Cushing Yesterday & Today - Spring 2016

Cushing

Yesterday & Today

Cushing exists for the students, their academic growth and personal development. In educating the mind, shaping the character, and nurturing the creativity of an academically and culturally diverse student body, we challenge each individual, support excellence in the learning process, and promote active participation and service in all areas of life and learning. We offer a demanding college preparatory curriculum, teach skills that build confidence, and instill values that endure.

Cushing Today is a publication of Cushing Academy’s Office of Development and Alumni Programs.

Headmaster

Christopher Torino

Associate Head of School

Catherine Pollock

Managing Director, Development

Bill O’Hearn

Cushing Today Editor

Amy Ostroth

Director of Marketing and Communications

Heather Hill ’90

Design and Production

Andrea Hopkins and Beth Lyons, Cheney & Company

Printing

Allied Printing Services, Inc.

Cushing Today welcomes class notes, photographs, story ideas, and comments by alumni/ae, parents, and friends. Please send them to alumniprograms@cushing.org or call 978-827-7400.

All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Product names or images included in the timeline are used solely for their historical impact. Use of these names does not imply any cooperation or endorsement. All images in this publication belong to the Academy, were purchased legally, are in the public domain, or have been fairly used with credit.

In 1881, the Academy purchased a building to house girls and constituted the first true boarding experience at Cushing. Prior to that, students from places other than Ashburnham lived with families in town. The building—then called Ladies Hall and eventually named Parkman Hall—was located near the corner of Academy Hill and Pleasant Street. The building itself was constructed in 1830—but was twice as big and originally stood where the piano museum is now located in downtown Ashburnham (the piano museum originally served as the town library). It was purchased by a family of town businessmen, who divided the building and moved the two pieces. Many early pictures of Cushing classes are pictured in front of Parkman Hall. It housed girls until Lowe Hall was built and boys afterward. It was closed in 1932 and demolished in 1940. The Academy’s first tennis courts were also constructed nearby in 1922.

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TIMELINE

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ON THE COVER: Main Building in 1965.

Celebrating 150 years

You may already know the basic narrative outline of Cushing’s beginning: Thomas Parkman Cushing left capital to found the school; in 1865 the legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts granted a charter; and 10 years later our Academy’s first students walked across the threshold. That is, of course, just the beginning and really only part of the story.

This special issue of Cushing Today illustrates more fully the man for whom the Academy is named, the efforts of those whose hard work brought our school to life, the faculty who made their lives here, and the students who would be forever transformed by what they learned and experienced.

Cushing Academy

In 1965, Frank Prentice Rand, a member of the Class of 1908, wrote a book memorializing the Academy’s first 100 years. Our work in this magazine is interwoven with Rand’s work and we have filled in the stories between his publishing in 1965 and today. We look at how the events at and surrounding the Academy affected the school and its people—including wars, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and more. And about times well before 1965: you’ll learn about what Cushing life was like

before running water and electricity. How, after all, do you entertain 100-plus teenagers without smart phones and streaming Netflix?

Please enjoy reading, and as you reflect upon your own Cushing experience, know that, as always, we welcome your stories. Lastly, I’d like to thank every one of you for being a part of the Happy Cushing Family. After all, the story of Cushing is really your story. Cushing Academy is really our story together.

CHRISTOPHER TORINO

1865

The Founder

Thomas Parkman Cushing never went to college—or even high school—although both his father and grandfather graduated from Harvard. Thomas was born in 1787 in Ashburnham at his family’s home on Meetinghouse Hill. Both his father and grandfather had been clergymen and their ancestors had arrived in Massachusetts in 1638. John Cushing, Thomas’ father, came to Ashburnham in 1768, just three years after the town’s incorpo ration, and served as the pastor of the village church until his death 55 years later.

Thomas was the youngest of eight children. The family opened a store at their homestead when he was eight years old and he likely worked there as a young boy. By the time he’d reached the age of 13, his sister was running the store, so Thomas moved to Boston to live with his brother, who owned a store there. His brother died young—not too long after Thomas arrived in the city—but Thomas went on to have a successful career as a merchant in Boston before retiring in 1847. He was married three times and had three daughters by his second wife.

He composed his will in 1850, making ample provision for his wife and daughters, and for his brother and sister, who lived in a house he owned in Ashburnham. Of course, that brings us to the most important item in his will: the bequest for the Academy.

All told, after the rest of the requirements of his will were met, and the last of his

beneficiaries had died in 1923, the Academy received $175,000 from the Cushing estate. Although we are quite proud that the school has been coeducational from its beginning, Mr. Cushing originally directed that two schools should be built: one for boys and one for girls, and that they should be distinct and separated by at least a quarter of a mile. The will further directed that after his death, the money should be allowed to accumulate for 10 years before a board of trustees would apply for an act of incorporation. Mr. Cushing died in 1854, and thus it was that in 1865,

the executors of Mr. Cushing’s will traveled to Boston to ask the state legislature for a charter, which it granted.

Cushing Academy’s Board of Trustees

The first volume of the minutes for the Board of Trustees begins on Sept. 6, 1865. The volume shows the diligence and generosity of the men whose dedication guided the school’s founding and early years. Indeed, in a letter sent to Rev. J.D. Crosby, the clerk for the board in 1875, Trustee George C. Winchester eschewed any payment for the hard work he had done on the school’s behalf.

Mr. Winchester and his brother, Charles, were both members of the board and were successful local businessmen—they owned a chair factory. George was successful enough to provide the land on which the Academy sits. Originally, he had planned to give his own land, located on Water Street near the corner of Chapel Street. When the trustees determined they preferred a different location, he purchased the land for them.

Did you know?

Thomas Parkman Cushing’s second daughter, Martha, married Prof. William C. Esty of Amherst College. Through her husband’s connections with the college, Martha developed a friendship with a poet by the name of Emily Dickinson. Many of Thomas Parkman Cushing’s papers are located in the archives of Amherst College, donated to the school by Martha.

1867

1869

The transcontinental railroad was completed.

1865 Massachusetts legislature granted Cushing Academy’s charter.

Civil War ended and reconstruction began.

E. Remington and Sons manufactured the first typewriter.

The Beginning

Although the Academy’s charter was granted in 1865—and it is that anniversary which we have been celebrated in 2015—the school didn’t have students until the fall of 1875.

In that decade, in addition to growing the funds left by Mr. Cushing’s bequest, the newly appointed Board of Trustees set about determining a location for the new school, and in 1874 they began to build. Originally, it was thought that the school would be built on a piece of property that fronted Main Street, more or less where the Ashburnham Market now stands. That property was owned by George Winchester, who was a local businessman and a member of the school’s board. In the end, however, the trustees chose what was then known as the Bancroft Farm—which Mr. Winchester purchased for the purpose—and began to build.

Although the board had waited 10 years from the granting of the charter, there was still not enough money to adhere to the strictest letter of Mr. Cushing’s will—that two schools should be built: one for boys and one for girls. They were able to secure permission from the heirs and executors to disregard that provision, although they did design the building with separate doors—one for boys and one for girls.

On Sept. 7, 1875, the new school building was dedicated. The dedication was attended by 1,200 spectators along with several members of the board; Alexander Bullock, former

governor of Massachusetts; and Amasa Norcross, who would soon be elected to the United States Congress. It was an auspicious beginning for the 66 gentlemen and 56 ladies who matriculated, the vast majority of whom were from New England—including 84 from Ashburnham.

The first head of school—called a principal then—was Edwin Pierce. Tuition cost $10 per term with extra for music lessons. There were seven faculty members and three four-year courses of study:

1. The Classical Course, featuring Latin, Greek, and math, but no English literature;

2. The English Course, featuring English, science, math, and history, but no language; and

3. The Ladies’ Course, including a smattering of optional French and German, among other things. Students were required to attend church services twice on Sunday and report back about their attendance on Monday morning. The weekly holiday was Saturday.

Cushing’s First Principal

Edwin Pierce was the Academy’s first princi pal. He stood on the steps of the Main Build ing on Sept. 7, 1875, the day the school was dedicated. He was a Dartmouth man, where he was Phi Beta Kappa. According to Cushing historian Frank Rand, Pierce was a gentle man of the old school and cared a great deal about his students after they left Cushing. Rand also notes that he and the board were

not “in full sympathy in regard to discipline,” and Pierce would resign after just four years at the helm, in 1879.

In accepting Principal Pierce’s resignation, the trustees noted their regret at the causes which led to it—the specific causes were not mentioned, but it seems to have been a disagreement with the board about the discipline at the school—and recorded their sense of the dignity and scholarly ability that characterized his administration. Pierce would remain a part of the extended Cushing family for many years, visiting campus and addressing the students.

1875

First Cushing students—66 gentlemen and 56 ladies—arrived. They attended classes in the newly constructed Main Building.

1870

Joseph Lister proved that microorganisms transmit disease when he reported success with sterilizing tools used in surgery.

1873

Levi Strauss & Co. introduced blue jean overalls with patented copper rivets to strengthen pocket openings.

HMS Challenger surveyed the deepest point in the Earth’s oceans, the Challenger Deep.

The Academy’s original Main Building, completed in 1875

1876

1876 Abraham T. Lowe

Abraham Lowe was born in Ashburnham in 1796—during the presidency of George Washington. He earned a medical degree from Dartmouth in 1816 and eventually went back to his hometown to practice with his father—also Abraham and also a doctor. After several years, however, he left Ashburnham to set up an apothecary shop on Court Street in Boston.

He was active in his communities, served as a member of the state legislature for four terms and also as the president of several banks. His civic mindedness may have been what induced him to join the fledgling Cushing Academy’s Board of Trustees in 1865, and in which capacity he would serve until 1889. He was the president of the board from 1876 until his death in 1889. In 1879, he donated many of the books found in the school’s early library. When he died, he left a bequest that provided funding for the construction of Lowe Hall, which bears his name. Both his son, Lewis, and his grandson, Arthur, also served as members of Cushing’s board.

1879

Changing of the Guard : Principal Vose

Principal James E. Vose replaced Principal Pierce in 1879, although in his first year, his title was “acting principal.” Vose, a native of Antrim, N.H., never attended college, but received an honorary degree from Dartmouth in 1881. One member of the community

described him thusly: “He was a man of pure and lofty ideals, a man of silent joy, who rarely ever smiled save his eyes; and a man so thoroughly inspired by his work that he rose above a pain-wracked body and taught until within a few months of his death.” Indeed, Vose had been confined to a wheelchair for most of his life. He had fallen from a tree at age seven and was crippled for life. He taught science and higher math, but had a great love of English—both the language and the literature. He fell ill in April 1887 and took a leave of absence, thinking to return, but he died on Memorial Day.

Silver Penguin: Fred Lane

Fred Lane, who arrived at Cushing in 1879, would serve the Academy in one capacity or another for 57 years, although his active service would “only” last for 46 years. His wife, Cora Gilbert Lane, was a member of the Class of 1885. Indeed, she had once been his student and one he had once actually dismissed from class. Apparently she didn’t hold it against him.

Born in Lane Village (just north of Ashburnham and now part of town) in 1849, he graduated from Dartmouth in 1878. He was teaching at the local schoolhouse—the one commemorated by the School Boy statue— when he was recruited by the elder Mr. Vose to teach at Cushing. As generations of faculty

1876

1879

Drama was introduced.

Abraham Lowe (above), president of the Board of Trustees, 1876–89.

First baseball game was played. Cushing lost to the Gardner Clippers, 67–25.

1877

Reconstruction Era ended.

Edison invented the first commercially practical incandescent light.

Baseball’s National League was founded. Battle of Little Bighorn took place in June.

Alexander Graham Bell was the first to be granted a patent for what we would come to call the telephone.

Baseball team, 1885

have done at the Academy, he filled many roles. He officially taught math and history, although he was sometimes called upon to teach drawing and German as well. He served as class teacher for seniors for many years and was sometimes called on to be acting principal, such as when Mr. Vose died. He was so loved that in 1910, a group of alumni sent him and his wife on a trip to Europe.

Mr. Lane was active in town. He was town treasurer for more than 30 years, a member of the Ashburnham school committee, and the superintendent of the Congregational Sunday School. A devout man, he was in demand as a preacher as well.

Although he officially retired in 1925, he was recognized with emeritus status and was still teaching more than 10 years later. Both he and his wife died in 1937, just about one month apart.

1881

Cushing’s Literary Societies

Keeping Cushing students engaged in productive pursuits has been a challenge since the very beginning. Sports teams have traditionally been one way to keep students busy, but certainly not the only way.

In 1876, a group of students created a group called the Philomathean, which, according to Rand, “afforded the older pupils an excellent opportunity to further their educations by taking part in debates, writing of essays, readings, et cetera.” Ultimately, there were four such groups at the academy, two for

1881

boys (Philadelphians and Polymnians) and two for girls (Germanae and Minervans).

Several of Cushing’s most accomplished alumni got their start in these groups, including James Tuttle, who would serve as New Hampshire’s attorney general; George W. Anderson, who was a judge on the United States appellate court in Boston; Lellan Tuck, who would be a judge of the tenth circuit in Rhode Island; and Robert Peaslee, who would be chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

The societies adopted rules to conduct debates and regulate the induction of new

members. They met weekly and regularly held debating competitions. Over the years, the debating activities seemed to take more permanent hold with the boys, and the girls pursued a broader range of activities, including music and vesper programs, tea dances, banquets, and a Halloween masquerade.

In the end, the tendency was toward groups resembling social, rather than academic, clubs. Membership declined such that by the mid-1960s, there were just two groups, and by the 1970s, the literary societies at Cushing were no more.

1882

1883

Tuskegee Institute was founded.

President James Garfield was inaugurated in March. He was shot in July and died in September; Chester Arthur succeeded him.

Cushing acquired Parkman Hall (inside front cover). The Philadelphian Society, the first of the Academy’s important literary societies, was founded.

Cushing acquired Jewett House (above) from Charles Hastings; it was used as a girls’ dormitory.

Tuition was raised to $25 per year. Brooklyn Bridge opened.

1887–1926

Hervey S. Cowell

Dr. Cowell was headmaster of Cushing Academy for 39 years—still the longest tenure of any headmaster in Cushing’s history—and Rand calls him “the master builder” in his book on Cushing’s first 100 years.

Hervey Cowell was born in Maine in 1855, the son of a Free Baptist minister. His mother died when he was just seven, and he started teaching at the age of 15 at a school with just one student. In 1875, he completed a degree at Bates College, where he was the youngest member of his class and also the class poet. He received an honorary master’s degree from Bates in 1878, and in 1916 he received an honorary doctorate, which is why he’s called Mr. Cowell in his early years as Cushing’s principal and Dr. Cowell toward the end of his tenure. He was a trustee at his alma mater for many years and was at one point approached to be its president, an honor he turned down in favor of remaining at Cushing.

In 1876 Cowell went to work at Francestown Academy, where he met Abbie Cobb, who would become his wife. He was much beloved by the students and faculty at Fran-

cestown and there were regular gatherings in his honor, even after it had closed down. Indeed, several years later, their affection for their head would lead them to make a gift of an organ to the Academy in Cowell’s honor.

In 1887, he was offered the opportunity to take over the reins at Cushing Academy. In his first 25 years as headmaster, Cushing grew from three buildings to six. The campus quadrupled in size. The number of faculty increased from 10 to 15, due in large measure to the fact that enrollment increased by more than 100 students. Alumni were donating significant sums of money for buildings and scholarships. According to the trustee minutes of that time, “The present prosperity and outlook would not have arrived but for the persistent, gracious sweetness, the entire forgetfulness of self, the hopeful Christian spirit of Hervey Sumner Cowell.” He was, at heart, a teacher. Even as principal emeritus he taught a few classes, including civics, the Bible, and psychology. He was an eloquent speaker and he inspired love and respect in the members of his community. His excellence was recognized by no less recognized men than Theodore Roosevelt, John Wanamaker, Calvin Coolidge, and others.

He was civic minded as well. His influence could be felt in the town, where he moderated Ashburnham town meetings for 33 years. He also once ran for governor of Massachusetts on the Prohibition ticket.

In 1925, when the school celebrated 50 years of operation, he had been at its head for

38. He stepped down in 1926 due to his declining health, and when he died in 1929, the Cushing community was devastated. Herbert Nims, who taught at Cushing for the better part of 41 years, most of them under Cowell, spoke at Dr. Cowell’s memorial service and described him as genuinely humble and modest. The Breeze said, “He was a foster parent of many, a guiding hand to all, and sincerely mourned by those who loved him. May his life be an example of how fine, unselfish, and upright a life can be made.”

1887

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published the first Sherlock Holmes story.

James E. Vose died in May 1887 and was succeeded in the fall by Hervey Cowell.

1885

Cushing’s library was home to 1,900 volumes, many donated by Dr. Abraham Lowe.

1886

Cushing’s first scholarships were offered, made possible through a gift from George Stevens.

The world’s first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, was completed.

Statue of Liberty was dedicated.

“The present prosperity and outlook would not have arrived but for the persistent, gracious sweetness, the entire forgetfulness of self, the hopeful Christian spirit of Hervey Sumner Cowell.”

1889

International Students Arrive at Cushing

In 1889, Cushing welcomed its first international students from Armenia, Japan, and Canada. After 1889, students from all over the world were regularly enrolled at Cushing

1888

The Polymnian Literary Society, for boys, and the Germanae, for girls, were founded. The first issue of The Breeze was published.

Jack the Ripper was terrifying London. Massachusetts was hit by the Blizzard of 1888, when four feet of snow fell in some parts of the state.

Academy. In 1896, Cushing became a place of refuge for four Armenian students who had been caught up in unrest happening in that country. The April 1896 issue of The Breeze says, “Among the new faces which greet us this year, we are glad to welcome four young men from the far-away land of Armenia. May they find here that sympathy and kindly aid

1889

The Minervan

which alone can make a strange land seem to them like home.” The young men had had a very difficult time in their homelands, and when Headmaster Cowell heard their story, he was “very desirous of helping [them] any way he could,” and so they came to Cushing.

1889

North Dakota, Montana, and Washington

Yosemite Park was established.

Idaho and Wyoming became states.

Chief Sitting Bull was killed, leading to the Massacre at Wounded Knee.

Eiffel Tower was built as the entrance to the World’s Fair.

became states.

Literary Society, for girls, came into being.

1890

Lowe Hall

Lowe Hall (above) was one of the first four buildings that made up the Cushing Academy campus (the others were the Main Building, Jewett House, and Parkman Hall) and one of just two that remains—the other, of course, being Jewett, the original Main Building having burned to the ground in 1893.

The construction of Lowe Hall began in 1889 and was completed in 1890. It was steam-heated with 21 rooms, and its original purpose was to accommodate the female students of the Academy. The 1890 catalogue lists Lowe Hall as a new building erected due

to the increasing enrollment of students, and an editorial in an 1889 Breeze stated that the new residence “luxuriated in its plush furniture and fine paintings, its broad staircase and its marble flooring.”

The building is named for Dr. Abraham T. Lowe, a native of Ashburnham and one of the Academy’s original 13 trustees. When Dr. Lowe passed away, he bequeathed $10,000 to the Academy for the construction of the building, which turned out to be about half of the cost.

Because Lowe Hall was constructed so early in Cushing’s existence, its story really is the story of Cushing. After the fire that claimed the Main Building, it was in Lowe

Hall that the student body gathered—with the smoking ruins visible through the windows—to learn what was to be done. It has served as a girls’ dorm, a boys’ dorm, an infirmary, and a dining hall. Bette Davis lived there as a student, and according to one story, she carved her name inside her closet, although we could find no evidence of that when we looked for it. In 1938, a hurricane removed its chimneys. It has been renovated many times throughout the years, most recently having its common room completely

1890

1891

Helen Greenwood arrived and served the school for 31 years. Also new that year, Rosabelle Temple, who served the Academy for an astonishing 47 years. Cushing played its first football game at Mt. Hermon; they lost, 80–0.

James Naismith invented the game of basketball.

1893 New Zealand granted women the right to vote.

1892 General Electric was founded.

Cushing Academy Glee Club, 1894. Edward Haven, who survived the 1893 fire (read more, opposite page), is pictured in the third row second from left

Main Building Fire

On Jan. 12, 1893, the Academy’s original main building burned to the ground in spectacularly dramatic fashion. At 12:30 am, George Kenyon, one of the four student janitors who lived on the top floor, detected fire. The fire prevented him from entering the tower to ring the bell that would have alerted campus to the danger. He and his roommates were unable to escape by the stairways. One of the boys, Elwin Graves, suggested using the bedclothes to escape via the window. Another, Edward Haven, lowered his three roommates to the ground. He was overcome by smoke, and, although he did manage to get out, he fainted as he landed. As he made it to safety,

the clock struck one and the tower collapsed.

In spite of the fire, classes resumed that very afternoon in the Methodist Church and the village armory. Although the trustees immediately voted to replace the building, the students of the Class of 1894 spent much of their junior and senior years having classes in a variety of places that were not on Cushing’s campus.

When the new building was dedicated in January 1894, an audience of seven or eight hundred gathered to hear the Ladies Glee Club perform, of which the cantata was “especially fine,” according to The Breeze. The proceeds from that performance helped the club pay for the replacement of the school’s bell at a cost of more than $600. It was also noted that the Class of 1894 donated furni-

ture for the reception room. These students were joined by trustees, alumni, and friends of the school, many of whom donated money and other gifts to outfit the new building.

Of the four boys who discovered the fire, Alfred Hawksworth graduated as a member of the Class of 1893, Elwin Graves and Edward Haven were members of the Class of 1894, and George Kenyon was in the Class of 1895. They were given free room and board for the rest of the 1892–93 school year.

The Cushing campus had six buildings: Main Building (above left), Science Building, Lowe Hall, Parkman Hall (above middle), Jewett House, and Hillside Lodge.

There were 223 students enrolled in the spring of 1894, the largest enrollment in the school’s history at that time. Tuition was about $200 a year including boarding costs.

1895

The Science Building, built at the same time as the new Main Building, was finally ready to occupy.

1896

After the First Sino-Japanese War, China ceded Taiwan to Japan and granted Japan a free hand in Korea.

The Importance of Being Earnest premiered in London and soon after Oscar Wilde went on trial.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided Plessy v. Ferguson, establishing “separate but equal” doctrine.

Utah became the 45th state.

The first modern summer Olympic games were played.

1894

Karl Elsener invented the Swiss Army knife.

Volleyball was invented by a YMCA instructor in Holyoke, Mass.

This bell paperweight (above) was made from the melted down metal of the school’s original bell. The paperweights were sold to raise funds for a new bell after the 1893 fire.

Female students, 1894

1897

1897

Milo Cummings

Milo B. Cummings was a longtime member of the Cushing faculty. He was a student at Cushing from 1875 to 1877 before continuing his musical studies at the Conservatory of Music in Boston. He came back to Cushing in 1880 to teach instrumental music, and died in March 1897.

In remembrance at Mr. Cummings’ memorial, Dr. Cowell said, “To him, the organ was the king of musical instruments, for it voiced the language of all the varying emotions of the human heart and interpreted their meaning. This chapel organ was his pride. He planned it, watched with delight its building, and has oft felt the response of its soul to his kindling touch.”

The Cummings Organ was a pipe organ that had been purchased in 1894. At the time of Mr. Cummings’ death, the school still owed $1,300 on it. The debt was paid off by the friends, faculty, and students of Mr. Cummings in honor of his life and contribu tions to the Academy. The organ succumbed to the fire of 1923.

1900

Alumni Basketball Champs

James Naismith is credited with inventing the game of basketball in 1891. Cushing, never afraid to be an early adopter, organized its first boys’ basketball team just six years later, in 1897. That first team was pretty good,

1897

Cushing organized its first basketball team—the first academy to do so—and had a pretty good year with only two losses and 12 wins, including one over Yale.

William McKinley was inaugurated. The Tremont Street Subway, in Boston, became North America’s first subway tunnel.

In 1900, the Sportsman’s Show in Boston staged a tournament, in which a team composed of Cushing alumni participated. All were members of the Cushing Class of 1899. Frank Hardy was the manager (see pg. 22). The

1898

The Academy had its first undefeated team in baseball.

The school organized its first girls’ basketball team.

Spain and America went to war as a result of U.S. intervention in the Cuban War for independence. As part of that conflict, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor.

The U.S. annexed the territory of Hawaii. Pierre and Marie Curie discovered the highly radioactive elements radium and polonium.

played at Cushing the previous year. The team

1902 as a coach. James and John Vose were the twin sons of the Academy’s second principal and James would succeed Hervey Cowell as principal in 1926. Fred Dunn (see pg. 62) would become president of the Academy’s Board of Trustees in 1947.

1901 Silver Penguin: Herbert Nims ’93

For more than 50 years, Herbert Nims was intimately connected to Cushing Academy. He arrived on Cushing’s campus in 1889 as a freshman and graduated in 1893 before heading on to Yale to complete his college degree. As a student at Cushing, he had been the editor-in-chief of The Breeze, and when he returned as a faculty member, he was the paper’s faculty advisor for 31 years (1902–33) except for a brief absence due to World War I.

When he joined the Cushing faculty in 1901, it was the beginning of a career that would span 39 years serving the school in one capacity or another—as a teacher, an advisor, an administrator, a dorm parent, and an editor of a wide variety of Cushing publications. He taught English literature and advised the Polymnians. The residents of Ashburnham House benefitted from his guidance for more than a decade. He ran the school when Dr. Cowell was out for a long illness in 1924, and on Dr. Cowell’s passing in 1929, Mr. Nims gave eloquent remarks reflecting on a man who so impacted both his student and professional experience at the Academy.

Nims was known as a strict disciplinarian, but also a friendly face, and he was famous for his high kick. On his passing in 1943, The Breeze editors noted, “The masters who were fortunate enough to serve under him will ever recall his boundless wit, his never-failing good humor, and his unbelievable agility in kicking the meat cleaver which hung some seven feet above the floor, as they gathered for a nightly snack in the basement kitchen of the dormitory.” That wasn’t his only bit of athleticism. He made an almost daily climb to the top of Meetinghouse Hill to enjoy the view.

Louise A. Nickerson ’18 once wrote: “How many of us remember his strong, assertive

(and undecipherable) scrawls on the blackboard, his reference to the old Greek writers, and his steady reversion to the language itself when he wanted to bring home a point. His nervous pacing of the floor; his allusive wit and his jovial laugh! His somber, reflective moods; and the impish, unmanageable lock of hair forever being absently, impatiently pushed back from his forehead!”

In its memorial to him, The Breeze said “Cushing loved Herbert Nims for his strength of character, his love of fair play, his remarkable memory and amazing fund of information, and for the long years of patient and faithful service which he rendered her.”

1899

The Second Boer War began between Great Britain and the South African Republic.

The Boxer Rebellion began in China; it would end in 1901.

1900

Walton B. Whitney, who was one of the school’s first students and who graduated in 1881, became the first alumnus to serve as a trustee. He served on the board until 1933.

1901

Adams Field was added to Cushing’s campus, partly because of a generous donation from Melvin O. Adams and partly because of the gifts he solicited from alumni and friends of the Academy.

1901

President McKinley was assassinated and was succeeded by his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt.

Queen Victoria died.

Two girls in a Cushing dorm room, c. 1903

1902

Life at Cushing at the Turn of the Century

In the early 1900s, there were no TVs, radios, or computers. Cars were pretty rare. So what did Cushing students and faculty do for fun? Although the official Mountain Day tradition wouldn’t begin until the late 1920s, students and faculty regularly took trips to nearby mountains, including Monadnock, Watatic, Wachusett, and even Mount Washington.

1902

1902

Sometimes they would go in small groups, sometimes by class, sometimes one dorm would invite another dorm for a picnic outing. Other outings were also common. For a number of years in the early part of the century, Washington’s birthday was a significant holiday for the school, complete with dances, athletic competitions, and more. Furthermore, guest speakers were common. Cushing students were often addressed by successful alumni, scholars from universities in the region, pastors, businessmen, and orators. Many of these speakers spoke of the

importance of character and the inherent danger in lacking it. Students were encouraged to engage in appropriate behavior, be good role models and representatives of the Academy, and to avoid “intoxicating liquors.” The school was also frequently visited by musical groups like the Boston Glee Club as well as other performers like magicians.

Cushing faculty, too, were often guest speakers or performers in other places. Mr. Cowell, Mr. Lane, and Miss Temple often visited towns, schools, and churches throughout the region. Dorms often gave small parties

1903

The first World Series was played and the Boston Americans won. Wright brothers made their first powered flight.

1904 Teddy Roosevelt was elected President.

The Hoffman Pavilion was completed. The Academy had its first undefeated football team.

Herbert Nims joined the faculty. Cushing became the first academy to play field hockey.

The first Rose Bowl was played. Cuba gained independence from the United States.

The Carnegie Institution was founded in Washington, D.C., with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie.

where they would invite other dorms—or sometimes the whole school—to join them.

Fraternities and secret societies were frowned on and discouraged, indeed, actively stamped out, by Dr. Cowell. Students were permitted to be members of the YMCA, the YWCA, or any one of the four literary societies.

Mr. Vose and Mr. Cowell did not approve of coed dancing, so there were no opportunities to do that until 1904 when Mr. Cowell finally came around. Prior to then, boys and girls would “promenade” in the all-purpose room in the original Main Building or dance

separately in the gymnasium—boys on the court and girls on the upper level. After Dr. Cowell finally permitted coed dances, they were regular occurrences on campus and were hosted by the literary societies, dorms, the newspaper, and other groups, often as a way to raise money. In 1908, the ladies of Cushing hosted a Leap Year Dance in which, according to leap year custom, the ladies asked the gentlemen. Apparently it was, according to The Breeze, “an anxious day for some of the dancing boys, who feared they might not be invited to the dance.”

1906

In the early 1900s, The Breeze bragged about the town’s municipal utility, which brought electric lights to Ashburnham. This was indeed cause for celebration, as electric lights would not be common in homes until the 1920s and the national grid wouldn’t be established until the 1930s. The Academy installed heating in 1908.

1908

Cushing’s alma mater was written by Cora Coolidge ’87.

Cushing’s first Chinese students arrived. Cushing Historian Frank Prentice Rand graduated.

1905

The Russian Revolution began January 22, on what would become known as Bloody Sunday.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated San Francisco.

Ford Motor Company produced the Model T. William Howard Taft became President.

ABOVE (L–R): The orchestra in 1903; Science lab; Students working in the library

1909

Boxer Rebellion Students

In December 1909, The Breeze stated, “At the end of the Boxer outbreak, the Chinese government paid a large indemnity to the Western nations whose citizens had suffered loss in that uprising. Of its share, the United States government returned two million dollars, and the Chinese government, in grateful appreciation of this magnanimity, decided to spend the money in educating Chinese students in the United States.” As a result of those funds, Cushing became home to 11 Chinese students (above)—in addition to the six who were already at school.

The impact of Cushing on the lives of those students is still occasionally felt here at Cushing, even more than 100 years later. In 2003, one grandson visited after reading about Cushing in his grandfather’s diary. Last fall, we were visited by the great-grand-

1909

An outbreak of mumps in Lowe Hall caused some concern about whether the school would need to be closed until the outbreak was over. In the end, the school stayed open.

1909

daughter of another student. She was pursuing an advanced degree in education at an American university and so enjoyed her visit that she attended a Cushing event in China a few months later.

1910 Cushing Students Build a Glider

In 1910, two Cushing juniors—Henry C. Lord and Minott P. Hubbell—built a doublewinged glider and made several successful flights from Brown Hill in Ashburnham. They found the wood in the forests around Ashburnham and built the aircraft between classes. It weighed approximately 100 pounds and would bear the weight of two people. They entered it into the First National Aerial Exhibition in Boston. They were written up in several local newspapers and everyone at school was quite proud of them. Brown Hill is in the River Styx Road area to the ESE of downtown Ashburnham.

the line” for the football team. He served as president and vice president of the Polymnian Society, which focused on parliamentary rules, debate, music, oratory, and composition. In 1912, he won the $10 Brayton Prize for “faithful work and exemplary conduct.” In 1913, he won the Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bond Prize, also $10, for his junior essay entitled “Modern Apple Growing in New England.” He would go on to have an exemplary service record in World War I.

1912

Ashburnham House

The original Ashburnham House was constructed in 1912. Its completion allowed for more rooming space for girls in Lowe as well as a larger common area. By 1912, Mr. Cowell had been principal for 25 years. Professor Lane was still teaching—the only remaining member of the faculty who had been there in 1887 when Cowell arrived.

can student was Oscar Henry Williams. His nickname was, according to the senior edition of The Breeze, Oscarwallapus. From Boston, he came to Cushing in the fall of 1911, and so was a four-year student as well as Cushing Academy’s first African American graduate. He was the orchestra’s first fiddle all four years and a “mainstay on

Cushing began raising money for a new dorm, which would be completed in 1912 and named Ashburnham House.

1910

The Boy Scouts of America was founded.

In those 25 years, the number of buildings had doubled, from three to six. The number of faculty had more than doubled—from seven to 16. The size of campus had quadrupled—from five acres to 20. Twelve thousand dollars had been added to the scholarship fund. Cushing sported a full complement of athletic teams, rather than just baseball as had been the case in 1887. Cushing had a newspaper, literary societies, and more than 1,000 alumni.

That was the year that Ivers Adams paid $50,000 to have a water system installed in town, bringing fresh water from Lake Naukeg

1911

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City went up in flames, killing 123 women and 23 men.

The June issue of The Breeze started printing pictures of the graduating seniors—the beginning of a school yearbook. James P. Tuttle ’80 was named Attorney General of New Hampshire.

into town—indeed, the town still gets its fresh water from Lake Naukeg—and giving Ashburnham what the town hoped would be enough water for ample fire protection.

In the end, however, it was not enough. The 1915 basketball team had finished their 10–1 season at the end of February, but by April 12, their coach Frank Hardy would be dead, perishing just feet from the entrance in the fire that destroyed the three-year-old Ash House. In addition to Frank Hardy, two town girls, who had wandered too close to the scene of the fire, were trapped by a falling wall, and one succumbed to her injuries.

The replacement Ashburnham House was completed in an astonishing six months, with students and alumni working tirelessly to secure the necessary funding to make it happen. Students sold candy, food, and pencils. The school sold tickets to lectures given by the faculty. Townspeople, local organizations, and visitors to the town were all induced to make donations. The Class of 1894, having witnessed their own fire (see pg. 11), were especially generous. The new building had three stories, rather than four, but a “somewhat larger ground area, more fire protection devices, no space for a swimming pool, and about the same rooming accommodations,” according to Frank Rand.

Use of the School Gym

Students had to pay a fee in order to use the gym. Boys had more available time assigned to them, however. Girls could use the gym only on Mondays but boys could use it any day but Sunday.

1912

New Mexico and Arizona became states.

RMS Titanic sank on April 15.

Woodrow Wilson was elected President.

A new school song, “Hail Glorious Cushing!” was written by Walter Cole ’15.

Cushing’s first African American student, Oscar Williams, matriculated. He graduated in 1915 and served as a lieutenant in World War I.

TOP L–R: The social room in the original Ashburnham House; The art room in the Main Building BOTTOM: The original Ashburnham House in 1912

1913 Plaque Commemorating the USS Maine

In 1913, sculptor Charles Keck designed a plaque to be cast in memory of the sailors who lost their lives when the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor in February 1898. Cushing has one of these plaques in its archives, one of a thousand that were cast from bronze recovered from the ship. Another such plaque can be found on the northeast side of the USS Maine National Monument, which is located in the southwest corner of Central Park in New York City.

School Boy Statue

The School Boy statue was presented to the town by Ivers Whitney Adams in 1913. It depicts a school boy of 1850 going to grammar school #1 in Ashburnham. He wears a palm-leaf hat, is barefoot, and carries his lunch in a tin pail. It is the work of Bela Lyon Pratt and weighs about 600 pounds. Its inscription reads:

The School Boy Of 1850

One Of A Generation Of New England Boys Whose Valor In War Was Equaled Only By Their Achievement In Peace.

1915

Frank Hardy ’99

1913

The Stone House

The Stone House, also known at one time as “Lilac Lodge,” was built by Ephraim Stone in 1782. It passed through several generations of the Stone family, including Oliver Stone, who served as the town’s shoemaker. Oliver’s wife, Lilly Duncan Stone, was a member of the Cushing Class of 1893. It was purchased by Cushing Academy in 1913 and serves as a home for a faculty family. It was restored in 2016.

1913

Ivers Adams commissioned the School Boy statue and donated a complete water system to Ashburnham, providing water to all buildings on Cushing’s campus.

An athlete from Rindge, N.H., Frank Hardy enrolled at Cushing in 1895. He played at guard on the 1896 football team when, according to Rand, “he suffered an injury of such a nature as to preclude an active participation in sports.” Not able to play, he took on the role of manager and coach to various teams, despite the fact that he was still a student. After he graduated, he worked for three years at the W.F. Whitney Chair Factory.

In 1900, Hardy assembled a team he called the Cushing Graduates to play at the Sportsman’s Show in Boston. The show was, accord-

ing to Rand, arranged to arouse an interest in the game of basketball, then less than 10 years old. They defeated Dartmouth by a score of 9–6 to win the tournament (see pg. 12)

Hardy returned to Cushing in 1902 as a coach and his teams had some substantial successes. In addition to his work at Cushing, he was a committed servant to the town as well, taking on several roles, including selectman.

He was known to be a modest man, but passionate about good sportsmanship. According to Rand, “He was respected and admired by directors in other schools, and was much in demand as a basketball official.”

In 1915, Hardy was killed (see pg. 16) in the fire that destroyed Ashburnham House. The plaque in his memory, mounted in the Main Building one year after his death, indicates that he died trying to locate the source of the fire. Other stories say that he was trying to find Mrs. Cooke and that he was trying to save valuables. “Presumably,” says Rand, “… he was trying to be everywhere, arousing occupants, or perhaps even trying to combat the flames, and was overcome by smoke.” Frank Hardy gave his life in service to his Academy.

For decades, on the anniversary of his death each year, students and faculty would climb the hill to the cemetery behind the Main Building and hold a memorial service. Even 30 years later, during World War II, Hardy was held up as an example of heroism and high character.

Ford developed the assembly line.

World War I began in Europe with the shooting of Archduke Ferdinand.

The Panama Canal opened.

1914

George W. Anderson ’82 was appointed District Attorney for Massachusetts.

Cora Coolidge ’87 was named Acting President of Pennsylvania College for Women. L. Clyde Cooke came to Cushing.

George Hoffman and Louis Eisenlohr

On June 6, 2015, the town of Ashburnham

opened its Eisenlohr and Hoffman time capsules. The boxes contained newspapers, a letter from Henry Ford, letters from Mr. Hoffman and President Calvin Coolidge, books, and other memorabilia. The capsules were created by George Hoffman and Louis Eisenlohr way back in 1915, but who were these two gentlemen and what have they to do with Ashburnham and Cushing Academy?

George Hoffman was born in Ashburnham in January 1863, the only one of four children in his family to live to adulthood. He was president of Crown Manufacturing Co., in

Philadelphia, at the time of his death in 1951. Although he was not a graduate of Cushing Academy, he became a trustee of the school in 1907 and served on the board for 44 years. He also was one of the founders of the Watatic Club in North Ashburnham, which burned in 1925.

Cushing historian Frank Rand noted that Mr. Hoffman was a lavish and eccentric benefactor. According to Rand, Hoffman’s ambitions were given a boost from Arthur H. Lowe, who helped the young Hoffman become commercially established in Philadelphia as a twine and cordage manufacturer. Throughout his life, he was very generous to Cushing Academy. He built a pavilion on Adams Field and renovated the library. He gave the school its oil painting of Bette Davis—the school’s most famous alumna—and prizes for student essays. He also paid for a flagpole in the New Cemetery.

He also interested his Philadelphia friends in the Academy, including Louis H. Eisenlohr. Mr. Eisenlohr had no tie to Cushing other than a friendship with George Hoffman. Eisenlohr came to Cushing for the first time in 1915, although by that time he had already donated the money for two scholarships. During his visit, he gave another $1,000, also for scholarships. Eisenlohr returned in 1916 with another $1,000. When Mr. Eisenlohr passed away in 1922, having given more than $8,000 to the school for scholarships and operating funds, the executors of his will set aside $10,000 for the Eisenlohr Loan Fund, which provided emergency funds for students in dire need.

Hoffman, too, left a large sum to the Academy on his death—eventually it would total nearly $300,000. It was used to construct the Price Infirmary and for scholarships (see pg. 41).

1915

1916

RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat.

Turkish soldiers murdered approximately 1.5 million Armenians and forcibly removed many more from the country.

Einstein published his theory of relativity. Jeanette Rankin became the first woman elected to Congress, representing Montana. Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, leading to her arrest. Irish Republicans rose up to end British rule in Ireland, in the Easter Rebellion.

LEFT: Rebuilding Ashburnham House in 1915

RIGHT: Ashburnham House dining room, 1916

Thomas Parkman Cushing’s daughter left his portrait to the school in her will. It now hangs in the Admissions lounge.

The Breeze started running stories and columns about the war in Europe that would come to be known as World War I.

Three-year-old Ashburnham House burned to the ground and was rebuilt in just six months.

Louis Eisenlohr and George Hoffman came up with a plan to bury time capsules and left instructions for their opening 100 years later.

1917

World War I at Cushing

In January 1916, The Breeze ran an editorial column expressing concern that Cushing’s students were concerned with trivial matters while their counterparts in Europe were fighting in the trenches of what would become the Great War. Articles in later issues discuss the defenses of the United States and whether they were adequate protection should the country be pulled into war.

Throughout the war, The Breeze printed letters from alumni in the service.

“Naples is pitch black at night in order to hide its head from air raids and submarines in the bay. Bread is getting scarce. Coal has almost disappeared, although there is firewood. Butter is a

luxury, and tea is fast becoming the same.”

Thomas Mason ’97

“Our little village is not very far from the front, and on a clear, still night the trip-hammer-like spat of the machine guns can be quite plainly heard. Day or night, but of a varying degree of intensity, we hear the artillery.” Carl H. Thorington (Sp.)

The paper also published “Rolls of Honor” with addresses and news about Cushing men in the service. Approximately 250 Cushing alumni and faculty members were in the service during the war.

On Nov. 11, 1918, Germany signed the armistice, ending the Great War. At 4 am local time in Ashburnham, the church bells started ringing, waking the whole town.

Cushing girls were sent back to their rooms in Lowe Hall until the rising bell rang at 5 am, but the boys of Ash House paraded about town shouting with joy. At 6 am, there was an impromptu parade through the streets. Headmaster Cowell was at the head of the procession carrying an immense flag. The students followed, shouting and singing, until they lost their voices. In the afternoon, the town held their own parade, with the Cushing community joining in with a float. On the float, one of the teachers was dressed as Lady Liberty and Dr. Cowell as Uncle Sam. At 4:30 pm, the students went to the Main Building and proceeded to dance the night away—boys and girls together, a rare occurrence at the time. They were sent to bed at 9:30 pm after a long day celebrating.

1917

United States officially declared war on the German Empire in April, signaling its official entry into World War I. Shortly afterward, Congress passed the Selective Service Act.

The Russian Revolution began, resulting in the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II and the rise to power of Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

1918

Spanish Influenza pandemic hit, killing between 50 and 100 million people worldwide.

In November, the World War I armistice was signed, ending the fighting.

The Breeze began printing letters from alumni serving in the armed forces.

Members of the Science Department built a set of wireless receiving devices to get signals sent from up and down the East Coast.

FROM LEFT: Captain Raymond Hill ’11, Lieutenant Otis Thomas ’12, Charles Miller ’14, Ensign Chester Wing ’06

Silver Penguins: Rosabelle Temple and Helen Greenwood

By 1917, Cushing was home to a number of Silver Penguins—faculty members who had been at the school for 25 years or more. These included Fred Lane (see pg. 6), Hervey Cowell (see pg. 8) and Rosabelle Temple (right) and Helen Greenwood (left), who had both come to the Academy in 1891.

Rosabelle primarily taught vocal music, but she also taught drama for a few years. Her career would last an astonishing 47 years, although the fact that she lived part time in Boston and spent two or three days a week at Cushing might account for her longevity. In any event, she was known for her vibrant personality, and her Friday Music Mornings and Christmas and Easter Vespers were

famous. Frank Rand notes that she “showed her students how to find happiness in music and give that happiness to others.”

