewed the new director, Mai-Fan England, for the piece. She later wrote Mai-Fan, “Good luck with the experiment.

Perhaps I can do a follow-up story once the program gets underway next fall. I’d love to.”

The “experiment” of this time period (1957–1971) would often make some of the girls feel as if they were not treated as equals to their male counterparts, and according to the rules of their campus life, they weren’t treated as equals. For example, girls were permitted to be on campus for academic classes and study only. They were not allowed free range of campus during those time periods when they were not attending a class. They had to report to the library or an approved location for study.

Girls were also not allowed to be on campus during the evenings unless they were going to the library. Athletic facilities were open for girls only when they were scheduled to be there.

Other CMA coed graduates did not feel as if they were part of an experiment. When asked this question, 1968 graduate Ruth Benner Hix answered that she did not feel as if it were experimental: “Not once.

Not for a moment,” she said. In fact, with respect to her academic life, Ruth says, “Actually I was often treated more as if I were a celebrity rather than as an afterthought or intruder.”

14

FALL 2020

I “ was often treated more as if I were a celebrity rather than as an afterthought or intruder.” ­ — Ruth Benner ’68 “I don’t think that the cadets liked having their turf invaded, but they liked having some girls around.

There were clear boundaries, though. We couldn’t go everywhere or participate in all activities.

We were there to attend classes, with a few perks, not to be integrated into Culver life. We did cheer for Culver at the football games, just as any high school girls — or faculty children — would.”

— Mary Neidigh (Posie) ’60

And Proud Am I of Culver…

Jane Benson, daughter of Dean Ernest Benson and Ruth Benson, reflected on academic life and friendship: “I’ll never forget this. My very first day, my first class was Mr. Hesgard’s Algebra II Trig, my weakest subject. I was quite nervous, especially when I self-consciously walked into class into a sea of boys’ faces, knowing no one and knowing I was an object of curiosity as a ‘new’ coed. He started the class with a math review exercise, going in order up and down the rows several times having each of us give a quick answer to a simple problem in the textbook. I panicked and blew my first answer. The cadet behind me picked up on my distress and softly gave me the next two answers until I calmed down and regained my composure. No one else knew and he became my first real friend. We stayed in touch for many years…”

Some of the coeds of these early years recalled the acronym COW in much the same way coeds of the early 1970s remember being called CAG “hags.”

Like the rest of the world, it took some time for a more equal status for women and a new context to develop at Culver. A 1960 Roll Call entry reads:

“…For the most part, the coeds were treated as cadets; however, a few coeds found it physically impossible to open a door, put on a coat, or retrieve a dropped pencil. Who said chivalry is dead? The girls were, of course, welcomed into dramatics, where they were desperately needed. But they lived by an unwritten law that declared ‘Thou shalt not participate in any activity which was not designed for you.’”

Marion Jones Marshall ’69 reflected on some of the issues of the ’60s and her experience as a Culver faculty daughter: “Our country and our Culver community faced defining issues in the sixties. Minorities and women were fighting for their rights. Culver Military Academy’s first African-American students were enrolled and the number of faculty daughters allowed to attend was increasing. As with other minorities,

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

15

In 1966, the Roll Call says that girls

some staff and students did not believe the 16 faculty daughters belonged at the school.

Some thought it was fine for girls to attend classes, but it was not all right for them to be involved in extracurricular activities. Others thought we should be allowed in some activities but not others. Most people did not direct their opinions to us personally. A few were very direct, telling us we did not belong at Culver.

I remember one student telling me that I did not belong because my mother, not my father, was on the faculty. However, things were changing by the time I graduated. Girls could be involved in the theater, the Roll Call, the Vedette, the Debate Team, cheerleading, and choir. Culver Military Academy was thinking about starting a girls school.”

Though these faculty daughters might have been limited by today’s Culver standards for girls, many of them remember their experiences and participation in activities as positive. Many also felt they had opportunities they wouldn’t have had at other schools: “I think there were many positives. The academic standards and small class sizes were the biggest advantage.”

— Mary Neidigh (Posie) ’60 Girls also seemed to enjoy some of CMA’s activities and perceived these as social occasions. Some of the more popular social events were the dances hosted

by CMA, such as the mounted service social dance.

A 1958 Vedette article describes one of these dances:

16

FALL 2020

“The Mounted Service Dance to be held Saturday, Feb. 1, will climax the end of the first semester…

Already, a committee of representatives of the Black Horse Troop and Artillery Battalion are busy making plans for the affair… Interesting and novel decorations will brighten up the gym, and there is possibility of some amusing as well as talented entertainment during the band intermissions. Cadets should make plans to bring their favorite young lady for the dance, as it promises to be a good one.”

“And the wonderful dances — with three-quarter length sleeves and floor-length gowns, my dates always brought me a corsage and talked with my parents before escorting me out the door and down the road.”

— Ruth Benner Hix ’68 By the mid-to-late ’60s, coed activities at Culver had expanded and girls were achieving excellence.

In 1966, the Roll Call says that girls achieved the highest academic achievement of any other organization on campus with a 4.0 academic average.

The graduation ceremony for girls was held at the end-of-year commencement convocation that took place on the Sunday before Monday’s graduation day. Cathy Duke describes the ceremony: “They would have speakers, announce remaining Cum Laude, and all the major awards for the boys…

Dean Benson would graduate us girls. We would receive our diplomas at the end of the commencement convocation. We’d wear dresses, walk up on stage, and receive our diploma. It was a little intimidating, but none of us minded that.”

Today at Culver, some of these early CMA graduates are invited to walk through the CGA Arch at a ceremony that is more fitting of a Culver graduate.

achieved the highest academic achievement of any other organization on campus with a 4.0 academic average.

T he Motivations for Establishing a School for Girls What were the motivations for establishing a school for girls? These are described in “Culver Daughters Sing Thy Praise,” “The impetus came from several directions almost at once — from faculty whose daughters were denied the opportunities made available to their sons; from the Theatre Department that wanted female participants; from administrators pondering the economic realities of the era; and from several forward-looking faculty members who felt re-evaluation of educational philosophy was appropriate.”

The more obvious factor, however, was the economic one. In his article “The Journey Begins: 1957-1967,” historian and retired faculty member David R. Sampson writes of the late 1960s, “…Antiwar feelings began to affect the Culver campus, along with signs of the ‘counterculture,’ primarily marijuana use and increasing cadet vandalism in the barracks.

Equally pressing locally was the sharply declining enrollment of CMA cadets, a situation that would impact the budget considerably and deepen the search for solutions…”

Total enrollment for the 1968–1969 school year declined from 884 students in the prior year to 834.

This trend continued with 776 students enrolled in 1969–1970 and 693 enrolled in 1970–1971. Even after Culver Academy for Girls was founded, the cadet enrollment numbers continued to decline with 611 cadets in 1971–1972 and a low of 519 at the start of the 1974–1975 school year.

Coupled with the issues of enrollment and economics was what Mai-Fan referred to as a “philosophical commitment to coeducation” that some of the

faculty and administrators shared. English Department chairman Arthur Hughes, for example, had daughters and felt they deserved the same education as the cadets they taught. Some of these committed faculty members met with John Mars, chairman of the Language Department, to discuss their views on coeducation. Mai-Fan wrote: “It was in this forum that much of the early politicking, negotiating, urging, and philosophizing transpired. And contrary to the assumption that the education of young women was undertaken entirely as an economic expedient during the period that all things military were in question, a true philosophical commitment for coeducation was held by this group. To these leaders, credit is overdue.”

Arthur Hughes

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when conversations about bringing girls to Culver started. As Mai-Fan notes in her book, it’s historically significant that girls began attending the summer school via an interesting path through the summer Theater School.

Mai-Fan wrote about this interesting path toward the creation of a summer school program for girls: “In 1960, a Theater School became a part of the summer program. It was created and administered

by Admiral John and Virginia Bays and Bill and Katy Martin. John Bays ’23 was the director of Culver Summer Camps, a position he held from 1956 until his retirement in 1970. His wife, Virginia, was the instructor of dance for faculty children and others in the community. A Culver graduate, Bays was from a family significant in the development of the Academy. He was a courageous visionary who deserves great credit for initiating the Theater School and Summer School for Girls and supporting the beginning of the winter programs for young women.”

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

17

“… the board of directors and

not be introduced type of education for

Boys and girls were allowed to enroll in the Theater School, which was headed up by William R. Martin and his wife, Katy, an actress. Katy Martin described to Mai-Fan how her husband believed that girls would be a “positive influence on the productions he planned.” She also described how he once related to Bays his thoughts about girls at Culver. He said: “Believe me, John, things are going to change; Culver, in its isolation, will have to move with the changing, shifting society that is coming.

Schools that have segregated gender classes and systems will be integrating boys and girls, men and women, those that are private, those that are public.

It’s coming, not far off either.”

At the end of that summer in 1965, in August, Superintendent Delmar Spivey instructed Dean Benson to conduct a study of a coeducational winter program.

Studying the Feasibility of Coeducation at Culver

Gen. Spivey

18

FALL 2020

Culver seemed to “ease” its way into the concept of coeducation. Given the early 1965 directive from Spivey, before declining enrollment numbers had become an issue, coeducation was on the radar at about the same time that it was for colleges and universities throughout the U.S. Like many colleges, the transition from faculty daughters who could obtain a CMA degree to CAG graduates was one that was carefully studied.

Progress seemed to be slow during these early years of the study. By November of 1966, Spivey reported that the study was ongoing but had been hampered by the challenges of collecting data that would be relevant to Culver. He retired at the end of the 1967 school year, and as Mai-Fan pointed out in her book, he reported that “Adding a girls school to the summer program has certainly been significant and, in my estimation, a step in the right direction.”

At the end of the same school year, in the fall of 1967, Bays reported that the girls summer school program needed more space. The board of trustees approved a request for usage of motel space to house some of the summer school girls. In the same time frame, the new superintendent, Gen. John W. Dobson ’31, directed Benson to study coeducation at Culver.

In May of 1968, Benson presented his report, “Preliminary Study of Feasibility of Coeducation or Coordinate Education at Culver,” to the board of trustees. It included the case for coeducation and the case against it. After the feasibility study report was presented, Benson was asked to continue the study and to provide a report on the “future direction” of Culver. This report didn’t make recommendations, but it did include some Dean Ernest Benson conclusions that seem to hint at recommendations, including that Culver remain a college preparatory school and it remain military.

It also recommended that a coordinate education framework providing education for girls was a desirable goal.

faculty came to a conclusion that coeducation should at Culver unless there was a sincere conviction that it offered the best boys and girls in preparation for life in adult society.”

The next report to the board was in May of 1969 when Dobson asked the board to postpone a decision until a survey could be conducted to assess the response of alumni and parents.

Ultimately, the report recommended eliminating the eighth grade; enrolling no more than 725 students; maintaining the military program for boys; admitting well-qualified girls, if housing could be located; and begin construction of new dorms.

Gen. Jack W. Dobson ’31

From the spring of 1969 until 1970, Mai-Fan was also given the task of researching a program for a girls school. In March of 1970, she submitted her report, the “Study of the Proposal that Girls Should Be Enrolled in the Winter School.” In this report, Mai-Fan presented a strong case for coeducation at Culver; however, she presented an even stronger case for ensuring that girls be brought to Culver as a separate school that would have its own organization that wasn’t military. Her report stressed that girls should be given a “superior academic program, cultural opportunities, social opportunities, intramural sports, religious growth, community involvement outside the limits of the campus, all with wise guidance in order that they are prepared for the independence of college life and, especially in order that they may develop their talents and interests and, in so doing, realize their own strengths.”

In addition to recommendations about a leadership program and activities for girls, Mai-Fan also recommended practical solutions, such as using West Lodge for a dormitory. She also recommended more female influence on campus.

Mai-Fan’s report ended on the note that she saw no “insurmountable problem, at least no problem not worth solving when confronted by one convinced that girls can revitalize Culver as well as respect its traditions.”

On April 21, 1970, Culver made an “announcement of far reaching importance for Culver’s future, emphasizing many of the conclusions of their recent studies: that coeducation “would provide an enrichment of the total program of both schools, a superior education for both sexes, and a greater recognition of the importance of natural relationships between boys and girls.” It also emphasized that CMA would remain a military school and the girls school would “establish its own identity,” and though there would be common classes for both sexes and some common activities, there would also be separateness. It concluded with the following statement: “Economic factors were certainly discussed and considered in arriving at the decision. The general interest in and the trend toward coeducation certainly has implications when a school is being chosen by boys. However, the board of directors and faculty came to a conclusion that coeducation should not be introduced at Culver unless there was a sincere conviction that it offered the best type of education for boys and girls in preparation for life in adult society.”

In September of 1970, Mai-Fan received a letter from Superintendent John Carpenter that notified her of her promotion to the rank of Instructor and her designation as “Director” of CAG. She could now begin the foundational work of shaping a program for young women at Culver that helped them find their own voices and make their own decisions.

— By Ginny Bess Munroe and Joan Bess

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

19

S u l m a u m t e r r i V 2020 Pieces of Culver at Home

T

he rhythms of Culver life have always been closely aligned with the rotation of the seasons.

The transition from spring and graduation signals the anticipation of Culver Summer Schools & Camps with its unique programs. But this summer was different.

The global COVID-19 pandemic caused the summer program to make an unprecedented pivot. For the first time in the program’s 118-year history, a total shutdown of Culver Summer Schools & Camps occurred.

The decision was based on the timing of the five stages of Indiana’s “Back on Track” plan, which included guidelines for social distancing and restrictions on the size of gatherings that would be difficult to meet given the concentrated campus population and authentic leadership programs.

However, Summer Schools & Camps Director Andy Seddelmeyer said, even though the Culver campus would be quiet, nobody could

Maj. Kelley Bowers and Maj. Francis Cislak share their activities in A Day in the Life of Woodcraft

“cancel” the Spirit of Culver. The summer school staff continued to engage campers through social media and thoughtfully curated online experiences, featuring camp staff and the extended Culver family.

Many of the “pieces of Culver at home” were anchored at familiar physical campus landmarks that resonated with both adults and campers.

The original plan was to create an actual online camp experience with required Zoom sessions, expectations, and inspections. However, as COVID-19 progressed and online learning continued, the summer team pivoted away from the Zoom approach; creating a series of fun interactions with students made more sense and would be more meaningful.

