Lawrentian Fall/Winter 2023 by egadsontheweb

FALL / WINTER 2023

A Lax Love Story Wes Jackson ’91 said goodbye to lacrosse thirty years ago, but the game found its way back into his heart, and now he’s sharing that love with a new generation of city kids.

14 CAMP CLASSIC

20 TRANSFORMATIONAL

80 BEES IN THE BELFRY?

LEADING OFF

Gazing Into a Bright Future Head of School Steve Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 surveyed progress this fall on the renovation of Tsai Arena, the historic structure that was the Lavino Field House. The arena is just part of the Tsai Field House project, whose second phase will be completed in 2024.

P HOTO BY JES S I CA WELS H

LEADING FROM OFF THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

On the Cover: Time to Re-Lax: Thirty years ago, Wes Jackson ’91 discarded lacrosse from his life before falling in love with it again. (Photo by Keith Barraclough)

ON BEING KIND

y best friend once described to me an experience she had in the fourth grade many years ago. There was a new girl who had moved into town and had joined her class mid-year. The family lived in very modest housing and were of modest means. She did not wear the right clothes or listen to the latest music. At some point in her first few days, she had to have a routine check-up with the nurse at school, who found that she had head lice. People cringe when they hear of lice, but of course it is as normal a human experience as catching the flu and can happen to anyone, regardless of their hygiene. Well, this nurse marched down to the girl’s classroom and announced that the new girl was going home because she had lice and that the rest of the class would now have to be checked. You can imagine the reaction. Worse yet, the poor girl had to stay home for a week until the problem cleared up, and then when she returned, the cruelty started. Her classmates taunted her mercilessly, called her dirty. Having not yet had the opportunity to make friends or find acceptance, she suddenly found herself all the more isolated, the butt of a thousand daily slights. What a desperately sad, lonely, humiliating experience this must have been for her. Soon enough, this friend of mine noticed what the girl was going through and decided to invite her over to her house for the afternoon. This led to another invitation, and another. They became friends. Suddenly this girl was no longer quite so vulnerable. Suddenly she was not entirely exposed socially. Like the bully who backs off when even just one person sticks up for the small kid, the crowd backed off and left her alone. Eventually, they too began inviting her to parties and outings, and the lice incident was entirely forgotten. By the way, that best friend of mine? I went on to marry her. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend the rest of their life with such a person? While we may be inspired by stories of noble, heroic actions, it is the small, compassionate gestures in our everyday lives that make the real difference. The quality of life in a given community is directly determined by how frequently each of us takes advantage of the small, daily opportunities to follow our hearts — to show kindness. In his book, The War for Kindness, Stanford professor Jamil Zaki writes about the profound importance of showing empathy. He says, “Empathy’s most important role … is to inspire kindness: our tendency to help each other, even at a cost to ourselves.” Still, he continues, “Kindness can often feel like a luxury — the ultimate soft skill in a hard world.” And yet, Zaki maintains that kindness may in fact be “one of the animal kingdom’s

most important survival skills.” This view certainly echoes the renowned Harvard socio-biologist E.O. Wilson, often best known for his groundbreaking studies of ant colonies. In his New York Times bestseller, The Social Conquest of Earth, he reflects rather optimistically on the human condition. One of his major questions in the book is to examine, from an evolutionary perspective, how social behavior not only enhances but actually promotes survival. Ants, he had found, are highly social and, precisely because of that, highly successful. And so are humans. Our virtues, Wilson writes, are largely responsible for our success — evolution favors our better impulses. Compassion, collaboration, and cooperation give us an edge as we struggle for survival in the cutthroat competition of natural selection. Greed and self-interest offer few advantages to our species. We are slow and weak, and left alone to fend for ourselves, not much of a match for a swift, hungry predator with fangs and claws. According to Ira Byock, an American physician who writes prolifically on medical care, famed anthropologist Margaret Mead makes a similar point. She was once asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. One might have expected her response to be the making of tools, or perhaps burial rituals. “But no, Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken then healed. [She] explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink, or hunt food. […] A broken femur that has healed is proof that someone has taken time to stay with the person… has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety, and has tended the person through recovery. ‘Helping someone through difficulty is where civilization starts,’ said Mead. We are at our best when we serve others.” Given that we have the highly evolved potential to show each other kindness, and yet we do so unreliably, we clearly have to make the effort. What kind of community do we want to be a part of? What standards of civility, empathy, respect, and kindness do we aspire to live by? We have a choice, after all. — Adapted and condensed from the Convocation address, fall 2023. Lawrenceville is set to introduce a strategic plan for wellbeing, some elements of which are detailed on page 8. Sincerely,

Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 The Shelby Cullom Davis ’26 Head of School

Unflagging Enthusiasm

Once the class banners were set aside, Lawrentians got down to fun at Alumni Weekend 2023. (Photo by Paloma Torres)

FEATURES 20 Lawrenceville Emerges Transformed The $475.7 million capital campaign is the most successful ever conducted by an independent school.

24 A Clear Step Forward Jacqueline Schafer ’00 and her custom-built Clearbrief platform are using artificial intelligence to create a more efficient and accurate legal process.

26 A Big Red Reunion Lawrentians reaching back 75 years returned to campus in early June, making Alumni Weekend a festive and fun reunion, with the Distinguished Alumnus Award conferred upon Darrell Fitzgerald ’68.

32 The Gift That Keeps Giving Wes Jackson ’91 thought he'd left lacrosse at Lawrenceville, but the game – and the connections it forged within – never left him. Today, he is sharing the sport with a new generation in Brooklyn.

DEPARTMENTS 4 6 10 11 12 14 16 38 80

A Thousand Words In Brief On the Arts Go Big Red! Inside the Gates Take This Job and Love It Ask the Archivist Class Notes Old School

FROM THE BASEMENT OF POP HALL

have written before in this space how occasionally, there is much more to a story than I first imagined. You may recall a year ago when The Lawrentian presented the story of U.S. Navy Capt. Dale “Snort” Snodgrass ’68, one of the most accomplished fighter pilots of all time, as well as the inspiration for Tom Cruise’s “Maverick” character in the Top Gun films. Years before, I had reached out to Capt. Snodgrass for our “Take This Job and Love It” series, but it never worked out. We were only able to detail his life after it ended in a 2021 plane crash. This time around, we are fortunate enough to bring you the story of Wes Jackson ’91 in his own words. I first contacted Wes about 18 months ago for “Take This Job and Love It," and we had a fascinating chat via Zoom about how this accomplished and influential hip-hop promoter, who is also a business executive-in-residence at an esteemed college, is most passionate about the children’s lacrosse program he runs in Brooklyn. It’s the element of his life he most wants to be remembered for. “Take This Job” installments typically run about 850 words, but I was past 600 just trying to explain the origins of this unlikely story. I wasn’t even into the story yet! I knew this narrative was too much to be contained in that space. And so, several issues of The Lawrentian after it was originally planned to run, Wes Jackson’s heartening feature is on our cover. Speaking of our cover – well, really, our entire magazine – this issue will be the last of its kind. The Lawrentian isn’t going anywhere; quite the contrary. Our spring issue will feature an intriguing new look, with updated typefaces, reconsidered editorial departments, and a greater variety of voices, including students, from our campus and beyond. Just as exciting is the arrival of a complementary digital platform for our 87-year-old periodical that will give you the option to engage with our stories on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. I really do think you’ll be pleased. • • •

Finally, although Lawrenceville’s enormously successful Emerge Transformed campaign was an unqualified triumph for this School, its students, faculty, and staff, its conclusion also brings the bittersweet news that Mary Kate Barnes H’59 ’77 P’11 ’13 ’19, assistant head of school and director of advancement, and John Gore H’61 ’64 ’65, the longtime director of alumni relations and The Lawrenceville Fund, and more recently, senior philanthropic advisor, have decided to retire. In this short space, I couldn’t possibly explain how valuable their insights, guidance, endless institutional knowledge, and senses of humor have been in helping me navigate this role. I’m grateful to and will miss them both. All the best,

FALL / WINTER 2023 VOLUME 87 | NUMBER 3

Editor

Sean Ramsden

Design

Bruce Hanson

News Editor

Lisa M. Gillard H’17

Staff Photographer Paloma Torres

Contributors

Andrea Fereshteh Adam Grybowski Barbara Horn Sarah Mezzino Tonya Russell Nicole Stock

Photography by

Keith Barraclough De La Vega Fine Art & Imagery, LLC Matt Hagen Dan Z. Johnson

Illustration by

Joel Kimmel Amy Lauren Resvector Graphic

Class Notes Design Lerner Design Group

Proofreader

Rob Reinalda ’76

Head of School

Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21

Assistant Head of School, DIrector of Advancement

Mary Kate Barnes H’59 ’77 P’11 ’13 ’19

Director of Communications and External Relations

Jessica Welsh

The Lawrentian (USPS #306-700) is published quarterly (winter, spring, summer, and fall) by The Lawrenceville School, P.O. Box 6008, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, for alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends. Periodical postage paid at Trenton, NJ, and additional mailing offices.

Sean Ramsden Editor sramsden@lawrenceville.org

The Lawrentian welcomes letters from readers. Please send all correspondence to sramsden@lawrenceville.org or to the above address, care of The Lawrentian Editor. Letters may be edited for publication.

A THOUSAND WORDS

Lucky Leopolds A six-hour canoe and kayak trip down the Batsto River in the New Jersey Pine Barrens did not entail lolling down the stream for the Leopold Scholars this past summer. The students visited the UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve because of its unique ecological characteristics, comparing the acidity of its water against that of streams nearer to Lawrenceville.

IN BRIEF

Ray Published in The Atlantic

s a poet, English teacher Margaret Ray has now achieved something Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost sought – but were ultimately denied by editors: having a work published in The Atlantic. Ray’s poem, “Bertrande de Rols: A poem for Sunday,” appeared in the 166-year-old periodical in August. Ray’s work has been widely published, most recently in her first, full-length collection of poetry, Good Grief, the Ground, for which she was awarded the A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize. She is the winner of the Third Coast Poetry Prize, and her Superstitions of the Mid-Atlantic received a 2020 Chapbook Fellowship from the Poetry Society of America. n

English teacher Margaret Ray with her full-length collection of poetry, Good Grief, the Ground, winner of the A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize.

GAME ON!

Lawrenceville dedicated its new home for social sports behind the Crescent with a ribbon-cutting in October during Family Weekend. The Big Red Park is an attraction for the entire School community, featuring lighted courts for basketball, beach volleyball, and pickleball. “In a world that is becoming increasingly virtual, our parks remain places of visceral beauty,” said Rabbi Lauren Levy H’97 ’01 ’12 P’01 ’02 ’09 in her blessing, quoting the writer Nevada Barr. Putting a finer point on it, School president Bryce Langdon ’24 said the new park “transforms our campus by adding a new space for us to be together and shows a commitment to improving student wellness and wellbeing. It’s warming to know we have the support of all of you to help make this space possible.” The Big Red Park was supported by the generosity of Karen and Jefferson W. Kirby ’80 P’11 ’12 ’15 ’18, Matthew Sharp and Eliza Tobias Sharp ’89 P’24, Luba and Marcus Montenecourt ’87 P’26 ’26, Stephen and Joyce Chen Shueh P’23 ’27, and Xueguang Du and Dan Zheng P’26. Pictured above are the Shuehs, Sharps, Montenecourts, and Head of School Steve Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21. n 6

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

A Big Red Return Four Lawrenceville alumni came back to the classroom this fall.

or a school, it says something good when former students want to return as teachers. It speaks to the quality of their school experience and their desire to give back to a community that had a meaningful, positive impact on their lives. This fall Lawrenceville welcomed back four alumni spanning 25 years in fulltime instructional roles: Isaiah Chery ’18, Matt Schorr ’09, Ash Shah ’93, and Bri Thompson ’18. Chery, a 2022 graduate of Franklin & Marshall College with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and government, is coaching varsity and junior varsity football and will move on to winter and spring track, sports he played at Lawrenceville and F&M. He is also sitting in on math and economics classes, embracing the traditional model of teaching and coaching. Thompson, who served as student council president, returns as a Penn Teaching Fellow, pursuing a master’s degree in education while teaching science and coaching girls’ junior varsity soccer under the guidance of a Lawrenceville mentor. She’s also back on the Ropes Course as an adviser.

Both Thompson and Chery noted that Lawrenceville students have changed very little in the last five years, even after a pandemic intervened. “The students are just as curious, just as excited, just as nervous about the same things,” Thompson said. “The same little victories and joys make them happy and proud.” If the name “Schorr” sounds familiar, it’s probably because Matt’s grandfather, Col. David Schorr H’65 ’88 ’97 ’98 ’00 ’02 P’80 ’82 ’88 GP’97 ’09 ’12 ’17, preceded him in the math department and was director of the School Camp for many years. Matt Schorr’s father, uncles, siblings, and a cousin are all Lawrentians, and retired math teacher Hal Wilder H’77 ’89 ’15 P’97 is his uncle. A greatgrandfather, Arthur Peck P’58 ’60 GP’80 ’82 ’88, taught French at Lawrenceville from 1932-70. Schorr began his classroom career with Teach for America in Detroit following his graduation from the University of WisconsinMadison. He went on to teach in a public charter high school in Washington, D.C., before returning to Detroit at University Preparatory Academy. He is teaching Math 2 and Pre-Calculus, serving as assistant head in Kennedy House and coaching House football, and looking forward to coaching junior varsity baseball in the spring. Schorr has always leaned on his own Harkness training to lead his classes. “When I started teaching,” he said, “the ability to think quickly on my feet and adapt to situations was a great help. You can’t hide at the Harkness table.” Shah, who is teaching humanities/English, brings a mix of both early and recent teaching experience separated by 16-year gap during which he served as managing partner of a company that provided financing and production services to the motion picture industry, managed a family real estate trust, and represented screenwriters as an artist’s agent. Once he decided to return to teaching, Shah knew Lawrenceville was the place he wanted to be. “I was very committed to the model here – teaching, coaching, living in a House,” he said. “I have a great affinity for the school and want to see my students get what I got from it.” Shah is also teaching a Fifth Form elective called “Case Studies in International Policy,” a course he developed in coordination with the University of Virginia and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), requiring student teams to respond to a real-world security problem and present their solutions to DoD officials. An assistant head in Cleve who coaches House football, Shah earned his bachelor’s degree in English, European history, and government from Connecticut College and a Master of Liberal Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, and he is pursuing a second master’s through the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. All four new alumni faculty agree on the value of their Harkness experience in preparing them for life and their new role. “[The most valuable skill] would probably be the way I learned to figure out my argument and how to defend it,” Chery said. “I got really good at public speaking and filtering through different perspectives, balancing different ideas, and reforming my opinions based on new information. I found my voice.” The hardest thing about the transition from student to faculty member? Schorr may have said it best: “Not calling my former teachers ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’” n —Barbara Horn FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Wellness Team is Set

Two new faces and a widely respected familiar one will key the School’s forthcoming strategic plan for wellbeing.

Bernadette Teeley P’24, dean of academics, was one of 30 education thought leaders to work on a report on “The Case for Education Transformation” for the UN General Assembly.

Teeley Joins UN Education Report

hen Salzburg Global Seminar convened educators and policy-makers from around the world in to prepare a report on “The Case for Education Transformation” for the United Nations General Assembly, Bernadette Teeley P’24, dean of academics, was there. As an invited fellow, Teeley joined approximately 30 education thought leaders, including representatives of UNESCO, the LEGO Foundation, Big Change (U.K.), and Dream India, to explore the factors that contribute to a “Quality Education,” goal No. 4 among the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Founded in 1947, Salzburg Global Seminar (SGS) works to ensure a quality, accessible, and equitable education worldwide. SGS also sponsors programs addressing social and economic inequality, racial and gender equity, good governance, and climate issues. “Salzburg was looking for people with a global view plus experience on the ground,” Teeley said. “I was invited as a classroom educator with a policy background.” The seminar resulted in TransformED: The Case for Education Transformation, published by Diplomatic Courier, with 16 essays focused broadly on the global crisis in education. Teeley and six other fellows contributed a chapter titled, “Educators Are Also Key to Transforming Education Policy and Systems,” which presents what she says is “a simple but effective tool” for combatting the universal issue of teacher burnout. “When we started to untangle teacher burnout, we realized that teachers don’t generally have a structured opportunity to express their own needs,” Teeley explained. “Often when institutions ask faculty to self-assess, that exercise is based on student outcomes. Here we offer a tool that layers in teacher experience in a way that can lead to action, with the knowledge that faculty wellbeing and student wellbeing are intertwined.” Teeley has been complementing her classroom teaching with education policy work since 2000. In connection with the Educational Testing Service (ETS), she has worked on projects for the Children’s Defense Fund, the Department of Education, and several student success initiatives. She began her appointment as Lawrenceville’s dean of academics in July. n

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

C I T I N G L AW R E N C E V I L L E ’ S C O M M I T M E N T to learning and improving in the way a great school should, Head of School Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 announced the institution’s new Wellness Team in June: Rae Chresfield, the inaugural dean of campus wellbeing; Chris Renjilian, medical director; and Blake Eldridge ’96 H’78 ’12 P’25, dean of students, all senior staff positions that will work together to support and strengthen community wellbeing. Chresfield and Renjilian are newcomers to Lawrenceville, while Eldridge is a longtime School administrator and teacher returning to the dean of students post. The Wellness Team is overseen by Marquis Scott, assistant head of school for strategic initiatives, who will lead ongoing collaboration and bring a proactive, holistic approach to campus wellbeing across myriad facets of school life. “Over the course of the past year, we have more closely examined Lawrenceville’s priority of wellbeing. We have gathered in town halls and in small groups, as Houses and as teams, as an administration and as a community, to better understand our collective definition of wellbeing and how this has evolved over time,” Murray said. “Dr. Chresfield, Dr. Renjilian, and Dean Eldridge are dynamic, ambitious, and talented, and I trust their collaboration will result in positive, forward-thinking outcomes for our community.” Key priorities for the student-centered Wellness Team include: • Creating a campus environment that prioritizes student social-emotional health; • Fostering a residential culture of care and inclusion; and • Providing leadership and support for student organizations that promote health and wellness. “The past three years have presented unprecedented challenges for us at Lawrenceville, and indeed for many schools and communities across the country,” Murray explained. “But they have also spurred new ways of thinking, collaborating, and engaging that will benefit our school now, and for generations to come.” n

Rae Chresfield

Dean of Campus Wellbeing

hresfield is charged with developing a public health approach to promote student and community wellbeing, including collaborating with campus partners to create a holistic and inclusive approach to student mental health. She will also have teaching and House responsibilities, living as a highly visible presence in the School community. PROFESSIONAL: • Assistant Vice President of Student Life and Wellness, the University of Delaware • Associate Dean of Health and Wellness, Whitman College • Associate Dean of Health and Wellness, Harvey Mudd College • Private practice in therapy, Portland, Ore. EDUCATION: • Doctor of Philosophy, Counselor Education/ School Counseling and Guidance Services, the University at Buffalo • Master of Arts, Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, New York University • Bachelor of Science, Behavioral Sciences, the University of Maryland Quotable: “My approach to student wellbeing is rooted in collaboration, empowerment, and assisting human beings in building skills to make healthy choices in the context. I am moving into the role with a learning stance. I want to learn how students, faculty, and staff define and envision wellbeing. I will take what I learn to create layered, sustainable education efforts that help community members apply a wellbeing lens to real-life situations.”

Chris Renjilian Medical Director

Blake Eldridge ’96 H’78 ’12 P’25 Dean of Students

enjilian will focus on the overall care of our students while being a resource to faculty in their support of student health. He will oversee the medical staff and counseling team, and work alongside our athletic trainers.

ldridge is noted in the School community as being strongly committed to student wellbeing, and balancing high expectations for student conduct, behavior, and accountability, while demonstrating his characteristic deep compassion and empathy.

PROFESSIONAL: • Assistant Director of Clinical Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania • Specialist in Adolescent Medicine and Sports Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia • Attending Physician; Fellowship, Adolescent Medicine; Fellowship, Primary Care Sports Medicine; Pediatric Resident; Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia EDUCATION: • Doctor of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine • Master of Bioethics, Bioethics/Medical Ethics, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine • Bachelor of Science, Political Science and Government, the University of William & Mary Quotable: “Young people are often capable of coming up with some of the best solutions for challenges that affect their wellness. When problems arise, we do our best work when we stay present and stick with them, reflect back to them who they really are, empower them to spot their weaknesses and learn to trust in their existing capabilities, and model or guide them to a range of strategies they can use to find solutions they can take with them moving forward.”

AT LAWRENCEVILLE: • Associate Dean of Students for discipline and development • Dean of Students • Chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department • English teacher, Level Director, and Head of House EDUCATION: • Master of Arts, English, Middlebury College • Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, University of Chicago Quotable: "House life is most successful when students’ eagerness for social interaction, their desire to explore different aspects of their identity, and their willingness to balance their own desires with respect for others’ needs all complement each other in a supportive environment. That combination for House life closely mirrors the recipe for personal wellbeing."

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Amélie Brings Joy with a French Twist “THE STORY SEEMED TO BE AT THE HEART OF A YOUNG, inquisitive mind who wants to better the world around her,” said Matt Campbell, director of theatre, who was also the stage director for this year’s Periwig fall production, Amélie: The Musical, which played Kirby Arts Center in October. Campbell wanted to present “something new” to audiences this year, and Amélie, which made its Broadway debut in 2017, fit the bill. “We haven’t done something on our stage that has such a small window between the time it came to Broadway and now,” he said. Without stage interpretations of Amélie having yet calcified into standard, the cast felt empowered to make the roles their own. “I think especially with this one, it’s kind of wherever we want to take the characters,” said Sameer Menghani ’24, who played Nino, “and learning to step out of the box and take the characters in a new direction.” Claire Jiang ’24, who starred in the title role, took her part somewhat literally; Amélie Poulain decides to make it her mission to bring happiness to the people around her in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris. For two nights, Jiang and her castmates brought joy to audiences. “I think the big word is storytelling,” she said. “It’s so fun to watch a story, but it’s even more fun to be a part of that.” n — From a report by L10 News

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

C U LT U R E S I N M OT I O N

ON THE ARTS

Elements of cultures and styles, both traditional and contemporary, were brought to life through the Fall Dance Series in November.

GO BIG RED

HILL DAY THREE-PEAT

Big Red took care of business at Hill in November, bringing the Meigs-Green cup home for the third year in a row. School President Bryce Langdon ’24 and Head of School Steve Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 savored the sunset moment with the cup.

QUITE A RUN

Net Advantage Rayce Welborne ’24 capped a stellar career on the pitch for boys’ soccer, setting new Big Red single-season records for goals (21), assists (14), and points (56). Rayce finished his time at Lawrenceville with 38 total goals, second in Big Red history, 25 assists, and 101 points. He was also three-time selection to the All-M.A.P.L., All-State (N.J.I.S.A.A.), All-State (Prep) and All-Area teams.

FALL SPORTS ROUNDUP Boys’ Cross Country Record: 0-2 First Team All-M.A.P.L.: Arunav Sarkar ’27 Coach: Jeff Streeter Captains: Taksh Gupta ’25, Luke Pometti ’25

Girls’ Cross Country Record: 2-1 M.A.P.L. Champions First Team All-M.A.P.L.: Keira Lehmann ’24, Megan Kumar ’24 Coach: Melissa Clore H’02 Captains: Keira Lehmann ’24, Nishka Malik ’24

Field Hockey Record: 6-8-1 First Team All-M.A.P.L.: Taylor Hill ’25 Coach: Lisa Ewanchyna P’23 Captains: Chloe Babich ’24, Anna Hoover ’24

Under the tutelage of head coach Melissa Clore H’02, the girls’ cross country captured its sixth consecutive Mid-Atlantic Prep League title this fall. The championship was sparked by First-Team All-M.A.P.L. performances by Megan Kumar ’24 (pictured) and Keira Lehmann ’24, who co-captained the squad with Nishka Malik ’24.

Football

Girls’ Tennis

Record: 6-3 Coach: Napoleon Sykes Captains: Aidan Cassidy ’24, Raphael Dunn ’24, Jack Rice ’24

Record: 11-2 First Team All-M.A.P.L.: Sophie Bilanin ’26, Katelyn Ni ’26 Coach: Kim McMenamin Captains: Grace Chu ’24, Fangyao N. Jin ’24

Boys’ Soccer Record: 9-13-1 First Team All-M.A.P.L.: Rayce Welborne ’24, Brady Le ’25 First Team N.J.I.S.A.A. All-Prep: Rayce Welborne’24 First Team N.J.I.S.A.A. All-State: Rayce Welborne’24 First Team Mercer County All-Area: Rayce Welborne ’24 Coach: Chris Whalen Captains: Adrian Carlisi ’24, Rayce Welborne ’24

Girls’ Soccer Record: 6-9-2 First Team All-M.A.P.L.: Cameron Gabrielson ’24, Kingsley Hughes ’24, Amelia Jerge ’24 Coach: Jessica Magnuson Captains: Alaina Crichton ’24, Cameron Gabrielson ’24, Amelia Jerge ’24

Girls’ Volleyball Record: 13-6 Coach: Katey O’Malley H’07, Karla Cosgriff Captains: Aleyna Aksu ’24, Jalia Dublin ’25

Boys’ Water Polo Record: 12-8 Garden State Tournament Champions Coach: Julio Alcantara-Martin, Misha Klochkov Captains: Toby Richmond ’24, Charles Vachris ’24, Henrique Coelho ’25

Girls’ Water Polo Record: 10-5 Coach: Stefanie Harrison, Misha Klochkov Captains: Sneha Kumar ’24, Vivian Teeley ’24

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

INSIDE THE GATES we 3 Things learned

producing this issue of The Lawrentian

1. Emily Dickinson

and Robert Frost were both denied publication of their poems in The Atlantic, but English teacher Maggie Ray’s work was included in August.

2. Neurosurgeon John Y.K. Lee ’90 P’24, who

already helped pioneer interoperative molecular imaging, also has the gumption to install his own solar panels on the roof of his home.

3. During a 1973 restoration of the Pop

Hall cupola, workers encountered a colony of bees large enough to have produced a deposit of honey weighing a couple hundred pounds.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

CLUB HOPPING: BIG RED BIKE SHOP Founded: 2023 Purpose: Teaching students practical bicycle repair and maintenance skills while providing bike repair services for the campus. It’s a common sight outside any building at Lawrenceville: bicycles propped up on their kickstands. It’s the quickest and cleanest way to get to class on time, but all that pedaling takes a toll on these cycles, so Lawrentians can turn to the Big Red Bike Shop to keep them speeding along. Former science teacher Sean Dory started the Big Red Bike Shop in spring 2022 and soon, “it was clear that BRBS served a crucial role in the Lawrenceville community,” says president Alyssa Roberts ’24, who managed to earn official club status for Big Red Bike Shop this year. “I loved the club and knew Lawrenceville would greatly benefit from it,” says Roberts, who wanted to maintain the resource for everyone, “whether they wanted to learn or get their bike repaired.” BRBS meets weekly on Tuesday evenings, available to repair any bikes brought in by students, faculty, and staff, which is not only practical, but has a social component, too. “At every meeting,” Roberts explains, “I see a new face and meet a new person.” n

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y A M Y L A U R E N

THEY SAID IT

questions for Christopher Trucano ’25, a Pinstripes Partisan who steps up to the plate to reveal his dream vacation and what cool treat he’d like to eat upon his return home.

What is your favorite sports team? The New York Yankees. I watch every Yankees game, and I try to go to as many games as I can. [Last] year, I went to twelve. I love this team, and I love following them.

Which fictional character from a book or movie would you most like to meet? The fictional characters I would most like to meet would be Tom and Jerry. I loved watching their shows when I was younger, and I watched all of the episodes.

If you could have an all-expenses paid trip anywhere, where would you go? I would go to Africa. I love animals and seeing animals in person would be awesome. I would go with my family, and it would be a lot of fun.

What never fails to make you laugh? My friends. I love talking to my friends, and whenever they make a joke, I always laugh.

What is your favorite snack food? I would say chocolate ice cream. I could eat it every day.

“School spirit would mean more than coming to pep rallies – it would mean a feeling of trust and amiability even with Lawrentians one doesn’t know. […] In my opinion, true school spirit is compassion – it is an investment in the well-being of others because everyone here needs to thrive for the school to flourish. It’s possible to experience this motivation towards collective success at sports games where people cheer Lawrentian teams for sports they don’t play, or the raucous applause at the end of every Periwig production. Passion is scoring a game-winning goal or bringing an audience to tears; spirit is feeling a personal win while watching your friends do the same. Spirit is approaching someone in Tsai [Field House] who’s struggling or sitting alone, or offering to study with someone in your French class you don’t know but would like to. It is the broadening of who we care about to the school at large.” — Arya Vishwakarma ’25 in “How to Combat Simmering School Spirit,” which

appeared in the May 12, 2023, issue of The Lawrence.

TO WATCH Changing the Healthcare Game: Megan Kumar ’24  Working with Dr. Andrew Storm, director of Mayo Clinic Rochester’s Endoscopy Clinic, Megan created an AI program to help doctors effectively triage patients with gastrointestinal bleeding.

 It enables medical professionals to collect and input patient data to predict location of gastrointestinal bleeding, its severity, patient disposition, and other critical information to triage patients more accurately.

 Megan trains the model to calculate and predict outcomes using the Mayo Clinic data set, and tests how well the program predicts against the findings of actual Mayo Clinic physicians.

 To date, Megan’s model is 100 percent accurate in predicting the sources of G.I. bleeds and around 95 percent predicting other conditions.