Helen Greenwood’s career at Cushing would ultimately last 41 years. As a product of Boston Latin School and Radcliffe, she was a true scholar and teacher of the Classics, although she acquired enough competence to also teach French, German, and history. She came to her classroom with a green book bag and a Scottie dog. When the dog would fall asleep and snore, she was apparently famous for throwing an eraser across the room to get him to stop.

For many years, she lived at Hillside Lodge, where she housed about a dozen boys each year. In the September 1930 Breeze, it was noted that when one visited her at her home,

one came away richer in noble thoughts. “She could not think a slovenly thought,” The Breeze said. “She was incapable of a slovenly or inexact expression of an idea.” Like most faculty at Cushing—then and now—she did more than just teach. She was also a pianist and accompanied the Glee Club and Chorus for many years. She had charge of the book room and was treasurer of the Athletic Association.

At her memorial in 1931, Principal Vose spoke of “her happy home life, her genuine neighborliness, her civic fidelity, her personal endowments and influence, and her superior vocational accomplishments in the field of education.”

1918

Spanish Flu Hits Cushing

In January 1918, Spanish Flu came to the United States. Before it was over, this worldwide pandemic would infect approximately 500 million people. That fall, enrollment at Cushing was down because people were staying home sick. By September, the local board of health decreed that public gatherings should cease and the Academy closed its doors in the middle of the term; they would stay so for three weeks. The October 1918 Breeze declared, “Fortunately, there were very few serious cases. All in all, those who have had Spanish Influenza agree that is it is a disease well worth missing.”

1920

1919

In June, World War I officially came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The Chicago Black Sox lost the World Series, setting off a scandal suggesting several players threw games for money.

1920

The 18th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, prohibiting the production, transport, and sale of alcohol. The 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote.

The movement known as the Harlem Renaissance began.

Athletics at Cushing

In the 1876 Cushing Academy catalog, it was noted that “Young ladies are regularly drilled in calisthenics by one of the teachers. It is hoped that ere long similar provision will be made for the young men.” And indeed, it was.

In the beginning, the school didn’t have a dedicated space for athletics. Although there was, on the top floor of the original building, an all-purpose room that was used as a gymnasium, there were regular calls for a proper gym to be constructed. And although the fire of 1893 was a tragedy, the resulting new building remedied that lack. It featured a two-story gymnasium that had a basketball court in the middle, a running track around the second level, and a variety of machines and recreational activities—including bowling lanes and pool tables—around the court on the lower level.

We know that the first Cushing baseball game was played in 1876. The score was the Gardner Clippers 67, Cushing Academy 25. The Class of 1887 featured a young man named Fred Woodcock, who played at pitcher and who would go on to play at Brown before joining the Pittsburgh Nationals, thus becoming the first of many Cushing alumni who would go on to have professional sports careers. The school’s baseball team would go undefeated in 1898, the first undefeated sports team in the school’s history. During

those early years, the baseball team played on the hill in front of the Main Building, a circumstance that Frank Rand notes made fielding the ball a bit of a challenge.

That challenge was overcome in 1902 when Trustee Melvin O. Adams donated a considerable sum—and raised even more—for the grading and construction of Adams Field. The following year, George Hoffman provided the funding for the construction of a pavilion that stood along the edge of the field until 1962.

Football came to Cushing in December 1891. They lost to Mount Hermon 80–0 on a field that needed to be cleared of snow before they could play. It seems that football, in those early years, was sometimes an excuse for punching and kicking, a fact bemoaned by the editors of the school newspaper. In 1939, under the capable direction of Paul Heslin (see pg. 57), the Penguins would go undefeated for the first time. They did it again in 1941 and 1962.

The first basketball game was played in 1897—just a few years after James Naismith invented it in 1891. Cushing was on the leading edge even then. They had a pretty good year, going 12–2, including a win over Yale. The girls organized a team in 1898. In 1901, The Breeze editors took exception to an editorial they had read indicating an opinion in another paper that girls should not play basketball, a notion they thought “at least five years behind the times.”

That editorial wasn’t the last time the editors of the school paper would advocate for girls’ sports. When field hockey made its debut in 1902, the editors wrote, “we hope that the new game, field hockey, which Cushing is the first academy to introduce, will reap us as rich rewards in the future as basketball has in the past.” The team would go undefeated in 1963.

Apparently, Cushing athletics were a hot topic in The Breeze in 1902. That year the editors also suggested that the school form a hockey team. However, it would be 22 years before the school took that advice. The shortlived Michael C. Price Rink was constructed in 1924, but it was a disappointment because of leaking and bad weather, so the team spent a lot of time practicing on mill ponds before taking on the Harvard Freshmen in 1925, which the Penguins lost soundly by a score of 13–1. Hockey wasn’t a constant feature on campus until 1983. That year, after a 13-year hiatus, ice hockey returned in part because of the generosity of Edward G. Watkins ’56. In 1995, the school opened the Iorio Arena and welcomed girls’ hockey to the ice.

Throughout the decades, other sports have made their way onto campus as well, including wrestling, swimming, track, skiing, and tennis. Today, Cushing fields 36 teams in 14 sports.

Girls’ basketball team, 1904

MIDDLE LEFT: Captain Wallace M. Ross ’05 (second from left) with other members of the 1905 football team

MIDDLE RIGHT: A basketball game in 1920

LEFT: The Hoffman Pavilion in 1903

ABOVE: Football in 1929

1921

Winter Carnival

Cushing’s Winter Carnival tradition began in the winter of 1921 by science teacher Clyde Cooke (pictured at right). He was inspired by a similar carnival put on at his alma mater, Dartmouth.

The carnivals were sponsored by the Outing Club and, according to the March 1957 Bulletin, it was “one of the oldest of its kind in the United States.” The first carnival featured a ski-jumping competition off a 19-foot jump near Lowe Hall, but that competition moved to a more difficult jump in 1924. The first years of the carnival were interscholastic; schools from around the area would send winter athletes to compete. Also, a queen

was chosen “by outsiders who judged on beauty and poise,” according to a 1957 Breeze. Eventually the students would choose not just the queen, but also a court.

For many years, Winter Carnival weekend was kicked off with a play directed by longtime theatre teacher Lois Cann, who came to Cushing in 1923. Early carnivals featured snow-shoeing and dishpan races, but eventually the carnival also featured hockey games, basketball games, obstacle courses, and a ball, which at one point even had fireworks.

At some point, Winter Carnival faded away, but it was brought back in 2014 by Academic Support teacher Cara Clarke. Today’s carnival features some outdoor activities like races, but also indoor fun like cupcake decorating and board games.

The death penalty for all crimes in peacetime was abolished in Sweden.

Iowa became the first state to impose a cigarette tax.

Faisal, a brother of Abdullah I of TransJordan and an ally with Britain against the Turks during World War I, was installed as King of Iraq. He was crowned in Baghdad.

1921

Warren G. Harding was inaugurated as the 29th President of the United States.

The Hoffman Pavilion, which had fallen into disrepair partly due to an underground spring that ran beneath it, was moved 66 feet.

Cushing built its first tennis courts, across the street from Parkman Hall.

President Harding installed the first radio in the White House.

Britain’s Mandate of Palestine was approved by the Council of the League of Nations.

Joseph Stalin was chosen as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party.

The U.S. Postmaster General ordered all homes to have a mailbox.

The British Broadcasting Company was formed. It was owned by the British Post Office.

Benito Mussolini marched on Rome and became Italy’s Prime Minister. James Joyce’s Ulysses was published.

1923

Fire!

In October 1923, teacher Marion Parker was giving a lesson in the Main Building when she smelled smoke. “Boys rushed up from the gymnasium in a futile attempt to check the blaze with fire extinguishers.” Fire engines from Ashburnham, Gardner, and Fitchburg arrived, but by 5:30 pm it was clear that part of the building would be lost. In addition to

1923

A fire in the Main Building (above) necessitated the rebuilding of its top floors and the pinnacle of its tower.

President Harding died of a cerebral hemorrhage and Calvin Coolidge became President.

During the Teapot Dome scandal, the U.S. secretary of the interior was convicted of bribery and became the first cabinet member to go to prison.

their belongings. Several students leapt to the rescue of the library books, office records, and athletic plaques from the gym.

The main floor suffered little damage, but the third floor had to be reconstructed, including the new Cowell Chapel, which Frank Rand called “a delight to the eye.” The new chapel was—and is still—home to the Cowell Organ, a gift to Cushing from the

from 1876 to 1883. The organ was dedicated on Oct. 10, 1924.

The building next door—then called the Science Building, but now called the English Building—was at risk as well. Clyde Cooke, whose laboratories were in the building, supervised the removable of anything flammable. His efforts, as well as those of the fire departments who arrived to help, saved the building.

1923

A Cushing Alumna Becomes

Part of the Harlem Renaissance

Mae T. Wright was a member of the Class of 1923. A native of Baltimore, she came to Cushing for only one year. She was active in the Germanae literary society and, according to The Breeze, was “a student of no mean ability.” But her time at Cushing is just a small part of her story. During the summer of 1922, she met and became romantically involved with Jean Toomer, poet and novelist and an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance. She also maintained friendships with a number of other authors and performers, including Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Paul Robeson.

Wright intended to attend Smith after graduation, but was refused admission and

and served as president of the National PanHellenic Council as well as national president of Delta Sigma Theta. She spent 41 years teaching English and Latin in the Baltimore school system before her death in 1995.

1924

Hockey Comes to Cushing for the First Time

While hockey is now a prominent sport at Cushing, that has not always in the case. Cushing hockey began when the school con structed the short-lived Michael C. Price Rink (at right) in 1924. The Breeze notes that the first rink was a disappointment because of leaking and bad weather, so the team spent a lot of time practicing on mill ponds before taking on the Harvard freshmen in their first real game on Jan. 14, 1925—a game the Penguins lost soundly by a score of 13–1.

hockey for several years. Perhaps this ongo ing lack can be attributed to the difficulties in maintaining an adequate rink outdoors.

In September, a 7.9 earthquake hit Japan, devastating Tokyo and killing nearly 143,000 people, including alumna Allice Ballantine Kirjasoff ’08 and her husband, Max. They left two sons, aged four and six.

1924

The Michael C. Price Rink (above) was constructed.

1924

Bette Davis ’26 Comes to Cushing

In the fall of 1924, a young student named Ruth Elizabeth Davis made her way up the hill to Cushing’s campus. She was joined by her sister, Barbara.

The young actress, who would later be better known by her nickname, Bette, was an active member of the community. She first stepped onto Cushing’s stage as the “whitefaced girl” in the Will O’ the Wisp, a one-act play presented by Miss Lois Cann’s expression class. She was a member of the Girls Glee Club, and during the 1925 minstrel show, she performed in the chorus. She served as the class notes editor for The Breeze during her senior year. In addition, she was a member of the Minervians, where she was vice president for the winter term of 1925–26.

She was voted “Best Looking” and “Best Actor” in the commencement issue of The Breeze. She met her first husband, Ham Nelson ’26, at Cushing. In the class prophecy— looking into the future to 1946—Bill Walsh notes that, “As I was seated about a month ago before my PhotoRadio set, I saw appear before me a familiar sight, Ham Nelson playing the piano and Bette Davis singing. They were broadcasting Rolfe Putnam’s latest song hit, ‘You and I and a Bungalow.’ They performed the act perfectly.”

She had a part in the senior play and a classmate’s review indicated that the characters were all played well, including “Bette Davis’ vivacious representation of the school girl.”

The death of Vladimir Lenin triggered a power struggle between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin.

George Gershwin composed “Rhapsody In Blue.”

1924

Bette Davis enrolled at Cushing.

TOP: A group of Cushing students in 1924, with a young Bette Davis seated on the ground on the far left MIDDLE: Bette Davis’ yearbook entry BOTTOM: Ham Nelson’s yearbook entry

1925

William Bryan

the Academy. Known as Billie to her friends, she was a native of Jacksonville, Fla. She was celebrated for her dancing, played the piano, was a member of The Breeze staff, and served as her class secretary.

1926

Principal James W. Vose ’99

When Dr. Cowell retired in 1926, he was replaced by a familiar face: James W. Vose, the son of the school’s second head (see pg. 6). He had also been a member of the alumni basketball team that had won the New England Championship in 1900 (see pg. 12). Mr. Vose is the only alumnus ever to have served as head of school.

He was Dr. Cowell’s self-selected successor. Perhaps his greatest contribution to Cushing is the establishment of Mountain Day, in Dr. Cowell’s honor. His years at Cushing were relatively uneventful and he continued, in large measure, in Dr. Cowell’s footsteps. He introduced Parents’ Day, a movie projector in the chapel, and radios in the dormitories. He also coined the phrase “Happy Cushing Family.” He resigned in 1933 after seven years of service to the Academy.

1925

Billie Geter was named valedictorian the Class of 1925 and became Cushing’s first African American valedictorian.

Scopes trial took place in Tennessee. The court found John Scopes guilty of violating the Butler Act by teaching evolution.

Nellie Tayloe Ross became Governor of Wyoming, the nation’s first woman governor.

Mountain Day Tradition

Mountain Day was instituted by Principal James W. Vose in the fall of 1926. Dr. Cowell had a fondness for walking the mountains of the region and Vose began the tradition of Mountain Day in honor of Cowell’s birthday on Oct. 10.

On Oct. 17, 1926, Cushing’s tradition of Mountain Day began. According to The Breeze, departure was confusion and hurry. About 250 people left at 9:45 am and arrived at the mountain 90 minutes later. They stopped for lunch at Halfway House, which no longer

1926

exists, and enjoyed the view from the summit for about an hour.

Although Mountain Day has traditionally taken place on Mount Mondadnock, for a few years during World War II, the school climbed Mount Watatic instead, because gas rationing meant the buses couldn’t travel as far.

The community still travels to Mount Monadnock today. It’s not the surprise trip it once was, but the students and faculty enjoy the day off from classes—usually on a day in late September.

Dr. Cowell resigned due to ill health and was succeeded by James W. Vose.

1926

NBC was founded. Ernest Hemingway published The Sun Also Rises

Students boarding the bus; James W. Vose

1927–28 An Autograph Book

Harriet “Hat” Nutting Slack ’28 had an autograph book to help her remember her Cushing friends.

One note, from Elizabeth “Betty” Palmer Bedell ’27, says,

When you get old and cannot see Put on your specs and think of me.

According to her yearbook, Betty was a bit of a dreamer, but still an honor student. She was voted Ideal Cushing Student in her senior year. She attended Wheaton College, received a master’s degree in education in France, and taught high school.

Hat, according to her yearbook, was “famous for the number of refreshment committees she has been on.” She was a member of the Minervian Society. She attended the University of New Hampshire, where she was a member of Kappa Delta. She was a member of the New Hampshire League of Arts and Crafts.

1929

Life at Cushing Circa 1929

1929 was a big year for the Academy. Parent’s Weekend was new, held the weekend before Mother’s Day. The girls hosted coeducational teas for the first time that year, helping them to become “proficient in the fine art of hospitality,” notes The Breeze. “Both boys and girls were surprised to find what good times they could have under the conventions of society,” it went on to say.

A student council was formally organized, as was a chess club. Cushing welcomed its first woman trustee that year—Gertrude Sanderson Brown ’97—as well as some well-known faculty members, including James W. Vose, Paul Heslin, and Elizabeth Penny—who would marry Coach Heslin a few years later. It was also the year Fred D. Lane was honored for his 50 years of service to Cushing.

In 1928, the Board of Trustees had purchased a moving picture machine for the Academy, which, The Breeze noted, “aid[ed] greatly in furnishing amusement for the student body.” However, the machine required a license to operate, and it would be the following year before a new math teacher, Joseph Randall, secured one. The first movie ever presented on campus was The Haunted House, in which heirs to an estate are summoned to a house where they meet the rather creepy staff. It starred Larry Kent, Thelma Todd, and Edmund Breese. Student

organizations sponsored the movies, creating a fundraising opportunity for those groups. The Academy also presented news reels on Friday nights at no cost.

Just a few years later, in 1931, the Academy purchased radios for the common rooms in Lowe, Vose, and Ashburnham House. The radio, declared The Breeze, was an “important instrument in the ‘accidental’ education of youth.”

There were other ways to keep busy too. Dances were a regular part of school life by the 1930s and were frequently sponsored by student groups who hired musicians to provide the music. Each year there was a masquerade ball, a senior ball, a junior prom, and a commencement dance. But there were smaller events too, called tea dances, slightly more informal and held in the Ashburnham House common room. Varied performers came to campus, including guest speakers and musicians.

Principal Vose welcomed students to his house on Saturday evenings, and dorms often hosted games and music in their common rooms. Then, as now, students sometimes traveled to nearby locations with members of the faculty.

By the mid-1930s, Winter Carnival was an anticipated event, with a full slate of outdoor events in addition to a play and a ball.

1927

1929

CBS was founded. Charles Lindbergh, in a plane called The Spirit of Saint Louis , completed the world’s first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Jazz Singer , starring Al Jolson, ended the silent movie era.

1928

Herbert Hoover was elected President.

Walt Disney created the first Mickey Mouse cartoon.

The Great Depression began with the stock market crash on October 29.

1927

Marguerite Sawyer arrived at Cushing, beginning a career that would last 40 years.

Paul Heslin arrived at Cushing. Gertrude S. Brown became the Academy’s first female trustee.

On Oct. 29, 1929, Black Tuesday, the United States stock market crashed and was the beginning of a worldwide economic depression that would last throughout the 1930s. Principal James Vose had been Cushing’s head for just over three years when the Great Depression began and he would guide the school through the crash and the three years that followed it.

In 1930, Cushing carried a debt of just $5,000. The school had not been free from debt since the 1893 fire necessitated the construction of a new Main Building. In spite of the economic uncertainty, that debt was retired in 1931—a feat made all the more remarkable because it happened even as the school spent considerable funds expanding and maintaining its physical plant, appropriating money for new laboratory equipment and purchasing Stone House.

The school’s finances were less dire than they might have been, due to the generosity and forward thinking of several benefactors who, over the course of just three years (1930–33) left bequests to the Academy that totaled nearly $350,000 and provided money for scholarships, faculty salaries, and maintenance of the grounds and buildings.

Perhaps the most obvious sign of the Great Depression at Cushing was the reduction in enrollment, particularly in the early days of the 1930s. In the fall of 1930, enrollment was 128 students. Between 1929 and 1934, enrollment dropped nearly 22 percent. There was an unexpected uptick in enrollment at the beginning of the 1935–36 school year, but scholarship needs more than doubled and

1935 saw an increase in the number of students leaving the school and the number who left their bills unpaid.

Then, as now, there were regular requests in the alumni bulletin for alumni to give to the Academy’s endowment. In 1932, the editor wrote, “What a comfort in these days of economic uncertainty an adequate, elastic endowment fund would be to Cushing!”

In 1933, when Clarence Quimby took over the reins, the school closed its books with a small deficit, although it was small enough to be mostly covered by the previous year’s overage and a small balance to carry forward. The Bulletin indicated that “Like private investments, the invested funds of the Academy show[ed] a sharp loss in income and drop in valuation.” There were occasional references to the difficulty of funding things, such as the publication of the yearbook, which began its existence in 1933.

In spite of the jumpy enrollments and prices of the 1930s, Cushing survived under the capable leadership of Principal Quimby.

1932

1930

Pluto was discovered.

1931 Empire State Building opened.

The “Star Spangled Banner” became the national anthem of the United States.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected President.

Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean solo and the first person ever to fly across it twice.

Cushing held its first Stunt Night, an evening of skits performed by students and faculty.

In 1930, Cushing carried a debt of just $5,000. ... that was retired in 1931—a feat made all the more remarkable because it happened even as the school spent considerable funds expanding and maintaining its physical plant.

Paul and Elizabeth Heslin, Mountain Day, 1931

DAVID SHANKBONE

1933

Principal Clarence Quimby

Clarence Paul Quimby came to Cushing in 1933 and stayed until 1956. He had known both Cowell and Vose and the Academy’s trustees had specifically asked him to come to Cushing. He was a graduate of Bates College, which granted him an honorary doctorate in 1954. He saw the Academy through the lingering consequences of the Great Depression and through World War II.

In 1954, Quimby became the Academy’s first headmaster—prior to that, heads of school were called principal. He was an energetic and passionate teacher and leader. An ardent sports fan, both Quimby Field and Heslin Gymnasium would be constructed during his tenure. His personal campus hobby was debating and he coached the Cushing

debating teams for 20 years. Under his watch, the number of boarding students increased from 70 to 200.

When he retired, the faculty thanked him for his progressive leadership, particularly under stress of economic depression and a world war, and gave him their admiration for “his personal gifts, qualities, and indefatigable devotion to duty.” He would be seen on campus for many years following his service to the Academy. He died in 1982, aged 92.

Penguins Come into Being

In 1933, Clyde Cooke oversaw the creation of the school’s first yearbook, which he named The Penguin. Prior to that, graduating seniors were memorialized in the summer issue of The Breeze, which featured a retrospective of the class, information about commencement, and photos of the seniors.

Although 1933 was the year “the penguin” made its first appearance at the Academy, it really was just the name of the yearbook. It would take about a decade for the penguin to become the Academy’s mascot. In 1940, the seniors gave “Peter Penguin” an entry in their yearbook, along with a picture of a penguin-shaped snowman. Peter reappeared in the 1943 yearbook and again in 1946 where he “resumed his responsible position as mascot of the class” and as a tribute of sorts to those who had fought in the war. The first reference to the Academy’s sports teams as penguins happened around 1943, and by 1945, the appellation was common.

It isn’t clear why Cooke chose the penguin for the yearbook. Perhaps, as coach of the Academy’s skiing team, Mr. Cooke had a fondness for arctic animals. In fact, when that first yearbook was published, he began collecting penguins. In a 1937 interview, he said that his favorite collectible was a penguin on skis. He and his wife also named their home on High Street “Penguin Peak.”

1934

Oliver Stone’s Cobbler Shop

In 1913, the Academy had purchased the home of the town cobbler, Oliver Stone (see pg. 18) and in 1934, the Academy acquired Mr. Stone’s shop, located across the street. After Ollie Stone suffered a stroke, the Class of 1934 dedicated a yearbook page to him, wishing him a speedy recovery and praising his sunny

1933

1933

Cushing’s first yearbook was published; Clyde Cooke called it The Penguin , and established the school’s mascot.

James W. Vose resigned and Clarence Quimby became Principal.

The 20th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, moving the beginning and ending of terms, for president, vice president, and members of Congress, from March to January.

The 21st Amendment was also ratified, repealing Prohibition.

1934

Robert Hanscom joined the faculty; he would stay until the spring of 1966.

The Academy acquired Oliver Stone’s cobbler shop.

In his first inauguration speech, FDR said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Adolf Hitler was named Chancellor of Germany.

1936

George V of England died, making his son Edward VIII; Edward abdicated the throne in December to marry Wallis Simpson.

Civil War broke out in Spain.

Dr. John Mason began his 34-year tenure as the school’s doctor.

disposition and his happy willingness to repair all things resembling shoes. “The ceiling and walls of his shop are freely decorated with the names and faces of Cushing alumni,” they wrote. “He has mended their shoes, sharpened their skates, and revived their spirits on occasions too numerous to mention.” The cobbler shop is still there on School Street, now home to the Academy’s Security Office. Throughout the years, however, the building has been home to a number of things—including a music practice room, a smoking shack, a student lounge, and more—and many of the school’s alumni have fond memories of the shack.

1938

The Great Hurricane Hits Cushing

On Sept. 21, 1938, a once-in-a-generation hurricane hit New England. The Great Hurricane of 1938 killed approximately 600 people in New England and damaged thousands of homes and farms. One report indicates that more than 2.7 billion trees fell. Cushing’s trees were not spared.

At about 4 pm, the rain was pounding on the school’s windows and the winds were howling. The electricity failed and trees began to fall. Valerie Miller ’39, writing for The Breeze, noted that it was “Quite a spectacular way to begin school and quite a

thrill for New Englanders, who read of such disasters in books and papers and saw them on the movie screen, but never hoped to actually see one!”

Trees were not the only casualty of the storm. Telephone poles were thrown down by the wind and the gale blew the chimneys and part of the roof off of Lowe Hall. A group of boys braved the elements that evening to bring the girls of Lowe Hall some supper, which they ate by the light of candles. The students were sad at the loss of so many trees, but Miller noted that when they learned of the tragedies that had occurred elsewhere, “we were thankful that we were fortunate to escape as we did.”

1937

The Hindenburg caught fire in New Jersey. The Golden Gate Bridge opened in San Francisco, Calif.

Amelia Earhart went missing while attempting to circumnavigate the globe. Japan invaded China, initiating World War II in the Pacific.

1938

In September, the Great New England Hurricane took the chimneys off of Lowe Hall.

The Fair Labor Standards Act established a minimum wage.

Orson Welles performed War of the Worlds Hitler invaded Austria.

The pogrom known as Kristallnacht took place in November.

1939

Due to heavy rains, Ashburnham flooded in April 1939—school was closed for an afternoon and spring vacation postponed a week due to washed-out roads and bridges.

Cushing, under the direction of Paul Heslin, had its second undefeated football team.

Snow White became the first animated full-length feature, and Gone with the Wind premiered.

Nazi Germany invaded Poland, initiating World War II in Europe.

1939

Mr. Cooke’s lab, 1935

Graduation day, 1939

1940

Parker Lane

Today, there’s a walking path that runs between Quimby Field on the right and Lowe and Cooke Halls on the left. It used to be a road and in 1940, the Cushing Academy Board of Trustees dubbed it Parker Lane in memory of Captain Walter O. Parker, whom they called a “soldier, merchant, good citizen, auditor, and trustee.” At that time, the road was lined on both sides by trees, given to the town by Capt. Parker.

Did You Know?

A Congressional act in 1938 made Nov. 11 a legal holiday “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’” In 1954 it became “Veterans Day.”

1940

Parkman Hall was demolished.

1940

1942 Cushing and World War II

In December 1932, in a column submitted to The Breeze, a student suggested that the armistice that ended the Great War should be celebrated so that the world, which was experiencing a vast amount of change, didn’t forget the horrors of that conflict. “Are we, the youth of today,” the student wrote, “going to witness another such ghastly catastrophe, or will we show the progress of our modern civilization of which we are so proud and settle these problems with peace?”

Just a decade later, in 1942, The Breeze editors observed that the United States was going through the darkest period of its history and that the British Empire had the odds stacked against her. They clearly felt it was important to take the offense and worried about the nation’s “too little, too late” policy. They worried about graduation and the prospects of being drafted. They worried that even if

they weren’t drafted or didn’t enlist that college would be out of the question due to war taxation.

The Class of 1942 was one of the school’s largest to that time, and they would see the beginning of life during war at the Academy. Cushing was an active part of Ashburnham’s defense program, and students and faculty were taking courses in first aid, offered on campus. Members of the Outing Club spent 24 hours each Saturday being responsible for the plane-spotting station. Many of the girls and faculty members spent their time knitting for the Red Cross and British Relief. In the fall of 1942, enrollment dipped to 157. Cushing students—boys and girls—started drill groups so they’d be ready to fight.

In 1943, the Academy offered a class in pre-flight aeronautics to teach the students the basics of aviation, the structure of an airplane, and the importance of the airplane for civilian and military purposes. A course in military training was added to the curriculum

The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 was passed, the first peacetime conscription in U.S. history.

Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of England.

The Battle of Britain ended in defeat for Nazi Germany.

1941

Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II by declaring war against Japan, Germany, and Italy. Plutonium was chemically identified.

1942

FDR ordered the relocation and internment of Japanese Americans.

The first extermination of Jewish prisoners took place at Auschwitz II–Birkenau. The Manhattan Project began.

In 1942, more than 100 alumni and faculty were serving their country. By commencement 1943, there were more than 300 alumni and faculty serving, with several having given their lives; 18 members of the community ultimately perished in World War II.

as well, giving students some experience in military tactics and the handling of a gun. Cushing students 18 and older could take the V-12 exam at the school, designed to test the aptitude and knowledge of candidates interested in becoming commissioned officers.

The graduating Class of 1943 was half the size of 1942 because of the number of boys who left to join the service. Enrollment rebounded the following year, but with more girls. Ash House was turned into a girls’ dorm to accommodate them. Social activities suffered. One editorial in The Breeze encouraged the girls to “share their man.” Another editor noted, “The lack of boys in the school is apparent. For that reason we cannot have as many dances as in previous years.” Instead, there were more movies.

Because of rationing, there were fewer cars on the road, and rather than climbing Mount Monadnock for Mountain Day, the school traveled to the much-closer Mount Watatic. Students read telegrams with the names of the killed and missing in action. As if the war wasn’t bad enough, there was also a measles outbreak at Cushing in 1943.

Students were collecting rubber and iron, buying war stamps and bonds, and rationing.

They had to deal with an increase in the cost of living and the knowledge that their friends and classmates were being drafted and enlisting. They were donating books to send to service men and women.

Many of the alumni news items in The Breeze referred to military promotions or the role of alumni in battle. Faculty members left to join the service too, including John Creighton, who had been the head of the Math Department from 1935 until 1942 and died in service. Paul Heslin and Brad Lamson joined as well, though they would return to the Academy when the war was over.

In 1942, more than 100 alumni and faculty were serving their country. By commencement 1943, there were more than 300 alumni and faculty serving, with several having given their lives; 18 members of the community ultimately perished in World War II.

Alumni veterans came to visit. Bill Swift ’39, a veteran of Guadalcanal, returned in 1943 to speak to the students about his experiences. Harold Rideout ’39 entered the service, only to be captured by the Germans when his plane was forced out of the sky over Tunisia. He was held in a prison camp and became the first U.S. officer to escape from a German prison

camp. After Italy surrendered, he escaped by walking more than 100 miles, eluding German soldiers along the way, and eventually joined allied forces. He returned to Cushing to pay a visit soon after his return to the country.

Twice a month, Principal Quimby sent 25 copies of a newsletter to Cushing boys in the service. Naturally, he received responses. Harold Gray from the South Pacific wrote, “We live in tents. It is very hot and rains every day—the mud is deep. The food is good even if it is mostly canned, powdered, or dehydrated. There are plenty of cocoanuts and bananas.” From Camp Lejeune, one alumnus wrote, “How are you making out with the military drill? Tell the fellows it will really help them if they ever go into the service. I used to doubt it, but I know now.”

With fewer boys and the loss of Coach Heslin, there were fewer sports available in the fall of ’43. Only football and tennis. Football, incidentally, was coached by a new member of the faculty named Henry Hunt, who would become a Silver Penguin before his career was done. Reflecting the change in the wider world of women taking on a bigger role in daily life, Cushing’s girls’ sports got more press in the school paper.

1945

1943

Residents of the Warsaw Ghetto resisted German forces, leading to the destruction of the ghetto.

Benito Mussolini was deposed.

1944

The Normandy Landings and the Battle of the Bulge took place. Harry Truman was elected President.

1945

The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Germany surrendered, and World War II came to an end.

The United Nations was established.

1946

Cushing After World War II

In 1939, Cushing’s board decided to build a new dormitory for its rapidly expanding student body. By 1940, however, that plan was on hold. The world was at war and there was no way to acquire the necessary materials—or money—for building. During the war, the number of enrolled boys dropped and the number of girls enrolled grew—grew so much that Ashburnham House was given to them— but the board knew that as soon as the war was over, they would need to implement that plan to build.

They were correct. Ground was broken on a new dorm in the fall of 1945, and a fundraising campaign began. Ultimately, the school would raise $70,000 toward its construction from more than 750 alumni donors and many of the Academy’s alumni classes furnished rooms in the new building. The new building, named Alumni Hall in honor of those generous alumni donors, was dedicated in the fall of 1947. In 1946, Ashburnham House returned to the boys and its dining room expanded, increasing its capacity from 150 to 250—a necessity given the school’s record enrollment. There were 296 students enrolled that year, including 77 veterans.

Of course, the new facilities weren’t the only thing that were different at Cushing immediately following the end of World War II. The student body was different too. Many students had gone off to fight before finishing their secondary schooling. When the war was over, they returned home eager to get back on track academically. That meant that

a good number of the boys at Cushing weren’t really “boys” at all, but rather young men. One alumna from the Class of 1948 told us, “They were old. They were given a lot of privileges we didn’t have, like smoking. There were barrels filled with wood and fire and the boys would stand around them smoking. The girls weren’t allowed to smoke.”

By 1947, total enrollment at the Academy was 319 and the Class of 1948 numbered 149— the largest class ever—and nearly 50 of them were veterans.

The faculty grew to keep up with the growing student body. Coach Heslin and Brad Lamson returned to their duties and eleven new faculty members joined the staff, increasing the number of faculty by two, keeping the teacher-to-student ratio at about 1:15. Clarence Quimby, in a letter to alumni, noted that the administration was committed to keeping the ratio at about that level—and that while enrollment was large, it would not get larger—because the charm of the Acad-

emy was its friendly nature and that students got a better education in the smaller classes. They were committed to keeping those as the Academy’s strengths. “We do not seek to be a larger Cushing, but we want to make Cushing more comfortable and better. We do not wish to lose sight of our proverbial friendliness. We shall continue to offer sound college preparation in a wholesome environment to the children of alumni who are seeking this sort of training for their boys and girls.”

A New Hockey Rink

Back in 1924, Cushing built its first hockey rink, down the hill from Lowe Hall. But outdoor rinks are difficult to maintain in good working order, and so hockey was only occasionally played at the school. In 1946, Cushing spent $1,200 to build a rink between Ash House and Lowe Hall. Many Cushing alumni tell stories about flooding that space each winter, with hoses brought down from Ash House, and then putting up the boards.

1948

Alumni Hall—one-third of the construction cost of which was provided by donations from alumni—was dedicated.

1946

Juan Perón was elected President of Argentina.

Ho Chi Minh was elected President of North Vietnam.

Laurence Olivier’s Henry V opens in the U.S., the first Shakespearean film in color.

It’s a Wonderful Life opened in New York.

1947

Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color line in the United States.

Anne Frank’s diary was published.

The U.S. armed forces were desegregated.

The State of Israel was established.

The Polaroid Corporation launched the first instant camera.

After World War II, the Academy leaned heavily on its alumni, families, and friends to help build its facilities as the student body grew.

1947

Cushing Establishes an Alumni Office

In June 1947, the board voted to establish a permanent alumni office. Brad Lamson (see pg. 44), who had returned from service in World War II, was the first Alumni Secretary. As noted in the alumni Bulletin, “the aim of the office will be to serve you wherever and whenever it can. If you have any thoughts as to how it may be of service to you or to the alumni body as a whole, please drop us a line as we welcome any and all suggestions.”

1948

Dewey Defeats Truman!

In most election years, Cushing held its own election, giving the students the opportunity to learn about the candidates and the issues. In addition, these elections were often set up like actual voting locations so that students would know what to expect when it came their time to exercise their civic duty. In 1948, Cushing students overwhelmingly voted for Thomas Dewey, who beat out Harry Truman by a vote of 183 to 65.

1949

Nellie Cushing Looks Back

In 1949, Nellie Cushing, at that time the school’s oldest living graduate (1880) was interviewed about the differences in school life between her time and that time. She said Mr. Vose strenuously objected to dancing, but in the afternoon students were allowed to promenade in the auditorium. Once, they

decided to form a circle and Mr. Vose taped his cane on the floor and exclaimed, “We will have no such dancing in this hall.” The Class of 1880 had to present essays from the graduation platform in order to graduate. “The girls were permitted to read their essays, but the boys had to memorize theirs,” Nellie said.

1951

Cushing on Vinyl

In 1951, trustee and philanthropist George Hoffman paid to have five Cushing songs recorded by the Harvard band on 12-inch vinyl records. Alumni were encouraged to purchase the records, the proceeds of which went to the Alumni Fund.

1952

Not-Quite Silver Penguin: Madeleine Gaylor

In 1928, a young Madeleine Gaylor joined the faculty at Cushing, where she taught vocal music in cooperation with Rosabelle Temple. She taught organ, piano, harmony, and music appreciation. She was the advisor for both the Germanae and Minervian societies, and when Temple retired in 1938, Gaylor took over the leadership of the Music Department. At the beginning of World War II, she left Cushing to work with boys in military service, and when the war was over, she worked for a few years at Old Avon Schools doing therapeutic work with boys who had lost their eyesight. In 1947, she returned to Cushing before retiring in 1952—just one year shy of Silver Penguin status.

A Light Dies

Acknowledging the death of King George VI of England, The Breeze editors commended him for staying in his home country during World War II and not running to a safer place, noting, “Many of the English people might have given up had it not been for the example set by their King.” They wrote that the new Queen, Elizabeth II, had a tremendous job in front of her and they were confident that she would be as loyal and capable as her father had been.

1949

Nuremberg Trials came to an end. South Africa institutionalized apartheid. Germany split into the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany.

1950

In February, Senator Joseph McCarthy produced a list of people he claimed were known Communists.

North Korea invaded South Korea in June, and U.S. forces traveled there in July to fight on behalf of South Korea.

The Vine-Clad Tower Burns

On March 5, 1952, Ashburnham experienced an unusual winter electrical storm. A lightning strike hit the peak of the Main Building’s tower, setting it ablaze. After two hours of burning, which Principal Quimby called “a spectacular pyre,” the top of the tower was destroyed (pictured above, before on left, after on right) and the Main Building was flooded with water. Happily, the late winter ice and snow that covered much of campus protected the building from flying embers and quick action by local fire departments prevented more serious damage.

1951

The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution established presidential term limits.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were tried for treason and sentenced to death. The first color television program was broadcast.

1952

Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected President.

Elizabeth II became Queen of England.

1948–54

Life at Cushing at Mid-Century

Back at the turn of the century, life at Cushing was fairly simple, including visits to local mountains, school dances, sports, guest speakers, and more (see pg. 14). Following World War II, although the school’s enrollment boomed and technology became more advanced, many of those activities remained. Not everything was the same, of course. Between 1946 and 1953, Cushing spent more than $600,000 on improvements to campus. Alumni Hall opened in 1948. During its construction, the excavated dirt was moved to a spot downhill from Lowe Hall. The location had originally been marshy and swampy (and home to the short-lived Price Rink, back in 1924). In the summer of 1949, the school moved the brook 100 feet to the north and then leveled the area using the construction dirt, creating a general utility field with a cinder track on the outside and a straightaway that permitted a 100 yard dash. In 1962,

this field would be dedicated to Clarence Quimby (see pg. 32).

Tennis courts were added to the land between Lowe Hall and Ashburnham House. In the winter, the courts were flooded and used as a hockey rink. The school rebuilt the vine-clad tower after a fire in 1952 and added an entirely new heating system. The school’s library was completely renovated in 1950 through the generosity of George Hoffman. At his suggestion, the room was dedicated in memory of Marcus Coolidge, former president of the board. In 1951, Stone House was restored and “modernized with a television set” and renamed “Lilac Lodge.”

Beginning in 1950, there started to be a sense that the gym in the Main Building was too small. Not altogether unlike today, as the gym was used for practices, exercise, and entertainment, the space was in nearconstant use. Girls used it from 3 to 4:15 pm and boys from 4:15 until 5:45 pm, but there didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to squeeze everything in. By the summer of 1955,

visitors to campus could see the plans and the architect’s model for a proposed gymnasium.

In addition to the changes in the school’s physical plant, the curriculum was also different than it had been 50 years prior. Where classes then had focused on the Classics and preparing students for jobs, by mid-century, the school’s academics were clearly focused on preparation for college. In addition, the atmosphere of the school had taken on a flavor that even today’s students would recognize, with a clear focus on the needs of individual students. The 1948 catalog said, “Cushing’s program is a broad one, giving to each student the opportunity of electing subjects that fit his particular needs and plans. Individuals vary widely in interests, aptitudes, and abilities. These differences necessitate an organization capable of understanding, measuring, and developing the individual. To this end, Cushing instructors make a careful study of each student. The principal, dean, and faculty members spend considerable time testing and analyzing students’ native abili-

Afternoon coedders in the Alumni Common room, 1951

Studying in a dorm room, 1948

ties and in guiding them into courses that are suitable for them.”

In spite of these changes, many of the Academy’s pre-war traditions remained. Winter Carnival was still the highlight of the winter season, with Lois Cann’s plays kicking off the festivities each year and the Carnival Ball giving the students the chance to show off their fancy clothes. Mountain Day was still—as it is now—a highlight of the fall and returned to Mount Monadnock after having been hosted at Mount Watatic during the war. Stunt night, which featured skits and sketches put on by various student groups, was also a tradition and a high point of school life at this time.

Movies had come to campus in the late 1920s and were still a feature of school life at mid-century; indeed, Saturday night movies were a favorite time for coedding. In addition, there were open houses on Friday nights in the Alumni Hall Pine Room, where students could dance and play games. The school’s treasurer, Paul Rockwood, sponsored a crib -

bage tournament in 1949 in the Ash House common room, which was an annual affair for several years.

Each year on Oct. 24, the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations was celebrated with services at the Ashburnham town hall, where Principal Quimby was often a speaker and at which two students represented the student body. In 1950, Alice Phinney presented the Academy with a United Nations flag.

Afternoons were sometimes spent learning square and ballroom dancing, with time for coedding on Wednesdays and Sundays. From 9 to 11 am on Saturdays, teachers were available for extra help. A manners class was also held each Saturday morning. When the weather turned cold, the residents of Alumni Hall hosted a fire-lighting ceremony, “symbolizing the friendships which are made and which, like the flames, grow stronger and stronger as time goes on.”

Students attended daily exercises in the school chapel, a Sunday morning service in a

Christian church of their choice in the community, and the Sunday five o’clock vespers service in the school chapel. Special visitors came to vespers often, including local school leaders, alumni, reverends, and others.

Students put pennies in the School Boy’s lunch pail for good luck. A contemporary school catalogue noted, “Automobiles, motorcycles, and pistols are forbidden; guns and rifles were allowed only by special permission.” The Academy’s administration recommended an allowance of not more than $1 per week.

Meals were also a source of entertainment and a place for socialization. One member of the Class of 1948 said, “Meals were formal and lovely. There were 12 or 13 tables that each seated 10 people. We’d sit at a table for two weeks and then switch to a new table with different people. In a very short time, we got to know everybody.” Daily (in 1949), more than 20 pounds of butter and 250 quarts of milk were consumed. The most popular dishes in the dining hall were turkey and roast beef.

1953

Silver Penguin: Henry Davis

A 25-year-old Henry Davis came to Cushing in 1905 to work as an engineer and keeper of the school’s boiler room. Writing about him in The Bulletin, the editors noted, “Now in his eighty-third year, he works daily with his coal shovel to keep up the steam pressure and often can be found with his pipe wrench, stopping a leak or installing a faucet. Students and faculty alike enjoy dropping in to chat with Henry as he contentedly smokes his pipe between boiler stokings.” In 1953, the senior class dedicated their yearbook to Mr. Davis and his 48 years of service to the Academy. At 73, however, he wasn’t slowing down much. He wouldn’t retire until 1962—after spending 57 years in service to the Academy, its students, and its faculty.

Heslin Gymnasium

The construction of Heslin Gymnasium was completed in 1957, paid for in part by money raised through the Alumni Fund and the Parents Christmas Fund. When it officially opened on Apr. 23, 1957, The Breeze called it a “thrilling experience.” More than 500 alumni, parents, and students attended the opening to see its electronic scoreboards, “ultra-modern” glass backboards, and wooden pull-out bleachers. “A 7–3 victory over the Deerfield baseball team provided a suitable climax to the dedication ceremonies,” declared The Breeze.

The school added a student lounge as well—in what is now the weight room. The lounge had a snack bar and was a popular place for students to socialize with friends.

Although constructed in 1957, it wasn’t

1954

Vincent V.R. Booth ‘23 became president of the board.

Quimby changed his title to Headmaster.

was honored with the naming of the building. That honor commemorated his 30th anniversary of appointment to the Academy.

1958 Silver Penguin: Clyde Cooke

L. Clyde Cooke came to Cushing in 1914 and stayed, almost uninterrupted, until 1958. He and his second wife, Erma Wheeler Cooke, had nearly 60 years of service to Cushing Academy. Cooke also had three sisters who attended Cushing.