They created ways to share “pieces of Culver at home,” building true spirit and transformation of being together — virtually.

Each regimental commander, Catalina Leal-Montano W ’20 of Woodcraft, and Fritz Ellert ’21 NB ’20 W ’17 of Upper Schools, delivered separate video messages directed to the campers and Upper Schools students.

Catalina encouraged Woodcrafters to rely on the power of staying positive and the strong bond of friendship and encouragement that has given her the confidence to overcome her shyness and become a leader. She discovered that Culver “is a place I never knew I needed.”

Fritz, a third-generation Culver student, told campers to stay strong by remembering all of the successes and failures they experienced together and the resilience that helped them power through any adversity. This summer’s challenges were no different — he urged students to embody the Spirit of Culver wherever they are by stepping up and doing community service, putting others before self.

22

FALL 2020

Many of the “pieces of Culver at home” were anchored at familiar physical campus landmarks that resonated with both adults and campers. Maj. Mark Maes hosted a six-story series of “Milk and Cookies with Major Maes.”

Like Mr. Rogers, he invited the audience to remember the location he was at when they were all together at Woodcraft Camp and all of the activities they did together. Locations included the outdoor amphitheater, the steps leading up to the Penske Center, the Council Fire Ring, the Troop 261 headquarters, and Woodcraft Headquarters. He had a tray of cookies and milk by his side while he read a different story every week about summer camps, including “A Campfire Tail,” Cowboy Camp” and “The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail,” all stressing the power of friendship and teamwork.

Maj. Mark Maes hosts the series “Milk and Cookies with Major Maes”

Seddelmeyer initiated a campus Culver vlog series, in which he did a walking tour of campus and described the three new buildings that are under construction: the Roberts Barrack, which will house 106 cadets and is located between the North & East barracks and Fleet Gym; the Lauridsen Barrack, which will house 72 cadets and will be constructed on the site of the old Leadership Building/Post Office; and the Schrage Leadership Center, which is being built on the site of the old motel units. A second vlog, narrated by Kevin Van Horn, gave

the audience an inside tour of the Shack, which incorporates elements of the old and new, but still retains the social atmosphere of being together with friends in a special space.

Dr. Jay Boyd NB ’69, an American historian, spent 15 years as senior counselor of Company 2, Band and Dr. Jay Boyd NB ’69 shares the history of Culver’s oldest cheer Company 5.

He shared the rich history and story of the oldest cheer at Culver, the Big 15, which is still performed. Samson Chiu W ’87, NB ’90 and his son, Aspen, a member of Division 4, performed the cheer in their Culver t-shirts in their backyard.

The Big 15 began at Harvard in 1864 during Lincoln’s re-election campaign. By the 1920s, the cheer took off in college fight songs. It probably reached Culver through the ROTC officers, who would have known and practiced the cheer. The Culver version is two hip-hips, followed by rahs and ending with the unit identification.

Jeff Kenney hosts the “Walks Through Culver History” videos

Historical artifacts or memories lie in every corner of the Culver campus, and Culver’s Museum and Archives Manager Jeff Kenney helped revive those in his Wednesday video “Walks Through Culver History,” which focused on Aviation, the Cavalry Camp, Aubeenaubee Bay, Summer School for Girls, Woodcraft Locales and A Very 1980s Culver Summer, which Max Gifford ’22 W ’17 and a current member of the Naval Band, assisted with.

He is also featured in a video playing taps on the Virtual Summer site.

The #CulverSummer section provided some “fun with a purpose” activities, including the Tuesday Trivia questions (At its deepest point, how deep is Lake Maxinkuckee?) and the Friday Code Flag Challenge, in which you had to crack the code of the flags flying from the top of the Naval Building.

Though the 2020 on-campus summer experience was not possible, the Summer School staff rose to the weekly challenge of sharing “pieces of Culver” and keeping those memories alive, along with the messages of “We miss you,” “Stay healthy,” “Take care of yourselves and others,” “Embody the Spirit of Culver wherever you are” and “We’ll be together again in 2021!” ­— Kathy Lintner

Max Gifford ’22 performs taps on the Virtual Summer Site

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

23

The Next Chapter The Class of 2020

2020 STUDENT AWARDS

HUANG, WANG NAMED TOP SCHOLARS

Yuting Huang (Shanghai, China) was named the valedictorian and Jiayi Wang (Beijing, China) the salutatorian for the Class of 2020. Huang and Wang each received the Jonas Weil Award, a monetary award established by the 1954 alumnus, which honors the top two academic students of each graduating class.

Huang also received the Alfred J. Donnelly Scholastic Award as the top CGA scholar. Two members of Troop A, Yuzhi Jiang (Changzhou, China) and Shaopeng Zeng (Shenzhen City, China), shared The Scholarship Medal. The award goes to the top CMA graduates academically.

Other students recognized for their scholastic achievements included: Simon Hayes (New York) received the McDonald Award. Established

by E.C. McDonald (1915), the award is given to the graduating cadet who by his individual work, example, and inspiration has contributed most to the betterment of cultural life at Culver.

Yuting Huang

Regina Bravo Quintana (Mexico City) received the Hughes Award. The award is given in honor of Arthur G. Hughes, the first chairman of the Fine Arts Department, to the graduating CGA senior who has revealed exceptional concern for cultural life on campus.

Joseph Chandler (Indianapolis) received the Van Zandt Key, named in honor of Richard K. Van Zandt ’28. The award recognizes the cadet who has increased awareness among the Corps of the importance of moral and spiritual values.

Cady Clark (Minneapolis) received the Mary Frances England Humanitarian Award given to the CGA senior who, by her acts, has revealed an exemplary concern for others.

Michael Parker received the Chambers Award, which is given in the memory of Cal C. Chambers 1908. The award recognizes the first classman who has distinguished himself with a combination of excellence in scholarship and athletics.

Amina Shafeek-Horton (Huntersville, North Carolina) received the Jane Metcalfe Culver Bowl, which honors the CGA graduate who has distinguished herself in scholastic and athletic achievements.

Jeff Henderson (River Forest, Illinois) received the YMCA Cup, which is presented to the cadet who best exemplifies the ideals of Culver, as chosen by the faculty.

Adannaya (Dana) Nzerem (Abuja, Nigeria) received the Superintendent’s Bowl, which is presented to a CGA graduate whose

leadership example, influence, and total record of achievement has brought honor to Culver and herself.

Twenty-five graduates were inducted into the Culver Academies chapter of The Cum Laude Society, a national honorary academic society founded in 1906. The Culver chapter was chartered in 1925. Inductees included Jilei (Leo) Bu, Joseph Chandler, Roger Chenn, Aliyah Elfar, Kristen Gram, Yuting (Elisa) Huang, Yuzhi (Baggio) Jiang, Yoo-Ram (Ally) Kim, Huan Le, Xuangchen (Apple) Li, Yanxi (Scarlett) Liu, Michaek Liu, Gianna Maroney, Pearce Murphy, Hyun-Jin (Jin) Oh, Jacob Page, Michael Parker, Amina Shafeek-Horton, Tianza (Steven) Shou, Jiayi (Eugenia) Wang, Zirui (Jerry) Wang, Binhony (Peter) Xie, Mei Feng (Maia) Yang, Shaopeng (Justin) Zeng, and Xucong (Charlie) Zhu. Also recognized were one senior and two first classmen who received a service academy appointment.

Attending the United States Military Academy at West Point is Daphne Karaholios. Andrew Setzer will be attending the United States Air Force Academy. Samuel Carroll will be entering the United States Coast Guard Academy.

The Benson Bowl for Academic Jiayi Wang Achievement, which honors the CGA dorm with the highest grade point average for the year, appropriately went to Benson, which finished with a 3.753 GPA. Ithaka finished second with 3.750, and Linden was third at 3.743.

The Band won the Silver Bowl, which goes to the highest achieving CMA unit academically. Band finished the year with an overall GPA of 3.646. Second place went to Company C with a GPA of 3.637, and Company A was third with a GPA of 3.619.

The Brian M Barefoot Social Entrepreneurship Awards were presented to “PAWsitive Safety” by Abigail Beck (South Bend, Indiana); “Learning to Swim” by Dana Nzerem (Abuja, Nigeria); and “Southeast Asia Leadership Program” by Roger Chenn (San Jose, California). The awards are presented to Senior Practicum projects that are creative, unique, visionary, and promise long term benefit to a disadvantaged community.

Two annual athletic awards were presented during the final academic convocation. The Outstanding Sportswoman of the Year was split between Gigi Maroney (New Buffalo, Michigan) and Dana Rodgers (Culver). Owen Hiltz (Peterborough, Ontario) and Deontae Craig (Fort Wayne, Indiana) shared the Russ and Myra Oliver Best All-Around CMA Athlete.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

25

The 219 members of the Class of 2020 are ready to “take their next step into a larger

world” by following the path that calls to them — college, service academies, junior hockey & golf, study abroad in England or taking a bridge year to explore their options.

Whatever path they take, they carry the lessons of a Culver education as their north star.

26

FALL 2020

Adrian College

1

Georgetown University

2

American University

1

Georgia Military College

1

Babson College

1

Grinnell College

1

Ball State University

2

Hampden Sydney College

1

Berry College

1

High Point University

1

Boston College

4

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

3

Boston University

1

Hofstra University

2

Bradley University

1

Holy Cross College

1

Brigham Young University

1

Indiana State University

2

Brown University

3

Indiana University Bloomington

16

Bucknell University

2

Indiana University Kokomo

1

Butler University

1

Carnegie Mellon University

2

Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey 1

Case Western Reserve

1

Johns Hopkins University

2

Claremont McKenna College

1

Lafayette College

1

Clemson University

2

Loyola Marymount College

1

Cleveland State University

1

Loyola University

4

Colgate University

1

Marist College

1

College of Wooster

1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

1

Carnegie Mellon University

2

Merrimack College

1

Columbia College Hollywood

1

Miami University, Oxford

3

Columbia University

2

Michigan State University

1

Denison University

1

Montana State University

1

DePaul University

1

New York University

4

DePauw University

3

Northeastern University

1

Dickinson College

1

Northwestern University

1

Dominican University of California

1

Ohio State University

2

Elon University

2

Parkland College

1

Emory University

2

Pitzer College

1

Flagler College

1

Princeton University

4

Fordham University

2

Purdue University

11

George Washington University

2

Purdue University Fort Wayne

1

Rhodes College

1

University of Missouri

1

Rice University

1

University of New Hampshire

2

Rollins College

1

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 1

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

1

University of Notre Dame

3

Sewanee, University of the South

1

University of Otago

1

Siena College

1

University of Pennsylvania

2

Singapore Management University

1

University of Pittsburgh

1

Skidmore College

1

University of Richmond

1

Southern Methodist University

2

University of Southern California

3

St. John’s College (Md.)

1

University of St. Andrews

1

Stanford University

1

University in Sweden

1

Syracuse University

1

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

1

Tecnolagico de Monterrey

5

University of Toronto

1

Texas A&M University

2

Vanderbilt University

2

Texas Christian University

3

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

1

The American University of Paris

1

Wake Forest University

1

Tufts University

1

Western New England University

1

Tulane University

1

Yale University

2

U.S. Air Force Academy

1

U.S. Coast Guard Academy

1

Non-U.S. Colleges:

U.S. Military Academy

1

Canada 1

Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana 1

France 1

University of Alabama

2

Mexico 7

University of Alabama, Huntsville

1

New Zealand

University of California, Davis

2

Scotland 1

University of California, Los Angeles

1

Singapore 1

University of California, San Diego

2

Sweden 1

University of California, Santa Cruz

1

University of Central Florida

1

University of Chicago

1

University of Colorado Boulder

3

University of Denver

3

University of Iowa

1

– Junior Hockey: 12 hockey players will play for a year in Junior hockey leagues in either the United States or Canada

University of Kentucky

1

– Home to Australia:

1

University of Michigan

5

– Cultural Immersion in China:

1

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

1

– PG Year at a College:

1

University of Mississippi

1

– Undecided:

1

1

Gap Year: To deepen one’s perspective and clarify a future direction. Here are the “gap” year experiences that 16 Culver seniors will pursue next year:

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

27

Inheriting Optimism HONOR PIN STEMS FROM A PECULIAR GENERATIONAL BOND J

ack Chittim’s family ties to Culver goes back five generations. His father, grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, all named James as well, attended school on the shores of Lake Maxinkuckee.

There’s Jack in the Class of 2021. His father, James W ’85, in the Class of 1990. His grandfather, James, graduated in 1960. And his great-great-grandfather, the original James Chittim, was a member of the class of 1921.

The Chittim Crop, which is given to the top Trooper every year, is named after him.

28

FALL 2020

The family has all four CMA rings after Jack officially received his in a delayed ceremony at the beginning of this fall. Add mother, Christine ’92 SS ’90 W ’87, into the mix and that’s five Culver rings in one family. Three of them have resided in East Barrack some time during their careers.

But there is a special connection ­— well, maybe, special is the wrong word — that only James Chittim, class of 1921, and James Chittim, class of 2021 now share. Their Culver educations were interrupted by major pandemics.

“Jack Chittim’s idea for a Culver Spirit pin is a testament to student strength, care and concern for others and the true meaning of the Culver Spirit.”

Dean M. Lynn Rasch ’76

with his friends and the faculty and staff that make Culver unique, he said. “The Culver connections last forever.”

And, while he stayed in touch with his friends virtually, Chittim couldn’t wait to return to campus in August because “it seems like a day has never passed.”

The second wave of the Spanish flu pandemic caused Culver officials to release students early for winter break in December 1918.

The COVID-19 pandemic sent Jack home to Boerne, Texas, in mid-March.

“It’s really strange to think that my greatgreat-grandfather and I would be cadets at these points in time,” Chittim said, who is now back on campus. “It makes you wonder what happened then.”

Along with his great-great-grandfather’s class ring, the Chittims also have his senior scrapbook, a historical staple that all cadets had to complete at the time. The book contains signatures of classmates, photos, cards, and some historical references. “But it doesn’t really contain anything about the Spanish flu (during his third class year) in it,” Jack said.

