Eaglebrook Magazine 2024

EAGLEBROOK

SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES

TRUSTEES

Stephen W. Bartlett ’90, P22 NEW YORK, NY

Douglas Braff ’75, P12, P14 WEST PALM BEACH, FL

Daryl G. Byrd P05 SANTA ROSA BEACH, FL

Charles Cahn III SUFFIELD, CT

Alex Cha P24 TENAFLY, NJ

Andrew C. Chase ’73, P07, P10, P12 Head of School DEERFIELD, MA

Frost G. Cochran ’80 P16 HOUSTON, TX

Jared Dermont P25 NEW YORK, NY

Kathleen Elkins P14, P16 SARASOTA, FL

Frederick L. Friedman ’72 P09 SOUTHFIELD, MA

Jon Grenzke ’91, President NEWTON, MA

Stacey Hildebrandt P18 HONG KONG

Christopher Jaroch P20 DARIEN, CT

Christopher Keber P27 QUOGUE, NY

Christopher Lanning P24 NEW YORK, NY

Patrick Mahoney ’83, P20 GREENFIELD, MA

Peter McKillop ’73 NEW YORK, NY

Prescott Miller ’89, P24 PALM BEACH, FL

Jon Murchinson ’84, P22 MERCER ISLAND, WA

James Neary ’80 NEW YORK, NY

Frank Nelson P08 NEW YORK, NY

Salvador Neme ’07 MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Troup Parkinson ’91 WELLESLEY, MA

Gregg Renfrew P23 PACIFIC PALISADES, CA

Regina Rockefeller P19 KEENE, NH

Steven A. Rockwell ’70 WEST GROVE, PA

Ned Rosenman ’98 NEW YORK, NY

James Schaefer ’83 NORWALK, CT

Wesley Seifer ’88 COS COB, CT

Sha Sha P21, P27 SHANGHAI, CHINA

David Spector ’98 SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Dr. Eric Taylor ’77, P04, P10 MISSION, TX

Judson Traphagen ’82 NEW YORK, NY

Wendy Van Epps P21, P23, P25 NORTHAMPTON, MA

Lucas van Praag P14 NEW YORK, NY

Mark Watson P23 SAN ANTONIO, TX

Kevin Wendle P22, P26 LOS ANGELES, CA

ADVISORY BOARD

Harsha Agadi P13 ALPHARETTA, GA

Libby Alexander P08, P12 RYE, NY

Dr. Bob Arnot P09 STOWE, VT

Tim Berkowitz P12 NEW YORK, NY

Matthew Chang P17, P19 PORT WASHINGTON, NY

Vasant Chatikavanij ’72, P03 BANGKOK, THAILAND

Kyoo Wan Cho P11 SEOUL, KOREA

Eduardo Cisneros ’89, P20 MIAMI BEACH, FL

Colin & Nicola Dowling P21 VERO BEACH, FL

Michael P. Falcone ’77, P08, P10 SKANEATELES, NY

John Gates P05, P14 CHICAGO, IL

Dongsoo Kim P06, P08 SEOUL, KOREA

Hyung-Il Kim P03, P06, P10 SEOUL, KOREA

Michael Klump P16 ATLANTA, GA

James Lim P20 HONG KONG

Jonghoon Lim P23 SEOUL, KOREA

Tia Lotuff P15, P17, P20 WASHINGTON, DC

Leon Meng P18, P22 HONG KONG

Ramon Neme P05, P07 MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Zibby Owens P23 NEW YORK, NY

Adrian Paez P17, P18 MONTERREY, MEXICO

Shih-Wei & Diana Peng P19 BELVEDERE, CA

Luis Felipe Perez-Davila ’79, P09 GREENWICH, CT

Yves Salomon-Fernandez P22 AMHERST, MA

David Sim & Sarah Kim P24, P26 SEOUL, KOREA

Douglas B. Stotz ’76 WAYLAND, MA

Wolfgang Traber P03, P07 NEW YORK, NY

Andrea van Beuren P22 NEWPORT, RI

Todd Warnock P11 WINNETKA, IL

Edwin Wong P20 HONG KONG

Marita Wong P15 HONG KONG

Camille Zamora P20 NEW YORK, NY

Austen Zecha ’54, P95, P15 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

LIFETIME TRUSTEES

Susan P. Cochran P79 PALM BEACH, FL

Robert S. Evans ’59 GREENWICH, CT

James B. Gubelmann P95 PALM BEACH, FL

William B. Gutfarb ’67 AIKEN, SC

William M. Matthews P00, P01 PALM BEACH, FL

D. Scott Wise P08 NEW YORK, NY

Eaglebrook is published by the Allen-Chase Foundation and sent to alumni, parents of students, and friends of Eaglebrook School.

Eaglebrook does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality, sexual orientation, or religion in the administration of its educational policies or any other program administered by the school.

Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

www.eaglebrook.org

Eaglebrook School

271 Pine Nook Road, PO Box 7 Deerfield, Massachusetts 01342

Head of School

Andrew C. Chase ’73

Editors

Bryan Callahan

Carol Kelly

Schuyler Bogel

Sharon Calvo

Alumni News

Martin Keane

Photographer Aric Russom

Designer Penny Michalak

Printer

Printing Company

The Long View from Hilltop Farm

For more than a century, the stories of Eaglebrook and Hilltop Farm have been intertwined. The school’s purchase of Hilltop carries on a shared commitment to conservation and sustainability.

Jason Wu talks with Sally Laubin-Jones about the importance of being uncomfortable.

Commencement 2024

Eaglebrook celebrated the graduation of

members of the class of 2024 on May 24.

COVER STORY

OPENING DAYS

Eaglebrook’s Opening Days play an important role in introducing new students to Eaglebrook’s mission and values while preparing Sixth Formers to model those values through the leadership roles they assume.

Opening Days this year featured Sixth Form leadership training at Morse Hill in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, Sixth Form picnics with new students, and a lesson in how to sing “The Eaglebrook Hurrah.”

It Takes a Lot of Work to Keep Eaglebrook a Timeless Place for Childhood

During the summer, Eaglebrook broke new ground on three projects, each of which is aimed at keeping the school a timeless haven for learning, play, and self-discovery.

LEWIS TRACK & FIELD

Improvements to the field and its surroundings will include terraces that provide ample seating for games; field lights for Friday night games and other activities; improved drainage for the cross-country running trails; and a staircase connecting the field to the Schwab Family Pool.

VARSITY FIELD

In the summer of 2023, a massive microburst poured nine inches of water — the equivalent of three months of rain — on the campus in just a few hours. Pine Nook Road quickly washed away, and Eaglebrook needed a strategy to manage the growing risk of severe weather. This summer, the school laid a massive network of stormwater drainage pipes beneath Varsity Field to capture and contain future runoff from violent storms, protecting the school and its surrounding community.

NE W DINING HALL

The tradition of shared meals has been central to the Eaglebrook experience since its founding in 1922. This summer, the footprint of the new dining hall replaced Infirmary Field, and the school’s new heart and hearth is scheduled to open its doors in the 2025-26 school year. With energy-efficient design features, it will become the first net-zeroenergy dining facility in Massachusetts, helping Eaglebrook accelerate toward its goal of achieving a carbon-neutral campus.

Scan to view more images and live video of construction progress.

Eaglebrook Athletics

This fall, Eaglebrook has offered 7 sports and fielded 13 teams, carrying on the school’s proud commitment to athletics as an essential element of personal growth, social skills-building, and physical health. While only 28 percent of American children get at least 60 minutes of exercise daily, every Eaglebrook student meets that important goal. Our students spend 15-20 hours outside each week, enjoying nature’s classroom on Pocumtuck Ridge.

The Long View Hilltop Farm

For half a century, Arthur and Anne Rogers were Eaglebrook’s next-door neighbors. The school’s purchase of Hilltop Farm carries on their commitment to sustainability, conservation, and classrooms without walls.

BY BRYAN CALLAHAN ’83

A view of the Connecticut River from Hilltop Farm in the early 1930s.

A SPECIAL SPOT

When I was a young boy in the 1970s, my parents invited me to join them on their beloved weekend ritual, “The Sunday Drive.” After church, the three of us would pile into the family station wagon, leaving my other siblings behind. I was the last of their six children, half a decade younger than my closest sister, and far too much of a troublemaker to be left to my own devices.

Dad would turn out of the driveway of our home in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and head off into the countryside. Soon enough, we were rolling down old dirt byways, heeding Robert Frost’s counsel to take the road less traveled. Our backwoods sojourns were my parents’ best chance to get out of the house for a few hours before the start of another busy week, and bringing me along was cheaper than hiring a babysitter.

Those who have traveled the rural reaches of western Massachusetts know that nearly every curve or crest reveals a postcard-perfect idyll. For generations, this abundance of Edens, Arcadias, and ShangriLas has reminded local residents who once lived beneath the bright lights of big cities why they abandoned the attractions of urban life to return to the glorious,

Those who have traveled the rural reaches of western Massachusetts know that nearly every curve or crest reveals a postcard-perfect idyll.

green days and dark, starry nights of the Berkshires.

For my dad, a World War II veteran who had seen what the rest of the world had to offer, there was a special spot along our Sunday circuit that spoke to him like no other. It was a clearing on the eastern slope of Mount Pocumtuck in Deerfield that reveals the exact place where the Connecticut River finally breaks free of its narrow channel between the Green Mountains of Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, slows its hurried pace, and gently spreads its waters like chilled honey across the broad plains of the Pioneer Valley.

My father so loved this view that he once stopped by the white farmhouse next to the overlook and offered the owner any price he would take for the ground where dad hoped to build the dream home of his golden years. The farmer chuckled, observed that the hillside was already earning its keep as a hayfield, and politely declined the bid.

I learned years later that the man’s name was Arthur “Ar” Rogers, and I met Ar’s wife, Anne, when I enrolled in her English class at Eaglebrook in the fall of 1980.

A CONTENTED DAIRYMAN

Millions of others were introduced to the Rogers and their Hilltop Farm by John Steinbeck, the Nobel Prize-winning author who captured the struggles of early 20thcentury America with epic novels like The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden

In 1960, Steinbeck set out to write a new chapter of the American experience by outfitting a forest green GMC pickup truck with a custom-made sleeping cabin and journeying across the lower 48 states with his standard poodle, Charley.

It was a pivotal time. The 1950s had produced unprecedented prosperity that drew millions of families into the middle class, but the postwar boom had also witnessed the rise of the Cold War, McCarthyism, and the nuclear arms race; the first hard-won victories of the Civil Rights movement; and the emergence of a new generation of Americans who were questioning the values and priorities of their parents.

The country’s rapid growth had also released a flood of pollutants that was poisoning the nation’s air and infusing its waterways with deadly toxins.

“I do wonder whether there will come a time when we can no longer afford our wastefulness,” Steinbeck wrote about America’s trash-strewn landscapes in the same year that Rachel Carson published Silent Spring , launching the environmentalist movement. “When an Indian village became too deep in its own filth, the inhabitants moved,” he noted, “And now we have no place to which to move.”

By and large, the Americans Steinbeck met on his journey were an uneasy lot. Many were angry with the current state of the world, struggling with a sense of powerlessness, and worried about the future. Others were nostalgic for an idealized past.

But one man seemed to rise above the cynical smog that shrouded nearly all of

the author’s other subjects. That man was Ar Rogers.

As Steinbeck embarked on his grand tour, he drove north from his apartment overlooking Central Park in midtown Manhattan to say goodbye to his younger son, who was an Eaglebrook boarding student. Having arrived too late to wake his namesake, John IV, Steinbeck headed up Pine Nook Road to find a place to park his camper for the night. He soon discovered a dairy farm, bought some fresh milk, and asked permission to stay in the farm’s apple orchard.

Steinbeck recorded that, “The dairy man had a Ph.D. in mathematics, and he must have had some training in philosophy. He liked what he was doing and he didn’t want to be somewhere else — one of the very few contented people I met in my whole journey.”

The dairyman was certainly well educated, though Steinbeck’s memory of his qualifications was a bit faulty. He had a B.S. in geology from the University of Wisconsin and an M.S. in paleontology from Harvard. He was 35 when Steinbeck met him and already a man of the world. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Ar was the son of a successful Chicago stockbroker and descended from a long line of Yankee entrepreneurs who traced their roots back to the Mayflower.

He interrupted his college years to enroll in naval officer training school, and Ensign Rogers boarded the U.S.S. Fletcher in August 1945 to join the armada that was massing for the invasion of Japan. The ship returned home when atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and

Top: John Steinbeck with Charley in the early 1960s. Bottom: Steinbeck’s camper, “Rocinante,” has been restored and is on display at the Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California. Opposite page: A hay-thatched portico at Hilltop Farm (1930s)

Arthur Rogers’ official Navy photo

With the imposition of a strict wartime rationing system, New England’s prep schools desperately needed food. In 1943, Deerfield Academy and Eaglebrook launched a “Farm Camp” program to tackle the challenge.

Nagasaki, sparing Ar a firsthand encounter with the horrors of war.

Following his discharge from the Navy, he married Anne Davenport, a recent graduate of Vassar College. They had met at a wedding hosted by his grandparents at Lazy Lawn, the old family compound in Middletown, Rhode Island, which had been built in the 1700s and held the distinction of being America’s oldest standing beach house.