According to Cushing Historian Frank Rand, “Mr. Cooke was the students’ companion, mentor, and advocate. He was with them,

1953

1953

The final armistice in the Korean War was signed. Crick and Watson identified the molecular structure of DNA.

Edmund Hillary and Nepalese mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, ending state-sponsored segregation in public schools.

The first successful kidney transplant between living patients in the U.S. took place in Boston.

The French position in Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam, was overtaken by the Viet Minh.

1955

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus, leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr., as a civil rights leader. The first mass immunizations against polio took place. Disneyland opened on July 17.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Move-in day, 1952

Happy kids, 1954

The hallway blackboard, 1957

and of them, and for them.” A 1921 Breeze notes, “Even the most indolent student can hardly fail to learn something worthwhile in a period spent in one of his classes.” Mr. Cooke was the architect of a science club, the Penguin yearbook—indeed it was he who named it the Penguin (see pg. 32)—the Outing Club, and Cushing’s annual Winter Carnival, the first of which took place in the winter of 1922, based on a similar event held each year at Mr. Cooke’s alma mater, Dartmouth.

In 1933, he refused the position of Cushing Academy principal. In 1955, the Alumni Association wrote of him, “Through his personal example as a gentleman, instructor, coach, and friend, Mr. Cooke truly represents the best of all Cushing traditions—the teacher.” He and his wife lived in a home on High Street in Ashburnham, which they named Penguin Peak.

In 1956, he and his wife were seriously injured in a car accident while on vacation in the Midwest. When they returned, his teaching schedule become part-time. His retirement became permanent in 1958 and in 1961 Cooke Hall was named in their honor.

1959

Price Infirmary is Built

The Charles Morris Price Infirmary was completed in 1959, built largely with money from George Hoffman’s estate. Prior to its construction, the Academy had two infirmaries—one for boys and one for girls—and

1956

Ralph O. West became Headmaster.

The Mary Hare property was acquired by the Academy and became home to several decades of boys and girls. In 2011, after a renovation, it became Schottland House. The Cushing hockey team had an undefeated season.

Federal Aid Highway Act established the interstate system in the U.S. Egypt took control of Suez Canal.

they had moved around a bit, sometimes in Lowe, sometimes on the top floor of the Stone House, and sometimes in Ash House.

When it was built, Price had two sixbed wards, two private rooms, a clinic, two examination rooms, a reception room, a kitchen, and laundry facilities. It also had two full-time registered nurses, who lived in the attached apartment.

Today, the Academy’s infirmary is located on the bottom floor of Sawyer-Hopkins Hall and Price is a dormitory, housing boys.

Silver Penguin: Vivian Hopkins

Vivian Hopkins, affectionately known as “Hoppie” to both teachers and students, retired in 1959 after 36 years at Cushing. During her long career, she served as a dormitory head, registrar, and dean of girls. She also taught sociology and psychology, along with a class in good manners.

At her retirement, The Breeze wrote, “Her insistence on high standards of conduct and scholarship has influenced the lives of countless Cushing students.” The girls under her control may have found her expectations of their behavior more than a bit rigid, but Frank Rand noted that the “business of deanship is control and suppression and her standards of conduct were high. And the business of dean-

ship in a coeducational school is more exacting and arduous than elsewhere.”

Cushing Discharges an Obligation to Ashburnham

Because Ashburnham didn’t have a high school for many years, many town students went to Cushing. When an amendment of the Massachusetts Constitution precluded tuition payments being paid from tax revenues, the townspeople raised a fund of $57,400. Cash and securities were turned over to the Academy in October 1929 with the income of the fund restricted to pay tuition annually for 52 town students.

“The arrangement assumed a return of 5% and an annual tuition charge per student of $55,” recalled Vincent Booth ’23, who was president of the board in 1959. “Despite the stock market crash on the day we accepted the fund, Cushing continued to educate a total of 1,560 town students on the $55 basis. By 1958, tuition for other day students had grown to $600 and to continue the plan was economic suicide. Because Ashburnham and Westminster were constructing a regional high school, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court authorized Cushing to return the fund, which had doubled in value over 30 years, to Ashburnham.”

In June of 1959, Mr. Booth handed George Cornwall, Chairman of the Ashburnham Board of Selectmen, a check for $111,550 from Cushing Academy to the Town of Ashburnham, which discharged a 30-year-old obligation.

1957

Heslin Gymnasium was built.

1958 Clyde and Erma Cooke retired after more than 60 combined years of service to the Academy.

1959

Price Infirmary was built with funding from the George Hoffman estate.

1959

The Arkansas National Guard was sent to Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., to prevent integration.

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 became the first civil rights legislation passed in the U.S. since 1875; it was primarily a voting rights act.

NASA was established. In February, a plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper crashed in Iowa. The event would become known as “the day the music died.”

Hawaii became the 50th state. The Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet to lead a government in exile.

1960

Headmaster Ralph West

Ralph O. West, a Harvard alumnus, took over for the long-serving Clarence Quimby in 1956. He was described as having a youthful energy and idealism. According to Rand, West made it clear that in order to compete with other schools, the Academy needed to invest more money in salaries and buildings. He also changed the curriculum, requiring each student to take a program that would satisfy the minimum entrance requirements at all major colleges. He also introduced a classification system that was based not only on academic progress, but also students’ behavior, and led to increased or reduced privileges.

The Academy’s physical plant underwent some changes as well: Price Infirmary was built, the Hoffman Pavilion razed, the administrative offices were modernized, and Cooke Hall was built.

Perhaps there was some indication of dissatisfaction early on. In early 1957, one student wrote to The Breeze indicating a concern about the disconnect between the administration and the student body. There was also a controversy around compulsory attendance and Christian religious services for students who were not Christian. In the fall of 1958, one letter suggested that the Happy Cushing Family was no more. In 1960, Headmaster West tendered his resignation, feeling that his personality was ill-suited to the close associations necessary to a small boarding school headmaster.

1960

1960

The Civil Rights Act of 1960 was passed. John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon faced each other in the 1960 presidential election; Kennedy was elected the 35th President of the United States.

Howard Baker Becomes Headmaster

In 1960, Headmaster West submitted his resignation to the Cushing Academy Board of Trustees. He gave a year’s notice, however, so there was plenty of time for a search. In the fall of 1960, the board elected Howard Baker as the school’s next headmaster, to be effective in the fall of 1961.

Baker was a graduate of Mount Hermon, received an undergraduate degree from Oberlin College and received a master’s degree from Western Reserve University, after having served in the Navy during World War II. He spent several years on the faculty at Mount Hermon before coming to Cushing with his wife and three children.

He believed strongly in three areas of endeavor: social competency and responsibility, student leadership, and Christian education. He instituted the prefect system—which we now call the proctor system. He believed in freedom with responsibility, encouraging the students to monitor their own behavior, while having the freedom to interact with one another. He also instituted Sunday afternoon vespers in order to advance Christian education at the Academy.

He believed that all students should contribute to the running of the school and instituted a work program. “The basic plan,” he said in a Bulletin, “will involve about twothirds of the students working at assigned tasks of cleaning classrooms, corridors, and grounds for one-half hour immediately following the last academic period of the day.”

The remaining third of the students were assigned more administrative tasks during two or three free periods a week.

He made a lot of changes in a short time, but in spite of that—or perhaps because of it—Baker didn’t stay at Cushing very long. By the start of the 1963–64 school year, a different, though familiar, face was sitting at the headmaster’s desk: Bradford Lamson.

1961

Cooke Hall Dedicated

In the summer of 1961, Cushing dedicated its new boys’ dormitory, Cooke Hall, in honor of Mr. and Mrs. L. Clyde Cooke. Mr. Cooke came to the Academy in 1914 and stayed for nearly 50 years, finally retiring as head of the Chemistry Department. According to a 1961 Bulletin, he “fostered Cushing’s interest in winter sports, particularly skiing.” Together, Mr. and Mrs. Cooke served the Academy for nearly 60 years. Cooke Hall was constructed as a boys’ dorm, and at the time of its construction, permitted an increase of boarding students to 230.

Quimby Field is Dedicated

In 1949, a piece of land down the hill from Lowe Hall was turned into a general use field, in part by using fill from the construction of Alumni Hall. In the summer of 1961, that field was dedicated to former Headmaster Clarence Quimby—a name it bears to this day.

During the 1960 election, Kennedy and Nixon participated in the first presidential debates ever; the debates were televised.

President Kennedy established the Peace Corps with an executive order. The

failed.

Cooke Hall was constructed. Howard Baker became Cushing’s Headmaster.

Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba

A group of civil rights activists known as the Freedom Riders took their first bus trip—to New Orleans.

Russian Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey into outer space.

The border between East and West Germany was closed and the construction of the Berlin Wall began.

TOP ROW (L–R): Skaters outside in winter, 1961; Riding a Wilson bus, 1961 BOTTOM ROW: Silliness outside of Ashburnham House, 1961; Cooke Hall when it was new

1962

1962

Silver Penguin: Lois Cann

In the fall of 1923, Lois J. Cann came to Cushing to teach Expression class—a kind of public speaking class—but soon added drama to her program. Rand says, “She had a flair for psychology and an excellent memory for names and faces.” Her plays were traditionally a highlight of Winter Carnival. Her most famous student was Bette Davis, who in 1962—the year Cann retired from Cushing—became the first person to secure

10 Academy Award nominations for acting. She won twice: in 1935 for Dangerous and in 1938 for Jezebel. In 1963, Bette Davis donated a copy of her book A Lonely Life to the Academy’s library. In it, she referred to Cann as “A very remarkable dramatics coach to find in a small New England school.”

When Cann retired, The Breeze editors noted, “Besides teaching us the value of clear public speaking, the power of a good play, or the ability to stand before an audience, Miss Cann has given us an appreciation of poetry and its meaning in relation to our lives and dreams… Anyone who has ever been in one of the numerous plays presented throughout the years realizes that there is more than glory to be gained in working with Miss Cann. Besides the hard work of acting, there is the feeling of belonging to a group which is working toward a common goal trying to create something worthwhile.”

1963 Changes to the Academic Program

In the fall of 1963, Cushing introduced a requirement for students to choose one of several activities for non-academic credit. In order to graduate, a student had to acquire one such credit each year. The activities included drama, journalism, fine arts, choir, and glee club. It was hoped that the plan would introduce children to greater liberal arts involvement and training.

to Cushing as Headmaster

In 1955, Brad Lamson left Cushing after 19 years of service as history teacher, Dean of Boys, head of Ash House, assistant coach to Paul Heslin, and Alumni Secretary. His marriage to Jeanette Farwell ’31 was the first ever to be performed in Cowell Chapel. During World War II, he answered the call to military service and became a senior grade lieutenant in the Navy.

Mr. and Mrs. Lamson left in 1954 to pursue other opportunities and everyone assumed that they would be gone for good. However, after Headmaster Baker resigned in 1963, the Board of Trustees sought out Mr. Lamson, feeling that they needed a headmaster who understood the Academy well. Lamson accepted their offer and took up the reins of school, becoming Cushing’s eighth head. Soon after his arrival, he reinstated daily morning chapel, a rotating class schedule, and a personalized advisory system.

1963

Bradford Lamson returned to Cushing to become its headmaster.

1962

John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her bedroom, apparently of a drug overdose.

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev placed 90 nuclear missiles in Cuba, setting off the 13-day Cuban Missile Crisis.

Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote his “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” in April and gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in August.

John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald; Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) became president.

Lois Cann greets former student Bette Davis ’26, 1962

During his tenure, Sawyer-Hopkins was built; the top floor of the former gymnasium became a library and the lower level was used for PE classes for girls, a day student lounge, alumni office, school store, and A/V room. Other changes included financial stability, raising admissions requirements, social liberalization, and its share of crises during the Vietnam War.

1964

Silver Penguin: John Gillis

In 1938, a young cook named John Gillis made his home at Cushing Academy. He would go on to spend 26 years providing nutritious meals for Cushing students. “Mr. Gillis, as the head chef,” The Breeze noted at his retirement, “has made the Cushing cuisine outstanding among preparatory schools. To accomplish this, Mr. Gillis keeps vigilance over his kitchens from six o’clock in the morning to seven o’clock at night every day.” Mr. Gillis and his wife helped make Cushing a home away from home for more than two decades of Cushing students. Mr. Gillis passed away in 1964, just a few months after his retirement.

Cushing Alumnus Credited with Keeping Senator Ted Kennedy Alive

In June 1964, a campaigning Senator Ted Kennedy was badly injured in a plane crash near Northampton, Mass. He was rushed to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital, where Dr. Thomas F. Corriden ’13 was Chief of Staff.

1964

Vose House was purchased by Cushing.

According to an article in The Bulletin, “[Dr. Corriden] took heroic measures, including blood transfusions, in a successful attempt to rally the failing senator, and the efforts paid off… It was under Dr. Corriden’s personal supervision that Senator Kennedy was removed to New England Baptist Hospital in July.”

Vose House

Vose House was purchased by the Academy in 1964 as an overflow dormitory for girls. It was originally the Methodist Parsonage, built in 1883. From 1926 to 1933, it was owned by James W. Vose, Cushing’s headmaster during that time (see pg. 29). James Vose was the son of the Academy’s second headmaster (see pg. 6) and was also a member of the Cushing Graduates basketball team that won the New England Championship in 1900 with Frank Hardy as their manager/coach (see pg. 12). Vose died in 1961.

Vincent Ravi Booth ’23 Steps

Down as President of the Board

Cushing’s alumni are well-known for their commitment to the Academy, but few have as distinguished a record of service as Vincent Ravi Booth. He was an accomplished and driven member of the Class of 1923. He was editor-in-chief of The Breeze; president of the Philadelphian Society, the Cushing Christian Association, the Dramatic Club, and the Stu dent Council; and valedictorian of his class.

After Cushing, he graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law School and went on to be counsel for the New England Mutual Life Insur ance Company. He was also instrumental in the

founding of Bennington College in Vermont. Booth was described as a tireless, patient, resourceful, and dedicated leader. His reputation also included a disinclination to suffer fools gladly. He initially became a member of the Cushing Board of Trustees in 1937 and became president in 1954, a role he held for 10 years. His tenure as president saw the construction of Heslin Gymnasium, Price Infirmary, and Cooke Hall. Although he stepped down as president, he remained a member of the board for many years.

Mr. Booth passed away in 1987. In 1988, the Admissions Office was renovated and named in honor of Booth and his wife, Anne.

1964

LBJ launched the Great Society, in an attempt to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

LBJ signed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, officially beginning military operations in Southeast Asia.

LBJ defeated Barry Goldwater in the presidential election.

MLK won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Beatles gave their first live U.S. television performance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

FROM TOP: Move-in day, 1962; Paul Rabin ‘62 making a great play

Dance at Cushing

Dance first came to Cushing in 1961 as part of the physical education program and was for girls only. The first dance teacher was Mona Rice, a native of Fitchburg. Mona had her dance training in classical ballet and Denishawn dance from her mother-in-law, Marion Rice. Mona learned modern dance from various professional artists in Boston, including Consuelo Atlas, who was Alvin Ailey’s first female soloist, and Martha Graham, considered by many to be the founder of Modern Dance. She ran a studio in Ashburnham and taught Mr. and Mrs. West’s daughter in town. The headmaster and his wife saw such a positive change in their daughter they invited Mona to come to Cushing one day per week to teach. According to The Bulletin, “Mrs. West felt that the girls would benefit from a class

that would not only improve their posture but would also give them grace and poise.”

In the first few years, girls who wanted to dance joined the newly formed Dance Club. They were so enthusiastic that they asked to participate in the Fine Arts Festival, presented to the community each spring. For its first performance, the club performed an interpretive dance piece created by Marion Rice which Mona choreographed and taught them to the music of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, called “Rachmaninoff.”

By 1963, the Academy decided that a weekly dance class would be required of all girls every semester. Mona believed that dance was not only an excellent way to keep in shape, but was an important art form for creativity and self-expression. Mona created unique works with her students every year.

The first original dance piece was presented in the spring of 1965 and titled “Metamorphosis.” It depicted the changing seasons and their effect on humans. Other original dances by Mona included “Give a Damn” (1967), a work illuminating poverty and encouraging help for fellow man, and “Carmina Burana” (1973), a major work created to the powerful music of Carl Orff. She worked closely with Mary Fern, the theatre director, on the musicals, as well as with Ted Pierce, the music director. For Cushing’s Anniversary Celebration in 1975, Mona directed and choreographed “Creation,” a full evening of music, theatre, and dance.

Mona left Cushing in 1976 and other dance faculty followed. Over the years, Susie Carlisle, Julie Larson, Lise Brody, Chelle Salvucci, and others kept the dance spirit alive at the

Academy. Larson was known for her powerful Broadway-themed productions, Brody for her serious modern inventions, and Salvucci for her rich concerts blending science and dance.

Today, we continue the rich academic and choreographic tradition begun by Mona Rice. Rebecca Rice, Mona’s daughter and a professional modern dance choreographer and educator, came to the Academy in 2009 and serves as Cushing’s Director of Dance. “I was thrilled to discover a wealth of quality education in the arts now here at Cushing,” she said. Her philosophy is that all human beings are capable of not only learning to dance but to feel comfortable and empowered with the love of movement and the freedom of expression, joy, and creative innovations that dance can provide. Like her mother before her, Rebecca continues to teach Cushing students

the unique Denishawn repertoire, passed down from Ted Shawn to her grandmother.

Rebecca encourages students to find their own voices in original choreography, using movement as the medium, while at the same time cultivating and sharing their unique emotions and ideas with the community. She uses film, video, and other forms of technology to help students gain an appreciation of dance and understand its relationship to art and culture throughout the world. Yearly field trips to New York City and Boston provide opportunities to experience professional ballet and modern dance concerts in order to develop an appreciation and an understanding of dance as an art form.

There are now three courses in dance during the academic day, offered four days a week. Beginning and intermediate students

learn the physical rudiments and vocabulary of ballet, modern, and contemporary dance. Rebecca hopes they develop an understanding of technique and form as well as develop creativity. Classes in advanced technique help students refine and develop their technical skills, as well as learn challenging repertoire. After-school classes provide a welcome opportunity for those desiring to learn the basics of the art form or to seriously participate in advanced techniques or choreographic/performance opportunities. Rebecca hopes that all her dance students develop a love and appreciation for dance that continues to thrive for generations to come.

FACING PAGE (l–r): Rachel Zhu ’16 ; Mona Rice, 1975 THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left): Rebecca Rice; Mikaela Mutchler ’16, 2015 ; The Denishawn scarf dance, DeLachau Waltz, 2015; Dancers in 1965; Mona Rice, 1972

1965

1965

Launching the Academy’s Centennial Decade

In 1965, Cushing began a program, set to last a decade, to look at what the school needed to do to keep its place as a leading educational institution.

The program was to take place in four phases. The first phase included the modernization of the Main Building, a new science building, and a new senior girls’ dormitory to replace Vose Hall. The second phase would include a student union, which they hoped would be on the site of Lowe Hall and which would include a new dining hall, lounges, and activity rooms. The second phase would also include the construction of a boys’ dorm to replace Lowe.

Phase three was set to include a new skating rink, a girls’ gym with a swimming pool, more athletic fields, and tennis courts. Finally, the last phase would include growing the school’s endowment for faculty salaries, scholarships, and the expansion of Cushing’s “cultural program.”

Frank P. Rand ’08 was commissioned to write a history of the school—from which we borrow heavily for this sesquicentennial issue of Cushing Today.

Contracts were signed to renovate the old gymnasium space and create a library and an exercise space for girls. Rooms in Ash House and Lowe Hall were refinished. A new drainage system was installed around Alumni Hall and the dorm’s common space was completely refurbished. Trustee Wallace Girling gave six

1965

Trustee Wallace Girling donated a piece of land, located across Central Street, to be used for athletics. It is still used for that purpose today.

Activist Malcolm X was assassinated; shortly after, The Autobiography of Malcolm X , a collaboration with Alex Haley and considered one of the most influential books of the 20th century, was published.

acres of land across Central Street to the Acad emy to be used for athletics. Girling Field is still used for that purpose today. The Class of 1965 buried a time capsule that they intended to be opened in 2000, which it was.

As with many long-term plans, some came to fruition and some didn’t. A new girls’ dorm was built—completed in 1969 and named Sawyer-Hopkins Hall (see pg. 55). Lowe Hall still stands—and boys still live there—and it would be another two decades before the school had a proper student union. Thirty years would pass before the skating rink would become reality and 40 would pass before a new science building would be built. Better late than never.

Martin Luther King, Jr., led a march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery, Ala., to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by black voters in the South.

TOP : Teaching math, 1965; MIDDLE : Waiting tables in the dining hall; BOTTOM : Study Hall in girls’ gym

The Wallace Library

In the late 1950s, it started to become obvious that the school’s library arrangement—it was located at the end of the first floor where the Headmaster’s Office is now—wasn’t sufficient for a school of Cushing’s caliber. Students complained that it wasn’t open long enough—only a few hours a day, and not every day—and that it didn’t have the materials they needed to complete the course work expected of them by their teachers. Students often went to the Ashburnham library to study, but the times when they were allowed to leave campus were limited.

As part of the school’s centennial celebration, the school renovated its library, moving

it to the area that had been the second level of the old gym. During the Charter Day Convocation on May 8, 1965, the new Wallace Library was dedicated. Alice Wellington Wallace was a member of the Cushing Class of 1907 and was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1946. She was vice president of the board for several years and was elevated to emeritus status in 1962. She and her husband made generous donations to help get the renovation of the space underway.

Although the library has since been moved to the lowest level of the Main Building, Mrs. Wallace’s portrait is still located in the Admissions Lounge—the original location of the Wallace Library.

The Wallace Library had capacity for 25,000 volumes—quite an improvement from the school’s original library, which was home to approximately 2,000 volumes. The new library (above) featured 32 study carrels, a modern check-out unit, office, workroom, and audio-visual storage room, and had sufficient seating and study space for 75 to 100 students. As it has ever been, many of the books were gifts.

The Voting Rights Act, considered one of the most far-reaching pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. history, was passed.

Medicare was established. Great Northeast blackout occurred.

One of the donations to the new library was this grandmother clock from Dr. Goodrich Smith ’02. That clock is currently in the Alumni Office.

A New Schedule

When the students arrived on campus in the fall of 1965, there had been a change made to Cushing’s schedule that the Academy called “teaching by appointment.” The administration hoped that this would provide more flexibility and give students time to effectively prepare for class. Previously, classes had met five times a week throughout the school year. However, students taking five major classes often found themselves very busy and without enough time for extra help. The new schedule meant that classes in the major subjects met only four times per week, but for a longer time. On the fifth day of the week, faculty were encouraged to “teach by appointment,” giving extra help for students who needed it or extra work for students who were able to manage that. That appointment day was different each week.

1966

Cushing raised its admissions requirements and increased its financial aid to students.

1966

1966 Silver Penguin: Robert Hanscom

Robert Hanscom joined the Cushing faculty in 1934 as chair of the English Department and faculty advisor to The Breeze. He was a graduate of Bowdoin College and earned his master’s degree from Harvard in 1932. He spent 31 years at the Academy before retiring in the spring of 1966.

He was an award-winning newspaper advisor, winning awards from the National Scholastic Press Association in 1956 and 1958. Of course, advising The Breeze wasn’t the only thing he did at the Academy. He was also a beloved teacher of English who was described in an issue of The Bulletin as patient and painstaking. He also coached tennis.

He was a sympathetic and skilled counselor to generations of Cushing students. In addition to his responsibilities at the Academy, he was also a trustee for the Ashburnham town library. Hanscom and his wife, Dixie—who also served the Academy as Director of Social Activities, pianist, and hostess—sent two daughters to Cushing: Virginia ’53 and Robin ’58.

What Happened to the School Boy?

When the Cushing community awoke on a Sunday morning in May 1966, the School Boy statue was missing from its pedestal on School Street. For several days, campus was abuzz with questions about where it was and who had taken it. On Tuesday, it was returned, according to The Bulletin, “the victim of a teenage prank by three young men from a Boston suburb and ‘his’ return was supervised by one of the boys’ parents.”

On opening day in 1966, a major power failure left Cushing in the dark. That failure was followed by a boiler failure and two “instances of spontaneous combustion that provided excitement, much smoke, but no damage.”

National Organization for Women was founded. The Cultural Revolution began in China.

Lesotho, Botswana, and Barbados all achieved independence from the United Kingdom.

Student mailboxes, 1966

Boarding buses for Mountain Day, 1966

The Vietnam War at Cushing

Starting in about 1965, students began expressing some concern about the growing conflict in Vietnam. Some students felt the country’s containment philosophy was the way to go, but others were against military aggression of any sort.

Captain Dennis Driscoll ’61 is one alumnus who fought in the war. After he graduated from Stonehill College, he volunteered for the Army and spent a year training with his troops before heading to Vietnam. He spent a lot of time reading about World War II and the United States Indian Wars, figuring it would help him understand was happening in Vietnam—and he was right. He and his men did survival training, squad tactics, and more. It was hard work, but he knew how important it was.

As you might imagine, being in Vietnam during the late 1960s wasn’t easy. He soon learned that all kinds of smells carry—be it cigarette smoke, shampoo, or last night’s dinner. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, he and his men would jump in the river and use the water and sand to wash the scents from their bodies. They also had to evade all kinds of wildlife, including leeches, snakes, and even sharks. Booby traps were common and excrement was used as a weapon.

Despite being a world away from Ashburnham, he even ran into some folks who knew Cushing. One day, on a branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, he made small talk with a fellow from Massachusetts. During the conversation, he learned that this fellow’s brother was married to a girl from Ashburnham whose father was a teacher at the Academy named Paul Heslin. In December 1967, Capt. Driscoll was injured and sent to the hospital for surgery. Several years later, after the war, he was at an Ashburnham swim club when he ran into his surgeon, Dr. Joseph Hill, who also just happened to be a member of the Cushing Academy Board of Trustees.

Mr. Driscoll learned a lot from his time in Vietnam. He observed that, “the Vietnamese are wonderful people.” He and his men helped one Vietnamese woman give birth to twins. Such help was common for the soldiers, and while he saw many American soldiers lose their lives just helping, he understood how important it was to do good. In fact, he said, “We have an obligation to help one another— both overseas and at home.”

On his way to Vietnam, he didn’t think much about what was going to happen because he was too worried about preparing his men. It wasn’t until he was on his way home that he understood how bad things really were. And when he got back, in spite of his courage in fighting a difficult war, people called him baby-killer and threw excrement at him because the media focused so much on the bad parts of the war. “The good stuff— holding babies and helping out—that didn’t make it to the news,” he said.

Driscoll returned to Cushing as a member of the faculty in the fall of 1968. The Tet Offensive in January 1968 had escalated the war. President Nixon sent Henry Cabot Lodge to the Paris Peace talks in late January 1969. Those talks continued for several months before Lodge walked out in October. In February, The Breeze asked Driscoll if he thought the talks would result in peace, but Driscoll thought not—correctly, as it turned out.

Miranda v. Arizona was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, formally establishing rights for those in custody or during interrogation.

Lieutenant Merle Hewett ’55 visited Cushing to talk about the U.S. space program and the selection and training of astronauts.

Waiting to board a bus, 1967

In the 21st century, Cushing is well known for its diverse community, but of course diversity has been a hallmark of the Academy’s culture since the day when the first girls and boys entered the Main Building. The first international students arrived in 1889 (see pg. 9) and the first African American, Oscar Williams, came in 1911 (see pg. 16).

That sense of inclusiveness can be seen in a 1947 editorial when The Breeze sought to celebrate American Brotherhood Week—a celebration now defunct—by publishing the “Ten Commandments of Goodwill.” The commandments exhort students to, among other things, respect men and women regardless of their race or religion, defend against racial

or religious bigotry, challenge the philosophy of racial superiority, and to uphold the civil rights and religious liberties of all citizens whether they agree with them or not.

In 1964, a letter to The Breeze pointed out the contradiction of America’s founding fathers writing a document that passionately observed that all men are created equal, “while their Negro slaves toiled in the hot, southern sun planting cotton.” That same letter lamented the prejudice and ill will that led to the creation of organizations like the Ku Klux Klan.

In 1965 and 1966, Dr. Bernard Harleston of Tufts University visited Cushing several times as part of a vespers series called “A Step Towards Understanding Man.” He

spoke about the cost of prejudice. There were several letters to the editor of The Breeze over several years in the late 1960s, expressing concern about prejudice at the Academy and worry that although the student body at the Academy was diverse, there was no escaping the prejudices that were prevalent in society at large.

Then, in April 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tenn. In the April issue of The Breeze, Sid Craven ’68 wrote about the assassination and suggested a “long, hot, and devastating summer” lay ahead. He went on to say, “For civil rights the country needs doers, not actors.” His comment was prescient. Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination followed in June,

there was a gunfight in Cleveland in July, and an anti-war protest outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

In response to his editorial, fellow Penguin O. Diane Bright observed, “We have resorted to violence, only because we have nowhere else to turn. How long must we struggle to prove ourselves a whole and earn the respect we deserve after a hundred years of suffering? No person, no matter what his color is, has the patience to endure so long.”

Articles, editorials, and letters to the editor about racial inequality in the country and at Cushing appeared in just about every issue of the paper for years beginning in about 1965. The arguments being made then were not unlike the arguments being made today.

There were questions of whether or not people were really listening to one another; whether Black history and culture were getting short shrift in Cushing’s history classes; whether the freedom talked about in our founding documents was truly available to black Americans; and whether the contributions of black students were valued at the Academy.

In 1969, Headmaster Lamson established a faculty committee to study the needs of black students at Cushing. “It is hoped,” noted The Breeze, “that the commission will be able to keep the doors for communication open between blacks and whites on campus and also deal with the larger problems of the search for a purpose by the black community as a whole and the rediscovery of its cultural

heritage.” In writing of the committee’s findings to the board, Lamson told them that “while there was no evidence of prejudice in institutional policies, there was evidence of individual prejudices at both student and faculty levels.” The committee recommended hiring a black faculty member to offer support to the community, continued recruitment and enrollment of black students, adding an academic class to the curriculum that will address sociological issues, inviting black guest speakers to campus, and encouraging the development of black student groups.

1967

Still Room for Coeducation

In 1967, the value of coeducation was a topic of some discussion at the Academy. Headmaster Lamson’s column in the August 1967 Bulletin noted that “coeducation at all levels—a traditional way of life at Cushing—is the best preparation for membership in our coeducational society of today.” He went on to say that the ability to work with members of the opposite sex is the key to a productive and happy life in our society. “Working together on so many school projects provides many opportunities for the boy and the girl to learn to accept each other as persons with their individual strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

1967

Mary Fern arrived at Cushing. Paul Heslin retired from active coaching.

1967

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the first Super Bowl.

Thousands of young people converged on the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood in San Francisco in what would come to be called the “Summer of Love.”

Silver Penguin: Marguerite Sawyer ’17

Marguerite Sawyer embarked on her 39-year professional career at Cushing Academy in 1928. She was also an alumna, however, having graduated as a member of the Class of 1917. She graduated from Wheaton College in 1921 and then went to Europe for a “Grand Tour.” She ended up staying on for a bit to complete the fall course in French at the Alliance Françoise de Paris. She taught for a year in Milford, Mass., before Headmaster Vose asked her to come to Cushing. She taught French and served as the chair of the Foreign Language Department. She was head of a group called Le Cercle Français, a kind of French club that was so popular that membership had to be limited to those who proved themselves linguistically worthy.

“I found private school teaching to my liking,” she wrote in 1970 on the occasion of the dedication of Sawyer-Hopkins Hall. “It was a pleasant, happy life, over the years. There were, naturally, some heartbreaks and ‘tempests in teapots’ but by and large things went well with Miss Hopkins’ firm hand at the helm.”

“Sometimes,” she went on, “when I was saying goodnight at 10:15—for we always checked the rooms at bedtime—I would be offered a choice morsel of crackers and cheese,

sardines, or a Coke. Or some girls would say ‘Come in a minute, Miss Sawyer, we want to talk,’ and out would come some little confession, or worry, or a bit of gossip… ”

Margo, as she was known, once wrote that “Life is so strenuous and so full in a private school that you forget your own little personal problems.” She also wrote fondly of going downstairs at night in the dormitory to turn off the lights and finding “the girls’ loafers sitting around the room in pairs as if talking with one another of the owners’ idiosyncrasies.”

1968

Silver Penguin: Dr. John Mason

Through the years, numerous faculty have given many years to the Academy. Of course, it’s not just teachers who have done so. In 1962, Henry Davis retired after 57 years of service to the school’s boiler (see pg. 40).

Dr. John Mason was another such person. Many alumni have fond memories of Dr. Mason. He became the Academy’s physician in 1934 and remained so until his death in 1968. Known as Dr. John, The Bulletin described him as “generous beyond description of his time, counsel, and talent. He will be remembered by Cushing alumni as a man who spoke succinctly, but with compassion, and spared nothing in his concern for the health and attitude of any student who

1968

Dr. John Mason passed away. Zaydee DeJonge retired.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided Loving v. Virginia , invalidating laws against interracial marriage.

Thurgood Marshall became the first black justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Viet Cong launched the Tet Offensive against forces led by the United States, exacerbating the criticisms of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

On April 4, Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., by James Earl Ray.

needed his help.” During his time as Cushing’s physician, he saw its medical facilities develop from plain rooms in the dorms to a fine infirmary in Price Hall.

Silver Penguin: Zaydee DeJonge

Mrs. Mason Dix Harris, known professionally as Zaydee DeJonge, retired in 1968 after 26 years of service as Cushing’s art teacher—its first. In celebrating her retirement at graduation that year, Headmaster Lamson said she “exemplified the highest standards in the teaching and cultivation of art and art appreciation…. You have carried the burden of your department alone while playing a leading role in the cultural life of your own community. We are proud to own one of your paintings in our collection along with other brilliant examples of contemporary New England artists selected with your counsel and faultless taste.”

1970

Cushing Adds to its AV Room

In 1970, English teacher Daniel Cabot wrote in The Bulletin, “I do not propose to define relevance nor predict the longevity of geometry, Latin, or long hair. One thing, however,

is quite clear: learning will never again be bounded by books and blackboards. Beginning in the classroom, and beginning in the written word, learning reaches outside of ivory towers and vine-clad towers.” He was talking about the explosion in media that was happening in the world at that moment.

Once upon a time, an audio-visual program meant record players and film strips. By 1970, however, the AV department was a room unto itself, located on the second floor of the Main Building, containing records and film strips and the machines to play them, but it also included a miniature television studio, sound equipment, a sound system for the chapel, facilities for editing and splicing movies, and facilities for recording broadcast TV to be shown in classes.

“Film, television, and sound are no longer ‘enrichment,’” wrote Cabot. “They have taken their place beside the written word as tools of scholarship and learning, to be used and manipulated by students as well as teachers.”

Sawyer-Hopkins Hall Welcomes its First Students

In 1969, the Academy broke ground on a new senior girls’ dormitory to be named in honor of Marguerite “Margo” Sawyer (see pg. 54) and Vivian “Hoppie” Hopkins (see pg. 41). It would be home to 34 girls, two single women, and a family of five. To cover the cost of the new facility, the Academy had a fundraising goal of $50,000; they raised $53,869 from 403 donors.

1969

Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. President Nixon began troop withdrawals from Vietnam.

32 music acts performed at a music fair in New York State known as Woodstock.

In June, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles by Sirhan Sirhan. Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace to win the presidency.

Sesame Street debuted in November.

A 10-month recession began in December.

1969 Cushing broke ground on Sawyer-Hopkins dorm (above right).

ABOVE : Daniel Cabot with students in the AV room

LEFT : Margo Sawyer and Vivian Hopkins at the dedication of the new dorm (middle) named in their honor

1970

Unrest in the World, and at Cushing

Anyone who has studied world or American history knows that the late 1960s and early 1970s were a time of unrest throughout the world. Protests against the Vietnam War. Civil rights clashes. The Kent State shooting. Sit-ins and walk-outs. At Cushing, as at many schools—at both the secondary and college levels—students were demanding more freedom, and drugs were an increasing problem.

In the fall of 1969, students began demanding changes to Cushing policy.

Directly before break, at a school meeting, Headmaster Lamson said that students would no longer be expected to tell on other students, that church attendance would no longer be compulsory, and that further demands would be discussed following winter break on what was called “Discussion Day.” When they returned, students were divided up by advisory group and discussed the changes they wanted to see made. Topics of potential change included downtown permissions, weekends, haircuts, dress code, exams, intramural sports, and a disciplinary board. Those topics were discussed among the faculty and the following changes were made:

• Students in good standing were allowed to take off any weekend except certain closed weekends (e.g., Carnival weekend and the weekends immediately preceding and following a vacation);

• Students were allowed to go downtown after lunch Monday through Saturday as

1970

1970

long as other obligations were met; and

• The length of a student’s hair would be left to the individual, but the expectation was that it would always be clean and combed.

The other issues were tabled for further discussion.

In fall 1970, Headmaster Lamson wrote that he’d been fielding questions from alumni and parents who were worried about the impact of such unrest at Cushing.

“As the year progressed, I had more telephone calls, letters, and some visitations from concerned alumni and parents. All the while Vietnam, Cambodia, Kent State, Jackson State, New Haven, Augusta, all combined to keep the country in a state of agitation and made our campuses the focal point for much of the unrest and violence.”

In my annual report to the trustees, I wrote as follows. “Much of what happens on the college level inevitably makes its appearance on the secondary school campus as Cushing, along with many other schools, will attest. We must provide alternatives, and we must hear students out. It has been a difficult year with confrontation, marijuana, drugs, and polarization among students and faculty as part of our scene.”

In response to parental concerns, Headmaster Lamson wrote a letter to returning students and their families clarifying the school’s policies:

1. Drugs were unequivocally prohibited;

2. Smoking was strongly discouraged and permitted only for students over 18 whose parents had given written permission;

3. Dress code would be characterized by a “high standard of personal cleanliness” and haircut and dress regulations;

4. Lying, cheating, and stealing were obviously prohibited and students who displayed a lack of integrity were subject to dismissal; and

5. A belief that freedom of speech was a cornerstone of society, but there would be no tolerance for obscenity, character assassination, or intimidation. He concluded by saying, “Cushing Academy is dedicated to individual human beings. We will do everything we can to help you develop your talents to the best of your ability. If you fail, we have failed. We cannot help you if you do not want to be here and actively resist the consensus of students, faculty, and administration. Every student has the right to make mistakes, but we cannot help him if he is fighting his education because he is not in sympathy with the principles of Cushing.”

Seminars for Juniors and Seniors

In 1970, Cushing began offering a seminar program. The intent was to provide a broad variety of trimester-length courses once students had completed the more traditional college-prep classes. Some students specialized in subjects of special interest, while others dabbled in many areas, broadening their education in liberal studies. Teachers and students alike became involved in topics of personal interest. The program was a happy success and is not unlike the seminar program the Academy still uses today.

Members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire on student protesters at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine.

Anwar Sadat became President of Egypt.

Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin died.

The American Top 40 radio show premiered with Casey Kasem hosting.

Sawyer-Hopkins Hall was dedicated. Bob Hall and John Hyslop joined the Cushing faculty.

Changes Begin to Come to Independent Schools

In 1970, Headmaster Lamson (above) wrote that attrition at Cushing, as at other independent schools, had been a problem. Several students had left school due to drugs. In response, Lamson invited a doctor to talk to the kids about the problems of marijuana and other drugs, which seemed to reduce their use for the rest of that year. The school’s applications and new enrollments were holding steady, but the loss of students mid-year was a problem.

In an article about Cushing Admissions in 1971, The Bulletin noted that “major news media have recently made it quite clear that independent school admissions in general have decreased over the last three years.” Economics were cited as one major reason, as was the fact that there were more public secondary schools for students and families to choose from. The article also noted that many single-sex schools had changed to coeducational schools, so the Academy faced increasing competition on that front as well.

To confront these changes, the Academy

made some changes to its academic program. The school added a robust independent study program for seniors and began its senior seminar program—which we still use today. Cushing also made some changes to the dress code and “some of the grooming regulations,” allowing the boys to have longer hair if the pictures in the yearbook are to be used as evidence. Students were also given greater freedom to visit downtown Ashburnham.

Finances and economics were a real source of concern to the headmaster and board. “The rising cost of education and its supportive services projected for this decade—the seventies—is indeed staggering,” Lamson wrote in his annual report. Although enrollment wasn’t dropping, the school was working on an austerity budget, according to Lamson. Challenging finances would indeed plague Cushing—and most other boarding schools— for at least a decade.

1971 Silver Penguin: Paul J. Heslin

Paul Heslin came to the school on the hill in 1929 in part because of his friendship with Edward Bike, who at the time coached the football and basketball teams and served as Athletic Director. That first year, Coach Heslin was Mr. Bike’s assistant before taking over the reins when Mr. Bike left in 1930.

The summer of 1929 had seen the passing

of Headmaster Cowell, still the longestserving headmaster in Cushing history. That year, the school honored Fred D. Lane for his 50 years of service. One wonders if—at that time, in his first year—Paul Heslin could have imagined that his tenure would last almost as long, a total of 42 years at his retirement in 1971.

None of Coach Heslin’s teams set the world on fire in his first year, although the baseball team did beat Worcester Academy, which seemed to sit pretty well with everyone at Cushing. In spite of that modest beginning, Coach Heslin went on to be one of the greatest coaches in Cushing history. His teams played in 1,100 games and won 122 football games, 279 basketball games, and 236 baseball games. Three of his football teams were undefeated.

In his 42 years at Cushing, he worked with four Headmasters: Vose, Quimby, West, and Lamson. In grateful acknowledgment of his years of service—and that of his wife, Penny— the Cushing Academy Alumni Association sent them on a trip to Ireland. He had retired from active coaching in 1967, but continued his duties as Director of Athletics and teacher.

When he finally retired for good in 1974, Headmaster Bradford Lamson wrote, “Great teachers make great schools and Paul was a giant among giants as a teacher, a coach, and an athletic director.” At that time, The Bulletin noted that “hundreds of boys, many of whom have gone on to become outstanding college varsity team players, have been deeply influenced by their relationship with Coach Heslin, to whom they have looked as a trusted adviser and loyal friend.”

1971

1971

Charles Manson was sentenced to death for his role in the Tate-LaBianca murders; the sentence was later commuted to life.

The 26th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, lowering the voting age to 18.

Prisoners at the prison in Attica, N.Y., rioted, protesting their living conditions and asking for political rights.

All in the Family made its debut.

Jim Morrison of The Doors was found dead.

Headmaster

Challenging

Headmaster Lam-

tion with the Academy to an end in the spring of 1972.

In his final report

noted that his final year had divided into two distinct parts, with the fall term characterized by high faculty morale and good performance by the students. But the good start wasn’t to last. In the winter and spring terms, 25 students were sent home for violations of school policy, and drug and alcohol use was rampant. Faculty morale faltered in the face of it.

It wasn’t just student behavior that was a problem. The school was looking at bleak enrollment numbers for the 1972–73 school year and Lamson and incoming Headmaster Curry were recommending an all-out recruiting pitch for the summer. Likewise, donations to the Academy were down, and the year was going to fall short of its $150,000 annual fund goal.

1972

Dr. Joseph Curry Arrives at Cushing amid Turmoil

In 1972, Dr. Joseph Curry came to the Academy as headmaster. It was a difficult time for independent schools. In his first letter to alumni in The Bulletin, he noted that American education was in a period of crisis and change, not unlike the changes that occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, Cushing had been serving as a place for both vocational and academic training, fees were low, and anyone who could afford to come was admitted. The beginning of the new century saw an increase in public schools and a necessary change for academies like Cushing, which became a college preparatory school attracting both day and boarding students. And so it was until the beginning of the 1970s, when Dr. Curry made his entrance on the Cushing stage.

Public schools, he said, had become able to prepare students for college study, and private schools were no longer the inside track. “To be sure,” he said, “the time has come not only for a rethinking of goals, but for some substantive changes in the curriculum of the independent school.”