Chittim believes this accident of fate isn’t the only aspect of Culver he shares with his ancestor. He is convinced that his greatgreat-grandfather also enjoyed the same bonds he does today. It is those relationships

It is these special Culver connections that made Chittim search for a way to remember “this time together during this time apart.”

That is when he thought of a commemorative Culver Spirit pin that students could wear on their Dress A uniforms and CGA blazers. Each member of the classes of 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 would receive it.

Squires and Rasch were also impressed that Chittim wrote about how Culver alumni have risen above extremely difficult times in history. “Jack Chittim’s idea for a Culver Spirit pin is a testament to student strength, care and concern for others and the true meaning of the Culver Spirit,” Rasch added.

Chittim’s initial design was fine-tuned and turned into the pins over the summer. All returning students received their pins during the first all-school meeting of the year, which was held outdoors for social distancing reasons. ­

— Jan Garrison

Chittim sketched out his concept and submitted it with an explanation to Commandant of Cadets Col. Mike Squires, Dean of Girls M. Lynn Rasch ’76, and Head of Schools Dr. Doug Bird ’90.

“We thought it was a great idea,” Squires said.

“It is a way of unifying the Culver students during this unusual era. We received many ideas from students, and Jack’s proposal encapsulates the best aspects of them all.”

“He wrote of brotherhood, connecting faculty, staff, and students during this difficult time of a pandemic,” Rasch said, “and honoring the students that lost a special time of their lives by not being present at Culver.”

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

29

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS

Between June 2018 and September 2019, Zach Currier ’13, who graduated from Princeton in 2017 having never won a national championship, won two Mann Cup titles for the Peterborough Lakers, won a Major League Lacrosse championship with the Denver Outlaws, a World Indoor Lacrosse Championship with Team Canada and a National Lacrosse League title with the Calgary Roughnecks. Currier did all of this while working as a product development engineer at Warrior – an industry leader in lacrosse equipment and technology. Currier was the top draft pick of the Waterdogs in the Premier Lacrosse League 2020 entry draft.

1950s John Steel W ’47 ’52 has written the book “Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates & His Legacy.”

Part biography, part history, and part memoir, Steel covers Joseph Pilates and the expansion of Pilates from a small cadre of dedicated adherents to the global sensation it is today. Steel describes Pilates’ years as a World War I prisoner, the motivation behind and development of his system of exercises, his inspirational teaching technique, and the attraction of the Pilates Method.

30

FALL 2020

John “Jay” Turnbull, Jr. ’56 is serving as his class reunion chairman. He shared his observations on the sheltering in place response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Bay area and also expressed faith that Culver will “survive and strengthen,” citing student Di Tian’s ’21 comment that Culver students put others before self, which will help Culver through this crisis.

Ronald Yonover ’56 and his wife, Geri, a retired law professor with 18 years on the faculty of Valparaiso

University School of Law, will celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary in August and are peacefully “hunkering down” in Longboat Key, Florida.

1960s Charles Moncrief N ’66 ’67 and his wife, Kit, were named to the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in January. The Hall of Fame induction is the highest honor bestowed on individuals who have shown excellence in competition, business and support of rodeo and the western

lifestyle in Texas. Kit and Charlie manage the Moncrief Ranches in Parker County, Texas, and Gunnison, Colorado. Raising cattle and Quarter Horses, they’re especially known for producing quality cutting and reined cow horses.

Kit’s related philanthropic work includes serving as president of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

She is past president, and current vice president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Foundation. And she is a board member of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

Charlie is a partner in Moncrief Oil and Montex Drilling company with his father, William A. “Tex” Moncrief ’37, and daughter, Gloria. He has served as a trustee for Texas Christian University and the Culver Educational Foundation, and is currently on the board of the Texas State Fair.

1970s Thomas Pitts II SC ’72 ’74 and his family are one of the country’s biggest sweet corn suppliers, located in Arcola, Mississippi. They ship corn up the east coast to Washington, D.C. and New York City, all the way into Vancouver, Canada, and across the South.

They also grow collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, parsley, broccoli and squash.

1980s Stephen Kennedy ’80 continues to run his Dallas law office, Kennedy Law, PC, focusing on complex commercial litigation.

He resides at Possum Kingdom Lake with his yellow lab Troy and enjoys wine at sunset, movies, boating, fishing and karaoke. His life motto comes from his favorite movie Shawshank Redemption: “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

Bruce Jones ’81 has been using his son’s Toybox 3D printer to make plastic ventilator splitters. He is part of a nationwide Facebook group, COVID-19 3D Print. The group has been

making the splitters and shipping them across the country to institutions that might need them. He also helped organize the Coastside Sewing Collective, a Facebook group of 145 people with sewing machines, which sews cloth masks and caps for the region’s healthcare workers and the region’s farm workers.

Bruce says he simply follows the Culver model of being proactive in focusing on a specific need, building community to solve it and then attacking the problem.

William “Ed” Furry ’89 founded Sail 22 LLC in 2007 and continues to own and operate the business, along with his wife, Becky. Based in Culver, Sail 22 is an online sailing store and a team of One-Design sailing specialists, who offer the worldwide sailing community personalized shopping and concierge service.

1990s Scott Evans ’94 and Andrea Woodard were married on April 11, 2020.

Andleib “Andy” Seth ’96 is a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author and music producer who has founded nine successful businesses and helped thousands of people to break the cycle of poverty. Until the age of 14, Andy lived in a Los Angeles motel with his sister and parents. He launched his first business at the age of 13 and earned full scholarships to

Culver Military Academy and later to Boston College. He is the CEO of Flow Marketing and serves as the trustees chairman for Minds Matter.

Rebecca Pierce Goodman ’98 currently serves as the managing director and board secretary of the Carlsbad Music Festival and director of the music series and board secretary for the Oceanside Theatre Company. Goodman has more than 18 years of professional experience in theatre, film, and event production, including teaching and business management. She and her husband live in Vista, California.

clients. She is affiliated with Compass in Washington, D.C., which connects business professionals with local nonprofits and transforms communities.

Formerly a researcher and writer on the motivations, behaviors, and intentions of African business and political leaders, she incorporates these insights to understand what makes people change, move, and grow towards the success they seek. Her pro bono work includes partnership development in the African Diaspora community in Washington.

Cmdr. Jeffrey Greco ’98 was promoted to the rank of commander in the U.S. Navy at the end of June 2020.

Ted Senasu ’99 and Emily Swain ’99 were married on Jan. 24, 2020, in a private courthouse ceremony in Fairfax, Virginia. They had planned a public May 2020 wedding at the Culver Memorial Chapel, but rescheduled in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The newlyweds currently reside in Herndon, Virginia.

2000s Dr. Rumbidzai Rudo Mufuka SSG ’00 is an experienced organizational change management consultant (CCMP) with a demonstrated history of strategy creation and implementation planning for

Leslie Ladd Kime ’08 was the keynote speaker at the Culver Women’s Celebration weekend.

For the past eight years, she has been the only female scout in the NFL, working for the Jacksonville Jaguars as the scouting administration coordinator, watching tape, evaluating players, and assisting with player contracts.

She had to work hard to gain the respect of her peers, coaches and executives, and relied on the men who mentored her, as well as the resilience she learned at Culver to deal with the low pay and long hours. Her earning an MBA from the Darden School will give her strategic leverage in seeking her next position. She hopes her efforts will make it easier for the next woman seeking a position on the football side of the NFL. For Leslie’s complete story please visit the Culver News Blog at news.culver.org.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

31

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS

Message from Legion, CSSAA, and CCI Presidents We welcome Rajiv Chopra ’89, the 86th President of The Culver Legion, and Mike Rudnicki W ’87, NB ’89 ’92, Chairman of Culver Clubs International, to their key leadership roles within the Academies’ volunteer organization.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the postponement of many on- and off-campus events, Reunion Weekend and Summer Homecoming in particular, you will find in this section of the magazine information that highlights the incredible breadth of the Culver Network, even via the accomplishments of those remembered In Passing. You can see photos of current Asia- Pacific students, their families and alumni, who were able to have their annual student sendoff in two cities last July. We also turn your attention to Culver Connect, a significant initiative the alumni office has launched to enhance the professional and social networking aspect of your lifelong Culver Experience.

Rajiv Chopra ’89 President The Culver Legion

Richard R. “Dick” Waterfield W ‘85 President The Culver Summer Schools Alumni Association

Michael E. “Mike” Rudnicki W ’88 ’92 President Culver Clubs International

32

FALL 2020

Shondrea Horton Turnbull ’00 won the Woman of Excellence Award at the Mrs. Globe international beauty pageant in Shenzhen, China, on Dec. 6, 2019. The international beauty pageant, held annually, is open to women aged over 25, or who are married, or are parents. The pageant supports the charity Woman in Need in more than 70 countries which take part in the pageant. As Mrs. British Virgin Islands, Shondrea will serve as the queen for one additional year in light of the coronavirus pandemic. As part of her extended reign, she will continue to support Women In Need (WINBVI) with the community outreach as their ambassador.

Matthew C. Pelton N ’03, a manager in deal advisory at KPMG LLP, leads engagement teams that provide accounting advisory and finance integration services to multinational clients involved in complex transactions and crossborder mergers and acquisitions.

He is a national facilitator for KPMG Business School, supports local recruitment and go-to-market planning, and volunteers in entrepreneurship and education initiatives throughout Chicago. He has worked extensively in multicultural settings with executives, entrepreneurs, and public sector leaders throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Broderick I. Engelhard ’08 is a co-writer of Phobias (2020), a thriller focused on five dangerous patients, suffering

from extreme phobias at a government testing facility, who are put to the ultimate test, under the supervision of a crazed doctor, and his quest to weaponize fear.

The film was named as an Official Selection at the Mammoth Film Fest 2020.

Jessica Kutch Owens ’08 and her husband, Jackie, are the proud parents of a son, Jasper Ray Owens, who was born on April 15, 2020.

2010s Lt. Emily Gilland Kingsley ’12 graduated from California State University-Fullerton with an MS in mechanical engineering in May 2020. She has also been promoted to lieutenant and works as a naval engineer stationed in Baltimore, Maryland.

Jacob F. Kurdziel ’13, a digital thought leader currently working in Brussels for a midsize biopharmaceutical company, oversees the design and implementation for many of the artificial intelligence and advanced analytics projects in the company’s corporate development and finance departments. In 2018, his team won Belgium CFO Magazine’s “Best Finance Team of the Year.”

Jake had spent almost five years based in China, where he founded a financial advisory firm catering toward China- related inbound and outbound investments and project financing. He still consults for individuals, startups, and

established businesses for capital allocation projects and investment decisions.

Aaron Marshall ’14 is a successful Indianapolis rapper emcee whose stage name is Double A. He was exposed to a wide range of music growing up and got into hip hop in grade school, honing his skills at Culver and then at Butler University. He started getting recognition in Indianapolis in 2017, when he released his first album deLAwhere and held his first public show.

Basketball has been a big influence in his life and music, with its focus on team and honing his skills. This led to his interest in clothing and he opened a thrift shop called Naptown Thrift in 2015, which has been very successful. Double A is continuing work on features with several local producers and fellow artists.

Samantha Leach ’19, a sophomore at Oklahoma State University majoring in animal science and business, was recently awarded one of six intercollegiate scholarships by the U.S. Polo Association.

Recipients were selected based on horsemanship, sportsmanship, playing ability, contribution to polo, academic excellence and character.

Karch Bachman ’15 had his collegiate hockey career with Miami University (Ohio) cut short when the season was canceled on March 12 because of COVID-19. He has used the time to complete his bachelor’s degree in investment banking. He is also working on strength, conditioning and nutrition to keep in shape.

Bachman has been in talks with the Florida Panthers about a pro contract, which would presumably put him in the AHL next season.

Dominic Garcia ’15, a rising senior at Arizona State University and assistant hockey captain, experienced the disappointment that happened when the hockey season was canceled and the team did not have the opportunity to realize its potential of winning a national championship.

As a team leader, he is focused on what he can control — encouraging team members to continue workouts and good nutrition.

The next year’s season will be dedicated to the “seniors who got their last game stripped from them.”

Kathryn Driscoll ’17 is only the fifth Rowan University student ever selected by the federally endowed Goldwater scholarship program, and the third winner since 2017 from Rowan’s Biomedical Engineering Department and the Bantivoglio Honors Concentration. Goldwater Scholars receive up to $7,500 a year to help cover tuition, mandatory fees, books, room and board.

After graduating, Driscoll plans to pursue both a doctoral and medical degree, with the goal of “starting to answer questions we haven’t conceptualized yet. We’re just so limited by what we don’t know.”

Jacob Hare ’17 returned to Culver in March to talk with interested students about attending the U.S. Military Academy and to answer questions about the service academies and ROTC programs in general. A third classman at West Point, he said the academics are rigorous, and that during the first two years, the service academies challenge cadets to make sure they want to be there. In many ways, West Point is like Culver, only at a higher intensity level. The training is tougher and cadets have to manage their time better. Following graduation, five years of active duty and three years in the reserves are required. Hare feels fortunate to attend West Point because of all the opportunities it has afforded him. He has studied in Spain and traveled through Europe, met President George W. Bush and other dignitaries, and his summer internship will take him to Washington, D.C. Nolan Walker ’17 recently completed his sophomore season as a forward for the St. Cloud State University men’s hockey team. He played in 31 games for the Huskies, tallying two goals and 10 assists for 12 points. He was also named an Academic All National Collegiate Hockey Conference

Alexandra M. Vaughn ’16, team captain, and Ashley D. Dillard ’17 both play for the Texas A&M women’s polo team, which beat TCU 164 in the Central Regional Semifinals and then beat SMU 126 in the regional finals March 6-8 at Brookshire Polo Club. The finals were cancelled due to coronavirus concerns. Ally was selected to the Central Regional All Star Team. Ally and Ashley were part of the A&M national championship teams in 2018 and 2019.

selection and NCHC Scholar Athlete honoree for the second time in his career.

Theodore Batson ’18 was named to an All Decade team for each of Washington County, Indiana’s six boys’ lacrosse programs. As a ninth-grader in 2015, Batson was a polished All-County defender, totaling 76 ground balls and 36 takeaways. He did more of the same as a sophomore before transferring to Culver as a junior.