Ar and Anne first settled in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and then moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, while Ar pursued a promising, high-paying career as a petroleum geologist with Royal Dutch Shell. Ar gradually tired of the work, however, and he and Anne felt out of place and socially suffocated in the deeply segregated South. When their first son, Bill, was born in 1951, they decided that they didn’t want to raise their children in a place where racial injustice was part of the fabric of everyday life and where silently accepting that injustice was the price of fitting in.

So, they set out to create a world of their own design. And that’s how Ar became a farmer and Anne, at least technically, became a farmer’s wife.

FAMILY FARMING

At the time, Hilltop was a sprawling 500acre estate that stretched between the

crest of Pocumtuck Ridge to the west and the sandy banks of the Connecticut River to the east. It was a complicated operation that produced pigs, chickens, eggs, vegetables, fruit, grain, hay, beef, and milk, and its most important customers were the local independent schools that had grown into nationally recognized institutions under the influence of pioneering educators like Frank Boyden, Grace Bement, Joe Gibbs, and Thurston and Hilly Chase.

In the 1950s, Hilltop was owned and managed by Anne’s mother, Marion “Meg” Davenport, who had been widowed at a young age. The farm had originally been purchased by Meg’s great uncle, William Scott Keith, a Civil War veteran from Greenfield who had migrated to Chicago in the 1860s and amassed a huge fortune milling Wisconsin hardwoods into railroad ties for the Union Pacific Railroad.

Keith had intended to retire to Hilltop to pursue the life of a gentleman farmer, and his holdings included a tall, spacious, well-aired summer home; a stonecolumned, hay-thatched portico with a sweeping view of the valley; a clay tennis court; an all-weather boat landing; and barns and silos to shelter and feed a fine herd of cattle.

But Keith passed away in 1919 before he could occupy his new home, and it fell to Meg to turn Hilltop into a going concern. Doing so was no easy task. The Great Depression caused food prices to crash. And when prices recovered, the sudden arrival of war in 1941 drew nearly every ablebodied farmhand into the armed forces.

Meg clearly needed help, and with the imposition of a strict wartime rationing system, New England’s prep schools desperately needed food. In 1943, Deerfield Academy and Eaglebrook launched a “Farm Camp” program to tackle the challenge.

Independent school students from all over the region were recruited as summer labor, housed in campus dormitories, and trucked to the fields every morning. Their parents paid their room and board, and the farms gave the students a modest wage. Local farmers were doubtful that a youth corps sourced mostly from privileged families and equipped with soft, uncalloused hands was worth its weight, but the students lived up to the challenge, and the crops were harvested.

As a farmer, Meg herself was no hothouse flower. Tall, broad shouldered, and strong, she was equally capable of running or fixing any piece of equipment at Hilltop. While she had inherited wealth through her uncle and paid cooks and nannies to look after her children, she refused a life of leisure, and she regularly worked the farm, and its employees, from dawn to dusk.

But times were changing by the mid 1950s when Ar and Anne first proposed moving to Deerfield. New England’s farms had once fueled America’s Industrial Revolution, feeding the immigrant workers who kept the region’s cotton mills, paper mills, metal works, and shoe factories running three shifts a day, six days a week.

After the war, those factories moved

Ar Rogers around 1960

Top left: Meg Davenport poses for a Christmas photo with her grandchildren. Top right: the Hilltop farmhouse in the 1930s; right: haying at the farm in the 1930s

Above: an aerial view of the farm taken by Eaglebrook’s first Board Chair (and former WWI fighter pilot), Scott Keith, in the 1930s. Left: Eaglebrook students aerating corn rows as part of the Farm Camp program (ca. 1943-44).

Photos courtesy of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and the Eaglebrook Archives

The farm could turn a profit if it focused on the one commodity that was always in demand, consistently fetched a good price, and gave local producers an advantage over the big food conglomerates — fresh milk.

to the South to take advantage of cheaper labor. Then the introduction of refrigerated delivery trucks and rail cars allowed industrial-scale growers a continent away in California and Washington to overwhelm the New England market with affordably priced iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, and cherries. Hilltop didn’t stand a chance against competition like that.

So, Ar, an energetic, perennially optimistic Renaissance man who was a practicing scientist, an adept photographer, an artful writer, and an accomplished pianist, enrolled himself in animal husbandry classes at the University of Massachusetts’ Stockbridge School of Agriculture. He studied Hilltop’s financials and concluded that the farm could turn a profit if it focused on the one commodity that was always in demand, consistently fetched a good price, and gave local producers an advantage over the big food conglomerates — fresh milk.

It would be wonderful to say that Meg and Ar — mother-in-law and sonin-law — pledged to work hand in hand to save Hilltop. The truth was that their shared devotion to Anne, her children, and the agrarian ideal barely kept the peace. Meg steadfastly resisted the changes Ar wanted, and Ar was determined to be his own boss, not Meg’s new right-hand man.

The tension between them never really abated. While Meg celebrated the birth of her second grandson, Arthur (known as “Tooey”), and her granddaughter, Margaret, she had absolutely no interest in retiring to the role of doting elder.

To this day, the Rogers children recall frequent, vivid conversations between Meg and Ar that featured their dad repeating — politely but firmly — “Now Meg, we talked about this. Yes. Yes, we did. We talked about this.” They also remember Meg advancing through the house against a rapidly retreating Ar, rusty augers gripped in her hands, insisting, “These are tools you should be using.”

Nonetheless, the tension proved fruitful. Meg’s unsolicited advice sharpened Ar’s learning curve, and her relentless second guessing of his business plan, while surely excruciating, helped ensure that his thinking was sound.

Ar ultimately purchased an equity stake in the farm to give himself latitude in decisionmaking, and he reconfigured the operation. He got rid of the pigs and chickens, sold off two beloved draft horses — Buck and Jack — and eliminated the commercial vegetable patches down by the river, sowing hay and cow corn in their place. He acquired 75 head of cattle, 50 milkers and 25 heifers, and pared his workforce down to just three hands, himself and two trusted foremen with names as solid as New England granite, Howard Stone and Milton Wedge.

While his life as a Texas oilman had been gritty at times, Ar had actually spent most of his years at Shell sitting behind a desk, poring over geological data and analyzing microscopic fossils. Now he rose every morning at 4:00 and was milking cows by 4:30. He would take naps on the couch after the second milking in the afternoon and then head back to the barn in the evening to call in the cattle and bed them down for the night.

Top: Ar tends to a newborn calf; Bottom: Ar cools off in a pasture drinking trough.

SOME FACTS ABOUT MILK

By the time Steinbeck met him in 1960, Ar was coming into his own as a farmer and emerging as a leader among western Massachusetts dairy producers. He understood that the greatest advantage that family-owned dairy farms enjoy is the fact that milk goes bad fast, and he exploited that biological reality to protect Hilltop and other farms from big, out-ofstate competitors.

From the moment milk is drawn out of a cow, bacteria start multiplying in the fluid. This perfectly natural fermentation process — essential for the production of whey and cheese curds — produces a distinctly unpleasant odor and rapidly changes the milk’s texture. It also puts a premium on delivering cooled milk to local processors quickly so that it can be pasteurized, homogenized, and packaged.

What this means for shoppers is that the purest, sweetest, and most delicious “Grade A” milk always comes from nearby farms, and Ar became an early and outspoken advocate of the virtues of locally sourced, farm-to-table freshness.

He also played a key role in forming a dairy cooperative that negotiated reasonable milk prices for western Massachusetts farmers. This effort was backed by federal legislation that the U.S. Congress had passed with strong bipartisan support.

Ar and Anne now had the income they needed to raise three children and transform Hilltop’s dairy into a first-class operation. Their finances even proved resilient enough to withstand a freak fire

that destroyed the old 19th-century barn and silos. (Ar, Howard, and Milton saved the cattle, driving them into the pasture in the middle of the night while the blaze turned the sky bright orange for miles around.) Ar took advantage of the setback, building state-of-the-art structures that included efficient new milking, cooling, and sanitation systems.

THE LAND THAT RULES FORGOT

While Ar worked the barns and fields, Anne focused her efforts on giving Bill, Tooey, Margaret, and their Keith family relatives the best childhoods they could imagine. She filled the house with books, magazines, and newspapers and offered the children unrestricted license to explore every acre of the fields and forests that she had scouted as a young girl. The barn cats — employed to keep field mice away from the grain — became beloved family pets, and Bill regularly did his homework with his back leaned against

a majestic white pine near the top of Pocumtuck Ridge.

David Keith, the children’s second cousin, described the farm in those years as “the land that rules forgot” and Anne as an always-gentle guide who trusted that the children in her care would discover new things about themselves as they investigated the natural world around them. Anne’s subtle instructions always delivered in the form of Socratic suggestion, not parental prerogative made Hilltop an oasis for David at a time when his parents were going through a tough divorce.

Anne also threw herself, and her family, into the creative arts. She was a founding member of The Stockade Players, a community theater group that staged everything from contemporary Broadway hits to Shakespeare, always with a preference for comedy over tragedy. From 1958 to 1969, the players performed before packed houses at the Old Deerfield Town Hall. Anne specialized in minor

Anne with her sons, Bill and Tooey, and a barnyard cat.

character roles that let her showcase her wry sense of humor, her inborn timing, and her deadpan delivery.

She also thrilled in deploying her natural features for dramatic effect. At a time when women were expected to accentuate their most feminine attributes and conceal or modify the rest, Anne celebrated the sturdy nose and chin that she inherited from her mother. For local Halloween parties, she used makeup to magnify their lines and transform herself into a cauldron-stirring witch worthy of Macbeth. Her appearance at these events — often as the advertised guest — struck terror in young partygoers despite Anne’s best efforts to reassure the children (and a few excitable adults) that she was merely acting.

Over the years, the Stockade Players gave many local children a chance to explore the dramatic arts, encouraging them to take risks against the backdrop of a small, familiar stage and with the support of enthusiastic audiences. Among them was Bill, who preferred solitary study in the woods to social gatherings. Anne and the company gave him a role that he seemed destined to play — Puck, the mystical forest sprite from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Anne also invited students and teachers from Eaglebrook to conduct field research at the

farm, a precursor of the earth science classes that have become a core element of the Eaglebrook curriculum. For years in the early 1960s, Eaglebrook boys studied the ecology of a beaver pond nestled in the woods near the main pasture, and one student was acknowledged in the scientific literature for collecting the evidence proving that beavers consume white pine needles as part of their diet.

In these and countless other ways, Anne built classrooms without walls while Ar tended the cattle and petitioned lawmakers in Boston and Washington for fairer dairy pricing. It was tough going at times, but in the end the two of them managed to build the world that they wanted for themselves and their children.

AN INTERLUDE

Eventually, Bill, Tooey, and Margaret went off to college, and Anne took up teaching at Eaglebrook, where she served on the English faculty for more than a decade; introduced a generation of students to writers as varied as Sophocles, George Orwell, Langston Hughes, and Harper Lee; and helped this particular author find his voice.

By the mid 1980s, Ar was ready for a change as well. Running a dairy farm is a young man’s job, and as he approached his sixties, he had choices to make. His son Tooey had always dreamed of succeeding him, but a steady weakening of federal price supports, combined with the introduction of better long-distance

Above: Anne and Ar in costume.

Lower left: A Stockade Players flyer for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The beaver pond at Hilltop Farm was a popular research site for Eaglebrook science students in the 1960s.

cooling systems, had made it harder and harder for local Massachusetts dairies to compete with the big regional milk suppliers.

So, Ar urged Tooey to find a different career, and Tooey eventually followed his siblings into education, becoming a science teacher at the Advent School in Boston while Bill taught history for 45 years at Buckingham Browne & Nichols and Margaret guided preschoolers and taught reading in Concord and Lincoln. Each of the children settled nearby, introducing a new generation of grandchildren to the magic of Hilltop. Ar ultimately realized that he only had two options. On the one hand, he could secure the economy of scale that he needed to stay profitable by going to a bank, taking out a massive loan, expanding his herd, and building new barns and cooling systems. Or he could sell the herd and retire. He put the decision off for a few years, leasing his milkers and

hayfields to young tenant farmers (and getting more sleep in the bargain), but ultimately he decided that it was time to move on.

Eaglebrook alumnus Peter Melnik ’84, P’18 remembers when his dad, Stephen, the owner of Bar-Way Farm south of Deerfield Academy, faced a similar choice. High interest rates in the 1980s made dairy expansion an extremely risky proposition, but the Melniks, who have been tending a fertile stretch of land along the Deerfield River for five generations, were determined to make it work.

They increased their herd to 500 head of cattle and started producing more than 2,000 gallons of milk a day. They also installed a biodigester to recycle Bar-Way’s growing supply of manure into natural gas and fertilizer, which gave the farm a cheap, reliable source of renewable energy and two valuable new products to sell.

Two miles to the east, Ar reflected on what Hilltop had meant to him, to Anne,

His son Tooey had always dreamed of succeeding him, but a steady weakening of federal price supports, combined with the introduction of better long-distance cooling systems, had made it harder and harder for local Massachusetts dairies to compete.

From left to right, Henry ‘18, Peter ‘84, and Stephen Melnik represent three generations of dairy farming in Deerfield.

and to his children. He was alone with his thoughts, however, because Anne had developed lung cancer, dying in 1991 just as the two of them were preparing to embrace old age together. She passed away peacefully, surrounded at her bedside by her husband and children, radiating comfort and good cheer to the end.