 “It’s really a global health project,” says Megan. “Use of the model improves quality of care in poor neighborhoods, and it can be deployed by anyone at any time.” FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT

By ADAM GRYBOWSKI • PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN Z. JOHNSON

DREA MI N G U N D E R THE

A campfire chat compelled Ali Rasmussen ’03 and her husband, Eric, to establish a collection of East Coast campgrounds. 14

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

OOD THINGS HAPPEN WHILE SITTING AROUND a campfire. First, the flames draw us together before they urge us to reflect and ponder ourselves and our place under the heavens. It was around a campfire one night that Ali (Rulle) Rasmussen ’03 and her husband, Eric, began pondering a new vision for their future. A few months after the pandemic shut down society in early 2020, the Rasmussens packed up their three kids (8 months, 2 and 5, at the time) into an RV they had purchased on a whim and hit the road. Passionate about the outdoors and with rugged camping experience under their belts, they saw an RV as a way for their young children to experience nature in a less intense way than tent camping. They drove to a different campground every night, choosing each next destination along the way. By the time they returned to their home in New Jersey, Ali estimates they had visited more than two dozen campgrounds, experiencing the wide variety of options available to campers, from small mom-and-pop operations to corporate-owned entities, state parks to national parks, witnessing grounds with meticulously sanitized amenities to those surviving on bare-bones maintenance. “It was an unintentional crash course in this lifestyle,” Ali says. After putting the kids to bed one night during their RV trip, Ali and Eric sat around the campfire, stoked the flames in front of them, and began discussing their entrepreneurial dreams. The couple had met while each was pursuing an MBA – Ali at Duke and Eric at the University of North Carolina. With Eric working remotely in real estate acquisition and Ali, the primary caregiver to their young children, having put her marketing career on pause, they were searching for an idea that would allow them to strike out on their own in business. “After having seen as many campgrounds as we had,” Ali says, “we came up with the idea that we could put our skills together and create what would be our family’s ideal campground.” By early 2021, the co-founders launched their Spacious Skies Campgrounds, using a moniker inspired by the lyrics of “America the Beautiful.” Today, Spacious Skies consists of fifteen campgrounds in ten states along the East Coast, from Savannah, Georgia, to Abbot, Maine. The company’s goal is to offer consistency in quality and experience while preserving and highlighting the uniqueness and natural beauty of each location and its surrounding area. From transitioning newly acquired campgrounds to the Spacious

Night Sky

Skies brand to managing day-to-day operations, Ali and Eric are very hands-on. That’s not the way they originally envisioned the company’s operation. Capitalizing on Eric’s experience as a real estate developer, the couple initially wanted to strategically invest in a few campgrounds and hire third parties to manage the properties. After purchasing their first site in Alfred, Maine, in May 2021, the major flaw of that plan – relying on an unknown third party – became apparent. On the day of the closing, the management company failed to send any staff, forcing Ali to grab the reins. While she was thrown headlong into learning the ABCs of campground management, Eric was left on his own at home with the kids for what would be two weeks. “From that point on,” Ali says, “we knew we couldn’t trust someone else to do this.” As the company’s chief executive officer and creative director, Ali has been running Spacious Skies’ operations from that day forward, overseeing the teams that manage each campground’s staff while also drawing on her career in marketing to execute the company’s brand vision. Eric, the president and director of acquisitions, drives the growth of their portfolio and oversees property improvement. “And when it comes to our grand direction, those are decisions we both make together,” Ali says. Part of that grand vision is to use their company as a lever to expand what Ali says has traditionally been a homogenous community of campers. Spacious Skies is the first private campground company to complete the Unity Blaze Certification, a program offered through the North Carolina-based organization Black Folks Camp Too, which is working to make the camping community more inclusive and to unite all campers regardless of race, age, gender, or other identity. Training through the program is required of every member of the staff at Spacious Skies. “I feel like we have a responsibility to drive that movement to continue transforming the industry and bring more diversity, equity, and inclusion within this space,” says Ali, who was recently invited to join the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds’ new committee focused on increasing diversity on a large scale. “We are trying to make it obvious that everyone is welcome into our campgrounds.” While up to this point Spacious Skies has limited itself to the East Coast, Ali and Eric have national ambitions. They are exploring the option to offer franchising opportunities and are eager to find the right people who want to join their growing 150-person team. Perhaps inspiration for their next big move will emanate from around the campfire once again – this time in a campground they own and offer to others for their own inspiration and enjoyment. “We take the responsibility and honor of touching people’s lives in this way very seriously,” Ali says. “We help people make memories, and it’s all in the outdoors, which is a good, positive thing. It’s good for your health and your relationships and helps you pay attention to and appreciate the environment. We want to make our mark in making the world a better place.” n

[ Adam Grybowski is a freelance writer based in Lawrence Township, New Jersey.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Following the removal of the Tiffany windows, temporary replicas made of high-resolution photographs were installed. Art Femenella Jr. gifted the School new clear glazing to enhance their appearance. (Photo: De La Vega Fine Art & Imagery, LLC)

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

ASK THE ARCHIVIST

By SARAH MEZZINO

Windows to the W

SOUL

HEN IT WAS COMPLETED in 1895, Edith Memorial Chapel became the last structure built on Frederick Law Olmsted’s famous asymmetrical Circle. The Chapel, constructed during America’s Religious Building Boom (1877-1900), epitomizes the Auditorium Protestant Church style with tiered theatrical seating and leaded-glass windows showcasing biblical scenes and ornate patterns. Fourteen of the windows girdling Edith Memorial Chapel were created by Tiffany Glass and Decorating Co., founded by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Six of these are exceptionally rare and large Medieval Medallion-style windows featuring biblical scenes and vast swaths of opalescent glass. The remaining eight windows are small Ornamental-style works filled with Christian symbolism and jeweltoned colored glass. They are historically significant and beautiful. They are also, as one might expect given their age, in need of repair. On a visit to Lawrenceville in early 2017, Lindsy Parrott, the executive director and curator of the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in New York, and Morgan Albahary ’10, then the Neustadt’s curatorial and collections associate, spotted a phenomenon known as “deflection” in the Medieval Medallion windows. Deflection is the bowing and bending of lead lines from unregulated temperatures. The surface of the windows rippled like ocean waves, cresting and receding. If left untreated, deflection can result in window collapse, because lead

After nearly 130 years, the historic and beautiful Tiffany windows of Edith Memorial Chapel are in need of conservation.

Femenella & Associates founder Art Femenella Sr., who guided Lawrenceville on the difficult and delicate conservation process, died unexpectedly in July 2022. In 2019, Femenella delivered a lecture to the School community explaining the windows’ dire condition, need for restoration, and future protection.

lines expand beyond their ability to support individual pieces of glass. Parrott recommended I reach out to Femenella & Associates, one of the nation’s foremost experts in the care and restoration of historic glass. That spring, we received a visit from its founder, Art Femenella Sr., who had just signed a deal to work on the leaded glass in the U.S. Capitol, to introduce him to the Chapel and its glass. “What’s the verdict, Art?” I asked Femenella, who towered above me in the Chapel’s crossing as he examined the antique glasswork. “Will we be able to repair the windows?” His expression suggested concern. “Deflection can be repaired,” he advised me afterward, “but we spotted more underlying issues.” Femenella returned to campus in March 2019 to conduct a closer, detailed assessment of the windows’ condition. Generously funded by Leslie P’09 ’11 ’14 and Bob Doll P’09 ’11 ’14 and family, this essential assessment was to determine the state of the

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Workers from Femenella & Associates extracted the failing Tiffany leaded windows in March 2023. After their removal, the Tiffany windows were carefully packed away for transport to the facility where they are being conserved.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Chapel’s windows after nearly one-hundred thirty years, and potential treatments. Soon, it became evident that although periodic efforts to maintain them had extended the natural life of the Tiffany windows, the continuous effects of time and the irresistible dynamics of separating the indoors from the outdoors had also pushed them to a point that now required a more dramatic intervention. My research informed me that the windows had been previously releaded and reinforced with metal bars in 1950, according to an account in The Lawrence, though I have been unable to locate any additional records of that work. Glazing had been added as a protective layer in the late 1970s or early 1980s, but again, the associated paperwork is sparse. Femenella believed that the Medieval Medallion windows may have evinced deflection in the past and that part of the prior restoration attempt consisted of flattening the windows. “Doing so often causes glass to crack,” he told me, “and you have numerous areas of cracked glass.” In his estimation, workers tried to cover some breakage with “Dutchman lines,” or faux lead lines, which altered the window’s original appearance. Femenella also found that the 1968 reconfiguration of the Chapel’s apse to accommodate the new organ and pipes had necessitated the flattening of the Ornamental windows in order to fit them into their new space. Some of the windows were also slightly askew within their frames, and with forty-plus years of unvented glazing, Femenella said, there was a high probability that the windows’ wooden frames were rotting due to moisture trapped between the glazing and the windows. “Unvented glazing would also account for the obvious deflection,” he explained. “That space between the windows and glazing has become a super-heated microclimate.” Leaded glass is designed to flex with wind loads. However, over long periods, the metal fatigues from constant movement and eventually breaks. The Chapel windows had broken solder joints and cracks in the lead cames – the joints that connect pieces of stained glass – throughout the windows. Femenella also noticed the cames had corroded, and that the windows would need to be completely releaded. What’s more, typical of depictions of human figures in Tiffany’s portfolio, the faces, hands, and feet painted on the glass in the Chapel’s windows

had flaked off from those areas, diminishing the original images. “It can all be conserved, Sarah,” Femenella reassured me. “And I’m here to help.” Lawrenceville’s development officers began working with School administration and trustees to formulate a plan to fund conservation. But with the sudden onset of the pandemic in March 2020, applicable budgets were diverted to cope with COVID-19, including the pivot to distance learning, and the project was paused for a time. In November 2021, I began discussing emergency stabilization options with Femenella and his son, Art Femenella Jr., whose knowledge of welding expanded the family business to include the restoration and conservation of steel and metal windows. We determined that our best course of action would be to remove the windows, place them into climate-controlled storage, and temporarily replace them with highquality replicas until the originals were conserved. Removal and treatment would occur in two stages: The Medieval Medallion windows would be addressed first and the Ornamental windows second. The Tiffany windows were professionally photographed, appraised, and insured for their removal, storage, and conservation. Femenella & Associates extracted the Medieval Medallion windows this past March, removing the glazing and Tiffany’s original work in small rectangular sections. Each section of Tiffany’s windows was secured between thick foam sheets, placed in custommade wooden crates, and transported to a climate-controlled storage space. Once the original windows were removed, temporary replicas – with a lifespan of three years – were installed. Over the span of three weeks, the Tiffany Medieval Medallion windows were protected from further deterioration. I, along with my colleagues, look forward to the project’s next phases. If you are interested in learning more about this project, please contact Sean Grieve, director of planned giving and leadership gifts officer, at 215-2373899 or sgrieve@lawrenceville.org. n

[ Sarah Mezzino is the curator of decorative arts and design for the Stephan Archives. Her article, "Whither the Missing Window?,” detailing a commissioned-but-never-completed memorial window by Tiffany for Edith Memorial Chapel, appeared in the spring 2017 issue of The Lawrentian.

Did you know? n The Lawrenceville Fund is the School’s top philanthropic priority. n The Lawrenceville Fund benefits every student on campus.

n You can designate your gift to TLF to one of 10 areas of support, including Arts, Athletics, Faculty Support, Scholarship Aid, and Sustainability.

n TLF provides 10% of the School’s yearly operating budget.

n In Fiscal Year 2023 (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023), over 2,000 donors made gifts of $250 or less.

n A gift of $25 can help provide a student receiving Scholarship Aid with a weekly allowance.

n 96% of donors to Emerge Transformed: The Campaign for Lawrenceville gave to TLF and The Parents Fund.

To learn more or make a gift, scan QR or visit giving.lawrenceville.org

Lawrenceville Emerges

TRANSFORMED The $475.7 million capital campaign is the most successful ever conducted by an independent school.

he School community celebrated the unprecedented success of its Emerge Transformed: The Campaign for Lawrenceville with a festive finale that included an evening of dining and dancing in Tsai Commons on October 27. Emerge Transformed, which

concluded on June 30, raised $475.7 million for School programs and priorities, making it the most successful fundraising campaign ever conducted by an independent school. The Campaign prioritized Scholarship Aid, Faculty and Academic Support, Campus and Community, and Financial Sustainability.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Highlights of the Campaign include: • $117.8 million for Scholarship Aid • $69.8 million for Faculty and Academic Support • $43.6 million raised for The Lawrenceville Fund • $211.9 million raised in endowed funds, including $97.4 million in planned gifts and realized bequests • Campus improvements, including the new Tsai Field House, Getz Sports Complex (includes Howard and Violich Fields), Dishner Track & Field Complex, and Big Red Park • A 15,000-square-foot makerspace – the Gruss Center for Art and Design, or GCAD – that puts the emphasis on collaboration, problem-solving, and state-of-the-art technology

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

“The fundamental and enduring values of a Lawrenceville education remain relevant and are now further strengthened by our increased focus on new technologies and strategies to meet the challenges of the modern world,“ Head of School Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 said. “Thanks to the overwhelming support of our School community, Lawrenceville graduates will be well-equipped to lead in the 21st century and beyond.” Jonathan Weiss ’75, president of the Board of Trustees, expressed his gratitude to all, particularly campaign co-chairs Michael Chae ’86, Glenn Hutchins ’73, Joe Tsai ’82, and Alex Buckley Voris ’96, and vice chairs Jean Fang ’90 P’27 and Joe Frumkin ’76 P’11, who steered the success of Emerge Transformed despite its launch amid uncertain times. “We announced Emerge Transformed in May 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic,” Weiss said, “but our community demonstrated once again its willingness to invest in Lawrenceville and its future despite unprecedented circumstances.” n

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

‘The Best in the Business’ After setting a new independent school fundraising standard, Barnes is retiring on top.

he resounding success of the School’s Emerge Transformed campaign will also serve as a memorable and triumphant coda to the career of Mary Kate Barnes H’59 ’77 P’11 ’13 ’19, assistant head of school and director of advancement, who is retiring from Lawrenceville after 32 years that were, well … transformative. Barnes, who came to Lawrenceville in 1991 as the associate director of capital programs, was elevated to director of alumni and development in 1997 following the completion of the Lawrenceville Leadership Campaign. In welcoming her to the top spot in the School’s fund- and “friend-raising” functions, then-Head Master Michael Cary H’47 ’01 ’03 P’01 noted that, “In choosing Mary Kate […] Lawrenceville has selected a leader who can sustain the School’s success in this critical function for the long term.”

Mary Kate Barnes H’59 ’77 P’11 Cary’s words proved prophetic. ’13 ’19, assistant head of school and Barnes’ 26 years heading director of advancement, is retiring development included the 2010 from Lawrenceville after 32 years. Bicentennial Campaign, which raised over $200 million for Lawrenceville – at the time the largest in the School’s history – and, of course, Emerge Transformed, which brought in $475.7 million for the School. In 2017, she was recognized by CASE, the Council for the Support and Advancement of Education, with the coveted Robert Bell Crow Award for distinguished service to the profession. That same year, Head of School Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 appointed Barnes an assistant head of school, a title she added to her current role as director of advancement. “Mary Kate is the best in the business,” Murray said in announcing his choice. “Over the course of her successful tenure, she has shown herself to be a tremendously effective fundraiser, developed an unparalleled network of relationships at the Board level and throughout the alumni body, and she is driven by a deep love of the institution, which is apparent to all of us who work with her.” n

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

LTHOUGH 2020 WAS A YEAR of dramatic upheaval, for Jacqueline Schafer ’00, it was a year of opportunity. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched Clearbrief, an artificial intelligence platform that reviews legal documents and acts as another set of eyes for legal professionals. The platform enables judges and litigants to locate, view, and evaluate the evidence in support of every statement in a document filed with the court. Clearbrief also uses natural language processing to show counsel where their opponents are stretching the truth in their writing, compared with what the evidence actually says. While paperwork is the most timeconsuming part of being an attorney, Schafer’s Microsoft Word extension enables legal professionals to shave off non-billable

possible to send password-protected charts to colleagues. A graduate of Boston University’s School of Law, Schafer has practiced with private law firms and as an assistant attorney general for the Alaska Department of Law and the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, and knew all too well the time demands of the profession. “I spent most of my career in government, where you’re just writing and drafting so many documents,” she explains, “and there’s always the same sort of scramble to check everything over for accuracy, and sure, everything looks perfect before you file.” Schafer was aware early on that her idea could be useful, even if she had no way of predicting the AI boom and the possibility that legal professionals would be letting computers write and research. But AI can also be a double-edged sword, and law isn’t

Forward A CLEAR STEP

Jacqueline Schafer ’00 and her Clearbrief platform are using artificial intelligence to create a more efficient and accurate legal process.

B Y TO N YA R U S S E L L • P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y M AT T H A G E N hours by simplifying the location and evaluation of evidence for documents to be filed in courts. Users can select text and quickly add a citation, as well as see suggested supporting information and view any discrepancies – which applies to opposing discovery, too. Three years later, the verdict is in: Clearbrief was named the Litigation Technology Product of the Year for 2023 in March by Legalweek, the largest national legal conference, beating out more established companies such as LexisNexis and Everlaw. Since then, the platform has only improved, with users now able to streamline searches by dates mentioned and quickly scan the document for key points using AI’s quick summary chart. It’s also 24

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

immune to the downsides. Earlier this year, an attorney using AI cited fake cases in a court filing. Schafer says that Clearbrief is able spot these errors, and lawyers and magistrates alike now use the product. Clearbrief benefited from being born right before a pandemic, as COVID quarantines gave Schafer access to people who would otherwise not be home to take her phone calls or emails. “I was able to sort of network my way into meetings because a lot of people were just stranded at home,” she says. It wasn’t until she interned with a nonprofit in New York City a decade and a half ago that Schafer became curious about how technology could help shape the legal profession.

“I was advising the data science team,” she says. I started to learn about data science, and I ended up writing an academic article about AI and how I thought it could apply to the legal world.” Schafer knew she was on to something. “As I was digging in, I realized: Oh, my god, this really is going to change the world.” From that realization, she began to familiarize herself with the tech startup world, which was already omnipresent in Seattle, where she now lives. Schafer surrounded herself with mentors, including Mark Britton, the founder of Avvo, an online marketplace for legal services. Former schoolmate Laura Kornhauser ’99 also launched her own financial technology startup, Stratyfy, just a few years before Clearbrief, and she and Schafer have offered each other support in a male-dominated industry. After immersing herself in all things startup, Schafer acquired funding from numerous venture capital firms – no mean feat, considering that only 2 percent of venture capital funding goes to women. Schaefer raised over $3.5 million from Reign Ventures, as well as Court Lorenzini, the co-founder and CEO of DocuSign, and entrepreneurial tech expert Brian Gardner. She also assembled a team of veterans, such as chief technology officer Jose Saura, who was previously with Microsoft. Lawrenceville classmate Nur-e Rahman Freedman ’00 is also a part of Clearbrief’s customer success team. Schafer has always had a winning mentality, and she hopes that her two daughters are motivated and inspired by seeing the limitless potential that women can have. Her extensive legal career and nonprofit work have shaped her knowledge base and curiosity, but she credits her time at Lawrenceville for making her the leader that she is today. “I had the opportunity to take on different leadership roles, like in theater, and being the president of my dorm during senior year,” she says. “I think that really shaped my ability to think creatively and to be an innovative thinker.” n [ Based in New Jersey, Tonya Russell is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, among other publications.

“

As I was digging in, I realized: Oh, my god, this really is going to change the world.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

A BIG RED REUNION ALUMNI WEEKEND 2023 26

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

EARLY 1,400 LAWRENTIANS REACHING back seventy-five years and their guests returned to campus in early June, making Alumni Weekend a festive and fun reunion. The Big Red Food Truck Picnic and Festival made the Circle the place to be on Saturday afternoon on a weekend highlighted

by dinners for the classes of the 3s and 8s, the Alumni Awards presentation, and a Big Red Farm Tour.

The Class of 1973 celebrated their 50th reunion, and they did not arrive empty-handed. The class presented The Lawrenceville Fund a check for more than $7 million as their reunion gift. Glenn H. Hutchins ’73 also lent an exhibition of more than seventy original, signed Ansel Adams prints at the Hutchins Galleries to mark the class’s landmark reunion, and hosted a talk about the collection on Saturday. Twenty-three new honorary class memberships were conferred, and

the Alumni Association bestowed its prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award upon Darrell Fitzgerald ’68 for his longtime commitment and service to the School. The robust program also saw Harkness Awards presented to a pair of cherished former teachers, Tim Brown H’84 ’04 ’20 P’04 ’08 ’08 and Jack Devlin H’66. The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony made its Alumni Weekend debut, welcoming longtime tennis coach Dave Cantlay H’89 ’91 ’93 ’94 ’15 P’07 ’09 ’11 and three-sport standout Becket Wolf ’93.

Join us for Alumni Reunion Weekend 2024 on May 31 to June 2.

FA L L

2023

NEW HONORARY ALUMNI/AE

HARKNESS AWARDS

THE CLASS OF 1963

Tim Brown H’84 ’04 ’20 P’04 ’08 ’08 Science and Mathematics Teacher • Taught for 38 years at Lawrenceville after arriving in 1982, having earned a bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina. • Along with wife Barbara Elkins P’04 ’08, was appointed co-headmaster of Griswold House in 1985, the first husband-and-wife housemaster pairing. • They also served as housemasters of Stanley House. • Served as league director for Ultimate Disc. • Retired from Lawrenceville in 2020 and now resides in Florence, Mass. • Father of Jennifer Brown ’04, Gabriel Brown ’08, and Nathaniel Brown ’08.

Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21

THE CLASS OF 1968 Peter C. Candler H’63 ’67 ’76 Virginia Chambers H’54 ’58 ’59 ’60 ’61 ’62 ’66 ’67 ’71 ’73 ’78 ’80 ’89 P’77

THE CLASS OF 1973 Herman Besselink H’88 ’94 Ross Arthur “Doc” Harrison Doug James Kenneth W. Keuffel H’59 ’61 ’89 ’90 P’79 H. Carty Lynch H’71 ’81 ’84

THE CLASS OF 1978 Virginia Chambers H’54 ’58 ’59 ’60 ’61 ’62 ’66 ’67 ’68 ’71 ’73 ’80 ’89 P’77 G. Blake Eldridge ’96 H’12 P’25 Derrick Wilder

THE CLASS OF 1983 James C. Waugh H’67 ’68 ’72 ’74 ’81 ’85 ’88 P’68 ’70 ’72 ’74 ’76 GP’12 ’14 ’16

Tim Brown H’84 ’04 ’20 P’04 ’08, with wife Barbara Elkins P’04 ’08 and children Jennifer Brown ’04, Gabriel Brown ’08, and Nathaniel Brown ’08, received the Harkness Award from the Alumni Association. Jack Devlin H’66 was honored posthumously.

Jack Devlin H’66 Science Teacher Director of Lower School Posthumously • Taught at Lawrenceville from 1953-87, having earned his bachelor’s degree from Saint Peter’s College and having attended Fordham University as a postgraduate student. • Served as director of the Lower School from 1962-84, a science teacher, assistant housemaster of Hamill, housemaster of Thomas. • Was a member of the Steering Committee and the adviser to the Lower School newspaper, The Recorder, as well as the coach of several Thomas House teams, and was active with Periwig. • Collegiate studies were interrupted by World War II, when he spent four years in the U.S. Air Force before teaching at Saint Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, N.J. • Was married to Jo Brewster Devlin H’56 58 ’59 ’60 ’66 ’67 P’71 and a stepfather to Christopher Brewster ’71 and Punky Brewster before his January 1993 passing.

THE CLASS OF 1988 James T. Adams ’65 H’80 ’82 ’93 ’96 ’01 P’03 Max A. Maxwell H’72 ’74 ’79 ’80 ’81 ’91 ’93 ’00 ’01

THE CLASS OF 1993 Diana Bunting H’37 ’59 ’88 P’88 ’97 Josiah Bunting III H’37 ’59 ’88 ’91 ’95 P’88 ’97 Max A. Maxwell H’72 ’74 ’79 ’80 ’81 ’88 ’91 ’00 ’01

THE CLASS OF 1998 David E. Schorr H’65 ’88 ’97 ’00 ’02 P’80 ’82 ’88 GP’97 ’09 ’12 ’17

THE CLASS OF 2003 Cindy M. Ehret ’95 S’94 Stephen A. Laubach P’23

THE CLASS OF 2008 José L. Marti H’84 ’87 ’95 P’91 ’95 ’01

THE CLASS OF 2013 Augustin “Gus” Hedberg H’03 P’96 ’00

THE CLASS OF 2018 Wilburn Williams H’02 ’06 28

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

NEW ALUMNI TRUSTEE ELIZABETH GREENBERG WILKINSON ’02 NEW ALUMNI TRUSTEE SELECTORS RYANN GALLOWAY TACHA ’03 FREDERIC “FRITZ” W. THOMAS JR. ’83 P’18 ’19

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023

Jacqueline Haun, archivist in the Stephan Archives in Bunn Library, received the Big Red Award from outgoing Alumni Association President Charlie Keller ’95. (Not pictured: fellow recipient Kelly Zochowski ’13).

BIG RED AWARDS Jacqueline Haun Kelly C. Zochowski ’13

ART HAILAND ADMIRABLE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Mark Offerman

New Alumni Association President Heather Elliott Hoover ’91 P’20 ’23 ’24 and her predecessor, Charlie Keller ’95. Tony Bryant ’48 P’91, with wife Andrea, was the oldest alumnus in attendance at Alumni Weekend 2023. Tony’s father, Henry Bryant, graduated from Lawrenceville in 1900.

Longtime tennis coach Dave Cantlay H’89 ’91 ’93 ’94 ’15 P’07 ’09 ’11, with wife Rachel Cantlay P’07 ’09 ’11 and son John Cantlay ’09, was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Dave Cantlay H’89 ’91 ’93 ’94 ’15 P’07 ’09 ’11 Boys and Girls Tennis Coach • Arrived at Lawrenceville in 1988 as an English teacher, housemaster, and assistant girls’ tennis coach to Fred Gerstell H’68 ’77, and began coaching boys’ thirds tennis in 1989. • Became head boys’ coach in 2000, and of the girls in 2014, leading both to the tops of their respective leagues. • His girls’ varsity teams won four Mid-Atlantic Prep League and three N.J.I.S.A.A. titles in seven years, and his boys’ teams claimed 11 M.A.P.L. and 13 N.J.I.S.A.A. championships. • Earned several All-Prep Coach of the Year Awards for his work with both programs. Becket Wolf ’93 Soccer, Squash, and Lacrosse • Entered Lawrenceville in 1989 and soon made his mark as a standout threesport athlete, competing in soccer, squash, and lacrosse. • Named to the N.J.I.S.A.A. All-State soccer team as a Fourth Former in 1991; an injury prevented him from competing as a Fifth Former. • A four-year letter winner in squash who rose as high as No. 15 in the U.S. National Junior Squash rankings; team captain in 1992-93 as Three-sport standout Becket Wolf ’93 a Fifth Former. was inducted into the Athletic Hall of • Named to N.J.I.S.A.A. AllFame following an introduction by Mike Goldenberg H’96 ’97 P’05 ’10. State and Mercer County All-Area lacrosse teams in 1992 and 1993; team captain in 1993. • Propelled lacrosse team to two N.J.I.S.A.A. State Prep A championships, backed by a team-leading 39 goals and 30 assists in 1993; led Princeton to three national titles in 1994, 1996, and 1997.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

‘A Labor of Love’ In volunteering his service to the School, Darrell Fitzgerald ’68 seeks to repay Lawrenceville for ‘changing the trajectory’ of his life. BY SEAN RAMSDEN • PHOTO BY PALOMA TORRES Darrell Fitzgerald ’68 was never looking to be a pioneer. He just wanted to be a 14-year-old kid and a student. But in the fall of 1964, he found himself at Lawrenceville with Lyals Battle ’67, “two African American boys out of a school of 641, many of affluence,” Fitzgerald recalled. “The owner of the Dallas Cowboys’ son was in Woodhull.” For a young boy who just a few years prior had lived in a public housing project in nearby Trenton, it was “daunting, to say the least.” Fitzgerald shared his recollections during Alumni Weekend 2023 when he was honored with the School’s Distinguished Alumnus Award at a ceremony inside Kirby Arts Center. The prestigious accolade is conferred annually by the Lawrenceville School Alumni Association to a Lawrentian in recognition of exceptional efforts to promote the best interests of the School. “I walked through the Lower School and I realized that out of 141 boys in the four Houses, I was by myself, and that was a revelation,” Fitzgerald recalled of his belief that he was the sole Black student at Lawrenceville. “Three days later I meet Lyals Battle coming across the Circle.” The two were both on their way to what was then mandatory chapel, when their paths crossed. Fitzgerald recalls their meeting this way: “Hey, man. I’m Darrell.” “‘My name is Lyals.’ He was 15 and I was 14.” “Have you seen anybody else?” “‘You are anybody else, man.” “And at that moment, we realized there were just two of us at the school,” Fitzgerald said. His humor in recounting the exchange belied the weight of responsibility Fitzgerald bore on his teenage shoulders. “I remember my dad saying, ‘Son, you’re representing.’” “Representing what?” “He said, ‘You’re representing your race.” “I’m not Martin Luther King. I’m 14 years old. What am I representing?” “He said, ‘If you do well, then there will be others. If you don’t, there may not be.’” Sixty years later, Lawrenceville remains an integral part of Fitzgerald’s life, and it remains deep within him, too. He remains grateful for the support he received at the School, mentioning the kindness and concern of people like Richard Gaines ’43 H’68 ’69, his housemaster in Cromwell, who would check in on the youngster he knew was, in a way, alone on an island. Fitzgerald also noted how Henry C. Woods, Class of 1914, paid his tuition for the four years he attended Lawrenceville, though he never met the man himself. “He made an investment in me, and I’d like to tell him that I think

I did OK on what he did,” he said. “Changed the trajectory of my life. My life is like a Disney movie. To go from a public housing project to Edgewood [Junior High School] to here, then on to Ivy League schools. That just doesn’t happen to kids like me. By the grace of God, and two parents that wanted a better life for me than they had. So, I’m eternally very grateful.” Fitzgerald, who today is the managing director of the Fitzgerald Collaborative Group, an Atlanta-based architectural, urban design, and interiors firm, has returned the School’s efforts to Lawrenceville. He has served on the Board of Trustees, as a reunion committee member, an admission interviewer, and with the Lawrenceville Black Alumni Association. For Fitzgerald, the chance to serve on the Board also gave him the opportunity to say ‘thank you.’ “When I got sworn in, I said, ‘This is going to be a labor of love, because I can never give back to Lawrenceville what it gave to me,’” he said. “I mean it really was one of the most remarkable things to have ever happened to a kid like me.” n Darrell Fitzgerald ’68, who was honored with Lawrenceville’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, with his wife, Joy Fitzgerald and his 97-year-old mother, Marjorie Fitzgerald P’68, at Alumni Weekend 2023.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Wes Jackson ’91

thought he had left lacrosse at Lawrenceville, but the game – and the connections it forged – never left him. Today, he is sharing the sport with a new generation in Brooklyn.

The Gift That Keeps Giving BY SEAN RAMSDEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEITH BARRACLOUGH 32

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

HE EXERCISE FOR WES JACKSON ’91 WAS SIMPLE enough: Picture yourself in the fall of 1991, just graduated from Lawrenceville and heading down to Charlottesville to begin your studies at the University of Virginia with dreams – no, make that goals – of becoming a kingmaker in the world of hip-hop music. Sure, you played a little bit of lacrosse in school, but only because of the way you respected the coach. Really, it was nothing. Now picture someone telling that young man that someday, you’ll be 50 years old and lacrosse will be about the most important thing in your life outside of your family. What would young Wes Jackson say to that person? “I’d be like, ‘You don’t know me. Leave me alone,’” Jackson answers. “‘I’m going to become the next Russell Simmons or Puffy.’ I don’t want to do that anymore.’” That’s not even the strangest part. You see, Jackson did become an influential music promoter. Two years after graduating from Virginia in 1995, he launched Seven Heads Entertainment, boosting the nascent careers of young rappers Common and Mos Def, who would become icons of hip-hop. The company expanded into an independent record label and management outfit that composed music for the HBO drama The Wire. He’s worked with Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar. He founded the prestigious Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, which has drawn more than 20,000 fans in a year. Jackson did what he said he was going to do. Lacrosse? To him, those days were over.

But something else happened to Jackson not long after he arrived at UVa. “Penn came to play Virginia in a scrimmage, and Vic had an extra stick,” Jackson says. Vic is Victor Hsu ’91, a star of the 1991 Big Red lacrosse team Jackson recalls as “so stacked,” mentioning standouts such as James Heavey ’92, Matt Ogelsby ’91, and Billy Granville ’92. Hsu, who played for a powerhouse Penn program, used to encourage Jackson’s involvement in the sport at Lawrenceville, where they quickly became close friends. “I played long pole,” says Jackson of the longer stick favored by defensive players, “and Vic said, ‘I’ve got this extra shorty here.’” Jackson accepted Hsu’s offering, a shorter stick used by attack and midfielders. “And I was like, ‘Cool,’” he recalls. “And then I thought, ‘You know what? Maybe,’ and I went to the club tryouts.” But along the Eastern Seaboard's top universities, lacrosse is religion and varsity competitors are quasi-celebrities. Club players? Even they were better than just about anyone Jackson had even shared a field with. “My time at club was very, very short-lived,” recalls Jackson, who wasn’t receptive to the seriousness of the club level. “I was also doing a lot of things like radio that are [now] my other career, so it was fine.” And that was it for Wes Jackson and lacrosse. Again, the sport was gone from his life. “I loved it, and then it just disappeared,” he says. “And then I just fell back in love.”