Sarina A. McCabe ’18 helped start a publishing company, the Ember Publishing House, that stemmed from her Culver senior service project. The focus of the press is interdisciplinary collaboration

and producing stories that celebrate academic cross-disciplines growth/ideas. In light of the COVID-19 crisis, the firm froze its publication schedule and instead produced children’s books about COVID-19 to create a resource to help them understand and cope with all the changes that have accompanied the pandemic, as well as to help parents navigate those difficult conversations.

A total of five COVID books are planned for publication in the summer.

Alexis E. Olivarez ’18 was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Alabama for the 2020 spring semester, awarded to students who earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

33

STUDENT SPORTS

Patrick, Birsner join Culver coaching ranks Two of Culver Military Academy’s nationally-recognized sports programs have recently undergone changes of leadership. Kevin Patrick has assumed the role of boys hockey program manager and Jon Birsner as head prep lacrosse coach and assistant athletics director at the start of the 2020-21 school year.

Patrick, and his family, moved to Culver from South Burlington, Vermont, where he coached at the University of Vermont. Kevin coached there for eight years, including five as the associate head coach. The Catamounts logged multiple 20-win seasons during his stay and developed a reputation as being one of the top defensive teams in the country.

Kevin Patrick

Patrick graduated from Deerfield Academy in 1988, where he later coached and taught. Patrick was a four-year hockey player at the University of Notre Dame and captained the Fighting Irish his final two years. He later earned a master’s degree in sports management from the University of Massachusetts.

After playing professional hockey for a year, Patrick returned to Deerfield Academy to launch his coaching career. After five years of combined experience at Deerfield and in Junior Hockey, Patrick embarked on a distinguished collegiate hockey coaching career. Before joining the coaching staff at Vermont, he was an assistant coach at Union College, Bowling Green State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

While at Wisconsin, Patrick was part of a national championship team and a national runner-up. He was also a head coach in the United States Hockey League and was an assistant coach in 2015 for the USA National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championships. Patrick coached Hobey Baker Award winner and former CMA student Blake Geoffrion ’06, and he has coached or recruited 55 NHL players during his career. In addition, he has taken leadership roles in the American Hockey Coaches Association, including serving on the Board of Governors, and has been active in USA Hockey.

Birsner transitioned to Culver from his role as the head lacrosse coach at NCAA Division I Virginia Military Institute. A 2006 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Birsner led Navy to three top 10 finishes and played in the NCAA National Championship Game in 2004. He lettered four years in lacrosse, was a two-time All-American, and was voted captain by his peers as a senior. Birsner ranks 8th on Navy’s alltime points list (154), is fourth all-time in assists (105), and was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year his senior season.

After graduating from the Naval Academy, Birsner spent seven years (2006-2013) as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy, serving in numerous leadership positions. Birsner served on the USS Denver, a ship in the U.S. Readiness for Amphibious Warfare Group; as electronics warfare officer for U.S. forces in Iraq; and as an instructor at The Naval Officer’s Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. His personal awards include the Bronze Star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal (two awards), and Iraqi Campaign Medal as well Jon Birsner as being a Fleet Marine Force Qualified Officer.

Birsner started his coaching career at the Naval Academy Prep School in 2010. After serving as an assistant coach for one year, he spent the next three seasons as the head coach. During that time, he compiled a 31-9 overall record, including a program-best 15-3 season in 2013, culminating that season with a National Prep Championship victory over The Hill Academy.

Birsner entered the collegiate ranks as an assistant coach at Furman in 2014 and has spent the past five years as the head coach at Virginia Military Institute. Birsner has coached, developed, and mentored 14 Division I All-Conference players, one All-American, and one Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Off the field, Birsner has been able to lead more than 60 student-athletes who were recognized for their academic achievements by the Southern Conference, including 2019 SoCon Post Graduate Scholarship Winner John O’Donnell.

35 to play at the next level Thirty-five student-athletes from the class of 2020 either signed National Letters of Intent or verbally committed to play athletics at the collegiate level. The list is according to when they signed or committed during the past school year.

Name Heather MacNab Daphne Karahalios Trey Galloway Nick Hittle Cole Stofflet Abigail Marohn Cameron Chauvette Mike Gianforcaro Batts Parker Ryan Essensa David Anderson Grayson Feick Matt Edell Jack Kelly Joel Stevens Owen Hiltz Charles Jones Savas Koutsouras

34

FALL 2020

Sport School Soccer Princeton Lacrosse Army Basketball Indiana Basketball Indiana State Hockey Air Force Hockey Northeastern Lacrosse Johns Hopkins Lacrosse Princeton Lacrosse Penn Lacrosse Colgate Lacrosse Yale Lacrosse Hofstra Lacrosse Siena Lacrosse Brown Lacrosse Hobart Lacrosse Syracuse Rowing Penn Rowing Brown

Name Gianna Maroney Deontae Craig Ava Dauer Evelyn Frutkin Ryan Tompos Danielle Allen McKinley Hoff Karmen Anderson Lydia Hollis Jason Dilena Corbin Steck Jacob Page Benjamin Brummel Anthony Goeb Marissa Rivera Jacob Bird Joel Thompkins

Sport School Rowing North Carolina Football Iowa Rowing Hobart/William Smith Rowing Ohio State Football Butler Hockey Western New England Hockey Nazareth College Hockey Adrian College Lacrosse DePauw Rowing Loyola Marymount Rowing Tufts Rowing Cornell Rowing Michigan Basketball Dickinson Track/Field Indiana Track/Field Rose Hulman Soccer DePauw

C U LV E R C L U B S I N T E R N AT I O N A L Students host event for Shanghai families Two Culver students from China hosted a special event in Shanghai for their classmates, new students and parents on July 25. Jenny Song ’21 and Di Tian ’21 pulled the event together as their senior service leadership project.

“I still remember my exact feeling when I attended the Culver Connection Event at Shanghai three years ago,” Tian said in welcoming the new students. “I had so many questions in my mind before the event: ‘What is it like there? Is it cold there? Do they have girls there…’”

And, he admits, he didn’t get every question about life at Culver answered. But he said, “I did meet a lot of my future friends and got more excited to take my four-year adventure in the corn fields,” he added.

Department, answered parents’ questions during a Zoom session at the end of the event.

Despite the travel restrictions and all the uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the families heard that the faculty members and student leaders will continue to support international students.

“I’m grateful to see everything Culver has done to help us,” said a parent of a new CGA student, “but I’m more gratified to see students taking initiatives to help their communities. This shows the value of Culver leadership programs more than anything else.”

A good walk spoiled Ever since 1975 classmates Bill Fairchild and Beth (Adams) Walker met in biology their first year at Culver Academies, they have been competitive. And, most of the time, Walker has had the upper hand.

That is why Tian and Song worked so hard to keep this tradition alive during these uncertain times. They also used it to reconnect with current students and families in Shanghai and the surrounding communities. They spent several hours preparing and coordinating with the Department of International Student Achievement before hosting the event for more than 80 people.

“Ever since we’ve known each other, she has beaten me at everything. Ping-pong, tennis, everything,” Fairchild laughed before their self-described battle-of- sexes, match play golf tournament at the Academies’ golf course on Saturday, July 11. That held true-to-form, with Walker taking the match, 3-and-2, in front of a small gallery of about 20 classmates, family, and friends.

“We arranged many presentations on a variety of topics to help new students and parents get to know Culver,” Tian explained.

They built the program around the theme “Challenge yourselves, make use of your Culver days.”

Bill Fairchild and Beth (Adams) Walker raised funds for the Class of ’75 scholarship fund.

“It was terrible. I’m a better winner than a loser,” Fairchild emailed. But, he added, it was a “really good time and a great turnout.”

Two 2020 graduates, Steven Shou and Leo Bu, shared their experiences and advice on academic and leadership opportunities at Culver. Tony Zhu ’16 and Sherry Xie ’21 shared lessons they learned from the respective Culver Military Academy and Culver Girls Academy leadership systems. And Apple Li ’20 talked about exploring her passions and the extracurricular opportunities that are offered on campus.

Walker admitted she wasn’t at the top of her game either. “Neither one of us had played to a ‘gallery’ before,” she said in her missive.

“But that’s the nature of the game. It was a fun round.”

Ariana Qin ’21 and Catherine Tulungen, the director of International Student Achievement, shared the latest coronavirus details and an online learning update. Chief International Officer Tony Giraldi ’75 reassured students and parents via Zoom that Culver will be assisting international students in returning safely to campus. Tulungen and her husband, Johnnes, who is in the Leadership

The basic rules were Walker would play from the red tees and Fairchild from the white tees. Walker, though, did ignore the strange tee placement on the first hole overlooking Devil’s Backbone. The reds had mysteriously been moved to 10 yards behind the whites. Leadership Instructor Don Fox ’75, who served as referee for the match, also ignored the adjustment.

Fairchild’s “good walk spoiled,” though, had a much greater purpose than trying to even the score with Walker. Their match raised more than $30,000 for the class’s “Making a Difference Scholarship” program. Since 2006, the class has provided a Culver student a full four-year tuition scholarship.

Fairchild conceived of the golf match as a fundraiser for this fiscal year. Throwing in a few incentives, he got classmates to place “bets” on their favorite player, with the vast majority of the money backing Walker — much to his chagrin.

Tony Giraldi ’75, Culver’s Chief International Officer, said the class created the scholarship while looking for a way to support the school. It was a tangible way for everyone involved to see their dollars at work, he explained.

New students, current students, and young alumni gathered in Shanghai.

Along with sponsoring a student now, the Class of 1975 is building an endowed fund to ensure its lasting impact.

Giraldi said the goal is to have the scholarship fully endowed by the class’s 50th reunion in 2025.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

35

IN MEMORIAM

Clyde Henderson Mitchell NB ’39 died on May 13, 2020, in Greensboro, North Carolina.

He served as a sergeant in the 13th Army Air Corps during WWII, primarily in the Pacific Theatre. Clyde was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Greensboro and was their oldest living member.

Clyde retired as the head of the office audit department of the Internal Revenue Service after many years of service. He was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Evelyn; and two brothers, James ’32 and Edward ’36. He is survived by his son C. Alan Mitchell, two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.

George F. Livingston Jr. W ’35 ’42 (Company C) died on

36

FALL 2020

April 21, 2020 in Youngstown, Ohio. During World War II, George served in Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army and received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star after fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. Returning home, he graduated from Washington University and studied retail management. He then joined the family business at the store in downtown Youngstown.

George was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Margaret, and is survived by one daughter, one son, five grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Leander Eugene “Lee” Smith Jr. H ’43 of Kokomo, Indiana, died on April 4, 2020, in Indianapolis. He earned a business degree from Butler

University in 1950, then served with the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a major after 21 years, during which time he served in World War II, Korea, and the Vietnam War. Lee worked and retired from General Motors after 17 years of service. He was able to go on the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., with his stepson David. Lee is survived by his wife, Patty, two daughters; three stepchildren, 15 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Gloria.

Richard Robinson Nelson Jr. N ’44 died on July 9, 2020, in Houston, Texas. Dick grew up in Kansas City. He prepped at Pembroke Hill School and graduated from Kemper

Military School. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he attended the University of Missouri. In 1950, Dick moved to Texas with his insurance firm, Nelson & Kent, which was eventually sold in 1967. He then helped build Desert American Insurance Agency, Inc. where he served as Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Board. After moving to Texas, Dick became a passionate supporter of all things University of Texas, including The President’s Association, lifetime vice president of The University of Texas Dads Association and the executive committee of The University of Texas Chancellor’s Council. He took particular pride in the Marjorie S. Nelson and Richard R. Nelson, Jr. Endowed Scholarship.

The obituary dates are from March 1 – July 31, 2020 Dick and Marjorie were active members of St. John the Divine and founders of Episcopal High School. Dick’s “happy place” was the family ranch in Dripping Springs. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marjorie, two daughters, one son, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Charles Thomas Alexander Jr. N ’45 died on Nov. 15, 2019, in Alexandria, Virginia. He received his BA from Duke University in 1950. After two years of military service during the Korean War at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, and two years studying at Boston University School of Theology, he earned an MS from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and began his journalism career with the Washington Star as assistant city editor, followed by managing editor of the Wilmington, Delaware, Morning News and Evening Journal, and then editor and publisher of the Dayton, Ohio Journal Herald. Charles returned to Washington, D.C., in 1975 as a professor of journalism and director of the Medill News Service, retiring in 1994. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Elizabeth; two daughters and two grandchildren.

Wayne Mason Jenkins ’45 (Company C) of Brazil, Indiana died on March 22, 2020.

He served in the Merchant Marine during WWII as part of the U.S. Coast Guard, stationed in the Pacific until the end of the war, when he attended Kings Point Mer-

chant Marine Academy, and later both Purdue University and Butler University. Wayne became a broadcaster and the first TV weatherman in the Wabash Valley, expanding his role by hosting the midday farm report and beginning the Showmanship Show, that included participants throughout the Wabash Valley, Illinois and Indiana. In 1982 he created Ag Day, a nationally syndicated agribusiness TV program carried on 64 stations nationwide. Music was very important to Wayne, who played string bass with jazz groups The Men of Note and the Alan Barcus Trio. In 2007, he was inducted into the Wabash Valley Musicians Hall of Fame. Wayne is survived by three sons, one daughter, eleven grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren and his special companion and friend, Mary Phillips. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary, two sons, one daughter, and two great-grandchildren.

George Francis Gallagher Jr. ’46 (Troop II) died March 3, 2020 at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. Born and raised in Chicago, George discovered his first love, horses and polo, while at Culver. He completed his first solo flight at 17 and later earned FAA commercial pilot and aircraft flight dispatch licenses. He served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps and in the Army National Guard in Illinois and California. After graduating from UCLA in 1954, George was hired by Pan American World Airways,

which from 1927 to 1991 was the largest U.S. international carrier. He spent his first assignment in Dusseldorf, Germany, followed by stints in Iran, Iceland, India, Liberia, Ghana and Pakistan. George’s work in West Berlin in 19731978 involved managing Pan Am’s operations between then-divided East and West Berlin, and West Germany. He later managed Pan Am World Services operations in Oman, after which he moved to Trinidad and Tobago. When Pan Am folded in 1991, George remained in Trinidad to work for United Airlines and British West Indies Airways. In 1997, he moved to Palm Desert.