Because private schools were free from state interference, Dr. Curry felt they had “virtually unlimited potential for creative involvement of its students in a total community.” He went on, “Residential education offers tremendous opportunities for effective as well as cognitive education.” Schools like Cushing could hire teachers from many areas

1972

1972

Headmaster Lamson retired from Cushing and was succeeded by Dr. Joseph Curry. Enrollment dipped to just 160 students.

Nixon visited China, an important step in normalizing relations between the two countries.

The first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was ratified.

In June, several people broke into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, located in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The Education Amendments of 1972 was passed, including Title IX, which prevented gender discrimination in educational programs.

of expertise and need not be limited to rigid daily or weekly schedules, or by catering to students who had no desire to learn.

“At Cushing,” he went on, “we shall work to create structures which will enable our students to play significant roles in matters that touch their lives. Our students are making abundantly clear their desire to participate actively in the life of the school and their willingness to learn to assume responsibility for their decisions.”

Dr. Curry’s first few years were tumultuous ones, characterized by a precipitous drop in enrollment, the loss of many faculty members, and some alarming financial circumstances. Indeed, writing a decade later, then-President of the Board Joseph Hill characterized the 1970s thusly: “We had a school in total chaos—the budget a shambles, enrollment under 170, an image more than tarnished, morale poor, turnover high, buildings in disarray.”

The low enrollment was a threat to Cushing’s athletic program, so Dr. Curry had

Richard Nixon defeated George McGovern in the presidential election. McGovern won just one state: Massachusetts.

Cushing join with the Winchendon School to save it. Members of the faculty, particularly those living in houses rather than dorms, lost a number of perks. For those faculty, the Academy ceased paying utility bills and withdrew permission for them to eat in the dining hall. Eight members of the faculty were affected by those changes—about 28 percent of the faculty at that time. In his second year, the number of faculty dropped from 28 to 18.

The school also required some substantial upgrades to its physical plant that could not be covered by normal income derived from tuition and fees. As such, substantial loans were required, increasing the pressure of debt on the Academy’s finances.

Dr. Arthur Johanningsmeier Becomes Cushing’s Science Department Chair

Joining Dr. Curry at Cushing in the fall of 1972 was Dr. Arthur Johanningsmeier. He was described as “a naturalist with a Ph.D. and a national white water canoeing champion who was a Phi Beta Kappa physics graduate.”

He brought with him extensive knowledge and teaching experience in ecology and environmental sciences. In his introduction to the Cushing community, he talked about his commitment to teaching Cushing students about the relationship between themselves and their natural environment. He also noted that he was going to increase the scientific holdings in Cushing’s library and introduce a biology seminar series that would require

students to become familiar with particular science problems and areas of study. He was true to his word and under his leadership, the Academy’s Science Department flourished.

1973

The Marcus A. Coolidge Summer Institute for the Creative Arts Makes its Debut

Dr. Curry promoted Mary Fern to Chair of the new Fine Arts Department in 1972, but that wasn’t the only recognition of her fine work that year. She was also made Director of the Marcus A. Coolidge Summer Institute for the Creative Arts, which had its first six-week session that summer—and was the precursor to today’s Summer Session. The funding for the institute came from the daughters of Senator Coolidge—a past president of the Board of Trustees.

At the time, Fern said the summer program was meant to be a happy one where students and faculty would “live and work together on campus in an atmosphere of trust, friendship, and enthusiasm.” That philosophy is still alive and well as part of Cushing’s modern Summer Session.

1973

The Marcus A. Coolidge Summer Institute for the Creative Arts began under the direction of Mary Fern. Ruth and Dan McGowen made their debut at Cushing.

1973

Bob Johnson arrived to begin his long tenure—42 years and counting (see pg. 104) as of 2016—by working part-time in the evenings.

The U.S. Supreme Court made its landmark decision in Roe v. Wade , protecting the right of women to choose to have an abortion.

The Case-Church Amendment of 1973 ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

The Sears Tower opened in Chicago, surpassing the World Trade Center to become the tallest building in the world.

Dr. Arthur Johanningsmeier teaching, 1974

Life at Cushing in the 1970s

Far from the curriculum of the Classics that was standard in the Academy’s first few years, by the early 1970s, the Academy’s curriculum was beginning to look a lot like what we see today. The main courses were English, history, foreign language, science, and math.

A wide variety of seminars was offered so that students could find course work that they found intellectually stimulating. Both fine arts and performing arts were very much a part of school life. Courses in urban problems, sociology, and computer mathematics had been worked into the curriculum. Clubs offered extracurricular opportunities including photography, woodworking, aviation, and outdoor activities.

Then, as now, the goal of the Academy’s administration was to make the most of the unique nature of a residential school. The biggest benefit of boarding school has always been the close collaboration between students and the faculty who live with and guide them every day. From the 1973–74 catalogue:

The teacher of history turns out in the afternoon to show a sophomore how to kick a field goal from thirty yards. In the evening, as a house parent, he may help a girl understand her feelings about a boy. A physics teacher, who is also a white water kayak champion, will help students to enjoy the thrill of riding a raging stream safely. Shared pleasures, shared problems, shared triumphs help create the environment in which young people develop a sense of time and place and set goals that will give them a sense of fulfillment, even as they mature.

Social programs were not so different from generations past. In the early days, there had been outings to musical presentations, hikes up mountains, dances, movies, and shopping. The same was true of this decade. Although the music had changed— less classical and more rock and roll—trips were regularly taken off-campus for concerts. The movies were less Bette Davis and more James Bond. Other outings included shopping in Cambridge and Worcester, bowling, fishing, and more.

1973

1973

Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned after pleading no contest to charges of tax evasion; Gerald Ford succeeded him.

1974

M. Anthony Fisher ’69 joined the Board of Trustees.

Theodore Pierce retired after 27 years.

The House Judiciary Committee began impeachment proceedings against President Nixon following revelations that he helped cover up the break-ins at the Watergate Hotel; he subsequently resigned the presidency and was replaced by Gerald Ford. Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

OPEC instituted an oil embargo in response to U.S. aid to Israel.

Silver Penguin: Theodore Pierce

Theodore Pierce started playing the piano when he was about eight years of age, courtesy of his talented mother. His father was musical too, the supervisor of music in the Gardner schools. Pierce attended the Institute of Musical Art in New York City and had a fellowship at Juilliard Graduate School of Music. Eventually, he also earned a master’s degree from Boston University.

He came to teach at Cushing for the first time in 1941, when he substituted for a year when Miss Gaylor was absent. But that wasn’t the first time he played Cushing’s organ. That would’ve been way back in 1932 when Mrs. Vose engaged him as an organist for the Academy; he was just 16. By 1947, he was teaching full-time at Cushing, where he would stay until his retirement in 1974. Over the years, he wrote works for piano, violin, string quartet, symphony, orchestra, chorus, and organ. His responsibilities at Cushing included organist, choir director, director of the instrumental ensemble, teacher of music

appreciation, and teacher of French and German. He served under five headmasters: Quimby, West, Baker, Lamson, and Curry.

He was known as an avid sportsman who liked to ride his bicycle, fish, and hike—in that order. When he retired, an article in The Bulletin noted, “He is well remembered for hikes on the Wapack Trail, over which he has conducted many groups of Cushing students, and for his ice fishing expeditions, which he has also shared with students.” And indeed, he has been well remembered for that. We have heard many stories of those hikes from our alumni.

1975

Finances Continue to Be a Concern

Although enrollment was rebounding by 1975, finances were still a source of concern, and Dr. Curry anticipated running deficit budgets for several years. The solution to that problem was to increase enrollment to 250, but that was easier said than done, particularly given the historically high levels of inflation at that time.

That message was reiterated in a 1975 Bulletin by Richard Dunn ’31, longtime president of the board. “In this period of inflation,” he wrote, “it has not been possible to set tuition at a level sufficient to cover the Academy’s operating expenses.” The school had been building—at a deficit—in order to increase enrollment. In 1975, however, the banks that had been supporting that building program advised the board that they could no longer do so given economic conditions.

In view of the withdrawal of funding from banks, prospects for the school were somewhat bleak. However, through the generosity of several trustees and an estate gift, the Academy got a much-needed infusion of cash. The school also needed to draw on the Consolidated Fund, part of the original funding given by Thomas Parkman Cushing. Dunn went on to ask that the Academy’s alumni, parents, and friends continue to support the school generously. In doing so, Dunn repeated the words Governor Bullock had spoken at Cushing’s dedication 100 years earlier, “… this is an institution deserving of your financial support by gifts, bequests, or such other means as is appropriate in your respective cases.”

Late in 1975, Dr. Curry wrote to the board that the physical plant was in much better shape than it had been in when he arrived. However, there was still a need to reduce the number of faculty, a move largely accomplished through attrition. The school was actively working to reduce its deficit, a goal Dr. Curry hoped to reach by the 1977–78 school year. That was largely achieved by increasing both enrollment and tuition and reducing the amount of financial aid offered by the Academy. The Academy also realized some income by offering its PREP program at Fort Devens—designed to help members of the military acquire their high school diplomas— and through the renting of Cushing facilities during the summer.

1975

Cushing celebrated 100 years of students. Lauriston Cone and Wayne Sanborn joined the faculty.

Inflation rose to 11.8%.

Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

Fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War.

Cushing’s new track was dedicated.

1975

The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, took over Cambodia, leading to a genocide that cost the lives of approximately 2 million people.

1976

The Computer Age Comes to Cushing

In the spring of 1976, Assistant Treasurer Kevin Enright asked the board for permission to purchase the Academy an IBM 5100 minicomputer at a cost of nearly $10,000 and a yearly maintenance charge of $660. Despite the school’s strained finances, and because of a generous donation of $4,500 from the Anne S. Richards Foundation for the purpose, the board approved the purchase. Mr. Enright explained that ownership of a computer would permit offering a much-in-demand computer course and realize some extra income from students who participated.

Another Year, Another Fire

On Dec. 29, 1976, a fire broke out on the upper right-hand side of the Main Building. No one was hurt, but there was water damage to the administrative offices. Overall, five classrooms and Dr. Curry’s office were involved. On the positive side, the Main Building got a freshening up under the watchful eye of Plant Director Ray Lemieux.

1977

Cushing Turns a Corner

Although Dr. Curry’s first few years were a challenge, by the fall of 1974, enrollment had rebounded to 215 from a low of 160 in 1972. “Survival is no longer the issue,” he wrote the board in September. “Excellence is the issue.”

Finances continued to be a significant concern for much of the decade, with the near constant conflict between enrolling new students for revenue, keeping the school’s physical plant in good shape, and reducing expenditures through faculty attrition and careful spending of resources.

For the 1976–77 school year, the Admissions Office made a concerted effort to recruit international students, under the guidance of Director of Admissions Guy Bramble. These

students brought significant diversity to the school while simultaneously benefiting the Academy’s bottom line. Dr. Curry and Lauriston Cone traveled to Tunisia, Egypt, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, leading to the enrollment of 34 students.

Because of these dedicated efforts at recruiting students—both foreign and domestic—Cushing opened the 1977–78 school year with an enrollment of 248, the largest student body in more than a decade. That increase in the number of students, combined with an increase in tuition, led to a budget surplus.

The Academy had operated at a deficit until 1978—a circumstance exacerbated by interest payments on the approximately $1 million in long-term debt it had incurred to keep operating in the first half of the decade. The surplus in 1978 was just the first. In fact, the Academy’s budget would carry a surplus well into the 1980s.

Cushing had turned a corner.

1978

A Change in the Leadership of the Board of Trustees

In 1978, Richard Dunn ’31 stepped down from his role as president of the board. He’d been in that role since 1961, steering the Academy through some of the most challenging years of its existence. Indeed, Frank Rand called him “the rock on which the modern Cushing Academy is built.” He might’ve been born to the role, however, being the son of Frederick

Apple, Inc., was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne to sell the Apple I personal computer kit.

Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford to become President of the United States.

Roots , a mini-series based on Alex Haley’s book, aired on TV; it ultimately won nine Emmy awards. Elvis Presley died in the bathroom of his Memphis home.

The first mass-marketed personal computer, the Commodore PET, went on sale.

Star Wars made its debut on the big screen.

1976

Cushing purchased its first computer.

1977

Wayne Hancock joined the faculty.

“Survival is no longer the issue… Excellence is the issue.”

DR. CURRY

Dunn ’99 who himself had served on the board for more than 30 years and as president for five.

Following in Dunn’s footsteps was Dr. Joseph Hill P’81,’90, a vascular surgeon from Fitchburg, who would spend eight years as president of the board, leaving his own mark during a time of great growth for the Academy. As of 2016, Dr. Hill still serves as a trustee emeritus.

Looking Toward the Future

Although the extreme financial and enroll ment challenges of the 1970s were largely over by the end of the 1977–78 school year, there was still more work to be done.

In reflecting on his first six years as head master, Dr. Curry wrote, “I can see a pattern of steady growth in the appearance and utility of our plant, in the quality of our faculty, motivation, and appearance of our student body, in the reputation at home and abroad of Cushing and in the tone and quality of our life here. From conversations with students who have been here for several years and with faculty whose tenure is long I get the same awareness of growth, of improvement.”

In the spring of 1978, Dr. Curry wrote to the board, “I want to state in clear and unequivocal terms that Cushing can become a great school if we pay off our debt, refurbish our plant and double our endowment to some two and a half million dollars.” He also noted that nearly 25 percent of the Academy’s

faculty were leaving the school, a challenge in itself, and that after several years of auster ity, it would be necessary to increase faculty salaries if the school were to keep its excellent academic program. Faculty attrition fell back to normal levels in the following year, but making good on his recommendation regard ing salaries, in 1979, every returning faculty member received a raise of seven percent and was given a similar bump the following year as well.

Issues around the school’s financial health weren’t completely resolved, however, and surpluses were generally small enough that unexpected expenditures could be problem atic. Tuition increased regularly and alumni

and friends were making generous donations, which kept the school’s bottom line largely in the black.

Challenges aside, things were looking good for the future. By 1978–79, enrollment had grown yet again, to 267. It would grow again the following year and be accompanied by a historically low student attrition of just five percent. Indeed, enrollments would continue to grow for many years.

By the beginning of the 1979–80 school year, Dr. Curry wrote to the board, “This… marks the beginning of my eighth year as headmaster of Cushing Academy. These years have been characterized by the rebuilding of

1978

The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. More than 900 Americans died in Jonestown, Guyana, when the members of a commune, led by Jim Jones, died from cyanide poisoning.

Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, was assassinated. Cardinal Karol Jozef Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II.

Cushing purchased Johnson House. Norm Carey and Paul Dowling joined the faculty.

Dr. Curry in a cowboy hat, 1979

Bob Johnson, 1979

1979

Iranian Students at Cushing

Iranian student Shiva Saboori ’80 came to Cushing as part of Dr. Curry’s effort to recruit international students to the Academy. Her older brother was already at Cushing and she remembers being awed by her brother’s larger-than-life headmaster.

Fall term 1979 started out as a happy one for her, but more and more often, Dr. Curry would ask her if she’d heard from her parents. When the revolution led to the overthrow of the Shah, she was completely unprepared. She had been watching American media coverage of the events. “I was seeing what the American population was seeing: a bunch of crazy people running around the street demonstrating. It was very confusing for me because I had been so sheltered and I didn’t really understand the turmoil in Iran. My parents had tried to protect us and I didn’t understand why the Shah was overthrown and why people were demonstrating,” she said.

When the embassy staff were taken hostage, anti-Iranian sentiment was prevalent in the U.S., even in Ashburnham. School Street was still open back then and she remembers one day a big old American car drove slowly through campus. On their back window, they had written, “Iranians, Go the F--- Home,” in shaving cream. One night, a group of town residents came to Ash House and harassed the students there. One of the faculty members had to chase them away with a bat.

Happily, not everyone in town felt that way. Typically, the sentiment expressed most often by her classmates was that they hoped she—and the rest of the Iranian students at the Academy—would be allowed to stay in the States. She remembers Dr. J. being a father figure for her and providing comfort when it seemed as though her world was falling apart. In fact, all of the faculty members regularly asked Saboori how she was doing. “There was so much warmth and support at Cushing that I made it through in the best possible way,” she said.

… after Spring Break. She came back before the date the law went into effect … another student flew back the day after and was turned away. “The only difference was that I came back a day early to do my laundry. I always had a little bit of survival guilt about it because it changed her life. Her life became a different life because of that…”

Saboori was valedictorian of her class that year and had been accepted to Tufts. Unfortunately, the move from high school to college would necessitate a visa renewal that was now disallowed by law. In fact, all six of the Iranian seniors that year were in a similar boat. Dr. Curry went to work. He soon summoned the frightened students to his office and explained his plan. “He said that we would not have to return to the turmoil of revolutionary Iran,” Saboori said. “He said that we would not have to give up on going

to college. He had gotten us all accepted at a university in Switzerland for the next fall in case we had to leave the United States.”

On graduation day, she gave her speech and the school cleared out. Her natural happiness at her achievement was undermined by the uncertainty she faced. She started the process for her visa renewal in spite of the law, as her status remained legal while that process was ongoing. She went to Tufts for the summer to begin her education. Many American universities were protesting Carter’s law on the premise that the students had not done anything illegal and should not, therefore, be punished. Saboori waited.

One Friday afternoon in July, she received a letter telling her that her visa renewal had been denied and that she had seven days to leave the country. Through some legal maneuvering, her lawyer had her begin the renewal process again and by the time that request went through, the bar to the renewal of Iranian visas had been lifted. She would be allowed to stay.

Saboori’s story has a happy ending. She ultimately went to medical school and now works in Massachusetts providing medical care to underserved populations. But not all of the students were so lucky.

After President Carter issued the order that prevented the renewal of visas for Iranian citizens, Saboori remembers coming back to Cushing after Spring Break. She came back before the date the law went into effect and another student flew back the day after and was turned away. “The only difference was that I came back a day early to do my laundry. I always had a little bit of survival guilt about it because it changed her life. Her life became a different life because of that and it could have happened to any of us.”

Another student ended up not being able to afford to go to college—because it was so hard to get money out of Iran. He was taken in by Bob Johnson and his family. Although he was ultimately able to stay in the country, he never completed college.

1979

ESL and Academic Support Programs Begin

During the late 1970s, the Academy made a concerted effort to recruit and admit more international students. That effort was successful, but it led to a need for an English as a Second Language program, which made its debut in 1979. At the same time, the school began its Developmental Reading Program, the precursor to what we now call Academic Support. In their first years, there were 60 students in ESL and 50 in the reading program.

A 1980 description of the Reading Center noted, “Features of the program include diagnostic testing, audio-visual material, oral testing, small supportive groups, individual counseling, tutoring services, and preliminary orientation.” The goal of the program was to help all students meet the same academic standards, despite their learning differences—not unlike the school’s Academic Support Program today.

1980

A “New” Alma Mater

Alan MacDonnell, Director of the Academy’s music program, really didn’t like the school’s alma mater, “The Vine-Clad Tower,” whose lyrics were written in 1906 by Cora Coolidge ’87. So, he decided to write a new alma mater. The trouble was, he had to convince everyone to sing the new version. School lore has it that he wrote his new version on a piece of paper, used a pen name that was an anagram of his name, antiqued the paper, and then took it to Dr. Curry and convinced him that he’d found it in the attic of Alumni Hall.

The ruse worked and every member of the community was made to memorize the new tune. It wasn’t until several years later that the subterfuge was discovered and the Academy returned to its original song.

Did you know?

Prom, 1978

1979

Cushing’s English as a Second Language program began. The Developmental Reading Program, precursor to the Academic Support Program, began.

A partial nuclear meltdown occurred at the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor in Pennsylvania.

Cora Coolidge ’87 eventually became the president of the Pennsylvania College for Women. Her brother was Marcus Coolidge, who was a local politician and longtime member of Cushing’s Board of Trustees. It was Mr. Coolidge’s estate that provided the funding for the Summer Institute, which debuted in 1973 and was a precursor to today’s Summer Session. They were distant relatives of President Calvin Coolidge.

1980

Iran’s deposed Shah was allowed to come to the United States for medical treatment. As a result, a group of Iranian students took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking more than 60 hostages.

Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Piano lesson, 1975

1980

1980

Cushing Begins a New Decade

At the beginning of 1980, Dr. Curry mused on what the decade would bring after the unrest of the 1960s and the rebuilding of the 1970s. He hoped to see the school’s trustees, alumni, and parents become even more involved in the life of the Academy.

Dr. Curry, too, was entering a new phase of his headship of Cushing. In late 1980, he remarked that he had surpassed the tenure of all previous headmasters, save Quimby and Cowell, which gave him some pleasure. “I plan to go after the Quimby record,” he said, “but the Cowell record seems out of reach.” (In the end, that prophesy turned out to be correct. Cowell is the Academy’s longest serving headmaster at 39 years, Quimby is third with 23 years of service. Dr. Curry is second on the all-time list at 28 years.)

The first few years of the decade brought on extensive long-term planning that had not been possible while the school was struggling to keep its doors open. Dr. Curry instituted a committee made up of faculty. In 1981, the school commissioned an outside firm to create a five-year strategic plan, including goals and ambitions for admissions, external relations, finance, academic programs, and more.

The hiring of David Grinnell as the school’s Director of Development ushered in a new level of fundraising. Total fundraising was approximately $300,000 in fiscal year 1980–81, a record for the Academy and more than doubling the previous year’s total.

The search began for quality faculty and administrators who would stay at the Academy longterm and guide the school over the next decade. Of concern was adequate faculty housing particularly, as it was necessary to manage the school’s rapidly growing residential life. Housemasters would be expected to serve as nurturer, protector, disciplinarian, and counselor. Likewise, a rapidly growing student body also meant the need for expansion of the Academy’s admissions function.

The school’s physical plant underwent some massive improvements in the first few years of the decade. Cooke Hall and Ashburnham House were renovated. The kitchen was updated. New boilers and lighting were added. The basement level of the Main Building was turned into a student lounge and mailroom area. Through the generosity of John Biggs ’33, Heslin Gym received some improvements including heavy-duty washing machines and a weight room. In a 1982 letter to the Penguin Press, the school paper, Dr. Curry noted that he hoped to have a new library by 1986 and a new dining hall

shortly thereafter. “For the remainder of the decade,” he went on, “our tuition charges will increase at about the rate of inflation. Faculty salaries will be projected within or near the top 10 percent of boarding schools of our size. Financial aid will continue to be much more generous than is the case for most schools with an endowment of our size.”

The cycle we are all now familiar with—of replacing obsolete computers with astonishing regularity—began with the purchase of the Academy’s second computer, replacing the IBM machine purchased in 1976. In 1981, the school had $68,000 for the purchase and installation of an administrative computer, which they intended to use for business functions as well as development and admissions.

1980

1980

Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter to become President of the United States.

Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon, killing him.

Students learn about computers, 1982

Led by the United States, 65 countries boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics, held in Moscow.

Susie Carlisle, Rich Henry, and Joyce Ferris joined the faculty.

Dr. J. and the Science Department Engage in High-Level Research

In this excerpt from the spring 1981 Bulletin, it’s clear that the Academy’s Science Department had taken a step forward under the leadership of department head Dr. Arthur Johanningsmeier.

Several students and Dr. Johanningsmeier have just completed a three-year study of the impact of the construction and operation of several new wastewater treatment plants and other pollution abatement measures upon the water quality in the Nashua River. This study, entitled “Water Quality Index and the Nashua River,” published by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, represented three years of weekly sampling and analysis by former students Jeffrey Wolfe ’78, Chuck Johanningsmeier ’77, John Curley ’79, and faculty members Dr. Johanningsmeier, Diane Noel, and Paula Daukus. Laboratory experience in ecology paid off quickly for Michael Reihms, a 1980 graduate of Cushing. His knowledge and understanding of water testing methods landed him a full-time job immediately after graduation as a water quality inspector at a desalination (salt-removing) water treatment plant in Saudi Arabia. Other students have also found laboratory experience at Cushing with sophisticated instrumentation a valuable asset in obtaining summer and work study employment as well as participating in Summer NSF Secondary Science Programs. Instrumentation available for independent study and class

use includes a Cary dual beam spectrophotometer, Parr Calorimeter, water baths, Sartorius analytical balances, pH meters, turbidity meters, trace oscilloscope, Thornton dual IBM 5100 computer and high speed printer, Sephadex columns, Zeiss microscope (1300X), Kjeldahl nitrogen apparatus, as well as such field equipment as a Van Dorn water sampler (for obtaining water samples at various depths

up to 80 feet), a conductivity and temperature meter with 50-foot probe, and an Ekman Dredge, plus other standard laboratory equipment items. This science equipment has been obtained from private foundation funds (Anne S. Richardson Fund), research grants, and the generosity of past and current parents.

Highly motivated students have an opportunity to gain in-depth experience in designing and carrying out Independent Study projects under the scientists on our faculty. Recent projects have focused on solar energy collection, effects of storage conditions on vitamin C, methane production, fish breeding, daily energy budget of a dog, salivary chromosome analysis of fruit flies (Drosophila), algal identification and the use of Neurospora in genetics experiments. Depending on the level of imagination, ingenuity, and attention to detail, these Independent Study projects have provided additional evidence of scientific competence for Cushing applicants at colleges and universities.

This spring, the Science Department’s physical facilities are receiving an additional boost with the construction of a solar greenhouse behind the Science Building. Financed by grants from the Anne S. Richardson Fund, the greenhouse will serve as an invaluable resource in teaching botany and carrying out experiments with plants.

The Solidarity union was formed at Poland’s Gdansk Shipyard under Lech Wałesa.

The World Health Organization declared smallpox eradicated.

Dr. Arthur Johanningsmeier in the field with a student

Mount St. Helens erupted, killing 57 people and destroying homes, roads, bridges, and railways.

his graduation—to attend reunion. After the event, he submitted the following letter to The Bulletin, which we reprint here in its entirety, because it is such a wonderful contrasting of his own student experience to what he found when he returned 51 years later. He describes the differences—and the similarities—much better than we ever could.

Nostalgia: A Dusty Portrait

All were not present, all were not accounted for, but there were enough class representations to span the early part of the century to the Alumni Reunion of May 1980. This was a wonderful, new and exciting experience for me because it was my second visit to Cushing in fifty years. Through those years, you have circulated literature and photographed brochures of the sweeping changes that have been made. But it was the young people, the curriculum shake-up, and the social expansion that fascinated me. In some instances it hurt, for our old school existed no more. Suppose I show you some old Brownie-type snapshots and contrast them with your new Cushing. Perhaps then you can realize how much things have turned around. And somewhere on this campus is an old portrait that tells it all.

The first shocker came at Lowe Hall. From time too far back for recall, it had been loaded to the roof with all those endearing young charmers. It had been our Sunday afternoon rendezvous, our heartbeat, our valentine. And here progress has been unkind; it has taken the girls out and moved the boys in. Then came the second tremors too shocking to elaborate. We learned that all faculty surveillance on student activities, except dancing, had been dropped. Dating was permissible at any time except during classroom hours and night study hours. Segregated areas (downtown) had collapsed completely. I am certain that, in the hereafter, you will have to answer to the faculty of the past decades for such “carryings on.”

The new gymnasium was locked but the locker rooms were open. On one side the boys were dressed for baseball and on the other a bevy of girls were suited for games of some sort. Here we learned of another loss to our old school activities: gym classes had been dropped entirely. Now the recreational schedule calls for a full program of competitive games for all students. Now let’s take a look at the young ladies’ game suits. They were leg brief, decent, and form-fitting for freedom of movement. Contrast, if your imagination can hold it, this

Brownie snapshot of the gym suit our coed wore 50 years ago. She wore white low-cut sneakers with long black stockings. A straight white blouse that hung from the shoulders like a potato sack utterly destroyed the image of the upper diaphragm. To complete this dazzling ensemble she wore big-blue-billowing-bloomers that draped in deflated folds around the knees like hoops. If you had caught her standing in the sunlight flooding through a basement window she would have been immortalized in your mind as a silhouette figurette, strongly resembling an antique long neck flower vase, with a bowl base. Fault not the faculty, it was the style. Rather blame the fashion house that designed Carrie Nations’ wardrobe, that great emancipator who led the girls into womanhood through suffrage. But put this coed into an evening gown and you had a graceful, feminine, vivacious, breathless beauty. This then was your Cushing Girl of 1930. She would be near the top in any decade.

The Wallace library, exquisitely decorative, modern furnished, well-booked, well-carpeted everywhere from here to there, was obviously the meeting place for tête-à-tête gossip. A Brownie snapshot of its counterpart in our time was the old tomb on the cemetery road, which was the only permissible place for the smokers to gather. (His photo-type was Varsity sweatered, Marlboro husky, just above average height, close cropped hair, a bare face, and a mouthful of Colgate teeth. His gossip—girls.)

Now back to the Wallace library. We learned that the present curriculum had dropped the free Mondays and had staggered a 6–5 week of classes. Couple this with six nights of study and you realize that these young people come here to be educated.

And now their life style: The boys: clean cut, dress slacks, groomed, courteous, and rangy tall. No wild bush hair, beards or pork chops. The girls: her dress. This was Alumni Day,

In 1980, Cliff Broadbent ’29 returned to campus—for just the second time since

Saturday, no classes, so casuals in a variety were prominent all over the campus. She might have been at a church picnic or a friendly cook-out. I saw one coed in riding breeches but no horse could be found so I assumed that also was a part of the casuals. Her physical stature: wholesome, good posture, a quick step, lithe, and tall. Her personality: pleasing, friendly, smiling, a blend that led to charm. Her beauty was accentuated by careful attention to grooming. Though some appeared reserved or perhaps shy it seemed more like dignity growing into her age of maturing. So there she is, as I found her, a very attractive Cushing Girl of 1980.

While our group dispersed to chat with friends I explored the Main Building alone. I closed the chapel hall door behind me. The drapes covered the windows, the wall lamps were out. I was alone in the dark. Immediately I sensed something different but at the moment I couldn’t bring it to identity. Here was the heart of our campus. I wiped the nostalgic mist from my eyes and then I saw it. The old portrait I was looking for was right there in front of me. I lightly brushed some dust away with my handkerchief. Dim lights came on. The more I dusted the brighter came the lights until the polished floor glowed like a full moon. There was the stage to my right, the pulpit of prayers, songs, cheers, lectures, Winter Carnival plays, and music. On stage the band was tuning its instruments. The chaperones had taken their seats on the cemetery side of the hall (no reference to character, just a guide to location). The students were filing past the faculty in the traditional greeting courtesy. Miss Gaylor at the old upright was poised with a signal for her student band. There was music in their hearts, honesty in their efforts, and promise in their melodies, but they gave us noise and a down beat. That was all we needed. The signal was given, the band played, and once again our beloved Saturday night dance had begun.

We had just escaped the wild Charleston dance craze and had gone into the Great Depression. This set us back to a slow fox trot and a slow waltz. However, two new dance tunes had just come out, ‘Tiger Rag’ and ‘Louisiana Hayride,’ and they put fire and winged speed into our dancing feet, and we borrowed the old World War lone step to do it. The dancing faculty constantly frowned down our speed to keep the frenzy out of the tempo. The second taboo: regulation air space between dancers was enforced, and how we loved to cheat on that one. The most popular taboo of all was the Cushing cuddle (cheek to cheek dancing). To thwart the eternal watch, we would cluster in a corner and those dancers in the middle would cuddle

dance to their hearts content until the faculty broke the cordon. At 10:30 o’clock the band played ‘Good Night Ladies’ and we filed past the chaperones again to say goodnight.

The lights faded, dimmed, went out. Again, in the dark, came that feeling of something different. It was under my shoes. A carpet. A carpet on that flirtation floor. Incredible. Why?

Downstairs, in the traffic of the library, I found out why. There was no more dancing on that chapel floor. They were held in either the new gymnasium, or in Alumni Hall. Also dropped from the chapel hall schedule was the Sunday hour of quiet eve-tide, open hearth type, service of hymn and prayer. Thus was eliminated the traditional opportunity of students to catch up on their sleep. However, movies had been added, otherwise the chapel hall had survived the trend of change.

In summary I must say that you have given us a beautiful, modern, reaching new school. I would keynote in two words the most significant change in the progress; Rigidity went out with the old school and elasticity came in with the new.

On our way out, as we passed the statue of the little country school boy with the broad brimmed hat, at the entrance of the campus, I was adamant on one thing. I would lead the revolt of the Alumni if the boy’s hat was replaced by a flat-top visored cap, now in vogue. A moment later enchantment returned for I saw for the first time in 50 years coeds walking with their dates downtown. So I pulled my flat-top visored cap tighter on my head and thought, “Balderdash, whatever it be has to be. They are doing a good job up on that hill and they are making us like it.”

1981

Generous Gift from Biggs Family Upgrades Athletic Facilities

In the spring of 1981, the Academy completed the John H. Biggs Jr. Memorial Fitness Center. John ’33 and his wife, Eleanor, made the gift in honor of their son who lost his life in a football accident prior to applying to Cushing. According to The Bulletin, the center was “described by professionals as one of the finest physical training centers in the Northeast.”

The Biggses weren’t done, however. They also upgraded the Academy’s tennis courts—six courts replacing the former two—and added lockers to Heslin Gym.

Asked the reason for his generosity, Mr. Biggs said, “I am very pleased to be fortunate enough to participate in any project that strengthens Cushing. The contribution that Cushing has made to me is a debt that I have long recognized. It made me aware that the world was a very interesting place with problems to cope with and opportunities to pursue. I learned many things at Cushing—how to study, how to get along with my fellow man, how to accept competitive challenge. What I learned here gave me a foundation to develop the ability to handle problems and opportunities ahead. So I support Cushing to pay my debt. I support Cushing because I want the present and future generations to have the advantage of the Cushing experience. Finally, I support Cushing as we all must, if we want this academy to survive and move ahead.”

Cushing’s Kitchen Gets an Upgrade

Feeding a community like Cushing’s has always been a challenge. In 1981, the Academy’s kitchen received several new ovens, a large grill, a warming box, and a new refrigerator. The food budget was $325,000 per year and covered, among other things, 12,000 gallons of milk, 115,000 eggs, and more than 3,300 pounds of beef. The student work program employed about 15 boys and girls who handled clean up and functioned as servers for breakfast and lunch. Then, as now, the food service staff also prepared food for special events like Senior Banquet, Parents Weekend, Alumni Day, Prom, Mountain Day, and more.

The Bette Davis Challenge Spruces Up Cowell Chapel

Most Cushing alumni know that Bette Davis was a member of the Class of 1926. What you may not know is that she was an active and generous alumna for many years following her graduation. In 1981, she challenged her fellow alumni to raise money to replace the curtains in Cowell Chapel, which had been hanging there for decades. In her challenge, she offered to match gifts up to $2,500.

According to The Bulletin, “Fourteen members of her class responded immediately with $1,140 and the letters which accompanied their contributions were delightful in their nostalgia. From their comments, one becomes aware of the uniqueness of Bette Davis. Her special fire, her strength of character and her perseverance were obviously not forged at Cushing, however, much as we might wish to think so. She brought them with her when she came, never to be forgotten by succeeding generations of Cushing students, parents, and alumni.”

When members of the Class of 1931, returning for their 50th Reunion, heard of the challenge, they voted to meet it in full through their reunion gift to Cushing. Thanks to the generosity of so many, the curtains were hanging by the time school started in the fall.

1981

Iranian Hostage Crisis ended, following the inauguration of Ronald Reagan. John Hinckley, Jr., attempted to assassinate President Reagan.

The Biggs Fitness Center was completed through the generosity of the Biggs family. John Hyslop left his post as Director of Summer Programs after 11 years. He was replaced by Lauriston Cone.

The Academy added a greenhouse to the Science Building.

The New York Times ran a feature story on the Academy, “Preppies from Abroad.”

Biggs weight room (top) and new tennis courts (bottom), 1981

Lab work, 1981

Preppies from Abroad

Back in 1977, Dr. Curry, Guy Bramble, and Lauriston Cone began working to recruit international students to Cushing, largely as a way to increase the student body and help balance the budget.

But it turned out that Cushing was really on the leading edge of something. In November 1981, the New York Times ran a feature story on international prep school students called “Preppies from Abroad.” Cushing featured prominently in the story. Said the Times, “Today 20 percent of the regular enrollment at Cushing consists of students from other lands, compared with one lone boy from Venezuela back in 1972. All over the country, at dozens of independent boarding schools, long the educational preserve of an American elite, an ever expanding foreign student body has brought these institutions to a crossroads.”

According to the article, foreign families saw American prep schools as a way to prepare their children for education at American universities. Some of them also saw it was a “lifelong insurance policy preparation for life in the United States if they are thrown into exile.”

At the time the article was written, only one in three foreign applicants was accepted at Cushing, the same ratio as successful American students. This influx of foreign students caused dramatic changes on campus. “Cushing Academy now offers college level (Advanced Placement, or A.P.) courses in physics, chemistry, and calculus because of demand from the overseas contingent,” wrote the article. “Beefed up with players from Iran, Spain, Mexico, and Venezuela, the school won the western New England schools’ soccer

championship in the fall of 1980. Modern dance has had a resurgence as girls from abroad say they feel more comfortable with the delicacies of dance than a tougher team sport. Rice is now frequently served as often as three times a day in the Cushing dining hall.”

American students, including those at Cushing, were enthusiastic about their international counterparts. Melanie Lowe ’81 was quoted in the article: “It makes you concerned about what is happening in other countries…. The Iran crisis has meant a lot to me because I know Iranian students. You learn manners, too.’’

School Rules

Through the years, the Academy’s rules have shifted a bit, depending on the customs of the time period. However, it should be said that some rules have stood the test of time since the school’s earliest days. Here are the rules from the 1981 student handbook:

1. Students are expected to be courteous in their dealings with all members of the Community, be they faculty, other students, staff, or members of faculty families.

2. Abusive language or physical antagonism cannot be accepted.

3. Every student is expected to participate in athletics or an agreed upon alternative activity during the entire academic year.

4. Students are expected to wear blouses or collared shirts, tucked in and buttoned, to all classes and meals, Monday through Friday (and through Saturday lunch when there are Saturday classes scheduled).

5. All students are required to participate in the Academy’s work program one term of the academic year.

6. Students may not be out of their dormitories without permission from the beginning of study hall until 6:30 am.

7. Students may not receive as a guest in their dormitory rooms any member of the opposite sex. Nor may a student enter a dormitory of students of the opposite sex except to visit in an authorized area during stated visiting hours.

8. Smoking is prohibited to all students except seniors. No student may smoke or burn incense or candles in dormitories or other school buildings.

9. Students may not purchase, possess, or consume drugs, marijuana, or alcohol. Nor may they occupy an area which shows evidence of the recent use of prohibited substances.

10. Public display of affection is inappropriate and unacceptable anywhere on campus.

11. Corridors and classrooms may not be used as lounge areas.

Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

In Los Angeles, the first known cases of AIDS appeared.

MTV was launched.

Girls’ dorm, 1981

1982

Lowe Hall Gets a Facelift

If you look back at old pictures of Lowe Hall, one of Cushing’s earliest buildings, you’ll see that the siding was once dark in color. In fact, it was made of slate. In 1982, the school removed that slate siding and replaced it with white clapboard, giving it the look we see today.

1982

The Frederick D. Lane Memorial Computer Lab

In 1981, IBM launched its first personal computer. In 1982, Commodore introduced the Commodore 64—which people of a certain age will probably remember with fondness. In 1984, Apple spent $1.5 million on a Super Bowl commercial that launched the beloved Macintosh computer.

Never one to be left behind, Cushing Academy opened its first computer lab for the 1982–83 school year. Much of the funding came from an Edward E. Ford Foundation grant of $25,000. The Bulletin noted, “We are entering an era of computer wizardry at an incredible speed. With the new funding provided last year, we were able to buy many new Apple 2Es and with our new computer room, we gained the space to use these new computers.” Cushing students were expected to have at least one course in computers every year and the school offered programming courses in Pascal, Logo, and Basic. “The computer department is widening its

1983

frontiers in order for us to widen ours,” said The Bulletin.

The new computer lab was named after Cushing’s longest serving faculty member, Frederick D. Lane (see pg. 6) and was located at the north end of the Main Building on the second floor in what, for many years, was Mr. Lane’s classroom.

1983

Girls’ Basketball Sets a Cushing Record

Girls have been playing basketball at Cushing since 1898. In 1983, they had quite the Cinderella season, rolling to a 17–1 record, claiming a tournament championship and a school record for the most wins by a team—male or female—in a single season. The outcome was all the more impressive since only co-captains Laurie Montrond ’83 and Sandy Vachon ’83 returned from the previous year’s squad. Their single loss came against an undefeated Bancroft School team. They redeemed that loss, however, at the AISGA championship game, when they beat the top-seeded Bancroft team by a score of 36–33.

Varsity Hockey Returns to Cushing

In 1983, due to the generosity of Edward G. Watkins ’56, the Academy welcomed varsity hockey back after a 13-year hiatus. Mr. Watkins had played hockey during his Cushing days and he worked with Athletic Director Wayne Sanborn and Coach Schuyler Peck to bring this important sport back.

“Varsity ice hockey has had a rather checkered history at Cushing,” wrote The Bulletin, “rising three times from the ashes of unceremonious demises only to reach new heights of achievement.” Although the Academy first played hockey in the winter of 1924–25, they played only one game that year, and were thoroughly trounced. For the next two seasons, the school’s natural rink didn’t permit play, but in the 1927–28 season, the team played nine games and was undefeated. During the Great Depression, hockey faded into oblivion, only to be resurrected under the leadership of Brad Lamson in 1939–40, before being interrupted once again for World War II. Although hockey returned in the 1950s, the school’s program was done in by the lack of artificial ice to play on. In the winter of 1970–71, waning interest, declining enrollment, and rising operating expenses proved the program’s undoing. As the Academy turned a corner in the early 1980s, however, there was a need to provide more athletic opportunities, and Watkins’ generosity helped bring back a sport that has since become something of a niche for the Academy. In fact, it its first year back, the Academy “pucksters” qualified for the New England finals, a harbinger of things to come.

Hall of Nations Dedicated

One of the first things people notice when they come to Cushing’s Main Building is the wall of flags in the main hall. Many stories have been told about what the flags stand for.

A suicide bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killed 63 people.

The first commercially available handheld mobile phone was released by Motorola.

Ice hockey returned to Cushing after a 13-year hiatus.

A fire at Jewett House caused more than $200,000 in damage. Hall of Nations was dedicated.

In fact, the beginnings of that wall came to the Academy through the generosity of Esther and Lewis Perlstein. Their three grandsons Peter Adeson ’85, Eric Shapiro ’80, and Ken Shapiro ’88 attended the Academy.

Mr. Perlstein was a trustee emeritus and longtime friend to the Academy and in 1982, he made a gift of 60 flags to the school, representing the nationalities of students who had studied at Cushing in the preceding three years.

“Our gift of these flags,” he said at an assembly, “symbolizes the fact that great nations must never cease in their efforts to improve their relationships with one another if life in our world is to progress. Cushing serves as an important participant early in this process by providing you students and your faculty with a sensitive community in which both learning and understanding can take place.”

The number of countries represented at Cushing has grown so much since 1982, that the flags were replaced in 2003 with smaller, framed flags representing the members of the United Nations at that time.

A Fire at Jewett House

Cushing Academy has had its share of campus fires during its 150-year history. In 1983, a fire at Jewett House caused more than $200,000 in damage. The fire began in the kitchen area and then spread up a rear wall to the second floor and attic. “Because the home had been remodeled with false ceilings, the fire was difficult to trace and contain as flames moved across the attic and ceilings, eventually breaking through the

roof,” according to The Bulletin. Jeanette Curry found the home engulfed by smoke when she returned from a shopping trip and called the Ashburnham Fire Department. Ultimately, it took firefighters from six communities to put out the blaze. No one was injured.

The U.S.S.R. boycotted the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, likely in response to the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympics.

Sally Ride became the first woman astronaut in space.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP : Jewett House fire; boys’ hockey, girls’ basketball, 1983

1984

Another Library for the Academy

Libraries are the heart of any educational institution and Cushing is no different. The school’s first library was lost in the 1893 fire and rebuilding it consumed much time and money in the first few years afterward. From 1894 until 1965, the school’s library was located at the end of the first floor of the Main Building, where the Headmaster’s Office is now. In 1965, the school added a floor to the second level of the old gym and moved the library to that space (see pg. 49). By 1982, it was clear that the school had outgrown that space as well, and they began to discuss how to raise the funding to build a new library and learning center.