“I’ve done some things I’m proud of in my job-job, but I hope that what I do with lacrosse is what will be on my tombstone.” — Wes Jackson ’91 34

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

OR JACKSON, PART OF HIS DESIRE TO LEAVE lacrosse behind has to do with the way the sport had fit his life awkwardly. Though he played for a year at the Buckley School on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, lacrosse was essentially alien to his childhood neighborhood in the Bronx. Seeing a teenager with a lacrosse stick spurred confusion: Are you catching butterflies? Others knew exactly what they were looking at and insidiously questioned why a Black kid wanted to play “a White boy’s sport.” Even at Lawrenceville, Jackson came to associate the game with a world in which he often felt estranged. He was eager to make a clean break. “Being a Black kid at Lawrenceville back in those days was not the easiest thing,” he recalls. College represented a chance to solidify his identity. “There was also a part of me that was trying to get away from many things ‘Lawrenceville’ by making new friends, new experiences,” he says. Lacrosse was emblematic of what he sought to leave behind, which is why it wasn’t hard for Jackson to lay it down and become, in his words, “a new person.” Now, thirty years later, he is that man he believed he would become, and maybe more: a renowned hip-hop entrepreneur and expert whose professional acumen led him to a role as the director of the Business Creative Enterprises Program and executive-inresidence at Emerson College in Boston. He is a frequent panelist on television shows such as ABC News’ Hip-Hop @ 50: Rhythms, Rhymes & Reflections, which ran over several nights in prime time in June, and he is also the president of BRIC, the Brooklyn cultural and media arts incubator. And yet Jackson says his role as the co-founder and board of the Brooklyn Crescents Lacrosse Club is the one that truly moves him most today. Primarily a volunteer-run, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Crescents work hard to make lacrosse accessible to kids in New York City, from neophytes to seasoned players in kindergarten through high school – players and coaches who reflect the diverse neighborhoods of New York. “I’ve done some things I’m proud of in my job-job,” he says, “but I hope that what I do with lacrosse is what will be on my tombstone.”

HE STICK GIVEN TO HIM BY HSU IS THE ARTIFACT through which Jackson’s rekindled love affair with lacrosse can be traced. It traveled from apartment to apartment with him and Dr. Ebonie Jackson, the college sweetheart who became his wife in 2000, but it was largely forgotten for several years. Jackson used to fill his idle time playing “wall ball” – flinging the ball at a wall and catching it in the stick’s basket – in the back of their little yard in Brooklyn, “knocking little pieces of brick off the wall,” he says. “My wife was like, “We need to get you [involved]. We can’t do this,” he recalls of his assault on their exterior brickwork. “I think what she saw was me aching to find a way to get back in.” Through Ebonie, Jackson linked up with some men who played for a local team, the Rhinos. One of them, L’Quentus “Q” Thomas, was also the head coach and boys’ director for a children’s rec team, the Brooklyn Admirals. Before long, it occurred to Jackson

that playing lacrosse wasn’t necessarily the spirit moving him back toward the game. On the way home from a weekend tournament, Thomas asked Jackson if he had ever considered taking on a role with children. “I was so, so excited,” he recalls, “because playing was fine but I always thought I would love to coach young kids and spread the game.” Coaching with the Admirals beginning in 2004, Jackson met Kevin Graham, who he calls the “godfather of all city lacrosse” in New York. It was Graham who recast for him the racially and culturally tinged perceptions of lacrosse that Jackson was raised with, enduring even as he entered coaching. “Why are you acting White? If you were a Black kid [playing lacrosse], that’s what you were getting when we started coaching,” Jackson says. “And Mr. Graham really went right into that and was like, ‘Stop it. Stop these words. Stop these characteristics. It’s an indigenous people’s sport. We’re going to recreate that narrative.’” Graham died in 2006, and with him, the Admirals did, too. However, the staff wanted not only to continue coaching, but to honor Graham’s legacy, as well, and so the Brooklyn Crescents were born. Lacrosse was still years from gaining a foothold in New York’s outer boroughs, but the Crescents were determined to make the sport part of Brooklyn’s cultural landscape. “For years, it was very weird. We were like the oddballs, and we couldn’t get field space because soccer and baseball had it all, so we struggled back then,” Jackson recalls of the early days. “The growth and the perception have jumped by leaps and bounds since then.” One early problem was the lack of dedicated space to play. “It’s New York City. You’ve got 200-square-foot apartments [renting] for three grand,” he laments. “You think a developer’s going to say, ‘Let’s not put a high-rise here, let’s turn this into a turf field'? It’s something that’s just not happening.” Perhaps looming even larger is the lack of what Jackson calls “a legacy.” He tells the story of a recording artist from London he signed to his label, who on his first trip here noted that “Everybody must play basketball in New York City.” Puzzled, Jackson asked what he meant. “I just see basketball courts everywhere,” the performer answered. “Every city, every neighborhood – White, Black, Latino – everywhere we go, there’s basketball courts.” The dearth of lacrosse fields stands in stark contrast. “So, it’s hard for the kids to naturally gravitate,” Jackson explains. “And they don’t have an older brother or a parent who played it – someone who, like all my coaches, put sticks in all three of my kids’ hands on their first birthday as is the tradition in indigenous culture.” The final fundamental barrier to access is the price of participation. Jackson says that the price for a three-day lacrosse camp – including the registration, camp, and equipment fees – might exceed $400, and that says nothing of personal gear. “I’ve got working-class people in Flatbush, Bed-Stuy, Staten Island, Bay Ridge,” Jackson says, “and they’re like, ‘Listen, I’m a public-school teacher and my wife sells real estate or does insurance. Every dollar is accounted for.’” Jackson says the divide is more class-based than racial, a reality that even manifests itself in scheduling. The sport’s calendar is based largely upon the academic year at many independent schools, with

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

camps beginning almost a month before public high schools end their year. He points toward the example of a talented Crescents defenseman with what Jackson believes is the size and skill for an NCAA Division I program – and, notably, a scholarship. “But every year he misses a month and then another month, and then he can only afford two tournaments,” he says, underscoring the importance of the exposure players receive at tournaments. So, while a child from an affluent background benefits from personal training, multiple tournaments, and top equipment, “this kid from Flatbush just doesn’t have it. It’s almost like a weird treatise on the pay gap in a way.” Through the Crescents, Jackson and the staff aim to bridge those divides in any way he can. Jen Nardi, the program’s executive director, has also been a collegiate head coach for years, and Jackson says she is not shy about letting camps know what they need for their kids. “She’s pretty gangster. She’ll be like, ‘I need four scholarships [to the camp]. I need four full rides. I need four waivers. Let’s talk,’” he explains, adding that he and Nardi and not shy about holding organizations accountable to the promises of their diversity, equity, and inclusion statements. “And the directors also will say, ‘You’re right, you need four waivers. Done.” The Crescents, who make Poly Prep Country Day School in Bay Ridge their home for practice, earned an indoor space at the new Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in Crown Heights. “They opened up that thing and they called us,” Jackson says of the former Bedford Union Armory recently renovated and converted to a community field house. Jackson is very clear that lacrosse is its own reason to play the game, but he also understands the opportunities it provides his players. It starts with entrée to the sport, and what the Crescents believe are the values that animate their program – commitment, teamwork, integrity, passion, and community pride – but extends to options his kids might otherwise not see or even be aware of. His community in Brooklyn is picking up on this, too. “What we’re doing is really bringing that to everyone’s attention and saying, ‘Help me specifically do this.’” Jackson explains. “People are understanding it on all levels, but we’ve just got to keep pushing.” Jackson says that when parents turn on ESPN over Memorial Day weekend and see the NCAA lacrosse championships, it’s hard not to notice which institutions are participating: Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Michigan, and other top schools. “They’re like, Yeah, OK, I get it,” he says. “And I am not shy about telling them, either.” Another aspect of the game and its far-reaching sphere is the idea of life long after college. “I went to talk to Hampton, which is the first HBCU to have a Division I men’s lacrosse program,” Jackson says.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

“I said, ‘Listen, love lacrosse. I want to see you all win games, ground balls, all of that. But at the end of the day, it’s all irrelevant because eventually you’re going get fat, the knees are going to give out, and you’ve got to think about that.” When Jackson underscores the importance of relationships developed on the lacrosse field, he isn’t speaking in hypotheticals. He has now seen and felt the long reach of those friendships he forged at Lawrenceville, a place he admits he left with little affection. His teammates and friends didn’t just share the sport together. They broadened each other’s perspectives and formed a lifelong linkage in ways Jackson never imagined at the time. “I think about my first business, my record label, and do you know who gave me some of that seed money?” Jackson asks. “Dr. Victor Hsu. My other big venture, the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, when I came up with the idea and I needed space, who did I go to? The guy on that defensive line, Robin Ottaway ’91 P’24, co-founder and president of Brooklyn Brewery]. He said, ‘Here, take my space. Don’t worry about the money.’” Jackson is clear that he’s not talking about “what can you do for me” but rather, the trust and shared accountability that results naturally from “being in those trenches with those cats.” “For a Black kid from the Bronx to be brothers with a Taiwanese cat from the suburbs of Philly and an Italian kid from D.C.,” he says, “lacrosse did that for me, and now we can look at each other eye to eye. Having people like Robin and Vic who just didn’t grow up like me; they make my life better when I talk to them.” Jackson pauses to think about Ottaway and Hsu, the stick, and what it all means. He’s not sure what, if anything, Hsu intended by giving him the spare shorty. Did he want his friend to keep participating? Was it just a means of keeping the connection, not only to lacrosse, but also to his friends and their time at Lawrenceville? “He is three steps ahead of the rest of us where he might have done that,” Jackson admits with delight. “Little did I know then my best friend gives me this piece that says, Not quite. Don’t let us all go in your anger.” He ponders it for another moment as a smile spreads across his face: He only realized years after it happened how lacrosse had infiltrated all aspects of his life. “And it is passing through my other businesses, through the education or the entertainment business stuff,” he says. “Those are the three parts of my life, and they feed each other.” He then widens his view to consider “the creator” the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, or Iroquois, believe gave humankind lacrosse. “Maybe it was The Creator’s Game,” he says, invoking the name often applied colloquially to this ancient sport. “Maybe it was the Creator saying, Don’t leave us just yet.” n

Leave a Lawrenceville Legacy

“My gift deliberately recognizes teamwork, sportsmanship, and cultural enrichment – Lawrenceville hallmarks. When you’ve been blessed with success, you have

Out of gratitude for the Lawrenceville education of his three older children,

an obligation to give

Morgan ’14, Jake ’16, and Taylor ’17, Grant Pothast P14 ’16 ’17 established a

something back. I’m

life insurance policy with the School as the beneficiary and with proceeds split

proud to be able to

equally between endowments for Big Red Athletics and scholarship aid. The

support the School,

siblings benefited from Lawrenceville’s rigorous academics, excellent athletic

and a planned gift

and co-curricular programs, and the diverse voices of classmates, teammates,

is the perfect family legacy.”

and friends, and their experiences continue to inspire them as adults.

— Grant Pothast P’14 ’16 ’17

For more information on leaving a bequest to Lawrenceville or for other planned giving opportunities, or if you have included Lawrenceville in your will but have not yet informed the School, please contact Sean Grieve at the Lawrenceville Office of Planned Giving at 215-237-3899 or sgrieve@lawrenceville.org, or go to lawrenceville.giftplans.org.

CLASS NOTES FALL / WINTER 2023

SHARE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE

“I recommend One for the Memory Banks, a golf book by Luke Reese P’10 ’12. It has been compared to a cross between Faulkner and Hemingway.” — Tres Arnett ’79 P’16, recommending this season’s must-read memoir. But really, you can buy Luke’s book at amazon.com. (Page 59)

“This coming-of-age story is embedded deeply in the cultural fabric of our species. At the time of writing, I am sitting with Akash Bagaria in the airport about to embark on our own hero’s journey. Shortly, we depart for Tanzania, where we will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. While trials and tribulations await us, so too do new friends and transformational life experiences. Wish us luck!” — James Stevenson ’16, recalling the lessons of Second Form English and the Hero’s Journey, as taught by Deborah McKay H’85 ’88 ’94 ’14 P’97. (Page 73)

“While I got our guys somewhat organized, the star of the weekend was Earl [Robbins P’24], who coordinated all the local activities, and with his wife, Ashley, hosted our gang for dinner a couple nights and arranged for all our accommodations. It was a labor of love – Earl and Ashley labored, and we loved it!” — Jim Gidicsin ’82 P’17, recapping the Kentucky trip he and a number of his classmates enjoyed, highlighted the hospitality of Ashley Robbins P’24 and Earl Robbins ’82 P’24 at their home in Lexington. (Page 60)

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

1942

To submit news for the Class of 1942 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org.

1943

To submit news for the Class of 1943 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org.

1944

To submit news for the Class of 1944 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org. The World War II experience of our own Andrew W. Porter Jr. has been detailed in a new book edited by Andy’s daughter, Banny Porter, titled Tales from the Tail: A B-17 Tail Gunner with the 390th U.S. Air Force who flew 35 Missions over Europe during World War II from 194344. The president of Woodhull House and a soccer standout who earned a Major L, Andy left Lawrenceville three months after his 18th birthday in January 1943 to enlist. Banny writes that Andy occasionally spoke of his time in the service, committing a small handful of stories to paper, but only after Andy died in 2019 at 94 years old did she discover the trove of letters he sent home to his father and stepmother about his combat in Europe. Over 100 pages, Tales from the Tail brings this correspondence, as well as saved clipping from Stars and Stripes, into the light of day after nearly 80 years. Tales from the Tail by Banny Porter is available on Amazon.

1945

George A. Vaughn III George1058@aol.com An eagle-eyed class secretary, James Strader ’85, pointed us toward an article in TheCityLife.org informing us that our Peter Lawson-Johnston GP’95 ’98 ’15 ’18, whose generosity is well known at Lawrenceville, and his family’s name now graces the iconic oculus skylight atop the open rotunda at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. The museum announced the naming of the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed skylight in recognition of a major gift by the Lawson-Johnston family, which will benefit the museum’s general operations. Now known as “The LawsonJohnston Family Oculus,” it honors the family’s significant contribution to the museum’s leadership. “The Lawson-Johnston family embodies the spirit of philanthropy and community stewardship,” said J. Tomilson

Hill, chair of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Board of Trustees. “Their contribution will enable us to broaden our reach, expand our programs, and create even more meaningful experiences for our visitors.”

1946

To submit news for the Class of 1946 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org.

1947

George C. Gaines P’72 gcg@sonic.net PO Box 150 Philo, CA 95466 I have recently spoken to Dave Bardes P’81, who continues to flourish in Vero Beach. He and Cynthia are planning to spend August and September in Beverly Hills at The Peninsula Hotel for a little R&R as they do every year. Bill Allen is very mobile and occupied fully with Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a national organization whose purpose is to hasten the demise of fossil fuel usage by getting Congress to authorize a tax on their production.

1948

Warren Schneider wasnyc@aol.com 2727 W. Bluff Ave, Unit 133 Fresno, CA 93711 Alumni Weekend has come and gone – our 75th reunion – and the last one in which we will be featured. Your scribe had committed to attend, but a painful back caused me to cancel, and the only member of 1948 to attend was (drum roll) … Tony Bryant, who traveled from Wisconsin with his wife, Andrea. We asked Tony, the oldest graduate present, to give us their impressions of the School, and he writes: “I am writing you a long letter giving you some ideas about our amazing class reunion… The number of returning graduates provided to me was over one thousand, a new record! “The developments that have taken place on the campus are truly overwhelming. We were shown a new ice hockey indoor facility next to a new competitive large swimming pool in the same building. Another new building is known as the Tsai Commons, where the over 800 students can be fed. The number of grades offered now has been reduced to four: Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Forms.

Fifth Formers are still moving into the Upper House in their final year. “Many new curved roads and attractive sidewalks have been added all over the campus. For us older reunioners, the school provided golf carts with School staff drivers to offer rides to different events. “At the Tsai Commons, two young 16-year-old girls who had just completed their Third Form year came and sat down beside us. We soon realized they were foreign girls who arrived from Afghanistan. They are in touch with their parents with their cell phones but it is very difficult for them to contemplate how to return home to visit family. They have two more years at Lawrenceville and then will hope to find college. We don’t know what will happen with their future or whether they ever will return to Afghanistan. We believe that Lawrenceville is providing all their needs at the School, which is so welcoming.” Thanks very much, Tony, for your very interesting picture of the School 75 years after our graduation. And we owe Tony and Andrea Bryant another thanks. Due to their outstanding and most generous contribution to Lawrenceville, added to the rest of the class' gifts, our class has broken the School record for 75th reunion contributions. Thank you, Tony, for making the rest of us look so good! Charles Francis King (Hamill) passed away March 30, 2023, in Provo, Utah. At L’ville Frank was on his House Championship track team, was a member of the varsity track and soccer teams and the Math Club, and served as a Chapel usher. He graduated from Lafayette and thereafter served several years in the Army. After a short banking career in Chile, Frank moved to Antibes, France, where he joined the Mormon Church, thereafter serving as supervisor of their buildings in Western Europe. Upon retirement, he continued to serve his church in various missionary activities, ultimately moving to Provo. Frank is survived by his two children and six grandchildren. We lost Bruce Alan MacNaughton on September 13, 2022. Bruce, a native Texan, joined us in our Fifth Form year and was a member of the varsity football and wrestling teams. After graduation and a short period in the Texas oil fields, Bruce joined the Marines and thereafter graduated from the University of Texas with an engineering degree. He worked for a major oil company for 15 years, followed by the position of CEO of a public manufacturing company for another 15 years. Bruce leaves his wife, Nancy, and their three sons, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. John Louis McGraw (Raymond) died on July 4, 2023, at his home in

The World War II experience of Andrew W. Porter Jr. ’44 has been detailed in a new book edited by Andy’s daughter, Banny Porter, titled Tales from the Tail: A B-17 Tail Gunner with the 390th U.S. Air Force who flew 35 Missions over Europe during World War II from 1943-44.

Osterville, Mass. John was a member of his House Championship basketball and soccer teams and a member of the varsity golf team at School. He attended Lehigh University and earned an M.B.A. from Columbia after serving at the U.S. Naval Air Station and in civilian life greatly enjoyed flying his airplane. John had a long career at publishing firm McGraw-Hill, which was founded by his grandfather, and served as executive vice president and chairman during his career. He was engaged in many charitable events and served on the Metropolitan Opera Advisory Board. John is survived by his wife, Marjorie, their six children and several grand- and great-grandchildren. The Class of 1948 offers its sincere condolences to the families of the dear friends who have left us.

1949

Robert Sobel robertsobel@me.com

1950

To submit news for the Class of 1950 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org.

1951

Edward D. Rossmann edlou@rochester.rr.com

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

1952

George “Bud” Prince Georgebprince1@gmail.com The Lawrenceville community that extends well beyond our class was saddened to learn of the passing of Pina Schonheiter P’90 GP’01 ’03 in August. Pina married our Art Schonheiter H’75 P’90 GP’01 ’03 in 1956 and the family moved to Lawrenceville in 1971, when Art began working at the School. Besides Art, Pina leaves daughters Nina Porter, Trudi O’Grady, Jill Hendershott, Ellen Schonheiter, Pattie Wolfson, and Jenny Sercer ’90; 13 grandchildren and 7 greatgrandchildren.

1953

Steve Ackermann execbenefits@gmail.com

1954

To submit news for the Class of 1954 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org. By now, you likely know that we lost Grant Hellar P’87 in April. Grant was a true Lawrentian who worked to benefit Lawrenceville for almost 70 years after graduating. Not only did he serve as a trustee of the School, but he was also a member of the Alumni Association Executive Committee, the John Cleve Green Society, his 65th Reunion Committee, and he served as an admission interviewer. Grant’s Class Notes column also faithfully filled this space for more than 25 years. In his first Class of ’54 column, back in 1997, he made mention of “temporarily” accepting the role. That’s a long time, but it still seems all too brief. In the fall/winter 2022 issue of this magazine, we noted here that Grant had been injured in a fall and would therefore be relinquishing his role as class scribe. Upon reading that, Fritz Smith wrote to Grant, wishing him a speedy recovery we know now would not be. Grant’s widow, Eva P’87, forwarded Fritz’s March 24 note to us with her recommendation to print it, and it is as follows: “Hello Grant, I was so sorry to hear of your recent fall and I know that all of our fellow classmates must feel the same way. It’s the one thing that I guess we cannot do at our elevated ages. I hope and pray for your sake that it will not have any lasting effect on your health. Hopefully you did not break any bones. “The class of L’54 has lost the best class secretary of the entire Lawrentian magazine and I always scanned your column as soon as I received the new

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Sabrina Ottaway ’25, Avery Ottaway ’24, David Ottaway ’57 P’86 ’91 GP’25 ’25, Robin Ottaway ’91 P’24 ’25 were among the Ottaways who enjoyed a family safari in Savuti Game Park, Botswana, in December 2022.

issue. Please know that your columns will be sorely missed by all. “On a much lighter note, Sharon and I recently celebrated our 62nd wedding anniversary on February 4, 2023. I really wanted to take her on a threeday weekend since our anniversary fell on a Saturday. I planned the entire weekend with the goal of not having to fly to the location or drive too far in order to keep expenses down. After all, having been retired for 24 years one has to protect their nest egg so that we don’t run out of funds. Well, the rest of the story is this. She kept pressing for details on location, amenities, etc., so that she knew what to wear. Long story short I reserved two nights at the new Luminaire hotel in downtown Ft. Myers. This is a Marriott facility and very nice. Also made dinner reservations at their main fine dining room. When I finally told her the day before, her expression was one for the books. As she said, ‘you’re kidding me, we are going to Ft. Myers?’ Well, the weekend did turn out to be lots of fun as it was ‘Art Fest’ weekend with some 500 artists’ works on display. The dinner was perfect, and they treated us royally with champagne to the room and a complimentary dessert with our meal. Even the couple next to us at dinner treated us to a glass of champagne after learning it was our anniversary. “I guess after 62 years of married life, I learned that planning small vacations should be a joint effort with no surprises. “In closing, I do hope that you will be fully recovered very soon and may even be able to get back to your golf game. – Fritz and Sharon Smith.” Eva let us know that Grant did receive and appreciate Fritz’s missive. And we

concur with Fritz that in these pages, Grant truly was a standard-bearer. He will be missed, indeed.

1955

John P. Keyser johnpkeyser@gmail.com John Keyser and his wife, Kerry, live up in Charlevoix, Mich., very much Small Town America. John is writing for the county newspaper each week and doing some leadership coaching, and Kerry is teaching at St. Mary School. My son Kevin, lives in L.A.; daughter, Leigh, in Winnetka. Definitely am blessed, as healthy except for my limp, and happy. We follow our high school football, basketball, and baseball teams, home and away. Read a good bit, and watch black-and-white movies from the ’40s and ’50s. The best! God Bless our ’55ers and our families.

1956

Twice-retired orthopedic surgeon Tom Neviaser ’58 (right) published his memoir, Bones & Me, in 2022.

Phil Foster wrote in March: “I am actively involved in the contemporary music scene in New York City and will have (had) my composition, “Time Out,” for mixed ensemble performed by the S.E.M. Ensemble at Willow Place Auditorium in Brooklyn. I conduct weekly practice sessions with my dance company, with videos of past performances and notices of future ones posted on our website opendanceensable.com. I am writing haiku poems in my spare time, and have had some published. Medically I have a respite from initiating dialysis, and if anyone has a simple solution for sleep apnea, do let me and maybe classmates know.”

1957

Don Mills don.mills@icloud.com Bill Haddad billchaddad@yahoo.com

James M. Beardsley P’88 jbeardsley63@gmail.com

1958

I just got back from a two-week trip to Norway. We visited, among many places, the most northern point in Europe after crossing the Arctic Circle two days earlier. It was truly the land of the midnight sun in June. Surprisingly, the temperature was in the 60s. I was the oldest but one of the most active persons on the trip. With the deadline for the next Lawrentian looming I have only one message from a classmate but, happily, no obituaries.

We didn’t set a record for attendance at our 65th reunion, but we came close. Beautiful New Jersey weather June 2-4 saw 19 of us show up – Sandy Ackley, Dick Baldwin P’89 ’90, Doug Bauer P’90, Pat Bernuth, Robert P’07 ’09 and Ross Burkhardt, Pearce Hurley, Jim Levy P’91 ’92, Steve Lockton P’84 ’87, Jeff Mershon, Henry Norton, John Pettibone, Larry Prince, Rody Salas, Allen Shenk,

William S. Ballenger III P’92 Bill@TheBallengerReport.com

Richard Smith, Paul “Toby” Tobin, John Whiteley P’80 ’84, and yours truly. Most of us were accompanied by wives or girlfriends, enough of them that we had nearly three dozen of us altogether for the Friday night “Red and Black Soiree” and our Saturday night dinner in the “Red” Hyatt Room of Abbott Dining Hall. At the latter, several of us said a few words to those assembled – our honorary classmate, Dean of Athletics and Co-Curricular Education Tripp Welborne P’21 ’24; John Whiteley; Doug Bauer; Ret. Admiral Tobin; and Robert Burkhardt. I think everybody will agree that two in particular stole the show – John Pettibone, who reminded us that he was, is, and always will be our “oldest living classmate” and especially Janet Lockton, Steve’s wife, who had us rolling in the aisles with her reminiscences about what it was like to be a nubile female shipped into campus for tea dances in the late Fifties. No wonder she was an elected state legislator in Connecticut! Our special reunion guest was Karen Chase, the late Charlie Dickson’s widow. She helped make the Saturday

afternoon dedication of the plaque denoting the Charles M. Dickson ’58 Class Agent of the Year Award, held in the Bunting Room of Hogate Hall, a joyous if emotional occasion. The plaque reads: “Presented annually to the class agents who exemplify the role’s purpose of raising funds and engagement from their classmates for the School, selected by the Lawrenceville Fund Team.” Charlie’s Lawrenceville roommate, fellow track star, and longtime amigo Pearce Hurley delivered a touching address and Ross Burkhardt read the poem he wrote when our revered class president died three years ago. Karen also spoke eloquently. We had our class photo, one with just the ’58 alums and another with all our loyal women partners, taken early Saturday afternoon in front of Woods Memorial Hall. We also found out we had won still another prize – the Fred A. Eichelberger Award to the class with less than 100 surviving members with the highest percentage of donors to The Lawrenceville Fund. We beat about 30 other such classes. Also, we easily surpassed our dollar goal in annual giving

– we raised some $140,000, more than two times the amount that was our target. Sadly, however, we had to acknowledge that we have lost all three of our original School officers in just the past five years, since our 60th reunion in 2018 – not only Charlie but Secretary John Peck a year ago (noted in a previous issue) and Vice President Bill Crowell, who passed away in Los Angeles County on April 30, 2022, in the Belmont Village Senior Living facility. Bill, who was an engineer, real estate developer, and builder – most of his life in California but also North Carolina – was afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and died of cardiopulmonary arrest. He was 82. Unfortunately, the list of recently deceased classmates doesn’t stop there. In just the first half of this year, we have also lost Stu Dow, Mike Hornblow, Verne L. Skjonsby Jr., and Bailey Wiener. In the spring of last year, we lost Michel Maw. Memorials will surely be printed in The Lawrentian at some date, perhaps as early as this one, but let me mention a few things about each of these men: Stu Dow passed away just as we

THANK YOU!

were leaving Reunions. Ironically, he had planned all year to attend, but a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer finally claimed him. His wife, Therese, predeceased him by about a decade. They had two daughters and five grandchildren. I have written here about Stu’s heroic efforts in furtherance of literacy in Metro Detroit over a long period of time, but he was just as well known for his 45 years coaching girls soccer in Grosse Pointe right up until a month before he died. Stu spent four years at Lawrenceville, in Perry Ross, Cleve, and Upper. He then earned a B.A. at the University of Michigan. He retired from Merrill Lynch after 36 years in institutional sales and privateclient advisory services. He was also an active squash player, ranking fourth in Michigan in the 35-and-over bracket at one time. He drew on the skills he learned playing cards in Upper’s Green Room at Lawrenceville to become proficient at contract bridge after he retired. Mike Hornblow, who died just after reunions, spent five years at Lawrenceville, in Thomas, Woodhull,

On behalf of the Office of Alumni & Development, thank you to our over 500 volunteers! From hosting events, to rallying classmates to gather and give back, to collecting updates and much, much more, you are the embodiment of Big Red Pride. We couldn’t do it without you!

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

and Upper houses. He was president of Woodhull in 1956-57. He was also the editor-in-chief of the 1958 School yearbook, the Olla Podrida, with its striking white cover. He graduated from Harvard with an A.B. degree and eventually joined the U.S. Foreign Service, where he met his wife Caroline, who toiled for the CIA. Together, the Hornblows were posted to Rome, Italy, where he was Deputy U.S. Envoy, and that was followed by assignments in Krakow, Warsaw and Brussels (NATO). He retired in 1995 to work at the Smithsonian, but returned to State to work again in the Vatican and Oslo. In 2003, Mike and Caroline moved to North Carolina, near Chapel Hill. What a lot of our classmates may not know is that Mike was born Bert DeWayne Morris III, but his mother and actor father were divorced two years after he was born and his mother remarried, to film producer Arthur Hornblow Jr., who adopted him and changed his name. Michael Maw spent three years at Lawrenceville, in Dawes and Upper. He passed away on April 20, 2022, in Laguna Wood Village, Calif. A golden-throated singer, Michael was a Lawrentian as well as a member of the Alley Cats at Yale, from which he graduated. He then attended Columbia Law School and Fordham Business School. After practicing as an attorney in New York City and Washington, D.C., he moved to Southern California in 2001 and became an entrepreneur. He is survived by his wife, Eve Beck, whom he met in California two decades ago, and also two daughters, Liz and Carlyn Maw, and two grandsons. Verne Skjonsby died this past May 2. He spent only a year at Lawrenceville, in Woodhull and Upper. He and Nick Beck were the only two members of our class from Hawaii. Verne was a thirdgeneration Hawaiian, born in Honolulu. His grandfather had been born under the reign of King Kalākaua, who reigned from 1874-91. The family was originally from the Azores and Madeira. When Verne was at Lawrenceville, Hawaii was not yet a state, and his quote in the Olla Podrida was “There are 102 kinds of bananas in Hawaii, so why aren’t we a state?” Somebody in Washington must have heard him – Hawaii was admitted to the union the next year. Verne graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in anthropology. Afterwards, he spent his career in education, especially in training people how to use computers, for Tandy and other large firms. He was a lay assisting minister in the Lutheran Church for 35 years, a member of two local school boards for over a dozen years, a 10-gallon blood donor, a member of Mensa, and an avid camper and reader. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Dorothy, two sons

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

and a daughter, and four grandchildren. Bailey Lee Wiener, who died on March 25 in his native Memphis, also spent only one year at Lawrenceville, but it was his Third Form year, in Kennedy. In fact, he played on the Kennedy soccer team that won the 1955-56 Circle House championship. He later attended the University of Memphis and pursued a career in sales and marketing for the Donruss Company and later in farming and real estate development. He was a deacon in the Second Presbyterian Church and chairman of the board of the Hutchison School as well as a trustee of Presbyterian Day School. His favorite activity was playing golf with the “Saturday Morning Dogs” at the Memphis Country Club. Bailey is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marilyn. They had three children and six grandchildren. Edward G. Thurber, one of the stars of our class, died July 9 at his home in California. Ed was the son of our honorary classmate, Gerrish Thurber P’58, the School’s head librarian. As a day student living in Brook House, Ed was affiliated with Cromwell, Cleve, and Upper Houses. He was a star javelin thrower on the track team. He was also president of the Olympians and Head Chapel Usher. He went on to get an A.B. at Princeton and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. He was a longtime professor of mathematics at Biola University. Ed was the father of two children with his first wife, Lee, who died in 2002. He then married his second wife, Ann, and they had a blended family of five children and 12 grandchildren. A couple months after Alumni Weekend, I hear from Tom Neviaser, whose memoir, Bones & Me, was published in 2022. “Since graduating 65 years ago, I became an orthopedic surgeon and retired twice, 2000 and 2005,” Tom wrote. “The first after 30 years and the second after being requested to teach residents at the George Washington University Orthopedic program. I wrote/ co-wrote over 40 peer-reviewed articles and participated in many national and international symposiums in the subspecialty of the shoulder. “After I retired, I traded my scalpel in for a word processor and have written six books, all available on Amazon: two novels, one memoir, one orthopedic guide book for the layperson, one book of 16 short stories, and a guide to the use of one’s garage. I hunt mostly birds, quail, ducks, with my dog, Rixey, and tinker a bit with the banjo and ukulele. I also have a small construction business in Culpeper, Va., that I advise from my home in Powhatan, Va. I give lectures on low back pain, shoulder problems, and knee conditions. “I and my wife, Lynn, have three kids

I am sad to report on the passing of John Thomas Battin. He won his Major Ls for the baseball team and the undefeated two-year football team. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam. He lived his entire life in Albany, N.Y., spending his career in banking. John’s wife, Evelyn, passed away in June 2008 and he lived without her the rest of his life. His three sons now live in Chicago.

lodge where President Coolidge spent the summer of 1927 and first announced he would not run for a second term, and participating in a Jeep Bison Safari through the herds of buffalo that graze throughout the area. Small world factoid: My grandfather, William V. Hodges, became the treasurer of the Republican Party under Coolidge.” Tom McCrann says, “We are living in Hawaii where we miss all our East Coast friends except John Hover P’91, whom I have known since our Third Form year and consider one of my closest friends. “After graduating I went to Penn. After graduating there I went on to Wharton grad where I majored in finance and avoiding the draft. Unfortunately, I ended up in the Army and was sent to Vietnam. After returning without a scratch, I rejoined U.S. Trust. “I have been retired since 1996. Then I volunteered with the Episcopal Diocese of Newark in an effort to balance out my career at U.S. Trust where the clients were mostly nice people, but certainly not in need. We moved out here in 2004 so that we could be close to my wife’s family as my family was all gone. “We have two great kids. One is a managing partner in a commercial real estate investment firm, and his sister is starting a high net worth business for a major bank. We also have four grandsons.”