What Ar knew for certain was that he wanted Hilltop to survive her. Over the years, dozens of curious, uninvited visitors like my dad had come knocking on their door, wondering what it would take to part with their “million-dollar view” and its surrounding fields and forests. Down the road in Hadley, Amherst, and Northampton, the rolling pastures of centuries-old farms were being filled in and bulldozed flat. Housing developments

and shopping centers were popping up like invasive weeds. One could already see their faint glow in the night sky.

Anne had inherited nearly 400 acres of forest from Meg, and Ar worked with Stuart and Monie Chase in the 1990s to secure conservation restrictions (CRs) for the woodlands that Eaglebrook and Hilltop share. Stuart and Ar also co-founded the Deerfield Land Trust (now part of the Franklin Land Trust), an organization that has helped secure hundreds of conservation easements across Franklin County over the past 40 years, preserving tens of thousands of acres for future generations to enjoy.

CRs protect privately held land from unrestricted commercial development. While they allow property to be

Above: left to right: Margaret, Bill, and Tooey Rogers in front of their childhood home in 2024

Opposite page: Photos of longtime faculty members Anne Rogers (lower right), Nancy Jo Jander (upper left), and Dave and Debbie Osborne (lower left) are featured in the ofrenda that Eaglebrook students design each year to honor departed loved ones on Dia de Los Muertos.

Last year, the Rogers siblings sat down with Andy Chase and Rachel Blain to talk about the farm and its future. For just over a century, the Keith and Chase families had been next-door neighbors, and the histories of the farm and the school were intertwined. inherited or sold, they prohibit future use that would harm the land’s natural beauty or degrade its resources. Certain limited commercial activities are permitted, such as the development of hiking and biking trails and maple sap collection.

The income generated by these lighttouch ventures is nothing compared to what an owner could earn from selling the land to a developer. As a result, the landowner receives a tax benefit that makes the CR both affordable and sustainable.

Ar also protected the 119 acres of agricultural land that he had purchased from Meg decades before. He secured an agricultural preservation restriction from the state of Massachusetts for his pastures and hayfields that shielded them from development while also requiring that the land remain in active agricultural use. This allowed him to rent the fields to local farmers while he and his second wife lived together at the farmhouse, where Ar remained a model of relative contentment until he passed away in 2017 at the age of 92.

AN OPPORTUNITY

With Ar’s death, Bill, Tooey, and Margaret inherited the farm and the family’s commitment to preserving it. But now, with children and

grandchildren of their own, they decided it was time to part with their beloved childhood home.

Last year, the Rogers siblings sat down with Andy Chase and Rachel Blain to talk about the farm and its future. For just over a century, the Keith and Chase families had been next-door neighbors, and the histories of the farm and the school were intertwined.

David Keith’s grandfather (Meg’s brother and a prominent local business leader) had been the first chair of Eaglebrook’s Board of Trustees, serving in that role for more than a decade. He

had helped keep Eaglebrook’s doors open during the Depression, and Thurston Chase had named one of the school’s dorms in his honor.

Now the inheritors of that relationship were sharing memories of the farm and discussing how they might work together to uphold Ar and Anne’s legacy. Eaglebrook ultimately committed to purchasing Ar’s 119 acres, which expanded the school’s total footprint on Pocumtuck Ridge to 850 acres and gave Eaglebrook students a new opportunity for handson learning.

THE LONG VIEW

This brings us to the present and — more importantly — points us toward the horizon. Generations of Eaglebrook students have explored the woods that the school and Hilltop share. They have made countless journeys to “The Rock” that marks one of the old boundaries of the property. They have walked or jogged thousands of miles along the dirt stretch of Pine Nook Road that winds its way up from the school to the farmhouse. Many of us even have memories of Ar’s cattle grazing peacefully in the pastures.

So, in a way, you or your loved ones grew up at Hilltop, too, and you have a stake in its future.

In 1922, Joe Gibbs converted an old sanitarium and hunting camp on the western slope of Pocumtuck Ridge into a school for boys because he believed that the natural world is a wonderful teacher and the great outdoors is life’s best classroom. Eaglebrook has carried on his vision, and the school’s long commitment to protecting and preserving the environment has suddenly become a very popular idea.

Humanity faces a paradox in the 21st century, perhaps the biggest challenge that we have encountered in our 300,000 years as a species and our

Eaglebrook inaugurated

20,000 years as professional tillers of the soil. Every day, we are consuming more and more of our planet’s resources. Every day, we are using more land, more water, more fuel, and more electricity. Our population has expanded to eight billion people, and it is projected to rise to 10 billion before it starts a long, slow return to earlier numbers.

This rapid growth and development has delivered some amazing benefits. People today are richer, healthier, better fed, and better educated than their ancestors ever were. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution — just 250 years ago — three out of four human beings lived in extreme poverty with barely enough to feed themselves. Most of humanity lived at the mercy of the rains, just one drought or one storm away from catastrophe. Today, just six percent of humanity lives that way.

But our planet is paying a terrible price for the methods that we have used to secure our prosperity, and the bill is coming due in the form of rising temperatures, swelling oceans, extreme weather, and massive species loss.

According to Professor Parke Wilde of Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition, a recognized expert on American food policy, Hilltop offers

a perfect laboratory for students and teachers to understand today’s emerging challenges while exploring workable solutions to the tough problems we all face. The farm’s history has much to teach us about how past generations learned to live off the land.

Both Meg and Ar had to figure out how to maximize Hilltop’s productive potential in an ever-changing world. That’s what economic sustainability is all about, Professor Wilde notes, and it’s absolutely essential if your goal is to create lasting solutions to an intensifying global crisis.

Hilltop can also give Eaglebrook students — and other students and teachers from around the world — a chance to get their hands dirty experimenting with smart new approaches to farming that pay for themselves while minimizing carbon emissions, water pollution, soil erosion, and the overuse of pesticides and herbicides. These are the keys to creating sustainability for the long haul — smarter strategies that take care of the needs of people while figuring out how to save our planet and the vulnerable species that share it with us.

Hilltop is now an integral part of Eaglebrook’s commitment to achieve a carbon neutral campus in the near term while continuing the school’s century-old commitment to instilling a reverence for nature while keeping Eaglebrook a timeless place for childhood, exploration, and self-discovery.

We invite you to join us in taking the long view from Hilltop. As the old farmer’s adage says, many hands make light work.

In May,

“The Hilltop Ramble,” a race along the mountain paths that connect the school with Hilltop Farm.

The long view from Hilltop Farm today. This photo was taken by Hans Yu ‘24 on May 21, 2024, the date of the first Hilltop Ramble.

Art, music, and more!

Just like math, science, and history, the arts give Eaglebrook students exciting ways to discover the world around them. Since its founding, Eaglebrook has made music and other creative arts a core part of its curriculum.

Three times a year, our students produce “An Evening of the Arts” featuring performances by the string orchestra, concert band, jazz band, individual pianists, the Chorus, and the Ad Libs.

Eaglebrook also offers a rich array of courses across four artistic disciplines: digital arts, music, theater, and the visual arts. Just one in five American students has comparable access to so many choices.

6 STONE CARVING

Trust your gut, but do the work: A Conversation with Jason Wu

Jason Wu ‘98 is celebrated as one of the world’s most talented fashion designers. He launched his eponymous brand in 2007 and quickly earned a reputation for meticulous designs that seek to empower women with a blend of modern luxury and refined elegance. His accolades include the Swarovski Award for Womenswear, the Fashion Group International Fashion Star Award, and the Canadian International Designer of the Year title. Jason has dressed notable figures, including First Lady Michelle Obama, and his collection is carried by several major retailers. Beyond women’s fashion, his work has expanded into fashion accessories, beauty products, men’s and children’s apparel, and home products. He actively mentors students from leading design schools, and he currently resides in New York City.

Born in Taiwan and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Jason attended Eaglebrook for two years. His classmates voted him the Sixth Form’s Most Talented Artist, his pencil drawings of fellow students were featured on the cover of The Talon, he designed the 1996 Candlelighting card, and he was selected to play piano at Eaglebrook’s 1998 Commencement.

Sally Jones-Laubin was a member of Eaglebrook’s faculty for 45 years from 1973 to 2018. She taught French, German, Spanish, and English as a second language to hundreds of students and served as a dorm parent in Baines, the Lodge, and Eagles Nest. Ms. Jones-Laubin invited Eaglebrook’s students to practice on the Steinway baby grand piano in her living room, and she enjoyed introducing her advisees to the joys of French cuisine. She currently resides in Deerfield.

Sally Jones-Laubin with Jason Wu at an Eaglebrook alumni event in New York City.

Jason Wu ‘98 and longtime Eaglebrook faculty member Sally Jones-Laubin recently reunited to share memories of Jason’s time at Eaglebrook and to reflect on the lessons he learned on the Hill that stay with him to this day. Their discussion was edited for length and clarity.

Sally Jason, it’s so wonderful to see you.

jason Sally, I’m ecstatic to see you! You are the teacher who made the greatest difference in my time at Eaglebrook.

Sally That’s so kind of you to say. I have such fond memories of you.

I remember wanting to take you under my wing because you were so shy when you started, and you were still learning to speak English. It brought back memories of how self-conscious I felt when I was learning French as a young girl.

Then there was the fact that you were so artistic. I grew up in a family that was artistic and musical, and I think our shared love of the arts helped bring us together.

jason Among all of my Eaglebrook teachers, I think about you the most because you made my time so much easier. Those were hard years for me. I had left home for the first time, and I missed my family. I was in the middle of adolescence, puberty, and discovering my self-identity. I was a Chinese kid trying to understand America and Americans. I was dealing with a lot of conflicting feelings and so many new things.

I had a lot of self-doubt because I didn’t know who I was yet. And I didn’t look or act like a lot of the kids around me, so that made me very uncomfortable. I was an introvert, and I didn’t feel understood.

But I remember that I used to go to your residence [in the Lodge] almost every day. You had the most charming apartment: it had personality and style. And you made

(Clockwise from left)

A young Jason Wu sculpts a model; Jason with his mother, Mei-Yun, at home in Vancouver; Jason and Mei-Yun at his Eaglebrook graduation in 1998.

one thing that I learned at Eaglebrook was that you have to confront the unknown.

my Eaglebrook experience special in a way that was welcoming and personal. You weren’t just a teacher. You were always there for me.

Sally That’s what I remember, too. We had a connection that wasn’t just about a teacher and a student. And I remember that you came to my residence almost every day to play piano, and you played it so beautifully.

jason Coming to Eaglebrook was a culture shock. I was an immigrant. I was Asian at a time when there weren’t many Asian students. And in my first month, I managed to do almost everything wrong and wound up having to do community service.

Sally I never saw you doing anything wrong. You were a wonderful child.

jason Well, I did do a lot of things wrong at the beginning, but I would not change a thing about my experience. I can’t say that I had an easy time. My English was not the most amazing at that time. I didn’t know what lacrosse was. And I wasn’t athletic. So there were many differences that I encountered. And that’s nobody’s fault. That’s the definition of culture shock, right? And that difficult situation forced me to do things that took me out of my comfort zone.

For example, I was on the ski patrol, which no one can believe now. I was this small, awkward kid, and I wasn’t very good at my job. I remember that I was put in charge of helping people off the t-bar at

the top of the hill, and I got bored, and I leaned back and accidentally triggered the emergency shutdown switch. A teacher had to ice-pick her way up the hill to restart the lift.

But one thing that I learned at Eaglebrook was that you have to confront the unknown and the foreign. And my teachers were the ones who helped me through that. Eaglebrook made me very uncomfortable at times, but it also taught me to face up to my discomfort and become more confident and independent.

Sally I’ve heard many students say that. Eaglebrook could be challenging, but we also tried to ensure that every student felt that he had someone on his side.

jason I think it was a very pivotal moment in my life. I definitely didn’t want to go to a boarding school. I wanted to go to a fashion high school. By the time I was nine, I had already decided that I wanted to be a designer. I had my own sewing machine. I was making fashion for dolls.

And I had the most supportive parents in the world. The reality was that I saw things and did things differently than other kids, and I just never fit the norm. I didn’t know how to be “normal” like other kids. And what I was doing was absolutely taboo in the 1990s, both in Taiwan and here.

Sally I have heard that your mother played a very important role in helping you cultivate your talents.

jason She really did. I have one older

brother, and he always fit the model of a normal kid. He played basketball. He studied hard. He was book smart. He was popular and outgoing. He was a model citizen. And I love him.

I just wasn’t that kid, right? Starting when I was four, I went for the pink aisle in the department store. I liked dolls. So despite the fact that everything I was doing went against the rules and made me an outcast, my mom let me be myself. She let me go wild.

She says she wasn’t going to be able to stop me anyway, so why not? So she bought me Barbie dolls, and she made sure I had all of the resources I needed to pursue my passion. She bought me a sewing machine. She found me a teacher.

Sally That’s such a gift. It’s so important to be seen for who you are and who you want to be.

jason It was. But my mom also had rules, and she made me follow them.

I always had to do something I didn’t like in exchange for being allowed to do something I did like, and that was an important lesson in the way life works. Nothing in life comes for free. And success doesn’t come without sacrifice or failure.

My mom knew that I only wanted to do what I wanted to do. But she also knew that I needed to learn how the rest of the world works because it’s all connected. And I had to understand that to succeed at what I wanted to do.

So, I think the best decision my parents ever made for me was to send me away.

It was incredibly hard for me at the time. I cried and screamed.