George is survived by his wife, Doris, two daughters and three granddaughters.

Charles E. MacCallum ’46 (Troop I) died on Jan. 27, 2018, at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he served his country at Lakeland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Upon completion of his military service, Charles and his wife, Sue, moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, raised their family, and enjoyed life in south Florida for more than 50 years. He became an expert in land development and was a leader in the community.

Charles was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Sue. He is survived by one son, one daughter, five grandsons and four great-grandchildren.

Alan Henry Siegerist W ’42 N’46 died on April 26, 2018, in Labadie, Missouri. In 1951,

he graduated from Washington University, then served in the U.S. Naval Air Reserve from 1951 to 1960 in the Korean War. He worked for Sunnen products as a mechanical engineer before working with his brother as an engineer at Meeco Inc., until his retirement in 2001. Alan is survived by his wife of 65 years, June; three sons, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

William “Bill” C. Ingram Jr. ’46 (Company D) of Mansfield, Ohio, died on Feb. 7, 2019.

He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1948, while attending Stanford University, and upon graduation he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and stationed in Norfolk-Portsmouth, Virginia.

In 1953, he returned to Mansfield as part of the USMC Training Center and was named executive officer of a volunteer training unit in combat intelligence. He was discharged as a captain in January 1962. Bill was president of Ingram Oldsmobile & Nissan, founded in 1939 in downtown Mansfield by his father, William C. Ingram Sr. Olds Nissan merged with Weidner Motors in 1996. Bill is survived by his wife of 32 years, Joyce; one son, one daughter, and three grandsons.

Robert Christopher Van Lede N ’46 died on April 6, 2020.

Born in Paris in 1929, he grew up in occupied France. He came to the United States as a teenager and attended Culver Naval School, then went on to attend LaSalle University

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

37

IN MEMORIAM in Philadelphia as a business major, where he met his wife, Sheila. Upon graduation, Bob was required to serve in the French army for a year, so Sheila and he went to France and were married in 1953.

After World War II, Bob joined his father in his import/ export business but then moved to New Rochelle, New York, where Sheila and he raised their four children. He is survived by his three daughters and one son, as well as 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Sheila.

Edmond Paul “E.P.” Severns Jr. N ’46 died on April 7, 2020, at Primrose Assisted Living in Kokomo. He graduated from Kokomo High School in 1949 and attended IU Kokomo before serving in the U.S. Army soon after getting married.

He then returned to Kokomo and joined the family business, CocaCola Bottling Company of Kokomo. He had begun working at Kokomo CocaCola sorting bottles in 1947 at the age of 17 and worked his way up to president in 1959. He retired in January 2019, and his son, Craig, became president.

E.P. served with numerous Kokomo organizations, including the Salvation Army, Howard County Community Foundation, St. Vincent Hospital, Ivy Tech Community College, Kokomo Howard County Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, United Way, and the Kokomo Planning Commission In 2014, the state of Indiana honored Severns by awarding him the Sagamore of the Wabash. He provided

38

FALL 2020

valuable service to Culver on the CSSAA Board of Directors and the Summer Schools Strategic Planning and Development Committee.

E.P. is survived by his sons, Craig and Tim; one daughter, Susan SS’85 and his grandchildren John McCullough W ’00, N ’03, Nikki Severns W ’09, SS ’12, Ally Severns W ’12, SS ’15, Betse Ellert W ’12, SS ’15, ’17, Pierce Ellert W ’14, NB ’17, ’18, Fritz Ellert W ’17, NB ’20, ’21 and Cabot Ellert W ’19, NB ’22, ’23. E.P. was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia; his sister, Diane; and his daughter, Betse Severns McCullough SS’71.

Harry Payne Hawkins W ’43 H ’46 died at home on May 29, 2020, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1947, spending two summers at Culver and completing ROTC training at Kemper Military School in Missouri. He earned his BS degree in business administration from the University of Michigan in 1951 and his MBA from the Business School in 1952. After graduation, Harry entered the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War. When he returned stateside, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve and ultimately reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. He retired from the reserves in 1989.

Upon his return from Korea, he married Ann Nelson, and became a partner in Advertisers Publishing Company, an advertising specialties and promotional products company founded by his father in the 1920s that served Ann Arbor businesses and the University

of Michigan for decades. In the 1970s, Harry spun off his own advertising specialties company, West Hawk Industries, which continues to operate. Harry never retired.

In his later years, Harry remained involved with Ann Arbor Kiwanis, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Optimists, the Barton Boat Club, and the Meechigan Football Party that he cofounded, an annual event that drew several thousand Michigan fans to German Park on the eve of every football season. He owned more than a dozen thoroughbred race horses. Harry was also an avid traveler who visited Europe on several occasions, as well as Japan and Russia.

Harry is survived by his wife of 36 years, Jan; one daughter, two sons, two stepsons, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Lovell Alexander Bush N ’46 died on July 7, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned a degree in psychology from the University of Louisville, and while in college, he took a job at Churchill Downs as a window teller for the Kentucky Derby. This began his love and career for the next 71 years.

He worked many racetracks across the country and became the director of mutuels at three tracks: Churchill Downs, Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Ellis Park in Evansville, Indiana. He retired from Churchill Downs in 2018 at the age of 89. Lovell was a member of St. Pius X/John Paul II Catholic Church. He was preceded in death by his wife of 44 years, Martha, and

is survived by his two children and four grandchildren.

Glynn Heath Coryell H ’47 died on Nov. 17, 2017, in Alexandria, Virginia. After earning his undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1951, Glynn served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He earned an MBA from Northwestern University and worked in finance for major corporations in Cincinnati, Chicago, New York, Boston, Nashville, St. Louis, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He finished his career as an entrepreneur, owning a travel agency in Falls Church, Virginia. He is survived by two daughters and three grandchildren.

Frederic Daniel “Fritz” Wolfe W ’42 ’47 (Battery A), died in Perrysburg, Ohio, on April 5, 2020. Educated at Yale University, Fritz served two years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War before enrolling in Harvard Business School. He returned to northwest Ohio and joined his father at Lima Lumber Co., a business that had grown prosperous in the post-World War II building boom.

But it was in long-term care facilities for the elderly — not suburban homes for returning GIs — that Fritz found his greatest success. By the early 1980s, Lima Lumber built its first nursing home in 1963.

Following the death of his father four years later, Fritz took the family business deeper into the skilled nursing industry, eventually launching a pair of publicly traded companies — one that managed nursing

J UD L I T TL E ’ 6 5 , A L I F E LIV E D B Y T HE ‘C OWB OY C ODE ’ Jud Little ’65 (Troop A) died earlier this year at the age of 73 at his Oklahoma home, the Jud Little Ranch. The usual laurels and accolades, all well-earned, were offered in tribute to his memory: The consummate cowboy, who lived by ethics borrowed from the Cowboy Code, rarely seen without his cowboy hat, which was no doubt rarely seen adorning the students of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where Little honed his business skills as a member of the class of 1969 before being thrust into the chairmanship of his father’s enterprises at the age of 25. One could say he was a top hand among top hands in all his endeavors, whether in oil and gas, or in all things involving horses, barrel racing, cattle, and ranching.

A basic internet search will turn up all of these achievements, and more.

“He was a jack of all trades and a master of all of them,” says Bravid Duke ’15.

But Duke also can tell you a few things about Little and his legacy that you won’t find so easily.

“The story that he helped create in my life, that’s unbelievable.”

Duke came to Culver as a Jud Little Scholar, which was set up by Little to make a Culver education possible for students from Oklahoma.

Duke had known Little nearly all his life, with one of his earliest memories of being Little catching him and some friends “getting wild” at a barrel race when Duke was 6 or 7 years old. And it was Little who, in his own way, made sure to set the boys on the right path.

“It’s missed in his story,” Duke said. “It wasn’t just kids who were ready to go to Culver. He cared more about kids being a good person. He was always like a grandpa.”

It was when Duke was getting near the age to come to Culver that Jud sat him down for one of his storied “conversations” at an Oklahoma barrel racing competition in which Duke’s mother was riding.

Little talked to Duke about the scholarship and asked him straight up, “would kids like me go to schools like that,” Duke said.

“Without Jud,” Duke says, “Culver doesn’t exist for me. We don’t know about it. If we do, it’s intangible. In that moment, talking to a 14-year-old like me, that expanded my world.”

Meaghan Burns ’15, has a similar story, though she came to know Little later in life.

Burns said that when she was in ninth grade, she hadn’t been as focused on school as much as she should have been. But she got the notion that she wanted to attend an equestrian school. During her 10th-grade year, while she was researching equestrian schools in the eastern United States (and how expensive they were), she says, she received an email from a cousin about a scholarship to a boarding school she had never heard of in the Midwest. It was from that email that she applied for the Jud Little Scholarship at Culver.

Soon after, she says, she was awarded the scholarship, but her parents weren’t completely sold. The family knew Little by reputation, but they met the man himself during a visit to campus where Little joined them to explain Culver. After that, she says, her parents were persuaded.

“He was the man who changed my life,” Burns says. “I’m definitely really lucky that the years I was at Culver, Jud came to campus all the time.”

Duke has a similar view of Little from his time at Culver.

Little wasn’t just the guy whose name was on the scholarship.

“He was the guy who always talked to the kids,” Duke says.

“He was always present, and always nice.

That’s rare, especially now, where people are more self-serving … He was willing to talk to anybody. It didn’t matter who you were, he was willing to talk and willing to be there.”

Little was there for a number of Culver students, in fact. The Jud Little Scholarship was created during the 2008-9 school year, with the first recipients attending Culver in 200910. In that time, eight Little Scholars have graduated from CMA or CGA, with one more set to graduate this year. Four other young people have also attended Culver Summer Schools & Camps thanks to this scholarship.

So, Little was very successful at a lot of things (Duke says he “melted into a lot of pots”). And Culver’s campus bears Little’s “brand,” so to speak, all over its campus, including the riding hall that bears his name.

He was named Culver’s 2015 Graduate of the

Year. He served Culver faithfully, leading the Committee of the Horse, which helped cement the special place that horsemanship and equestrian programs have at Culver; he was president of the Culver Legion; and a member of the Culver Board of Trustees right up until the time of his death.

His thoughtful generosity touched every aspect of Culver’s horsemanship program, from the aforementioned riding hall to the fences around the paddocks to funding opportunities too numerous to mention that allow Culver’s students to enhance their riding experience both in the Academies and the Summer Schools & Camps.

During Jud’s 50th Reunion in 2015, when he was named Culver’s Graduate of the Year, he shared with the students his Code of Ethics, borrowed from the Cowboy Code…

1. Live each day with courage.

2. Take pride in your work.

3. Cowboys never quit.

4. Do what has to be done – and do it now, not after it’s too late!

5. Be tough but be fair.

6. When you make a promise, keep it.

7. Ride for the brand.

8. Talk less and say more.

9. Some things in life aren’t for sale.

10. Know when to draw the line for

yourself and for other people.

11. Demand fairness and fair play in

anything you do.

Jud is survived by his wife, Benette Barrington Little; daughter, Mattie (Carl) Mires Little Jackson of Goldsby, Oklahoma; granddaughters Emory Lou and Sacra Lee Jackson, grandson Greer Davis Jackson of Goldsby; son Penn Little ’02, Chicago; father-in-law Ben Barrington; brother-in-law Matthew (Lisa) Barrington of Lubbock, Texas; sister-in-law Stacey Barrington, Springer, Oklahoma; nieces Katherine and Clara Barrington, Lubbock, Texas; Tristyn Rinehart, Springer, Oklahoma; and sister Penny Downing, Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was preceded in death by his parents, Quintin and Carrie Lou Little, and brother, Scott E. Little.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

39

IN MEMORIAM homes and another that invested in the construction and acquisition of nursing homes.

Founded in 1970 by Fritz and his Yale roommate, the Health Care Fund was the country’s first real estate investment trust to focus exclusively on nursing homes and clinics.

By the end of the decade, the firm’s assets had grown to more than $25 million.

Now known as Welltower and based in Toledo, the company Fritz started had a portfolio worth more than $25 billion by the late 2010s.

Fritz also found considerable success with Health Care and Retirement Corp. of America, a publicly traded nursing home operator he founded in 1981, which grew rapidly before being acquired by Owens Illinois for $99 million in 1984.

He and his wife generously supported the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the Toledo Symphony, as well as funding the Wolfe Gallery as part of the Rosemary Berkel Crisp and Harry L. Crisp II ‘53 Visual Arts Center at Culver.

Surviving are his daughters Elizabeth, Frederica, and Christine SS ’78; six grandchildren, and one great-grandson.

Paul Lott Deutz Jr. ’47 (Troop II), a longtime resident of Rancho Santa Fe, died at home on May 19, 2020. He was born and raised in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, until he was 11 years old, when he and his family moved to Mexico City. He attended the American School and later graduated from Culver. He earned a degree in

40

FALL 2020

industrial management at the University of Texas in Austin.

After college, Paul worked at Aceros Nacionales, ultimately becoming its CEO and chairman. After years at its helm, he negotiated the sale of the business and formed a family holding company, where he served on the boards and executive committees of more than 20 companies in the U.S. and Mexico.

In 1987, he moved his family to Rancho Santa Fe and established a new life. Paul was an avid sportsman, pursuing many passions including skiing, golf, fishing and shooting.

He also made philanthropic gifts to several medical and educational institutions. Paul is survived by his wife, Joany, his four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary.

George Thomas Huckaby ’48 (Company C) died on June 8, 2020. He graduated from Culver and Butler University with a BS in finance. As a young man, George was an accomplished swimmer and a Golden Glove Boxer, as well as an enthusiastic golfer and member of the Plainfield Elks Club. In addition to being a real estate developer on the west side of Indianapolis, he also owned several businesses.

George served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and was a veteran of the Korean War. He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Joycelyn, and a brother, William ’45. He is survived by two sons, two daughters and five grandchildren.

Holden Charles Mitchell N’ 49 died on March 16, 2020, at the Larson Medical Pavilion at Shell Point Retirement Community in Ft. Myers, Florida. He attended Washington and Lee University, but his education was interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He earned a BS degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Management and embarked on a career in institutional food service management, which included employment at Saga Foods (serving Ithaca College and Swarthmore College), Yale University, and as director of food service at Griffin Hospital until his retirement. Holden is survived by his wife of nearly 59 years, Marjorie, one daughter and three grandchildren.