Edward G. Watkins ’56 continued his generous support of the Academy—support that continues to this day—by offering $300,000 in matching gifts for the construction. Tony Fisher ’69 pledged $100,000. They were joined by hundreds of other donors—faculty, staff, parents, students, and friends—who made the library possible.

During construction, the Main Building was raised on steel girders so they could remove the dirt from beneath the building to clear space for the new space. When it was completed in 1984, the library contained 20,000 volumes with an emphasis on a strong up-to-date reference collection. It featured computer “terminals” that linked the Academy’s students to outstanding reference materials around the world. It was “a place where young people feel comfortable,

1984

1984

whether hard at work on research for a term paper or relaxing by the window, curled up in an oversized chair,” said The Bulletin According to one contemporary faculty member, “The library was the school’s crown jewel at that time. It was featured in Architectural Digest.”

There are two interesting stories about the new facility. One faculty member told us that

the Class of 1984 had their graduation in the new space—before the furniture was moved in—because it was raining outside, where graduation was normally held. Also, the construction of the new library obviously necessitated the removal of dirt from beneath the Main Building. That fill was used to construct a new regulation soccer field and a practice field for lacrosse on the south end of campus.

LiveAid, held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia and featuring dozens of pop artists, raised money to alleviate the ongoing famine in Ethiopia.

Indira Ghandi, the only female Prime Minister of India, was assassinated.

Cushing added the Fisher-Watkins Library to its campus.

Total fundraising at Cushing surpassed $1 million for the first time.

Peggy Lee and Chris Boyle joined the faculty.

TOP: Fisher-Watkins Library under construction BOTTOM (L–R): Library after completion and dedication by Tony Fisher, 1984

1985

Cushing’s Forward-Thinking Computer Literacy Program

In 1980, Time magazine declared the 1980s the decade of the computer. “Nowhere is the revolution that the microchip wrought more evident than at Cushing,” wrote The Bulletin “The 1984–85 academic year has seen the Acad emy develop one of the most broad and rigor ous computer literacy programs in the nation, much to the delight of Cushing students,” the article went on. “Whereas many, if not most, independent schools require their students to take a computer course for graduation, Cushing now requires all students to take a term of computer studies each year.”

Indeed, the Academy’s computer program has always been somewhat ahead of its time. As early as 1980, the Lane Computer Center had an external hard drive that connected all of the computer terminals in the school, meaning that students and faculty didn’t have to go to the center to do their work. Eric Egertson, head of the general computer program at Cushing said, “Students may now use the terminal to find out what the assignment is, fulfill the assignment on the terminal, and either print it out and hand it in, or they can leave it on the terminal for the teacher to call up.” Indeed, that’s not significantly different from the process we use in 2016.

In addressing the need for yearly computer classes, Joyce Ferris said, “It became clear that the revolution is progressing so quickly that the information one receives one year is outmoded the next. We became convinced that in order for our students to stay abreast

of this expanding knowledge, they needed a course every year!” That requirement necessitated the addition of a second computer lab, this one created as part of the renovation of the old Wallace Library.

“The goals of ‘Computer Skills,’” explained Dr. Johanningsmeier, “are to help the students feel comfortable with the computer and to use it in their work. With those goals in mind, Eric Egertson spent last summer writing the basic manual for the program. It is designed to take the student through a variety of steps, beginning with such elementary needs as turning on the terminal, logging on, using passwords, bringing up the desired program—usually a game in the early stages— and logging off.” In 2016, those are skills our students have been using practically since birth, but back in 1985, teaching such skills was forward-thinking.

Cushing Institutes the A-Team

In the mid-1980s, crack cocaine hit the streets of America and President Ronald Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. Cushing, not immune to the issue of drugs, instituted its Assessment Team—or A-Team as it came to be called. Dean of Students George Draper and Dr. Curry wanted to confront the issue head on and realized the need for education and support. When a student was suspected to have a substance abuse problem, they were referred to the A-Team, who investigated the truth of the matter and dealt directly with the student. The most common drugs found on Cushing’s campus were alcohol and marijuana.

For students whose drug use posed significant health concerns, parents were notified and the students were sometimes required to be evaluated by outside professionals.

The A-Team wasn’t universally loved by the students, of course. Some felt it was just another way for faculty to “bust” students.

The wreck of the Titanic was located by Dr. Robert Ballard.

Coca-Cola released New Coke.

1985

1985 A New Admissions Area

When the FisherWatkins Library was built, it left open the area of the school’s Wallace Library on the main floor of the Main Building. The school’s rapid growth through the early years of the decade necessitated an upgrade of the Academy’s admissions area and the old library location fit that bill. Demolition of the old library began in 1984.

In 1985, the Academy conducted over 1,000 admissions interviews. At the time, Director of Admissions Judy Beams said, “Now we have room to receive six families at a time. There’s room for all to sit down, relax, and enjoy a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Before it was almost chaotic. Now it’s relaxing.”

Cushing: A Good Place to Grow

By 1985, Dr. Curry had been at Cushing’s helm for 13 years. The lean and rebuilding years of the 1970s were in the rearview mirror and focus had turned toward building the school for the future. In the school’s admissions material, Dr. Curry had taken to calling the school “a good place to grow,” which from anyone else might have seemed like a market-

ing line, but Dr. Curry really believed it. “We strive to develop happy, fair-minded, and productive human beings,” he wrote. “And all of our programs are directed to this goal…. We cannot ignore the beauty and intrinsic worth of our children and still be true to the purpose of education.”

1986

Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons Comes into Being

The Academy’s rapid growth over the preceding decade had led to a cramped and disorganized dining hall. Faculty from that time remember that formal dinners were held in the gym because it was the only place that could hold everyone. In 1986, the Academy broke ground on a new facility.

The building was complete by February 1987 and the lower level featured a student center, which had been a much-requested

addition for a number of years. The new facility seated 500 people, enabling the school to return to a beloved tradition: family-style meals. Table service for those meals was provided by students and each table was presided over by a faculty member.

The student center was open a few months later and featured video games, table tennis, pool, a jukebox, television, and a snack bar— not altogether unlike the 2016 version of the student center. Funding for that space was spearheaded by Joseph Treadwell P’89, Chair of the Parent Fund. Parents raised $700,000 for the center.

1987

Dorm Aid Begins

In early 1987, a group of Cushing students, chaired by Dan Schnitzer ’89, started a semester-long project to raise funds to help battered and abused children in Massachusetts. Students recycled cans, held a car wash, sold t-shirts, and hosted both a dance and a Dorm Aid concert featuring student musicians.

The event was so successful that it became an annual tradition. In 1990, the event raised money to install Joyce Sun’s ’89 “Tree of Knowledge” stained glass window in the Main Building. These days, the event is called Spring Fling and has lost some of its fundraising and community service flavor. Even so, it’s a fun time that ushers out winter—we hope!—and celebrates that the end of the school year is in sight.

1985

The Domain Name System was created.

“We Are the World” was recorded.

Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the U.S.S.R.

Rich Devin and Bill Wenning joined Cushing’s faculty.

The boys’ basketball team earned its first New England championship in 100 years.

Cushing Inaugurates Asian Studies Program

Diversity has been a hallmark of Cushing life since 1889, with students from countries around the world including Japan, China, Armenia, and others. In the beginning, many international students came to Cushing to escape political unrest in their countries of birth. In the 1970s, however, Dr. Curry made an effort to recruit students from around the world, dramatically increasing the diversity of the student body. In 1987, the Academy introduced an Asian Studies program, giving all students the chance to learn Asian languages— Korean, Japanese, and Chinese—and culture.

At a New York City event celebrating the program, Ro-Myung Gong, Ambassador Consul General of the Republic of Korea said, “To successfully cope with the tensions that will inevitably arise from the meeting of diverse cultures, effort should be made to promote understanding and to break down the popular

beliefs and policies that are still rooted in the past.” Itaru Umezu, Deputy Consul General and Director of the Japan Information Center praised the program, saying, “When Cushing students meet their peers across the Pacific, it will be easier because they have already reached out to the other side.”

By 1987, 76 students from 17 countries were attending Cushing.

AIDS Workshops at Cushing

When AIDS was first recognized in 1981, it was viewed as a problem for the homosexual population. By 1987, however, it was clear that it had a far broader reach than that. The disease was addressed at Cushing through a series of informal workshops held in the dorms. The goal was to educate Cushing students about the causes and prevention of the disease.

The first observance of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day took place.

The space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into flight, killing all seven crew members.

Approximately 6.5 million people donated money to participate in Hands Across America, which raised money to help those in poverty. What would become known as the Iran-Contra Affair began in an effort to free American hostages held in Lebanon.

Halley’s Comet passed by Earth.

Mark Burke joined Cushing’s faculty for the first time.

Dorm and campus life in the 1980s

Boys vs. Girls

Although Cushing has been coeducational since its first day, boys and girls have not always been treated in ways our contemporary sensibilities would consider equal.

Girls did not always have the same access to the gym as the boys did, for example. For many years, girls were not allowed to engage in interscholastic athletic competition, although they did enjoy many athletic options on campus—like horseback riding, swimming, baseball, volleyball, track, and archery. In fact, Cushing was one of the first academies to have girls’ basketball and girls’ field hockey teams. Like the boys, girls could earn athletic letters.

Girls were encouraged to host social events. “Not only do they enjoy the privileges

of these functions,” noted the editors of The Breeze, “but they have a chance to make most of the arrangements, which is valuable training for the future.”

When Alumni Hall opened to house girls in the fall of 1947, its residents were very closely watched. There were coedding hours on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons and movies in the chapel on Saturday nights. Before they could go, however, the girls had to sign out with a faculty member at their dorms, with the time clearly noted, and then sign in again when they reached the chapel, also with the time clearly noted, so there was no time for any shenanigans along the way. Boys were not so closely watched.

In 1948, after the end of World War II, Cushing boys were allowed to have radios

in their rooms. Girls were not so lucky. One letter to The Breeze editor said, “Cushing is a democratic institution. How are boys any more privileged than the girls? Why should we be denied the simple privilege of having a radio in our rooms?”

Even at mid-century, boys and girls were treated differently. The school had a focus on a “balance of shared activities and those interests peculiar to boys or to girls.” Classes and meals were shared, and most clubs were coeducational as well, but athletics were wholly separate. A mid-century Cushing catalogue noted: “The boys have an extensive athletic program with a well-organized plan of daily physical exercise. In addition, vigorous interscholastic competition is provided with leading preparatory schools in the area. The

girls have their own sports program, but it is less intense, more diversified, yet maintaining the tradition of competitive athletics. The girls, because of their less intensive program, have more time to devote to art, music, and various club activities, which are so much a part of their development.”

Students were often more progressive than their administrative counterparts. In 1951, the girls’ field hockey team lost a game to Gardner. The following issue of The Breeze observed that, “from the beginning the odds were against [the Cushing girls] because they had not the proper field to train on nor the proper equipment to play with.” The editors felt, apparently strongly, that equal opportunities should be given to the girls as to the boys so that they could “bring honor and glory

to the name of Cushing.”

An editorial in 1953 noted that “it is most evident that the boys hold the favored position in important respects.” Clearly, the girls felt that they were more harshly punished for small infractions, like running down the hall, being late to a meal, or occasional laughter in study hall, than the boys were. What might lead to a young man having to do extra work in the dining hall would lead a young lady to losing privileges altogether, a circumstance the young ladies found unfair at a “democratic school such as Cushing.”

Equality was slow in coming, however. When the school celebrated its centennial in 1965, they renovated the old gym in the Main Building. The lower level of the new space was turned into an exercise space for girls,

known as the “Ladies Gym.” Girls’ sports were still playing second fiddle to boys’ sports, a fact that wasn’t universally accepted. One letter to The Breeze’s editor said, “Naturally it would be senseless to request an individual coach for each sport, but certainly one individual adviser to supervise competitive sports ALONE seems to me to be a humble enough request. This person could carefully select and organize different teams in order to bring about a superior team and consequently victory and glory for the school.” In addition, boys were required to participate in some sport each season, but girls were not.

1925 1986

1983

1987

1987

Native American Preparatory School Launched

In the summer of 1987, the Native American Preparatory School (NAPS) was founded by Richard and Sharon Ettinger, parents of Matt ’91; Chairman and Mrs. Peter MacDonald of the Navajo Nation; and Dr. Curry. Wayne Hancock served as the coordinator of the program; he was joined by Dr. Norm Carey, who taught English. Five Cushing students served as peer counselors: Charity MacDonald ’90, Matt Londe ’89, Matt Ettinger ’91, Diana Schwinn ’90, and Beth Carey ’91.

The Navajo students took classes and participated in sports and other activities during the four-week summer program at the Verde Valley School in Sedona, Ariz. The following year, the program was extended to six weeks and moved to the campus of New Mexico State University at Las Cruces. It also expanded to include other tribes.

The goal of the program was to introduce students to the independent school environment and to prepare them for higher education. The students’ cultural identity was the primary value of the program. The curriculum was designed to reflect the importance of Native American contributions. For example, the English and oral communications courses focused on the Native American voice in literature and the diverse cultural traditions of the Native groups represented at NAPS.

At its beginning in 1987, NAPS had 50 students. By 1989, the program graduated 187 students. In 1990, enrollment was 300.

Although the money for the program ran out after just a few years, Director Wayne Hancock is proud of what it accomplished and pleased that he had the opportunity to participate. “My own kids are better for having been able to spend those summers in the Southwest learning about Native American and Hispanic culture.”

The relationship between the Academy and the Native American community has continued, even in the absence of the NAPS program. For several years after the program ended, Bob Johnson took his art students to visit the Southwest and learn about Native American art and artists. Peggy Lee still recruits Native American students for Cushing’s Summer Session and its regular academic year.

Work Program Returns to Cushing

For many years, Cushing students were required to spend several hours per term doing work around campus. The theory was that it would give them ownership of the campus and they’d be less likely to create messes that they or their classmates would need to clean up. How well that actually worked is likely a matter for some debate.

In the early 1980s, that requirement was suspended, but Dr. Curry re-instituted it in

1987. Needless to say, the students weren’t big fans. Dr. Curry said he brought the program back in part because the school faced a shortage of dining hall workers and to hire enough staff would have been cost prohibitive. But he also noted that creating a sense of unity and giving students the opportunity to get involved with the school in a non-academic way was also an important reason to bring it back.

Students were required to spend 24 hours per year assisting in the dining hall and 16 hours per year doing other jobs, including student center monitors, set workers for drama productions, science lab aides, and

1987

Native American Preparatory School (NAPS) was launched.

The Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons and student center opened.

1988

Model UN came to Cushing for the first time.

Bob Macioci joined the Cushing faculty.

Whit Wales became chair of the Performing Arts Department, taking over from Mary Fern (right).

AZT was approved by the FDA for the treatment of AIDS/HIV.

Michael Jackson released his album Bad

Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted.

On October 19, world stock markets crashed in one of the biggest oneday slides in history.

George H.W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis to become President.

PanAm flight 103 was destroyed by a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers, 16 crew members, and 11 people on the ground.

Benazir Bhutto became the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the first woman elected as the head of an Islamic state’s government.

Amy Logan and Ellen Harrington ’70 joined the Cushing staff.

1989

Cushing Inaugurates its Gold Key Society

Fifty years is an accomplishment, no matter how you slice it. In 1989, when Cushing shifted its reunion activities from June to May so that alumni could interact with students, it also launched its Gold Key Society, honoring those alumni who were celebrating at least 50 years since their graduation. It’s an honor we still celebrate each year during Reunion Weekend.

which Cushing had always been known. The number of faculty reached 68 that fall, necessitating the creation of a Dean of Faculty position, which was undertaken by Rich Henry.

Cushing Fundraising Surpasses $3 million as Part of Capital Campaign

The 1980s heralded the beginning of Cushing’s modern fundraising operation. Although the Academy had been soliciting gifts from its very beginning—literally, they were asking for donations at its dedication in 1875—for most of its history, the school’s fundraising had been modest.

As Board President M. Anthony Fisher ’69 wrote, “A school draws its strength from the truth and value of its mission, and that explains the good fortune of Cushing Academy. It is with a spirit of optimism and a sense of commitment to sound ideals that we will continue to build upon the strong foundation we have created.”

During the campaign, Tony Fisher and Edward G. Watkins ’56 each donated millions of dollars, including matching gifts that spurred other members of the community to contribute.

Cushing Enrollment Reaches 400 for the First Time

In 2015, Cushing deliberately reduced the size of its student body to 400, a number the Academy first reached in 1989. Back then, it was the largest the school had ever been, with 366 boarding students and 34 day students. About 25 percent of the students were international. Headmaster Curry felt it was an optimum number for the school. He noted that the school combined the advantages of extensive resources with the supporting environment for

That began to change during the 1980s when the school launched a $10 million capital campaign. In 1989, the school raised more than $3 million, doubling the previous year’s contributions. The increase was due to three factors, according to the alumni newsletter: a record $1.4 million in campaign contributions from individuals, a $1 million restricted gift to the endowment, and an unprecedented level of support from foundations.

The campaign funded the construction of the award-winning library, the new dining hall and student center complex, the acquisition of six houses for faculty and students, and the purchase of 45 acres of land. It also enabled the school to retire a significant amount of the debt it had incurred as it increased its student body and improved its physical plant.

1990 Cushing Redesigns its Alumni Magazine

Cushing has had an alumni publication for much of its history. In the early years, a special issue of The Breeze served the purpose, as that publication was sent to all alumni who had purchased a subscription. In about 1924, the school began writing a publication that was specifically for alumni, called The Bulletin, that took several different forms through the years, including a magazine format.

In 1990, the Academy redesigned that publication and relaunched it. Featuring glossy pages, news, class notes, and more, it was the beginning of the magazine you’re holding in your hand right now!

1989

Clifford Beebe, husband of Trustee Mildred Dunn Beebe ’36, established the Cushing archives. Bette Davis ’26 passed away.

Cindy Battista Merrill joined the Cushing faculty.

The Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound, spilling millions of gallons of crude oil. East Germany opened its border with West Germany, leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

General Colin Powell became first black Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Student-led protests in Tiananmen Square were forcibly suppressed by the Chinese military.

1990

Cushing inaugurated the 1865 Society, honoring those who have made planned gifts to the Academy.

Bill Troy joined the faculty.

The first issue of the Cushing magazine was published.

The NAPS program was featured on The Today Show .

1990

1990

Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in South African prisons.

Doug Wilder became the nation’s first black governor, in Virginia.

The Hubble space telescope was launched.

1991

Broadway Comes to Cushing

In January 1991, George Merritt, star of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, spent two months serving as Cushing’s artist-inresidence, assisting the Academy’s drama and music departments with their production of the musical, in which he also starred.

Merritt was no stranger to the field of education. After graduating from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music, he taught music at the elementary school level for six years and was named Teacher of the Year five times. “I never took a vacation,” Merritt said back in 1990. “When I wasn’t teaching I worked in summer stock, sang in church choirs and performed with community theatre groups.”

Then-Cushing Board President Tony Fisher ’69 helped produce the Broadway version of

1991

Bruce Lemieux joined the faculty.

1991

Operation Desert Storm, fought by a coalition of forces led by the United States, began after Iraq invaded Kuwait.

The Soviet Union dissolved after many of its republics declared independence; Boris Yeltsin became President of the Russian Federation.

Big River, which perhaps goes a way toward explaining how Cushing ended up with such a wonderful artist on campus that year.

1992

Drew Common Dedicated

Once upon a winter time, in the space between Lowe Hall and Ash House, there was an ice hockey rink. In the spring, it was tennis courts. But then it was turned into a lovely, large lawn and became home to cookouts, Frisbee games, snowball fights, purple chairs, commencement, and convocation. Drew Common is named in honor of Alfred Gaylord Drew ’27. When Drew died in April 1991, his will included the largest bequest the school had received to that time: $650,000. “While he never sought recognition for his generosity, I believe Al would smile at being linked with an area so central to the daily lives of students,” said Dr. Curry in 1992 when the common was dedicated. “Al had a deep commitment to Cushing’s students and to helping provide for them the same opportunities that he received here as a student,” Dr. Curry went on.

Silver Penguin: Mary Fern

Generations of Cushing students were taught by the incomparable Mary Fern. To say she had a multitude of talents would be an understatement, which was a good thing, because there was no Performing Arts Department at Cushing when she arrived in 1967, so she had to start from scratch. She was committed to sharing her love of drama with Cushing’s students, however. “I wanted to give as many kids as possible the chance to have the drama experience,” she said in 1998. She increased the number of productions and carved out time between athletics and classes so students could pursue the arts. At first, that meant her students had rehearsals from 6:00 to 7:30 in the morning, but the kids stuck with it and Mary applauded their diligence.

The Cushing community loved the performances, and they became quite important to life at the Academy. Her students performed in classics like Death of a Salesman and The Importance of Being Earnest, but they also performed original one act plays—a tradition she began in those early years and which would last until after she’d retired from teaching at Cushing.

Mary was a fixture at the Academy and her work mattered to decades of Cushing students. “I had a real house and I was able to have students over for coffee or sandwiches,” she remembered. “We had a number of those sessions. They were teaching sessions, but

After bitter confirmation hearings centering on accusations by Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas was confirmed as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Convention for a Democratic South Africa began negotiations to form a multiracial government in that country, signaling the end of apartheid.

it was an awful lot of fun.” She also made a point of producing large productions so “lots of kids could try their stuff.”

It wasn’t just the students who benefitted from her enthusiasm, however. Fellow faculty members performed too. “I had wonderful people to work with,” she said. “Some of them were very, very talented. So we had a good number of plays and even more opportunities for teachers to get to know students. They got to know students not just in a regular classroom. And students got to know their teachers too.”

She remembered fondly a young Tony Fisher ’69, who, among other things, did lighting for her productions. “It seemed to me he had a particularly loud voice when he called for a certain light that’s a yellowish shade and it’s called Bastard Amber,” she said. “Tony would yell to ‘put on the Bastard Amber!’” There was a gentleman in the chapel who was very upset to hear such language and wanted to know why Tony was yelling “Bastard Amber.” Mary tried to explain, but the gentleman just didn’t think it was very nice. “So I went in and I asked Tony—who I know just loved doing it—to tone down the noise.” Tony responded he couldn’t because everyone needed to be able to hear him. That seemed like a good enough reason to Mary, so she let him continue.

Sometimes she spent time in the chapel by herself when it was quiet because she felt that was when she got her best staging ideas. But she also acknowledged that sometimes there was sadness in the quiet. “I would come down when the students I knew and loved were going to go out and graduate and… a

1992

couple of times I came down here to weep because I was going to miss them very much.” But that was just the kind of teacher she was. She and her late husband never had children, but when people would ask her if she had any, she would say, “Oh yes. About 5,000 or so.” Eventually, Mary was named the Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, a role she kept until the arrival of Whit Wales in 1988. She retired in 1992, having spent her last four years working in the Alumni and Development Office. By the end of her tenure at the Academy, she had also been the Head of the English Department, taught public speaking, and worked in College Counseling. For her contributions to the Academy, she was named an honorary alumna in 1992.

Cushing Renovates Laboratories

In 1894, when the Academy rebuilt its Main Building following the major fire, it also built a new facility next door to house the Science Department; indeed, the structure was called the Science Building until the Curry Center was built in 2005. As quickly as science and technology move, however, the laboratories in the building were regularly updated throughout the 111 years it served that function. In 1992, the Academy raised $100,000 to make such a renovation possible. In the chemistry lab, wrote The Bulletin, “Years of paint were removed from the brick walls and the oak lab tables were restored to their original condition, stripped of eleven layers of paint and varnish. Improved lighting and a new ceiling and floor complete the environment.”

The Martin Fisher Physics Laboratory was also renovated with new furniture and carpeting, improved lighting, and expanded classroom and storage space. The renovations were part of a multi-phase project to upgrade all of the labs, including the ecology and biology spaces.

Following the acquittal of the police officers charged with beating Rodney King, Los Angeles erupted in riots. The European Union was established.

Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush to become President.

Hurricane Andrew made landfall in South Florida, causing more than $26 billion in damage and killing 65 people.

Drew Common was dedicated. Mary Fern officially retired, though she continued to volunteer at the Academy.

Cushing’s laboratories were renovated. Deborah Nyberg Harmon and Nancy Holmes Boyle joined the Cushing faculty.

1994

Keeping up with Technology, Cushing Renovates Computer Labs

In 1985, Cushing began requiring students to take one computer class each year. That requirement, of course, meant that Cushing was committing to keeping the school’s computer technology up to date, no small undertaking. In 1994, Cushing made good on that commitment by upgrading the school’s computer labs.

The description of the labs seems quaint today: “One laboratory… utilizes multi-media software along with word processing, page layout, spreadsheet and database applications,” wrote The Bulletin. The other laboratory featured internal CD-ROMs, laser discs, and laser printers. “Access to electronic mail and the latest software provide both of these facilities with interactive, multi-media capabilities that set the standard at secondary schools in New England.”

“The most gratifying aspect of this project is seeing that students have not wasted any time in utilizing the computers,” remarked Walter Koenig, Chair of Cushing’s Computer Science Department at that time. “Walk into either of the labs on any given afternoon and you will see students and faculty occupying nearly every machine, experimenting, quizzing each other, and exploring the many capabilities available to them.”

1995

Cushing Adds Theodore Iorio Arena, Girls’ Hockey to Campus

In 1994, Theodore Iorio, parent of Ted Iorio ’95, approached Dr. Curry about building an ice arena and gave the Academy $1.5 million

to begin construction on what would become the $5.5 million Theodore L. Iorio Arena. Edward G. Watkins ’56 and M. Anthony Fisher ’69 were also major contributors to the project. The facility made it possible for Cushing to add girls’ hockey to its slate of athletic offerings. In the years since its construction, the arena has become an important part of life at the school. Thousands of hockey games have been played in it. It’s been home to Olympic-level athletes and to dozens, if not hundreds, of community gatherings.

Mr. Iorio, a longtime trustee and now a trustee emeritus, subsequently donated hand-crafted display cabinets to showcase the artwork of Cushing’s talented students. The cabinets are located in the arena’s lobby.

1993

The first “Team Cushing” events took place. Jessica MacKenzie Devin joined the faculty.

and the chapel was renovated with new seating. Cushing’s computer labs were renovated.

Beth Shoulla Stone came to Cushing as an athletic trainer, Deborah Gustafson joined Summer Session staff, and Kurt Kublbeck joined the faculty.

Genocide of more than 500,000 Rwandans took place. The Irish Republican Army declared a complete cease fire in Northern Ireland.

Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa. The longest strike in the history of Major League Baseball took place.

1995

Iorio Arena opened. Girls’ hockey debuted.

Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols detonated a bomb at the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 and injuring 680.

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.

A truck bomb was detonated below the north tower of the World Trade Center, killing six.

Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for literature.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

1998

Silver Penguin: Dr. Arthur Johanningsmeier

When Dr. J—as Arthur Johanningsmeier was affectionately known—retired in 1998, he’d been at Cushing for 26 years. His career included several years of experience as a post-doctoral faculty member at Colorado State University and an assistant professor of Biology at Boston University. During the summers of 1967 and 1968, Dr. J. taught Field Ecology at Northfield Mount Hermon, where he met Dr. Curry. In the spring of 1972, as headmaster-elect at Cushing, Dr. Curry asked Dr. J. if he would serve as head of the science program at Cushing. Feeling a strong need to establish himself and a home, Dr. J. and his late wife, Jean, decided to bring their two sons, Edward ’74 and Charles ’77, to Cushing. “We did settle in. Time seemed to pass. I don’t know where the time has gone,” he said as he thought back over his 26 years at the Academy.

In Dr. J’s years at the Academy, there were numerous changes. Perhaps the most obvious was the school’s growth, both in the number of students and the physical plant. In his first year, there were 161 students enrolled, quite a bit fewer than the 400 who were enrolled in 1998. One example of that growth was the addition of the Fisher-Watkins Library, a project in which Dr. J’s wife, Jean, was very active. “Jean got it off the ground,” he said at the time. “The access to information

1996

Cushing hosted its first senior pumpkin-carving event. All students and faculty were granted access to CushNet, providing email and messaging among members of the on-campus community.

Jennifer Paxman Bernard ’90 and David Bennett joined the faculty.

Eric Rudolph set off a bomb at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Ga. Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, a major reform to welfare laws in the United States.

Madeleine Albright became the first woman Secretary of State.

is improved many times over.” Jean spent a number of years as the Academy’s librarian. Throughout the years, a variety of special projects served as the basis for much of Dr. J.’s teaching. One in the late ’70s involved a grant to study the Nashua River (see pg. 67). “That was an exciting time. We were the leaders in doing that kind of work,” he said in 1998. It was that type of practical application and ingenuity that made Dr. J.’s teaching tactics not only distinctive, but also very influential for his students.

Emily Fisher Landau Center for the Visual Arts

Fine arts officially became part of the Cushing curriculum in 1942 with the hiring of Zaydee DeJonge (see pg. 55), and in the years since, the school’s program has become internationally recognized. For many years, however, the program didn’t have a consistent space on campus. It lived in several different places in the Main Building as well as the top floor of the Science Building. That changed in 1998 with the opening of the Emily Fisher Landau Center for the Visual Arts. Trustee

1997

Joan Hathaway came to Cushing to teach pottery.

M. Anthony Fisher ’69, who was president of the board at that time and provided generous funding for the project, named the building after his mother. Several other trustees— including Edward G. Watkins ’56, Joel Reitman ’74, Thomas Carter, and Nancy Hobson— offered considerable support as well.

“We have one of the best visual arts programs in the nation,” department head Bob Johnson said at the time. “Our students learn not only with an amazing faculty and a variety of course but from each other, as advanced students often help teach beginners—kids as well as faculty from other disciplines.”

The incredible building included a gallery, named in honor of Maude Bowen Carter, to display student and alumni work. Richard Whitney, noted portrait and landscape painter and former Cushing faculty member, helped inaugurate the space by putting 23 of his paintings up for the first show in the

Control over Hong Kong transferred from the United Kingdom to China.

Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris.

J.K. Rowling published Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Cushing,

In August, simultaneous truck bombs went off at United States embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, killing more than 200 people.

Matthew Shepard was beaten, tortured, and left to die in Wyoming, a victim of a hate crime due to his homosexuality.

President Clinton was impeached on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice; he was later acquitted.

Chelle Brown Salvucci, Will Sponholtz, and Donny Harmon joined the faculty.

with the generosity of Edward G. Watkins ’56, hosted its first Boston Holiday event.

GEGODEJU

1999

Lilla M. Pond ’36 Establishes Cushing’s First Faculty Chair

In 1999, Lilla M. Pond ’36 honored Dr. Curry’s service to Cushing Academy by funding an area which had been a hallmark of his tenure: hiring the best faculty and ensuring that they were compensated well. The chair was also an honor for the recipient—Bob Johnson—a distinguished senior faculty member, and made a strong statement about the importance of teaching at the Academy.

“This is an extraordinarily significant moment in Cushing’s history,” stated Dr. Curry at the time the chair was announced. “Lilla’s commitment of $1 million for an endowed faculty chair represents the Academy’s first fully funded chair.” He added, “It means a great deal to all who care about Cushing, and this gift is, of course, personally meaningful, as well.”

Lilla served as a trustee for many years and her love for Cushing dated back to her time as a student. She followed the Academy’s progress through the years, but became more involved at the time of her 50th reunion, when she saw more closely the changes that had occurred under Dr. Curry’s tenure.

A successful businesswoman who owned and ran an insurance firm, Lilla understood well the importance of leadership. “Joe Curry’s great vision and old-fashioned hard work have made Cushing an institution of which we can all be very proud,” Lilla remarked during a visit to campus. “I benefited a tremendous amount from my education at Cushing, and I have enjoyed my lifelong relationship

1999

1999

with the Academy. It gives me great pleasure to make this gift and to pay tribute to Cushing’s growth under Dr. Curry’s leadership.”

Silver Penguin: Ray Lemieux

In 1999, Director of Plant and Property Ray Lemieux retired after 36 years of service to Cushing. At Lemieux’s retirement, Dr. Curry said, “It is with great respect and admiration that I would like to thank Ray on behalf of Cushing Academy for his 36 years of service. With diligence and dependability he has worked continuously to help build a beautiful and well-run physi cal plant. From the day-to-day operation of the Academy to the larger projects that have included new campus buildings, Ray’s contri butions will never be forgotten.”

An Ashburnham native, Lemieux served under four headmasters—West, Lamson, Baker, and Curry. “Cushing was tiny when I began working here,” he once recalled. “There were about 100 to 110 students, the buildings were in good shape, but the grounds were terrible and there weren’t too many people on the maintenance staff.”

Lemieux raised his family at the Academy, and sons Steven ’77 and Bruce ’85 are alumni; as a matter of fact, these days Bruce is Cush ing’s Director of Technology and is himself a Silver Penguin. Ray also has several grand children who are alumni or current students: Matthew ’01, Tim ’13, Kat ’15, and Kevin ’19.

Cushing Visual Arts Students Restore Stained Glass Windows

In 1999, a representative from the First Baptist Church in Winchendon called Bob Johnson to ask if he wanted the stained glass windows that were headed for the trash. Never one to pass up an opportunity, Bob recruited some student volunteers to pick them up.

The windows had been damaged in a fire, but Johnson knew that the 200-plusyear-old windows would be a great learning experience for his students. Although several students were enrolled in Johnson’s stained glass course, creating their own designs and learning the process, the real world windows

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire at Columbine High School in Colorado, killing 12 students and one teacher.

The Euro was introduced.

John F. Kennedy, Jr., died in a plane crash. World population reached 6 billion.

Lilla M. Pond established the Academy’s first endowed faculty chair, and it was awarded to Bob Johnson.

Bruce Sinclair and Catalina Reinoso joined the faculty.

2000 Senior Parent Gift Program Makes its Debut

In 2016, Cushing’s senior parents are used to receiving solicitations asking them to support the Senior Parent Gift Fund. Each year, the Academy partners with its senior parents to create a lasting legacy on campus in honor of that graduating class.

The first-ever such gift was in 2000, when the parents of the graduating class gave the brick walkway that extends from the Main Building to School Street. The centerpiece of the walkway included the names of each member of the Class of 2000 and a plaque acknowledging the generosity of their

parents. In the years since, the names of the graduating seniors have been added each spring.

Silver Penguin: Robert Hall

Robert Hall arrived on the Cushing campus in the fall of 1970 and for 30 years, he brought history alive in the Academy’s classrooms. In a 1998 article, Hall recalled the first time he visited campus: “I came to interview in the spring of 1970 when the students were away. It was such a turbulent spring for the nation.

There was Kent State and Cambodia, and the turmoil at the college level seemed to trickle down to secondary schools. The old boarding school days were under attack—hair, clothing, rules of the traditional private school— everything was in flux.” Although he also interviewed at a school across the country, he liked the people at Cushing enough to accept the job. His first class was Introduction to U.S. History, and he proctored study hall in the “old gym,” which was the dance studio by the time he arrived. His impact on his students is undeniable. We’ve heard stories from alumni about his class on the Vietnam War and what an impact his teaching on that subject had on them.

2000

Shevenell Terrace was dedicated.

The USS Cole was bombed in Yemen, killing 17 American sailors. Vladimir Putin was elected President of Russia.

The new millennium arrived amid fears about a computer bug called Y2K.

The first Founder’s Day was celebrated. Bob Hall retired. Susie Carlisle returned to the Cushing faculty; she was joined by Stirling Ince and Dave Stone.

Cushing Students at the turn of the new century

Art at Cushing

In his book, Frank Rand ’08 described Thomas Parkman Cushing thus, credited to one of Cushing’s daughters: “He had a fine musical ear; in his younger days was a good singer and played the flute as well. Even to the last year of his life, it was a delight to him to accompany the piano with his favorite instrument, and our evenings were often spent in music and singing. He was also fond of art, and, although never in Italy, was familiar with her treasures of sculpture, architecture, and painting, and possessed many fine engravings of the same.”

Fine arts were not officially part of the Cushing curriculum until 1942, when Principal Quimby hired the school’s first art teacher, Mrs. Mason Dix Harris, known professionally as Zaydee DeJonge (see pg. 55). She studied in Paris and Italy and, by the time she came to

Cushing, had exhibited in Boston, New York, Paris, the North Shore, and Fitchburg, her hometown.

By the 1960s, the school was hosting a Fine Arts Festival each spring as part of Parents’ Day. The highlight of the festival was the art exhibit. It included an endowed prize and several honorable mention prizes awarded by an art jury. Competition was keen. Classes in art and the history of art were offered and included trips to museums in Fitchburg and Boston.

Richard Whitney arrived in 1972 to be Cushing’s artist-in-residence. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he taught at Keene High School and the Sharon Art Center, and also taught private classes. Jeanette Curry also became an integral part of the art department that year when her husband became headmaster.

Of course, for many alumni, Cushing’s art program has never been under the care of anyone other than Bob Johnson, who came to the Academy in the winter of 1973. With Dr. Curry’s support, Johnson took a small existing program, extended it in every direction and built it into one of the most highly respected programs in secondary education. When Johnson first arrived at Cushing, only drawing, painting, and silversmithing were offered. Also, art classes were only offered in the evening. Since then, the visual arts program has grown to include drawing, painting, silversmithing, stained glass, sculpture, pottery, digital imagery, and photography.

Over the years, the Fine Arts Department moved around Cushing’s campus and lived everywhere on every floor and every corner of the Main Building—often simultaneously

existing in multiple places. For several years, the art program was located on the top floor of the Science Building (now the English Building) in a space called the Cowell Memorial Fine Arts Center. Finally, when the Emily Fisher Landau Center for the Visual Arts was built in 1998, the department had a home where everyone could work together in one space. As Johnson explained in 2002, however, although the location moved, the method of teaching didn’t. “The way we taught when we were on the third floor of the Science Building is the same way we teach now; the only difference is that no one ever saw us,” he said.

The new facility did change the program. Prior to its construction, there were no art afternoon activities and students were required to do three sports—one in each sea-

son. With the construction of the new building, the athletic requirement dropped to just two seasons, enabling students to take an art offering in the third season of the year.

Johnson has explained that the visual art classes are not just fun and games. “We’re reinforcing what the kids are learning in their academic classes,” he said. “For example, a student will cut a stone at a precise measurement and will then watch all of these angles start to appear from a previously flat surface. They can see how it intersects and why. Now they have an understanding of what is involved in geometry.”

Of course, the faculty has grown over the years. Joan Hathaway has been a member of the department since 1997, Cheryl Storm has been teaching drawing classes for a number of years, Rebecca Cinclair teaches photog-

raphy, and Deb Gardner teaches classes in a variety of media, including silversmithing, ceramics, watercolor and oil painting, various fiber arts, and photography. Carolyn Johnson joined her husband, Bob, in 1998, and supports the department in a variety of ways, including managing the gallery.

Although Cushing’s art program is now known around the world, there are some things Johnson would like to add. In the future, he’d like to hire a teacher who is trained to do animation, and he would like to do more alumni art shows. “Our kids see that these artists went to Cushing and then they know they can do it too,” he said.

2016

2000

Dr. Joseph Curry Retires

Dr. Joseph Curry’s first few years as Cushing’s headmaster were difficult ones, but he saw Cushing through those difficulties, and by 1980 Cushing was on firmer footing. A pioneer in understanding how students with learning-style differences learn best, he launched Cushing’s Academic Support Program, creating a model that many other schools would follow. Likewise, the English as a Second Language program that he developed expanded the Cushing family worldwide and ushered in Cushing’s identity as an international educational leader, while building on a proud history of early international enrollments. He embarked on innovative uses of the campus and creative collaborations, including new summer programs.

He focused, always, on excellence: in academics, athletics, the arts, and in challenging students to excellence, along with his familiar exhortation to “make good choices.”

Under his careful eye, Cushing’s campus expanded to include a new library, a new dining hall, and a new center for the visual arts.

He never lost sight of what was at the heart of Cushing, noting that, “At any school, the most attractive asset is the teaching faculty. It is important, however, to distinguish between the most important asset and the most important activity at a school. It isn’t teaching—the most important activity is learning.”

Superb teaching was a hallmark of his tenure, and faculty considered themselves as learning from the best, striving to meet his high standards. Faculty who worked for him say that he was a taskmaster with very high expectations. He believed in being on time.

“If you were going to be late, you were better off not going,” said one faculty member. He had a definite philosophy about the role of the Academy’s teachers in the lives of its students. “There was a common, communal understanding that we were there for those kids all the time,” said Norm Carey, who joined the Cushing faculty in 1978 (see pg. 106). Deb Nyberg Harmon echoed that sentiment. She came to Cushing as a young teacher in 1992 and remembers Dr. Curry asking teachers, “Is the kid failing your class or are you failing the kid?”

The number of teachers at the Academy was very small at the beginning of his time— just 18 in his second year. Although that number grew steadily over the next few years, the size of the faculty meant that many of the teachers describe feeling as though they were part of something very special—sort of an exclusive club. The older faculty took on a mentoring role with the younger, newer faculty, and that sense of obligation to the next generation of teachers became a hallmark of the faculty during Dr. Curry’s time as headmaster.

In addition to his clear expectations, Dr. Curry was incredibly loyal to his community and he knew the names of every person on

campus. He had a “work hard, play hard” philosophy, and faculty remember that he used to play “Happy Trails” at the end of parties as a signal that it was time to go.

When he retired in 2000, he wrote, “Since 1972, I have devoted my energies to this school that I hold dear. Much has been accomplished by many people, and I know even greater accomplishments are ahead for Cushing. Cushing continues to offer students a premier education in a remarkably caring and diverse community. The faculty and students have never been stronger. Many of our facilities rank among the best in the independent school world, and alumni, parents, and friends are involved in the Academy in record numbers and ways. I, and Cushing, have much to be thankful for.”

Jenny Curry

No history of Cushing Academy would be complete without mentioning Dr. Curry’s wife, Jenny, who, like her husband, gave nearly 30 years of her life to the Academy, where she taught science, math, pottery, sculpture, and drawing.

The Currys also had two daughters, both of whom graduated from the Academy: Dana ’78 and Lisa ’79. The Currys’ granddaughter, Breton, is a current Cushing student.

George W. Bush was elected President of the United States.

Dr. Joseph Curry retired after 28 years as Cushing’s headmaster. Willard Lampe became Cushing’s Headmaster.

Did you know?

Dr. Curry began a tradition of square dances at the beginning of school. Why square dances? Because no one knew how, so it was a wonderful bonding experience for the community (left in 1999).

The first resident crew arrived at the International Space Station.

The Curry family in 1973

Dr. Curry in 2000

2001

Cushing Community Responds to Sept. 11 Attacks

The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, made people in the United States and around the world feel less safe. Imagine the added difficulty of managing a community of teenagers already far from home.

Faculty who were there that day remember watching the news coverage on a small TV in the photo lab early in the day and then, later, on the big screen in the chapel.

The school’s faculty, staff, and administration had to help the students regain a sense of safety. Students from the New York area were pulled out of class. Counseling sessions, candlelight vigils, and fundraisers were immediately organized. Students embraced the words of the mission statement, “In a community that is academically and culturally diverse, we challenge each individual and support excellence in every aspect of the learning process.” In a community full of international pride, Cushing students began to learn the ways of others and educate each other when that was needed more than ever.

In the alumni magazine, Turkish student Bilal Biliei ’03 wrote “The Taliban has confused people as to what Islam really is. The Taliban expresses Islam as an unlikable, rough, and undeveloped religion. The Taliban’s Islam is totally different than the regular Islam. Islam orders people to live in peace.” He went on, “In the Koran it is emphasized that executing someone unjustly is the same

2001

Laptops were given to all faculty. Mark Burke returned to the Academy; he was joined by Larry Abbott.

2001

Following the Sept. 11 attacks, the United States invaded Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

as executing the whole human race. In addition, Islam declares that women and men are equal, and the same injunctions and prohibitions of Islam equally apply to both sexes. It is clear that the real Islam conflicts with the Taliban’s regime.”

Members of the Cushing community joined together to support each other and those in need.

• Seniors Laura Trione and Margot Broom headed fundraising efforts to aid the Red Cross that culminated in a total of $1,400.