It was incredibly hard for them, too, because we have always been very close.

Sally What are some of the things you learned at Eaglebrook?

jason One of my biggest lessons was learning how to speak in public.

Sally Your Sixth Form Assembly presentation?

jason Yes, I didn’t really apply what I learned for many years. It remained kind of dormant in me. But being able to stand up in front of a group of people you don’t know very well takes courage, confidence, and a willingness to take risks and be vulnerable.

My experience at Eaglebrook made that much easier when my work started getting noticed and I found myself getting interviewed by Anderson Cooper in front of a live audience on CNN.

Sally What else did you learn?

jason Eaglebrook taught me humility and the value of hard work. I remember spending a lot of time in the kitchen, working side by side with the kitchen staff.

At that age, I hadn’t really been exposed to how hard most people work and how much pride people take in doing their jobs well and making a difference. That’s a lesson that no book can teach. If you can’t be the best version of yourself doing

Eaglebrook taught me humility and the value of hard work.

(Top and bottom) Jason mentors design students at his New York City studio.

Doing

the uncomfortable is how we grow the most.

what you’re doing, then you should quit and do something else because you’re clearly not passionate about it, and you won’t be happy.

I also learned that it’s OK to be uncomfortable. We don’t like the uncomfortable. But doing the uncomfortable is how we grow the most. Last year was an incredibly difficult year for me. It was difficult for many people. The world is really chaotic right now. But I also turned out some of the best work of my career, so I think sometimes that if you want to be the best version of whatever it is that you do, you have to know how to feel uncomfortable and work through it.

And one of the things that made me uncomfortable at Eaglebrook was how different I was. But my parents — and teachers like you who were there for me and helped me see things through — that’s what made the difference. That helped me walk through a lot of doors. When I was at Eaglebrook, I was one of the only Asian students. The same was true at Loomis Chafee and the Parsons School of Design. Now when design students come to my studio or to one of

my shows, the room is filled with Asian students. So, I now have the opportunity to do something that my parents — and wonderful teachers like you, Sally — did for me: Open doors.

Sally It’s such a gift to be able to do that for someone else. I’m thrilled that you have been able to give back that way.

What advice would you give to students today who are passionate about the creative arts and eager to pursue a creative career?

jason Trust your gut. That’s something that’s never failed me. It won’t guarantee a 100% success rate, but it will allow you to take accountability when you fail, feel gratified when you succeed, and be proud of your effort.

I don’t follow anything but my gut, and I think having that kind of integrity really helps, especially when it comes to the real world, which can get crazy. If you try to conform for the sake of conforming, you’re doing yourself and everyone else a disservice. Because there is plenty of conformity, and just fitting in

won’t let you be your best self. You also need to put in the effort. I train a lot of young kids, and when I see someone special, I’m strict. I’m different. My advice is “Do the work.” You’re not going to become an Instagram star right away, OK? You need to understand what it is that you’re about, what makes you special, work hard at it, and appreciate the people who see the real you and are always there for you.

Sally This has been such a wonderful chance to reconnect, Jason.

jason Sally, you were the most memorable person for me at Eaglebrook. You really nurtured me and gave me a safe haven when I needed it. I don’t think I could have made it without you.

I say this from the bottom of my heart: You are one of my heroes. In life, there is the family you’re born into and then there is chosen family, and I consider you part of my chosen family. Thank you for being there for me. Being there for others is what I want to do now.

Sally Thank you, Jason, I’m touched.

(left to right)

Jason photographs a design concept at his studio; a younger Jason sketches in a notebook; a figurine that Jason made for Stuart and Monie Chase stands against a background of Eaglebrook student art in the Evans Center.

Commencement 2024

Beneath a brilliant blue sky, 78 graduates of the Eaglebrook Class of 2024 took part in the school’s 102nd annual Commencement on Friday, May 24.

CLASS OF 2024

The graduates of the Class of 2024 will be attending the following schools.

Berkshire School (1)

Blair Academy (3)

Brooks School (1)

Choate Rosemary Hall (6)

Culver Academies (1)

Deerfield Academy (5)

Episcopal High School (2)

The Frederick Gunn School (1)

The Governor’s Academy (3)

Gulliver Preparatory School (1)

The Hill School (2)

Holderness School (1)

Hotchkiss School (4)

Kent School (2)

Lawrenceville School (8)

Loomis Chaffee School (2)

Lycee Notre-Dame du Grandchamp, Versailles (2)

Middlesex School (2)

Millbrook School (1)

Milton Academy (1)

Northfield Mount Hermon (2)

Phillips Academy - Andover (3)

Phillips Exeter Academy (4)

Portsmouth Abbey School (1)

The Putney School (1)

St. George’s School (1)

St. Mark’s School (1)

St. Paul’s School (1)

Suffield Academy (1)

Taft School (1)

Trinity-Pawling School (1)

Westminster School (2)

Wilbraham & Monson Academy (1)

Williston Northampton School (3)

Winchendon School (1)

John Palfrey, the father of Jack Palfrey ’17, was the 2024 Commencement speaker. Mr. Palfrey is president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and a recognized expert on internet law. His address encouraged the graduates to follow Theodore Roosevelt’s advice to dare greatly and strive to make a difference in the world.

JOHN

PALFREY’S 2024 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Thank you, Mr. Chase, for the great honor of serving as this year’s Commencement speaker at Eaglebrook School.

A commencement is about many things all rolled into one. Of course, first and foremost, we gather here to celebrate each of the boys who graduates today and moves on to a new chapter of life. And we celebrate the families and friends who supported the graduates, the teachers and the staff who guided their way, and all those who have made Eaglebrook School a strong institution over the generations.

But commencement: what a curious word to use to describe an event that celebrates the end of an academic journey?

A commencement is also importantly about the start of something new — hence the name. Today, you commence the next phase of your life.

It’s a day to celebrate, yes, but also to think hard about what you now have in your backpack that you take with you to your next destination, whether that is another boarding school or a day school back home. (Hopefully, you have a few months of rest and relaxation before then — you deserve it!)

It is not possible to know where you are going if you don’t know where you’ve been and what you’ve got in that backpack to help you when things get tough. Thanks to Eaglebrook, and thanks to your families, I know for a fact that you have some good things in that backpack to help you press through the most challenging of the days ahead.

One of the things that all of us bring with us in life is a family story. Whether or not you know your family history well or only a little bit, whether you have a huge family and lots of relationships or just a family member or two on whom to rely; whether you came here from New York City or Mexico City or Seoul, Korea; whether your family came from China to Cambridge, Massachusetts, before you made your way here — we all have a

family and we all have a family story.

Another way to describe a family story is to call it a legacy. I know some people have mixed views about what a “legacy” is these days. But if you think about it, we all have a legacy, like it or not, one way or other — a legacy that our ancestors gave to us. We also have an incredible opportunity: we have the opportunity to create our own legacies, through our own lives. It’s not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It’s our job, I think, to make our legacy a good one — to make it a good thing.

Today, each of you adds a piece to your family legacy: you are a graduate of Eaglebrook School. Whether or not you have children or grandchildren who come here too, your family in the future will always say about you, “oh, he went to Eaglebrook.”

It will be — I promise you — a point of pride, a lovely thing. Each of you has created a new family legacy by coming here, by doing the work, whether you are the first generation here or the umpteenth. This is something you’ve added to your own backpack and the backpack of your family members to come.

I stand before you as NOT the first person named John Palfrey to serve as a Commencement speaker at this august ceremony, but the second. My son — also John Palfrey, who goes by Jack — was the student Commencement speaker in 2017 when he, like you, graduated from Eaglebrook. I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud. I did not, myself, have the good fortune to attend Eaglebrook, but my dad did, and lots of cousins, and my son Jack did. All the same, Eaglebrook is a part of my own family legacy, like it is now part of yours.

This school was a great fit for my son Jack, who went on from here to Andover and then to Harvard College, where he is an undergraduate. Of all the schools he attended, I’m pretty sure Jack would tell you that Eaglebrook was the one he loves the most, to which he has the strongest connections. He traces

many of his closest friends to his time here, especially several of his dorm mates in Taylor. In fact, if you’d like to ask him that yourself, I am delighted that Jack is here today to celebrate your Commencement with you.

A part of the family legacy that Jack and I carry with us is a well-known great-great-grandfather, Theodore Roosevelt. TR, as you may know, was president of the United States from 1901 until 1908. Theodore Roosevelt too has a family legacy here at Eaglebrook — a number of his descendants chose Eaglebrook as the right school for their middle school boys.

While he is widely regarded as one of the great presidents in our nation’s history, TR was also a man of his time and his social class. He got a number of things wrong: he said a lot of things that demonstrated a mistaken view of the talents and abilities of others. That’s a part of the legacy I get to carry around with me and to grapple with — and also to do something about — to create a more inclusive society than the one he and his peers imagined.

On the flip side, Theodore Roosevelt said lots of things that I bring with me every day in my own backpack — inspiring things that help propel me forward, especially when I face a challenge — and, by the way, we all do, no matter how old, how rich, how powerful, how good-looking (not that I would know!) we become. We all have our challenges, our crosses to bear.

Here are a few of TR’s quotes that I love:

“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.” That makes sure that I make no excuses, that I do what is in my power and my power alone, every day that I am able.

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” This is an African proverb that he loved to repeat. I think of this one as a reminder to make sure that my actions speak more loudly than my words.

But by far my favorite, and the one with which I will conclude, is this:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could

have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

You may have heard this speech before or seen a quote from it. For instance, Lebron James likes it too: he often wears shoes with the hashtag #ManInTheArena on them.

I love this quote, which comes from a speech to students in France at the Sorbonne in 1910, because it reminds us all to do something with whatever we have — whatever our skills, abilities, family legacies might be. Whatever you have in your backpack, you have a way to contribute to the greater good, to make something happen, to make some kind of a difference in the world at large.

Let me be clear that I am not against critics; in fact we need some critics; and I am certainly not against critical thinking. But Theodore Roosevelt was right when he said that the person who counts — and of course it could be someone of any gender, not just a man — is the one in the arena.

Every one of you, each boy who graduates from Eaglebrook today, has the choice and the ability to become the man in the arena. I don’t pretend to know what that will mean for you exactly. What kind of a legacy will you build for your family? How will you build upon the legacy you were born with, the legacy you have now built through your time at Eaglebrook? To which worthy causes will you devote what you have and what you will become? I don’t know, of course, but I’m really excited for all of you, and for the rest of us who get to watch what you do.

Congratulations once again, boys and families, and Godspeed.

A Fond Farewell to Mr. Loftus

For many years, Christopher Loftus was the first teacher Eaglebrook students met when they arrived on campus. He was also one of the last teachers they saw before taking their seats at Commencement.

As Eaglebrook’s director of admissions, Mr. Loftus helped ensure that Eaglebrook was an inclusive community that welcomed students of all backgrounds from across the United States and around the world. He also cherished his role as one of the faculty members who had the honor of pinning a fresh red carnation to the lapel of every graduating Sixth Former.

As anyone who knows him can attest, Mr. Loftus doesn’t hide his feelings, and his penchant for wearing his heart on his sleeve has allowed him to forge genuine connections with hundreds of Eaglebrook students and parents over the years. His passion for the school and its mission is self-evident, and his willingness to pitch in wherever he is needed has made him an exemplar of what it means to live in service to others.

He and his wife Kristin arrived at Eaglebrook in 1992 and moved into Halsted, where they served as dorm parents for 16 years and raised their two children, Parker ’13 and Abigail. He was originally hired to coach varsity skiing, teach science, and serve as a dorm parent. Soon enough, he stepped into the role of director of athletics, and he became director of admissions with the retirement of T.J. Low.

Last year, Mr. Loftus took on the responsibilities of secondary school advising while continuing to guide the admissions office, making sure that every member of the Sixth Form found a great

school for the next step of their academic journey.

His earth science students will remember that he brought a sense of joy, wonder, and excitement to every class he taught.

Rachel Blain recalls how she once found Mr. Loftus crouched over a rain puddle with a magnifying glass, shouting, “Hey, guys! Come take a look at this!” He remains a model for what it means to approach every day with joy, curiosity, and great expectations.

While technically the role of a director of admissions is to interview and enroll new students, Mr. Loftus remained a steadfast champion and cheerleader of every student who passed through his office in the Lodge. His personal investment in their happiness and success is what made him one of the school’s most beloved faculty members, and his energy and enthusiasm will be deeply missed.

He remains an ardent champion of the school and a proud Eaglebrook parent. Mr. Loftus still remembers the day that his son Parker, who grew up in awe of Eaglebrook students, interviewed with the Admissions Office.

“I knocked on his door, expecting him to still be asleep,” he said. “Instead, Parker was already dressed, wearing a tie, and sitting on the edge of his bed. I smiled and asked him if he was ready, and he replied, ‘Dad, I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life.’

JUNE 7-9, 2024

Reunion Weekend

Reunion Weekend 2024 celebrated Eaglebrook classes with graduation years ending with 4s or 9s. There was strong turnout from the classes of 1964, 1969, 1974, and 2019. Bruce McIlvaine ’74 drove roundtrip from Chicago by motorcycle. Tsukasa Muto ’04 traveled farthest (all the way from Tokyo). Bob Hynes ’59, a former Navy pilot, was the oldest attendee and the star of the show.