Roland “Gil” Curtis Gilbert N ’49 of Lakewood, Ohio, died on May 10, 2020. He attended William and Mary College and Ohio Wesleyan University.

During the Korean War, he served in the Signal Corps as a cryptographer. Gil went on to become president of Consolidated Adhesives, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and later served as business manager of Old Trail School in Bath, Ohio. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Mary “Donnie,” three daughters, and four grandchildren. Two daughters, Mary SS ’72 and Susan SS ’79 attended Culver.

Robert Randall Slater H ’49 of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, died on June 23, 2020. “Drive, Desire and Determination” was Bob’s life code. Devoted

to his business career, he took pride in researching and recommending stocks; he educated his clients about stocks in his “Memo 10” monthly investment letter.

His love of horses was spurred on by his Culver days.

Bob enjoyed history and travel, sports, card games and having ice cream for dessert.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Lyn; his three children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandson.

James Kinsey Fulks Jr. ’49 (Battery A) of Farmington, Utah, died at home on June 28, 2020, after a five month battle with Multiple Myeloma.

He earned a degree in geology at Princeton University and was in the ROTC program, serving in Germany for three years after graduation. He then tragically lost his wife after she gave birth to twins.

He married Donna Rode in 1960 and they welcomed six more children into their family.

For 37 years they lived in Farmington, and spent the last six years in Layton, Utah.

Jim was well respected and worked in management at several companies. He also enjoyed many years of self employment, retiring early and working in his garage and large yard, fixing everything in sight, reading, researching family history, and traveling. An only child, Jim became the father of eight, grandfather of 27, and great-grandfather to 41.

Dr. Roderick Angus Malone W ’50 N ’51 of Hyde Park, Illinois, died on July 10, 2020.

He graduated from Loyola

Medical School in Chicago, then served two years as an officer at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia.

He was an anesthesiologist on staff at the University of Cincinnati and later retired from Good Samaritan Hospital. He is survived by his wife, Mary, three daughters and two sons, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ellen.

Fredrick Irvin Merritt Jr. ’51 (Company C) of Hudson, Florida died Dec. 15, 2019. He worked for Sears for 35 years in Indiana, Chicago, and New Jersey. He leaves his wife of 65 years, Glenna; two daughters, and five grandchildren.

Preston West Madden ’52 (Troop B), whose family owned the famed Hamburg Farms from the late 1800s and bred five Kentucky Derby and five Preakness winners, died on May 5, 2020, in Lexington, Kentucky. Madden and his wife of 62 years, Anita, were well known figures in the horse industry and philanthropic circles. Preston took over the breeding operation at Hamburg Place in 1956, and in the 1990s, their son, Patrick, helped them transform much of the 2,000 acre property into one of the largest retail and residential developments in the region.

After graduating from Culver, Preston attended Stanford University and the University of Kentucky. He was inducted into the Horsemanship Hall of Fame at Culver in 2002. He was preceded in death by his wife, Anita.

Carlton Dean Cunningham W ’52 NB ’55 died at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend, Indiana, on May 23, 2020. After graduating from Galion High School in Ohio, Carlton earned his engineering degree from Ohio Northern University. He loved what he did and only recently retired as a management consultant. He also had a passion for music and played in the Naval Band, as well as in high school and in a Swing Big Band during college. Carlton is survived by his wife of 56 years, Judy, two sons, Carlton N ’82 and Charlie NB ’93, one daughter and six grandchildren.

Harvey Charles Koch Jr. ’53 (Troop B), a native of Hammond, Louisiana, and resident of New Orleans for 80 years, died on July 13, 2020, from cancer. He attended New Orleans Academy and Metairie Park Country Day School before coming to Culver. He received a BA from Tulane University, a JD from Tulane Law School, and an honorary doctor of laws degree from Northwood University.

Throughout all his school years, he studied voice and participated in many musical productions, choirs and operas.

Harvey served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force as a judge advocate at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and at San Vito dei Normanni Air Station in Brindisi, Italy. He returned to New Orleans to start his law practice that spanned more than 50 years.

He authored more than 50 publications on construction

and commercial litigation and was frequently listed in publications such as Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who in Construction Law, and Louisiana Super Lawyers.

Harvey’s civic activities included serving as president of the World Trade Center of New Orleans, board of directors of the World War II Museum, and chair of the Louisiana International Trade Commission and Louisiana Export Council.

He also enjoyed golf at the New Orleans Country Club.

Harvey was also inducted into the University of the South Sewanee Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of their undefeated track team. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Lynne, three daughters and three grandchildren.

Jack Pointer Ray ’53 (Company C) of Monterey, Tennessee died at home on March 20, 2020. He earned his undergraduate and law degree from the University of Virginia. Jack was chairman of the board of BPC Corporation and Bank of Putnam County. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a lifetime member of Monterey United Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Donna; two daughters, a son-in-law, four grandchildren and one brother, William Turner Ray CMA’52, with whom he established the Ray Brothers Endowed Scholarship at Culver.

Michael Jean DeMarko N ’54 ’56 (Company B) died March 17, 2020 in his native, Pensacola, Florida after a brief battle with lung cancer. He is

survived by his wife of forty years, Juliet, a daughter, three stepdaughters, a sister, and a granddaughter. Mike graduated from Sewanee University and the University of Florida School of Law. He served his country in the Marine Corps between 1960 and 1963 as an Artillery Officer. Mike returned to Pensacola in 1966 to practice law and eventually serve 20 years in the Panhandle as a Workers’ Compensation judge. He dedicated himself to the renovation and preservation of Pensacola’s historical downtown area, serving in the early years as president of the Pensacola Heritage Foundation. Mike sang in the choir at Culver, had a love for music of all kinds, and sang in the Gulf Coast Chorale for many years. He was passionate about sailing and racing events at the Pensacola Yacht Club, where he was a member for sixty seven years and served on its board. Mike was proud of the role he played, along with other local leaders, in getting a large portion of Pensacola’s white sand beach designated as a National Seashore.

John Alfred “Al” Johnson W ’50 ’56 (Company D) died April 9, 2020, at Mercy Walworth Hospital in Wisconsin.

He grew up in Culver. His father, George O. Johnson, was a faculty member, and at one time, chaired the Science Department. After marrying Sally Thompson, they moved to her hometown of Williams Bay, Wisconsin, where they lived for more than 35 years.

Al was an accomplished musician with a passion for

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

41

IN MEMORIAM Dixieland Jazz music. He was also actively involved in his local amputee support group.

Al is survived by one daughter, Kimberly, and two grandchildren, Nathan and Sally Polyock. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sally.

Jay Alden Sonneborn ’57 (Troop A) of Farmington, Connecticut, died on March 23, 2020, from Parkinson’s disease. He attended Beloit College in Wisconsin and after a post-graduate year, began a three year commitment to the U.S. Army, first in the Army Security Agency and then at Fort Sill Artillery School as a commissioned officer. In 1966, he embarked on a career in banking in Connecticut, spanning 35 years as a commercial loan officer at Connecticut Bank and Trust, Colonial Bank, Centerbank and Farmington Savings Bank.

For 18 years, he coached the Avon Old Farms School rifle team. Jay also earned several individual awards in competitions, including the Distinguished Smallbore Prone Rifle Award in 1982. He was a member of the 1994 U.S. National Championship Any Sight Team. Individually, he won the U.S National Intermediate Senior Championship in 2001, followed by three U.S. National Senior Metallic Sight Championships. Jay represented the U.S. in international competition as a member of the U.S. Dewar Trophy Team as a rifleman and the team’s coach and captain. He was inducted into the Connecticut Shooters’ Hall of Fame in 2006. Jay is survived his

42

FALL 2020

wife of 56 years, Nancy, two daughters, eight grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

He was preceded in death by his son, Jay. Thomas Murray Kyger ’59 (Battery B) died on March 1, 2020. Raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Tom was the coxswain of the CMA Varsity 1 boat his first class year. He enlisted in the Marines, qualified as an aviation mechanic, and served in the Marine Reserves with aviation units at Naval Air Station Dallas. He graduated from Texas Christian University in 1965, after which he began flying and teaching flying. Tom then moved up to commercial aviation where he flew the big birds with Braniff International Airlines for 23 years. After Braniff, Captain Tom moved to Australia where he flew for Australian Airlines and Qantas, retiring from commercial flying at age 65.

He then returned to the U.S. where he flew Gulf Streams and Lear Jets in the private sector. He held dual citizenship in America and Australia, but was always proud to be a Texan. Tom was preceded in death by his wife, Luz Santiago Kyger. He is survived by his two daughters, two grandchildren, and a sister.

Commander Thomas E. Reemelin, N ’57 ’59 (Company D) USN (Ret.), died on March 11, 2020.

Tom graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1963. He later earned a Master’s degree in Computer Science Management from the Naval Postgraduate School

at Monterey and his M.B.A. After serving in the Navy honorably for 22 years, including combat duty in Vietnam, he worked for the government in the Washington, D.C. area, using his engineering background as a facilities manager for large buildings. Tom is survived by his wife of 53 years, Frances, two sons, Matthew and Mark, a daughter, Tyler, and six grandchildren.

Alexander Coke Smith IV ’59 (Band) died on Nov. 18, 2019, from complications from a fall. He was born in Richmond, Virginia, and moved to Culver in 1943 when his father, A. Coke Smith III, joined the mathematics faculty and track team coaching staff.

He graduated from Indiana University with master’s degrees in education and music.

He taught high school band in California, Oregon, Hawaii, and Washington and played in top bands, leading several, often playing with renowned musicians. He was well-known as a stellar trumpet player, whether in symphonies in all four states or in every type of band. He also enjoyed time in Oregon farming and salmon fishing. In his retirement he continued leading or playing in bands and enjoyed volunteering. He is survived by his son, A. Coke Smith V, and daughters Michelle (Robinson) and Robin (Sheridan); their spouses, several grandchildren and one great-grandchild; three brothers, all of whom attended Culver: Ehrlich ’61, Perry ’69 and Borden ’75 and their families; and his longterm partner Marguerite.

Dr. Alan Thomas Marty ’59 (Battery B), a retired surgeon who, in 1978, co-founded the first cardiothoracic surgery practice in Evansville, Indiana, died at home on July 6, 2020, in Chicago. In 2016, he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia.

He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology until 1962, when he was accepted early to what is now the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, graduating in 1966. He trained at what was then Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (now Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital) and the University of California Hospital, San Diego. He was the chief resident in surgery and a fellow in thoracic, cardiac and vascular surgery at CedarsSinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Alan also served in the U.S. Navy as a medical doctor and was a cardiothoracic surgeon.

From 1974 to 1976, Alan was the chief of thoracic surgery at the Naval Hospital in Fort Hueneme, California, and also the director of the surgical intensive care unit at Long Beach Naval Regional Medical Center. He began private practice in cardiovascular surgery in Portland, Oregon, from 1976 to 1978. He and his wife, Marie Paule, moved to Evansville in 1978. He retired in 1998, but remained interested in science, researching and giving presentations on natural medicine. He also routinely took part in hospital grand rounds to expand his study of medicine. His love of both France and research sparked

his interest in the Germans’ occupation of France during World War II. He spent his retirement researching and meeting with historians to write a book on the subject.

Alan was preceded in death by his two-year-old daughter, Olivia, along with his wife of 47 years, Marie Paule. Survivors include his two daughters and two grandchildren.

John Edward Buttolph Lafer H ’60 died on April 23, 2020 in Cashmere, Washington, after suffering from extended dementia. His love of horsemanship led him to compete in jumping and polo. After a sales career with Chrysler Marine Sailboat Division, John moved to Washington State where he worked in the fruit industry. John is survived by his wife, Kathleen, and his two stepchildren.

Mark Crawford Wilson H ’59 ’62 (Troop B) died on Jan. 25, 2019, in Houston, Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas with an AB in 1967 and earned a BFA at the American Graduate School of International Business in 1969.

He worked in investment real estate services. Mark is survived by one sister, two nephews, and one niece. He was preceded in death by his brother, Robert Wilson.

Charles “Chuck” John Maky ’62 (Battery B) of The Villages, Florida, died on July 9, 2020.

He attended Eastern Michigan University and graduated from the University of Detroit. A Vietnam veteran, he was the recipient of a Purple Heart

and held the rank of captain when he was discharged in 1972. Charles worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs as an adjudication officer and later with the Disabled American Veterans Organization. He was a proud member of The Villages Woodworkers, where he used his talents to repair antiques and restore heirlooms. He also helped countless veterans and their families to get the support they deserved and often desperately needed. Charles will be buried at sea with military honors. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Gerda, son, Ralf, and their beloved dog, Ziggy.

Virginia “Dee” Gleason Stinson ’62 died of cancer on July 23, 2020, at her home in Covington, Louisiana. The daughter of Col. Ronald Gleason, longtime instructor and counselor at Culver, and Alice Moore Gleason, “Dee” had the unique honor of being one of two young women to graduate from the all-male Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana in 1962. She earned degrees from Indiana University and Nazareth College.

Dee served many years as a clinical research associate for Upjohn and Pharmacia, managing new drug trials in the U.S., Philippines, Australia and Europe before retiring from Pfizer in 2009. She was a longtime member of Pontchartrain Yacht Club, and an active member of the area boating community, particularly aboard her sailboat, “Palehorse.” She is survived by her husband, Bill Evans,

daughter Hazen Ayn Ragland, grandsons Elliot and Ryhs, and brother Bill Gleason ’64. Bill and Dee were regular attendees of the Class of ’62 reunions around the country. A small service was held at her home on Saturday, July 25, 2020.

Ronald “Bones” Henry Walters NB ’64 died on April 2, 2020, with his beloved wife, Diana “Dee,” by his side. He was born in Toledo, Ohio, on May 7, 1947 to Henry and Wanda (Patten) Walters. He was raised in Bryan, Ohio, and spent much of his childhood in Clear Lake, Indiana. He was an accomplished pianist. He graduated from Bryan High School, completed his business degree at Defiance College in 1970, and served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1970-1975.

His professional career began at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. He returned home to Bryan in 1972, as president of Walters & Peck Insurance.

He celebrated his retirement in 2002 after 30 years.