1961

1962

Joe Hodges and wife Jean “traveled to Portugal and parts of Spain in April. The highlight of the trips was a nine-day cruise boat sail on the Douro River in Portugal out of Porto and through their extensive vineyards and sources of port wine and olive trees. We’d love to return there for harvest season in the fall and help harvest the grapes but our travel budget will not permit that. Our port of entry from the U.S. was Lisbon and in Spain, we managed to spend two nights each in Barcelona and Madrid before heading home. “Next week we are going to make a motor trip from Denver to Custer, S.D., for the 2023 Western Regional meeting of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (Montana, Idaho, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas). Custer is the home of Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore with its stone carvings of four of our presidents in it as well as the still-in-progress stone carving of Chief Crazy Horse just west of there. We will be staying and meeting in the same

Ted Lyons P’86 tlyons3644@aol.com

and six grandchildren, and certainly are proud of them all: one grandson is a college grad in IT, three are starting college, and there are two left to go in high school. “We are now in the midst of collaborating with a screenwriter in Los Angeles to finish a script for a movie based on my novel, The Mystery of Flight 2222, and advising the same person on some of his projects. Lynn and I are is pretty good health, and hopefully, we will see the fruition of my endeavors.”

1959

William C. Howland billchowland@gmail.com

1960

Mort Fuller P’89 ’01 mfuller@gwrr.com

William F. Hofmann III b.hofmanniii@gmail.com

J. Gregg Miller Millerj@pepperlaw.com

Skip Patterson writes: “I am in Palm City, Fla., after our house on Tortola was wiped out by Irma. My boat was sold nearly ten years ago, so that mode of transportation and adventure is no longer available. I am now down to a 25-foot Grady White on Cape Cod, nothing down here (tragic). I had lunch with Googan Bunn P’93 ’01 ’03 ’07 GP’23 ’25 on Jupiter Island last season and will do again this season, hopefully with wives, at our club in Piper’s Landing Yacht and Country Club. I usually stop to visit Linda Hlavacek H’57 ’58 ’59 ’61 ’63 ’64 GP’06 ’08 and John Silver H’56 ’57 ’58 ’59 GP’06 ’08 on the way down and up in fall and late spring. Always an enjoyable time. Last season I had lunch with Rusty H’95 ’17 P’06 ’08 and Betsy Hlavacek P’06 ’08 at a wonderful beach bar on Hutchinson Island and have invited them here for lunch later this month. It’s cool to remember Rusty when he was just a toddler in Woodhull and, of course, when Larry was still with us.

Buzz Hannum ’62 hosted a lunch at Wilmington Country Club for a few classmates in July. From left: Gregg Miller ’62, Ted Lyons ’62 P’86, Buzz, Champ Atlee ’62 H’74 ’75 ’79 ’80 ’83 ’84 ’87 ’89 ’06 P’92, and Jock Hannum ’62 P’88 ’94.

Ted Lyons ’62 P’86, Don Weiss ’62, Buzz Hannum ’62, and Gregg Miller ’62 enjoyed a round of golf at Don’s Banyan Cay Club in West Palm Beach in February.

John Gore H’61 ’64 ’65; Gregg Miller ’62; Sean Grieve, director of planned giving and leadership gifts; and Paul Fitzgerald ’67 P’03 enjoyed a day of golf at Cobblestone Creek in Lawrenceville in August.

Suzanne P’86 and Ted Lyons ’62 P’86 visited the Fjallsárlón iceberg lagoon in Iceland in June 2023.

“Several years ago I had lunch with Ginnie Chambers H’54 ’58 ’59 ’60 ’61 ’66 ’67 ’68 ’71 ’73 ’79 ’80 ’89 P’77 on Nantucket, she has a house in Siasconset near Bill Belichick. I also get to visit with Jim Hudson ’61 P’88 who has a place in Vero, and of course I see him on Cape Cod in the summer. Just as a small world vignette: my son Todd’s best friend, Trip Barrow ’00, is an L’ville grad. [Ed Note: What’s more, Trip’s father is H.T. Barrow ’61. – S.R.] Life is quite peaceful here but with my now-limited mobility I had to give up golf and tennis and this year, even bike riding and pickleball. I play bridge in weekly bridge tournaments and see the occasional theater at the Lyric right here in Stuart. It is a restored early 20th century Rococo building that is both intimate and engaging. “In the summer, I shoot skeet (learned at L’ville under Neil Bull ’44 H’57) at the Cape Cod Fish and Game Club in North Harwich. We also occasionally boat over to the Monomoy Wildlife preserve for a picnic. So life is good with lots of interesting things to see and do. Our generation sure picked a sweet spot in our grand country to be alive and in decent health.” In July, Buzz Hannum hosted a lunch at Wilmington Country Club for a few ’62ers. In attendance were Gregg Miller, Ted Lyons P’86, Champ Atlee H’74 ’75 ’79 ’80 ’83 ’84 ’87 ’89 ’06 P’92, and Jock Hannum P’88 ’94. Jock had missed our 60th Reunion last year, but he is doing well: living in Unionville, Pa., riding, playing golf, and doing a lot of walking. Champ just made his last college tuition payment for daughter Olivia at Denison. He still enjoys teaching at Lawrenceville but on a lighter schedule than in past years. In June, Suzanne P’86 and Ted Lyons cruised to Iceland with a Duke group and in August travelled to Chautauqua, N.Y., with friends. Buzz and Gregg continue to enjoy golf and practice law pro bono – Buzz in protection from abuse cases and Gregg in animal law cases for Pennsylvania shelters. John Gore H’61 ’64 ’65 of the Alumni Office hosted a golf match at Cobblestone Creek in Lawrenceville, where John and Jane recently moved from Princeton. Sean Grieve, director of planned giving and leadership gifts, helped run the event, in part by attempting to teach the participants how to drive the ball 300 yards. Alumni golfers Paul Fitzgerald ’67 P’03 and Gregg Miller tried valiantly to match Sean, but without success. We did have a lot of fun on a beautiful August day.

1963

John K. Hager 305-586-0272 johnkhager@gmail.com On June 3-4 our class celebrated its 60th class reunion at the School with 28 classmates in attendance: Turki Al-Faisal P’94 ’07, Dan Bailey, Ed Bermant, Guy Combs, Soph Dadakis, Ed Dimon, Roy Dix P’90, Ted Gallagher P’93, Roger Glass, Tim Griswold, John Hager, Richard LeSchander P’89 ’92, John Loud P’93, Ozzie Maduro, Larry Marsh, Bob McGrath, Don McLean, Thad Moore, Bob Moore, Todd Orvald P’89 ’95, J.R. Polhemus, Ron Rolfe P’21, Dan Snyder, Pancho Soler P’93 ’95, Josh Tobin, Ray Viault P’96, Tom Viviano, and Richard Weller. There were also numerous wives present for a total of 45 attendees; my apologies for not including their names in the reunion listing. Nelson Lande sent his regrets on behalf of himself and his wife, but said they plan to attend the 65th. Bruce Barnet P’92 had planned to attend but he threw out his back playing golf the day before, so he couldn’t make it. Chuck Smith had also wanted to attend, but health issues made him back out at the last minute. The rigors of old age… The weather was great for most of the weekend, with the only real hiccup being the cancellation of the Legends Lacrosse game on Saturday due to a lack of players. The Saturday night class dinner in a private room at the Abbott Dining Hall was wonderfully served along with music from the ’60s provided by Dan Bailey and a slide slow with pics from our Fifth Form days. Head of School Steve Murray’s H’54 ’55 ’65 ’16 ’21 P’16 ’21 state of the school presentation on Saturday morning was very informative and upbeat, and the new additions to the campus like the Tsai Field House and the Gruss Center for Art and Design are impressive. I think that everyone came away with the feeling that Lawrenceville continues to be a very richly resourced place of learning and growing. The only thing missing was the presence of students on campus. Hopefully a change in reunion dates might be under consideration for the future. On a less upbeat note, sadly Max Millard’s wife of 49 years, Betsy, advised that Max had died in 2019 of five different kinds of cancer. He had served in the DMZ in Korea where they had sprayed Agent Orange. Rest in Peace.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

1964

John Benson ByallBenson1010@comcast.net Lynne and John Benson, Phoebe and Dee Megna GP’25, and Elaine and Bob Ryan enjoyed a long-anticipated seaside get-together in coastal Surry, Maine, in August.

1965

Leigh Lockwood P’97 ’02 leigh@leighlockwood.com Thanks to all who sent news. I recently read a quote, “Our brains write checks that our bodies can’t cash.” Yikes! My brain tells me I am 32 years old, but my body tells me I am 75. Our 90-pound, plutonium powered Labrador wishes my tennis ball-throwing arm was as it was under Coach Gerstell’s spirited leadership of Griswold baseball. Speaking of Griswold, Randy Woods P’95 checks in: “Reporting in today with Fiona aboard our small exploration yacht, Jupiter, from Wrangell, Alaska. (Not so small!) Typically spending 5 months cruising, but also traveling elsewhere and to see Emily ’95 and three other children plus five grandkids. Life is active, interesting, and joyful.” You can follow Fiona and Randy at jupitersway.com. The catalpa tree they donated and placed behind Griswold is healthy and huge. And speaking of Jupiter and Griswold, Richard Tuggle (who I am hijacking from ’66) writes, “I enjoy hearing about my ’65 classmates, even though I PG’ed and am officially in the ’66 class. Still living in Santa Monica, Calif., and Jupiter Island, Fla., and enjoying both!”

Randy and Fiona’s travelogue website reminds me of Cindy Casey’s (widow of our much-missed former class secretary Michael Casey) personal site, passportandbaggage.com. She has accumulated almost ten years of photos alongside insightful, interesting commentary. Must see. She states, “The only reason I mention this is that Ginnie Chambers H’54 ’58 ’59 ’60 ’61 ’62 ’66 ’67 ’68 ’71 ’73 ’79 ’80 ’89 P’77 reads my blog and thus was able to follow our trip [Bing McCashin and Cindy, as mentioned in the last Notes – L.L.]. That means that vicariously she was with us, which, I don’t think I need to say to anyone in the Class of ’65, was such an honor, and something that meant so much to me.” Rocket scientist Zaloom, who is now communicating with the L’ville Rocketry Club, reports, “Lois and I are living and loving in Ocala, Fla., the most ‘moved to’ city in America. It’s also known as the ‘Horse Capital of the World.’ I recently sold my mare, Lucy, and hung up my spurs. Falling off at 75 is not the same as doing so at 30! [Goodness, age mentioned again!]. I volunteer at the Cornerstone School in Ocala and have started a rocket club. We went to the American Rocketry Challenge finals in May at The Plains, Va., and realized that Lawrenceville sent a team as well, but I was unable to find them amidst the crowds. Hope all my classmates are doing well and staying out of trouble!” David Lord can’t seem to sit still. “2023 started off with six weeks of travel to New Zealand and expedition on the Amazon. I am still involved in a number of nonprofits in Colorado Springs including building a new organization of community stakeholders called the Pikes Peak Housing Network to address the need for affordable and workforce housing. In August, I’m traveling to Uganda with

John Benson ’64, Dee Megna ’64 GP’25, and Bob Ryan ’64, as well as their spouses Elaine Ryan, Phoebe Megna, and Lynne Benson (who snapped this imaged), enjoyed a longanticipated seaside get-together in coastal Surry, Maine, in August.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Global Livingston Institute as Board Chair. GLI sponsors programs for high school and college students to learn about community development work in East Africa. I am blessed to continue to be active and traveling.” Matt Dominy’s hometown of Gilbert, Ariz., honors his Vietnam service. Welcome home, Matt, and thank you for your service. And thanks to all my fellow military service members: John Kesley GP’25: “Pam and I had a small family gathering at the end of June. I am happy to report that all of us are very happy with our Lawrenceville experience. Somehow John Gore H’61 ’64 learned that Howard [Kelsey] ’64 and his wife were taking a look at the ever-changing Lawrenceville campus before coming to our house. Sure enough, John surprised Howard and Linda at School and gave them an incredible tour of the campus with his usual outstanding repartee of stories. Howard was smitten again. “[Granddaughter] Kelsey ’25 doesn’t have a whole lot of boarding schools to compare Lawrenceville with, but she said anyone who sees Lawrenceville would want to go there … especially with House and Harkness.” I will be very immodest and state Carol Ann P’97 ’02 and I were one of the 2023 Big Red Race sponsors, the proceeds of which benefit the Lawrenceville School Camp. We love the camp, Community Service, and Springfest, which Carol Ann and I helped out with again this year. Carol Ann and I visited the Hutchins Galleries to see Glenn Hutchins’ ’73 collection of Ansel Adams photos. Also on view from the Lawrenceville collection were photos by the famous Eliot Porter, donated by classmate Greg Malcolm. Thanks, Greg! Buzz Saner reports having recently discovered an incredible coincidence. A longtime law partner and founder of the firm in which Buzz has practiced since 1994 was a classmate and friend of Herman Besselink H’73 ’88 ’94 at the University of Michigan, Class of 1959. Unfortunately, the discovery came long after both men were deceased, so Buzz never had a chance to get each’s take on the other. “I liked Besselink a lot, and it’s killing me that I didn’t discover this coincidence when both men were still alive,” he laments. Connie and Howard Myers P’10 and Carol Ann and I met for dinner. Howard continues working hard as ever, farming about 300 acres of his own and rented land. Connie finally retired … for about 12 hours until she took a new job running the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness. Carol Ann and I marvel at their energy and commitment. It’s always great to see them! John Gore hosted Rob McClellan

H’78 P’10, Judge Paul Levy ’54 P’81 ’88 GP’20, and me at Cobblestone Creek Country Club. In 2011, Judge Levy, in large part, helped us navigate legal and practical challenges in moving the Rev. Isaac Van Arsdale Brown’s resting place from Trenton to the Lawrenceville Cemetery. Pam and John Kelsey invited me to the Nassau Club for a lecture on how FDR’s physical challenges impacted his political life. Thanks, Pam and John. John Burrell continues travel: “We plan to travel as much as possible while we still can. Earlier this year we went to Mexico twice. Over the last two weeks, we visited Paris, Fuessen, Munich, and now we are in Berlin.” That’s all for now, folks! Put June 2025 on your calendar for the Great Class of 1965’s 60th reunion.

1966

Doug Hirsh Doug.hirsh@gmail.com In the fall/winter 2022 issue of The Lawrentian there is an in-depth article on Dale Snodgrass ’68, who was a real Top Gun pilot who served as the inspiration for the character, Maverick, played by Tom Cruise. Classmate Jared Wickware shared the article with is his son, Charles, who was taken back by the fact that he not only knew Snod, but that he went to Lawrenceville. Turns out Charles Wickware performed some of the low-level flight scenes in Top Gun II: Maverick. Charles flew F-18 jets for about 10 years and now works for a company that provides “adversaries” for military training. I am been very fortunate to receive emails from artist Dan Cooper that I have shared in previous columns. Dan sent one piece of work that he had done in Canada and I asked him if that wasn’t a big change from his Bay Area surroundings. Dan replied, “Well, I used to visit Canada a lot, so not too different. But actually, Vermont is where I had an experience that led me to becoming an artist. It was during Fourth Form Christmas vacation. My family went skiing in Vermont. One day I went to the top of the mountain and I was completely alone. I looked out over the mountains. It was so quiet and beautiful that it stayed in my mind and when I got back to L’ville, I bought some paints and tried to paint the scene from memory. Then I dropped French and took art in the Fifth Form (and won first prize). The dean (Eglin) told me I’d never get into Harvard if I dropped French and the rest is history.” Maurice Hakim reports that he has attained the age of 75 and that his ice

John Gore H’61 ’64 ’65 hosted Rob McClellan H’65 ’78 P’10, Judge Paul Levy ’54 P’81 ’88 GP’20, and Leigh Lockwood ’65 P’97 ’02 at Cobblestone Creek Country Club.

John Burrell ’65 enjoyed Paris with wife Cindy and her sister, Marilyn.

His hometown of Gilbert, Ariz., honored Matt Dominy ’65 for his service in Vietnam with this large outdoor banner this year.

Connie Myers P’10, Howard Myers ’65 P’10, Carol Ann Lockwood P’97 ’02, and Leigh Lockwood ’65 P’97 ’02 enjoyed dinner together. John Kelsey ’65 GP’25, his granddaughter Kelsey Pisano ’25, and cousin Howard Kelsey ’64 discussed Lawrenceville across the eras. They all agreed it’s a fine place to be.

No, Liz Casey H’66 ’92 P’21 ’24 didn’t order a fancy Uber; it’s just the dapper and sporty Bing McCashin ’65 delivering Liz to a Lawrenceville event in Palm Beach.

Leigh Lockwood ’65 P’97 ’02 and son Ryan Lockwood ’02 modeled their Big Red Race T-shirts at Ryan’s home in Oceanside, Calif.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Steve Worcester ’66 and Doug Hirsh ’66 enjoyed some breakfast in San Diego.

Old Glory by Dan Cooper ’66 depicts the Fourth of July parade in a small California town with local veterans marching with a purposeful gait to appreciative applause while flags wave against a background of heritage architecture and redwoods in the brilliant light of high noon.

teas and lemonades are available at the new Earth Fare stores. I know Maurice is enjoying his Connecticut residency. Being that I live in Virginia and root for the University of Virginia, whenever I come across an article about the UVA swimming team I forward them to Dick Tuggle, a UVA alum. A response from Dick was priceless. “Believe it or not … when I entered UVA, I was the best swimmer they ever had, which wasn’t saying much, but after one year, I decided I wanted to party more than swim … so I quit.” My 13th season with the W&L lacrosse team was historic as we set the record for most wins in a season, 18, and broke the record for most goals scored in a season. We made to the Elite Eight where we fell to eventual national champs, Salisbury,

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

by a mere three goals. 2024 looks to be another highly successful season. Speaking of lacrosse, the 2023 Lawrenceville lacrosse team ended the season being recognized as the No. 1 high school team in the country. Sue and I visited the grandkids in San Diego in late June, which coincided with the world lacrosse championships, and we were able to attend several games including the gold medal game. Of course, a visit to San Diego would not be complete without the obligatory breakfast meeting with Steve Worcester, who looks to be in the peak of health. As I wrote this column in early July, John Preefer P’07 has just notified me and other classmates that for the third year in a row our class had the largest number of classmates to contribute to the The Final Countdown fundraising that ended on June 30. Kennedy house had nine donors and 11 were legacy parents. A big shout out to John for sending us reminders and keeping after us.

1967

Spencer Tandy isleridge@aol.com Rolf Reinalda rolfreinalda@icloud.com Bill Ehret P’94 ’98 William.Ehret@gmail.com At what has become a most convivial tradition, stalwarts of the Great Class of 1967 gathered at the landmark summer home of Alex Swistel P’12 and his gracious and stoic wife, Pat Myskowski P’12. Overlooking an ocean that Alex had installed to enhance the atmosphere, the breezy porch and sunny lawn were enjoyed by a coterie of dear friends reminiscing the years away. The mood

was similar to previous gatherings, only better. Why? Because each year seems sweeter. The gathering in Spring Lake is more than a mini-reunion and far more than a party. It is a celebration of friendship … 60 years for most of us. (Three score, if voiced by Honest Abe.) It is an oasis of calm and civility in a turbulent world where rudeness is becoming the norm. In many ways, it is a battery-charger. As we continue to age, and hopefully we will together for another score of years, it is refreshing to engage as we did in our adolescence and energizing to see this annual favorite on our horizon. Aside from our hosts Pat and Alex, in attendance were Mary and Paul Fitzgerald P’03, Diane and Lyals Battle, Alane and Bill Ehret P’94 ’98, Holly and Ernesto Mejer P’04 ’10, Hannah and Arturo Ottolenghi, Barbara Campos and Rolf Reinalda, Larry Jones, Tom Carroll, Franklin Berger, Oraine and George Dittmar, Debra and Tim Wade, Lindy and Tom Gallagher P’07 ’12, Tracy and Rob Wagner, and Ana and Will Wauters H’03 P’01. Noticeably missing and truly missed was Spencer Tandy, who was away at a retreat attempting to overcome his chronic shyness. The “Areyoukiddingme? Award” goes to John McKeithen, who was eagerly preparing to come up from Virginia … the following week. George surmised that the Lawrenceville education might have been wasted on John. Eddie Hidalgo had to cancel last minute but vows to be there next summer. In keeping with previous years, we assembled a photo op on the lawn while hoisting Old Glory and a bona fide Lawrenceville burgee that actually flew over our campus. Though it might make for a better story if one of us had purloined it, the School actually presented it to Alex et al. in appreciation of our extraordinary spirit and fellowship. The photo op was somewhat flawed in that no one remembered to take a group photo. However, a number of spouses shot videos of the flag raising, the audio for which might best be muted due to offkey singing of mangled School anthems. No one went to bed hungry on Friday. Dessert lovers were in heaven. The peaches that Hannah hand-selected from their own trees enticed me into fuzzy gluttony. Barbara and I went down later on Saturday afternoon to find Alex doing the heavy lifting in the kitchen, though with plenty of help and wonderful sweet corn from Arturo. As before, the gang all pitched in to keep things bustling. Saturday’s dinner on the lawn could have been featured in a star-studded movie titled Surf, Turf, and Mirth. As usual, lobster was in abundance and Alex

upped his game this year by grilling the beef tenderloins to perfection. At the beginning of dinner, we were blessed (as was the food) by Reverends Larry Jones, Will Wauters, and Diane Battle, all of whom mentioned the gift of lasting friendships. Amen. Toward the end of dinner, John Gore H’61 ’64 ’65 offered some insight in a brief, informal state of the School summation. It is understood that the School today is not the same school we remember, and that we were arguably the last year of the old culture. John later wrote to Alex, “I can tell you for sure that The Great Class of 1967 is the best Lawrenceville partying class I know of and I think I know why. First off, whoever put your class together … did an extraordinary job. He clearly had great material … diverse, bright, smart, talented, happy, curious, and exciting kids.” In keeping with the popular trend of mishandling information, I sent a thank you email to the wrong Alex. The good news is that Alex McNaughton replied with what I will shamelessly use as his submission to Notes: “Glad you are not working for the government with classified emails. No harm done. Recovering from COVID. Day 7. Wasn’t too bad. About like minor flu.” In my reply, I urged Mr. McNaughton to come down for next summer’s gathering and to bring our New England L’ville chums. Without formal invitations, it is just word-ofmouth, unstructured with only two strict rules: no politics and no politics. Larry Jones has the following fond memories of the Spring Lake gathering: “I certainly enjoyed being there, just hated leaving a day early. But I had a good time with Bill going there, and he and I had a good relaxing time on the beach. We both even took a dip in the Atlantic and neither of us got attacked by a shark! I loved talking with both my L’ville classmate, Alex, and my Brown classmate, Pat (as well as, obviously, my many other L’ville classmates)! Alex and Pat (and all of you!) are great people. And I discovered that Alex had a choice to make while he was at Lawrenceville (or maybe at that next institution he attended up in Cambridge, Mass.: whether to pursue medicine or be a concert pianist! Obviously, he chose medicine, with excellent results for the American and worldwide public, but he has not let his music talent atrophy either. After I tapped on a few keys of his magnificent grand piano, he sat down and regaled us with Pachelbel and Mozart and more. Good heavens! That was a great evening! And did I mention the Battle-made crab cakes? Lyals and Diane did a magnificent job with them! And I am a crab cake afficionado!” Tom Carroll’s Notes speak to a terrific

weekend: “The Swistel Spring Lake Class of ’67 mini-reunion is my favorite Lawrenceville-related event. Seems to get a little better each year. This year I enjoyed the opportunity to spend some extended quality time with Rob Wagner and his wife, Tracy, who both attended for the first time and stayed over Friday night at my house. He and I were roommates for three years (two in Raymond and one in Upper) and we were both on the lacrosse team. By the way, Rolf, you out did yourself with the shrimp dish on Friday night. My compliments to the chef! And in case you’re wondering, I did make my annual bicycle ride to the Swistel Sunday morning brunch!” For the record, gents, that is one long bike ride. Good for you, Tom. Prior to hosting the mini-reunion, Alex also responded to our plea for Notes with an endeavor for which he should be extremely proud. Hell, we’re proud just knowing him. Alex reports: “I organized a medical mission this past spring to bring experts in breast cancer therapies from New York Presbyterian Hospital for a week tour during which I gave lectures and facilitated teaching sessions to students, residents, and attending staff at the two main hospitals in Manila, the Philippines. I participated in the operating room and we had talks about radiation, chemo, and immune therapies as well as advanced reconstructive techniques. It was a resounding success and a learning experience for me as well as the attendees; both sides learning about each other. Of further interest is that the main hospital, Philippines General, was actually built by the United States. I am currently planning medical missions to other countries including Chile, Turkey, and India.” Hats off to our esteemed classmate for continuing to do such important work. Having told Barbara about many Lawrenceville experiences and institutions, and having enjoyed a remarkably good musical recital together, she was eager to attend a Periwig production. The play was “Men in Boats,” featuring an all-female cast held on stage behind the curtain. The folding chairs were not as comfortable as the seats in the theatre, but the folks from the alumni office were very nice. Before the show, Barbara and I were given a tour of the new Tsai Commons and Field House. Wow. This is a high school? Though parts of the colossal gift are still under construction, completed sections don’t disappoint. It will be interesting to see how the old field house is incorporated and whether the smell of the place can be replicated. One hopes there are many canisters of the beloved aroma ready to be released upon completion.

The size and atmosphere of the Tsai dining hall are so different than our Lower School and Circle House dining rooms that it made me think a bit. Not one to withhold thoughts, I discussed my concerns with our alumni office guide who was hearing such for the first time. The maturity and personalities of our classmates and housemates varied so greatly, largely due to our tender ages at the time, it seems to me that not all students will benefit from a dining hall the size of an O’Hare Airport terminal. Among us were guys who could have led a military platoon and also those who were shy, easing reluctantly into the world. In Lower and Circle dining rooms, we students were brought together at least twice daily, mixing and blending personalities. Though ordered, we routinely interacted across our tables, involving everyone present. In the immense new dining space, however impressive, a shy or troubled student can easily disconnect if not achieve selfexile. Of course, there are times when a little peace and distance are welcome and necessary, but my concern is for the student who might be alone among so many in that vast space. An ever-thoughtful Steve Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 provided background in response to my concern, as follows: “… the design was inspired in part by student input. Their experience had been in Irwin Dining Center, where each House had its pod or dining area. It was of course an attempt to replicate some of the intimacy you recall when dining in your House. The students, however, said that they found the Irwin set up somewhat territorial and segmented. They all had friends in various houses and said it felt funny to venture into someone else’s pod. They wanted open space to draw groups together…”, and “… by all accounts, the kids love it.” Regardless of the rooms in which it is eaten, we can be sure the food is much better now. Mystery mound in the Tsai Commons is unthinkable. In our exchange, I learned that Steve is a big Huey Lewis and the News fan, calling Huey “awesome.” Well, our classmate Hugh Cregg is doing well despite being sidelined due to hearing issues. The play in which the story springs from his hit songs is still inching its way to Broadway, and the internet was full of posts about his birthday, featuring photos of a really young man. Coach Mike Stein reports that his Hunter College Hawks’ women’s team won the CUNY Conference Track and Field Meet in May, extending their winning streak to four consecutive titles: the CUNY Outdoor in May 2022; the CUNY Cross Country meet last November 2022; and the CUNY Indoor meet in February.

Alex Swistel ’67 P’12 prepared a carnivore’s delight when he hosted his annual Class of ’67 gathering at his home in Spring Lake, N.J.

Chef and host Alex Swistel ’67 P’12, partially obscured by a mountain of lobster, stands in a perilous position between the crustacean sensations and a hungry Bill Ehret ’67 P’94 ’98 and Arturo Ottolenghi ’67.

Alex Swistel ’67 P’12 and his fellow ’67ers raised the American flag, as well as a Lawrenceville burgee, outside the Swistel home to commemorate their mini-reunion

Mike, who coaches the throwing events – the shot put, discus, hammer, and javelin – at Hunter, says he is “accumulating commemorative caps and shirts at a record pace,” adding that you can never have too many. Amen, Mike. “For now,” he says, “I extend all mine and my team’s best wishes to and yours.” Right back at you, Coach. By the way, Mike’s throwers are learning from someone with staying power. More than 50 years after graduating, he still holds Colgate records in the indoor and outdoor shot put.

Lyals Battle reports a special event: “Celebrated my 75th birthday on July 3, 2023, with a BBQ celebration for seventyfive at my home in Columbia, Md. It seems that this 75 th birthday situation is rampant. What’s going on? Bill Robertson is reinvigorating his love of music by writing new songs. Good for him. I remember the sweet Stratocaster he had in Perry Ross. In an effort to coerce Ned Weihman to come up to the New Jersey shore for the summer gathering, we had a nice chat. Seems our friend is hale and hearty.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Larry Jones retired for the second time on June 30, 2023. He had served the previous 18 months as the interim pastor at the small, beautiful, active East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church up in northeastern Vermont. While there, he was able to give the opening devotions for the Vermont House of Representatives (twice) and the Vermont Senate (once). And for a year he was a member of the Newport, Vt., Rotary Club. Now he is back in the Middlebury area, preaching occasionally, organizing the lay ministry visitation program for the Middlebury Congregational Church, and taking care of his and Cindy’s piece of heaven in the woods. The heavy rains of July 2023 did not faze their property, as they are high on a mountainside, but it did knock out a number of roads around them. Many Vermonters were, indeed, hard hit by those rains! He is looking forward to our 60th in 2027! Sadly, notice of the passing of our classmate Fletcher “Mac” Durbin has reached us via the alumni office. Memories of Mac from Perry Ross days were limited, as he kept much to himself. At our 50th reunion we learned that Mac was not “a man of few words” as he expressed his heartfelt appreciation of the School in general and Coach Poreda H’57 ’58 ’61 ’63 ’69 ’70 ’89 P’77 GP’04 ’07 ’08 in particular. Rest in peace, Mac. Gents, please send us some Notes. If something crosses your mind that you think could possibly be of the slightest interest, send it in. We’ll find it fascinating. Email, text, call or holler to Bill, Spencer, or me. As Mr. Wyman would say, “Well, then … do it.”