WWW.EAGLEBROOK.ORG/REUNION

SAVE THE DATE | ALUMNI REUNION | 0 s & 5s JUNE 6-8, 2025 • EVERYONE WELCOME!

Class Notes

Connect with your classmates, share your stories. Your classmates would love to hear from you.

SEND NEWS OR PHOTOS TO: alumni@eaglebrook.org

The news in this section was received before April 1, 2024.

1950

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1950 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 75TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

From CAL PERRY : “Visiting Eaglebrook School has been on my agenda the last two Junes” (2022 for the 100th anniversary and 2023 for his 70th reunion year). “I slipped up the Hill to enjoy the Sunday Brunch, which was, as I suspected, WONDERFUL!” He reports that the School is in great shape under the current Head of School whose uncle (JT) was in Cal’s class. Cal strongly recommends a visit, noting that there are “some different digs than when we were in residence in Gibbs House.” “I am fully retired now, no more Optometry, Military Reserves, sports officiating, or Board responsibilities, but I seem to keep busy, anyway. I am active in a local sportsmen’s club and with the Honor Guard of the local American Legion post. Please, some other member of our class — contribute some news.”

CRAIG WHITNEY reports, “I haven’t sent any news emails because, like most of us at our age (I’ll be 89 tomorrow), there

OR WRITE TO:

Alumni Office

Eaglebrook School 271 Pine Nook Road PO Box 7

Deerfield, MA 01342

isn’t much exciting news to tell. I’m living in South Carolina, hence I haven’t found it easy to attend any reunions. I play golf three times a week, weather permitting, but primarily I relax at home with my wife and work in my yard. I read about 140 books per year, half in print and half via audiobook, which I’ve found very entertaining.”

1952

BOB RAY writes that he is living in Westerly, Rhode Island and enjoying the ocean. He and his wife are planning to attend his 65th college reunion at Middlebury College in June 2024. He added that he is still playing golf, “although the ball does not go as far.”

1953

RON GOODMAN writes, “I continue to be actively teaching and serving alumni functions at Harvard University. I taught a course during the 2024 Spring Semester

CONNECTED WITH EAGLEBROOK:

on Artificial Intelligence and Photography at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement. I’m also a Committee Member of the Harvard Alumni Association Board of Directors. Grandchildren and children continue to be a delight and my wife and I remain here on Houghs Neck in Quincy on a hill between Hingham and Quincy Bays where I’ve been now for over fifty years.”

BOB REIMER reports that he is going to spend time “cruising” in the Caribbean on his new boat.

1954

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1954 CELEBRATED THEIR 70TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

From MURRAY WHEELER , “A mere seventy years but who’s counting? I’ve been in an assisted living facility in Cambridge for four years with very few complaints and much to be thankful for. Although virtually no surviving classmate chums but very pleasant mates here, comfortable surroundings, good food, and good service.”

75TH REUNION

70TH REUNION

1955

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1955 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 70TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

1959

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1959 CELEBRATED THEIR 65TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

From JAMES NEEL , “I have been retired for fifteen years and am busier than ever. If I had a job, I wouldn’t have time to go to work. I am enjoying my four grandchildren. Karen and I have discovered the fun of river cruises in Europe, especially during the Christmas market time of year. We also cruised up the Seine from Paris to Normandy in October of 2023, x’ing one off the ‘bucket list.’ We also enjoy time at our summer cottage in Brooklin, Maine.”

1960

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1960 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 65TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

1961

MICHAEL BEAUTYMAN is thrilled to welcome his first grandchild, Silas Victor Beautyman, son of Michael Jr. and Lauren. Michael was inducted on June 9, 2024, into the New England Tennis Hall of Fame at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

The latest from JOE SMITH , “In retirement, I seem to be reverting to activities that give me pleasure while being creative...namely turning wood on a lathe. During my first year at EBS in 1959, I took woodshop from Mr. Thorvald Langaard. Mr. Langaard was a great teacher of the art of woodworking, with safety first, he communicated skill and patience to his young students. He ruled the shop with a firm hand, yet instilled in his students a culture of crafting in wood. Those who paid attention in his classes, usually got an invite to Norway (an 8-week summer trip, which included staying with a Norweigan family for 4 weeks, and then 4 weeks of touring Norway), for a deeper look into a different culture, all in step with students being more exposed to different cultures! I was invited that summer, but the trip was canceled due to Mr. Languaard’s passing away! I still miss him, and still have some of the skills he taught in the shop.” Here is a recent project from my lathe.

1962

Most districts aren’t in this constitutional bind because they have their own public high schools and spend their money only on them.”

1964

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1964 CELEBRATED THEIR 60TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

DOUG ALLAN writes that he retired after 35 years as CEO of three multiservice agencies providing mental health, child welfare, immigration and refugee, counseling, and other human services. He recently relocated to North Carolina to be close to family.

From HERB OGDEN , “While I retired from my trial law practice in 2020, I still deal with legal issues as chair of the regional school board for nine towns. The U. S. Supreme Court has made decisions difficult for us by deciding in 2022 that, if a district pays tuition to any nonpublic school, it cannot withhold it from a nonpublic school merely because the school uses the money to inculcate religion. Our district sends over 90% of our high schoolers to two nonpublic schools in the district. Some people don’t even realize they aren’t public. But now we must also send tuition to a school that says 100% of its curriculum is religious. That violates the Vermont Constitution.

STEVE ALLEN reports that he is keeping very busy in “retirement,” snowbirding between Arizona and Wisconsin. He works at Barnes & Noble in Arizona and owns a vinyl record store in Wisconsin. He tutors high school students in reading and writing on Zoom. He is also writing a historical fiction novel.

JOHN CLAY is happily retired and raising Tibetan Terriers in California.

From LARRY MARK , “In the past few years, I’ve produced ‘The Greatest Showman,’ a movie musical starring Hugh Jackman for 20th Century Fox — and most recently, for Netflix, ‘Vivo,’ an animated musical starring Lin-Manuel Miranda with songs by him — and the latest version of ‘Lady Chatterly’s Lover,’

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starring Emma Corrin; in other words, am running the gamut lately from a fun family film to classy soft-core porn. So still in the game…”

The latest from PETER POOLE , “I sold my piano tuning business last year, now I work for the buyer; 1-2 hours a week instead of 20 or so; more time for photography, skiing, making CDs of my music, and getting new body parts!”

1965

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1965 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 60TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

EVAN JONES writes, “I am honored to have been presented The Robert Gallimore Distinguished Service Award by the Associated Press Broadcasters Association of the Virginias. The award is presented to one past or present Virginia broadcaster each year. I could not have been more fortunate to spend more than 50 years in a career that I truly loved and was a perfect match for my skills and interests. Most years were spent in various television roles, off- and on-camera, but that was sandwiched inside a start and finish in radio. I am not yet entirely done — from time to time, I am still asked to report for and anchor radio newscasts here in Roanoke.”

1967

DAVE GRINNELL wrote that he is enjoying his retirement alongside his wife Maureen. They are still in Lake Forest, Illinois, where their son, daughter-inlaw, and two grandchildren live just 35 minutes away and can visit weekly. Dave and Maureen enjoy traveling and are confirmed snowbirds; they spend a month or two each winter in Palm Desert, CA. Dave recently discovered Pickleball in Palm Desert and he reports he is addicted

and plays almost daily. He hopes to get back to Eaglebrook when he next travels back east to see what is new on the Hill. He is also looking forward to seeing his classmates, possibly at the 60th Reunion in 2027.

From JOHN LEE, “Enjoying semiretirement, interacting with our granddaughter, and traveling. Spending time on my bicycles in Dallas, Boise, and other locations across the country.”

1969

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1969 CELEBRATED THEIR 55TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

GIL HALSTED visited campus during Country Fair 2023. Here he is in front of Halsted House with Head of School Andy Chase ’73.

HANK OSBORNE reports that he is “still working in the nonprofit world — figure to retire when my wife does (in about 10 years or so). Playing music at small clubs in New Hampshire for fun and to feed my cappuccino fund. Watching my sons grow.”

1970

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1970 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 55TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

From TOM GRAFF , “My wife and I retired in 2018 and moved to our old family summer residence in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania. We live on a lake so I spend much of my time swimming, sailing and getting reacquainted with lifetime friends I haven’t seen in years. My son is in the restaurant business and has blessed me with two grandchildren. My daughter is a stunt woman in Los Angeles who spends most of her time doing things she would ‘be happy to pay to do’ but getting paid really well to do them. She works on major film and TV shows: Wonder Woman, Super Girl, and many others. She is also nationally known for her work on American Ninja Warrior.”

1971

JOHN SCHAEFFER visited campus in early August 2023. He was asked what his favorite memories of Eaglebrook were, and he said “All of it.”

1972

A greeting from BILL PECK , “Hi Old Friends of ’72, Eight grandchildren between the ages of 1 and 7 are keeping my wife and me very busy! It was so much

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fun catching up with you all at our 50TH class reunion and Eaglebrook’s Centennial Celebration in June 2022. I’m already looking forward to our 55Th reunion in June 2027. Be good, but don’t be too good, and stay healthy!

1973

“It’s been a rough 2 years having broken my back out at Jackson,” reports CHARLEY BOWDITCH . “I’d like to say I was doing back flips into Corbett’s, (actually never done that and never will, at least not on purpose), but a downhill skier pulled a crazy Ivan in front of me and I didn’t want to crash into her. A long recovery and I’m grateful as the outcome could have been a lot worse as I’m skiing again! Still working, the Red Sea has been

an entangled situation. The kids are all out and working, and my oldest is getting married in May in Newport, Rhode Island.”

MARTIN HARDEE reports that he is, “Semi–retired in Colorado, doing light consulting on digital software and Figma design rollouts, and enjoying the snow and hiking.”

From BEN HILL , “I retired in 2018, and now manage a few personal properties. Our business of 13 years, Arrow Rock Architects, ran out of work in 2008 during the ‘Great Recession.’ I spent the next decade managing projects for the state of Idaho. I retired 10 years to the day of my employment there and moved to the mountains of New Mexico to be close to my daughter and grandchildren.”

The latest from CLARE WELKER , “I celebrated my 67th birthday on January 19! It has been a year since we sold the equity in our company, and the thrill of not having any commercial responsibilities makes every day a bit like the first day of summer break when I was in college. When I retired from day-today duties 21 years ago, I thought it was great, but I had no idea how good it would feel to free myself from private business ownership. I could not be more pleased. We are building our home this year along the Gulf Coast. It is challenging to construct something — 107-degree heat, high humidity, class 4 hurricanes, silt soil, 15-foot flooding potential, F3 tornadoes, and salt water, but we will try anyway. Wishing all my former classmates and Eagleboork staff the very best.”

1974

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1974 CELEBRATED THEIR 50TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

WARREN CHURCH retired in 2023 after serving 24 years as a Professor of anthropology and environmental

Archaeology at Columbus State University in Georgia. His specialties were Peruvian archaeology and paleoecology. He will continue his research, saying, “I might just die in the saddle at the end of the trail. I never outgrew my sandbox. I will be moving from Georgia and searching for a place with the fewest climate change calamities.”

1975

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1975 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 50TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

The latest from J.D. HALE , “Our youngest is getting married in July 2024 up in Tamworth, New Hampshire. We are excited to have all four married and hopefully with some luck and the gods — a few more grandchildren to add to our two now, Nova and Landon. I am working at Yankee based in Dublin, New Hampshire, although I handle the sales/marketing side from Winchester, Massachusetts (very close to Boston). Some of our custom content clients, (we develop content for clients), are right nearby — like B.A.A. — we do their Boston Marathon Official Program and the Racer’s Record book. We also have a partnership with ‘WGBHBoston and produce a television program called, Weekends with Yankee now in Season 8, which premiered in April 2024. So while I started in ‘print’ many moons ago, today, we are very much working across all channels of communications. I bike a lot, road, mountain, and what we call ‘mixie’ or gravel and have been skiing each weekend up north. I joke that my Jeep only goes north. Closing in our 50th — hope to see everyone for that fun time in 2025!”

BRYAN LORBER reports, “I continue to enjoy retirement in Amherst, Massachusetts. There’s a robust music scene, daily mountain hiking, and the five-college consortium providing much cultural stimulation. My most recent

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Charley Bowditch & Steve Sheppard ’74, Darien, Connecticut Jan. 2024. Shooting competition, Steve won Best Hat.

bicycle tour this past spring took me from Athens to Amsterdam (2,300 miles over 48 days). The Balkans are amazing but a real workout. I later learned that in Turkish, ‘Balkan’ means ‘A chain of wooded mountains.’ True, that! I’m blessed with a happy, healthy family which includes my beloved dog, Ollie, and a small flock of hens who supply me with fresh eggs in different colors.”

1977

An update from MICHAEL FITZHUGH BELL : “I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with honors in 1992 and worked for thirty years in the restaurant/hotel/catering industry (1985-2015). I am now a journalist and photojournalist and have written three nonfiction, investigative journalism, true crime books: The Invisible Crime, (2012), The Invisible Crime Part II, (2017), and American Cyborg, (2022). I also enjoy mountaineering, hiking, and trekking where I live deep in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina where I regularly photograph wildlife.”

1978

From LAURA FREEDMAN , “We’ve moved from Barcelona to Austin, Texas, where we launched El Raval restaurant (elravalatx.com) in May 2023. I wish I could have made it to our 45th reunion. Wishing everyone well!