• The Muslim Students Club raised $500 to be donated to America’s Fund for Afghan Children in order to help the students and children affected in Afghanistan.

• Dr. William Sponholtz and his son spent an afternoon at Ground Zero in New York City, thanking all firefighters and volunteers.

• Counseling services were available for individuals and small groups, and counselors were on call during the evenings and weekends.

• As a show of unity, over 100 Cushing community members gathered on September 14 to each light a candle symbolizing world peace as Laura Trione ’02 sang “God Bless America.”

• A special meeting was held for the faculty in order to support their dealing with students and classroom discussions.

• Hussa Al-Aljeel ’03 gave a seminar talk to students at Pomfret Academy about living through wartime. She was invited by the school’s history department to help quell fears of American students since the Sept. 11 disaster. She spoke to their students about her experience of living through the Gulf

Cushing purchased land, bringing the total campus area to 152 acres, nearly quadruple the original 40 acres.

A scholarship honoring Mark L. Bavis ’89, who died in the Sept. 11 attacks, was established.

War and having to flee to Saudi Arabia for her family’s safety.

Two alumni were killed in the attacks: Mark Bavis ’89 and Michael Uliano ’79.

Cushing Launches Art Contest

In 2001, the Academy launched its first annual National Art Contest. Seventh, eighth, and ninth graders from across the country submitted a diverse array of slides of artwork in six categories: photography, painting, drawing, pottery, jewelry design, and computer-generated art. Winners received $50 cash awards and a scholarship to Cushing’s internationally known Summer Session. As of 2016, Cushing still hosts the yearly contest.

In response to the Sept. 11 attacks, Congress passed the Patriot Act, giving the government broad authority to intercept communications in its fight against terrorism.

The first Harry Potter movie was released.

All Cushing Faculty Receive Laptops

It was back in 1976 when the Academy purchased its first computer (see pg. 62). That was the beginning of the computer age at Cushing, but as anyone who’s been alive in for the last few decades knows, technology changes pretty fast.

2002

Cushing’s Board of Trustees approved the Master Facilities Plan, leading to a host of additions and changes to campus.

Artificial turf and lights were added to Quimby Field.

Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act, requiring states to develop assessments in basic skills in order to receive federal funding.

John Allen Muhammed and Lee Boyd Malvo killed 10 and injured three people in sniper attacks around Washington, D.C.

Through the years, Cushing’s alumni publications have devoted much ink to explaining how computers can be and have been used to enhance the education of Cushing students. In 2001, the school’s Technology Department distributed 37 Dell laptops to teachers to use in their classrooms. Although laptops weren’t required for students, they were recommended and about 60 percent of the student body had them. It may be hard to remember in this time of tablets and computers that double as phones and fit in our pockets, but in 2001, Cushing was definitely pushing the technology envelope by giving its faculty laptops.

At the time, Kendall Chun, Cushing’s Director of Technology, said, “Laptops take up less desk space; they are portable and allow kids to do computer work anywhere on campus or at home. They do tend to be more

expensive, but their flexibility allows us to do more with them. By using laptops, the computers are always in the classroom, and the class does not have to travel to a computer lab.”

To go along with the growth in laptops, the technology department also installed a wireless system in the library so students and faculty could access the Internet with their wireless cards.

2003

XBL Interest Reaches an All-Time High

In the early 2000s, a group of Cushing students began playing a game called XBL—or extreme baseball. The first year, there were only two teams, made up of hockey players. But by the spring of 2003, there were 14 teams and league commissioner J.R. Butler ’04 had

2003

Bob Johnson acquired 1880s silversmithing tools, enhancing the Academy’s art program.

M. Anthony Fisher ’69 was killed in a plane crash en route to Cushing.

turned the game into quite a serious business. In fact, he started a tradition; XBL is still being played today.

The game features eight players and no catcher. Bunting and stealing are not allowed during the game’s six innings. It is played with a Wiffle ball bat covered in tape and an “official” XBL tennis ball.

Tony Fisher Dies in Plane Crash

In April 2003, Cushing Trustee and benefactor M. Anthony Fisher ’69 was killed in a plane crash on the way to Cushing. Fisher’s generosity had transformed Cushing’s campus in innumerable ways, with the Fisher-Watkins Library and the Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons being the most visible.

In honor of Fisher, Trustee Don Irving created a clock and donated it to the Academy, where it found a home in the lobby of the Landau Center for Visual Arts. The clock is built of cherry and features a seashell inlay.

“I had always been fascinated by a clock of my grandmother’s that had been brought over from Scotland,” Irving said at the time. “I knew that Tony always enjoyed his annual golf trip to Scotland. So I decided to base his clock around that Scottish design. It’s not easy to personalize a clock, but I chose some subtle design elements that carried a memory of Tony. I used a seashell inlay, for example, because we often visited Tony’s home on Martha’s Vineyard.”

The inscription, Non sibi sed aliis, translates to “Not for himself, but for others,” which Irving said fitted Fisher perfectly.

The Hall of Nations, created in 1982, was given a new look with framed flags from each member country of the United Nations.

2003

After 22 years of service, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry, killing all seven crew members.

The Iraq War began with the invasion of Iraq as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

New members of the community included Sue Casey, Rebecca Pressman, and Emily Roller.

Three Cushing alumni represented the United States in the 2002 Winter Olympics: Tom Poti ’96, John Lilley ’91, and Jeff Norton ’84.

The Department of Homeland Security was established.

Saddam Hussein was captured outside of Tikrit, Iraq. The BlackBerry smartphone was released.

2004

Tony Fisher Day of Service

Lots of institutions claim to have a commitment to community service, but fewer live that commitment out in real life. In 2004, Cushing began a new tradition, Tony Fisher Day of Service to Others. The day honors Tony Fisher ’69, longtime trustee and generous benefactor of the Academy, who had died the previous year. What better way to honor a man whose commitment to the Academy was unwavering than by sending the entire community out to make the world a better place?

That first year, seniors spent some time at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City, juniors went to Boston to lend help at the Boston Marathon, and freshmen and sophomores stayed closer to campus, cleaning up a local playground, painting a firehouse, and organizing books at a local library.

As of 2016, the Cushing community is still celebrating this important tradition.

2004

School Street was closed to through traffic.

The first annual Tony Fisher Day of Service took place. Martha Ince joined the faculty.

Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook at Harvard. Google released Gmail.

2005 Students Search for New Antibiotic in Cushing Laboratory

For most of us, retrieving a few milligramsworth of something from several kilograms of source material would be considered a failure.

Not so for students who study in Dr. William Sponholtz’s chemistry laboratory at Cushing.

In 2005, chemistry teacher Will Sponholtz and his students began looking for an endangered local plant that he thought might have antibiotic properties.

Antibiotic research has become a multibillion dollar enterprise, largely because antibiotic resistance is among the top public health concerns of the 21st century. The plant being investigated by Dr. Sponholtz and his students is one that was known to Native Americans in the area, who ingested it as a

Cushing’s photography lab did away with color chemical developing and added a color digital printer. The school still does black and white traditional developing. The Ashburnham Hardware Store burned down. Laptops were required for students.

tea for its antiseptic, pain-killing, and feverreducing properties. Dr. Sponholtz and his budding researchers wondered if the plant also had antibiotic properties.

Such research doesn’t happen overnight or even over just one year. The research that began during the 2005–06 school year is still ongoing. Because of Dr. Sponholtz’s connections at other institutions, his students have also been able to work at Dartmouth College Department of Chemistry to help advance the research project by gaining access to the multi-million dollar nuclear magnetic resonance instruments available there.

2005

The School Girl statue was designed and created by students.

15 small bronze penguin statues were installed on the rocks near the entrance of the arts center.

Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, causing more than $100 billion in damage and killing more than 1,200 people.

Pope John Paul II died; Pope Benedict succeeded him.

A large earthquake in the Indian Ocean led to a tsunami that hit Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and other areas, killing approximately 250,000 people.

Way back in 1913, Ivers Whitney Adams

School Boy statue. Although it technically belongs to the town, the statue is a part of Cushing’s history and generations of Cushing students relied on Bronzie for luck on exams.

But Cushing has always been a coed school, so in 2005, eight students and two faculty members thought it was past time to craft a School Girl statue. At the time, Susan Wallace Hynes ’67, chair of the alumni-led School Girl Committee wrote, “When the School Girl was erected at CA, she represented at long last a public symbol of what CA has stood for for 140 years—an excellent education for everyone.”

The School Girl is the same size as her male counterpart. The artists who worked on her included Erica Yongeun Cho ’07, Ji Hyun “Zinni” Kim ’05, Amanda Earley ’06, Sara Efron Hankin ’05, Seung-Youn “Sarah” Lim ’06, Paula Nissen ’06, Cameron Webster ’07, and Hannah Williams ’05. Faculty members Joanna S. Draugsvold and Robert Johnson rounded out the School Girl group.

2006

as Headmaster

M. Willard “Wink” Lampe, a longtime faculty member and dean at Kent School, began his tenure as Cushing’s 10th headmaster in 2000, serving until 2006. A student of history and ancient Greek, with degrees from Muskingum College and the University of Vermont, he had a great love of teaching. His deep commitment to the community of students and faculty extended beyond the campus to the greater Ashburnham community, in which he and his wife, Jody, were active participants.

Faculty who worked for him speak of his warm and caring nature. One described him as “avuncular.” He was quite different from Dr. Curry—in fact, one faculty member described the differences as “night and day”— but was a good headmaster in many ways. He was democratic and believed in developing consensus. Under his watch, enrollment increased—partly as a way to balance the budget—and the Joseph R. Curry Academic Center was built, providing much-needed classroom and laboratory space for math and science, as

2006

well as instructional space for the performing arts and additional locker rooms for use with Quimby Field.

He also began a new tradition of honoring faculty and staff at the end of each year, giving gifts depending on the number of years of their service. We still do this today.

In honor of his six years of service to Cushing, when he left the Academy in 2006, students in Cushing’s glass classes created a unique sculpture that was installed near the English Building.

A Change to the Academic Schedule

For many years, Cushing’s daily academic schedule had eight 40-minute periods every day. But the opening of the Curry Center just about doubled the school’s classroom space, which opened up a lot of flexibility for creating a schedule. A curriculum committee began to explore the options, asking students and faculty and researching peer schools. There were a few non-negotiables: meeting blocks, assemblies, and end-of-day extra help sessions.

The end result was a weekly schedule where all classes met on Mondays and Fridays, but Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays featured 55-minute classes and each class met twice over those three days. The end result was that each class had two 40-minute periods and two 55-minute periods. The longer classes allowed faculty members to more fully develop some ideas in class. The response to the change was overwhelmingly positive and the schedule stayed essentially the same for the next decade.

YouTube was launched. Twitter was launched. The Human Genome Project published the last chromosome sequence. Democrats regained control of Congress in mid-term elections.

Wink Lampe left Cushing and Dr. James Tracy became Cushing’s 11th headmaster. Lance Conrad left Cushing after 13 years and Peter Dudensing retired after 18 years.

The new faculty included Deb Gardner, Raja Bala, Alec Coyle, Desh Hindle, and Jason Sharron. The cross-country team, coached by Stirling Ince, won the New England championships. Cushing’s art program added a glass studio.

The Joseph R. Curry Academic Center opened. The first Rust Cup in hockey was played. Heather Hiller joined the faculty.

2007

Rebecca Rice

In 1961, Mona Rice began Cushing’s Dance program. In 2011, her daughter, Rebecca, joined the Cushing faculty to carry on her mother’s tradition. She moved back to the Ashburnham area after a successful career as a choreographer and educator at Boston Ballet, MIT, and at various private schools and studios in the Boston area. “I was thrilled to discover a wealth of quality education in the arts here at Cushing,” she says. “Working with Julia Ohm, Head of the Performing Arts and Theater, as well as Desh Hindle, Head of Music, is a joy because they take their jobs very seriously, and, like me, work hard to inspire and develop true artistic awareness and appreciation on the part of the students. We love what we do.”

In addition to her teaching, Rebecca’s dance company, Rebecca Rice Dance, was chosen to inaugurate Cushing’s Performing Arts Series in 2014.

Cushing’s Library Goes Digital

Cushing’s forward-thinking attitude toward technology continued in 2009, when Headmaster James Tracy decided to reduce the number of paper books in the Cushing library and increase the number of available volumes by focusing on electronic readers and digital materials. But rather than indicating a pulling back from traditional reading, this change has increased the amount of reading on campus because students and faculty had ready access to far more texts than ever before. In fact, our students now have access to millions of resources.

Even so, there remain many paper volumes in the library, including books that have been donated by members of the community, books written by alumni and former faculty, and a large number of art and other large-format books.

Did you know?

Mona Rice isn’t Rebecca’s only family connection to the Academy. Several members of her family were among Cushing’s earliest students. Greatgrandfather Frederick William Rice enrolled in 1876. His brother Joseph Newbern Rice was in the school’s first cohort of students in 1875.

2007

Cushing’s Technology Department added Smart boards to classrooms across campus.

Peggy Lee was tapped to head Cushing’s Summer Session.

Catherine Pollock joined the Cushing faculty as Assistant Head of School.

New members of the faculty included Rob Gagnon, Meredith Carlisle Colicchie, Vi-Anne Brown, Sandra Michelman, Catherine Pollock, Ken Zangari, Gisele Zangari, Julia Ohm, Dennis Shubleka, and Ryan Suchanek.

2008

April Boettcher, Wayne Clarke, Cara Clarke, James Kaehlert, Stephen Parker, and David Shields joined the faculty.

Nancy Pelosi became the United States’ first woman Speaker of the House.

The Iraq War surge began when President George Bush deployed 20,000 soldiers to Iraq to provide security.

The first iPhone was released by Apple.

The worldwide Great Recession began.

A student at Virginia Tech opened fire, killing 32 and wounding 17, becoming the deadliest school shooting in United States history.

Fidel Castro retired after 50 years as Cuba’s president.

The U.S. stock market lost 21 percent of its value over the course of one week in October.

Barack Obama was elected to the United States Presidency.

2011

Silver Penguin: Wayne Sanborn

When Wayne Sanborn retired in 2011, he’d been at Cushing for 37 years and guided the personal and athletic development of thousands of Cushing students. There have been few people as loved and respected as Sanborn in all of the Academy’s 150 years. Even so, Sanborn is a modest man, uncomfortable with the praise that is the natural result of his work with Cushing’s students.

Back in 1974, Sanborn came to Cushing twice as part of the interview process. Both times he saw Joe Curry working on building and grounds projects and he knew he had discovered a true team player. That fall, he and his wife, Jeannie, moved into Ash House as Wayne began his job as Cushing’s head football coach and Director of Athletics. He was the youngest athletic director in New England and once said, “Leaving a stable coaching position for Cushing was an incredible risk for me. Cushing had no football team, awful playing fields, and no real athletic program. I saw in Cushing an amazing challenge and Dr. Curry gave me the opportunity of a lifetime.”

In his first two years, due to low enrollment, there weren’t enough players to field a football team, so Cushing combined teams with Winchendon School—purple jerseys with Winchendon green pants were quite the combination! Back then, Sanborn’s goal was to build a Cushing squad that could compete against the best prep school teams. He

2009

Cushing posthumously honored Bette Davis ’26 with its first Distinguished Alumni Award.

The Fisher-Watkins Library’s holdings became largely digital—but not entirely.

David Branham, Roberte Foote, and Michael Kowalenko joined the faculty.

The Tea Party movement began. Michael Jackson died.

Sonia Sotomayor became first Latina justice on the United States Supreme Court.

certainly did that, and his teams came to be among the best in Cushing’s history.

Of course, his contributions to the Academy don’t end with coaching football. During his career, which also included a number of administrative positions, he coached just about every team, including baseball, lacrosse, wrestling, and girls’ basketball. “I always wanted to be a coach because athletics were my life,” he said in 1997. “Right or wrong, the people I respected the most as a student were coaches. I wanted to give back and have really been living a dream, coaching at Cushing. And the unbelievable relationships I’ve forged with kids have made such a difference in my life as well as theirs.”

His students certainly know the difference he made to them. “If I were to briefly sum up what I learned from Coach Sanborn,” said Chris Ingram ’79, “it’s that winning teams come and go. That’s one of the rhythms of life. But what must never be forgotten is the duty we have to ourselves to seek out the toughest challenges we can, and to make the sacrifices necessary to meet them, win or lose.”

In 1997, in a profile for the alumni magazine, Dr. Curry said, “Wayne Sanborn has been integral to the success of the Academy, bringing to the table drive, intelligence, a warm personality, and a can-do attitude that’s infectious. He has built Cushing’s athletic and student activities programs virtually from scratch. His dedication to Cushing kids, enthusiasm for education and pure determination have been critical to life at the Academy.”

2010

Cushing hosted its first Pink the Rink fundraiser and raised nearly $4,000 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The Varsity Girls’ Field Hockey team raised more than $2,000 at their “Stick it to Cancer” game.

Cushing was invited to participate in the Critical Issues Forum for the first time.

Congress passed the Affordable Care Act.

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.

Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives.

Did you know?

Sanborn’s wife, Jeannie, served for many years as a nurse in the Academy’s health center. Their daughter, Haley, graduated in 2002 and later served as a faculty member.

The USA women’s Olympic hockey team won silver at the 2010 winter Olympics; Cushing was represented on the team by Erika Lawler ’05 and Meghan Duggan ’06.

Laura Stirk joined the faculty.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed.

What would become known as the Arab Spring began in Tunisia in December.

Music at Cushing

Music has been part of the Cushing curriculum since the very beginning. Of the first seven teachers, two were music teachers. One taught vocal music and one instrumental. Indeed, many of the Academy’s music teachers—either instrumental or voice—were long-term members of the faculty. Milo Cummings ’77 was a member of Cushing’s first class in 1875 and returned to the Academy in 1880 to teach instrumental music (see pg. 12). Rosabelle Temple was a Silver Penguin who taught voice lessons at the Academy for 47 years (see pg. 21) and Madeleine Gaylor taught vocal and instrumental music for 24 years (see pg. 37). Ted Pierce continued the tradition of long-lived music faculty with his 27 years at Cushing (see pg. 61).

For a number of years, the Academy had two Glee Clubs—one for boys and one for girls—both of which gave concerts on campus and in other towns. In fact, the clubs’ performances raised money in 1894 to replace the bell that had been destroyed in the fire that

claimed the Main Building the previous year. The bell that is in our tower in 2016 is the result of their efforts.

In the 1930s, each Friday during chapel, Temple conducted a 30-minute “Music Morning.” The programs introduced the larger student body to operas and symphonies and helped the students appreciate music. In addition, Temple’s students were frequent guests at special occasions where they shared their fine voices with their classmates.

Madeleine Gaylor taught organ and piano, and both she and her students provided music each morning in addition to providing accompaniment to a variety of entertainments throughout the years. Ted Pierce was, for most of his career at Cushing, the only faculty member in music. He first played at Cushing’s organ at the tender age of 16. He would go on to teach both instrumental and vocal music at the Academy for 27 years and was quite a character among the faculty for those years.

From 1974 until 1988, the program was in the care of a number of different people. In

1988, Bob Macioci and Peter Dudensing took over. It was the first time in the history of the school that it had two full-time music faculty. Macioci was head of the department for a while—today he teaches history and ethics. Then Dudensing became director of the music program, a role he kept until his retirement in 2006.

Desh Hindle, whose areas of expertise are composition and conducting, choral directing, and classical instrumental music, arrived on campus in 2006. He came at a time of change for the Academy’s Performing Arts Department. The Curry Center was new and had become the department’s home. The building was emblematic of Wink Lampe’s commitment to the program and it came with some financial resources as well. Jay Sharron—who had been a part-time guitar teacher—became the second full-time member of the department in 2006. The program also benefited from the efforts of Becca Pressman, who is now a teacher of English, but who was directing the chorus back in 2006. Hindle spent his

first year observing and determining where the school’s greatest opportunities were. He taught two classes and had just 10 students. He remembers thinking, “I can’t believe they’re paying me for this.”

In those early days, Hindle had three main priorities. One was to build a classical instrumental program, which didn’t exist 10 years ago. Students were coming to Cushing with advanced musical skills, but there was no venue for them to use those skills, so Hindle’s chamber music program filled a need that was already there. The students in the program are guided by instructors, but students are in the driver’s seat and have to figure out how to work together. This model fits in with Cushing’s size and its educational objectives and mission. The students in the program have been performing in the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) competition since 2008 and have always won a silver or gold.

Another priority was to create a robust private lesson program. In 2006, there were

fewer than 10 kids taking lessons; today there are 65 to 90 students depending on the semester. There are some times during the week when every single practice space—and then some—are being used. “There’s a cacophony as you walk down the hall,” Hindle said. “Those are my favorite moments. I see a lot of industry and energy.” These students make up the ensembles, and their extra practice time with private instructors allows for a high level of difficulty in chorus, jazz, and chamber music. “We’ve been bringing in some really exceptional music students,” said Hindle, “And we’re performing more difficult pieces than we were 10 years ago when I came.”

Finally, Hindle wanted to build a true jazz program, and four years ago, he persuaded Jerry Sabatini to come to the Academy. Sabatini writes his own arrangements and customizes pre-existing arrangements for our players. He directs the jazz ensemble and teaches jazz history. Through his efforts, the jazz ensemble is two to three times bigger than it was when Desh came.

Even with all the progress, the department features just one full-time faculty member: Hindle. The program also has two part-time music faculty: Jerry Sabatini and Deb Colageo, who is the pianist for the chorus. The department also has 11 private voice and instrumental adjunct instructors. The broad skills and interests of this group of 14 professional musicians allow the department to teach a wide range of instruments and coach a number of musical ensembles. Further, several academic teachers support the music (and performing arts program), including Michelle Schloss, Andrew Neyer, and Michelle Salvucci.

Although the Music Department felt the effects of the Great Recession in 2008 and was affected by rightsizing, the school has made steady progress building a foundation for success and taking advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves. Today, approximately a quarter of the student body is engaged in some kind of musical endeavor.

2011

2011

Schottland House is Dedicated

In fall 2011, Cushing Academy dedicated a new dorm, Schottland House. The dorm sits on the site of the former Mary Hare barn and included a renovation of the faculty apartment and the addition of new student rooms.

The facility was named for the Schottland family, whose generous donation made its construction possible. “Susan and Peter’s vision in creating a new dormitory to house senior girls and a faculty family has been guided at every step by their commitment to the vital role that dorm life plays in the Cushing residential experience,” said Headmaster James Tracy. “… They have seen firsthand that the friendships among students and the student–teacher bonds that are formed in the dorm play a very important role in the daily life of our boarding students.”

2012

We Are the Champions

Jalen Adams ’15 hit a three-point buzzer beater basket from half court to lead the Penguins to the NEPSAC Class AA basketball championship over St. Andrew’s. In front of a packed house, Cushing had jumped out to an early eightpoint lead, and it looked like they might run away with the game, but early foul trouble

2011

Schottland House, previously the Mary Hare House, was created to house senior girls.

Rebecca Rice took over Cushing’s dance program, following in her mother’s footsteps.

Osama Bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALs. The Occupy Wall Street movement, protesting economic inequality and corporate influence on government, began in New York City’s financial district.

to Cushing stars Andrew Chrabascz ’13 and Kaleb Joseph ’14 slowed the momentum and the teams played evenly the rest of the half. Only a few people in the packed gym thought Cushing had a chance. Fortunately, they were all wearing purple jerseys. Cushing started to press and had a great deal of success in doing so, eventually bringing the score to 58–56 with less than a minute to go. The Saints scored an uncontested layup with 22 seconds on the clock, giving them a four-point lead.

Some great defense, a foul, and a missed free throw by St. Andrews’ player Bonzie Colson left the ball out of bounds and 3.3 seconds left on the clock—but it belonged to the Penguins. With no time outs, the Penguins inbounded to Adams, who headed up the court. Adams got himself into position and fired. As the buzzer sounded, Adam’s 35-foot

prayer found the bottom of the net, setting off a scene that won’t be forgotten by anyone in attendance for a long time.

The basketball squad wasn’t the only Cushing team playing in a championship game that year. Boys’ hockey defeated Avon Old Farms in front of a huge crowd at the Salem ICenter to become the champions of the NEPSAC Martin/Earl Tournament Bracket.

The team came out flying and just 24 seconds in, Matt Hoover ’14 and Garrett Hehir ’13 helped Shane Kavanagh ’14 rip a turnaround shot from the left circle that bounced off the post and into the goal—the only goal of the game. Goalie Mike Dion ’13 was at his best on the last day of the season, as were the rest of the Cushing players. The team stayed disciplined and didn’t have a penalty during the game.

The Poti Room was dedicated in the Iorio Arena. Wayne Sanborn retired.

Full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq was completed.

Game of Thrones premiered on HBO.

Cushing Olympics

Academic Support teacher Cara Clarke was the driving force behind Cushing Olympics, a community-wide approach to creating teamwork and school spirit that began in 2012. This yearlong activity created healthy competition amongst dorms and day students and provided a variety of fun opportunities to bring students and faculty together.

The Cushing Olympics breaks the student body into eight teams, based predominantly on dorms: Alumni, Price, Ash, Sawyer, Cooke and Vose, Lowe, the house dorms, and the day students. Each team has a color. Each team

makes a flag, carries its flag onto the field during the opening ceremonies in the fall, and is judged, winning points. Mrs. Clarke notes that the goal is to be as spirited as possible, “so there’s lots of yelling.” There are a number of events each year and for each event, teams earn points for winning, but can also earn spirit points for being the most spirited in dress, attitude, and sportsmanship.

2013 Green Space Added to Campus Behind Main Building

Although School Street was closed to through traffic in 2004, it was still a road used by the on-campus community. In the fall of 2013, an anonymous donor made a gift which enabled the Academy to close part of School Street and turn it into a lovely green space. In fact, such a project had long been a part of Cushing’s master plan.

Traffic on campus was directed up the Academy Street hill to turn right at Lowe Hall. Parking was no longer permitted along School Street in front of Alumni Hall. In making these changes, the Academy’s campus became more pedestrian friendly—a sensible choice since so many students and faculty live on campus and walk to and from offices and classrooms each day.

Patio and Dining Alcove Added to Campus

The Class of 2013 and their parents supported some special changes to Cushing’s campus, namely a new private dining space in the Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons and an outside patio space near the Joseph C. Treadwell Student Center. Those projects were completed in 2013 and the Cushing community is enjoying the new spaces that were made possible through the generosity of our students and families.

2012

Dr. James Tracy announced his departure at the end of the 2012–13 academic year.

Cushing created its first Robotics Club and won its first competition.

Twenty-six students and teachers were shot at Sandy Hook elementary school.

World population reached 7 billion.

On Sept. 11, the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked, killing the ambassador and three others.

Cushing Olympics began. Each faculty member received an iPad as part of a program to explore their use in Cushing classrooms.

Hurricane Sandy hit the eastern United States, causing $75 billion in damage and killing more than 200 people.

2013

Jim Tracy Steps Down as Headmaster

Succeeding Mr. Lampe, Dr. James Tracy served as the 11th headmaster of Cushing, having previously served as headmaster at Boston University Academy. He was a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and Boston University, from which he received his Ed.M. and MBA, and Stanford University, where he earned his doctorate in history.

After nearly seven years as Cushing’s headmaster, Dr. James Tracy left the Academy in the fall of 2013. He led the school further into the 21st century and fostered an entrepreneurial spirit in faculty and students. Under his leadership, Cushing expanded outreach to the international community, grew its endowment, embarked on new partnerships, and undertook strategic initiatives focusing on innovation in education, including the transformation of the Fisher-Watkins Library into a largely digital collection. This greatly increased the volumes and resources available to Cushing students and confirmed the

2013

library as a central hub of the core campus for faculty and students, with new common spaces in addition to traditional study areas. He was committed to integrating digital tools into the teaching and learning experience of the Academy’s students, making Cushing a leader and well ahead of most independent schools in that area. At his leaving, Dr. Tracy wrote, “My seven years at Cushing have been among the most meaningful of both my personal and professional life. Each evening, as Jan and I talk about the day’s highlights, they are invariably about our wonderful encounters with students. Cushing students’ kindness, enthusiasm, support for one another, hard work and inquiry, and their personal growth during their individual Cushing journeys shape an extraordinary community of which we are all enormously fortunate to be members.”

Contemplation Garden with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Designed by John Kelly ’13 and made possible because of the generosity of the Kelly family, the garden, which the Kelly family dedicated in honor of the student body, features carefully placed rocks, bonsai, and sculpture that create a serene space for members of the Cushing community to reflect, wonder, and dream. Indeed, the space is so lovely that it inspired the creation of a beautiful glass sculpture by Alex O’Neill ’14 and Arkady Baltser ’17.

Hot Dog Trucks at Jewett House

Different headmasters in Cushing’s history have had different approaches to connecting with the community. For example, Dr. Cowell and Mr. Quimby housed boys in Jewett House, functioning as dorm parents as well as headmasters. Some headmasters invited students to Jewett House for social events. That’s the path taken by Christopher Torino and his wife, Dena. Beginning in 2014, the Torinos hired hot dog trucks to come to Jewett and invited students to come and socialize— with each other and the Torinos.

2014 Contemplation Garden Added Near Library Patio

On graduation morning 2013, just before the traditional senior speeches on the library patio, Cushing formally opened its new

The Torinos know that when kids see their headmaster or their teachers outside of the classroom—and when they’re encouraged to have fun together—it makes it easier to have substantive conversations on every topic from academic subjects to discipline issues.

“Boarding school life is a lifestyle, not a job,” said Mrs. Torino. “It’s part of who we are, and building up this community is a piece of us that we want to bring to Cushing.”

CASA ROSADA LAURA POITRAS

Christopher Torino was installed as Cushing’s headmaster. Opening convocation was revived.

Cushing established the Virtue Project, challenging a group of student leaders to promote and encourage both the intrinsic and civic rewards of a virtuous life.

Four people were killed in a terrorist bombing at the Boston Marathon and related attacks. George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

Pope Benedict XVI resigned and Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis.

Edward Snowden released classified documents concerning mass surveillance by the NSA.

Jimmie-Gaye Buono Retires

Although Jimmie-Gaye Buono didn’t quite reach Silver Penguin status, her contributions in her 14 years at the Academy were legion. Jimmie-Gaye Buono worked in the Student Life Office, the default place to go for every kind of question that parents and students might have while at the Academy. As you might imagine, managing 400-plus teenagers can be complicated.

Every time a student had a doctor’s appointment, a college visit, or a trip home, she knew about it. If a parent or administrator called her, she told them exactly where any student was. In addition to studentwrangling, she helped with anything that had to do with residential life, from duty schedules to the list of which students live where, from roommate issues to answering questions about summer storage.

She managed a lot of moving parts with constant interruptions. She talked to numerous parents a day, and on Thursdays and Fridays that number increased dramatically with weekend permissions. And that’s just the phone; she also answered dozens of emails and was sometimes visited by 50 students during a day. Like Mrs. Fay in the Headmaster’s Office, Ms. Buono kept a full jar of candy in her office. “That candy jar is important,” she said in 2014. “We want the kids to feel like they’re welcome in the office and that it’s not just a place to come when they’re in trouble.”

Jimmie-Gaye lost a courageous battle with cancer in March 2016.

2014

Cushing Launches its Performing Arts Series

The inaugural year of the Cushing Academy Performing Arts Series kicked off in September 2014, featuring the Rebecca Rice Dance Company. Over 200 guests from the outside community joined students and faculty in Cowell Chapel for the event.

“As Cushing is celebrating its 150th anniversary and our town of Ashburnham is celebrating its 250th anniversary, we feel it is particularly appropriate that we launch this new tradition—The Performing Arts Series—by celebrating the creative work of our colleague and friend on the Cushing Academy faculty, Rebecca Rice, whose family has had a significant impact on the artistic life of this school, our local community, and the state of Massachusetts for generations,” said Cushing’s Director of Music Desh Hindle at the time.

Said Ms. Rice, “I was honored to have been asked to present my choreography in Cushing’s new Performing Arts Series, to contribute to the culture of the school and

area, and to be able to share it with family, close friends and colleagues in this very special community.” The 2014 series featured two additional events with professional artists, as well as several performances by Cushing’s talented students, all of which were free and open to the public.

The third season will begin in September 2016.

Cushing Rightsizes its Student Body

In the early 1970s, Cushing’s student body was just about 200 students. By the 2013–14 school year, it had grown to 450 students. That size made it difficult for the whole community to come together because the only space large enough to hold everyone was Heslin Gymnasium, and even then only when several hundred chairs were added. After consideration, including a study of the school’s history and a commitment to preserve and strengthen the best attributes of our community, the Academy decided to reduce the student body to 400 beginning in the fall of 2014. This decision was made after a yearlong, collaborative process involving school leadership and the Board of Trustees, which culminated in unanimous approval by the board. A student body of 400 enabled the whole to gather all together in Cowell Chapel for performances and in the Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons for formal dinners—important Cushing traditions.

Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson, Mo., leading to weeks of unrest around the country.

The tower at One World Trade Center in New York City opened.

Winter Carnival was revived as part of Cushing Olympics.

Rich Henry retired after 33 years at the Academy (see pg. 106) .

Cushing rightsized its student body, returning to an enrollment of 400.

Republicans took both houses of the United States Congress in the mid-term elections.

2014

Silver Penguin: Bob Johnson Reaches Milestone

In 2014, Bob Johnson crossed an important milestone: 40 years of teaching at Cushing. That accomplishment makes him one of the longestserving faculty members in Cushing history.

Like all of Cushing’s art faculty, Johnson was a working artist in 1973 when he came to teach; in fact, he still is. He worked in commercial advertising, took photos for the American Cancer Foundation, and was a teacher of portfolio and painting at the Fitchburg Art Museum.

Johnson knew Richard Whitney, who was then Cushing’s artist-in-residence. In December 1973—the middle of the school year—the school’s silversmithing teacher left without notice and Whitney needed someone to come in and teach. Johnson agreed to take over. “When I came,” he remembers, “Dr. Curry sat in my class every night for two weeks. At the beginning of the third week, he called me into his office and told me I was a good teacher and he wasn’t going to bother me anymore.”

Back in 1973, Cushing was coming out of a fairly dark time in the school’s history and Dr. Curry wanted to do everything possible to ensure the Academy’s success. He was committed to educating the whole person, which included the arts, and wanted to build a world-class art program as part of that commitment. But Cushing was really starting from nothing.

In 1979, the Academy expanded its art offerings under Johnson’s leadership. “In addition to pottery, photography, drawing and painting, and silversmithing, Johnson proposed to add woodworking, lapidary, graphics (silk screening, lithography, etching), and sculpture,” wrote The Bulletin at the time. Johnson was taking the first steps that would turn the school’s art program into the

internationally known program it is today.

Even so, in those early years, art classes took place only in the evenings and the program’s faculty were a bit disconnected from the daily life of the school. Eventually, Alison Kirk convinced Dr. Curry to add art classes to the daytime catalogue. At that point, Richard Whitney left and it was Johnson and Pamela Valanejad who ran the program.

A few years later, when Mary Fern stepped down as department chair, Johnson stepped up and has been leading the program ever since. He has two priorities for his teachers: Be encouraging and help the kids learn to solve problems. He also expects them to be artists first and teachers second. As a result, their skills are always up to date and they are able to teach their students the advanced techniques that they themselves use in their work.

Running the department hasn’t always been easy. It moved all over campus until the Emily Fisher Landau Center for the Visual Arts was built in 1998, and the conditions could be challenging. Over the years, Johnson occasionally thought about leaving and other programs have tried to poach him, but in the end, he stayed. “When I came, Joanne Hammar had been here for 25 years and I remember thinking that was an eternity,” he said.

“By the time I’d been here 25 years, I’d stopped thinking about it.”

Why does he stay? The answer is simple: the kids. In his 42 years at the Academy, there are hundreds—possibly thousands—of pictures of Bob Johnson, but rarely is he looking at the camera. That’s because he’s always engaged with his students, which is, of course, what his students remember most about him. He cares about them and believes fully in every single student who walks through his studio door. “For Carolyn and me, these kids are like our family,” he said. “We never stop talking about them and the kids feel the same way and stay in contact with us.”

Johnson is proud of the program he helped build. “I couldn’t have done it alone. It was something that Dr. Curry supported and so did every single dean of academics,” he said.

“If we wanted to run a new class we submitted

Did You Know?

Bob Johnson and Paul Heslin are tied for 3rd place on the all-time years of service list, following Rosabelle Temple at 47 years and Frederick Lane at 46.

a syllabus and what it was that we hoped to do. They supported that and we kept building and building on the program.” He also knows he couldn’t have done it without the support of his staff. “We have such strong staff,” he said. “It really isn’t all about me. All members of the staff have their areas of expertise and have dedicated a good part of their lives to their art and to the Academy. They put in far more time and effort than we had a right to expect.”

Their hard work is certainly paying off. Cushing students are among the strongest students in the country. Many of Johnson’s students get merit scholarships to worldrenowned art programs because they’re so talented and well-trained, even at their young age. In China and Korea, Cushing’s program is considered one of the top programs.

Johnson has left a mark on Cushing in other ways too. It was his idea to start the day student barbecue at the beginning of each school year. He’s been involved in crafting the School Girl statue located near Lowe Hall (see pg. 95) and the penguin statue that has taken up residence outside the new Watkins Field House. He helped the Kelly family make their dream of a contemplation garden a reality (see pg. 102).He is also in charge of keeping track of Cushing’s art collection and ensuring its pieces are displayed properly all over campus. He also makes many of the awards and gifts the Academy gives out to students, faculty, and alumni.

It’s hard to imagine what Cushing’s art program will be like when he finally does decide to retire. “My hope will be,” he said, “that someone will come in with a vision to take the program beyond what we have now. Put their stamp on it. Take it and make it better.”

Herbert Chen ’60

Groundbreaking Contributions to 2015 Nobel-Winning Research

Herbert Chen ’60 emigrated from China in 1955 with his family, including sister Helena ’59, under the Eisenhower Refugee Relief Act of 1953. In the fall of 1956, Herbert and Helena accompanied Headmaster West and two other students to a meeting of the Rotary Club in Hudson, Mass. The Breeze write-up of the occasion said, “Mr. West gave an interesting talk on the importance of international exchange students as a means of achieving a better world understanding. Miss Helena Chen of China was next; she described her experiences in several areas of the Far East and contrasted the Asiatic and the American systems of education. Her brother Herbert then took over and he emphasized the points his sister had just stated by giving specific information on the number of hours dedicated to studying, number and subjects taken, lack of social activities as a result of the strict social system that separated boys from girls, and the relative unimportance of sports.”

That wasn’t the last time Herbert would be a good ambassador for the Academy, however. He received his B.S. in physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1964 and earned his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Princeton University in 1968. He then joined the faculty of the newly founded UC Irvine campus, where he became a visionary experimentalist. While at UC Irvine, Herbert was the designer and initiator of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment in 1984. The experiment was a resounding success. Although Herbert died in 1987—way too young—after a yearlong battle with leukemia, his work was continued by Dr. Arthur McDonald and his team. Their effort eventually led to the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded last year to Dr. Arthur McDon-

ald (Canada) and shared by Dr. Takaaki Kajita (Japan).

Had Herbert lived, there seems little doubt that he would have been included in the list of winners for this important work. He is specifically mentioned in the documentation about the 2015 prize. Dr. McDonald explained that “Herb Chen didn’t live to see his brainchild realized. He died in 1987, but his presence at Sudbury is still very strongly felt. Copies of his 1984 Physical Review Letters paper hang proudly around the laboratory and his portrait graces the entrance. SNO has put Sudbury firmly on the physics map, but it hasn’t lost sight of its roots. The SNO team is working very hard to accomplish the full physics objectives while maintaining Herb’s memory as a constant inspiration.”

The Calisphere, a publication of the University of California, stated in 1987, “Herb Chen left us with the legacy of a bold and exciting program of physics, but further, he left us an example of how one man can be a positive influence on the lives of others…. In a tragically short career he achieved much; the seeds of ideas he left behind promise even more.”

Herbert’s classmates at Cushing obviously had no doubt about his talent as a physicist. They described him as brilliant in their yearbook and went on to say, “he will have no trouble in finding success, especially if he follows the path which his scientific abilities pave.” Indeed, for many years, the Cushing senior class would write a prophecy in their yearbook, imagining where they thought the future would take members of the class; the unusually prescient 1960 Class Prophecy—looking ahead to 1985—foretold of Herb Chen polishing a Nobel Prize.

Herbert Chen, seated third from left, as a Cushing student in 1956

Herbert Chen

2014

Silver Penguin: Rich Henry

In 2014, Richard Henry retired after 33 years at the Academy. He began his Cushing career as a teacher in the school’s Summer Session way back in 1980. He soon returned for a full-time job at the Academy teaching reading and study skills, a precursor to the Academic Support Program.

He had a lot of jobs in those 33 years. He was a dorm parent—in Cooke Hall for the first seven years and in Cowell House for the last 26 years. Back in the day, Rich also helped Ray Lemieux paint houses, mow lawns, and move furniture during breaks and summer vacation. He also served as a director for the Summer School, Dean of Faculty, Director of the Language Development Program, Head of Academic Support, and Director of College Counseling. He coached softball, volleyball, and basketball.

Rich and his wife, Jill, were a natural fit as dorm parents. “I recall many nights while on duty in Cooke Hall for study hall, Jill Henry baking cookies or making brownies for the boys in Cooke Hall,” said longtime Academy math teacher Paul Dowling. “Many an evening the Henrys would invite the boys into their apartment to have pizza after study hall or to watch some Monday Night Football.”

The Henrys watched a lot of changes happen in their time at Cushing. The school

was much bigger when they left than when they came—from about 200 kids to about 400. And while Cushing has always had a focus on diversity, the international population was bigger too. “Cushing was more casual then, too,” Rich said in 2014. “These days the academic focus is different and there is more pressure on the kids.” But one thing that didn’t change was the sense of community and the value the Academy placed on each and every student. The school has long been accepting of students with learning differences and Rich knows that a wide range of kids are appreciated for their strengths— whatever they may be.

2015 Silver Penguin: Norm Carey

Dr. Norm Carey came to Cushing in 1978 and stayed until 2015, with the exception of the three years he spent in Santa Fe, N.Mex., as the head of a school for Native American students. He found that job because of Cushing’s Native American Preparatory School (NAPS) program (see pg. 80). Although he clearly didn’t stay in Santa Fe, he developed an appreciation for the deeply spiritual culture of his students.

He returned to Cushing at the request of Headmaster Joseph Curry, where he took up the job as head of the English Department. He figures that of his years at Cushing, he spent 27 of them as head of the English Department, and he’s seen some amazing teachers come and go during that time.

His bookshelf in the English building featured Shakespeare, Salman Rushdie, James Joyce, Dante, and George R.R. Martin, plus a copy of Moby-Dick, of course. Anyone who has ever taken an English class with Dr. Carey knows of his love for Melville’s influential work. The books had a common theme: the hero quest. The hero journey, he told us last year, is a universal theme that transcends time, culture, and genre. His interest in that theme was evident, not only on his bookshelf, but also in a senior seminar he taught on the subject.

For Norm, his time at the Academy was all about the students, and he left quite an impression. He told the story of seeing an alumna at a recent holiday party in Boston. “It really came home to me then. She came to the event with her yearbook and showed me what I had written in it. She told me she had used my note as a way to guide her life. Teachers are really given an exceptional opportunity to change people’s lives.”

Unsurprisingly, when asked what he’s most proud of in his career, he doesn’t talk about his own accomplishments, but rather those of his students. He said he’s proud of the kids who learned to like school, or enjoy reading, or learned that they could succeed.

2014

The Fitchburg Art Museum hosted an exhibit of artwork created by Cushing students.

The Varsity Boys’ Basketball team won their second consecutive NEPSAC Class AA Championship.

Cushing opened its Contemplation Garden, designed by John Kelly ’13 and made possible because of the generosity of the Kelly family.

Cushing launched its Giving Iceberg, raising more than $21,000 during Fall Family Weekend.

Colorado became the first U.S. state to legally sell recreational marijuana.

The deadliest outbreak of Ebola started in West Africa and led to more than 17,000 cases of the deadly hemorrhagic fever.