He served on many boards: Grange Mutual Insurance Advisory Board, Midwestern Insurance Advisory, Ohio Professional Insurance Agents State Education Committee, and Orchard Hills Country Club among them.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Diana K. Walters, of Poinciana, Florida; son, Jason Henry Walters, of Lancaster, Ohio; daughter, Linsey Walters Desich ’95, of West Palm Beach, Florida; and a granddaughter, Maya Kay Walters.

igan, died on April 29, 2020, due to complications from a massive pulmonary embolism.

He graduated from Denison University with a BFE degree, followed by a JD from Wayne State University. Jake joined the Jackson County prosecutor’s office, but after a couple of years, he created his own law firm with Jerry Engle, Jacobs & Engle PC. He was a member of the Michigan and Florida bar associations and represented thousands of clients. Jake loved motorcycles and fast cars, especially his beloved Shelby Mustang GT350. He is survived by his wife, Christine, two sons and two grandchildren.

Alexander “Sandy” Hamilton ’64 (Band) died on May 3, 2020, in his hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas. After graduating from Culver, Sandy served in the U.S. Army Security Agency as a Russian translator. Following his military service, he earned a BA from Indiana University and a master’s degree from Clarion University in Pennsylvania.

Sandy served in several executive marketing positions in the food products industry before founding Image Builders LLC with his wife, Donna, in 2002. They were prolific figures among Fayetteville business owners and civic leaders, organizing and leading fundraising and community events.

Sandy was preceded in death by his wife, and is survived by four sons, one daughter and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Wendell Early Jacobs Jr. ’64 (Battery A) of Jackson, Mich-

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

43

IN MEMORIAM Lewis Crane Millett ’64 (Battery A) died Nov. 29, 2019, in Winter Park, Florida.

A five-year man at Culver, he graduated from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.

He specialized in simulation systems and retired as CEO of Gulfstar Training Systems in 2012. He is survived by his wife, Christine.

Randy Brian Weiss ’64 (Troop A) died on July 1, 2020, in Rancho Mirage, California.

He was a member of the Black Horse Troop, where he first developed a love for horses.

After Culver, Randy went on to medical school and completed a radiology residency in Chicago. He practiced radiology in Missouri and opened the first all inclusive freestanding imaging center in Joplin, Missouri. He is survived by his wife, Sharon.

Thomas Andrew Crain ’65 (Company E) died on Feb. 5, 2018, in Nashville, Tennessee.

He proudly served in the U.S. Army. He owned a coffee shop and bookstore and also had a real estate license and worked as a property broker. Thomas was preceded in death by his wife, Diana, and is survived by his daughter, Lindsay, and a grandson, Caleb.

Jonathan Scarritt Grove ’65 (Battery A) of St. Louis, Missouri, died at age 74 on July 8, 2020 after an extended illness. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, a sister, and many loving relatives and friends. Jon enjoyed classic cars and had an encyclopedic knowledge of all

44

FALL 2020

things automotive. He could instantly identify nearly any car ever made with nothing more than a brief glance at a headlight or a fender.

He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1970 with a degree in economics, then obtained his JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 1972. In 1973, Greg began working at Baker Botts in Houston, where he remained his entire career as the head of the energy litigation group, representing clients such as BP, Exxon Mobil, Shell, Marathon, Reliant, Houston Lighting & Power, and Wagner & Brown.

Greg is survived by his wife of 50 years, Becky; one son; one daughter; and two grandsons.

Cheryll Zink Wyne SL ’67 died on July 14, 2018. She earned a BA degree from Indiana University in French and Spanish and an MS in education. She taught Spanish, French, German and ESL from 1971-2014 to elementary, junior high, high school, university, and adult students.

She and her husband, Gary N ’66 ’67 (Band) traveled to all seven continents of the world.

She also enjoyed singing, playing the piano, dancing, painting, and sewing. Cheryll is survived by her husband and daughter Sarah ’96.

Roger McEwan Ferry ’68 (Battery C) died on April 20, 2020, at his home near Carlsbad, California. Born in California and growing up in Denver, Colorado, Roger had an early interest in civil engineering.

By middle school he was giving presentations on his designs for freeway interchanges. After Culver, Roger graduated from Princeton with a BSCE in civil systems and geological engineering, specializing in soils and structures.

After graduation he returned to Denver working on medical facilities, solar energy projects, urban engineering for Newark, New Jersey, and military facilities. Roger was also a construction manager on the Keystone ski area, Vail, and the renovation of Lower Denver.

He then moved to California and a variety of positions with construction companies while he worked on his MBA. Roger started the Environmental Risk Group at the Interstate Bank (Los Angeles) in 1988 and eventually joined the Bank of America as assistant manager of the Environmental Services Department, supporting risk and liability due diligence for acquisitions and mergers.

In 2002 he joined Professional Associates Construction Services in San Diego, managing projects such as removing the top floors of an office building that exceeded FAA height restrictions near Montgomery Field, ski areas, stadiums, hotels, Symphony Center and other commercial and industrial projects. Roger was an avid golfer, played hockey, and enjoyed skiing with his granddaughter. He married Moira McCristal Noonan in 1984, who survives.

Other survivors include their daughter Malia, granddaughter Emma, brother David, and sister Patricia.

Phillip Jay Mandel ’69 (Troop B) died on March 24, 2020, at his home in Costa Mesa, California. A true epicurean, he was a gifted interior designer, appreciated for his ability, taste and timeless design. He had a great talent to translate a vision into reality.

A celebration of Phillip’s life is being planned for later this year and will be held in his hometown of Peoria, Illinois.

He is survived by his husband, Gerald Haley; daughter, Jenny ’02; son, Jordan ’96; and two grandchildren.

Robert “Bob” William Westrate ’70 (Company A) of Holland, Michigan, died July 19, 2020, at his home there.

His published obituary mentioned Culver prominently and the important role it played in his rewarding life. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne, one daughter, one son, and two granddaughters.

Malcolm Brooks Fleet Jr. ’73 (Company A) died on March 26, 2020 in Ft. Worth, Texas.

He was active in many organizations, including the Tarrant County Builders Association, and served as president of the Apartment Association of Tarrant County from 1985 to 1987. He designed and built a motel during the gas boom out of shipping containers in small towns. Malcolm is survived by his sister, Cynthia ’74, and one brother, Tim ’77.

Jeffrey Adams Kirn N ’71 ’73 (Company B) died on April 11, 2020 in Columbus, Ohio, after a two-year battle against cancer. He graduated from

REM EMB E R I N G T H E FA M ILY Charlotte “Char” Blessing, 83, of Wichita Falls, Texas, and a longtime employee in Administrative Services, died on April 6 in Burkburnett, Texas. She graduated from Culver High School in 1953 and then attended Valparaiso University. She also worked as an aide for special needs children and as a clerk at the State Exchange Bank. One of her earliest jobs was a telephone operator in the “number please” days. She was married for 45 years to Orville Blessing, who preceded her in death in 2002. They loved to travel and camp together. Char was a member of Grace Church in Wichita Falls, Texas. She played the piano and sang at church and at home all her life, a talent that she passed along to her daughters. Char is survived by her three daughters; 11 grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren, two sisters and one brother.

Clinton Sanders Jr., 55, of Monterey, Indiana, died on April 11 at Fort Wayne Lutheran Hospital. He worked at Culver for 10 years, primarily in the Dining Hall. He graduated from Culver Community High School in 1984.

He attended the New Revelation Church in Gary. During his free time, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, music and dancing. Survivors include his wife, Susona, one daughter, three sons and 12 grandchildren.

Linda Lee Marshman Burkett, 73, of Rochester, Indiana, a nurse in the Health Center from 1994 to 2009, died on May 11.

She graduated from South Bend Adams High School in 1964. When her children were nearly raised, Linda returned to school in pursuit of her lifelong dream to become a registered nurse. While working at Woodlawn Hospital as a licensed practical nurse, she continued at Ivy Tech in South Bend to earn her registered nurse degree. Linda L. Burkett RN returned to Woodlawn Hospital. She is survived by her husband of 26 years, David, three children, seven grandchildren and her beloved Australian Shepherd, Red. Larry A. Bess, 78, died on May 27 in Culver.

He was a member of the faculty from 1981 to 2008. He was born to Nelson Bess and Virginia Morgan. He married his high school sweetheart, Joan, and they had four children: Julie Bess ’83 (John Bartlett ’63), Larry Bess Jr. ’85 (Jeanne Martens Bess), Ginny Munroe ’86

(Grant Munroe ’87), and Angie Martin ’87 (Darin Martin). Larry loved being grandfather to Jack, Katie, Michael, Lucy, and Liza. Nothing made him prouder. All survive him.

Larry’s first career was as a military officer.

He served 20 years in the U.S. Army, was a Vietnam veteran, and retired as a major. He was also passionate about his second career at Culver, where he started as a tactical officer in the Military Science Department. He quickly became athletics director, a job that introduced him to many students on campus.

He also worked as financial aid director, as an admissions counselor, and as director of admissions. He was famous for sharing stories of his family, words of wisdom, and the cookies that he loved to bake and deliver to students, faculty, and staff. He never knew a stranger and he treated everyone as if they were friend or family.

Popular Culture — with his teaching partner, Kathy Lintner. Richard retired from Culver in 2008 but never lost his desire to keep learning and writing. He was the author of a series of fantasy books with Culver as the setting.

Richard is survived by his brother, John Hughes Davies, and his sister-in-law, Jo Ann Davies, of Valparaiso. He is also survived by two nieces, Kelly Allen Stephens Davies, her husband, Jakob Kopperud, and children, William and Esmé of London, England; and Jennifer Janet Hughes Davies, and her husband, Michael Snedeker, of Chicago. He is survived by cousins David, Leri and Aled, as well as the late Bishop Ted Jones of Indianapolis.

Richard Gwyn Davies Ph.D. 79, died in Elkhart, Indiana, on June 11. A graduate of Valparaiso High School, he attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and graduated from DePauw University in 1963, while also completing his teacher training at Valparaiso University.

Subsequently, he served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Panama for two years, returning to the U.S. to begin a teaching career in history at Culver in 1966.

Richard received his M.A. from the University of Wales, taught at Atlantic College in South Wales and spent two years as an assistant tutor at Oxford University in England before returning to Culver in 1974, where he initially taught U.S. history, government, and philosophy. Later he earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University and a second M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University. Richard was a versatile teacher and felt equally comfortable teaching AP U.S. government or ninth graders.

With the formation of an integrated Humanities department, Richard taught ninth grade Humanities with an English colleague, and also created an interdisciplinary elective class for seniors — ­ Myth, Literature and

Ferdinand “Ferd” Carmino Vetare, 94, died on June 5 in Mt. Kisco, New York. He was a member of the Culver English Department from 1949-1951. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and trained as a radioman, assigned to serve on board the USS Olmsted, an attack troop transport, where he served in the Pacific Theater until the end of World War II. He received his BA in English from Middlebury College and his masters at the Breadloaf School of English. After Culver, he returned to Valhalla High School in New York, where he chaired the English Department and coached the golf, wrestling and girls’ tennis teams. He retired from teaching in 1984.

Ferd was an avid sportsman and played golf, tennis and platform tennis into his 90s.

He was also deeply involved in the civic life of Mt. Kisco: serving as mayor and a village trustee; and was an active member at the local American Legion post; Lions Club; the Knights of Columbus; and Babe Ruth Baseball. He was also a founding member of the Byram Lake Committee. In 2003, the local Chamber of Commerce named him Citizen of the Year.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Lois, four daughters, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Francis M. Day, 88, a retired employee in Facilities and bus driver for many school trips for 45 years, died on June 14, 2020. After 25 years of service, he was honored by having his name inscribed on the Faculty/Staff Benches in front of Gignilliat Hall. Francis was preceded in death by his wife, Lois, and daughter, Bonnie. He is survived by three children, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

45

IN MEMORIAM Hanover College and went on to earn his MBA at The Ohio State University. He served as publisher of Fur-Fish-Game, a national outdoor hunting and fishing magazine, for 28 years until his retirement in July 2018. He was honored by the National Trappers Association with multiple Benefactor’s Awards, the President’s Award and a lifetime membership.

Jeff was a proud of Keller-Kirn Nature Park, home of Flat Rocks Disc Golf Course, and many hiking trails he helped lay out, made possible by family land donated to the City of Lancaster.

An avid outdoorsman, Jeff earned the nickname “Mountain Man” in 1975 when he completed a monthlong Mountaineering Expedition with NOLS. He hiked Walters Wiggles to Angels Landing; The Narrows in Zion; and backpacked the Grand Canyon Rim-To-Rim Hike, a 14.3-mile descent and 24-mile hike. He was a longtime member of the Columbus Ski Club and an expert skier who loved skiing the bumps. Later, he became a wakeboarder and wake surfer.

Jeff is survived by his wife Mary, her son Ryan and his newborn grandson, Marshall.

Also surviving are a brother, Michael NB ’84 and sister, Karen MacCracken ’74.

Henry George Steinbrenner II W ’70 ’76 (Company A), the oldest son of George Steinbrenner and one of the four siblings who own the controlling shares of the New York Yankees, died on April 14,

46

FALL 2020

2020, in Clearwater, Florida.

He attended Central Methodist University and coached at Ocala Vanguard High. He was 15 when his father led a group that bought the Yankees from CBS in 1973. Hank traveled with the team during the 1985 and 1986 seasons, learning under Lou Piniella, Woody Woodward and Clyde King, before exiting baseball and concentrating on the Steinbrenner thoroughbred stable in Ocala, Florida. He was vice president and director of Bay Farms Corp. since 1985 and a member of the board of the Ocala Breeders Sales Co. He also served as chairman of Minch Transit Co. and vice president of MidFlorida Hotels Corp.

Hank coordinated a partnership with Gwynn Racing in 2000 to field a Gwynn/ Steinbrenner Yankees dragster on the National Hot Rod Association tour, and with son George Michael Steinbrenner IV, formed Steinbrenner Racing in 2016. The group competed on the Indy Lights developmental circuit in 2017-18, then partnered to form Harding Steinbrenner Racing, which started on the Indy Car circuit in 2019.

Another merger led to Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport in 2020.

Hank is survived by two daughters, Jacqueline and Julia, two sons, George Michael IV and John, granddaughter Anabel, and his three siblings, Jennifer Swindal ’77, Jessica ’82, and Hal ’87.