1979

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1979 CELEBRATED THEIR 45TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

DAVID PIVIROTTO shared the following, “It is hard to believe that 8 years have passed since leaving the Hill to return to Maryland. And that it is our 45th reunion. I’ve kept in touch with CRAIG SPIVEY , CHIP BROWN , FRANK LIDDELL , NAO MATSUKATA , and PATRICK MCGEE Patrick and I had dinner not too long ago and shared a picture with Jack Jones. Sending my best to all on the Hill!”

1980

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1980 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 45TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

1981

From CARTER PEREZ , “After living and working in Silicon Valley for 30 years my

wife Pam and I moved to Lake Norman just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. We’ve loved living on the water and the lifestyle that entails. If you’re ever in the Charlotte area look me up.”

1982

AUSTIN REED shared the following, “My life landed in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, 7 years ago, the kiteboarding capital of the world. My oldest son is finishing up at the University of Maryland Law School and my younger son is finishing at St. Lawrence. Any of my Brookie buddies who want a surf trip … Look me up.”

RODNEY ROWLAND P11 writes, “Since speaking at the Eaglebrook TEDx in 2019, my work on resiliency has continued to expand both in terms of protecting the historic site of Strawbery Banke, but also spreading the news about the importance of resiliency as the nation and world face an ever-growing threat from Climate Change. I was fortunate to create a podcast with Resources Radio found here: resources.org/resources-radio/sunkentreasures-rising-waters-and-historicpreservation-with-rodney-rowland/. I invite any Eaglebrook alum to contact me if their lives and or community are impacted by sea level rise. Maybe together we can find solutions!”

From KERN SHIN , “Since the 100th, I’ve been fully immersed in EBS. After watching my short speech from that weekend, the boys (ADRIAN

&

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JULIAN SHIN ’24 ) decided they wanted to attend Eaglebrook, even though it would be just for one year. I have been back a few times since then to visit the boys, including today here with my sister Celeste to pick them up for the spring break. I would love to catch up with anyone living or visiting San Francisco. I am already getting emotional thinking about how the boys won’t be at Eaglebrook next year.”

1983

BRYAN CALLAHAN is happy to report that he is returning to Eaglebrook, “I have been incredibly lucky to lead a life full of rich, rewarding experiences. When I was young, I spent years conducting research on the history of medicine in sub-Saharan Africa. In my 30s, I learned the ropes of health communications at Ogilvy. In my 40s, I applied those learnings to help mobilize resources for the fight against AIDS, TB, and mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue. Now, in my 50s, I’m turning the page to focus on the experience that has given me the greatest joy - being a dad and husband. In January 2024, I joined the faculty of the Eaglebrook School, to lead marketing and communications for an institution that transformed my life when I was an 11-year-old kid searching for meaning and direction after the sudden death of my dad at the age of 52. My Eaglebrook teachers showed me just how big our world is, and they inspired me to go out and discover it for myself. Every path I have taken in life can be traced back to Eaglebrook, and I have been yearning for years to share the magic of those formative years with my sons Henry and Roger. Now, they will have that chance.”

1984

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1984 CELEBRATED THEIR 40TH REUNION IN 2024.

RACHEL LIVELY reports that she is working as a Bereavement Coordinator for HospiceCare in the Berkshires. She received a Masters Degree in Gerontology/ Management of Aging Services in 2015. She says she is, “Looking forward to connecting with members of the class of 1984!”

From BOBBY STRAWBRIDGE , “I live in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, in case you or anyone visits. You can play golf at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, fly-fish for trout in between, pick fruit along the way, visit wineries, surf a long break that is an 8-minute bike ride from the house, and get a huge variety of fresh seafood, all in one day. No mosquitoes, no guns, just to name a couple of perks. No security when flying around the country. It’s like flying out of Nantucket in the early 70s. I am semi-retired and have been teaching young children swimming. The ages range from a few months to 11 years. It’s like working with puppies. They all love being there. I’ve experienced only 2.5 meltdowns. The experience also helps me demystify my own experiences with my 2-year-old daughter, Beatrix Faith Strawbridge.”

1985

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1985 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 4OTH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

Last July, BRUCE MCCONNEL , THOMAS CUSHING , and GILBERT ORSER seized the opportunity to reunite over dinner at Bannister’s Wharf in picturesque Newport, Rhode Island. Bruce, en route from his home in Alexandria, Virginia to a photography workshop in Rockport, Maine, wisely decided to break up his journey with a memorable stopover in Newport. Their last in-person encounter dated back to the Class of 1985’s 20th reunion on the Hill in 2005, making this reunion a long-awaited moment. Despite nearly two decades passing, their camaraderie remained as strong as ever!

As they reminisced about old times and shared updates on their families and lives, they made a pact not to let another two decades slip by before reconnecting. Their bond continues to stand the test of time, serving as a testament to the many enduring friendships nurtured at Eaglebrook.

WILL PILE reports that he has stepped down after serving nine years as president of IATSE Local 67 in Des Moines, Iowa. He continues to work as the lead rigger of the crew that supports shows at the Wells Fargo Arena. He also works with the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa, as a systems engineer.

PAUL YANG shares, his son Leon, graduated in 2024 from Eaglebrook! Very exciting. Paul has been visiting the school very often to see Leon, and had a chance to meet up with classmate, JIMBO HURLEY . “Also, our program that we started with EBS, the Global Leadership Program, has been growing quite quickly, now spreading into multiple countries: USA, Japan, and China!”

1986

A career update from JON BONANNO , “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Managing Partner at Factor! 2024 is already off to an amazing start! For investors and grantmakers, we are here to support your clean economy portfolio companies’ growth.”

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REUBEN PERIN and JOHN RYMES met in British Columbia for a ski trip. “We had a blast,” reports Reuben.

From TOM SEELEY , “I occasionally see SETH SCHIESEL ’87 , and we reminisce about our days on the Hill.”

1987

The Eaglebrook Cross Country team was at the Massachusetts Middle School State Championships on November 4, 2023, and TRISTAN BEZZANT came over to say hello. He lives in Northboro, Massachusetts, and was at the race to support his two sons who run cross country. Tristan ran on the cross country team while he was at Eaglebrook.

WIN BURLESON went underwater camping in the spring of 2023. Read more about this adventure at: https://kjzz. org/content/1866798/why-universityarizona-professor-went-camping-20-feetunderwater

FERNANDO POMA writes that he is “happy living in Costa Rica working primarily in real estate and hotels. I have a son at Thacher School in California and a daughter living with us in Costa Rica. Great memories of my time at Eaglebrook!”

1988

CHRIS ALLEN writes that he has been teaching Physics and coaching Robotics at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, for almost five years.

FRANK GREEN reports that he is living on St. Simons Island, Georgia, though still working in New York and Los Angeles. He has a few movies coming out. One of them is Gonzo Girl with Patricia Arquette, Willem Dafoe, and Sean Penn. It debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released generally in 2024. He has enjoyed connecting with some of his classmates like WES SEIFER , SCOTT ESSEX , GREG DESROSIERS , and CARTER TOWNSEND , aka “Butterball.”

The world is a small place. MATT ROYKO and GING AMORNVIVAT ’87 met while in Houston for business. Matt reports it was “great to catch up over a nice steak dinner!”

1989

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1989 CELEBRATED THEIR 35TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

1990

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1990 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 35TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

Eaglebrook Trustee STEVE BARTLETT , his son WALKER ’22 , his daughter Georgia, and his wife Mackenzie met up with the family of LUKE HILDEBRANDT ’18 in the Atacama Desert region of Chile over the 2023 Christmas holidays. Luke’s mother Stacey is a fellow Eaglebrook Trustee. After Chile, Steve and his family continued their holiday and explored Patagonia.

From JUSTIN HECKMAN , “I am now living on Cape Cod with my wife and still working in the travel industry. Although my wife is a professional scientist, I find that I am actually able to understand some of what she does thanks to Yost’s biology class all those years ago! While on a recent business trip to Phoenix, I had the pleasure to reconnect with BRIAN CHARTRAND ’91 . Brian was even kind enough to play a few tunes for my team and he was fantastic!”

Congratulations to NEIL KOHNKE for starting a new position as Sales Specialist, Critical Care at Edwards Lifesciences.

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JUSTIN STEPHENS sent an update, “Seana and I have a sophomore, an 8th grader, and a 6th grader, who seem to be doing well. There are lots of school and extracurricular activities — debate, soccer, lacrosse, ski team. We see ALEX SLAWSON pretty frequently these days as he has his kids skiing at the same mountain as ours — Sugar Bowl. If you have plans to visit Napa Valley, please reach out. We’d love to host you at Hunnicutt or our new project, Collateral.”

1991

BRYAN CHARTRAND writes, “Greetings all, I had the great fortune of running into JUSTIN HECKMAN ’90 in Tempe, Arizona, and CHRIS FRITZ in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, last year. It was great to catch up with them after all this time. Things in Phoenix are good...both of my main projects, Live from Laurel Canyon and The Sweet Remains, have been out on the road and it’s looking like 2024 will be no different. The Sweet Remains is working on our 5th studio album which I’m super excited about. My podcast pandemic project, So The Story Goes with Brian Chartrand, continues to bring me a ton of joy as I get to sit down and talk with artists about creative process, life, and everything in between. I also recently fulfilled a dream of reinterpreting some of my favorite Steely Dan tunes. You can find Home at Last Vol I & II wherever you listen to music. I hope everyone on the Hill is doing well. Hope to see more classmates this coming year.”

The March 18, 2024, edition of The New York Times featured RICK OUIMET , an English teacher at Millennium Art

Academy in the Bronx. The article recounted how Rick invited Tommy Orange, author of There There, a book beloved by his twelfth grade English students, to his classroom to talk to his students. Rick had never invited an author to his class, but he took a chance and emailed Tommy, who accepted. Tommy brought with him 30 copies of There There and the same number of his newest novel Wandering Stars. Rick’s students were thrilled to be able to ask the author all of their questions about a book they loved and appreciated.

1992

Congratulations to TYLER TREMAINE , who married Michelle Mayagoitia on December 17, 2023. The couple is expecting their first child during summer 2024.

1993

TODD JASPERS visited the Eaglebrook campus with his wife and daughter in March 2023. Here he is in the Assembly Area.

From CARLOS MARQUEZ , “Currently living in Panama with my wife and three children: Carlota (10), Clarissa (8), and Carlos Enrique (4).”

JAY PONTI wrote, “My book Be The Revolution was #1 on the Amazon bestseller list for new releases and received endorsement blurbs from Noam Chomsky, Dr. Cornel West, Mark Ruffalo, and others.”

1994

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1994 CELEBRATED THEIR 30TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

From DALE BULLOUGH , “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Owner / CEO at Stop It Live Video Monitoring! Lots more to come soon!”

“I have been working as a rock ice and ski guide now for my 25th year at IMCS in North Conway NH,” reports ZEB JAKUB . “I have also worked for the last year with SOLO teaching wilderness medical courses. Our family is doing really well so far and looking forward to many adventures in 2024.”

Congratulations to JUSTIN KREIZEL , who got engaged to Catherine, his partner of several years. They live in Austin, Texas.

1995

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1995 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 30TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

1996

It is a small world when it comes to Eaglebrook connections. ZEKE JAKUB , a birdwatcher, was visiting his sister in Alexandria, Virginia. He was out birdwatching in a place called Huntley

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1997

PABLO TREVNIO is a husband, father of 3, and an outdoorsman. He works in the industrial construction industry for the U.S. and Mexican markets.

2000

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2000 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 25TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

Meadows and he started conversing with a gentleman who was also birdwatching. The man found out Zeke was from Massachusetts and asked him where. “Oh, where?” the gentleman asked. “Nowhere near Boston, you’ve probably never heard of it,” said Zeke. “Oh? try me,” encouraged the gentleman. “I was born and raised in Greenfield,” Zeke told him. The gentleman smiled and said, “I know Greenfield, I went to school in Deerfield, I went to Eaglebrook School.” And that is how TOM SHIMKIN ’78 met Zeke. Tom’s daughter is a bird enthusiast and while she was visiting her dad from out west, she and he decided also to go birdwatching at Huntley Meadows! Zeke reports they enjoyed a wonderful look at a Red-Headed Woodpecker along with lots of Brookie stories and wonderful anecdotes from their respective times on the Hill.

CRAWFORD CREWS sent in the following, “Chelsea and I were delighted to welcome our second child, Pascal, in December 2022. We all had an absolute blast at Mardi Gras this year and continue to love life in New Orleans, where Chelsea works in maritime law and I teach philosophy at Tulane. We’d love to connect over food and drinks with late-90s Eaglebrook folks who are ever in the area.”

1998

JAMIE SHATSMAN writes, “I recently moved to Eastlake, Ohio, with my husband, 8-year-old daughter Clara, and dog Rufus. I’m serving as vice principal of the Willoughby-Eastlake School Board and running to keep my seat in the November election. I spend most of my ‘free’ time volunteering in my community, at my daughter’s school, and coaching. Although I don’t make it back to the East Coast very frequently, I welcome anyone who is in the Cleveland area to reach out!”

This from JOAQUIN WALKER , “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Senior Manager Strategy Business Development at Lockheed Martin Space!”

1999

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1999 CELEBRATED THEIR 25TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

CHRISTOPHER LYNCH is happy to share that he has joined the team at Savros as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

From ELLIOTT SCHENDEL , “My wife and I just welcomed our second child, Elena, in January 2022. She joins her brother Stephen who was born in 2020.”