Protests in Ukraine left more than 70 people dead and led to the ouster of the country’s president.

A Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared over the Indian Ocean. Just four months later, another Malaysian airliner was shot down over Ukraine.

Nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram. Americans first heard of ISIS, a terror group in the Middle East.

Brett Torrey ’85 Joins the Academy’s Alumni Office

Talking to Brett Torrey ’85 can be a little like talking to the Energizer Bunny, but that energy is a great asset to the Academy’s Alumni Office.

In a student profile written about Brett in 1985, he noted that he’d come a long way since arriving on campus, gaining better study habits and learning to work hard for the success that he wanted. He credited his Cushing teachers with instilling determination in him. Talk to him today and he says the same thing. “I was a bit of a lost soul,” he said. “My Cushing teachers gave me guidance and purpose.”

Brett was a class officer for all four years he attended, and that leadership spirit has followed him throughout his career. A week after graduating from Springfield College in 1989, he returned to Cushing to spend the summer working for the NAPS program (see pg. 80). Among other things, he had to drive a van from Ashburnham to Las Cruces, N.Mex.—and back, of course—full of supplies the program would need for the summer. During the school year, he worked as an assistant to Wayne Sanborn and Chris Boyle in Student Affairs, helping to keep students busy. He also coached football, wrestling, and track.

He left Cushing in 1991 and worked in Vermont, the Fay School, and a consulting firm in Boston before heading to Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where he was the Athletic Director for 12 years. Along the way,

he earned a master’s degree in educational leadership. Of course, during all those years in the prep school world, he’s coached all kinds of sports, taught physical education and health, advised hundreds of students, and lived in dorms.

Last summer, when he was given the chance to return to Cushing, he jumped at it. Torrey has a number of professional and familial connections to the school, and for him, it was a chance to return home and make a difference to the school that had had such an impact on him in his younger years. In a preview of the energy he’d bring to bear on behalf of the Academy, he helped organize his class’s 30th Reunion; there were more than 30 members of the Class of 1985 back on campus. And that was before he’d officially joined the Academy’s Alumni Office.

His love for his alma mater is infectious. If you’re on campus, please stop by and say hello.

TEDx Comes to Cushing

In 2015, the first-ever TEDx Cushing was held, spearheaded by Jessica Kinsley ’16 along with her committee: Myles Bonadie ’17, Rachel Guerriero ’16, Joanna James ’15, and Yashi Thakurani ’18.

Jessica was inspired to set up a TED talk at Cushing because of the diverse interests of Cushing students. “At first what motivated me to organize this was that I knew I could do it and that it could become something great,” she said. “Later, the enthusiasm that my committee and I received about this event

was really inspiring and made us even more excited to organize this event.”

“The theme for the event is Changing Perspective, and that’s exactly what I told the speakers to focus on with their TED talks,” said Jessica last year. “Sometimes living inside Cushing can make it seem like we all see things the same way, and my hope is that with these TED talks, people will be more open to different topics involving students today.” In the end, four students—Chyna Christman ’16, Gia Nghi “Jack” Chau ’17, Zara Tarter ’17, and Kylie Caouette ’15—presented their thoughts on issues that affect them.

The TEDx series at Cushing continued in April 2016 and featured five speakers: David Nevins ’16, Oluwafolabomi “Bomi” Olujimi ‘16, English teacher Rebecca Pressman, Juan Agustin Marquez ’00, and Matt Cone ’81. Of course, the talks wouldn’t have been possible without Jessica and her committee: Vikram Sharma ’16, Myles Bonadie ’17, Silvana Junguito ’17, and Yashi Thakurani ’18.

Fred Morlock ‘16 started Cushing’s 3-D printing club.

The Rebecca Rice Dance Company kicked off the inaugural season of the Cushing Academy Performing Arts Series.

Dr. Joseph Curry, Cushing’s 9th headmaster, passed away Dec. 12, 2014.

Scotland voted not to separate from the United Kingdom.

The European Space Agency landed a spacecraft on a comet.

Drama at Cushing

Drama was first introduced to Cushing in 1879, and the Academy has been fortunate to have a series of drama teachers who have served the school during very long tenures. Everyone knows that Bette Davis is one of Cushing’s most famous alumni. She came to the Academy in 1924, the same year as Lois Cann, who would go on to have a career at the Academy that lasted nearly 40 years (see pg. 44). During her time at Cushing, students gathered each Tuesday evening for her Expression class, in which “the elements of the spoken word [were] studied, plays discussed, poetry memorized, public speaking practiced in a variety of ways.” Those students were then selected to perform in the plays that were given throughout the year both in the Cowell Chapel and in neighboring towns. Each year Winter Carnival was ushered in by a play, and the Class Play was an important part of com-

mencement weekend. Because each student was given one period each week instruction in oral English, there were five-minute speeches in chapel every Wednesday morning from various members of the student body. After Cann left, plays were put on by the Dramatics Club, but she wasn’t the last drama teacher to have an impact here. In 1967, Mary Fern came to Cushing to teach drama (see pg. 82). She increased the number of productions and carved out time between athletics and classes so students could pursue the arts. Her students performed in classics such as Death of a Salesman and The Importance of Being Earnest, but they also performed original one-act plays. And although Mary Fern did many things at the Academy above and beyond her work in the Theatre Department, generations of Cushing alumni remember her as the guiding hand of the program.

Fern was followed by Whit Wales, who

took over the department in 1988 and stayed until 2006. Like Fern, he taught his students to have confidence in themselves, to face their challenges head on, and to meet their responsibilities. Wales’ arrival sparked exciting traditions at the Academy, including a Shakespeare production each fall, film and digital video classes, and an annual New York City trip for theatre students. Indeed, many of the traditions that began under Wales are still a part of the Academy’s drama program today. In an article in 2000, Juan Marquez ’00—who is now a successful movie director in his own right—said, “The most special characteristic about Mr. Wales is his ability to transfer knowledge to students… He has the ability to influence students to expand their own abilities, whether on Cowell stage or in the digital video class. He has a true, inspiring energy that is contagious.”

Julia Ohm took over the Academy’s drama

program in 2007, so she’s been with us for almost 10 years already. Before she came to Cushing, she worked at The Hun School of Princeton, in New Jersey, where she had worked with Desh Hindle, Cushing’s Director of Music. While at The Hun School, she built their drama program and when, in 2006, Cushing found itself in need of a director of theatre, Hindle called Ohm and told her about the job.

Ohm has directed more than 300 shows during her career and she has an active membership in the Screen Actors Guild. In fact, the Academy’s Performing Arts Department is in the care of three talented and working performers (see pg. 98 for more on the music program and see pg. 46 for more on dance). Ohm credits this team with the increasing visibility and excellence of the Academy’s performing arts. “We all have a serious approach to performing,” Ohm says. “Professional performers

who are also educators can themselves perform at a high level and then impart that to students.”

When choosing shows for the Academy’s theatre students, she thinks about the students who are at the school at any given moment and what strengths and talents they might bring to a particular performance. She tries to pick pieces from around the world in order to take advantage of Cushing’s diversity, and picks both classics and modern works. Finally, each year features a drama, a comedy, and a musical so that students can develop a wide range of theatre skills.

Ohm acknowledges that Cushing has some challenges. For example, Cowell Chapel lacks wing space, a green room, wheelchair access, and adequate bathroom. “What we do in spite of those challenges is astounding,” she said. Ohm is gratified by the recent success of the Academy’s Performing Arts Series,

which just finished its second year. “The administration’s support of the series makes a statement about the importance of the performing arts at Cushing,” she says.

It’s obviously too soon to tell if Ohm will match the tenures of some of the drama teachers who have preceded her, but she’s clearly committed to Cushing’s students. Asked if something about teaching drama might tend to inspire long tenures, Ohm said, “Yes. If you’re devoted to the craft, you enjoy sharing it, especially with students. Our job is to create an awareness of how the arts shape humanity and the human spirit and that tends to create close relationships.”

2015

Silver Penguin: Paul Dowling

Paul Dowling was a fixture on Cushing’s campus for more than 35 years, where he served as a math teacher, Dean of Students, coach, dorm head, and Dean of Faculty. He retired in 2015.

He attended Harvard, with the intent of going on to law school in a couple of years, when a friend suggested he try teaching. He started at The Rectory School, “But I knew it would only be for a two-year stint and then on to law school,” he said in 2002. “While I was there,” he went on, “my old wrestling coach from Exeter called me up one spring day and said he had been talking with the headmaster of Cushing Academy, who was looking for a quality wrestling coach. I explained to him that this teaching/coaching job was just temporary before going on to law school. But he suggested, ‘Well, maybe a teaching/coaching career wouldn’t be half bad either; you could try it and if you didn’t enjoy it then you could move on to law school.’” It’s funny how little things seem to change people’s lives.

After a few years, Mr. Dowling thought maybe he’d found his calling, so he pursued a master’s degree, thinking he would move on to a different school, but Dr. Curry had other ideas and offered him a job at Cushing. Eventually he became Dean of Students, a job he did longer than most. “The hardest part was the discipline and the fact that I met so many students who had difficulties,” he

2015

Cushing celebrated 150 years since its founding. Cushing broke ground on the Watkins Field House.

once said. “They weren’t bad kids, just young kids growing up in an environment where, if they had been in a public school system and did something wrong, their parents would handle the crisis with them. So at Cushing, we’re the parents away from home and we had to deal with the discipline. I knew I was doing a service to the school by maintaining consistency on campus. Students knew they were being treated fairly and that they lived, worked, and studied in a community where they felt safe.”

After a few years in the classroom while his son was a student, he returned to administration in 1999, where he took on the role of Dean of Faculty. He enjoyed working closely with his fellow teachers to make their lives at Cushing better and more fulfilling. “I enjoy seeing the newly hired faculty working hard to become better teachers,” he said. “I take personal pride in knowing that when I hired them they did indeed have that hidden talent to become a great teacher like so many of those who are still here and those who have moved on throughout the years.”

While Dowling donned his fair share of hats during his time Cushing, students always meant a great deal to him. “That’s the highlight of why we as faculty put so much extra time and effort into the school,” he said. “The faculty are here for the students, in and outside the classroom…. You have your strong students and the students who are struggling. And when the students find success at what they do and know that they have achieved beyond what they thought they were capable of—these students are the ones who have the big smiles on their faces and tears in their

eyes when they proceed through the line at graduation. My colleagues and I know that we have indeed made a difference in their lives.”

Silver Penguin: Wayne Hancock

Wayne Hancock joined the Cushing faculty in 1977. Hancock, who grew up in Gardner, Mass., had a degree in history from Springfield College and had been subbing at Gardner High School when his father called him and told him there was an opening at Cushing. So, Hancock applied and Athletic Director Wayne Sanborn invited him to come to the school to be an assistant coach of the football team and head coach of the baseball team. At that point, Hancock thought coaching would be it, but in the end, he also taught two history classes, the start of what would turn out to be a 38-year career at the Academy.

In an early preview of what living a life according to the Cushing calendar meant, Hancock married his wife, Maria, during the only open weekend the school had in the fall of 1978. Cushing was a good place for the young couple, as there were lots of couples just like them. Hancock remembers the faculty going to dances in the student center— then located in Heslin, next to the basketball court—and the faculty having just as much fun as the students. “There were lots of young couples there then, giving everything they had to the students,” Hancock said. Of course, living on campus with a bunch of teenagers wasn’t without its challenges. “When the kids were there, we were saints,” he said. “But when they left? The parties we had!” That seems to go along well with the “work hard,

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional.

Attacks by the terrorist group ISIS killed hundreds around the world.

The United States and 11 other countries reached an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

A group of Cushing students spent their Spring Break in New Jersey, helping to build a home with Habitat for Humanity.

Cushing hosted its first-ever TEDx Cushing, spearheaded by Jessica Kinsley ’16 along with committee members Myles Bonadie ‘17, Rachel Guerriero ’16, Joanna James ’15, and Yashi Thakurani ’18. The topic: Changing Perspective.

Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program produced a controversial agreement. Full diplomatic relations with Cuba were restored.

BENSON KUA

play hard” philosophy that Dr. Curry had in those days.

The first few years were difficult in other ways, too. Although coaching was something Hancock was used to and had experience with, teaching was something altogether different. “A person can know the material they have to teach, but knowing how to manage a classroom is something you can only learn on the fly,” he said. It took a few years to get the hang of that, but he eventually did.

The Hancocks lived in Lowe Hall until their first child, Jaime ’02, was born. “In the dorm, you sometimes have to be the bad guy,” said Hancock. “I remember once having to bust one of my best players for smoking pot. It’s like being a parent. It’s hard.” Soon after Jaime’s birth, the family moved into Needham House, now demolished, on the corner of School and Main Streets. A few years later, Jaime’s sister, Cristina ’05, joined the family. They lived on campus until 1991, when they bought the Ashburnham home where they still live.

He noted that because he and Maria lived on the third floor of Lowe Hall for five years and in campus housing for another nine years, “I always saw my employment as a partner-

ship with Maria. She was around so often and because she also taught Summer Session for several years, she built strong relationships with many students.” Maria also taught in the Fitchburg Public School system for 35 years and served as a guidance counselor at Fitchburg High for 15 of those years. “She certainly did her share of talking and listening to Cushing students,” Wayne said. “And she’s been known to give me advice on occasion as well!”

One of the things Hancock is most proud of in his Cushing career is his work with NAPS, the Native American Preparatory School (see pg. 80), of which he was the Director. As part of that job, he and his family went out to New Mexico every summer for four years. The first year, 1987, was so successful that the state of New Mexico agreed to help the program by offering facilities on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. At that point, it became a full-time job for Hancock, who gave up his academic year teaching responsibilities at Cushing to focus on raising money for NAPS. “We tried to run it just like Cushing’s Summer Session, which was so successful,” he said. Despite how successful the program was, funding

was hard to come by and when the grants that had provided seed money for the first few years ran out, the program had to close. Even so, he’s glad of what they accomplished. “So many of the kids graduated from high school and then from college. I’m proud to have been a part of that,” he said.

He’s also proud of the role he played in getting the Central New England Baseball League off the ground. Although Cushing is Class B in size, in many sports—including baseball—it has often played against Class A competition. Under Hancock’s guidance, the team had a great deal of success, often playing for the league’s championship.

In his retirement, which began last summer, Maria and Wayne have been traveling a lot. Last winter, he helped his brother coach girls’ basketball team at Narragansett Regional High School in Templeton, Mass., and looks forward to working with the Cape Cod baseball league this summer. And, of course, he enjoys watching the Cushing baseball team play. These days, he gets to watch from the hill behind Adams Field, which he always thought was the best seat in the house.

Cushing’s 3rd annual golf tournament, sponsored by the Sullivan Family, raised $100,000 toward the construction of the Watkins Field House.

Paul Dowling, Norm Carey, and Wayne Hancock retired.

Representatives from 195 nations approved the Paris Climate Accord.

LEFT : Coaches Dowling, Irzyk, Hancock, and Sanborn

RIGHT : Wayne Hancock early in his Cushing career

Religion at Cushing

Although Cushing Academy has never been a denominational academy, religion—more specifically, Christianity—was traditionally an important part of daily life at the school.

The school’s first catalogue in 1875 noted that students were expected to attend two public religious services on Sunday, “at such place as they have been accustomed to attend at home, or such place as they shall select when they enter the school.” They were required to make a written report to the principal on Monday morning.

The 1882 catalogue read, “By the will of the Founder, the Institution is made emphatically a Christian school. While entirely unsectarian, its influence will ever be in favor of those cardinal principles of courtesy, industry, integrity, virtue, religion, without which there can be no true character.”

Furthermore, chapel services and vespers had a distinctly Christian flavor. Indeed, the pastor of the community church was the school’s chaplain. Bible classes were taught as part of the curriculum for many years.

By the end of the 1920s, the requirement to make a written report to the principal had been dropped, but students were still required to attend daily exercises in the school chapel, Sunday morning service in the church of their choice, and the Sunday evening vespers service in the school chapel.

In 1960, Headmaster West wrote a column for The Bulletin, where he lamented the school’s lack of a plan for “bringing our students into contact with a steady, definitively presented, and meaningful study of the principles of the Christian religion.” He clearly saw religious education as the Academy’s

responsibility. He said the school community “must work together in basic principles of morality and ethics as an integral part of the curriculum just as in any of the academic subjects.”

When Howard Baker became the school’s headmaster in 1961, he shared West’s enthusiasm for Christian education. A semesterlong course in the historical approach to the Bible was a requirement. In an effort to make church services more directly relevant to the students’ experience, the school began its own Sunday afternoon services, led by its own chaplain, Rev. Hugh K. Wright, Jr. Students still attended the Community Church in the morning, if they wished, and the afternoon service was an opportunity for the student body to “assemble together for a religious purpose,” according to Baker. This change was met with some skepticism, it seems, and was closely followed by the creation of an Interfaith Council, giving different denominations and faiths—Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish—the opportunity to work together.

It would appear, however, that students didn’t always agree with this focus on Christianity. In 1956, a concerned student wrote a letter to The Breeze asking, “What about the Jews, the Christian Scientists and perhaps the high Episcopalians? Everyone besides the Catholics are compelled to go to the Federated Church of Ashburnham, but what do those of other faiths feel about going to a church that is not their own?” In the following issue, the students argued that, with parental permission, those of other faiths ought to be allowed to go to Fitchburg to attend a church of their choice. They further argued that forcing

students to attend churches of faiths not their own would only breed intolerance.

In turn, the administration argued that students who accepted admission to the Academy did so with full knowledge of the requirements of attending. Further, West argued, supporting the town’s churches was part of Cushing’s obligation to be a good citizen of the town. “The question of ‘freedom of religion’ is not at issue here. One might turn the whole proposition around and say to you as students that we don’t have ‘freedom of choice’ in selecting you because we are not allowed by law to find out your religious backgrounds before we accept you.”

By the late 1960s, students began to argue against compulsory church attendance and in early 1970, that requirement was removed. Even so, in 1971, the school’s catalogue noted, “Although no restriction is placed on membership in the student body because of religious beliefs, attendance at the Academy implies acceptance by the parents and student of the procedures implicit in the religious life of the school.” It was clear that they believed that “corporate worship” was an important part of community life and the Academy held chapel assembly services twice per week and a Sunday vespers service, which were mandatory.

Even so, by sometime in the 1970s, even that requirement was dropped and students were allowed to attend services or not, according to their personal convictions.

2016 Silver Penguin: Cheryl Storm

Cheryl Storm brings her Cushing career to a close in 2016, after 34 years of service to the Academy’s students.

A self-proclaimed city girl who moved to the country, Storm came to Cushing via her neighbor and now-retired Cushing faculty member, Norm Carey (see pg. 106). “I had been teaching French at Oakmont, the local high school, and Norm told me about an opening at Cushing. I began tutoring, a position opened up, and that’s how it all began,” she said.

Of course, most alumni associate Storm with the teaching of French, and she was the Department Chair of Modem and Classical Languages from her arrival until 2013. Along the way, Storm has taught ESL and Independent Studies in French and overseen a variety of activities, such as recreational volleyball and sports fitness.

It’s important to note that while teaching at the Academy, she took an existing interest in the arts to an entirely new place. “I’ve always liked arts and theatre but was more of the observer,” she said. Years ago, she took a watercolor class with Bob Johnson and loved it. Since then, she has taken many art classes

2016 Cheryl Storm retired. Varsity football program suspended.

at the Sharon Art Center in Peterborough, N. Hamp., and joined Bob Johnson in the Fine Arts Department, where she taught beginning painting and drawing.

In fact, in recent years, Cheryl developed the drawing curriculum and teaches Introduction to Drawing as an afternoon activity. While French is truly her expertise, branching out into the arts has been a wonderful experience both as an artist and a teacher. “I love to teach art—it’s an entirely different area. You’re not testing the students or grading them in the same way by equating their work with a number, but you can still experience their growth and accomplishments in the way they express themselves.”

In addition to her work in foreign language and art during the academic years, Storm also spent many years working with Cushing’s renowned Summer Session. She was the head of the Critical Languages program, during which time Summer Session taught Arabic, and she taught Critical Skills for many years.

When asked what is different about Cushing from when she came in 1982, she said everyone seems busier. Everyone’s time is more programmed. The kids are taking more classes which leads to more stress. The faculty are busier too, and she thinks there’s less time to truly enjoy each other’s company.

Looking toward retirement, Storm says she is excited to do some projects on her house, including work in her kitchen that will allow her to express her creativity in a new way. She’ll be spending time with her grandson, who lives in Ashburnham, and will continue

her painting. She also expects to do some gardening, a lot more reading, and a bit of traveling. Cheryl is looking forward to spending more time with family and friends.

Even so, as most retiring faculty tell us, she’ll miss the kids. She’ll miss their energy and their diversity. “I like to feel that I made a difference to some of them,” she said. Cheryl will also miss the friends she’s made over the years. “The thread that binds us all is a long one,” she said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency announced that Iran has dismantled its nuclear program, allowing the U.N. to lift sanctions.

ISIS bombings in Brussels killed at least 32 and injured 250.

Saturday classes returned to the weekly schedule. Watkins Field House opened.

Cushing Gets a New Athletic Facility

When Heslin Gym opened in 1957, the Cushing community was thrilled. More than 500 alumni, parents, and students attended the opening to see its electronic scoreboards, glass backboards, and wooden pull-out bleachers. It served the community well for a long time, but it was, after all, a gym—perhaps the most used building on campus—and it didn’t take all that long for Cushing to outgrow that space. In fact, as far back as 1985, the Academy started talking about building a new gym, but it would be another 30 years before that dream became a reality.

In 2015, due in large measure to the

generosity of the E.G. Watkins Family Foundation, the Academy broke ground on a new 30,000-square-foot athletic center. It was completed in spring 2016 and will be officially dedicated in October.

Constructed along Pleasant Street between Adams Field and the Joseph R. Curry Academic Center, the Watkins Field House echoes the design of the historic Main Building and other nearby buildings. The buildings enclose a classic campus quadrangle in which students and community members will gather and socialize. Headmaster Chris Torino anticipates the new facility will further strengthen the sense of community on campus. “The new gym will be one more place where our

entire community can gather, whether it’s cheering on our teams or pursuing fitness goals. The outdoor quad will be a great place for community events, outdoor classes, or simply enjoying our town and campus.”

The Watkins Field House features multiple courts, locker rooms, a physical therapy training center, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The fitness center is more than double the size of the fitness area in Heslin and will also be more efficient in meeting the needs of our large and diverse community. In addition to the athletic spaces, the new facility has space that commemorates Cushing’s proud athletics history.

toward a bright future »

2014–2015 Annual Report

Cushing, like most schools at both the secondary and collegiate levels, relies on donations for everything from library expenses to scholarships. In fact, Thomas Parkman Cushing himself, in the very same will that provided the funding for the Academy, talked about the importance of donors. He said:

I am particularly desirous of using a portion of the estate with which God has blessed me, for the promotion of so important an object as that of improving the education, and thus of strengthening and enlarging the minds of the rising and of future generations. Hoping that others having similar views and opinions will hereafter co-operate with me towards effecting the same great and desirable end: my Will, therefore, further is that two schools or seminaries of learning, shall be established and forever continued in my native town of Ashburnham, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts…

On the day the school opened, way back in September of 1875, the Honorable Alexander H. Bullock, President of the Board, said in his dedication speech: “The institution which rises upon this consecrated eminence now speaks for itself, and catching the last words of its first benefactor pleads its cause far and near for other benefactors yet to come and yet to participate in the associated glory… Whatever of donations by the living, whatever of legacies bequeathed shall fall here, will pass into this immortal fellowship of benevolence, and will partake of the gratitude of distant generations.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Cushing faculty, 1910

Top Ten Moments in Giving at Cushing

If you’ve been reading this magazine, you’ll have noticed that M. Anthony Fisher ’69 and Edward G. Watkins ’56 feature prominently as individuals whose long support of the Academy has molded it into the school it has become. Their names appear on the school’s library and dining hall. Both gave generously to the

1. 1854: Thomas Parkman Cushing dies, leaving the funding necessary to found the school, about $175,000.

2. 1891: The Honorable Amasa Norcross, former president of Cushing’s board, establishes the school’s first scholarship with a gift of $500.

3. 1933: A series of bequests—such as the $110,000 bequest from Henry B. Dillenback, who had been a member of the Board of Trustees finance committee— protected the Academy from the worst effects of the Great Depression. Other bequest donors included John W. Brooks, Susan Marble Knight, and Jacob H. Fairbanks.

4. 1947: More than 750 alumni donors and many graduating classes helped raise the $70,000 necessary to build Alumni Hall.

Iorio Arena and the Emily Fisher Landau Center for Visual Arts. The Watkins Family Foundation made a generous lead gift to support the new field house. The list of areas they supported is broad and deep. Here are 10 other moments in the history of giving to the Academy that are worth a mention.

5. 1951: George Hoffman dies, leaving the Academy $300,000 in his will. In part, the money was used to construct the Price Infirmary.

6. 1991: The bequest of Alfred Gaylord Drew ’27 of $650,000 became the largest bequest to the Academy up to that time.

7. 1992: Russell D. Loring ’29 gave $1 million to the Academy, as part of a trust, to be used for scholarships.

8. 1994: Ted Iorio gave $1.5 million to start construction on the Iorio Arena.

9. 1999: Lilla M. Pond ’36 endowed the school’s first faculty chair with a gift of $1 million.

10. 1999: The George and Josephine Veinot Cook Merit Scholarship was established in 1999 with a gift of $1.6 million from George Cook ’31.

If you are a member of our community of donors, thank you. If you haven’t supported the Academy, there’s no better time than now. Your donations will have a real, positive, and immediate impact on Cushing’s faculty, staff, and students. Plus, you’ll become part of a

long tradition of giving back to the school—a tradition that has helped make the school what it is today. You can make a gift online at www.cushing.org/give or you can contact the office at 978-827-7400 or alumniprograms@cushing.org.

Thank You!

We’d like to thank all of the donors who made contributions to the Academy during the 2014–2015 fiscal year. We hope you’ll forgive the tardiness of this expression of our gratitude.

We do our best to ensure this listing is correct. However, should you find an error, please contact us at 978-827-7400 or alumniprograms@cushing.org so we can correct it.

1865 Society

The 1865 Society recognizes donors who have remembered Cushing in their wills or who have made some other kind of planned gift to the Academy.

William Adams ’50

Susan Balsley ’56

Sarah Barbee ’64

Robert and Jane Barber

Natalie Bauble

William and Florilla Beazley Trust

Marion Beckwith ’31 D

Estate of Elizabeth Palmer Bedell ’27

Mildred Beebe ’36 D

Nancy Bender ’54

Estate of Margaret Durkee Benton

Leo and Eileen Bonetti

Channing Briggs ’32 D

John Briggs, Jr. ’39 D

Jane Brown ’58

Knowlton Brown ’37 D

Alastair Browne ’75

Elizabeth Caplan ’52

Louise Carpenter D

John Carr ’38

Mark and Julia Casady

John Clary 1910 D

Estate of George Cook, Jr. ’31

Madeline Cook

Erma Cooke ’90 (HON) D

Mark Corbishley ’82

Carolyn Crowell ’66

Lewis Crowell ’44 D

John ’41 and Jean Curtis

Joseph Davis ’31 Charitable Remainder Unitrust

Dorothy Day D

Norma ’94 and Eugene ’94 Dean III

Beulah DiPoli ’23 D

Lillian Doe ’23 D

Gladys Draper 1919 D

Alfred Drew ’27 D

Alice Duncan D

Richard Byam Dunn ’31 D

Elizabeth Edmands ’30 D

Ruth Engs ’57

Mary Fern ’92 (HON)

M. Anthony Fisher ’69 D

Nicholas Fratello ’96

Diana Frazier ’58

Raymond Freeman, Jr. ’51

Madeleine Gaylor ’91 (HON) D

Atim George ’74

William Gilman, Jr. ’31 D

Shirley Glenney ’46

Kenneth Goldberg ’61

John Gorton ’34 D

Lillian Goss ’51

Jonathan Gottlieb ’82 D

Peggy Grant ’51 D

David Grimm ’60

Joseph Hanslip ’80

Robert Hendrick ’27 D

Karen Hess ’78

Elizabeth Hewitt ’53

Dr. Joseph Hill

Steven Hill ’81

Mary Hopkins ’25 D

Robert Horton 1919 D

Rhonda Houston

Estate of Estelle Hunt ’91 (HON)

Thomas Jaffa ’70

Sally Ann Jessie ’53

Mary Johnston D

Chandler Jones 1913 D

George Jordan III ’59

Elizabeth Jump ’54

Estate of Jane Keough

Dr. Richard Kleefield and Mickey Kleefield

Richard Knight ’27 D

Dr. Edna Kovacs ’71

Bequest of Chester Kurzet ’43

Merton Lane 1913 D

Helena Chen Law ’59

Dr. Mark Lemmon and Barbara Lemmon

Mari-Carol Lenihan ’73

Eino Leppanen ’27 D

Jeffrey Lindtner ’66

Estate of Dr. Rodney Liversage ’48

Ann Logan ’85

Edna Longbottom 1919 D

Janet Loring ’49

Russell Loring ’29 D

Ruth Lovell ’34 D

Richard Mansfield ’43

Russell Marcotte ’51

Virginia Marcotte ’61

Dr. Carl Marino, Sr. ’53 D

Donald McNeish ’40 D

Catherine Merwin ’35 D

Esther and Joseph Meyer, Jr. D

Janet Michelini ’30 D

Caryl Minor ’58

Estate of Elizabeth Colburn Montgomery ’25

Kenneth Moore ’41 D

Roger Morency ’55

Estate of Arthur Moyer ’29

Roger Needham ’28 D

Ellen Neisner ’44

Gertrude Noble ’17 D

Estate of Dr. Robert Norton ’33

Edward Ouellette ’38 D

Martha Patari ’39 D

Virginia Reimers Perry ’48

Katherine Phelps ’08 D

Edward and Rhonda Pierce

Norman Pollet ’28 D

Estate of Miss Lilla Pond ’36

George Porter, Sr. ’65

Walter Prince 1916 D

Frank Rand 1908 D

Philip Raskin ’76

Nancy Rathborne

Ruth Reardon ’25 D

Estate of Ruby Ryland Reed ’41

Bruce Roberts ’44 D

Helen Robinson ’35 D

Estate of Dorothy Rogers ’39

Carrie Romaine ’62

Alan Rosanes ’60 D

Alison Rowe ’74

Nancy Ruder ’41

Sally Rulifson ’56 D

Virginia Sawyer ’28 D

Joan Senty ’46 D

Jeanne Sharpe ’31 D

Mildred Sherwood ’22 D

Harry Shindler ’22 D

Douglas Smalis ’71

Estate of Amparito Smith

Goodrich Smith D

Estate of Eliot Spalding ’71

Harold Splain 1918 D

David Stiller ’64

Lawrence Sullivan ’48 D

Brig. Gen. Vernon Rodney Tate

USAF (Ret.) ’57

Evelyn Thomas ’30 D

Paul Tierney ’64

Gordon Usher ’38

Estate of Vivian Collins Walker ’17

Deborah Warner ’70

Frederick Watts ’47

Hannah Chun Welsh ’76

Kenneth Wheeler ’58

Anderson White ’79

Elizabeth White ’26 D

Wilda White ’75

Beatrice Williams ’28 D

Carol Williston ’24 D

Patrice Worcester ’79

Dorothy Zug ’48

Founder’s Society

The Founder’s Society recognizes those donors whose total lifetime giving to Cushing Academy totals $100,000 or more.

Individuals

Mohamed Abdul Razak and Khadijah Abdul Rahman

Young Il Ahn and Young Ran Song

Steven and Elizabeth Akers

Robert Barton

William ’25 and Florilla Beazley Trust

David and Nancy Berkowitz

John Biggs ’33 D

Marc and Cheryl Bingham

Donald Booth ’54

Richard Booth ’53 and Ann Booth ’53

Vincent Booth ’23 D

Thomas and Eugenia Carter

Mark and Julia Casady

Kong Chu and Amy Yeung

Tin Hang Chu ’06

Estate of George Cook, Jr. ’31

Alfred G. Drew ’27 D

Sharon Ettinger-McLaughlin

Ali and Tracy Fayed

Gordon Aaron Feiner ’65 D

Kristen Kelly Fisher

M. Anthony Fisher ’69 D

Mark and Mary Grace Gudis

Richard and Jean Harrington

Robert Hendrick ’27 D

Yat Ming Ho and Lai Hing Ho

Bradley and Kathy Hoffman

Estate of Estelle Hunt ’91 (HON)

Theodore and Dorothy Iorio

Donald and Karen Irving

Dr. David Johnston

Jeanne Jordan

Charles Kim and Lisa Nam

Emily Fisher Landau

Merton Lane ’13 D

Paul and Julie Leff

Ruey-Hsian Lin and Alice W. Chen

Russell Loring ’29 D

Jay Massirman ’76

Janet Merrill ’23 D

Estate of Elizabeth Colburn

Montgomery ’25

Dianna O’Neill

Thomas O’Neill III

Virginia Reimers Perry ’48

Estate of Miss Lilla Pond ’36

Thomas Poti ’96

Joseph and Celeste Rault

Estate of Ruby Ryland Reed ’41

Joel Reitman ’74

James and Joanne Richardson

Young Jay Ro and Sun Wook Paek

Mary Beth and Sherburne Rockwell III

Estate of Dorothy Rogers ’39

William Rose and Merle Monsein

Sharon Rust

Bobby and Denise Sandage

M. Kerby ’67 and Alice Saunders

Peter and Susan Schottland

John Shevenell ’39 D

David and Marianne Skok

Estate of Amparito Smith

Peter ’90 and Burson Snyder

Betina Sommers

Elizabeth Sommers

Gerald Sommers ’75 D

John Sommers, Sr. ’74 D

Harold Splain 1918 D

Stephanie Stone de Feoli ’82

Ronald Stuart ’65

George and Tammy Sullivan

John and Polly Timken

Patricia Toppel

Joseph Treadwell D

Estate of Vivian Collins Walker 1917

George Wallace III D

Edward G. ’56 and Karen Watkins

Carol Williston ’24 D

Robert Young ’69

Andrew and Carlene Ziegler

Mercedes Zobel

Foundations and Trusts

Allied Printing Services Charitable Foundation

Ayco Charitable Foundation

Booth Charitable Lead Unitrust

CLASC

E.G. Watkins Family Foundation

The Educational Foundation of America

The Edward E. Ford Foundation

Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund

Fidelity Investments

George F. Hoffman Ash Foundation

George I. Alden Trust

George R. Wallace Foundation

Hillsdale Fund Inc.

Kelly Fisher Foundation

Milliken & Co.

The Navajo Nation

One Step Forward Education Foundation

Pete and Burson Snyder Foundation

Pew Charitable Trusts

The Phyllis Kimball Johnstone & H. Earle Kimball Foundation

The Thomson Corporation

UBS National Philanthropic Trust

Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program

Watkins Family Charitable Trust

Zemurray Foundation

Organizations

The following organizations supported Cushing during the 2014–2015 fiscal year. This list includes organizations that matched the gifts of individual donors.

ACH Holdings, LLC

Adaptive Communications

Aetna Foundation

Allied Printing Services Charitable Foundation

Anthony Joseph Real Estate LLC

Assured Guaranty Corp.

Athene USA Charitable Foundation

Atlantic Comfort Systems, Inc.

Bank of America Foundation, Inc.

BNY Mellon Community Partnership

The Boston Foundation

Byham Charitable Foundation

Celebrity for Charity Foundation

Chubb & Son Inc.

The Cleveland Foundation

Comm-Tract Corporation

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida

Conger Management Group, Inc.

The Douglas and Erika Cramer Foundation

E.G. Watkins Family Foundation

Edward G. Watkins Foundation

The Ettinger Foundation, Inc.

GE Foundation

George R. Wallace Foundation

Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation

The Hebeler Foundation

Hillsdale Fund Inc.

Innovative Distribution Services

Iorio Charitable Foundation

Jansing-Cook Foundation

Jen’s Plumbing and Heating, LLC

Karen E. Cheverie CPA, Inc.

Kelly Fisher Foundation

The L.M. Reid Group, LLC

Lewis M. & Esther Perlstein Family Foundation

Lowell Corporation

Lowenstein & Company, P.A.

LPM Charitable Foundation

M & M Transport Services, Inc.

Marquis George MacDonald Foundation, Inc.

McCarthy Realty Trust

The Merck Foundation

Microsoft

Morse Photography

Network for Good

Northern Trust Company

Ocean Bay, Inc.

One Step Forward Education Foundation

Plant Solutions, Inc.

Richard and Barbara Rovit Family Foundation, Inc.

Rochester Area Community Foundation

Schwab Charitable Fund

Shell Oil Company Foundation

Shepherd Foundation

Silver Maple Consulting LLC

Theodore Barton, M.D.

Trading Post Music, Inc.

UBS National Philanthropic Trust

United Technologies Corporation

United Way of Central New Mexico

United Way of Rhode Island

VMware Foundation

Watkins Family Charitable Trust

Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign

Wells Fargo Foundation

White Sylvania Charitable Trust

Windover Construction

Alumni and Student Donors

Many thanks to the alumni and students who donated to the Academy during the 2014–2015 fiscal year