1968

Roger Formidoni rnformidoni@gmail.com 68classnotes@gmail.com [Ed. Note: Tom Borgia has stepped down from his class secretarial duties and placed them in the skilled hands of Roger Formidoni, whose debut column follows. The Lawrentian thanks Tom for his steady efforts, which consistently produced a thorough and interesting column for the Class of ’68. Roger’s contact information is included at the top of this column. – S.R.] Greetings to the Class of ’68 – Lawrenceville Legends. This is my maiden effort as the new class secretary, taking over from Tom Borgia, who has done a fantastic job! Thanks for your work, Tom. Here is a recap of the 55th Reunion. Attendees as follows: Bill Baker, Peter Bergoo, Tom Borgia, Biff Cahill P’09, Fritz Cammerzell P’18, Richard deBart

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

P’09 ’11 and Debra Blair, Allison and John Eustace P’00, Marjorie Fitzgerald P’68, Joy and Darrell Fitzgerald, Ginny and Roger Formidoni, Dod Fraser P’98 ’01, Mary and John Heron, Mark Hertzberg, Donna and Ron Horvath, Larry Jones and Stephanie Bird, Si Kopf, Hugh Landwehr, Aleina and Art Laughton, Compton Maddux, Bob Maguire P’96 ’00, Sandra, Bianca ’18, Francesca, and Ron Mangravite P’18, Michel Marks, Robin Mattern, Tom McNeil P’95 ’98, Bernie Metzger, Ernie Norris and Jane Bradbury, Mark O’Donoghue, Doris and Guy Peluso, Peter Polhemus and Francie Joseph, Jane and John Rawley, Ed Robbins H’67 ’69 ’71 ’72 ’11, Mike Tiernan P’01 ’05 ’09, and Penny and Eric Winter P’04. Thirty-one alums plus honorary member Ed Robbins, spouses, friends, and one very special guest, Darrell Fitzgerald’s mom, Marjorie Fitzgerald P’68. To those of you who could not make it, be assured that we missed you. Festivities began Friday evening at a social hour hosted by Ernie Norris and Tom McNeil in our class headquarters in the Clark Music Building. Hugh Landwehr’s opus was on prominent display – the drop with pictures from Atlantic City by Simon Marks and the oversized saltwater taffy box. From there, we hoofed it to the Kirby Arts Center for the Hall of Fame and Alumni Awards presentations. Darrell Fitzgerald, always at the top of his game, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and gave a moving acceptance address, recapping his early days at the school and what Lawrenceville means to him. He received a standing ovation. Dinner was with all classes at the Tsai Commons. The original taffy box sent by Rich deBart to Dr. McClellan H’57 ’58 ’60 GP’10 was on display in the Bunn Library on the second floor. Books and DVDs by members of our class were on display on the first floor. Si Kopf’s work was featured in the lobby. Saturday at 10 a.m., there was a Service of Remembrance for classmates lost since the last reunion: Arthur Adams, John Crump P’03 ’05, Jonathan Fox, George Geeslin, Thomas Lockwood, Jay Miller, Jack Reydel H’60 ’62 ’65 ’67, Dale Snodgrass, John Tilghman, William Wallace, James Warren, James Waugh H’67 ’72 ’74 ’81 ’83 ’85 ’88 P’68 ’70 ’72 ’74 ’76 GP’12 ’14, and Lawrence Whiting. Besides Darrell’s award, a second high point of the weekend was a presentation of “Ramblings: An FTD Journey” to a packed Arts Center Lounge. This is a moving piece written by Bernie Metzger, in memory of his wife, who passed away from frontotemporal degeneration. It was performed on piano by Jonathan

Bass, a close friend of Bernie’s and an accomplished pianist. It featured exciting rhythm patterns, interesting harmonies, and beautiful melodies. It is available on YouTube by searching “Bernie’s Compositions” and “Ramblings: An FTD Journey.” This was followed by the Grand March, with Ron Horvath carrying our banner. The Grand March was followed by the class picture taken on the steps of the Upper Esplanade and three pictures of Darrell with, respectively, his Cromwell housemates, his Woodhull housemates, and his fellow wrestlers. The Legends barbecue on the Abbott patio followed. Dinner was served in the Clark Music Building, accompanied by a slide show of memories from our time as students at Lawrenceville. The slide show included our pictures from the yearbook, some pictures from our school years, a few pictures from the production of Alice and many pictures of us since then. Many slides commemorated the “Great Atlantic City Caper.” After dinner, Compton Maddux and his band treated us to a rousing acoustic rendition of John Prine’s “Paradise.” I had the honor of being the emcee for the evening. I certainly enjoyed connecting with everyone. The ceremony began with remarks by outgoing President Ron Mangravite. We followed Ron’s remarks with a reading of the names of deceased classmates, including faculty. The reading was interspersed with spontaneous remembrances of these class members. Honorary classmates were then introduced. Hugh Landwehr eulogized Peter Candler H’63 ’67 ’76 (posthumously). Compton Maddux was to be a copresenter but had to leave with his band to start their evening set. These two were last seen together as the lethal sisters in Arsenic and Old Lace. Virginia Chambers H’54 ’58 ’59 ’60 ’61 ’62 ’66 ’67 ’71 ’73 ’79 ’80 ’89 had been inducted earlier that afternoon via Zoom in the Clark Music Building lobby. Bob Maguire did the honors. There were several Clevies in attendance. Bob delivered a fond remembrance of Ginnie as part of the evening activity. Lastly, Peter Polhemus introduced Dick Gaines ’51 (also posthumously). Peter had been in Cromwell house with Dick, and a junior wrestler before moving on to the varsity. We approved the new slate of class officers: President – John Fagelson P’05 ’09; Vice President – John Eustace; Bernie Metzger will serve as IT director (appointed position). From there, dessert and more of Compton’s band on the Abbott patio. Overall, a great weekend! I would like to give a shout-out to the dining staff, other staff members who operated

shuttles and provided assistance, and to the students in their blue T-shirts. The food was great, and everyone was unfailingly polite and friendly. You may go to the lawrenceville68.org website for pictures and videos. Robin Mattern has set them up for easy access as soon as you log on. I look forward to hearing from all of you in my new role as secretary. Even if you have no news per se, just drop a line to say “Hi.” Let us know you are out there. In the process of inviting my Dawes housemates to come, I received heartfelt regrets from Ross Gordon, Leon White, Nick Whitcraft, Gene Brissie P’13, Alex “Buzz” Landesco, and “K.T.” MacDermot Roe. Post-Reunion Notes: Always on the move, Ed Vine writes, “Sorry that I could not attend. But sounded like a fun event. FYI, just got back from Italy and France. In Italy, we visited Jeremy’s girlfriend’s parents, uncle and aunt, and cousins. They all live in Northern Italy, near Como and Milan.” I directed Ed to my father’s family home in Montefranco, where there is a Formiconi Winery. From Nick Whitcraft: “So sorry I couldn’t make it and loved seeing all the names who made it and remembering those we lost. I sure hope to get there again someday.” Ross Gordon made the observation, “Sounds like everyone had a good time, couldn’t recognize anyone in website pics; I’ve been away too long.” Gee, I thought everybody looked the same. Dod Frasier is already looking forward to the 60th. K .T. Ma c D er m o t Ro e says “Congratulations on the great turnout! It is so important in keeping members of our class in touch.” Fran and Bob Maguire celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 23 and are off to County Cavan, Ireland, to see the old Maguire homestead. Congratulations Bob and Fran. Erin go bragh! From Juan Eustace: “Had a great time at our class reunion. Played the member guest with Richard deBart and on the 16th hole at Sleepy Hollow, had a hole in one. Hope all of our classmates had as much fun as myself.” No surprise that Juan can still swing a club proficiently. Usually a faithful attendee, Walter Crain P’99 wrote, “Not much to report. Very disappointed to have missed our reunion. We had to attend our niece’s wedding in Santa Fe, which was a grand event. Not able to do much more this summer due to the arrival of two more grandchildren. That will bring our total to seven and the oldest just turned 6.

Santa is going to have a lot of work ahead. “Last summer Mary and I did take a fantastic cruise of the coast of Norway going all the way to the Arctic Circle. We enjoyed it so much that we are talking about doing it again, especially after having to endure the summer that Texas is having this year. Hoping there will be another class get together soon. My best to everyone.” Actually, Walter, that sounds like a lot to report! A late note from Bob Owen: “Betty and I are here at our summer cottage in the Laurentians of Canada. All is well except the weather and nature – somewhat twisted. Keep well!” Chris Cella sent this letter with a moving and funny remembrance of Billy Wallace: “Thank you to Roger N. Formidoni for being our new class secretary. Thanks to Tom Borgia and Ron Mangravite for their past service to the Class of ’68. Heartfelt congratulations to Darrell Fitzgerald; you deserve every good thing that you get, and my regrets that I did not get to meet Darrell’s mom. “Billy Wallace remembrances: Bill ‘Beastie’ Howard P’93 GP’22 ’25 was kind enough to be the first to inform me of Billy Wallace’s passing. I had several subsequent conversations, especially with John Meiners and Johnny Heron. I was in the same house with Billy Wallace for three years (Cleve and Lodge). More recently, I did not see Billy often, but I miss him dearly. “I was able to attend his memorial by Zoom where several things important to me occurred. I met his daughter, Mindy Wallace, and told her that as long as she was here, Billy was not entirely gone. I heard her relate a story of her dad doing an experiment of letting Crayola crayons melt on the dashboard of their car just to see what happened (a ‘colorful’ story in many ways). “I also learned that the invention of his marvelous cast of improv characters, including Mr. Bluster – the world’s meanest man who weighed 2,000 pounds and was a huge fan of the New York Football Crankies, and liked apple sauce (baby apple sauce … the other kind is too harsh) – was invented prior to his arrival at Lawrenceville. Just one snippet of an improv: At Lodge House (now faculty housing) Billy went out one door of the top floor suite where Billy and Gary Confer and Larry Blades P’02 ’09 and Bill ‘Beastie’ Howard were roommates, and soon came running in through the adjoining suite door completely soaked from head to toe in his clothes and (as my mom would say) in his good shoes, shouting, ‘Captain, Captain, the boiler has exploded!’ Robin Williams had nothing on Billy.

“General Lawrenceville remembrances: Pay phones: The houses all had pay phones; there were no cell phones, there was no email. Calls cost a dime. Somebody showed me a trick that with two nickels, you could make a call for a nickel and not a dime. Put in the first nickel, as you put in the second nickel, hit the receiver as it passed by, the second nickel would register with the pay phone, but fall through to the returned coins place. “Slide rules: There were a number of classes at Lawrenceville from 1964 to 1968 that required that you had a slide rule. I never fully got the hang of them, and although they were interesting, I never cared that much for them. And then the first calculator became available. It cost $400, but it could add, subtract, multiply and divide. “Just the fellas: It is not this way now, and it is politically incorrect to state this, but I believe that I really benefited from and all-male school. I would have been much more distracted. Also, the bonds made were deeper, I think. I still care for my Lawrenceville classmates and wish each and every one of them (you) well.” From me, Roger: Ginny and I are heading to the North Carolina coast, to be joined by all children and grandchildren. I think we are in for a hot one.”

Rick Wen ’69 reeled in this rainbow trout on the Missouri River near Wolf Creek, Mont.

1969

Walter H. Hoppe LaserLynne@aol.com In early May 2023 my daughter, Lynne, and I flew from San Diego to Newark, N.J., for a funeral. We flew there on a Friday and returned to San Diego the next day. In that short time, we were infected with COVID-19. No hospital treatment was necessary, but we spent two weeks feeling miserable. At the end of April 2023, I was able to move into my shipping container home. It is made from two shipping containers stacked one atop the other. The inside of each container was finished with a bathroom, kitchen area and two minisplits for heating and cooling by the offsite contractor. From Harry Mirach: “Gary Friday P’10 ’16 ’18 and I went to Alumni Weekend on June 2 to see some old friends (Darrell Fitzgerald ’68, Bobby Maguire ’68 P’96 ’00, and Biff Cahill ’68 P’09) who were attending their 55th class reunion. Gary and his wife, Anita, went to see the recognition of recently deceased Nate Queen ’73. Also, Gary’s son, Joshua Friday ’18, joined us as he celebrated his fifth class reunion with his classmates. While we were having lunch outside the Abbott Dining Room patio, we met

Alec Wiggin ’69 P’04 ’05 and Bob Froeber ’69 linked up for some golf at Pawleys Plantation in Pawleys Island, S.C., in March.

Leigh Lockwood ’65 P’97 ’02 and Paul Fitzgerald ’67 P’03. It was an enjoyable day at the school.” From Charley Baker: “Sorry to hear about your bout with the dreaded COVID, but happy to hear about your new home. “I just finished renovating my new home damaged by Ian. I love my new digs with water access to the gulf and perfectly quiet for my audio studio. Narrating a lot of audio books these days. I am still skippering the “Tikis” on Naples Bay. Enjoying the company of strangers from all over the place. Hotter than hell, but my seasoned body is coping well. I will be joining the crafters this season hopefully finding some customers for my pics. Printing on canvas and stretching and framing my own. DIY or die! Life is so grand. I am so blessed. I thank God every day. All the best to my classmates.” From Bob Froeber: “I can’t remember if I sent this photo of Alec Wiggin P’04 ’05 and me to you already. Alec and I had great fun golfing and reminiscing.

It’s important to me to note regarding the photo, taken in March 2023 at Pawleys Plantation in Pawleys Island, S.C., that I am 6 feet tall and not the munchkin I appear to be next to Alec! Lots of love to all!” From Henry West: “I’m enduring the hottest summer ever, as we all are. Hoping for some relief by fall.” From David Little: “I have recently completed an essay for a national journal – FABS (the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies) – that has been accepted. FABS is an umbrella organization for many of the book clubs in the United States (including the Baxter Society of Portland, Maine). The subject of the essay is ‘Why I Collect What I Collect.” In my case, the theme is how what I collect has shaped a career in the arts. “I also have news that my work has been accepted at the Littlefield Gallery in Winter Harbor, Maine. The gallery decided to exhibit my ‘plein air’ landscapes!

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

“My brother, Carl, and I are awaiting the galley proofs for a new art book Art of Penobscot Bay to be published in the fall of this year. A large exhibition has just opened at Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers in Freeport, Maine, that has over 100 paintings done by 55 artists represented in our book! It will run through January 2024. “On July 30, I will be selecting artwork for the large summer show at the River Arts Gallery in Damariscotta, Maine, under the theme of ‘Earth, Water, and Sky.’ “One last news item about Carl and me. Our publisher, Rowman and Littlefield, decided to republish our 2016 art book Art of Acadia in a soft cover, paperback edition. They were able to fix the errata present in the older hardcover edition and the new edition is quite wonderful. “Lots of rain this summer – more than in any Maine summer that I can remember.” From Rocky Barber P’08: “Walt, send pictures. Nancy, my wife, loves unusual homes.” From Rick Wen: “Caught this 23-inch fat rainbow trout floating the Missouri River today near Wolf Creek, Mont. Enjoying retirement while I still can at my Big Timber, Mont., mancave. Best to the rest of us old guys.” From Tim Doyle H’79 ’99 ’09 P’99: “Kathy P’99 and I spent ten days in Istanbul and Bodrum, Turkey, in May, and found the country fascinating and very welcoming.” From Allen Lovejoy: “I do not have much noteworthy news. However, I’d like to see pictures of your new home. During my career as a city planner, we looked at alternative housing structures, including shipping containers. St. Paul was the hub of rail shipping and in the early 1900s old railroad shipping containers were repurposed for housing. They made sturdy working-class housing. There are 100 or so that are still in use and well-kept. “We continue to travel and have upped our post-COVID trips with excursions to the Adriatic, Switzerland, Australia/ New Zealand, the Czech Republic, and Poland. We are planning an extended trip (three months) back to the Antipodes (Brit. speak for Down Under) to celebrate our 50th anniversary. We welcomed our sixth grandchild – our first girl, Phoebe – to the family last spring. Life is good for us in the Minnesota tundra!”

1970

Robert C. Paschal robert.paschal2808@gmail.com After reading a recent edition of the Class Notes, Mike Stein ’67 sent a note

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

to Robert Paschal thanking him for a mention of Chris Burdick and their days competing as track-and-field teammates for the great Ed Poreda H’57 ’58 ’61 ’63 ’67 ’69 ’89 P’77 GP’04 ’07 ’08. Chris responded: “So great to hear from both of you. And Mike, thanks so much for thinking of me! I credit my days in track and cross country under the fabulous training of Coach Poreda with propelling me to attain many personal goals. That training built stamina – both physical and mental – as well as team spirit and perseverance. I credit my tough election victories to that training. Pushing, pushing, pushing! “I now serve in the New York State Assembly having first been elected in 2020 and re-elected last year. I absolutely love the work trying to do my part in making our little corner of the world a little better. And I have made some headway serving some 140,000 people I represent and also helping the state. “Living in South Salem, N.Y., with my wife of 38 years and just today we celebrated the fourth birthday of the oldest of our two granddaughters. We truly are blessed! “I’m so pleased to hear that you too are doing well!”

1971

Kristopher D. Krug kris.krug@verizon.net

1972

Bruce Hager 15 Broad Street Apartment 2410 New York, NY 10005 brucelhager@yahoo.com One year after our 50th reunion, as we proceed ever closer to the front of The Lawrentian’s Class Notes section, we find ourselves in that later life arc that spans newborns, weddings, grandchildren, retirement, and, alas, mortality. These notes are no exception. Tim Warren was deeply saddened to learn of the recent death of Peter K. Phinney, who was one of his close friends at Lawrenceville and beyond. Peter died in January. “I wrote to Peter’s family and remembered his ‘inventiveness, irreverence, wit, and charisma. Peter gave a memorable performance at the Kirby Arts Center as The Player in director Peter Candler’s excellent production of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Tim wrote a glowing review of it for the school newspaper.”

I thanked Tim for sharing the sad news about Peter, who I also recalled for his irreverent wit and sardonic view of the world. He was my house president at Dickinson when I was caught and suspended for smoking pot during the fall of my junior year. I’ll always recall his being at my disciplinary committee meeting in the Heely Room when Ben Briggs H’61 ’63 ’69, Tom Eglin H’86 P’19, and Bruce McClellan H’57 ’58 ’60 GP’10 asked me why I smoked pot. “Because everyone does,” I responded, whereupon Peter turned quite pale since many in our house were tokers, and he feared I was going to name names. However, when the administrators asked me to whom I was referring, I looked around and said I couldn’t immediately recall. I was subsequently suspended for six weeks and kicked off varsity ice hockey for a year. Next, Jim Walburg writes: “I haven’t been one to write much over the years but since our 50th I’ve really enjoyed staying in touch with so many of my ’72 classmates. Justin Salerno and wife Cyndi organized a mini reunion for several of us in Kennebunkport, Maine, this past May. Justin and Cyndi, Jack Kroese and wife Kathy, Jim Walburg and wife Sandy all showed up. We told way too many L’ville stories, toured the local sites, and enjoyed much fresh lobster. A real treat for us Texans! “We followed that up with my daughter’s wedding in June in Texas. We squeezed it in just before the temperatures climbed into the 100s! Justin and Cyndi Salerno, Jack and Kathy Kroese, Rich Bayersdorfer and wife Mary Beth, and of course Jim and Sandy Walburg. In the spirit of these times, Lauren and KC had a Man of Honor and KC decided to change his last name to Walburg rather than Lauren taking his last name. I retired in February 2020 and am loving every minute of it. Sandy and I are raising our 6-year-old grandson – it wasn’t quite the ‘do nothing’ retirement I was expecting, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Now news from Bill Haff, a former Dickinson and Haskell resident who’s adding to Class Notes for the first time in many years. [Bill and I grew up in Greenwich, Conn., where we attended the same middle school before attending L’ville. – Bruce] I insisted that Bill tell us what he’s been up to for the past 50 years, and Bill, treating the assignment like a Lawrenceville English composition, sent back written snapshots of his life since our graduation. As Bill’s chronology hasn’t yet caught up to the present, I have included a couple of early snapshots, and summarized the rest to bring the class up to speed on the highlights of Bill and his family. I trust that you will not be

disappointed. Bill’s father was Class of ’39 and of the three Haff boys Bill was the only one who was accepted into and attended Lawrenceville. Bill candidly shared that he had very mixed feelings about his time at L’ville. Nonetheless, he adapted and tried things he normally wouldn’t, such as lacrosse. “Senior year I got a wild hair to try out for the varsity lacrosse team, having never even picked up a stick in my life to that point, much to the amusement of the team members and the coaches … So, I attended the three-week practice in the fall, and went through the spring practice and was then subsequently (and appropriately) cut. Being a senior, I wasn’t allowed to play JV of course and at Lawrenceville my brief foray into lacrosse was over. However, when I got to Lafayette College I repeated the exact same drill – fall practice, spring tryouts – and lo and behold I never got cut. I believe the coaches opened the fourth string just for me. I played midfield in about half the games and had an incredible scoring record of two assists! So, in retrospect, Lawrenceville taught me the value of saying ‘Why the hell not?’ Putting oneself out there was a life lesson learned from a school I thought I disliked.” Bill attended Lafayette College twice, first for one year where he learned the rigor and discipline necessary to succeed academically had betrayed him. In short, he flunked out and at the dean’s request he took a couple of years off. He headed west where he wound up in Vail, Colo. Here’s his story: “There were three pivotal points and key life learnings gleaned from the time I spent in Vail, as well as lots of different experiences of the type that the dean of students at Lafayette was looking for – for me … First, Vail provided me with the first taste of life in the high country of the Rocky Mountains. Some are ocean people, some are mountain people. It was in Vail that I became a mountain person. Second, Vail was where I started my karate training, which I have pursued for the last 49 years of my life. The third pivot point was the realization that ski bumming was a fun way of life but no way to build a life. And it was at Vail that I first heard of Big Sky and Bozeman which became the first germination of our eventual move to Montana decades later. “My life in Vail was filled with all sorts of adventures and experiences. Work wise, I started in housekeeping at the Lodge at Vail, cleaning the public restrooms and carrying firewood to each of the condos. It was a job of sorts but no way to earn a living. I did everything in four different restaurants, starting as a dishwasher and busboy ending up as a prep cook and daytime sous chef at Cyrano’s. For a few months, I worked as a miner for the New Jersey Zinc Mining Co. in

Gilman, Colo. Nine-hundred to 1,000 feet underground, with lantern on hardhat, pick, shovel, axe, and steam hammer drilling holes up into the veins of ore. Climbing 100-foot ladders with a canvas bag of dynamite over one shoulder and primer cord over the other. Tall white boys like me were a minority among the mostly Chicano miners who called us ‘Anglos’ and were tremendously amused by every mishap that befell us … with every dent in my hardhat I realized mining was a good job for some, but no way to earn a living. “The best job I had at the end of my tenure in Vail I didn’t even get paid for. When I was bussing tables at The Silver Buckle, I noticed one of the owners, Nate, reading this huge binder at the bar. Upon my inquiry, he informed me that it was the microwave tower design for the first FM radio station being built in Vail. Nate told me who the station managers were and where the station was being built. Totally overblowing the two shifts I had observed of your show, Bruce, on the L’ville radio station, I had the moxie to keep pestering them for a disc jockey slot. After consistently showing up at the times they pushed me off to, and based on the fact that I had 100-plus record albums when the station had just one, and courtesy of a temporary FCC license, I became the first live late-night DJ on KVMT. All other programming was being managed by tape. From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. I was on the airwaves: ‘This is Bill Haff, coming to you with Radio Freestyle, KVMT, Vail, Colorado.’ For eight shows I had my Warhol’s fifteen minutes of fame. ‘Hey Haff!’ someone would shout in the ski lift line. ‘Great show last night. Love that Marshall Tucker, man!’ (But) my radio career died a quick death. It turned out that Eagle Records had more albums than I did and my time on air was over. “In the fall of ’74 I suffered a second total shoulder dislocation at a karate camp (the first was a ski accident at Steamboat), which ended my job at the mine and gave me a small taste of real poverty. I would go to the grocery store and suddenly this can of beans was for Wednesday, this can of soup was for Thursday, etc. I had to search under the floor mats just to put $0.78 into the tank of the ’67 VW Bug I was then driving. When that dried up, all I had to eat was an industrial sized canister of Cream of Wheat – no milk, butter, sugar or salt. It was quite a shock for a prep schoolboy who never had to guess where or when his next meal was coming. I had a 50lb. bag of kibble for my dog, so she did better than me. In need of shoulder surgery, I pointed my VW east and left Vail dwindling in my mirror. It was time to go back to school.” Bill subsequently returned to Lafayette, got his degree, and moved

to San Francisco. He earned a black belt in karate in 1984 while engaging in a sales career – forklifts, printing, and telecommunications – while working for PacBell and a succession of Silicon Valley startups. Bill married Shaunna Kersten in 1990 and they now have a son and daughter. In 1998, the family moved to Boseman, Mont., where they bought a house to live year-round. When he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011, he retired from work but has stayed active. He’s soon to complete his first novel and is a player/coach for Rock Steady Boxing, a special program for Parkinson’s patients. Bill is also still hunting, hiking and “golfing” (he’s recovered from a broken back and had both hips replaced, which means no more skiing). Bill and Shaunna have built their dream house nestled against the National Forest south of town. Bill reminds me that if any of the Class of ’72 find themselves in Bozeman, Mont., to please give him a call. He’s starting a second novel by year’s end “to be work rather than hobby because he’s running out of decades to waste.” All in all, a multifaceted life. No Class Notes is complete without Story Vogel, who reports from the West Coast: “After reading your latest class missive on the 50th reunion in The Lawrentian, I am moved to reorder the unseen pixels of the internet and shoot off one of my ill-conceived Lawrencevillerelated occasional epistles. Not only does ‘Occasional Epistles’ sound like a band that Robbie Kraft might have had back in the day, they sang Gregorian chants you know, but I have also managed in one sentence to mix metaphors. Ah well, it has been many decades since Jim Blake ’43 upbraided me for my casual use of the English language. “It must have been strange to come face to face with so many folks who one’s mind holds frozen in time, yet there they stand, some almost 70-year-old version of our once child selves with 50 years of life behind each face and all that entails. For instance, my mind sees you (Bruce Hager) in your goalie’s gear standing in front of the goal or coming across you on campus. “Your vivid description of the changes to the physical campus made me somewhat irritated. I thought, Can’t they just leave well enough alone? What the hell! The Jigger Shop in a school building? A Starbucks on Main Street where the Jigger Shop was! Blasphemy. Young girls in tight dresses who go to school there? What’s next, Lex Luthor shows up? Ray guns taking out Foundation House? Where’s the Library. What did they do to Lower? “Then my mind wandered to a class reunion in 1971, where in my inimitable

Bruce Cole ’72 dropped in on Bruce Hager ’72 at his KPMG office in New York shortly before the latter retired in July.

Rich Bayersdorfer, Mary Beth Bayersdorfer, Kathy Kroese, Jack Kroese ’72, and Jim Walburg ’72 got reacquainted at Jim’s daughter’s wedding.

fashion of teenage irony, I was dressed in a blazer and boater as part of the croquet team/scam. I remember the old gent (ha ha...) carrying the placard for the Class of 1921 at the front of the class parades. I can remember thinking, Wow, that guy is really old … why, he’s older than Mr. Heyniger (bless his memory). Then my reverie was interrupted by the cold realization: We are them. “I hold Lawrenceville in a haze. A snapshot in time insulated from reality. Connected to the experience by memories and the names of folks, some of whom I was friends with, and others I knew casually in the way of teenagers. Most of us will readily admit that our high school years were but a blip in the journey we call life, which as always ends up presenting joys and sorrows we couldn’t anticipate. “Over the years I’ve bumped into a few of our classmates. Doug Watkins down at Tulane. A call out of the blue from Bruce Cole. An unexpected visit from Dave Becker. John Murphy moving to Coronado back when I lived there. There’s a few more that I’ve forgotten,

not because they are forgettable but because I have forgotten. Our classmates who have died upset me, as they are frozen in time, like Kevin Moats P’06, Lew Thompson, and Dave Becker. Moats was in Lower with me and my memory of him was his running to the quarry and his Ross House nighttime raids of the refrigerator for ice cream. Teddy Harrington used to put his hand into a bowl of warm water as Moats slept. You can imagine what our 14-year-old minds were up to. Dave Becker and I were friends, and I only knew Lew Thompson, as well, Lew Thompson. When you look at his accomplishments in his obituary, it’s at odds with the memory I have of him in high school and shows you how unformed you are in high school. Others who have gone before us that I remember like Tim Briggs and Miles Leverett. I am sure there are more. A lot more. It’s good to remember them all. “I would have liked to have been there to catch up and marvel at the accomplishments of my classmates. Clearly, they easily surpass my somewhat pedestrian existence for which I am

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

grateful, as it could have gone very badly. I owe that to Judi Kelly who stumbled on me in law school and remains by my side some 44 years later. Perhaps our paths will cross in the future. In the meantime, thanks for keeping us all connected.” Speaking of Bruce Cole, he and I shared breakfast in late May when he was briefly in New York. We caught up on a number of things, including his continuing friendships with people like Dan Nunn north of South Carolina, where Bruce currently lives with his wife Lady Jane. He told me stories about growing up in New York City and about going to Lawrenceville, which, despite his being a city kid, opened his eyes to the incredible opportunities the school offered, including entry into Harvard. Since I had to get back to work (more about that below), we walked to KPMG’s midtown headquarters where he worked for several years after he became a CPA. We also spoke about Nat Queen ’73, who died in May 2022 and was my housemate in Davidson before I entered the Class of ’72. Bruce said he was attending the Class of ’73’s 50th alumni weekend last May in his honor. Lastly, I announced to the class that I’m retiring – not as class scribe, mind you, but from KPMG, where I’ve worked for the past 28 years. As Yogi Berra once said, it gets late early, and I figured now’s the time to do what I really want to do, which is focus on my own writing instead of proposals, white papers, brochures, annual reports, speeches, video scripts, newsletters, and Web content. I’ll certainly miss the people I’ve worked with since 1995, especially those who mentored me through some rocky times and helped me survive multiple layoffs. So, in addition to being your class scribe, you’ll hopefully hear me hawking a book or two over the next few years. Stay tuned. In the meantime, keep the faith, baby.