Dr. Joseph Michael Herzog ’79 (Band) died at home on April 13, 2020, in Kailua, Hawaii.

After graduating from Culver, he attended Stanford University and spent a few years working in veterinary clinics, visiting the wild animals of Africa and climbing Kilimanjaro. He returned and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School.

Dr. Joe, as he was known, practiced emergency medicine for many years in California, and then in small animal practice in California and Hawaii. Throughout his career he treated exotic animals, working on call for the Santa Barbara and San Francisco zoos, and serving as the veterinarian of record for the Sea Life Park Mauna Lani sea turtles breeding and release program.

He also advocated for AVMA certification for the first veterinary technician training program and established the only vet tech associates degree in the state of Hawaii. He also served on the board of the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association and volunteered at the Humane Society.

Dr. Joe is survived by his wife, Brenda, parents, stepmother and brother, Tom ’82.

Frederick Whyte Sliger ’79 (Battery A) died March 2, 2020 in Valparaiso, Indiana after a hard fought battle with lung cancer. His career started with Bethlehem Steel and culminated with Valparaiso University’s maintenance department. His floral gardens and landscaping skills were

coveted by family, friends and neighbors. Fred is survived by his wife, Lisa, three children, a sister, and two grandsons.

Barbara Theresa “Teri” Lambert L ’82 died at her Indianapolis home on Jan. 31, 2019. She earned a BA in communications from Purdue University and worked as an integral part of Ambassadair Travel Club to more than 70 countries as a tour director.

She parlayed that enthusiasm to Eli Lilly and Company, where she excelled as a senior executive sales representative for the Diabetes Specialty Division. Throughout her 17 year tenure, she positively impacted the life of people suffering from diabetes with her unwavering physician support. Teri is survived by her parents and one sister.

Dr. Jon Bruce Porter W ’82, died on July 27, 2020, in Indianapolis. He attended Woodcraft Camp, where he later became a beloved cabin counselor and its fencing master at the Specialty Summer School for many years. Jon received his bachelor’s degree at Wabash College, his master’s degree at the University of St. Andrews, and his doctorate in Mediaeval Church History at the University of Nottingham.

His charismatic teaching style inspired students when he worked as an adjunct professor and lecturer at Franklin College, Butler University, and the University of Indianapolis.

Jon was actively involved in his community, a past Director of the St. Peter & Paul Food

Pantry, a past board member of the Riviera Club, and a longtime board member of the Legal Aid Society. He was also an avid traveler and spent several years living in Britain.

His most recent family travels took him to India, Greece, and Cambodia. He is survived by his wife, Inge; daughter, Elisabeth; son, Alexander; and his mother. He was preceded in death by his father.

Stephen Whitney Bauer ’85 (Company C) died on April 11, 2020, at the University of Kentucky Lung Transplant Hospital. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Naval Service School Command from 1986–1991, then attended DeVry University in Los Angeles, where he earned a BS in electronics engineering.

While living in the Silicon Valley, he worked at Lam Research, CMP, as a senior engineering technician, then moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to join his family and accept an engineering position at Lantech.com. In 2016, Steve was diagnosed with a devastating lung disease that ended his career and led to a valiant fight for his life, including a double lung transplant. Steve is survived by his wife of 15 years, Angela; his mother, a brother and two nephews.

Patrick Pearse Koether “PK” W ’80 ’86 (Battery A) died on June 2, 2020, in Boise, Idaho.

A Boise State University graduate in geoscience education, he worked in the petroleum reclamation industry for many years and later became

the national sales manager at Rekluse Racing, LLC. He developed a passion for outdoor exploration and was an avid backcountry skier and motorcycle enthusiast.

At his 25th Culver reunion, Patrick met the love of his life, Susan Lach, whom he married in 2012. They built a full life together in Boise, hiking, camping and skiing with a network of close friends.

Patrick was a National Outdoor Leadership School alumni and a trained wilderness first responder. He was a longtime member of Boise Ridge Riders, DIRT Inc., the Harley-Davidson Owners Group, and the American Motorcycle Association. He was also a member of the Silver Sage Region Porsche Club of America. Patrick is survived by his wife, Susie SSG ’83, ’86, his parents, Michael Koether W ’55 ’62 and Virginia, sister Kimberly Koether Ferguson ’82, and their cherished dog, Mozzy.

He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Martin ’33.

Hugh Allen Smith, Jr. W ’83, H ’86 died at his home in Round Rock, Texas on March 15, 2020 after a short, but courageous, battle with stage 4 colon cancer. A Valparaiso, Indiana native, he graduated from Valparaiso High School, where he was a member of the varsity swimming and diving team. He earned degrees in Slavic Languages and International Studies from Indiana University. Hugh recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with Dell, Inc. He was a

bestselling published author, spoke five different languages, and was a loving godfather to many children. He is survived by his father, Dr. Hugh A. Smith Sr. W ’51 N ’55, his two sisters, Dr. Kelly Smith Smudde W ’85, SSG ’88 and Shannon Smith Angelidis W ’85, and multiple members of his extended family. He was preceded in death by his mother, Patricia.

Suzanne Elizabeth Mason Prause L ’87 of Raleigh, North Carolina, died on Feb. 14, 2018, after a six-year battle with brain cancer. She earned her BA at Blackburn College and earned her MA at California State University Sacramento. Suzanne is survived by her husband Paul, her parents and a brother. She worked for Sandy Corp/GP Strategies until the time of her illness.

Todd Patrick Deery ’87 (Battery B) died on March 13, 2018, in Mishawaka, Indiana.

He served four years in the U.S. Navy. He was preceded in death by his father, John, and is survived by his mother, Linda; one son, Cody; one daughter, Kelanie; one brother Eric, and one sister Kimberly.

David Joseph Werksman ’87 (Company C) died on April 2, 2020 in Corona, California, of complications from COVID-19. He began his law enforcement career in 1993 as a dispatcher with the Tustin Police Department, then joined the sheriff’s department in 1998 as a deputy. He worked assignments at the Robert

Presley Detention Center in Riverside and at the Jurupa Valley and the Lake Elsinore stations. Dave had also been a member of the hazardous device team as an FBI-certified bomb technician, a range master, an advanced scuba diver and a confined-space rescuer. He is survived by his former wife, Debora, and their three children, as well as his second wife, Kristin, and two stepchildren.

Jason Gentry Laws ’88 (Company C) died on June 24, 2020, in Houston, Texas. He earned his BS and MS in chemical engineering from Ohio University. Jason was proud to be a knight in the Knights of Malta, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief organization. When he was not traveling the globe or hunting with his dad, he loved spending time with friends and cheering for his Houston Texans. His parents, wife, and a brother, Marcus H ’87, survive him.

Jonathan Donald Reynolds N ’11 of Fishers, Indiana, died on Feb. 3, 2019, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. He taught sailing during the Culver Summer Camps and was trained to certify other sailors. He also taught sailing at the Indianapolis Sailing Club. Jonathan was employed at a Bose store for several years, where he gained the skills to open his own audio video installation company, Geist Audio Video.

He is survived by his parents and one sister.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

47

IN MEMORIAM O T H E R PA SS IN G S We received notice of death for the following alumni between March 1 and July 31, 2020.

George Nathan Appell W’37 died on May 2, 2020

John Hyde Larson N’46 died on August 27, 2019

William Maxwell Allen N’60 died on August 18, 2019

Richard Allen Shutters H’72 died on March 26, 2020

John Parham Barrow Jr. W’41 died on June 1, 2018

Edward Walter Albachten, Jr. N’48 died on October 4, 2018

Gary Joseph Masek N’63 died on July 9, 2019

Charles Lee Barr Jr. N’42 died on February 22, 2020

Donald Harper Barrow N’51 died on February 4, 2018

William Pike Schoo ’64 died on November 12, 2017

Christopher Charles Bradley-Krauss W’79 died on December 5, 2018

Richard Van Dyck Baxter N’43 died on March 16, 2019

Charles Emile Wasmer ’51 GD died on February 12, 2017

Rudolph Ramoon Barry W’66 died on June 4, 2019

Newton Diehl Baker IV W’43 died on May 30, 2019

William David Baird W’52 died on November 9, 2019

Bonne Bell Eckert Conroy L’66 died on July 31, 2016

Richard Joseph Biederman NB’44 died on November 21, 2019

Lee Allen Chaskin H’55 died on March 7, 2020

Norine Case Richolson Tribbey L’70 SG died on August 29, 2017

Carl Joseph Austrian Jr. H’45 died on June 27, 2019

James Robert Alexander H’58 died on June 8, 2014

Rebecca Elizabeth Roman ’85 died on November 10, 2018 Charles Craig Eden T’90 died on August 1, 2018 Karson Kristopher Pound ’10 died on October 28, 2016

Join the new Culver Connect!

The Culver Alumni Network has always been one of the great benefits of time spent at the Academies or the Summer Schools & Camps.

Join Culver Connect on its new networking platform, exclusive for Culver alumni and available wherever you are, at home or on your mobile device (mobile app coming soon)!

• A running feed of Culver alumni updates, interesting content, photos and conversations;

You can register in under 2 minutes by following the simple steps below:

• A full opt-in directory of Culver alumni, allowing you to connect with the Culver Network around the world;

1) Visit connect.culver.org.

2) On your first visit, click “Get Started.”

• A mentorship program, giving you the opportunity to be mentored by others or offer mentorship to fellow alumni;

• A job board with opportunities posted by alumni and

strategic partners;

• Group conversations allowing you to engage at a more granular level with those with the same class, interests, careers, industries and locations as you; •

48

FALL 2020

Postings by alumni and by Culver, inviting you to upcoming events around the world and back on the grounds of Culver’s campus, as well at Culver Clubs International events and other opportunities created for you and by you.

3) Fill out the information requested, including name and email address.

4) Choose your own unique password.

5) Verify your email address when prompted.

6) Upon approval, start using the site!

Visit connect.culver.org

THE F I NA L W O R D

Farewell to Culver’s Gentle Giant How lucky am I to have known someone who makes saying goodbye so hard.

- Winnie the Pooh

This definition framed our friendship. I met Richard in 1974 in the campus library, where both of us were looking for Joseph Campbell’s “The Masks of God” books on mythology. We found ourselves having an animated conversation about the hero’s journey and from that point on, we were fast friends, reading Annie Dillard’s “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” and Loren Eiseley’s “The Immense Journey,” writing letters and postcards. Our conversations often lasted for hours but felt like minutes. We were always interested in what the other was thinking, though vocal arguments sometimes lasted for months until one of us capitulated.

Richard Davies with Kathy Lintner

O

n the evening of June 11, 2020, I lost my friend, colleague and collaborator of 46 years, Richard Davies, to cancer and found myself facing a world without him in it. At first, I only felt the poverty of what I had lost. It was like a door had been shut in an abandoned house and the sound echoed hollowly through all the rooms.

Richard’s earthly journey had ended, but mine was still in progress. Sitting in his apartment surrounded by a lifetime collection of artifacts, I felt like an archaeologist, trying to create a mosaic out of the individual pieces, especially as they illuminated the details of our long relationship.

One of the books on his shelves was Alan Bloom’s “Love and Friendship,” which defines friendship as “necessarily reciprocal.

Most of friendship consists in conversations between the friends. Its satisfactions include the admiration of each for the other and the self-esteem confirmed by the admiration of such another.”

I admired Richard’s ability to hold two opposing ideas in his mind at the same time, yet believe equally in both. He could be teaching the finer points of Arthurian romance one minute and be roaring with laughter the next at Merlin in his Bermuda shorts in “The Sword in the Stone.” It is a rare gift to have a foot in two worlds and feel comfortable in both.

Our mutual love for myth re-surfaced in 1992, when Richard headed to Columbia University and we created a senior Humanities elective course called Myth, Literature and Popular Culture, which we team-taught for 17 years. At the heart of our class was the hero’s journey, our primary aim to break down cultural barriers and connect students with their common humanity through text, art, music, film, and writing.

And – of course – the “Star Wars” films!

Storytelling at its best!

Richard was a true giant of Culver, a beloved teacher and colleague for 42 years. He was a living Jungian archetype: the King who had wisdom and compassion;

the Warrior who answered the call of Culver and his “rascal” students; the Magician who wove spells in the classroom and helped students realize their potential; the Lover, who embraced life with all its bliss and blisters and said “yes” to the universe; and the Innocent giant Hagrid, who loved Hogwarts but was unable to keep secrets.

Our final journey together began three years ago when Richard was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The Warrior in him was determined to beat the odds, endure the pain and reclaim his life. It was a constant, brutal assault. His physician said he had never seen a patient fight so hard to live.

This spring COVID-19 prevented us from seeing each other but we spoke every day.

Our last conversation was short but crucial.

He knew the fight was lost. I began crying but he interrupted me and said in a firm voice, “Kathy, I am not afraid to die. Don’t you worry about me.” He was now the teacher and I the student. He was at peace and I should be too. Richard didn’t give up or give in — he just knew it was time to give way.

He has taken his place at the top of the Forest, departing from all that was dear and familiar to him. When Christopher Robin and Pooh part ways, Pooh said, “If there ever comes a day when we cannot be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forever…,” because in Rabindranath Tagore’s words, “Death is not the extinguishing of the light; it is putting out the lamp because dawn has come.”

The Force will be with you … always.

­

— Kathy Lintner

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

49

Culver

Non Profit Org. US Postage

PAID

Columbus, OH Permit #1213

Alumni Magazine

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

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Graduation Day at home To celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2020, some families held their own ceremonies at home. The Henderson family constructed a “Garch,” a combination Iron Gate and Graduation Arch, to honor Genevieve and Sarah Chandler and Grace and Jeff Henderson in Culver.

Karina Pariente Guadarrama and her parents, Manuel Pariente Gavito and Karina Patiente Guadarrama Lopez, created a Graduation Arch and backdrop for her big day at home in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico.

Our blog is moving! The Culver News blog is now The Culver Cannon. On The Culver Cannon, you’ll read stories about how members of our community positively impact others. You’ll read about current events on our campus. And finally, you’ll find helpful posts in which subject matter experts in our community share their thoughts and advice on a variety of topics. Check it out at www.culver.org/cannon.