Verne Adams ’49

William Adams ’50

Peter Adeson ’85

Deniz Adiguzel ’18

In Sung Ahn ’07

Cameron Akers ’13

Devon Akers ’10

Spencer Akers ’17

Thomas Akukwe ’15

Douglas Alexander ’78

Robert Alexander ’82

Ellyn Alkon-Doig ’69

Emily Allen ’13

William Allison IV ’47

Francisco Alonso Martinez ’15

Abdullatif Alsalem ’13

Kara Altbaum ’95

Garrett Amaya ’17

Alberto Ambe Cohen ’16

Eileen Amburgey ’56

Alicia Amerson ’85

George Anderson ’56

Dingqi Ang ’17

Joshua Angevine ’01

Edward Christian Anglow ’16

Carmela Antonellis ’13

Emanuela Antonellis ’11

Angelique Arazi ’12

Alexandre Arnau ’16

Donald Aronoff ’66

Joshua Arruda ’18

Makai Ashton-Langford ’17

Alexandra Asselta ’15

Elise Aston ’53

Elijah Auringer ’15

Nicole Auslander ’16

Raeko Azuma ’86

Dam Hyun Bae ’16

Jason Bae ’18

Gregory A. Bair-Caruso ’00

Ryan Bajjaly ’14

Tomas Balboa Livis ’17

Jose Balcarcel Pereda ’16

Elizabeth Bald ’87

Zachary Urban Banks ’17

Catherine Barnes ’13

Robert Barrat ’74

Margaret Barry ’11

Benjamin Barton ’16

Terra Barton ’11

Mert Baser ’13

James Baskin ’59

Victoria Bath ’56

Madeline Battel-Catlin ’15

Richard Battin ’46

Thatcher Beebe ’70

Edmund Belsky ’13

Nancy Bender ’54

Ryan Bennett ’12

Shawn Bennett ’10

Knut Benson ’16

J. Raymond Bentley ’47

Dr. Fred Benton, Jr. ’66

Sarah Berkowitz ’15

Ashley Bermingham ’13

Brianna Bermingham ’16

Jen Bernard ’90

M. Phyllis Biddle ’53

Henry Bidwell ’61

Howard Bidwell II ’65

Jemmel Billingslea ’10

Sylvia Bingham ’53

Meryl Bisberg ’69

Marna Blanchette ’61

Lara Blom ’14

Stanley Bloom ’41

Nasir Bly ’17

Constance Bolzan ’60

Myles Bonadie ’17

Dr. Robert Bond ’47

Christine Bonetti ’14

Valerie Bono ’97

Lisa Bornstein ’83

Timothy Bouchard ’16

John Bourdelais ’15

Marjory Boyd ’15

Richard Boyd ’14

Heather Bradley ’95

Laura Brady ’01

Remy Bragg ’17

Alyssa Brianne Brandland ’13

Sophia Breau ’18

Marilyn Brent ’58

Charles Brodigan ’50

Roger Brooks, Jr. ’69

Albert Brousseau ’50

Carole Brown ’60

Jane Brown ’58

Marion Brown ’69

Dr. Marylin Brown ’62

Alastair Browne ’75

Samuel Charles Buck ’15

William Buell III ’70

Charles Buerk ’15

Lucille Bugel ’45

Chau T.Q. Bui ’14

Quentin Bullen ’15

Gillian Bunker ’69

Andrea Buono ’07

Anthony Buono ’07

Matthew Buono ’03

Sydney Buono ’15

Cameron Burke ’18

Mackenzie Burke ’16

Olivia Burke ’16

Marguerite A. Burns ’17

Carter Byham ’89

Ashlee Cabeal ’02

Margaret Cain ’64

B. Cade Calcote ’15

Ronnie Callahan ’17

Cassidy Caouette ’16

Kylie Caouette ’15

Elizabeth Caplan ’52

David Carbone ’63

Britney Carr ’00

John Carr ’38

Jack Carroll ’15

Carol Carter ’71

John Casady ’15

Margaret Casady ’08

Hannah Cattel ’13

Susan Cavanagh ’13

Laura Caves ’14

Grace Centauro ’12

Cyrus Chan ’14

Andy Cheng-An Chang ’14

Johanna Chanin ’79

S. Rebecca Chanin ’85

Eva Chappelle ’61

Andrew Charman ’17

Richard Chase, Jr. ’67

Gia Nghi Chau ’17

James Cheever ’02

Gabrielle Chen ’16

Jinjian Chen ’15

Kevin Yu-An Chen ’14

Sarita Chen ’16

Stephen Chen ’89

Yuxin Chen ’16

Ziqian Chen ’18

Mengying Cheng ’18

Kristina Cheverie ’17

Anthony Min Ho Cho ’13

Samantha Choi ’15

Yong Ho Choi ’13

Marcus Choy ’17

Andrew Chrabascz ’13

Melissa Irving Christensen ’00

Hiu Tik Chu ’15

Tin Hang Chu ’06

Robert Ciottone ’17

Vigen Ciottone ’16

Julianne Ciraldo ’77

Thalia Clarissa ’16

Charles Clark ’54

Tryon Clark ’91

Emily Clayton ’15

Nancy Coffin ’44

Andrew Cohen ’69

Howard Cohen ’53

Allan Colby ’61

Cullen Concannon ’89

Matthew Cone ’81

Trevor Cone ’88

Bailey Conger ’15

Thia Connolly-Philbin ’99

Sean Connors ’93

John Cooney ’60

Margery Cooper ’65

E. Hunt Coracci ’63

Dominic Cormier ’17

Sabrina Corson ’00

David Cotton ’16

Arthur Coulombe ’69

Henry Coyne III ’80

William Craig III ’82

Christina Craighead ’57

Douglas Cramer ’83

Jarred Creech ’16

Stephen Critchfield ’62

Alan Crocker ’68

Carolyn Crowell ’66

Lewis Crowell ’44 D

Carolyn Cunningham ’13

Reverend Robert Curry ’58

Dr. John Curtis ’41 D

Lucas Curtis ’16

Matthew Cushing ’58

Alan Cutcliffe ’68

Dr. Stephen Cutcliffe ’64

Joel Daccord ’15

Yuanchen Dai ’18

Catherine Daley ’87

Dr. Dwight Damon ’49

Zihan Dang ’13

Luke Daniels ’14

Tania Davila Masciopinto ’13

Andrea Deal ’17

Thomas DeFelice ’14

Matthew Defeo ’82

Olivia Dei Dolori ’15

Andrea Del Bello ’07

Rachel Dellheim ’97

Carolyn Demmery ’65

Barbara Dennis ’53

Dr. Mark Desjardins ’84

Paul Dever ’82

Abigail Devin ’06

Roberta DeWaters ’73

Silvia Diaz-Llado ’15

Eliza Dietz ’85

Matthew Dillon ’16

Christine DiMauro ’06

Tyler DiMauro ’11

Yuhong Ding ’17

Trevor Diver ’17

Alexander Dolente ’15

Lucas Donahue ’10

Julie Donnenfeld ’15

Phub Dorji ’14

Zachary Doucette ’15

Benjamin Dudley II ’54

Ryan Duff ’06

Jeremy Duffy ’89

Alice Duston ’55

Gabrielle Dutil ’14

Nicolas Dutil ’16

John Dyke ’15

Gavin Dykeman ’16

Elsie Eastman ’12

Susanne Eaton ’53

Jessica Edmondson ’91

Blake Edwards ’18

Stephanie Elliott ’15

Emory Ellsworth ’82

Tae Young Em ’18

Valerie England ’50

Geoffrey Erickson ’17

Daniel Eruzione ’15

Alejandro Estrelles Hernanz ’16

Matthew Ettinger ’91

Kaleb Eyob ’17

Gregg Falcone ’78

Ziqiao Fan ’15

David Farnham ’77

Mary Farwell ’10

Edward Faust III ’89

Kevin Fay ’17

William Fenton ’68

Mark Ferguson ’15

Martha Findley ’13

Gordon Finkelstein ’84

Alma Finneran ’51

Rebecca Fisch ’13

Edith Fischer ’61

Constance Fisher ’66

Caroline Fital ’17

Katharine Fite ’53

Andrew Fitzgerald ’14

Zachary Fitzmaurice ’17

Betsy Fleming ’55

Marie Flynn ’47

Michael Foisie ’80

Donovan Foote ’14

John Forrester ’16

William Forrester ’17

Carrianne Fortier ’18

Christopher Foster ’02

Robert Fouracre ’58

Dean Fox ’03

Maria Elena Fraga ’15

Mariano Franco Gomez ’18

Nicholas Fratello ’96

Diana Frazier ’58

Sarah Frazier ’99

Dr. Allan Freedman ’61

Raymond Freeman, Jr. ’51

Stephen Freudenheim ’62

John Frey ’06

Keeley Frost ’14

Fangsheng Fu ’15

Xiaotong Fu ’18

Benjamin Fuller ’14

Samantha Marie Fuller ’15

Adam Gadoury ’01

Katlyn Gallant ’13

Priscilla Gallon ’49

Helen Gallucci ’48

Zhaoyi Gao ’14

Hugh Gardner ’55

Timothy Gardner ’16

Roger Gaunt ’61

Sally Gedney ’54

Grace Gendron ’16

Mary Gendron ’18

Linda Genest ’62

Atim George ’74

Samuel Getz ’75

Aldo Giannattasio ’15

Carrie Giardino ’93

Christopher Gillies ’84

John Gillis ’58

Shiori Go ’13

Allan Goldberg ’49

Kenneth Goldberg ’61

Michael Golze ’05

Patricia Gomez Akerlund ’15

William Goodwin, Jr. ’52

Abigail Gordon ’06

Robert Gorman ’58

Lillian Goss ’51

Yasuyuki Goto ’04

Russell Grant ’59

Brian Green ’83

Olivia Greene ’16

Taylor Greene ’14

Barbara Greer ’49

Richard Griffith, Jr. ’46

Vincent Grimaldi ’15

David Grimm ’60

Nicholas Grindstaff ’16

Lorraine Gross ’54

Luciana Guerra Isaksen ’16

Alita Guillen ’88

Kristen Haarstick ’17

Peter Haigis ’61

Anthony Hairston ’74

John Hall ’16

Jordan Hall ’91

Robin Lockwood Hall ’78

Emily Halpin ’10

John Hamel ’59

Dr. Philip Hammond ’75

Kyu Sang Han ’14

Seongho Han ’15

Seung Hoon Han ’08

Eiru Haneda ’17

Robin Hanscum ’58

Margaret Hansen ’47

Jack Harasimowicz ’13

Scott Harlin ’16

Caitlin Harrington ’02

Ellen Harrington ’70

Aaron Harris ’15

Piper Harrod ’16

Sue Hart ’55

T. Keith Hart, Jr. ’91

Douglas Hartshorn ’15

Dennis Haughton ’17

Oscar Hawley ’50

Jordan Haywood ’17

Jiaqiao He ’16

Jiaying He ’18

Patricia Hecht ’04

Maxwell Hegge ’15

Abigail Helfat ’96

Charles Hemingway ’56

Donald Hendler ’63

Randy Herk ’76

Paula Heslin Nelson ’53

Alyssa Hess ’15

Karen Hess ’78

Elizabeth Hewitt ’53

Diane Hill ’53

Heather Hill ’90

Natalie Hillman ’14

Chun Hei Ho ’06

Chun Ming Ho ’07

Sai Kei Ho ’16

Sara Hogan ’64

Blair Hopps ’71

Patrick Horrocks ’15

Barbara Hotchkiss ’42

I-Ting Huang ’17

Tian Tian Huang ’14

Sara Hudson ’15

Koon Ho Hui ’18

David Hunter ’63

Richard Hunter ’70

Nathaniel Hurwitz ’13

Eric Huss ’18

Lawrence Hutchins ’60

Jiho Hyun ’90

Honoka Inami ’15

Jean Inglis ’55

Christopher Ingram ’79

Stephen Inman ’12

Shannon Jackson ’08

Kevin Jacobs ’90

Paranya Jareonvongrayab ’15

David Jarmon ’66

James Jarvis ’16

Hariz Jeffery ’13

Sophiya Jeffery ’16

Peijin Jiang ’17

Yuan Jiang ’17

Tanner Jillson ’15

Charles Johanningsmeier ’77

Bernard Johnson ’63

Peter Johnson ’62

Roderick Johnson ’85

David Johnston ’50

Jennifer Johnston ’86

Robert Johnston ’67

Eliza Jones ’07

George Jordan III ’59

Erin Joyce ’14

Janet Joyce ’67

Andrea Juarez Becerril ’17

Elizabeth Jump ’54

Katherine Kaae ’81

Trevor Kacz ’15

Katie Kaehlert ’13

Matthew Kallas ’85

Ji Hyoung Kang ’18

Danit Kargman ’11

Yeuk Im Kau ’16

Miller Keene ’16

Roderick Kellett ’87

Daniel Kelley ’14

John Kelly ’13

Lauren Kelly ’11

Ryan Kelly ’17

William Kelly ’90

Leesa-Lee Kemp-Keith ’76

Eloise Kenney ’48

Andy Jun Bum Kim ’13

Chin-Sook Kim ’56

So Yeon Kim ’13

Jessica Kinsley ’16

Jeffrey Kirsh ’03

Lucille Kline ’54

Kwonil Ko ’16

Charles Kokinos ’65

Melinda Kornblum ’67

C. Richard Koster ’57

Riki Kotaka ’11

William Kotoski ’56

Emma Kowalka ’17

Lucy Kramer ’85

Odette Krasnow ’59

Spencer Krul ’17

Jessica Kruskal ’13

Kyle Kublbeck ’16

Mert Kula ’16

Kwan Yi Kumer ’13

Chester Kurzet ’43 D

Jocelyn Labombarde ’13

Pi-Ying Lai ’04

To Yan Lam ’89

Michael Lamonakis ’03

Michaela Lange ’15

Samuel Langrock ’12

Benjamin Laniado Razon ’17

Marcos Laniado Razon ’17

Chi Kit Lau ’15

Hallie Lau ’17

Ka Yu Lau ’16

Dale Lauffer ’13

Kimani Lawrence ’17

Matison Leand ’15

Chia-Lin Lee ’14

Ja Youn Lee ’16

Kyucheol Lee ’14

Meng-Chia Lee ’18

Seungwon Lee ’10

Sooji Lee ’14

Connor Leggett ’13

David Leight ’00

David Leinberry, Jr. ’79

Ian Lemay ’13

Bruce Lemieux ’85

Katherine Lemieux ’15

Timothy Lemieux ’13

Fernando Lemus-Suarez ’47

Mari-Carol Lenihan ’73

Kali Leong ’14

Constantine Leung ’16

Timothy Leveroni ’05

Aixin Li ’14

Ziran Li ’13

Margaret Liebig ’50

Sylvia Lilienthal ’40

Thomas Lindgren, Jr. ’87

Edward Lipinsky ’48

Benjamin Lipper ’16

William Livis ’16

Daniel Logan ’88

Caroline Longeway ’49

Mitchell Lorden ’15

Janet Loring ’49

Breton Lorway ’17

Dana Lorway ’78

Elliot Lowenstein ’63

Chongyi Lu ’16

Spencer Macalaster ’75

Susan Macaulay ’63

Andrew MacDonald ’17

Norman MacDonald IV ’15

Eric Macrina ’87

Michael Mahan ’15

James Maillet ’16

Jameson Maillet ’18

Mikala Malboeuf ’15

Anthony Mallozzi IV ’01

Rachael Man ’15

Allison Mancuso ’02

Julia Mansfield ’13

Richard Mansfield ’43

Roger Marchand ’49

Virginia Marcotte ’61

Kathleen Marlow ’99

Carolyn Marr ’58

Babetta Marrone ’70

Ryan Marsan ’16

Emily Martin ’17

Thomas Massie II ’08

Jay Massirman ’76

Dimitri Masucci ’15

Caroline Mattoon ’16

Charles McAlister ’51

Harold McAuliffe ’57

Susan McCann ’63

Tyler McCritty ’17

Rowland McDowell ’50

Marc McLaughlin ’17

Doris McMillon ’59

Doreen McPaul ’91

Jiazhong Mei ’15

Peter Melanson ’85

Isabel Mendoza ’13

Yuan Meng ’13

Ellen Mercer ’52

Norma Merolla ’48

James Merrill ’88

Joseph Merrill ’18

Nicholas Merrill ’13

Shelagh Merrill ’08

Caleb Mesh ’15

Joseph Metviner ’16

Jack Michaels ’13

Robert Michaud ’54

Brendan Miller ’15

Jack Miller ’85

Lindsey Miller ’13

Neil Minihane ’86

Caryl Minor ’58

Michele Mobley ’97

Muhammad Mohamed Nizam ’14

Richard Mohlere, Jr. ’64

Mary Lou Montuori ’50

Elizabeth Moore ’86

Nicole Moorshead ’89

Lauren Morales ’15

Barbara Morgan ’54

Jeffrey Morgan ’16

Sean Morgan ’13

Brian Moriarty ’86

June Moriarty ’54

Frederick Morlock ’16

B. Dulany Morriss ’84

Caitlin Morse ’12

Abigail Mosing ’13

Brianna Moylan ’18

Ryan Moynihan ’96

Ackim Mpofu ’14

Martin Mueller ’73

William Mulliken, Jr. ’64

Allison Munafo ’00

Duncan Munro ’44

Christopher Murphy ’65

Marjorie Murphy ’62

Sara Murphy ’77

Cameron Mutchler ’15

Mikaela Mutchler ’16

Judith Myers ’70

Michael Nadler ’06

Ellen Neisner ’44

Ashley Neiswender ’17

Morgan Neiswender ’17

Patrick Neiswender ’18

David Nevins ’16

Hang Fai Ngai ’15

Giang Nguyen ’13

Genichiro Nishikawa ’15

Ryutaro Nojima ’13

Dorita Normile ’73

Nyatichi Nyabuti ’18

Kyle O’Brien ’12

Shaylah O’Connor ’14

Constance O’Dea ’69

Kristen Odorico ’16

Christine Okafor ’17

Russell Olive ’15

Oluwafolabomi Olujimi ’16

William O’Neil ’56

Alexander O’Neill ’14

Jennifer O’Neill ’14

Laura O’Neill ’14

Mary O’Neill ’13

Staunton Oppenheimer ’59

Margit Orange ’53

John O’Reilly ’63

Jacquelin O’Rourke ’02

Carlos Ortiz, Jr. ’74

Charlotte Osterman ’94

Valerie Otti ’14

Lorne Ouellet ’71

Jonathan Pallotta ’13

Amanda Palumbo ’13

Olivia Papakyrikos ’12

Jae Yoon Park ’16

Sung Wan Park ’15

Peter Parks ’61

Clare Parsells ’16

Diana Parsley ’15

Lucas Pastor de Araujo ’14

Nicole Paulides ’13

Jack Peacock ’13

Dorothy Peckham ’41

Shihua Pei ’17

Erin Pengeroth ’14

Barthelemy Peret ’16

W. Edward Perkins ’44

Heather Perry ’71

Marcia Perry ’56

Virginia Reimers Perry ’48

Rafael Pessah Kirsch ’14

Helen Peters ’66

Susan Peters ’69

Gianna Pezzulo ’16

Hannah Pfeffer ’14

Chiaro Pfosi ’17

Raveena Phichitsingh ’14

Vichayud Piamkulwanich ’15

Adam Pierce ’99

Juan Poleo ’85

George Porter, Sr. ’65

Andrea Portilla Romero ’15

Chanel Postrel ’18

Michael Powers ’14

Gary Prahm ’75

Beverly Prakelt ’51

Amanda Proia ’13

Nancy Pudlo ’85

Austin Pyne ’17

Jie Qiu ’17

Yitong Qiu ’13

Matthew Quinlan ’16

Adam Rabinowitz ’91

Thomas Rafalsky ’61

Spencer Ralston ’14

Walter Rapp III ’65

Philip Raskin ’76

Christine Rault ’07

Franklin Redd ’74

Lawrence Reid ’75

Gretchen Reilly ’56

Alexandre Reissmann ’15

James Reynolds ’68

Sam Reynolds ’15

Nancy Richards ’64

Barbara Ripley ’42

Richard Ripley ’65

Theodore Robbins ’57

Brooke Roberts ’13

Doris Roberts ’42

Clayton Robinson ’62

Napat Rochanapruk ’16

Edward Rockett ’55

Jose Romano Elfon ’17

James Rondeau ’65

Xing Rong ’13

Jared Rose ’15

Ethan Roswell ’16

Matthew Rousseau ’80

Michael Rousseau ’16

Alison Rowe ’74

Sarah Royka ’18

Nancy Ruder ’41

Virginia Rugeley ’53

John Rushton ’61

Caitlyn Ryan ’13

Erik Ryde ’14

Susan Ryzewic ’69

Shiva Saboori ’80

Matthew Sabourin ’15

David Sacks ’67

Michelle Saetersmoen ’05

Nathaniel Sahn ’93

Anne Salmon ’16

Scott Salter ’71

Sabrina Samandar ’16

Evan Samson ’16

Harriet Sanchez ’48

Clayton Sandage ’14

Nicholas Sanders ’05

Steven Sanders ’02

Aaron Santos ’06

Grace Sardjono ’89

Kayla Sargent ’15

Toshinori Sato ’16

Carleton Saunders III ’65

Leah Saunders ’05

M. Kerby Saunders II ’67

Anusith Sawetamal ’81

Louise Sayre ’58

Daniel Sbrega ’95

David Schaefer ’59

Diego Schlesinger Baranek ’13

James Schmidt ’41

John Schmidt ’13

Amelia Schneider ’14

Joshua Schrager ’92

Barbara Schultz ’62

Daniel Schwartzapfel ’16

Wayne Scroggs ’75

Paul Sears ’63

Taylor Sebring ’15

Jessica Ann Sedgwick ’13

Marcia Seely ’44

Simret Semine ’16

Ryan Senecal ’15

D. Todd Servick ’91

Helen Shannon ’47

Kenneth Shapiro ’88

Inder Sharma ’15

Vikram Sharma ’16

Willard Shattuck III ’62

Peter Shea ’77

Courtney Sheary ’06

Michael Sheff ’56

Reiji Shimane ’16

John Shirey ’68

Jillian Sierra ’13

Valentina Sierralta ’17

Candyce Silver ’69

Jarrod Simmons ’17

Laura Simon ’67

Michael Simonetta ’14

Charles Simons ’15

Jake Simons ’15

Chernet Sisay ’13

Brian Sjoblom ’13

Lauren Slebodnick ’10

Douglas Smalis ’71

Chloe Smith ’15

David Smith ’59

Elizabeth Smith ’78

Erica Smith ’00

Mary Ann Smith ’52

Tammy Smith ’85

Peter Snyder ’90

Jae Youn Son ’15

Kimberly Sousa ’75

Zachary Sowerby ’15

Susan Speckman ’55

Auriell Spiegel ’94

Luis Sprick Lara ’15

Michael Stamas ’16

Holly Statler ’71

Emily Staub ’94

Anthony Steere, Jr. ’61

Jane Steiger ’71

Irena Stern ’76

Gail Stewart ’59

Jessica Stewart ’88

David Stiller ’64

Bryan Stipek ’13

Donna Stout ’64

Emilia Strazdis ’16

Nicole Streeter ’13

Douglas Stutz ’85

Mark Sullivan ’48

Nancy Sunshine ’48

Yu Susaki ’16

John Sussek III ’75

Randall Sussman ’81

Ann Svensen ’85

Melinda Swihart ’58

Jane Tait ’56

Peter Talbot ’56

Rinka Tanimoto ’15

Zara Tarter ’17

Kathleen Taylor ’64

Lawrence Taylor IV ’13

Yashika Thakurani ’18

Emma Therrien ’13

Rebecca Thompson ’59

William Thomson ’49

John Thornton ’58

Robert Thornton ’54

A. Brooks Thoroughgood III ’89

Kira Tierney ’16

Terrie Tin ’09

Ka Yan To ’14

Brett Torrey ’85

John Towers ’87

Kimberly Tracy ’08

Sally Tracy ’54

Daniel Trainor ’13

Robert Trevor ’56

Andrew Trexler ’10

Olivia Truel ’17

Ho Yee Tse ’16

Kin Sing Tsoi ’15

Emma Tufts ’15

Matthew Tuller ’02

Michael Tuttle, Jr. ’65

Damon Tyson ’86

Go Uemura ’16

Anne Unger ’17

Hugh Valentine, Jr. ’51

Sophia van Hoff ’02

Frank Vana ’57

Matthew Varga ’15

Diego Vargas ’16

Georgette Vassallo ’85

Andrea Velez ’17

John Vellequette ’17

Nancy Venter ’56

Elliott Ventura ’78

Marina Vernon ’07

Carlos Villegas ’15

Leslie Vincent ’71

Nitara Vishwanath ’17

Nicholas Vogel ’04

Juliana Volpini ’14

Erika vonGraevenitz ’15

Julian Waeger ’17

Timothy Wall ’84

James Walton ’18

Kristin Walton ’87

Wen Ye Wang ’16

Yuning Wang ’18

Deborah Warner ’70

Melissa Wasser ’12

Edward Watkins ’56

Barbara Watson ’36

James Watson ’59

Patrick Watson ’16

Frederick Watts ’47

Mark Webster ’80

Jill Weigley ’09

Matthew Weill ’17

Mariah Weintraub ’14

Cornelia Wells ’52

Hannah Chun Welsh ’76

Drew Wenning ’06

Anton Werner ’93

James Western ’42

Todd Wetzel ’14

Kenneth Wheeler, Jr. ’58

Anderson White ’79

Christopher White ’01

Joan White ’48

Warren White, Jr. ’67

Jane Whitney ’60

Madyson Whitney ’17

Scott Whitney ’88

Rafi Widjojo ’16

Lindsay Wilde ’05

Chet Williams ’81

Edith Williams ’63

Madison Williams ’09

Kyle Williamson ’15

Robert Williamson ’77

Charles Wilson ’16

Steven Windt ’14

Margery Winter ’51

Arden Wise ’15

Alexandra Wolf ’16

Matthew Wollrath ’14

Eunice Wong ’15

Amanda Wood ’15

Madison Wood ’17

Theodore Woodbury ’13

Ward Woodruff ’70

Ann Woodward ’59

Anne Woodward ’90

Susan Woody ’62

Zachary Woolever ’10

Visaruth Worakunthada ’16

Patrice Worcester ’79

Douglas Wright ’64

James Wright ’56

Heather Wright-Ojha ’84

Hsin-Ting Wu ’15

Suli Xu ’13

Aaron Yang ’13

Yue Yang ’16

Valerie Beatriz Yapor Pineiro ’16

Mary Yarnall ’79

Robert Yeager ’06

Sarah Yeager ’08

Ning Yeh ’18

Tsz Ching Yip ’18

Sangyeun Yoon ’17

Changhao You ’15

Jiayi You ’15

Caroline Young ’16

Devon Young ’13

Esther Young ’85

Harvey Young ’75

Kalle Young ’16

Lauren Young ’13

Philip Young ’13

Robert Young ’69

Stephen Young ’79

Susan Young ’55

Jingcheng Yu ’15

Jiayi Yu ’18

Jinyang Yu ’18

Hawtin Yung ’15

Muhammad Zahiruddin ’13

John Zawistoski ’61

Qingjie Zeng ’14

Peiqi Zhang ’15

Xiping Zhen ’16

Jiayue Zhong ’15

Minhao Zhou ’16

Nicholas Zhou ’16

Yijuan Zhu ’16

Ashley Zimmerman ’05

Mary Zimmermann ’77

Sandee Zuccaro ’75

Dorothy Zug ’48

Parents

Lawrence Abbott

Mohamed Abdul Razak and Khadijah Abdul Rahman

Eric and Katharine Abrahamson

M. Elizabeth Akers

Steven and Elizabeth Akers

Ferdinand and Augusta Akukwe

Wilfredo and Carolyn Amaya

Francis and Soraya Anglow

Fredrick Areba

Paul and Mary Ellen Arruda

R. Tony and Kathleen Asselta

William and Heidi Auslander

Gyu Tae Bae and Bok Hee Jung

Paul and Melissa Banks

Linsheng Bao and Yongmei Li

Theodore Barton and Cindy Litzenberger

Andrew and Lauren Benedict

Lennart and Karin Benson

Meredith Benson

David and Nancy Berkowitz

Garth and Jacqueline Bonadie

David Bourdelais and Susan Wadsworth

David and Lynn Breau

Jennifer Buck

Richard Buck

Alinda Buerk

Andrew and Carol Buono

Mark and Jane Burke

Peter and Kristen Burke

Joseph and Molly Burns

Keith and Jylann Calcote

Brendan and Laura Callahan

Daniel Carroll and Julie Carroll-Noolan

Mark and Julia Casady

Susanna Casey

William Catlin and Julia Battel

Charles and Alison Charman

Sen Chung Chau and Min Chen

Bin Cheng and Weihong You

James and Karen Cheverie

Lina Chow

Mercedes Christman

Kong Chu and Amy Yeung

Michael Clayton and Alison Freed

James and Ronda Conger

Maurice and Joan Cormier

Steve and Peggy Cotton

Brian and Daniela Daccord

Xiangming Dai and Junmei Cao

Philip and Sandra Dei Dolori

Pablo Diaz-Llado and Silvia Centeno

Joseph Dillon

Haitao Ding

Richard and Deborah Diver

Stephen and Jennifer Dolente

Elizabeth Donnenfeld

Neil Donnenfeld

Rev. Lisa Durkee Abbott

Charles and Sylvie Dutil

Sean Dwyer and Manzall Mitchell-Dwyer

Daniel Dyke and Elaine Kelly

Eyob Easwaran and Elizabeth Kebede

Charles Elliott

Shin Heum Em and Hyun Sook Kim

Carl Erickson

Manuel Estrelles Domingo and Magdalena Hernanz Sanchez

Xiyan Fan and Ping Zhang

Jim and Colleen Fay

Jiayi Feng and Wei An

Martin Ferguson and Cynthia Mesh

Thomas and LeeAnn Fital

Maura Flaherty

Michael ’80 and Jeanmarie Foisie

Julia Blair Forrester

Richard and Dolores Fortier

Edward Foss

Yongli Fu and Qiulan Liu

Thomas Fuller

Scott and Deborah Gardner

Brian Giannattasio

Peter and Tara Gilchrest

Verne and Jill Goldsher

Lawrence and Susan Greene

Albert Grimaldi

Rachel Grimaldi

Richard and Maryellen Guerriero

Raymond and Maria Haarstick

YoungJin and Sumi Yoon Han

Mitsuya Haneda and Yi-Hyung Ahn

Stuart and Jill Harlin

Bruce and Pamela Harris

Stanford and Susan Hartshorn

Sony Hassan and Mardhiah Razali

Carl Haywood and Francine Clark-Haywood

Guisheng He and Lingling Fang

Zongru He and Shaoqing Zeng

Matthew and Tricia Hegge

Tobi Jean Hess

Hung Fai Ho and Koon Hung Cheung

Man Wai Ho and So Fan Leung

Andrew Hudson

Wing Kam Hui and Soelistioyati Wibisono

Michael Huss and Mary Anne Choi

Hiroshi and Yuko Inami

Odd and Marta Isaksen

Anand and Joan James

David and Anne Jarvis

Michael and Diane Kacz

Kyoung Bok Kang and Ji Youn Kim

Hee Chul Kim and Bok Suk Jung

Samuyeol Ko and Kyungha Lee

Sarah and Thomas Kramlich

George and Linda Krul

Kurt Kublbeck

Sabrina Kublbeck

Joseph Lange and Marina Russman

Saul and Rebeca Laniado

Chang Jae Lee and Mi Young Park

Pei-Chien Lee

Tseng-Chieh Lee and Peh-Ju Chen

Bruce ’85 and Karen Lemieux

Sheldy Leung and Jo Jo Bik Ka Lin

Ming Li and Lei Pei

Wenjun Li and Weihua Tao

Anne Liebling

Hailong Liu and Ling Qin

Robin Lockwood Hall ’78 and Jeffrey Hall

Gary and Heidi Lorden

Weigen Lu

Kevin and Lynda Macdonald

Norman and Becky MacDonald

Patrick and Katherine Mahan

James and Kelly Maillet

Raymond and Carla Marsico

Gina Martin

Peter and Mary Ann Mattoon

Walter and Jill McLaughlin

Leijun Mei and Xiaofeng Liu

Peter and Cynthia Merrill

John Miller

Jeffry Moore and Carol Moore

Kathleen R. Morgan

Jeffery Mustafa and Massnie Yahya

Michael Mutchler and Michele Parker

John and Jane Ann Neiswender

Frederic and Nancy Nevins

Yumiko Nishikawa

Lori Nix

Stephen and Carol Olive

Sung Sup Park and Jong Kyung Kim

Mark and Catherine Parsells

Daniel and Allison Parsley

Manit and Prapassorn Piamkulwanich

Bin Qiu and Yan Pang

Yue Qiu and Xiaohong Fan

Michael and Sarah Quinlan

Jennifer Raterman

Jeff and Karen Reger

Antonio Reissmann

Lyn Reynolds

William Rose and Merle Monsein

Michael and Stacy Roswell

Scott and Kim Samson

Chin Man and Grace W. Sardjono

Joseph and Sheryl Sargent

Philip and Maria Scoville

Thomas and Lisa Sheldon

Kotaro Shiba

Hideaki and Yuko Shimane

Albert and Theodora Simons

Glenn and Hope Simons

Bong Won Sohn and Seung Hee Lee

Dwight and Cynthia Sowerby

Carl Sprick and Luisa Lara de Sprick

Michael and Maura Sternklar

Mark and Darlene Stoever

Daniel and Kerrin Tammik

Masaki and Yukari Tanimoto

Bradley and Patricia Truel

Shane and Kim Tufts

Hiroshi and Teruko Uemura

James and Virginia Unger

Wallace and Kimberly Varga

James Wagman and Anne Landsman

Maria Amelia Wald

Christopher and Linda Walton

Li Wang and Shanru Guo

Michael and Margo Weill

Scott ’88 and Christyn Whitney

Merrick and Joan Williamson

James and Holly Wilson

Thomas Wise and Justine Woolner-Wise

Mark and Alison Wolf

Eric and Margo Wood

Ryan and Rebecca Wood

Dazhong Wu and Xu Li

Young Moon and Jeehee Yang

Jiangwei You and Jing Li

Marvin and Carol Young

Stephen ’79 and Valerie Young

Hua Zeng and Hong Du

Dengfeng Zhen and Hui Bao

Peiguang Zheng and Ruojing Wang

Zhibing Zhong and Suju Ye

Yong Zhu and Rujie Gong

Current and Former Faculty, Staff, and Friends of Cushing Academy

Gregory Abare

Jeremy Abbott

Emil Abeng and Raya Syukhlina

Susan Alex

Elizabeth Allen

Peter and Ellen Allen

Willis Allen

Robert Amick

Richard and Susan Angevine

Donna Audet

Catherine Aulenback

A. Chapman Bailey

Raja Bala

David and Donna Barberio

David Barnes

Barbara Beebe

David and Lyn Bennett

Walter and Catherine Bennett

Marc and Cheryl Bingham

Victoria Blake

Allan and Loretta Blauner

Jennifer Bleakley and Nina Jacobson

April Boettcher

Richard and Dolores Boettcher

Leo and Eileen Bonetti

Jane Bourette

Chris and Nancy Boyle

Guy Bramble

David Branham

Marion Briggs

Matthew Briggs

Vi-Anne Brown

David and Gail Bumgardner

Christopher and Jimmie-Gaye Buono

Paul Buzzell

Kelly Cacciolfi

Moira E. Cahill

Norman E. Carey ’15 (HON)

Mark Carlisle and Susan Carlisle

Laura Carroll

Frederick B. Caswell

Kenneth and Judith Cavicchi

David and Erin Chace

Peter Cheever

Simone Chicoine

Edward and Penny Chrusciel

Rebecca Cinclair

Peter and Nicolette Clarke

Wayne and Cara Clarke

Jared Colicchie

Lauriston and Linda Cone

Donald Connors

Shane Connors

Lance Conrad

Richard Cook

Bernadette Counts

Alexander Coyle

Thomas Cubberley

David and Lisa Cummings

Julia Cunningham

Jean Curtis

Nancy Curtis

Rebecca Curtis

John Custer

Claude Daccord

Scott and Sally Dahlgren

Douglas Patricia Delay

Ernest and Jane Dellheim

Robert and Olive DeLuca

Francis Dembek

Thomas Desbois

Richard and Jessica Devin

Louis and Maryanne Dinkel

Charles and Susan Donahue

Paul Dowling

Douglas and Donna Dreyer

Joseph and Angela Droogan

Douglas Dubiel

Donna Dufresne

Brandon Dumont

Michael Dumont

Richard and Mary Engle

Fred Erskine

Timothy and Gail Evjenth

Mark and Donna Exter

Joseph and Beverly Farias

Carol Fazio

David and Marilyn Fielder

John and Deborah Findley

Charles Fischer

Henry and Madeline Fischer

Kristen Kelly Fisher

Robert Foote

Brenda Foster

Amy Frazier

Lenore Freudenheim

Lindsay Fuhr

Bruce and Donna Funteral

Robert Gagnon

Donald and Diane Gallant

Shawn and Nancy Gebhardt

Timothy Gershon

Terence Gibbons

J. Perry and Valerie Gillies

Donald and Pamela Gilmour

Clayton Girouard

Nathaniel Green and Ann Scalaro-Green

Eric Gulko

Deborah Gustafson

Robert Hall ’00 (HON)

Wayne and Maria Hancock ’15 (HON)

Elizabeth Hapworth

Mark Harasimowicz

Donald and Deborah Harmon

Richard and Jean Harrington

Sally Hartshorn

Joan Hathaway

Marie Hebeler

Eric Hebert

John and Jacqueline Herrold

Joseph Hill

Thomas and Jennifer Hillman

David and Phuong Hindle

Yat Ming Ho and Lai Hing Ho

I. Bradley and Kathy Hoffman

Edwin Howard

Christopher Howes and Margaret Norian

Stirling and Martha Ince

Gregory and Tracey Inman

Theodore and Dorothy Iorio

Donald and Karen Irving

Stephen and Deborah Jacobs

John Jansing

Robert and Carolyn Johnson

Robert Johnston

Jeremiah and Louisa Jones

Carolyn Joseph

James and Heather Kaehlert

Kenneth and Mary Lynn Kargman

James and Sandra Karman

Masanari and Regina Kawashima

Barry and Joan Kemler

Georgy Khatsenkov and Tatiana Khatsenkova

Mark and Janet Kindy

Keo Kirby

Jennifer Klein

Koji and Yoshiko Kotaka

Michael Kowalenko

George Krasowski and Theresa A. Quinn

John and Wendy Kretchmer

Dana Krul and Marcia Meyer-Krul

Michael and Marguerite Kuchta

Donald and Jeanne Kunz

Peter and Irene Labombarde

Susan Larkin

Bruce and Elaine Lashley

Margaret Lawler

Margaret Lee

Jamison Leger

Bruce ’85 and Karen Lemieux

Richard Lewis

Thomas and Nan Lockwood

Amy Logan

James and Kimberly MacPhee

Thomas and Ellen Mann

William Marks

Frank and Margaret Mazza

Christopher and Sharon McCarthy

Timothy and Erika McCormick

Lora McEvoy

Joseph McPeak

Cathleen Melanson

Mark Melchior

Cynthia Merrill

Gaius Merwin, Jr.

Sandra Michelman

Wolfgang and Dorothy Millbrandt

Heather Miller

Cynthia Mitchell

Jay and Joyce Moody

Fausto and Esmerelda Morais

J. Mark and Patti Morales

Mary Lou Moriarty

Brian and Marie Moulton

Stephen and Judith Muller

Frederick and Jo-Ann Nalette

John and Barbara Neiswender

Jody Newton

Andrew Neyer

Nestor and Anne Nicholas

Caitlin O’Brien

Robert and Brenda O’Brien

James and Paula Ohaus

William O’Hearn and Diana Smith

Julia Ohm

Bill O’Neill and Kathleen Sargent-O’Neill

Amy Ostroth

Robert and Marsha Page

Richard and Susan Palmer

C. Steve Parker, Jr.

Ruth Pease

Eric Pera

Isidoro Pessah and Raquel Kirsch

Edward and Ronda Pierce

Theresa Piotrowski

Catherine Pollock

Albert and Cara Potter

Harry and Melissa Powers

Rebecca Pressman

Thomas and Lori Priore

Neil Proulx

George Pyne

Paul Quinlan

Barry Ralston

Stephanie Ramos

G. Bernd Recker and Petra Corall-Recker

A. Catalina Reinoso

Vincent Reppucci and Michele Pallai

Rebecca Rice

Robert Richard

Will and Meredith Rinaldi

Eric Ringwalt

Prateep and Mariam Rochanapruk

Emily Roller

David and Leanne Royal

D. Bryan and Nancy Ruez

Kent Russell and Aisling Gaughan

Jerry Sabatini

Michelle Salvucci

Wayne and Jeannie Sanborn ’99 (HON)

Kevin Sargent and Deborah Paredes

Phyllis Sargent

Elaine Sargent-Crooks

Steven and Carol Sarro

Charles and Carol Schaefer

Michelle Schloss

Richard and Maria Sebastian

Martin and Bette Shapiro

Jason Sharron

Matthew Shea

Christopher Sheahan

David Shields

M.N. Shroff

Denis Shubleka

Daniel and Dyan Sierra

Robert and Sandy Silk

Bruce Sinclair

Estate of Amparito Smith

James and Claudia Smith

Robert Soucy

William and Debra Sponholtz

John and Nancy Stamper

Robert Stipek and Anna Maria Alberghini

Laura Stirk

Martin and Davida Stocklan

David and Beth Stone

Cheryl Storm

David and Pamela Streeter

Stacey Streeter

Ryan Suchanek

George and Tammy Sullivan

Robert Ann Sullivan

Mark and Joyce Suomala

Robert and Lianne Therrien

Wayne Thomas

David Thornton and Cyndi Lauper

Lynne Tonti

Christopher and Dena Torino

David and Jean Tracy

William and Susan Troy

Mark and Deborah Tuller

Joshua Vautour

Ovila Vautour

H. Whitwell Wales

David Walton

Daniel and Marcia Wasser

Kisha Watts

James and Jane Weigley

J. Woodrow Weiss and Kay Petersen

William and Marcy Wenning

Philip and Amy Wexler

Ronald and Rose White

Robert and Patricia Whitmore

Ashley Whitney

Harry and Sue Wight

Benjamin and Stephanie Wild

Barbara Wilson

I. Omur Yarsuvat

Sara Yeager

Erkang You

Jack and Marcia Young

Kenneth and Gisele Zangari

Andrew and Carlene Ziegler

Mercedes Zobel

Rachel Zou and Kam Pio Leong

Cushing Lingo

Compiled by Robert Hall (see pg. 87)

BA: Bad Attitude—“He’s got a BA…”

Ball Game: The school year

“The Born”: Wayne Sanborn, legendary “Coach,” Mr. Cushing

The Boulder: Landmark large rock in Fitchburg across from Post Office

“Burr in the Saddle”: A BA about a specific grating issue

Bust: Faculty reports students caught in an infraction (some students hold the belief that faculty are paid $ for busts)

Chapel: Large auditorium second floor Main Building with no religious connotation

Cookie Monsters: Residents of Cooke Hall

Cowell Hilton: Premier residence up the hill; “There’s no place like Cowell!”

The “D”: Duty, study hall or weekend dorm duty. “Sorry I can’t go out with you guys; I’ve got the D.”

DOD: Dean on Duty

ESL: English as a Second Language, a major draw for a significant number of international students

Firehouse Pub: Darts and ale for faculty— stay away before 8 pm to avoid students and parents

Getting Short: Nearing the end of school term, school year, or school career

“Get the Pliers”: Remedy for pulling out a “burr in the saddle”

Iorio Arena: “The I” or Mecca—where dreams are made or broken

Jewels in the Crown: Faculty who live in dorms

Lowe Life: Residents of Lowe Hall

The Mount: Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner—many faculty and students use their exercise facilities

OD: On Duty—weekend trip supervisor

Old Sticky: Wayne Hancock

Over the Hump: Past Wednesday or past mid-term

Parker Lane: The dirt road that runs behind the Adams turf field bleachers

The RAY: Maintenance walkie-talkie named after Ray Lemieux (now deceased), longtime and deeply loved head of that department

Rubber Room: Mythical padded room in Main Building for faculty who are “losing it”

Searstown: Shopping complex and movies in Leominster—now called Whitney Field Mall

Triple Threat: Teaching, coaching, dorm duty—a typical boarding school load unless you have a “deal”

Veranda: Concrete slab behind Ash House

Vosemites: Residents of Vose Hall

Yellow Form: Pre-Internet paper form— actually yellow in color—used to provide warnings about student performance; now available in electronic form only, but still referred to as a yellow form.

Editor’s Note

To put together this special publication, I spent many months researching Cushing’s history and hours speaking to alumni and faculty in order to touch on all aspects of the Academy—including fine arts, performing arts, academics, student life, athletics, and more. That said, I’m not sure it’s possible to cover everything that generations of Cushing alumni might think is important about their experiences. Furthermore, although I’m not a historian by training, I feel a historian’s commitment to accurately capturing the Academy’s story for both the community of today and for future members of the Happy Cushing Family.

All of that is preface to a request I have of you, whether you’re an alumnus/a, faculty or staff member, parent, or friend of the institution. If there’s an important story that hasn’t been told in this publication, please reach out to me and share it. I’d like to capture what you think is important about the Academy’s history, share it with our larger community, and add it to our archives. You can help make sure the Academy’s complete story is told.

I’d also like to offer my deepest thanks to all of those folks who gave up their time to help put this publication together. Everyone in the Alumni Office deserves thanks, of course, especially Caitlin O’Brien, whose keen eye helped ensure clarity of thought and grammar. Amy Logan joined Caitlin in that endeavor. Dave Stone reviewed the timeline for historical accuracy. Many thanks, too, to Carolyn Marr ’58, without whose ongoing diligence in organizing our institutional archives this endeavor would have been much more difficult. To every faculty member—current and former— who shared your stories, thank you. I remember one special night of stories and laughter shared around a table in downtown Ashburnham. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Amy Ostroth Cushing Academy

People and Publications

Frank Prentice Rand: A member of the Class of 1908. In 1965, he wrote a book on Cushing’s first 100 years, upon which much of this magazine is based (see page 48).

The Breeze: Cushing’s student newspaper, first published in 1888. In the early days, it was partially subscription based and included information relevant to alumni as well as students. It forms a large part of the Academy’s archives.

The Bulletin: The Academy’s first alumni magazine. Originally, it was one issue of The Breeze each year. It became a standalone publication in 1924 and was published regularly until 1990 (see page 81).

Silver Penguin: A member of Cushing’s faculty or staff whose years of service to the Academy totaled 25 or more.

Cushing Lingo

Compiled by Robert Hall (see pg. 87)

BA: Bad Attitude—“He’s got a BA…”

Ball Game: The school year

“The Born”: Wayne Sanborn, legendary “Coach,” Mr. Cushing

The Boulder: Landmark large rock in Fitchburg across from Post Office

“Burr in the Saddle”: A BA about a specific grating issue

Bust: Faculty reports students caught in an infraction (some students hold the belief that faculty are paid $ for busts)

Chapel: Large auditorium second floor Main Building with no religious connotation

Cookie Monsters: Residents of Cooke Hall

Cowell Hilton: Premier residence up the hill; “There’s no place like Cowell!”

The “D”: Duty, study hall or weekend dorm duty. “Sorry I can’t go out with you guys; I’ve got the D.”

DOD: Dean on Duty

ESL: English as a Second Language, a major draw for a significant number of international students

Firehouse Pub: Darts and ale for faculty— stay away before 8 pm to avoid students and parents

Getting Short: Nearing the end of school term, school year, or school career

“Get the Pliers”: Remedy for pulling out a “burr in the saddle”

Iorio Arena: “The I” or Mecca—where dreams are made or broken

Jewels in the Crown: Faculty who live in dorms

Lowe Life: Residents of Lowe Hall

The Mount: Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner—many faculty and students use their exercise facilities

OD: On Duty—weekend trip supervisor

Old Sticky: Wayne Hancock

Over the Hump: Past Wednesday or past mid-term

Parker Lane: The dirt road that runs behind the Adams turf field bleachers

The RAY: Maintenance walkie-talkie named after Ray Lemieux (now deceased), longtime and deeply loved head of that department

Rubber Room: Mythical padded room in Main Building for faculty who are “losing it”

Searstown: Shopping complex and movies in Leominster—now called Whitney Field Mall

Triple Threat: Teaching, coaching, dorm duty—a typical boarding school load unless you have a “deal”

Veranda: Concrete slab behind Ash House

Vosemites: Residents of Vose Hall

Yellow Form: Pre-Internet paper form— actually yellow in color—used to provide warnings about student performance; now available in electronic form only, but still referred to as a yellow form.

Editor’s Note

To put together this special publication, I spent many months researching Cushing’s history and hours speaking to alumni and faculty in order to touch on all aspects of the Academy—including fine arts, performing arts, academics, student life, athletics, and more. That said, I’m not sure it’s possible to cover everything that generations of Cushing alumni might think is important about their experiences. Furthermore, although I’m not a historian by training, I feel a historian’s commitment to accurately capturing the Academy’s story for both the community of today and for future members of the Happy Cushing Family.

All of that is preface to a request I have of you, whether you’re an alumnus/a, faculty or staff member, parent, or friend of the institution. If there’s an important story that hasn’t been told in this publication, please reach out to me and share it. I’d like to capture what you think is important about the Academy’s history, share it with our larger community, and add it to our archives. You can help make sure the Academy’s complete story is told.

I’d also like to offer my deepest thanks to all of those folks who gave up their time to help put this publication together. Everyone in the Alumni Office deserves thanks, of course, especially Caitlin O’Brien, whose keen eye helped ensure clarity of thought and grammar. Amy Logan joined Caitlin in that endeavor. Dave Stone reviewed the timeline for historical accuracy. Many thanks, too, to Carolyn Marr ’58, without whose ongoing diligence in organizing our institutional archives this endeavor would have been much more difficult. To every faculty member—current and former— who shared your stories, thank you. I remember one special night of stories and laughter shared around a table in downtown Ashburnham. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Amy Ostroth Cushing Academy

People and Publications

Frank Prentice Rand: A member of the Class of 1908. In 1965, he wrote a book on Cushing’s first 100 years, upon which much of this magazine is based (see page 48).

The Breeze: Cushing’s student newspaper, first published in 1888. In the early days, it was partially subscription based and included information relevant to alumni as well as students. It forms a large part of the Academy’s archives.

The Bulletin: The Academy’s first alumni magazine. Originally, it was one issue of The Breeze each year. It became a standalone publication in 1924 and was published regularly until 1990 (see page 81).

Silver Penguin: A member of Cushing’s faculty or staff whose years of service to the Academy totaled 25 or more.

Main Building prior to 1952 when a lightning strike hit the peak of its tower, setting it ablaze (see pg. 37).

The ski team tries to fit its gear in the trunk, 1945.