1973

To submit news for the Class of 1973 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org. Jean-Yves Baudoin graciously agreed to provide a report of the class’s 50th reunion and he did not disappoint: Our 50th class reunion has come and gone, but the memories of a wonderful weekend remain alive and well. I’ve been asked to collect notes and comments on the weekend, though trying to properly replace our lost comrade Nat Queen, who took on this responsibility over the past decades, is an impossible task. Remarkably, 72 classmates made it back to Lawrenceville – one of the highest totals ever for a 50th reunion. Many others who would have liked to

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

attend but couldn’t were remembered at some point or another during those two and a half days. And regrettably, 24 of our former classmates have passed away, but were separately remembered (more on that later). Our ability to reconnect with old friends and make new ones was inspired not only by our shared history and communications from the school, but also by the 20-person-strong Reunion Committee, spearheaded by Bill Jump, who did extraordinary work in motivating guys to come back and in liaising with the school administration to organize the weekend. And a special shout-out to Maureen Ehret H’72 P’06 ’12, director of the Red & Black Leadership Society. A few highlights of the special events that transpired: As he did at our 45th reunion, Phil Hughes kicked things off on Friday with a bourbon tasting in the Hutchins Galleries. Though humbly disavowing any special inside knowledge of bourbon, Phil, assisted by his wife, Lauren, was his usual gregarious self, and got the weekend started off on an appropriate note. It was a wonderful opportunity for the group to assemble and renew acquaintances. Fortunately, we all wore large print nametags to overcome 50 years of memory lapses and perhaps altered physiques… The next morning, Allen Fitzpatrick H’85 ’89 P’99 ’04 led a tour of the School, featuring its history, architecture, and changes over time. Having spent most of his life in various leadership capacities at Lawrenceville, Fitz was the perfect guy to teach us all about things many of us never knew regarding the School – idiosyncrasies of its founders, new structures that have arisen over the years, types of materials used in the construction of various buildings, aspects of landscaping, etc. The tour lasted an hour, but he probably could have gone on for several more. Fortunately, there was no pop quiz thereafter to test our listening and comprehension skills… After the Grand March of Classes, where Bill Jump carried the Class of ’73 flag, we adjourned to lunch in Abbott Dining Hall. We held a couple of special ceremonies at that time. Jeff Waldron and Scott Quackenbush P’13 ’16 solemnly recited a list of our departed classmates (24 in all), which while sad, also brought back fond memories of them all. We also anointed five honorary classmates, as selected by the Reunion Committee: Dr. Ken Keuffel H’59 ’61 ’89 ’90 P’79 (remembered by Dave Donahue) and Doug James (by Corky Ellis and Scott Swanezy P’07, cocaptains of the football team) for their leadership of the undefeated ’72 season and their many other contributions to our

class and the school; Herman Besselink H’88 ’94 (remembered by Phil Hughes, who wore his Sixteen Sons of Kinnan denim jacket that night at dinner); and Carty Lynch H’71 ’81 ’84 (by Fitz) and Doc Harrison (by Dave Donahue). During lunch, Fitz handed out commemorative swag – shirts and caps – that he designed especially for our 50th class reunion. That afternoon, Glenn Hutchins hosted a passionate review of his catalogue of 74 Ansel Adams photographs, aptly in the Hutchins Galleries, and Jimmie Tucker and Sam Gardner discussed their achievements in the world of urban architecture in their respective home cities of Memphis and New Haven. The presentations were inspiring and made us proud that the three of them could improve their communities in their own individual ways. After a brief cocktail party hosted by Head of School Steve Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 at Foundation House, we sat for a formal dinner in Abbott, highlighted by a playlist of music favorites of the early ’70s (thanks to Jeff Waldron for managing that) and a slideshow of classmates, from our years at school and thereafter. Thanks to Doug Carver and Jeff Waldron for arranging that). During the dinner, Phil Hughes handed out several commemorative gifts to: Dave Donahue, for having come the furthest to the reunion; Bill Jump, for the shiniest dome; condoms for Bruce Q P’16 ’18, for being the most prolific parent; and other gags. A few anecdotes about some of our classmates, from various committee members: Dave Donahue and his wife Liz came all the way from Japan, where Dave is currently involved in U.S. intelligence matters that he couldn’t readily disclose in detail (our international man of mystery?). Blake Hornick shuffled around in his inimitable way, debating and making speeches and seemingly promoting his candidacy for class president, should the need arise, and otherwise embarrassing his son, Matthew. Milton Coll, Jeff Kang, John Jaffin, and Chris Petito discussed their medical careers, as did Bob Purcell when he wasn’t asked about the Little League World Series taking place in his hometown of Williamsport, Pa. Scott Swanezy and Corky Ellis both look great and probably could put on shoulder pads tomorrow if needed on the football field. In the meantime, Scott’s work in social counseling is admirable, and Corky is involved in a number of different business/intellectual endeavors. Corky enjoyed catching up with new and old pals Ren Scott, Allen Danzig, Mitch Silverman P’10, Glenn Willard, Bob Lipman P’11, and Mike Kaskiw.

Bruce and Scott Quackenbush still look alike, fortunately youthful and active in sports. Scott and his wife, Pam P’13 ’16, hosted Bruce, Swanezy, Jump, Fitz, Corky, and me to a golf outing at Baltusrol Golf Club on Sunday afternoon, where we played pretty miserably but lied and carried on about stuff pretty well! Bruce Q was happy to catch up with an always exuberant Brian Watkinson, who’s retired in Myrtle Beach after a long career in car sales and is playing a lot of golf; Coman Leonard, who runs his own CPA firm in Tallahassee; and Sandy Stein, who’s reliving his swimming glory days; as well as with Lynn Parry, Dave Magill, Stu Gordon, Rusty Nype P’07, Dean Van Nest, Bill Smith, John Bodansky, and Colin Myer. Bruce Kelsey came up from Florida to monitor his grandkids’ athletic contests but did make time to kibitz with many of us, as long as we didn’t punch him in the shoulders (both of which were recently repaired). Also up from Florida was Russ Etling, who has enjoyed a wonderful career in various aspects of the art world, most recently as the resident promoter of sorts of concerts, plays, art shows, etc., in Gainesville. And it was great to see my old roommate Lee Odden, who was back from Miami and Zurich, where he splits time after retiring from his tax duties at various international financial institutions. I enjoyed spending time with Scott Dyer and his wife, Kathryn; Scott’s retired though keeping active in a number of business and philanthropic matters. Jeff Waldron was everywhere, doing everything; he’s been busy in a new passion, consulting in the medical/ pharma field. Joe Chambliss, having retired from traditional legal work, is calling his own shots as a mediator in various matters in North Carolina. He was caught bragging about his days at UNC, with his fellow classmate there, Bernie Hodges. Don Missey has travelled to the most obscure parts of the globe though is now focused on U.S. renewable energy projects. And it was great to catch up with Nick Park, who is retired and living in Durham, N.C. Nick drove up from there with Joey Chambliss and picked up Peter Stifel and John Herzberg along the way. Peter is still playing the guitar and has added a used car collection to his passions, while John continues to help solve the world’s problems at the State Department. And thankfully Monty Taylor came down from NYC to add some artistic panache to the group. Other attendees milling around during the weekend included Pete Parkinson, accompanied by his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Amanda; Peter Wilsey; Mike McDowell (all the way from Berkeley,

Calif.); Peter Lauffer (sans pianos – he left all four of them at home); Rick Liebman from Boulder, Colo.; Kim Pandapas P’21, wife, Christina P’21, and son, Chris ’21); and Paul Maslin from Monterrey. Also present were Ed Dougherty, Larry Fleder, Howard Foltz, Steve Marcus, John Pappas, Frank Zirnkilton, Fred Shortz, Gabe Sciolla, Larry Sprague, Don Thiel, and John Trupin, as well as my old Raymond pals Rick Grassey and Henry Mercer. It was great to see Mitch Hartman, who made a cameo appearance late Saturday evening. Tom Buechner is still enjoying yoga after teaching it for many years, and Jon Connor is looking fit after having spent 20 years working for the U.S. Ex-Im Bank. Sadly, Bruce Wolosoff had to cancel at the last minute because of COVID, though I did have the pleasure of having lunch with him a few months ago in Sag Harbor, N.Y., and seeing him play a selection from his latest album. Bruce remains active in the music scene in the greater New York area, and lives on Shelter Island with his wife and daughter. Subsequent to the reunion, Jeff Waldron met up Paul Magnin in Boston, where Paul is working on a glioblastoma therapy when he’s not sailing in the Caribbean. Jeff also met up with his Brown classmate, Bob Boiarsky, who is still working at Alex Brown while his wife is the CEO of a therapeutics firm in Watertown, Mass. To round out these notes, we fortunately have some background info on our respective post-L’ville lives, thanks to short bios that 80 of us submitted online. Special thanks to Jeff Waldron and Monty Taylor for the hard work and hours they put in structuring these memoirs of sorts, which can still be accessed and contributed to online. We also saw a slide show at dinner Saturday (thanks again to Carver and Waldron), and miscellaneous pictures from the week end, submitted by Scott Dyer and others. We missed the classmates who couldn’t attend, though they each undoubtedly popped up in conversation more than once. Notwithstanding their absence, the sense of community and family with whom we reconnected was outstanding. Thanks to Lawrenceville and to the Reunion Committee for having gotten us all together again! Until the next time… - Jean-Yves Baudoin After Jean-Yves submitted this Alumni Weekend recap, we received word of the passing of Howard Fultz on August 18. Dave Donahue has this to say in the days that followed: “I did not sleep well last night. I was thinking about Howard. In Griswold, he was more mature than the rest of us 16-year-olds. Always calm, never loud or arrogant – no loud music

from his room, always positive about: other guys in the house, his academic courses and masters, and his work on The Lawrence. He was a favorite of housemaster Paul Porter H’68 ’69 ’72 P’76 ’78. The best words to describe him in those days (1970-72) were: focused, tactful, organized, neat, considerate, and friendly. He was not part of a clique. Howard fit into everybody’s group. “Even then, 50 years ago, he was pulled back to Easton and Bethlehem whenever he had a free weekend. By the middle of our Fourth Form year he knew he was going to Lehigh. In contrast, in the middle of my Fifth Form year I was trying to decide if I was going to go to college or enlist in the Marine Corps. Although I have limited my alcohol intake, I will raise a glass to Howard this weekend.”

1974

George Chen geochen1@yahoo.com

“Thinking about staying for a winter once of these years. Sun Valley had an epic year, as did most of the west. I had more than 80 days and kept on skiing after the lifts closed up in the Smokies, Boulders, and at Soldier Mountain. We took the snowcat over to Soldier and skied like it was our own private Idaho at the closed resort, camping in the parking lot. Then back a laminectomy on L3, 4, and 5 June 6 that dropped me like a bad transmission. Just now recovering and getting back on the bike should be heading to Chile in August for a week to ten days of their winter. Valle Nevado just got 3 feet this week so it looks like a good start. “As far as work, I continue to practice law but have been trying hard to transition out of litigation. Just don’t want to go to court anymore. I have been saying ‘No’ a lot more and am trying to limit any family law cases. A lot more estate work and probate and transactional work and trying to reduce the workload, which given the diminution of attorneys

around here has not been an easy row to hoe. I think another three or four years and I’ll limit things to just business and estate/probate and focus more on other interests. “Heading to Italy in September to deal with some work on an old townhouse I bought with two friends in a little town called Exilles. It was a bargain at $15K but at 600 years old, it needs a new roof and some serious remodeling. Close to the French boarder, west of Turin and near Bardonecchia, Sestrierre, and Serre Chevalier in the South Savoire, and only about an hour and a half from La Grave. So if you need a place to stay in a tiny Italian mountain town, population 260 with one church, one café, one restaurant, and endless backcountry hiking and touring, let me know. I’ll be seeing Cam Cooper and Gary Snyder next week. Gary is living up in Whitehall, Mont., still plying his art dealer skills. Cam is still here in Ketchum and although reportedly retired from his landscaping business, still seems to be

Tom Scardino tom@scardinodoors.com First things first: With the class in our 50th reunion year, it’s a good time to check out our site at www.L74-24.com, where you can find out about and RSVP to several off-campus reunion events. The password is “Lawrenceville”. Mikey Kraynick writes: “It has been an interesting year since perhaps my last post. Like many of us I imagine, given our advancing age, I have been dealing with cascading medical issues. Fortunately they have all been able to be addressed and, to a great extent, remedied, allowing me to continue my quest for more powder, climbing mountains, mountain biking, and whitewater, along with dealing with a now 17-year-old daughter who seems to be intent on making my life hell. I try to ignore the latter and concentrate on the former. “Despite throat surgery the day after Thanksgiving I headed for what was my pre-pandemic annual journey to Japanuary. The land of the rising sun finally opened up in October and fully opened by mid-December with some minor restrictions. I hopped a plane to Tokyo, emailed my friends to let them know of my arrival and once deplaned caught a train to Aomori in northern Honshu to hit as many smaller ski resorts on the Indy Pass as I could. After 12 resorts in 14 days and a lot of touring on Volcanoes like Mt. Yōtei and Hakkoda, I headed to Myoko Kogen for another couple of weeks to ski and tour around the many resorts to be found there. It snowed every day I was in Japan and I skied everyday.

A hike by Mark Gabrielson ’74 P’02 ’08, Peter Neuwirth ’74, Marty Nevitt ’74, and Alan D’Andrea ’74 took through the Loveland Pass 11,990 feet along the Continental Divide.

Brian Hill ’74, son Brian Jr., and grandson Beckham enjoyed some fun in the sun in Sandy Cove in Cohasset, Mass.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Tom Scardino ’74, Bill Sprague ’74, Marc Csete ’74, Stewart Dansby ’74, and David Ballard ’74 enjoyed the view of the Tuscan countryside from the hilltop patio of David and his wife, Michela Caruso, in Tobia, Italy, in June.

working at something, although I am not quite sure what that is. We are all older, probably not a whole lot wiser, just better at avoiding trouble, and still looking for the next mountain to climb.” Brian Hill is “still playing tennis and golf. Semi-retired from international logistics career. Look forward to seeing everyone for 50th.” Stephen Feid P’08 “went with Clint Brown ’75 and Buff Burchfield P’07 ’08 ’10 to the Lawrenceville lacrosse game versus Brunswick and watched our guys win the Prep Tournament in stunning fashion. So nice to see my Greenwich friends upset! I stay in touch with Bill Ryan, whose son [Joakim Ryan] sent me an autographed photo! He played 10 years in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks and now plays professionally in Sweden.”

1975

Gary R. Bedford g_bedford@msn.com David G. Christoffersen, Esq. P’14 ’18 75lville@gmail.com

David Ballard ’74 and his wife, Michela Caruso, hosted friends from the Class of ’74 at their villa in Tobia, Italy, in June.

Mallie Ireland Dansby, Stewart Dansby ’74, Marilyn Glassberg, Marc Csete ’74, Bill Sprague ’74, Tom Scardino ’74, Holly Scardino ’74, and David Ballard ’74 savored the work of olive oil producer Olio Tamia at a tasting in June.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Dave Christoffersen P’14 ’18: “In May Dave Middlebrook spent a weekend with me at my Adirondack cabin (‘google’ VR5012 for a laugh) stacking wood. George Gagliardi came down to L’ville from Concord, Mass., and we lunched at the new Tsai Dining Hall. Palled around with Hunt Parry at reunions but didn’t see any other ’75ers. Son No. 2, Charles Christoffersen ’18, and some of his scumbuddies were there for their fifth. In April or May Hunt, Bob McKenry, Bill Heffern, and I had dinner at the Washington Crossing Inn during a tornado. They then politely sat through an MLC Band (band I play guitar in) gig at Patriots Crossing Tavern across the river in Titusville. After the gig, we congregated at the bar, threw back a couple … and compared health problems. When did that (stuff) start?” Adam Cleff: “Nina Cleff graduated high school! I know – I’m a late starter, but considering what screwups her parents are, this is pretty amazing. She and I took a trip down the Rockies during COVID – hit the big parks and, of course, my beloved Big Horns. Now for college. I lobbied hard for Boulder (has to be one of the most beautiful schools in America), but her plans are to go to Santa Rosa JC. (She is a practical woman.) “During COVID I visited old friend David Clarendon ’72 twice. The guy has like four ranches. Great place to hide in exchange for feeding a few cows. Now I’m back in the Ukiah area humping real estate (I’ve had a good year) and looking forward to a visit from John

Thomas and his wife, Merri. Plan is to hit the wineries of Anderson Valley and the Mendocino coast!” Christopher Farland: “I think of L’ville and of how young we were. On April 8, I had a hip replacement (quite a jolt to the system). Someone else must be in control because I didn’t sign up for this. Surgery will give you a true understanding of where you are and where you are going.” [Chris then regaled your humble correspondent with details of a recent bowel movement which he likened to giving birth. My life is now complete. If not complete I’m nevertheless ready to die. – D.G.C.] “Stay thirsty, my friends!” Preston R. Sargent: “Hard to believe that our 50th reunion is bearing down upon us … too fast for comfort. I remember how old all those dudes looked during reunion weekend 48 years ago. Now we’re almost them. Scary.” John Trubee: “I continue to incessantly play electric guitar. It is so much fun that I can barely stand it. “I busk at several local supermarkets as well as perform for memory care seniors. In March I was interviewed by Mike Watt on his ‘Watt From Pedro’ radio and internet show. He will again interview me at the end of July. I will actually fly down to L.A. to record it live in studio instead of via Skype. I strongly detest how groovy novel techno gizmos subvert and replace our actual human life experience that we formerly lived live in person in real time. Hence I always seek workarounds to this common tragedy. Trips to Palm Desert, North Dakota, and Denver to occur this summer. If any of my L’ville ’75 classmates are man enough to shoot me an email (johntrb09@gmail.com), I will mail a Free Trubee Records LP or CD. This is a baldly self-serving market research experiment.” [I already took John up on his offer, and a copy of “Satan Killed Me Today” recently greeted me when I got home! – D.G.C.] “Hopes U R doin’ dandy. Peace out – John.”

1976

L. T. Hill lt.hill@comcast.net George Spencer gmspencer777@gmail.com I have some sadder news to share this time around. First, Bill Smith passed away suddenly at his home in Alabama in March. Bill is survived by his wonderful wife, Monica, by his daughters, Michelle Smith Austin and her husband William Austin and Katherine Samford Smith, and by his son, Robert Nicholson. Bill founded and managed TSA, a Hewlett-

Packard reseller in Houston for 33 years before retiring to Alabama in 2018. I was fortunate to see Bill frequently in recent years, often while we attended concerts by the Allman Brothers, Steely Dan, The Dead, and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. I attended a service for Bill in Houston in April, along with Doug Simon, who had spoken with Bill by phone almost every day for many years. The speakers at Bill’s memorial did a great job of bringing out what a wonderful parent Bill had been for his three children, including many years as the solo parent to his two teenage girls. Bill’s friends and family also touched on Bill’s passions for hunting, fishing, Auburn football, playing the drums, and generally enjoying life to the fullest (as all his Hamill housemates will remember most vividly!). Bill will be missed by his family and by all who knew him, including his many friends from Lawrenceville. Secondly, Elisabeth “Lisa” Claudy Fleischman, Chuck Fleischman’s wife of 35 years, passed away in May after a fiveyear battle with cancer. Lisa is mourned by Chuck and their two children, Philip and Joan, and by all who knew her. In June, I attended a service for Lisa in Washington, D.C., along with Lloyd Thrower, Kip Landwehr, Phil Yuchmow, and George Spencer. Doug Simon attended a subsequent ceremony held in Jackson, Wyo. The following passages from Lisa’s obituary highlight her many qualities, and give a sense of Chuck’s loving perspective on this wonderful woman: “Lisa attended Harvard College where she graduated cum laude with a concentration in psychology. She dedicated her career to consulting for and supporting nonprofit institutions, receiving both a master’s in public and private management and a master’s in business administration from Yale University. She worked in philanthropic consulting for Brakeley, John Price Jones, Thomas Harris & Associates, and J.C. Geever & Co. before joining the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as the assistant director of development. “Lisa met her husband, Charles (Chuck) Mark Fleischman, when they were both sophomores at Harvard College. This past March marked 45 years since their first date. The two married in June 1988. As a couple, Lisa and Chuck were a team in every sense of the word. They were always aligned on their vision for their family and balanced each other out in everything from their interests, to their talents, and to their music taste. Together, Chuck and Lisa created a loving home for their two children, son Philip born in 1991, and daughter Joan in 1994. Her children were the greatest joy in her life. “The family raised their children in Chevy Chase, Md., as Chuck’s work

brought him to the Washington, D.C., area to serve as president and CFO of Digene Corporation. Chuck and Lisa sent their kids to Sidwell Friends School, a community that Lisa loved dearly. She served multiple stints as head of the Parents Association at Sidwell, constantly striving to promote the school’s values of education and love for all members of the school. “Throughout Lisa’s life, she found friendship and solace in the arts. She loved to sing, play piano, and listen to music. In high school and college, she acted in plays and musicals. She then dedicated much of her professional life to working with museums and other organizations championing the arts, and specifically women in the arts. Her most recent efforts included a feature on Five Wyoming Women Artists to Watch, which was published by the Wyoming Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Chuck and Lisa also built a community around their home in Teton Village, Wyo. Avid lovers of the outdoors, the two found incredible friends on the slopes of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and on the hiking trails of Grand Teton National Park. Lisa combined her love of the outdoors, the arts, and giving back with her work in this community. She served multiple terms on the board of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation and worked as a docent for the National Museum of Wildlife Art. “What is harder to put into words than Lisa’s many accomplishments is the goodness she brought to the world in everything she did. She was graceful and selfless and wholeheartedly committed to the people in her life. She emanated love and light in her every gesture and she was constantly looking to build bridges and provide love to those around her. To know her was to feel awash in her sense of righteousness, her desire for good, and her lifelong journey to make the world a better place. With the loss of Lisa, the world has lost a woman who was pure in her devotion to her friends and family, but also to the greater wellbeing of us all. Her family is left without its North Star and emotional anchor, but trusts that the values she instilled will guide them in her absence.” Clive Herbert writes in that he attended a memorial service in London in May for Nat Queen ’73: “I bumped into Peter Valiunas and Dean Van Nest ’73 (brother of Raymond Van Nest). We had lunch together afterward. It was very nice.” On an upbeat note, Scott Deaktor P’23 ’26 writes, “My son, Charles ‘Chase’ Deaktor, was in the graduating class of 2023. My youngest son, William, will be heading to Griswold in the fall, Class of

The Deaktor family – Scott ’76 P’23 ’26, Marsha P’23 ’26, and William ’26 – got to see Chase ’23 graduate from Lawrenceville this past spring.

Lloyd Thrower ’76, L. T. Hill ’76, Kip Landwehr ’76, Chuck Fleischmann ’76, and Phil Yuchmow ’76 spent time together in May.

When he’s not practicing part-time as an attorney, Julian Gorelli ’76 oversees this crew on his farm in Chester County, Pa.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Doug Simon ’76 and Cass Caspary ’76 caught up over dinner.

Peter Valiunas ’76, Dean Van Nest ’73, and Clive Herbert ’76 renewed acquaintances in London.

2026. Looking forward to seeing all of you at the next reunion.” Julian Gorelli is “happily continuing on as part-time solo practitioner as an attorney, and part-time stay at home dad (Class of ’34), living on a farm in rural Chester County, Pa., with two dogs.”

1977

Kip Hunter khunter@hallestill.com bmassie@hallestill.com Brad Weeden writes: “Not much to report on the home front: I’m a private accountant, Lori a professor at UMassLowell, Ben a rising senior at UMassDartmouth, Adelaide a rising freshman at CU Boulder, all healthy and happy. “More relevant to Lawrenceville, I had a ‘small-world moment’ last year while umpiring a baseball game in Malden, Mass. The Northeastern University club

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

team was playing Sacred Heart, and I overheard the Northeastern catcher telling another player that he went to prep school in New Jersey. After the game, I asked the catcher, whom I had known for a couple of years, if that prep school was Lawrenceville. Indeed it was. “So, attached is a photo from Malden’s Maplewood Park taken on April 10, 2022. I’m flanked by the catcher, Greg Gidiscin ’17, and his dad, Jim Gidiscin ’82 P’17. Pretty cool, eh?” Carl Haywood wrote on his 64 th birthday in July. “Hey, fellow 1977ers, all is well. “My wife and sons and I had dinner with Garry Howard in New York a few weeks ago. We are awaiting the arrival of our third grandson in August! Also, I saw Ed Gibson ’78 at an L’ville function.” Carl also noted that we lost Mick Bowden earlier this year. Richard Coomber writes: “Here are a few musings and reminiscences that I hope some of you will find interesting. There were seven faculty sons who

graduated in 1977. Most if not all of us faculty sons were ‘day boys.’ Hard to believe that was the term we used. I remember being absolutely bewildered when I arrived at Lawrenceville as a First Former (eighth grader), commuting every day with my dad from Morrisville, Pa., where we has just relocated to in 1972. On top of that, I had my dad as my Latin teacher the very first term. I remember being a bit surprised that I couldn’t get any special treatment out of him. I muddled along to barely scrape out a grade of 70 in his class. “My wife Beth, our daughter and I recently attended our son’s graduation from Middlebury College, and I thought of Mary Elizabeth McClellan H’50 ’52 ’57 ’58 ’59 ’65 ’79 GP’10, who graduated from there in 1945, something I did not know until recently. She was a wonderful person who touched us all. In addition, my second-favorite teacher at Lawrenceville (tip of the cap to dear old dad), John “Andy” Schwartzberg H’76, earned a master’s degree at Middlebury. He inspired a lifelong affinity for the German language in me, even though I haven’t had occasion to speak it frequently of late. “I am still working, although it does not seem like work because it is fun most of the time. As I think I have described in previous Class Notes, I am a ‘tax credit originator,’ which means I spend a lot of time competing to have my firm be selected as the investor in tax credit deals that create affordable housing all over the country. At a groundbreaking ceremony in Milwaukee a couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of running into Jeff Fleming, who was covering the event as part of his duties as a career PR man. We met for dinner afterwards, of course. I can’t tell you how many memories this chance reunion stirred up of working late at night to get out the next issue of The Lawrence using the primitive newsroom technology we had in those days. “During my five years as a student at Lawrenceville I spent countless hours playing pickup basketball with Keith Danko P’09 ’12 ’16, Garry Howard, Jon Silverman, Dave Shillaber, and many others at the Lavino Field House, which seemed like the Eighth Wonder of the World to me in the early 1970s. My favorite activities today are ones I did not do at all while at Lawrenceville: 1) tennis, 2) hiking and 3) cross-country skiing. Nos. 2 and 3 are what living near Boston, as I do, will do for you, with the relatively easy access to Maine and New Hampshire. “Thanks, Kip, for your inspiring call to contribute. I hope many other ’77s will be chiming in also.” Chris Nawn “[m]oved to Las Vegas from Northern California three and a

half years ago. Yep, it was time. Have been building a house for the last few years, which I am about to occupy. Lots of fun things to do here. Lots of fun drives. Assume I will be traveling in July and August. Haha. Hope to see everyone at the next big alumni day.” Rudy von Strasser sends “Greetings from California. Having just come down from my high(s) over the Dead & Company shows in San Francisco, I can now drop that note you requested. “I am enjoying my life in Napa Valley, and continue my career of winemaker, which I started directly out of the Fermentation Sciences program at UC Davis so many years (and many shows) ago. The biggest change however is that in 2021 I sold my last winemaking facility, and signed on with an online retailer called Naked Wines. Through this new deal, they pay for all my expenses and production, and in turn own the finished wine and sell it – however, under my name and brand. I get paid per case I make, but have shed all of the risk of owning my own company, facility, employees, etc. Kind of a sweetheart deal. I know that many L’villers belong to this club, so give the wines a try! “I still get together every winter for an annual ski trip with Gurney Sloan, Bruce Rosenthal, Chris Roser, Cam Cornish, and Jeff Engleson. The late Brian Christie P’09 was part of our group, so I want to give a shout-out to a fallen ’77er. His son, Quinn ’09, joins us most years. “Other than that, I still am a passionate fly-fisherman, spending a good month each summer in the Rockies, a San Francisco sports fan (go, 49ers, Giants, and Warriors), and enjoying time with my wife, Rita, and three grown kids: Nikolas is with the collectibles division of Fanatics, Pia is a counsellor, and Max is painter. If any L’ville people need some great art from an up-and-coming artist, check out his stuff at maximilianvonstrasser.com.” Speaking of Gurney Sloan, he writes: “I’ve been retired for a couple years and having a blast going on adventures with my wife, Lisa. Have two great daughters who visit regularly, mostly to ski. Been in regular contact with Reardon, Simpson, Roser, Engy, Bruno, Cam, Rudy, and Brian Christie’s son, Quinn ’09. Had a couple of great phone calls with Rick Maxted, Carl, and Marsh. Always good to hear from/spend time with old friends and I’m looking forward to our 50th.” Jim Garrett “really enjoyed returning to campus, seeing everyone at our 40th, and hanging out with everyone, especially Kevin Ellis, Rob McManus, John Feldman, and Nick Pandelidis. I’m looking forward to our 50th! “After I graduated from Oberlin, I followed our inspiring Lawrenceville teachers into teaching in secondary

school and have been teaching English at University School in Cleveland since 1982. University School is where Steve Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 was headmaster for ten years before he left for Lawrenceville, so I know Steve very well!” Jimmy Meyer says that, “2024 will be a momentous year for me. My daughter will graduate from the University of Colorado at Boulder in May 2024, and my son will graduate a week later from Tulane Law School. At that point, my work will be done. I will be 65, and my goal will be to retire from the practice of law after 40 years just prior to their graduations. “At our 50th reunion, when asked what I am doing, I will say ‘I am gainfully retired.’ My father passed away on July 5, just 23 days short of 100. Hopefully I inherited his genes, and I will have a very long retirement.” Jon Silverman is “still living in Upper Saddle River, N.J., and still retired. Anne Marie and I spend two days a week watching our 16-month-old granddaughter. We love doing it, but man, is it exhausting! Our three kids are all relatively local, for which we are really grateful. Our daughter is a physical therapist at Hospital for Special Surgery, one son is a Ph.D. candidate at CUNY in epidemiology while working full time, and our other son has just started med school at Albert Einstein Med School in the Bronx. “I had the pleasure of playing golf a few weeks ago with UVa. fraternity brother and fellow Lawrentian Tom Schorr ’80, his father, former Lawrenceville teacher Col. Dave Schorr H’65 ’88 ’97 ’98 ’00 ’02 P’80 ’82 ’88 GP’97 ’09 ’12 ’17, and Champ Atlee ’62 H’74 ’75 ’79 ’80 ’83 ’84 ’87 ’89 ’06 P’92. As Champ’s first of 40 baseball captains, I was amused to hear him observe that our finishing at 10 wins and 10 losses was a pleasant surprise to him! “Hope all is well with everyone in the class!” Tim Murray says, “I had a few old negatives from 1975-76 that had never been printed, so for fun I ran them through the scanner. These are Dickinson boys, going back and forth to play baseball. “I’m still doing odd architectural metalworking jobs, repairing snowplows and so on here in Aspen. I often go sailing up in Southeastern Alaska in the spring for a month or two, based out of Wrangell. I am planning to swap the setup there for a similar one down in Patagonian Chile, and leave for there during the Colorado winter.” Anders Fremlin writes: “Time is just a prerequisite for not knowing the future, but sometimes it may help understand where we have been.