MARKO KRES is living and working in Zagreb, Croatia. He owns a floor contractor company and also works in paint distribution. He is married and has two daughters.

Congratulations to ZACK MANDELL and his wife, Julie, on the birth of their son Levi Watson Mandell-Roy on December 22, 2023. Zack is currently a member of the Eaglebrook English Department.

From REID STILLMAN , “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Account Director at Ad Leverage!”

2001

From CHRIS BROWN , “My fiancee, Rachel, and I welcomed our first baby in April 2023.”

2002

Congratulations to NICK DANA and his wife Caroline, who welcomed their son Declan Tudor Dana in November 2023.

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STEFAN KULSKI and his wife, Talia, welcomed a baby boy in October 2023. Congratulations to them!

2003

GARRETT BEWKES shared the following, “I am currently getting my MBA through a hybrid executive program at UMiami with anticipated graduation in December 2024. Despite the hybrid model, I temporarily relocated to Coral Gables with my husband, Brad, and dog, Benson, to take advantage of all ‘The U’ has to offer. We still maintain our home in Stamford, Connecticut, and frequent NYC where we have office HQs. In addition, I decided to resign my position as Publisher of National Review, Inc., in the fall of 2023, and am looking forward to concluding my nearly 8 years leading the company later this spring while I focus on my studies and networking in new industries and geographies. In the interim, I have launched my own LLC for media consulting services and projects to keep me busy and apply my existing experience and newly obtained MBA knowledge in real time. Admittedly, it’s all a lot of change and a bit nerve-wracking, but my excitement levels are through the roof!”

Congratulations to JUSTIN MITCHELL on his new job at Alvarez & Marsal as Senior Associate - Restructuring & Turnaround.

2004

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2004 CELEBRATED THEIR 20TH REUNION IN 2024.

From DOMINIC VIADERO , “I have enjoyed keeping up with recent news from the Hill, especially recent Hilly Chase presentations and A View From the Hill. I am reaching out to share news from my field, something I am passionate about, something I am active

with in Massachusetts, and something I would love the opportunity to share with students. What follows is as close to an email elevator pitch as I can get. On the surface, the idea of talking to students about accounting does not sound glamorous. But the industry is in dire need of transformation to fill a talent pipeline that continues to shrink. In the coming years a vast number of CPAs will be reaching retirement age at the same time as the number of new CPAs, and those pursuing degrees in accounting, continue to fall. Accountants, and CPAs specifically, represent safeguards to financial markets and industries that are continuing to grow, transform, and innovate. It is imperative that the next generation of leaders in this space promote the opportunities available to rebuild and strengthen the pipeline of talent. However, this path can take many forms, including the path I chose to take. I will admit that I did not encounter the possibility of a career in accounting until my senior year of college. Luckily, I pursued graduate degrees at Northeastern University specifically designed to take individuals from different disciplines and bring them into accounting. Not only would this provide someone like me a new and exciting opportunity, the profession was looking for individuals from outside the standard undergraduate degree path to bring new ways of thinking and a different mindset. There are not only multiple ways to explore a path in accounting, but the profession is much more than the stereotypes many quickly jump to. Firms of all sizes are becoming more involved with their clients, and in my role at Ernst & Young, we see ourselves as thought leaders and leading the charge as some of the largest businesses in the world grapple with new legislation, regulation, ways of working, and technology, to name just a few. We do all of this to help ‘Build a Better Working World.’ Outside of my current day-to-day with EY, I have become active with the Massachusetts Society of CPAs as a mentor to young accounting students and professionals. I am also very active in recruiting and mentoring

students at my alma maters, Stonehill College and Northeastern University. To summarize, my goal is to discuss the opportunities of a career in accounting by sharing my story, the history of where the industry has been, where it is heading, and opportunities for the next group of leaders in this space. While much of the focus is at the college and graduate school level the needs of the profession need to be addressed much earlier. As I previously noted, my introduction to accounting nearly came too late, and I am very motivated to share my vision and discuss the importance of relationships to finding and pursuing the right career path. I hope to have the opportunity to share more of my background and story with the hopes of bringing it to a large audience back at Eaglebrook.”

ALBERT YIH shared that he is still UX Motion Designer but recently moved to Google after eight years with Microsoft.

2005

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2005 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 20TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

LUIS DAVILA reports that he is working as an independent change management consultant in Mexico and starting his own renewable energy and water treatment company.

JOSH GOODMAN writes that he is the advisor to CEOs of numerous startups spanning “tech, supply chain, aircraft, and AI.”

2006

From IVAN AUER , “I hope all is well on the Hill. Sara and I are enjoying the Pacific Northwest. The snow has been fantastic lately on Mt. Hood and in the Cascades. Sounds like everyone at Eaglebrook is

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getting plenty of laps in this year, as well. When we aren’t skiing, we may be backpacking, kayaking, surfing, or working on our property tending the fruit trees, picking vegetables in the garden or just enjoying the sun when we have it. All our best from the West Coast.”

Congratulations to GRADY CONGLETON and his wife Kathryn, on the birth of their son Winnie Jane on January 19, 2024. Winnie weighed 9 lb., 9 oz, and was 21 inches long.

2008

This from SATCHEL DOUGLAS , “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Senior Lead Project Engineer at ABB! Ever since I worked with ABB on WSF’s new electric ferry design, I have wanted to be a part of the team working to Electrify Everything! Excited to share all the revolutionary projects we are working on as they hit the water! My time in the startup world was incredibly thrilling and a period of rapid personal growth, but the hours, stress, and finances weren’t for me long term. Luckily, Aloft Systems is doing great, and I will continue to advise as they develop modular, automated wind propulsion!”

SANG HYUN “MIKE” PARK writes that he has moved back to the U.S. mostly because his time at Eaglebrook was so memorable. He is living in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Congratulations to MORGAN WEAVER and his wife, who welcomed their daughter Maisie Rose Weaver on January 31, 2024. Morgan reports that Maisie is happy, healthy, and looking forward to venturing back to the Pioneer Valley one day soon.

From MAX WHEELER , “I am still with Amazon but moved to Sydney, Australia, in 2021 to take over our original Sydney Fulfillment Center. When I first joined the Amazon Australia team I helped launch, then run our Fulfillment Center in Perth, Australia, for the first 18 months before being offered the role in Sydney.”

2009

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2009 CELEBRATED THEIR 15TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024

Congratulations to JULIAN FIALKOW , who was named one of the 52 most important venture capitalists in the Boston area by Business Insider. Julian is a managing partner at 186 Ventures.

Trinity College recently added MIKKEL JOEHNK to the Bantams Men’s Ice Hockey Staff, as an Assistant Coach. Joehnk comes to Trinity after playing for the CE Timmendorfer Strand and ESC Dorfen of the Regionalliga in Germany. Joehnk posted eight goals with four assists for 12 points with CE Timmendorfer Stand and one goal and one assist with ESC Dorfen. Joehnk has made professional stops with Stenungsund HF (Sweden), Tibro IK (Sweden), Hisingens IK (Sweden), CE Timmendorfer (Germany), Macon Mayhem (United States), and ESC Dorfen

(Germany). Professionally, Joehnk has registered 26 goals and 45 assists for 71 points across five seasons. Following his playing days, Joehnk has most recently served as a scout for his alma mater St. Lawrence University, scouting players in the Northeast. He’s also served as an assistant coach with the Protect Junior Ducks and Green Bay Gamblers, assisting with special teams and player development. “We are excited to bring Mikkel on board,” said Trinity Head Coach Matt Greason. “He has hockey experience all over the world and brings a wealth of knowledge to the program.” Joehnk had a four-year collegiate career at Division III St. Lawrence University, playing forward for the Vikings. He appeared in 81 career games, tallying 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points. As a senior, he helped his team reach the NCHA Quarterfinals.

JAKE LANS has worked for Airbnb since December 2022, leading their in-app education and community strategy. He lives in Brooklyn with his three-year-old Basset Hound Agustus.

2010

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2010 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 15TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

LangChain, co-founded by HARRISON CHASE , recently announced a $25M Series A fundraise led by Sequoia Capital. The company also recently launched LangSmith, a solution for large language model (LLM) application development, monitoring, and testing. What started as a nights-and-weekends side project now has 50,000 LLM applications on its framework.

Best of luck to TAYLOR HAHN , who started a new position as Assistant Vice President, Equity Research at Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank and is covering oil and gas companies.

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Congratulations to COOPER HEMPHILL who got married in August 2023. He and his wife Tory Dobbin work at Pomfret School, teaching Latin and French respectively.

2011

“I’m passionate about sustainable real estate development and healthy construction practices,” writes LARSEN BIDSTRUP . “Wishing the best to my Eaglebrook network!”

DAVID CHO recently moved to Durham, NC to attend a Ph.D. program in Computer Science at Duke University. He is a part of the General Robotics lab there.

BEN GLEASON visited campus with his dog in September 2023.

BEN ROWLAND reports that he received his Ph.D. in January 2023 and is now a researcher studying infectious diseases in the UK population.

2012

MORGAN HAMILTON writes, “I’m happy to share that I’ve started a new position as an Associate Account Executive at Impact Networking, LLC! Very excited to be joining the outstanding sales team here in

Marina del Rey. Up and to the right, baby!”

Congratulations to BRANDON WU , who placed third in the 2023 Mexico Open.

From BROOKS YOUNG , “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as an Associate at True West, Capital Partners. I have moved to Los Angeles so please reach out if you are in the area!”

2013

Congratulations to RODNEY MILLER , the author of a new children’s book, String Bean - Tall Tale Chronicles. The book is about a fourth-grader named Ronald who works to find self-esteem and self-love.

BRYAN WIJAYA is working on a PhD in Chemical Engineering at UC Davis studying cultivated meat.

2014

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2014 CELEBRATED THEIR 10TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024

DOM CORMIER is in his fourth year of playing professional hockey. He is currently playing in the United Kingdom.

ANTONIO COSIO graduated from Columbia University in May 2022 with a double major in Economics and Mathematics. He is an analyst at BNP Paribas on the transportation banking and capital markets team.

From ROLLIN KING , “I began a new job in project management at Takeda’s R&D division in Cambridge, Massachusetts in early 2023.”

ETHAN LAM graduated from Purdue University with a BSC in spring 2023.

YINGHAO JACK LIU wrote in the spring of 2023 that he is beginning a new job as a Research Data Scientist at GlaxoSmithKline in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

DAVID MICCOLI is serving in the U.S. Navy in Mayport, Florida.

PETER MICCOLI is serving in the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami, Florida.

JULIAN O’DONNELL began a threeyear Master’s of Architecture Program at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation in the fall of 2023.

JONAH PERRY and BRANDON LIAO visited campus in August 2023. They both live in Boston and are working in sales for a tech startup called Memfault.

2015

Congratulations to DOUG JOHNSON who was recently commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps serving as a Logistics Officer. He is stationed at Camp Pendleton, California.

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2015 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 10TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

From CARTER ALBERS , “I graduated in December of 2022 with a B.S. in Aeronautical Science and a minor in

Business Administration. Over the years I got my various pilot licenses and will be building hours as a flight instructor before going to work for the airlines.”

HAYDEN DANN wrote that during the summer of 2023, he was touring the continental U.S. with his cousin in a van. He said they were having “great adventures.”

WILLIAM GRANEY shared, “I have been interning for the Sportsology Group, a sports advisory firm based out of NYC, after graduating from Hobart College in the spring. And have started to look for full-time roles within the sports industry. I am looking for alumni connections in the sporting industry, both domestic and international, either in operations/management roles or on the consulting/marketing side. My email is wallinggraney@gmail.com”

JIN WOO CHARLIE PARK graduated from UIUC in the spring of 2023 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology.

GREGORY SOHMER started a new position as Finance Director at Cadillac of South Charlotte.

CLASS OF 2016

Eaglebrook faculty member PAUL HUANG ’86 ran into EAMON GARRITYROKOUS at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in March 2024. Mr. Huang was wearing his Eaglebrook jacket, so Eamon went over to say hello!

TYSON GOUCHE graduated from Howard University in the spring of 2023, where he majored in Computer Science with a minor in Cyber Security. While at Howard, he interned at MITRE and also participated in an ambassadorship program with the firm.

COLE JERNIGAN is in his first year of an Organic Chemistry PhD program at the University of Denver.

Congratulations to JUAN MARCO MONTANO for starting a new position as a Strategy & Transactions Analyst at EY.

Best wishes to JEFFREY SO as he begins a new position as a Management Associate at Realeague.

2017

From PIERCE CLARKE , “I am attending college at Loyola Marymount University studying Business Entrepreneurship and I am on the rowing team.”

ENRIQUE COLIMODIO reports that he moved from Venezuela to Bogata, Colombia five years ago and that he just finished a term abroad in Australia.

Congratulations to ALEXANDER LORENO-CRUZ on his new internship at Higher Edge, Inc.

2018

SIMBA CHEN shares, “Life is good up here at Syracuse University. Kanye dropped his new album and it is fire. ANDY RYMES ’19 is now a frat brother, which is pretty cool stuff.”

HAKIM HICKS had this to share after starting a new position as a Legal Intern in the Maryland Senate, “Today was my second day here in Annapolis, Maryland. I want to say thank you again to Senator Cory McCray for giving me

this opportunity to work in the General Assembly’s Legislative Intern Program, which offers approximately 150 college and university students the opportunity to provide research and staff assistance to legislators during each session and to have both an educational and practical work experience in the Legislative Branch of State government. I have already made many great connections and am excited to learn as much as possible this spring!”