“As I am in my 65th year, reflecting back at time that has been, creates more questions than answers. But the experience of gathering the knowledge that L’ville gave permits me to understand life as it has been – so far, I think. “I decided to retire a few years ago. Why wait?! Kids are doing their thing, I’ve downsized, and now re-exploring more of our world. I’ll be at our 50th – heck yeah, wouldn’t miss it. I’m hoping everyone one else will as well. Didn’t we set a school record for our 40th, when almost everyone came back? “You’ll find me in the Washington, D.C. (Northern Virginia) area, or out driving around the country. Looking forward to hear more from everyone. Life is an adventure, live it!” Jeff Hoisington “recently retired after nearly forty years in education. It was a great run. It got me thinking back to our Lawrenceville days and the many truly outstanding teachers I had the pleasure of learning from. I hope I was half as good as many of them. “I had Mr. Stannard for English as a Second Former. He taught me to write a paragraph. Introduction, three specifics, and a conclusion. Once you learned that you applied it to longer papers, which I did throughout high school and college. Max Maxwell H’72 ’74 ’79 ’80 ’81 ’88 ’91 ’93 ’00 ’01 exposed me to text (Native Son) that I had never seen. He was dynamic and class was always interesting. Geoff Smith was amazing! He made it fun to write and express yourself, and he was incredibly understanding. John King H’79 ’88 ’01 P’88 ’90 taught Hemingway. What great books to read in an all-boys school! “In math I struggled. Zach Kafoglis and I were in (repeat) Algebra 1 starting December 1973 with Al Philpet H’74 ’75 ’78. Al had the patience of a saint. There were eleven of us in that class. Only Zach and I graduated. Ironically, I spent the bulk of my professional career teaching math. I took trigonometry from Ned Park H’78 who had taught my father and brother. Ned, who was a very genuine and sweet man, said to me one day, ‘You are not nearly as bright as your brother.” I told him that I had been aware of that for some time. Srs. Knauerhaze and Brink H’66 ’67 ’68 ’73 were incredible Spanish teachers. They should not have been burdened with teaching the likes of me, but they did so with patience and a smile. They were very kind men with wonderful senses of humor. The History Department was the shizzle. Ed Stehle H’79 ’08 was so captivating and so smart that I was completely enthralled. I will never forget Saturday morning classes with Chuck Weeden H’65 ’87 ’92 P’77 ’79 ’87 and

Carl Haywood ’77 and family enjoyed some pizza in New York.

Jim Bogardus ’77 seems to be on top of the world at the summit of Denali.

While in Los Angeles on business, Keith Danko ’77 P’09 ’12 ’16 and Steve Shea ’77 were able to sneak away for a day of golf at Ojai Valley.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Tim Murray ’77 shared this previously unpublished image he took of some Dickinson boys heading off to play baseball.

Umpire Brad Weeden ’77 overheard Northeastern catcher Greg Gidicsin ’17 mention he had attended prep school in New Jersey, and just had to ask. Afterward, here are dad Jim Gidicsin ’82 P’17, Brad, and Greg in April 2022.

his white ‘bucks.’ He was a very kind and learned man in addition to his other duties. Marty Doggett H’76 ’82 ’86 ’87 ’88 ’92 ’98 P’00 may have been the best teacher I ever had. He was dynamic, demanding, and fascinating. He taught the way he coached with passion and enthusiasm. Gray Akers H’71 ’72 ’74 ’75 P’94 was simply hysterical. I can’t say in this day and age what he said, but boy, it was funny! Bob Lester H’75 ’89 P’87 ’89 GP’21 taught me the two Laws of Ecology. 1) Everything is related to everything else. 2) Adapt or migrate. Those two principles can be applied to life in so many ways: work, marriage, athletics. Bob let us be boys and made science fun. He was creative and understanding. He understood boys. I made beer for a final project (another day-student advantage) which was fun and fascinating. My whole family got involved. “Lastly we had great coaches. Throughout my career, I drew on their

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

modeling: Graham Cole H’78 ’80 ’83 ’85 ’86 ’87 P’91 ’95, who forced me to come out for lacrosse freshman year. Fifty years later I am a former coach (20-plus years) and a current high school referee (20-plus years). There was no coach as caring and prepared as Dr. K. I worshiped him, and he genuinely cared for us. Marty Doggett and Art Schoenheiter ’52 H’75 P’90 GP’01 ’03 practiced what they preached. They were extremely hardworking and devoted to us. Marsh Chambers H’58 ’62 P’77 was an incredibly knowledgeable lacrosse coach at a time when many were not familiar with the game. As with all the other coaches I named above, he was a true model of what a coach should be. “I am certain there are others who we all remember, who I may have forgotten. Though I was a day student, I got to know Bob Ainspac H’76 P’77 ’85. He was very understanding of the many ‘games’ we played on dorm. He knew when to draw the line. Cheers to the ’77. I hope my memories refresh yours.”

“I am someone that no one was expecting to hear from,” writes David Palat. “I think I even surprised myself as I started to write. But reading entries by others proved infectious and got me wondering about guys I hadn’t thought of in years. Dean, John, Pascal, Scott, Geoff, Peter, Tom, Jerome, Arthur, Brian, and Lee are some of the names that just popped into my mind. It’s not easy to summarize the last 46, but here are some highlights: I just completed my 35th year of pulmonary and critical care practice in Albany, N.Y. COVID was such a tragic/fascinating/ rewarding time to be a pulm/cc doc. I still find the work exciting. “I spend much of my free time in the Adirondacks. I climb the ADK 46 in summer and winter. My favorite winter activity is skinning up Whiteface (and, of course, skiing down). “Wendy and I have been happily married 24 years and have two children in college/grad school. Like Rich, my son will be attending UConn this fall. Wishing the best to all the of Class ’77.” Tony DeStefano says, “We recently sold our Lawrenceville house and moved down the street to Pennington (downsizing) as part of our eventual transition to our house in Naples, Fla., which will hopefully occur in approximately two years as retirement is on the horizon. “For now I continue to be the CFO for Mario Badescu Skin Care in Edison, N.J., which keeps me extremely busy. Sue and I had lunch with Mo and Arnold Chen P’10 last week and both appear to be doing well. I regularly keep in touch with Rich Barlow, who I see wanted to be the first to submit his response for the class notes. Next on my reading list is Geoff Berman’s P’14 book since I unfortunately missed his discussion group during the most recent Alumni Weekend. Looking for the signed by author version. I have also succumbed to the pickleball frenzy and usually play every Sunday. I actually played with a Lawrenceville Fourth Former last weekend who was on the courts with her sister and mother.” Chris Sweet writes: “I guess it’s finally time to give a life snapshot to the readers of the Class Notes – it’s on Facebook and LinkedIn anyway. “Graduated Skidmore College with a B.S. in studio art (never used it). Married (40 years, this year) with four children (two boys, two girls). Oldest boy married last year and he and his wife are expecting our first grandchild in October. “Elected the treasurer/collector for the Town of North Attleborough, Mass., eleven years ago (career number seven) and really enjoying it – retirement is not in my vocabulary.

“Staying in good shape to enable my skiing addiction – 24 days last season on 17 different mountains. Mainly day trips here in New England. “All are welcome to reach out and catch up at csweet145@comcast.net.” In December, Keith Danko P’09 ’12 ’16 wrote: “A few weeks ago Steve Shea and I both found ourselves in L.A. on business and were able to sneak away for a day of golf at Ojai Valley. Steve is doing great … and has a very solid golf game! I’m well. My four have all flown the nest, and Teresa and I have actually moved to a house right in the center of Princeton, adjacent to the university. Big front porch, tree-lined street, walk to the office – walk everywhere in fact. Nice to often go a week or so without driving. Like living in a Jimmy Stewart movie. Pleasantly surprised at how much I like it.” In January, Jim Bogardus wrote: “It’s been a while since I’ve provided an update. Sorry I missed our 45th last spring. I was supposed to be mountain climbing in Bolivia, but instead was getting over my first (and hopefully only) case of COVID. Bolivia happened in June (summiting Illimani, Chachacomani, et al). That was prep for attempting to climb Manaslu (eighth highest peak) in September/ October. It turned out to be a tough year in the Himalayas as late monsoonal moisture created numerous (deadly) avalanches, which prevented us from summiting. I’m 99 percent retired from a career in the oil and gas industry; still working on a couple start-ups. Nearing ‘full retirement’ in Park City once my wife, Whitney, retires in the next few years. We live in Houston and have raised four boys ranging from 23 to 36 (two mine, one hers, one adopted). Next trip: trekking from Chamonix to Zermatt in August/ September ’23. Anyone interested in joining us?” Gene McCarty and his wife of 41 years, Susie, “live on Lake Norman in North Carolina. We have two children and three grandchildren. All live close enough so that we all see each other often. At this point in life, I’m still working in the pharmaceutical industry to support my habit of car building, restoring, and racing.” Matt Minno P’12 ’13 says, “Two of our three are in Denver now, with one near the U of D. Just had our first grandchild yesterday! We all do share a common history, which is quite cool, I think. We have all lived in the best time and place in the history of our planet. I’m fortunate to have known many of you and look forward to meeting the rest (who are still very much needed). Let’s keep feeding ourselves though – as long as we can! Forever Gris! Forever Hyatt!” Rich Barlow reports “Lawrenceville sprang for hors d’oeuvre recently for

Boston-area alums. I swapped contact info with (much younger) alumni with whom I had a long, pleasant chat. After a long marriage and divorce, I’m proud of our 18-year-old who’s en route to UConn this fall (and just won national first place for youth in Audubon’s bird photo contest.) Working for Boston University, writing opinion columns on the side, and aspiring to follow old friend Geoff Berman P’14 into the published-author racket. Best wishes to all my classmates.” Greg Woods writes, “L’ville was only one year as a post-grad, yet it certainly illuminated many areas for me that I could and should push myself harder! I was with adidas for 25 years in multiple sales roles, and now a private investor living in Florida. My year at L’ville was a challenging one, yet I used my learnings as a springboard to action. My days now are spent day trading, real estate dealing, and enjoying each day, best one can as we age. My children are doing well, and nothing matters more. Regards to each member of the Class of ’77!” Sam Selesnick says, “It’s been a pleasure to stay in touch with Kip and Colleen, Jeff Hoisington P’07 and Ellen, and Eric Widing P’08. Happy to connect with inspired classmates that make their way to the Upper East Side of Manhattan or Montclair, N.J. “The years go flying by…’

1978

Gregory A. Williamson P’09 gwilliamson78@gmail.com Thanks to all those that made it back to our 45th reunion this year, both physically and virtually, with over 40 classmates returning. Thanks to committee members for all the work to pull off the weekend and thanks to Ed Jordan P’12 and Jim Prey for setting up the golf round to kick off the weekend. Fun time on the golf course and some time to catch up with Ed, Jim, Greg Williamson P’09, Geoff Hunt, Jeff Growney, Bob Castelo P’08 ’10 ’14, and Rob Keller. Next stop was the Friday gathering dinner in the new dining center with a good turnout from 1978. It was great to catch up with so many classmates but never enough time. Saturday started personally with a climb at the Ropes Course followed by the Grand March, lunch on the Circle with food trucks and The Big Red Beer Garden followed by our class picture and indoctrination of our honorary classmates. We dialed in Ginnie Chambers H’54 ’58 ’59 ’60 ’61 ’62 ’66 ’67 ’71 ’73 ’79 ’80 ’89 P’77 (wow) from Nantucket to kick things off and followed with heartfelt acceptance to our newest honoraries, Derrick Wilder

and Blake Eldridge ’96 H’12 ’78 P’25. We toasted new and old classmates with a special class labeled Bourbon and Rye provided to the class by Ken Growney, Tim Wojciechowicz P’06 ’10 ’12, Lou Phillips, and myself (remember, if you enjoyed a bottle we only asked that you make a donation to the class). “Saturday night was the class dinner for more laughs and memories. I encourage all classmates to stay in touch and start to plan for our 50th by reaching out and getting together. For those that didn’t make it back, you were missed. Cheers.”

1979

Tres Arnett P’16 george.arnett3@gmail.com I wish I had more to report so keep those cards and messages coming. Jeff Hirsch was playing golf recently with Winston Jenks. Ned Franke hopes to get Winston up to Pinehurst where Ned is now full time. I recommend One for the Memory Banks, a golf book by Luke Reese P’10 ’12. It has been compared to a cross between Faulkner and Hemingway. John Schluter keeps us young by raising 8- and 10-year-old future Lawrentians. I spoke to John recently and explained to him my mental redesign of the Lawrenceville School golf course now that holes 1, 8, and 9 have been lost to the big campus re-design with the carless core. Happily, the School is keeping six holes. So, send in news, golf or otherwise.

1980

Olivia, just got engaged in July with a wedding planned for 2024. Thomson Chew is enjoying the upstate New York summer albeit after a late start in June. He says: “My daughter graduated from nursing school (year five of her SUNY Binghamton education) and starts her full-time paying job this August in Rochester as an Intensive Care nurse. One down and one to go before I can divert the tuition account back to beer and vacations. No sign of L’ville up here though I did watch the boys’ lax team beat Brunswick (Conn.) for their 2023 championship. Nice to see their success on the field.” Roberto Levin is excited to be traveling to Alaska with his wife and two sons for the first time. “60th birthday gift (which I’m paying for, of course),” he says. Buck Blessing P’10 ’27 writes, “I’m excited that my daughter, Vivian ’27, will be starting at Lawrenceville this fall. She will be following in the footsteps of her sister, Phoebe ’10. We’ve rented an apartment just off Witherspoon Street and look forward to spending some long weekends visiting her.” Phillip Corwin just moved to Paris. “In June I accepted a position with my current company, GEODIS, to become head of strategy for our global contract logistics business unit. We relocated to Paris in late June and will settle down fully in our apartment by late July. Please let me know if you make your way to Paris.” Eric Broadway never imagined being 60 would be so spiritually, physically, and financially rewarding. “Lawrenceville provided a strong foundation,” he says. J.C. Kyrillos says: “After a long career in general management in the medical device industry, I recently departed to

start a second career in something in the nonprofit area. Suggestions and life advice welcome.” Buck Blessing P’10 ’27, Neil Smith, Carl Wegner, J.R. Matthews, Bob Bahadori P’16, and George Moore P’16 all met for a long weekend mini-reunion at Humboldt Peak Ranch in Westcliffe, Colo., in April. Dan Sambursky P’26 ’27 is still working as an ophthalmologist. He says: “I just built a brand new office with an ambulatory surgical center. Isaac ’26, my oldest son, just finished his Second Form year at L’ville and my youngest son, Aaron ’27, will start his Second Form year this fall. We just returned from an Alaskan vacation.” Drew Loboda wants to give “A big shout out to my friend, physician, and fellow alumnus, Dr. Peter Holt ’74. As my urologist said, ‘Peter saved your life.’ I have been challenged this past year with prostate cancer, but I have continued to run and bike, and have started painting again. My paintings are gifts of thanks for people who are special to me. This painting (Ed. Note: See image on page 61– S.R.) was a special gift for Peter. You can check out my paintings on Instagram @drewloboda.” Mark Goodman recently spent time with Fonnie Sparrow, who moved to Boston after leaving Moscow, where he was the GM for Cisco Russia. Fonnie treated Mark and Eliot Heher P’16 to some outstanding chilled Russian vodka and tales of his adventures in Russia. Fonnie is currently hanging with Scott Chace in Pawling, N.Y. Mark also recently played tennis with his coach Doug MacCurdy, who ran the Lawrenceville Tennis Camp from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s.

Paul Dewey pablodewey@me.com Terry Cryan terencecryan@netscape.net

1981

Mark Goodman MGoodmanhome@gmail.com Jeff Levy P’20 jclevy@me.com Jamie Cornell writes: “Loving the emptynester life with my wife, Stephanie, between Boston and Jackson Hole, now buying a house in Denver. Loving life as a three-time grandparent and trying to figure out how to retire. In the meantime playing tennis with Mark “Goody” Goodman. I hope you are all doing well!” Rick Kraemer’s younger daughter,

Mark Goodman ’81 played tennis with his coach, Doug MacCurdy, who ran the Lawrenceville Tennis Camp from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

1982

Jim Gidicsin P’17 jmgidicsin@yahoo.com 203-232-1862

Jon Krieg ’81 with Grinnell College President Anne F. Harris and Trinisa Fung at the latter’s recent graduation. “Trinisa and I were part of a pen pal program connecting students with alums,” Jon says.

Dan Sambursky ’81 P’26 ’27 and his wife, Malvinia P’26 ’27, enjoyed vacation in Alaska with sons Aaron ’27 and Isaac ’26.

Buck Blessing ’81 P’10 ’27, Neil Smith ’81, Carl Wegner ’81, J.R. Matthews ’81, Bob Bahadori ’81 P’16, and George Moore ’81 P’16 got together for a mini-reunion at Humboldt Peak Ranch in Westcliffe, Colo., in April.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

It’s July where I am now. No, I’m not in any type of mysterious time warp, though each time I look in the mirror I wonder about that. Instead, it’s just the issue you’re holding takes time to produce, and it represents notes I received up to my submission deadline in July. Let’s get right to them, then. First up, about a dozen of us headed to Lexington, Ky., in mid-April. Earl Robbins P’24 and I had been scheming since our 40th to pull together this trip, and it was truly memorable. Most of us arrived on Wednesday, April 19, and our schedule included two distilleries on April 20, touring a thoroughbred breeding farm and attending a day of races at Keeneland, then flying through the sky courtesy of Burgess Carey ’83 on Saturday, capped off at a Schoolsponsored happy hour at a local brewery. The Lexington crew was Rich DaCosta, Larry Ostema, Michael Jackonis, Barry Gonzalez, Maryann and David Lee P’16, and Cricket and Pete Maruca. Chris Niblock P’13 put the top down on his 911 and drove in from Louisville to join us on Thursday and Saturday evening, too! While I got our guys somewhat organized, the star of the weekend was Earl, who coordinated all the local activities, and with his wife, Ashley, hosted our gang for dinner a couple nights and arranged for all our accommodations. It was a labor of love – Earl and Ashley labored, and we loved it! I don’t think we could thank them enough for making us feel welcome and showcasing all that Lexington has to offer. I highly recommend visiting! But don’t take my word for it. Check out some of the pics. Heck, I could populate this whole issue with the pictures we took. For anybody interested, contact me, and I’ll send you the link to our Google photo album where we all uploaded our happy memories. Last I checked we had more than 1,000 of them. While we all enjoyed ourselves tremendously, we often talked about, reminisced, and toasted to our other friend from Kentucky, Doug Robertson. In this way, he was very much a part of our time in Lexington as much as he was missed. Next time we’ll have to figure out how to squeeze in a balloon ride, too! Mike Jackonis wrote: “I just want to thank Ashley and Earl Robbins for a fantastic Lexington experience, and for my new addiction to Kentucky beer cheese. Was also great reliving some house football days with Burgess Carey

’83 and zip-lining and fly-fishing at his awesome Boone Creek Outdoors facility. Wonderful seeing all the other guys and their gals who joined us. And who knew Rich DaCosta could play pool?” Ashley and Earl were indeed the consummate hosts, and all of us sincerely appreciated their generosity and hospitality! You may not know that Earl is part of a group that owns Goodnight Olive, a 5-year old mare that has run about 10 races so far. It just so happened that this year, Earl celebrated his birthday at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day where Goodnight Olive ran in an earlier race and placed third, one of only two races he’s run where he didn’t lead the field. John Yu P’14 ’15 sent me a note and a picture, musing about one irony of the pandemic and quashing geopolitical rumors: “Hi, Jim, thanks for all the communications to keep the Class of ’82 together. I know it takes time and effort to do so. I miss the Zoom calls our class used to have during COVID. It’s paradoxical that I got to ‘see’ my classmates more often during the three years of COVID than now. Hope to have more opportunities in the future at reunions or at Zoom calls to catch up. “Minson Chen dropped by Taiwan recently with his son, Andrew, and we enjoyed spending time dining and chatting here in Taipei. It’s great, our 46 years of friendship is still refreshed through the years. And no worries about a war over the Taiwan Strait anytime soon. No one in Taiwan is scared, and China is not as belligerent and hawkish as the popular news would portray it! A classic case of ‘don’t believe what you read in the news!’ Cheers!” It’s always a little special when I receive an update from somebody for the first time. That’s the case here when I received this note from John Kronick: “I’m currently living in my hometown of Walnut Creek, Calif., with my wonderful wife, Charlene. I moved back home in 2000 after working in Detroit for three years following my orthopedic surgery residency and fellowship training. I will be working a few more years specializing in hip and knee replacement and revision. I fix infected and broken joint replacements. “I have two wonderful daughters. The oldest daughter, Katie, graduated from Bowdoin College like I did and went on to become a tax attorney working and living close to us in San Francisco. My younger daughter, Joanie, graduated from Occidental College and is starting her third year of medical school in Nevada. When not working, I enjoy spending time with my family, hunting, fishing and wakesurfing on Shasta Lake in Northern California.”

Jim Gidicsin ’82 P’17 and his family – daughter Jennifer Gidicsin, son Greg Gidicsin ’17, daughter Dr. Stephanie Gidicsin, and wife, Dodi P’17 – enjoyed a vacation at Acadia National Park in Maine.

Artist Drew Loboda ’81 created this Lawrenceville-centric painting for his friend and physician, Dr. Peter Holt ’74, who Drew’s urologist credited with saving Drew’s life prior to his prostate cancer diagnosis.

Burgess Carey ’83, Barry Gonzalez ’82, Jim Gidicsin ’82 P’17, Cricket Maruca, Pete Maruca ’82, Maryann Lee P’16, David Lee ’82 P’16, Michael Jackonis ’82, Earl Robbins ’82 P’24, and Rich DaCosta ’82 looked relieved after surviving the zip-line adventure course at Boone Creek Outdoors in Kentucky. Philadelphia Phillies fan favorite Mickey Morandini offered some batting tips to a camper at The Susquehannock Camps, owned and operated by Jeff Bell ’82.

Earl Robbins ’82 P’24, Seamus the guide, Mike Jackonis ’82, Rich DaCosta ’82, and David Lee ’82 P’16 did some fly-fishing at Boone Creek Outdoors in Kentucky.

Larry Ostema ’82, Barry Gonzalez ’82, David Lee ’82 P’16, Jim Gidicsin ’82 P’17, Earl Robbins ’82 P’24, Mike Jackonis ‘82, and Rich DaCosta ’82 visited the Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, Ky.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Mike Jackonis, Ashley Robbins P’24, Earl Robbins P’24, Pete Maruca, David Lee P’16, Jim Gidicsin P’17, Rich DaCosta, Barry Gonzalez, Burgess Carey ’83, Chris Niblock P’13, Cricket Maruca, and Maryann Lee P’16 enjoyed dinner and each other’s company at their Class of ’82 outing in Lexington, Ky.

Trey Kraus ’82, outside the office of Sen. Thomas Carper of Delaware, flanked by fellow small business owners who lobbied Congress in July for credit card reform.

John Kronick ’82 does his best Uncle Sam impersonation, wakesurfing on his favorite July holiday at Shasta Lake, Calif., under I-5.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Thanks for the update, John! Keep ’em coming! Jeff Bell welcomed former Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Mickey Morandini to his Susquehannock Camp (susquehannock.com) this summer. For those unfamiliar with it, Jeff’s camp is an athletics-focused camp for girls and boys 7-16 years old, nestled in the woods of far northern Pennsylvania, just south of Binghamton, N.Y. Professional and college coaches and athletes have visited Jeff’s camp to run some sessions and share their experiences with the kids, as Mickey did this time around. Quick trivia question: Mickey was one of only 15 MLB players in history (so far) to accomplish this particular feat; what was it? As I start to wind down this submission, I want to say thanks to Sean Ramsden, who edits The Lawrentian for us all. I told him I would be a few days late with this one because Trey Kraus wouldn’t be able to provide an update until after the submission deadline. Sean was willing to cut us some slack because the “’82 column is always a highlight!” Thanks, Sean! [Ed. Note: Hey, it’s true! Jim is a master at Class Notes! – S.R.] And this is what Trey sent to me: “On most days you will find me in Carlton’s, our store in Rehoboth Beach, Del., the nation’s summer capital (self-proclaimed, but not far-fetched). “As our president left Rehoboth for the NATO Summit after July 4, I also left Rehoboth for ‘The Hill.’ One of my hobbies is advocating for the National Retail Federation, and this Fly-In was attended by over 70 small business owners to convince our members of Congress to co-sponsor or vote for The Credit Card Competition and the Combating Organized Retail Crime Acts (known as the ‘CCC Act’). Our group was very successful. Prior to our Fly-In, I published an op-ed piece taking a swipe at swipe fees in support of the CCC Act. It went well, as I did not lose one friend over that article. Practical Criticism with Joel Greenberg H’77 ’13 P’93 helped me craft a perfect essay! Lately, our efforts have been super successful. I’m all in. Prior to this D.C. trip, I’ve been chasing live music to satiate my appetite that feeds my other hobby, music media. I am always looking for classmates to join me in my adventures. Look me up if you are coming to Rehoboth/Lewes/Bethany or Ocean City, Md.” I’ll even kick in my own update. My oldest daughter, Stephanie, graduated from Grossman NYU School of Medicine in May, and she was matched to the pediatrics residency program at Yale New Haven Hospital. While we couldn’t convince her to move back home, she is living in New Haven, which is practically

around the corner and close enough (for her, not for me and my wife!). Before her residency started, we celebrated by taking a family trip to Acadia National Park in Maine in June. If you haven’t been there, I highly recommend it! Finally, with all the good news shared here, I have some sad news to share, too. Chuck Han sent me a note to inform me that his wife, Susan Kobayashi, succumbed to breast cancer after a decade-long “dance” with the disease. A graduate of Brown and UC Berkeley, Susan was a hedge fund manager for much of her career. She had a lifelong passion for dance, though, and more recently, yoga, specifically Iyengar Yoga. You can read her full obituary on legacy. com. Chuck let me know that he, his daughter Mina, 29, and son, Dylan, 25, are “doing okay.”

1983

P.J. Schwarz P’19 ’20 patrick.schwarz@ms.com Great turnout at the reunion and I was bummed to miss it due a graduation on the home front. Danny Mager sent in a picture of him, Dan Janney, Dave Cox, Mike Way, and Curt Broadway, which equals Good Times. I think you are holding this issue sometime in fall 2023. Me? I’m typing this in mid-July and my New York Mets are inexplicably in the cellar of the NL East. All four kids are all currently in the house and hopefully on the way to their summer jobs. My eldest, Van ’19, just graduated from Bucknell. Ally ’20 is a rising senior at Vanderbilt, and my twin daughters, Madeline and Sabrina begin at Middlebury in the fall. All is well here! Peter Palandjian sends warm regards from Cambridge and Nantucket. “Last few weeks before becoming a grandfather! My daughter, Manon, eldest of 6, is expecting. Son Petros engaged to marry his Duke sweetheart. Life evolves and passages keep presenting. New happy life with wife/best friend Eliza. We have two boys together, Bourne, 4, and Bodan, 2. Having a great time, tired frequently, but different and awesome doing it again in my 50s (and, gulp, soon my 60s). Thinking a lot about last third of life. In a good, seeking way. What holds meaning and what nourishes — you know, any of you relate? “My year with you at Lawrenceville stands out for me as a happy, really important time in many levels for me. Sending best and warmest all around, Peter.” Great to hear to hear from Tom Murray, who recently retired from law enforcement after serving with the

writing for summative and formative assessment (Mr. Atlee would be dubious, I think, but it really works). Daughter Juliana is excited to head to Villanova in the fall, thankfully close to home in Yardley, Pa. Cheers to the Class of ’83! See you in five!”

1984

Peter Bratti peter@userlogic.com R.J. Lavallee Rj@rjlavallee.com John Yu ’82 and Minson Chen ’82 enjoying dinner in Taipei recently.

1985

James Strader jstrader@quattromedia.com Sean Kisner KIZNAR67@gmail.com

Danny Mager, Dan Janney, Dave Cox, Mike Way, and Curt Broadway relived some good times at the Class of 1983’s 40th reunion in June.

Princeton Police Department for 31 years. Prior, he served in the U.S. Army as an armored company commander at the rank of captain for three years after graduating from Washington & Lee University with an economics degree in 1987. Currently enjoying retirement with his wife, Staci, of 27 years and his three beautiful daughters, Alexis, Cameron, and Rhegan, all of who attended Randolph Macon College in Ashland, Va. He says, “I regularly stay in touch with Ronnie Kane P’20 and try not to miss too many home football games when the opportunity presents itself. All the best.” MO’C reports all is well in Katonah, N.Y. for the O’C clan. “My eldest son, Finn, is a sophomore at Trinity College playing lax, under the watchful eye of 1983 classmate Joe DiChristina, who is the dean of academic success. Has been great reconnecting with Joe. Second son, Blake, is a sophomore at John Jay High School getting prepped for football, hockey and lax. Oh, and they both are doing just fine academically and socially. Wife Cherie is still overseeing her portfolio of high-level C-Suite events around the country and beyond and still laughs

at my jokes, so I am doing just fine as well. “Jeff Dishner P’15 and I have created the Lawrenceville Real Estate Council that hosts events to connect alumni with a shared interest in commercial real estate as well as introducing L’ville students to a career in the field. If of interest reach out to me at moc@finbackre.com.” Fritz Thomas P’18 ’19 is doing great. He recently caught up with Jeff Dishner, Jeff Spano, Mike O’Callaghan, and Ted Kim at the Lawrenceville Summer Drinks Party hosted by Dishner at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn. Fritz says: “Was great to see everyone. It was a beautiful night that was made even better when Dish meaningfully extended the open bar.” John Burke writes: “Wonderful to see the Old Boys from the Dear Old School at reunion. Michael Mezei was as effervescent as ever, and it was good to reconnect with long- absent but unforgettable faces. I’m enjoying life these past five years in the brave new world of AI education technology. I’m leading a team at Vantage Learning in New Hope, Pa., to help educators in K-12 and Higher Ed leverage machine learning to instantly evaluate and score student

We heard from Stephen Wong ( s t e p h e n .t .w o n g @ g s .c o m ) : “A n enormous and heartfelt thank you to Head of School Stephen Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21, Skylar Beaver, and the Lawrenceville alumni office dream team for so kindly organizing the alumni gathering on April 18, 2023, at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. After Mr. Murray’s kind update on the school’s progress, I got to take attendees on a tour of the museum’s Baseball: America’s Home Run exhibition to which I have been serving as honorary advisor and major lender. The exhibition will be up until January 2025. “Over the summer I got some precious time with fellow classmate Tommy Lee P’16 ’18 and his lovely wife, Christina, as well as other Lawrentians in Hong Kong like Goodwin ’87 P’21 and Kenny Gaw ’88, and Eddie Byun ’01. “Other news to share is that I was elected earlier this month to join the Board of Directors of The Jackie Robinson Foundation, which was established in 1973 by Rachel Robinson. For 50 years, the Foundation, a public nonprofit organization, has administered one of the nation’s premier college scholarship programs for minority students. Expanding its mission to educate and inspire others around Robinson’s heroic life and legacy, the Foundation opened the much-touted Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City in July of 2022. I have had the great privilege of advising this museum since 2018 and have loaned a number of artifacts to it. I hope fellow Lawrentians will have time to visit the Jackie Robinson Museum and the National Postal Museum for a joyful indulgence in baseball history!”