JAKE TROWT committed to play hockey at Fitchburg State University in the fall of 2023. He was previously playing for the Springfield Pics.

2019

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2019 CELEBRATED THEIR 5TH REUNION IN JUNE 2024.

From AJ FINTA , “I graduated from Middlesex School in the spring of 2022, leaving as a two-sport varsity athlete, honor-roll student, and both a community service and student activities committee officer. I am now at Syracuse University where I’m pursuing a double major in Finance and Business Analytics at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Additionally, I’m planning to add a minor to another one of the many schools within SU. Outside of the classroom I play for the Men’s ACHA D1 Hockey Club, work as an Office Assistant at Syracuse’s School of Information Studies (iSchool), and am currently halfway through my pledge process for Delta Sigma Pi; the 5TH REUNION

nation’s first and largest coed Professional Business Fraternity. I look forward to hearing about all the future happenings on the Hill.”

2020

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2020 WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 5TH REUNION IN JUNE 2025.

2021

EDUARDO ALTAMIRANO was in the Galapagos Islands with his family in March 2024, and he ran into fellow Brookies ETHAN WOO ’20 and SEBASTIAN WOO ’24

2022

MISL race at nearby Berkshire East in February 2024. Jacob is a student at Northfield Mount Hermon.

HENRY MURCHINSON , who plays for Loomis Chaffee, met LUCIAN KASS , who is at St. Georges, in a lacrosse scrimmage in the spring of 2023.

ZAVI SALOMON-FERNANDEZ spent his fall term in Spain.

While at a librarians’ conference at Loomis Chaffee, Eaglebrook librarians Anna Bognolo and Rachel Meier ran into KADEN SCHROEDER . Kaden proudly showed off to them the little free library in front of his dorm.

CHASE WISE , who attends Governor’s met HENRY MURCHINSON , who attends Loomis Chaffee, on the lacrosse field in the early days of the spring 2024 lacrosse season.

2020

RYAN MCHUGH checked in, writing, “I am currently in my first year at Harvard University playing on the baseball team. I miss my Eaglebrook family! My best to everyone.”

JUAN JOSE XACUR graduated from high school in early 2023 and will be starting law school. “I sure miss Eaglebrook a lot,” he says.

2021

ALFONSO PEINADO writes that he is finishing high school in the ASF in Mexico and is hoping to attend college in the U.S.

Athletics Director Luke Williams met up with ANTHONY SEOAGE while on the Holderness School campus in early November 2023.

2022

ALFRED DEBAH is a junior at Milton Academy. His soccer team won the NEPSAC Class A Championship in late fall 2023. Alfred scored six goals during the championship playoffs and was voted NEPSAC Class A Player of the Year at the end of the season. After winning the championship, Alfred committed to Wake Forest University to further his soccer career.

Eaglebrook faculty members Luke Williams and Nicole Lavin-Williams ran into their former advisee JACOB GORDON at a

5TH REUNION

2023

JUDAH GLENN reports that he is enrolled in classes at Greenfield Community College and hopes to receive his associate’s degree at the end of this year.

From MACKENZIE HARTNELL , “I want to give a big hello to all of my friends and teachers, past and present. I miss Eaglebrook a lot. I spent the summer abroad and had a great time. Most of the time I was back home in Edinburgh,

Scotland. I am a freshman at NMH where I launched NMH Cares, a community service organization that provides care bags to people in need. My club has almost 70 members. Last semester we focused on a shelter in Greenfield and provided 36 backpacks filled with cosmetics, toiletries, combs, hairbrushes, and food. Each pack had a handwritten note of encouragement, too. In January we launched Re:Gift. This was a month-long donation program to have students and staff donate new, unused, unwanted holiday gifts to the needy. We put a collection box in the

Blake Student Center. This semester, we are focusing on a local shelter that helps people with handicaps. I am continuing to sing a cappella and write for the school paper. I am active in Model UN, too. I have also been able to continue with piano, violin, and guitar. I have a new sport of which I have grown quite fond: fencing! I highly recommend it. More to follow! Looking forward to reunions and connecting. Smiles, Mackenzie.”

MAX LAIRD reports that he has been working hard at Thacher School. Go, Max!

CLASS OF 1943

Frederic M. Joseph

March 15, 1929 – January 27, 2024

CLASS OF 1944

Charles H. N. de Vegvar

September 27, 1929 – February 21, 2024

CLASS OF 1948

Ricardo A. Mestres

August 12, 1933 – May 29, 2023

CLASS OF 1949

Uzal H. Martz Jr

October 20, 1934 – January 19, 2021

CLASS OF 1951

Harry M. Jewett II

July 19, 1934 – August 2, 2023

CLASS OF 1952

Charles Lockhart III

May 10, 1936 – July 21, 2023

Philip S. Van Patten

April 28, 1939 – December 25, 2007

CLASS OF 1953

Edwin C. Lennox Jr.

October 11, 1938 – May 12, 2023

CLASS OF 1955

Robert B. “Bob” Marr

October 8, 1939 – February 1, 2022

CLASS OF 1956

George S. Meyer

October 3, 1939 – October 11, 2023

CLASS OF 1958

Terrence D. Marr

November 2, 1943 – March 29, 2023

CLASS OF 1961

John G. Lathrop

May 27, 1946 – February 13, 2023

CLASS OF 1964

Charles M. Murphy Jr.

January 11, 1948 – August 9, 2023

CLASS OF 1966

Clayton K. Haskell III

July 15, 1960 – June 12, 2023

CLASS OF 1969

George W. Emerson III

July 3, 1953 – January 3, 2022

Kevin R. Moats

November 1, 1954 – June 12, 2022

CLASS OF 1975

Mark M. Mullin

September 6, 1960 – August 1, 2022

CLASS OF 1977

Alexander F. “Sandy” Stark

October 7, 1961 – August 25, 2023

CLASS OF 1981

Peter “Tuck” Esty

August 24, 1966 – April 8, 2023

CLASS OF 1999

Joshua D. Hastings

November 28, 1993 – April 19, 2020

CLASS OF 2008

Antonio J. Andreas

November 27, 1992 – February 12, 2024

CLASS OF 2017

Shane M. McCarthy

July 27, 2002 – November 30, 2023

LIFETIME TRUSTEE

Emily V. Wade

There was a great showing from the Class of 2023 at Country Fair 2023.

Members of the Class of 2023 met up at a Choate v. Andover Water Polo match in October 2023. From left: Jeffery Lim, DD Chawaldit, Sean Choi, and Ethan Cheung.

The Eaglebrook community was saddened to learn that Cynthia Fulton, who served as a teacher of painting and chair of Eaglebrook’s Art Department from 1989 to 2005, passed away on November 4, 2023.

Ms. Fulton studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design and Boston University, graduating from the latter institution with a B.F.A. She also completed a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction at Keene State University.

Throughout her 16 years on the Eaglebrook faculty, Ms. Fulton was a bottomless reservoir of positive energy and enthusiasm for her students and fellow teachers. Mary Dingman-Abel (known at Eaglebrook as Ms. Wideman) recalls that Ms. Fulton helped her make the transition to teaching pottery and stone carving a joyful journey of self-discovery.

“Cynthia loved every kind of art and was adept with any medium,” Ms. Dingman-Abel said. “She constantly helped me learn new skills as an artist and a teacher, and she gave me the confidence I needed to try new things.”

Ms. Fulton had the same effect on her Eaglebrook students. Her classes and electives were always full thanks to her reputation for creativity, as well as her ability to inspire young artists to follow their passions without fear of failure. She will also be long remembered for making Poster Night on the eve of Country Fair one of the school’s most entertaining pastimes.

Beyond her career at Eaglebrook, Ms. Fulton was the founder of Meadowedge Arts for Children, a non-profit organization in Bernardston, Massachusetts, that for more than 40 years provided art enrichment experiences for children aged three to 13. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Maharashtra, India, where she focused on early childhood art education.

In addition to her husband, Rawn, Ms. Fulton is survived by her four children, Whit ’89, Heather ’92, Laurel ’97, and Elgin ’97. As one might expect, Ms. Fulton’s children followed her into creative pursuits: Whit is the CEO of ConnectDER, a Philadelphia-based company that enables consumers to link solar panels and EV chargers to their homes in a matter of minutes; Heather is a mixed media artist and arts educator in CA; Laurel is an oil painter in VT; and Elgin is a senior producer and director of photography for CNN.

Alumni wishing to share their memories and condolences with the family are invited to contact communications@eaglebrook.org.

Bill Van Order, who was a member of Eaglebrook’s faculty from 1969 to 1997, passed away at his home in North Carolina in December 2023. This remembrance draws on interviews with his family, friends, and former students.

He was an imposing figure. Tall and built like a linebacker, Bill Van Order normally sported a short-cropped flattop haircut, and his steely expression made him look like a Marine Corps drill sergeant on loan from Parris Island. But those who knew him understood that beneath Mr. Van Order’s tough exterior was a big heart.

He was one of Stuart Chase’s most trusted advisors, meeting regularly with Mr. Chase and Assistant Headmaster Kirk Koenigsbauer in the early hours of the morning to share intelligence on which Eaglebrook students were misbehaving and in need of extra guidance.

To many students, Mr. Van Order was a man you dared not cross. He could be a tough, no-nonsense disciplinarian. But to the students most in need of intervention, he could be something entirely different: a calming presence, a sympathetic ear, a trusted confidant, and a faithful advocate. He was the last, best hope for many troubled students, helping them find redemption.

George “Geordie” Corsiglia ’86 remembers how Mr. Van Order changed his life. When Geordie was at Eaglebrook, one of his older sisters drowned two weeks before he was scheduled to arrive at Camp Timanous, the lakeside summer camp in Raymond, Maine, that Mr. Van Order, Carter MacDonald, and other longtime Eaglebrook faculty staffed between June and August.

“The devastation for myself and my family was beyond words,” Geordie noted, but he decided to sign up for the Red Cross water safety course that Mr. Van Order taught older campers. The instruction included CPR training.

“Are you sure that you want to do this?” Mr. Van Order asked, well aware of the grief that was consuming him.

“Yes,” Geordie assured him, “If I ever see somebody drowning, I want to know what to do.”

Mr. Van Order put his hand on Geordie’s shoulder, looked him in the eye, and said, “Alright son. We start tomorrow.”

The two-week course was exhausting, but Geordie persisted, pushed through his physical and emotional pain, and earned his certificate.

His struggles, however, weren’t over. Back at Eaglebrook that fall, Geordie lost interest in school. Eventually, his teachers reached out to Mr. Van Order, who was Geordie’s math and football coach. He arrived at study hall one afternoon and motioned for Geordie to meet him in the hallway.

“I’m not speaking to you now as a teacher. I’m not speaking to you as a coach. I’m speaking to you as BVO,” Mr. Van Order said, using the nickname that his camp friends commonly used.

He reminded Geordie of his summer triumph and challenged him to stand tall and be the person he remembered from camp.

“You were very brave,” he said. “You need to find that again.”

It was a turning point, one that helped lift the darkness and set Geordie on a path that led to Vanderbilt University (BVO’s alma mater) and a rewarding career as a professional writer.

Longtime Eaglebrook faculty member Marc Janes remembers his friend Bill as “a magnificent role model for what it means to be authentically human and a good person.” He operated with deep personal integrity and without pretense or embellishment, and his unassuming commitment to doing his job as a teacher and a coach sometimes made it difficult for others to see the difference that he made in the lives of so many at Eaglebrook.

Likewise, few people knew that Mr. Van Order was a master of the practical joke. At monthly meetings for dorm heads, if a faculty member stood and left the table for a bathroom break, he would quietly remove their chair, put it in another room, and feign innocence when his victim returned. For more than 50 years, he delighted in hiding a small porcelain frog — dubbed Herkimer — inside Christmas decorations, diaper boxes, home-baked cakes, and restaurant entrees delivered to the Janeses.

His desire to find and draw out the best in others, his love of fun and good humor, and his deep affection for his friends and family are the qualities that those who knew him will remember best.

William Edgar Van Order Jr. was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on January 26, 1936, the son of a well-respected local doctor. He was an accomplished athlete, leading his high school to a state football championship and lettering in track at Vanderbilt.

After college, he decided to pursue a career as an educator, and he met his future wife, Lill, while he was a counselor at Camp Timanous, which he had attended as a child. He first taught at Vermont Academy and Fessenden before spending 27 years at Eaglebrook, where he was a mathematics instructor, served as a dorm head, and coached football, wrestling and other sports.

Together with Lill, he raised two children, Louise ’83 and Alan ’85, both of whom became accomplished swimmers under their parents’ instruction. Louise is now a teacher and administrator at the Compass School in Westminster, Vermont, while Alan works in Washington, DC, as a manager for a composting company focused on sustainable approaches to food waste management. Lill is retired and living in North Carolina. Beyond his wife and children, Mr. Van Order is survived by four granddaughters.

Alumni wishing to share their memories and condolences with the family are invited to contact communications@ eaglebrook.org.

The Eaglebrook experience allows students to discover who they are as learners and as members of a global community.

Supporting Eaglebrook means supporting the people and the programs who make that experience happen.

Please donate to help Eaglebrook continue educating students at the highest level.