Samuel Sloane (swsloane@gmail. com) wrote: “Been having a great summer – enjoying my third year with Grothouse and maybe spending a little too much time on planes, but I’ve never been one to sit still. The perks are nice. Bigger news, I got engaged to a wonderful woman, Mer Macgowan! We will be getting married in New Orleans in 2024. This is an exciting chapter of life that I wasn’t sure I would find again. My son, Greyson, is 12 and entering seventh grade this fall. He lives in Abilene with his mom and stepdad, but I get to see him a lot and we speak almost every day. Swimming, tennis, playing bassoon, and a lot of Minecraft/Zelda. A great kid, if I do say so myself. “I celebrated 10 years of sobriety on March 28. It is a milestone I am thankful for and a journey for which I awed by. As far as other alumni, Gordon Rose and I had a great dinner at Sadie’s in New Mexico in June. Fun, great food and good company. That’s enough out of me.” Kent Sokmensuer is running the nonprofit WE ONE. They are drilling bore wells and providing pure drinking water in areas of great need or water emergency. They’ve been promoting organic farming, permaculture and bees in India, providing individual critical assistance in the U.S. and doing sacred art restoration. Marcus Mabry (mmabry@gmail.com) wrote, “We took the kids to Cali for the first time! They’ve been to China twice, South Africa, Egypt, Spain, France a ton and lived in England – but had never been to Cali. So we went and mooched-stayed with friends in Sonoma and Carmel! Now, I did not know that in Cali you guys have two houses on one property! Suddenly I understood why our friends were always saying, we have a house for you all to stay in! WTF! And, more importantly, suddenly I understood the whole Kato Kaelin/O.J. thing! He had his own house on the property! Eyes opened! Cali = The Good Life … until the water runs out!” Jim Strader (jstrader@quattromedia. com) wrote, “Jethro Tull came on the radio the other day in the car and I was instantly brought back to my intro to them by Phil Jordan P’24 and his big Polk audio speakers. I’m still surprised that everyone in Gris didn’t complain like crazy when Phil cranked it up. Those old building seemed to have some decent sound-proofing. “I went to the recent L’ville event in Los Angeles at the Cat & the Fiddle to celebrate the close of the campaign. I met current L’ville student El Eastland ’26 and her parents. Her mom, Erin Eastland, briefly attended L’ville before heading to Choate (which we’ll forgive her for). It was great to see Heather-Ashley Boyer ’12, Cicero Salmon III ’97, Morgan Russo ’92, and a bunch of others.”

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Tim Cabot P’17 says, “I’m hopping on a bike this morning to cycle up with a group of friends to Montreal over the next three days. The ride is being led by Sam Thompson, the husband of Anne Bunn ’93. My wife and I are able to take off this summer in part because all four children have left home – two sons now gainfully employed in Austin and San Francisco (Sam Cabot ’17), respectively, while our two daughters, who are both at college, competed in rowing in the UK and Europe this summer.We live in Cambridge,Mass.”

1986

Mike Glen mglen6@yahoo.com

1987 The seated Bert Getz Sr. ’55 P’85 GP’18 ’20 and Bert Getz Jr. ’85 P’18 ’20 are backed by T.J. Semptimphelter ’20, Lachlan Getz ’20, and Peter Poulianas ’21.

John R.P. Moore-Jones jmoorejones@hotmail.com Len Accardi lvilleclassof87notes@gmail.com

1988

Cat Bramhall cat@bramhall.com Flip Romanelli philip.romanelli@cantabgold.net Dan Rose drbroadway@gmail.com

Stephen Wong ’85, Skylar Beaver, assistant director of advancement, and Jared Weeden ’87 at the Lawrenceville alumni reception for Baseball: America’s Home Run, on exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C.

Goodwin Gaw ’87 P’21, Henson Orser ’93 P’15 ’19, and Dan Tapiero ’86 P’20 ’22 were in Dubai.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Class scribe Flip Romanelli shares news from Alumni Weekend in June: The first big event of our 35th reunion weekend was the dinner at the new Tsai Commons. (Sadly, the building is not named for our classmates Greg Tsai or Jerry Tsai, so my plan to ask them to fund my secret library that you enter via bookcase door is probably not going to pan out.) The first people I saw when I walked in were Richard Chang and his wife Katie, which was an auspicious beginning. Due to a misunderstanding about it being black tie, they also won the award for best-dressed! Rich is now a cardiologist in New Jersey, and one of his kids is now at L’ville. After an enjoyable catch-up, we found a critical mass of classmates who had wisely snagged a table near the buffet line. Jack Newsom P’23 also works in a medical vein. He’s been a principal for a series of healthcare enterprises to improve the effectiveness of their consumer engagement. He’s now based in the San Francisco area, which meant a long commute to see his son, Eddie ’23, when he was at L’ville. (There may be a photo in these pages.) Eddie just

graduated, and Jack said, “I am looking forward to him checking in on me at future reunions when I am old and frail.” While on the East Coast, also Jack ventured out to see Dave Schuster in New Freedom, Pa. Dave was getting his daughter ready for a summer internship in New York City and is defying time by becoming an EMT. Jack said, “My own midlife crisis took the form of getting a pilot’s license,” and I was frankly jealous of them both. One classmate in Pennsylvania, one out: Jeb Hannum has moved from one commonwealth to another, down to the charming little town of Middleburg, Va., an exurb of the Washington, D.C., area. This is famously horse country, so it’s unsurprising that Jeb is the executive director of the Virginia Equine Alliance and his wife Emily is an accomplished equestrienne. Jay Dykhouse is also living in the greater D.C. area – for now, as he’s a foreign service officer, as was his wife, Vivian Walker, until recently. After serving in various roles in places like Budapest, Zagreb, Mexico City, and Kabul, Jay has now become a member of the Senior Executive Service (making him the civil service equivalent of a general). His current role is as the principal deputy director of the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. (We compared notes a bit about what it’s like to have to deal with managing U.S. facilities overseas as I used to be deputy garrison commander of an Army post in Germany.) Jay was one of the few of us wearing his 1988 class ring, and I could have kicked myself for not doing the same. His wife revealed that he wears it all the time, and no one can believe it’s a high school class ring because it’s not in bad taste. In the usual suspects department, it was great to see Rick Corl, who works as global director of sales for HCL, a large cloud-centric software company. His daughter, Caroline, just turned 29. She had worked for the past two Virginia governors and is now a political consultant. She and her husband live in Arlington and have two dogs. Daughter Katherine is a school counselor and just moved to Nashville. His son Ted just graduated from Richmond with honors and eight days later began work at Pfizer. Ted is a next-generation sequencing associate scientist who is working with the team that developed the COVID-19 vaccine; that group is now pivoting to developing cancer vaccines. And his son Jack is working at the Richmond airport and beginning the path to becoming a pilot with American Airlines. Rick says, with pardonable pride, “Four kids in their twenties: all off the paternal payroll and productive human beings!”

Steve Shook switched out Carolinas, moving from a small town near the Charleston area (where I got to see him and Michel Faliero at her lovely home there last year during a visit) to Raleigh with his girlfriend. It’s a bigger urban area with more to do but farther from the water, so there are always trade-offs. I doubt it will surprise anyone that Charles LeBourgeois is living in New Orleans, but it might surprise them to hear how much of his time is spent thinking about doing the laundry. He owns and runs a TLC Linen Services, a large linen rental company serving the restaurant, hospitality, and medical industries in the area. So they have to do laundry on a genuinely epic scale, and to rather exacting standards, especially for their medical clients. Mark Heckel P’20 was also there, along with his son, Chris ’20, who graduated from L’ville a few years ago as a star athlete in lacrosse and football and is now playing football at Colgate. The two both played in the “Lawrenceville Legends” alumni lacrosse game the next day. Mark is a cardiologist in North Carolina. The first night, I decided discretion was the better part of valor, so I left early. Turns out I was prescient, because 10 minutes later, they basically turned the lights way up and ushered everyone out. (If it had been our 5th reunion instead of our 35th, that might not have gone well for the alumni and development folks. No, hang on, it would have been fine, because we had the Winnebago.) The next day, we all gathered for lunch, available from a variety of food trucks parked around the Circle. We had new arrivals, to include Bob Burgess, who made fun of me for not being a Marine even before he said “hello.” So in some ways, Bob hasn’t changed, to include his haircut, which was still well within regulation. He is now retired from the USMC and works in the civilian world, where he sometimes gets annoyed that profanity is not mere punctuation anymore. He’s at JPMorgan Chase, but I can’t remember what he does there. So I asked Dan Rose, who claims Bob’s the guy they send to Nigeria to get back the money JPM depositors gave to the fraudulent prince, but this seemed … doubtful. Bob is now living in Delaware, where it turns out our fellow Clevie Chuck Paradee ’87 is now the state senator for his area. This brings to mind a great quote from Kurt Vonnegut Jr.: “True terror is to wake up one morning and realize that your high school class is running the country.” I chided Dan for not making it to Alumni Weekend, especially as he has made the far more involved journey several times to see David Jones in

Vicenza, Italy, where DJ is the deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force. Dan and DJ and their families have had a couple of really enjoyable vacations together amid the Palladian villas of the area. (Vicenza has an unusually high concentration of buildings by Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, whose neoclassical style is generally considered one of the most beautiful and well-executed.) Like Bob, DJ, and me, Taylor Hwong has now retired from the U.S. military. (N.B., Bob and DJ were active-duty USMC and Army, respectively, Taylor and I were U.S. Army Reserve, so we had civilian jobs as well, though for some time mine has been to work for the Army as a civilian, since the military tail was wagging the career dog so much anyway.) Taylor made it back for Alumni Weekend (see Dan, it’s not so hard) from Bernardsville, N.J., where he works remotely as part of the senior leadership for Whitefish Energy. I’ve visited several times and always enjoy spending time with him, his wife Jessica, and his two kids, Caitlin and Theodore (Teddy). Taylor and I are hatching plans to visit Adrian Argento in his newly expanded home in Manchesterby-the-Sea, Mass., but haven’t figured it out yet. We’re also considering a trip to the ends of the earth, er, I mean, Aldie, Va., to see David Kwon and family. David has just returned to a former employer, Swiss pharma giant Novartis, but it’s thankfully a remote job, so he’s not going to have to commute to the Alps. Also at the lunch was Chris Harding. Chris has been the mayor of Yardley, Pa., for over a decade, and also manages a Coldwell Banker realty office there. He arrived with his wife, Kait, and adorable new baby, Grace. Grace was a muchneeded addition to the distaff side of things, as relatively few wives attended and through a series of unfortunate events, no ’88 alumnae made it this year, which was a big and unwelcome surprise, as several were on the reunion committee and had planned to be there. Women of ’88, rest assured you were very much missed! I asked Jenny Rose Savino for a lastminute update on some of the fairer sex before going to press, and she very kindly delivered: “Word on the street is that the ’88 reunion went old school and was light on the XX chromosome representation – not by design. Two of us (Allison Gillespie Spears and me) that I know, lost our dads this spring and there were memorials that weekend. But the McClellanites continue to kick ass in different corners of industry. Rayme Rossello is thriving with her restaurant, Comida, in Boulder, where they recently celebrated the Barbie release with a drag brunch. I can attest to the deliciousness of their food. Meredith

Jon Wesson, Pete Rubincam, Flip Romanelli, Alex Suh, and Goodwin Smith were the last members of the Class of ’88 to call it quits on Saturday night during Alumni Weekend in June.

Jack Newsom ’88 was at Commencement to see son Eddie Newsom ’23 graduate.

The Class of ’88 welcomed Max Maxwell H’72 ’74 ’79 ’80 ’81 ’91 ’93 ’00 ’01 into its ranks at Alumni Weekend.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Donna Jones, David Jones ’88, Dan Rose ’88 and wife enjoyed the food, the wines, and the hikes of Vicenza, Italy, where the Joneses live.

Whitney Layfield recently released a MasterClass that can be found online (titled ‘Mastering the Markets). Jeannie Ringo Tarkenton is rockin’ as the CEO of Funding U (a student loan financing group) and was recently featured on the podcast ‘Startups for Good. “Maine Huang Park P’22 ’23 ’23 has been busy as an L’ville parent and recently coordinated a virtual visit to a Fifth Form class with Ali MacDowell and me – we had hoped Maritza Rodriguez could also join, but a last-minute schedule juggle prevented that.” Speaking of Maritza, I discovered that she had home-schooled her son Daniel so well that he has graduated high school at 16 (!) and has just started classes as a freshman at Arizona State University. He’s tentatively planning to follow in her footsteps to major in English as she did at Princeton, although it’s literally early days at this point. Now back to the Adam’s apple orchard that was our 35th reunion. At lunch, there was a beer garden, and in the least surprising news ever, many of wound up there to fortify ourselves prior to the long trek to the (new) Ropes Course area, site of the 1988 tree, for brief memorial remarks, a champagne toast, and class photo. Fortunately, David Preaus knew where we were going and led us right to it, despite all the dramatic changes to campus since we were students (including the tear-down of the Lavino Field House as the Tsai Field House is being built – yes, it is conjoined with the Tsai Commons mentioned earlier). D-Day is the owner of Creative Cabinetry in Breckenridge, Colo., and unsurprisingly loves living in that beautiful area. I spoke briefly in memory of our departed classmates, both our contemporaries (Martin Philipson, David Lan, Matt Cevallos) and our honorary classmates (Herman Besselink H’73

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

’94, Mac Fish P’77 GP’04 ’06 ’09, Bill Tredway H’81 ’96 ’10 GP’21, John King H’79 ’01 P’88 ’90, and Jim Waugh H’67 ’68 ’72 ’74 ’81 ’83 ’85 P’68 ’70 ’72 ’74 ’76 GP’12 ’14). We took a class photo and I spotted additional classmates who either didn’t make it to earlier events or had successfully avoided my gaze: Joe Ventura, Karl Niemoller, Rob Munk, Keith O’Shaughnessy, And Dan Kramli. Joe is a copywriter in New York who’s worked on huge accounts like Nike, Target, ESPN, Apple, etc., but the best from my perspective is that at least once he’s had the chance to collaborate with Munk, who is also an advertising creative in NYC, as well as a rock musician. Rob’s recent song “Youth,” is “a sonic love letter to misspent youth, a misty-eyed celebration of juvenile delinquency and bad decisions made in that magical time before consequences, regret and civic responsibility.” Seems very on-brand for an L’ville reunion! Karl is also working in music, but farther afield, working for Nexstar’s Indianapolis hub, which serves 20 radio markets across the country. He also does something regarding radio provided via the internet, which he tried to explain but I didn’t understand because I am a Luddite at heart. Karl told me that Ricardo Acuna had been on campus that day as well, taking an admissions tour with one of his kids, but sadly, we didn’t see him after that. Dan and Keith were the local heroes: Dan owns the nearby New Hope (Pa.) Fitness gym (and clearly does more than just sit behind his desk there). Keith lives so close he could practically have walked to campus (though it would have taken forever, so he didn’t). He writes poetry and teaches others to do so at the college level. He recently published his third volume, Petrushka, so I need to

get busy and buy that and his second one, Last Call for Ganymede. I have his debut work, Incommunicado, which includes this truly exceptional line: “the American … writing a letter to his lover that says/he cannot say what he means, and that he means it.” Speaking of things we mean, we were very pleased at dinner that night (held in a large tent in the Bowl) to welcome Max Maxwell H’72 ’74 ’79 ’80 ’81 ’91 ’93 ’00 ’01 as a new honorary classmate. (There was some dithering about who would induct him – we considered having Rick Corl reprise his role as he did with Armond Hill ’72 – but in the end, I got the job.) It was a delight to see not only Max, but also his lovely wife, Barbara, and his daughter, Megan Maxwell, who some of you may fondly remember as one of the “Hot Box Girls” in Guys and Dolls, the 1985 spring Periwig musical. Megan was my colleague when I worked at Lawrenceville long ago, and is now teaching history at the Hopkins School in New Haven, Conn. There may be a picture of the group with Max in these pages. At dinner, my drinking accelerated, so my memory here starts to suffer even more. I know Win Hopkins was there and vaguely remember that he works in Florida real estate investing in some capacity, but that’s about it. Still in that vein, I had a lengthy conversation with Alex Durst about housing, and would have benefited from, you know, listening more to a major real estate developer, and talking less about what “my gut” tells me about prices being over-valued. I probably should have also asked Jon Wesson, a VP with Bank of America in Rhode Island, what he saw from his vantage point. Pete Rubincam also works in the financial world, but I was too busy listening to an absolutely astounding story he told about being literally airlifted out of the mountains following a snowboarding accident to retain anything else. Sadly, Sam Kosoff H’96 ’00 P’19 wasn’t there (he splits his time between L’ville and the Island School in the Bahamas where he’s the director – hard life!) but his wife Emilie H’96 ’00 ’18 ’20 P’19 (who’s now the dean of faculty at L’ville) joined us for a bit. David Miller is living in New York, where he and his wife have two young sons. Goodwin Smith also became a father later than most and now has a 7-year-old son. He’s moved to Charleston and really likes it. Alex Suh lives in New York, and is creative director for a pharmaceutical company there. Alex loudly took exception to the fact that the alumni and development folks kicked us out of the tent promptly at ten, especially in a year

where – sadly lacking Michael Waldron, who couldn’t attend at the last minute – we had not arranged for the Boom Boom Room at the Nassau Inn (though a handful of stalwarts had gathered at the taproom there on Friday). I think we can be very proud as a class that despite the presence of lots of much younger folks, among the very last people to shut down the tent were Wesson, Rubincam, Suh, Smith and yours truly. I’m going to give the last word to the aforementioned Taylor Hwong, who told me after reflection: “Reunions get better every time, which is not a comment on the particular attendees, but on the gratitude I reap from hearing about the different paths each of us has taken since our common experience at L’ville. Jessica and I are starting our two kids at Princeton Day School this fall, where I can only hope they’ll establish similarly enduring roots. Was it Pete Rubincam who insisted we meet up sooner than five years from now? Let’s do it. And put Alex Suh in charge of the bar because, I agree, 10 p.m. was way too early to close it out.” Dan Rose says wrote from Italy where, “for the third year, we spent some quality time with Donna and David Jones. We enjoyed the food, the wines, the hikes, and even more food. Can’t wait until we get together again. Hopefully sooner than next year. If anyone is traveling to Vicenza (it’s worth the visit), reach out to David.”

1989

J.P. Kyrillos jkyrillos@mac.com O.J. Wharton wharton.oliver@gmail.com

1990

Wendy Prior Fentress wendyfentress@mac.com Hi, kids! Not too many responses this time! I hope that’s because you’re all busy crushing it in life! Here is my short update! See you next time! John Lee P’24 reports that “Although neurosurgery continues to be my vocation, I found myself enthralled by a home do-it-yourself project: installation of solar panels. After applying for a permit, I went up on the roof and started drilling holes, bending metal conduit, and securing solar panels down to the roof. I drilled through the brick exterior wall, opened up the main electrical panel and connected the inverter to grid electricity. My day job did not prepare me for the sheer joy of making electricity from the sun! I highly recommend my classmates

One-Man Operation: A neurosurgeon by day, John Lee ’90 P’24 enjoyed installing solar panels on the roof of his home and recommends his classmates take on their own DIY projects.

Wendy Prior Fentress ’90, Farley Taylor Lansing ’93, and Liza Tobias Sharp ’89 P’24 met up at Windmere Island in Eleuthera, Bahamas, in March.

not to hire out, but rather to tackle projects themselves and experience the privilege of using our aging bodies in constructive ways. Greetings from ‘Not So Sunny Philadelphia.’” Thanks to Sean Glickenhaus for checking in! “Not sure if I replied last time, hope all is well. My son started high school last fall in NYC and played volleyball (he was taller than I was at 14). My daughter is also in NYC working in philanthropy for JPMorgan. Newish job since January with American Century Investments, analyzing emerging market corporate debt. I ran into Sherwin Soo, who is an equity portfolio manager here. I spend time in NYC and the Tampa area and I have been playing a lot of tennis, pickleball, and even water polo once again. I see Pete Trinkle for dinner from time to time.”

Matthew Carter Harris ’92, Liz Graupner Mayberry ’91, Jason Duva ’91, and Sophia Mansoor ’91 enjoyed a day at the beach in Wellfleet, Mass.

1991

Ellen Halleran Morey ellen.morey@gmail.com Katy Dubbs Radice katyradice@gmail.com Molly Hover McCooey mollymccooey@gmail.com Victor Hsu Vicwhsu@gmail.com Michael Barret Jones writes, “Liz Graupner Mayberry has just moved to Washington, D.C., and with Rudy Toledo in town for work, we took the opportunity to have them out to Reston for dinner with a couple of other local Lawrentians.” Christian Bullitt says: “All good with the Bullitts. Will, 23, living and working in Atlanta for sports tech company, Hawkeye; Aidan, 21, will start his junior year at Belmont in Nashville in the fall;

Beatrice, 14, will start high school; and Eloise, 13, will be in middle school. I’m still working hard in NYC to pay for it all. A good text thread recently with Ryan Barber, Phil Johnston, and Mark Ughetta for Mark’s 50th. I hope everyone is well.” Jason Duva, currently residing in Boston, recently relished a spontaneous gathering with fellow Lawrentians on the picturesque shores of Wellfleet, Mass. Sophia Mansori, who also calls Boston home, joined in the beach day alongside her classmates. Liz Graupner Mayberry took a joyful detour to Wellfleet during her transition from Texas to Washington D.C., where she is about to commence an intriguing new position. Adding to the surprise was Matthew Carter Harris ’92, who was fortuitously in town. The enduring bonds between Lawrentians continue to flourish, bridging both distance and time since their cherished days at Lawrenceville. Jason extends his warmest greetings to the Class of ’91 and the broader Lawrenceville family.

1992

Hugh Campbell hughcam1@gmail.com Katie McMahon kwmcmahon007@gmail.com William Warrick Will.Warrick@gmail.com

1993

Ashish Shah ashah@pennsportmedia.com

1994

Francois Morin francoismorin35@gmail.com

Rudy Toledo ’91, Michael Barret Jones ’91, Jenness Steele ’91, Liz Graupner Mayberry ’91, and Maria Bell ’93 enjoyed dinner together in Reston, Va., following Liz’s move to Washington, D.C.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

1995

Liz Anathan ebanathan@gmail.com Carli Starr carlistarr@hotmail.com

1996

Christopher C. Loutit Loutit@aol.com Paige Kollock has stepped down from her duties as class co-secretary, and The Lawrentian thanks her for her efforts over the past few years. If any members of the Class of 1996 are interested in helping create the class column with Chris Loutit, please contact Molly Edwards in the Office of Alumni Engagement at medwards@lawrenceville.org. Chris Loutit got together with Chris Ayala, Morgan LeConey, and Mike Santini in March in Millbrook, N.Y., for Morgan’s birthday. He also had dinner and brunch with Dan Popkin and Mike Kornhauser to celebrate Dan’s birthday in NYC. Chris Weekes P’27 writes: “We are thrilled that our oldest, Grace Weekes ’27 will be entering Second Form at L’ville in the fall! We have loved revisiting campus during the admissions process. My middle, Daisy, 13, has two years left at Spence in Manhattan before she decides on her path. My late addition, Charlie, 5, is going to start at St. Bernard’s in the fall. I have run into Morgan LeConey often randomly on the streets of New York and I have the pleasure of seeing Parker Kelsey often when we’re out in Locust Valley. I have been at Cowen for more than 10 years and our firm was just sold earlier this year to TD Bank so I’m looking forward to the next chapter!”

1997

Christina Del Vecchio Tuller cmdelvecchio@gmail.com

1998

Erhan Bedestani bedestanie@comcast.net 703-927-0216 Kenny Easwaran writes, “After nine years at Texas A&M, I’m moving back to California, where both I and my partner got jobs as professors at UC Irvine. I’ll be in the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, while my partner, Matt, will be in the Chemistry department.” Susan Civale, Elizabeth Chew Viele, Lisa Burnett Garnett, Corrie Schankler,

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Drew Butler ’98 returned to campus for his 25th reunion with his daughter and wife, Robin Arzon.

It wasn’t Lawrenceville, but it could’ve been: Laura Kornhauser ’99, Regan Kerney H’49 ’95 ’98 ’99 ’03 ’11, and Dane Almassy ’98 found each other at the Princeton reunions.

Lawson McNeil Wijesooriya, Carrie Badertscher Davidson, Penni Malakates, and Ilene Kaltet Lieberman got together for a February trip to “the balmy shores of Long Island.”

1999

Perry Kalmus perrykalmus@gmail.com First and foremost, our 25th reunion is upon us! Please hold May 31 to June 2 in your calendars for what will be an epic weekend! We will be opening up our metaphorical time capsule and reliving some parties from the old days. John Walsh will be hosting one of the nights, and possibly a morning yoga session. And the other night could be a Laura Kornhauser, Annie Whittaker, Justin Massimo special. Regardless of location, the crown makes the event. Please plan on coming! Brian Doyle writes, “I got to see Matt Seidel and family who were in Montreal for a weekend in June, and they are doing great. We just finished moving to a new neighborhood, which required getting a car for the very first time since senior year at Lawrenceville. Finally more or less a grownup. Hope all is well and looking forward to ’24.” Brian, that is wild! Welcome to the driver life. Audrey Robertson Kinsman writes, “Sending love from Colorado. Having two teenage boys (one at boarding school!) makes me look back at L’ville and wonder how we survived high school in the absence of cell phones? Hopefully I will see you and our outstanding classmates from ’99 soon.” Michael Moore writes, “I’m still living in London! Been here since 2010. My 4-year-old, David, and wife, Elena, keep me busy! Always happy to connect with

After having to reschedule three times, members of the Class of ’98 finally got together for a 40th birthday trip to the balmy shores of Long Island in February: Susan Civale, Elizabeth Chew Viele, Lisa Burnett Garnett, Corrie Schankler, Lawson McNeil Wijesooriya, Carrie Badertscher Davidson, Penni Malakates, and Ilene Kalter-Lieberman.

any of our classmates visiting London!” Kelly Kang writes, “I ran into Chelsea Hamilton at our 20th Brown reunion in May and we took a moment to marvel and how it has been 20 years … And toasted both Katie Cannon and Kareen Riviere, our other Lawrentian/Brown alums. It was bittersweet to remember them and wish they were both there to raise a glass with us.” Laura Davis Stifel writes, “We’ve been enjoying our summer in Steamboat Springs, Colo. Washington, D.C., is still home until we decide to move west officially someday...(one can dream!) We had some local hazy beers with Devin Farrell and his family in Denver a few weeks ago while my older daughter was at lacrosse camp. She’s a good little player … maybe I’ll be watching her on the field at Lawrenceville one day!” R.G. Kahoe is engaged! His fiancé surprised him with the best birthday gift possible – a ring! The two will be getting married this fall in Palm Springs! Matt Kasper writes, “Can’t wait for the 25th. I just purchased a home in downtown Cheyenne, Wyo., and continue

to work as a project manager for Gateway Construction. This past April, Mayor Collins appointed me to the Affordable Housing Task Force. My dog, Bell, and I are still enjoying weekend hiking and camping trips to the Rockies.” Rudy Lewis writes, “I left BlackRock in February after 16 cumulative years at the firm and took a sabbatical with my wife. We went skiing in Japan, surfing in Bali, hiking in the Arctic Circle and then bounced around the Mediterranean for the better part of the summer. We’re moving back to Los Angeles in August and are looking forward to seeing everyone at the 25th reunion!” Logan Wilson writes, “Definitely planning to be at the 25th! Still enjoying life in Jacksonville, Fla. The family has been here roughly four years. Chelsea Hamilton splits time between here and NYC, so we hang out when she’s in town. Also attended an alumni event in Palm Beach hosted by Benji Griswold and Andrea DeMuth Griswold and they kindly let me stay after the riffraff left for late night dinner with the head of school and other Lawrenceville peeps. Cameron

Lickle made an appearance as well. Hope everyone has a great summer!” Jennie Kim-Jansen writes, “Our second son, Timothy, was born in February and we took our first trip as a family of four to Rhode Island in June. We then have our first trip abroad together in August to Tuscany for a friend’s wedding and then to the Loire Valley to visit our wedding venue and celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.” Justin Massimo and Caleb Oberst are headed north … to Iceland! They have promised to learn the soccer “clap” chant and bring it back to America. Naseem Salamah has been cooking up a storm! “You know, I was never really into cooking, but I’m telling you, a few episodes with Gordon Ramsay or Bobby Flay, and I was hooked.” Naseem has been cooking from Yotam Ottolenghi’s book, Jerusalem: A Cookbook. “The beauty of this book is that it has nothing to do with the conflict in the Middle East; it is about the incredible foods that two wonderful peoples create in their homes, except elevated with a fine dining touch. I really think we can achieve Middle East

peace if we just sit around a table and eat each other’s foods. The salmon with the chraimeh sauce is other-worldly!” Simone Sobel came over to hang at our beach in Marina Del Rey with her awesome husband and son. She has been keeping in touch with Courtney Andrews Jackowitz and Meg Roddy Hall. I saw Andrew Chun for lunch at the best hand roll bar in all the land. He shared a fantastic bottle of Irish whiskey with me. Naturally, I dove in to try it – that night. I continue to push Chun to get a place in Los Angeles for when he is here. John Walsh is movin’ on up – in the downsizing game. See what I did right there? Walsh Senior Solutions continues to thrive in the New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania regions. And he has worked with many Lawrentian families! John is also excited to host our class for one of the nights of our 25th reunion. I have been to the house many times (dare I call myself a part-time resident? I do dare!). You all are in for a treat! Gillian Hearst hosted me, Laura Kornhauser, Dane Almassy ’98, Courtney

n Join an Alumni Group n Become a Regional Volunteer n Help plan your Reunion Email alumni@ lawrenceville.org to get started or find out more.

Get Involved!

P.S. Save the date for Alumni Reunion Weekend, May 31-June 2, 2024!

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

Thompson Friel and R.G. Kahoe, as well as a larger crew for our annual trip to her ranch in Northern California. The Barbie and Ken party was amazing, as was our summer Thanksgiving, and there was some non-controversial bocce being played as well. Courtney Thompson Friel and her husband Patrick took home the championship in convincing fashion. Laura and Dane brought their two little dudes who won the cuteness championships with their awesome outfits, although not to be outdone by their own children, Laura and Dane had some pretty fantastic jumpsuits. Dane also makes a great “Ken” and Laura’s one-of-a-kind boots made her a 6-foot-3 Barbie. David Pryor came out to Santa Barbara for a wedding. He flew into LAX, so he and I met up to have some of the city’s best tacos and the country’s best brownie. For those wondering, the brownie is from the Farm of Beverly Hills. Don’t eat there. The food is mediocre, but the brownie is other worldly. David then met my son Cayden for the second time and enjoyed a walk on the beach with him. He then headed up to Santa Barbara to have some Argentinian empanadas with Stu Lord. “Stu is a brilliant architect. The way he redesigned his house to maintain the original elements while modernizing the feeling of home … just, wow. I really started to regret not going to his bachelor party. Now I feel like I’ll never get the ‘friends’ discount when I design my dream home or redo my basement. But Stu is the best architect I know. Definitely going with him, even at full price, when I do design that home.” Stu and his wife are enjoying their new pad with their awesome dog, London. Stu is enjoying jumping off the Rafa Nadal bandwagon and onto the Novak Djokovic train. Stu was so motivated by the “Djoker” that he bought an architecturally significant pull-up bar and got himself some tennis lessons to bring him back to his L’ville glory days with David Cantlay H’89 ’91 ’93 ’94 ’15 P’07 ’09 ’11. Adam Fein’s favorite fictional movie, City Slickers, has finally become his reality. Adam has been talking about doing a working ranch vacation for almost 25 years. And he finally did it. Adam went to Montana for 15 days and worked a dude ranch with his family. His poor kids were cleaning up after the horses in the freezing cold, but Adam is proud of the “adults” they became. “There is no feeling liking waking up at 4 a.m. and bringing a ranch to life. Herding sheep, plowing the land, feeding the chickens. I haven’t felt that manly since Cleve House, 1998.” Devin Farrell is “America’s Pickler.”

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

No he did not start a Jewish deli (much to my chagrin). Rather he is rising up in the ranks of pickleball in the Denver area. “OK, I guess not Denver overall, but definitely at my tennis club. I must have moved into the top 50 by this point. Sky is limit in my mind. Just gotta grind.” Debra Fisher flew over Chicago recently and texted a “Hello” to David Pryor. The magic of technology! I had an absolutely fantastic dinner with Chris Pryor ’96. He was in town for some meetings and we went to a phenomenal joint called Here’s Lookin’ At You. The portions were small, but mighty. We discussed all things college admissions for his rockstar soccer-playing daughter. Weirdly, and interestingly, his brother David never came up in the conversation, but that’s OK! Ryan Hunter closed a massive buyside deal this past year. He did so well that his wife rewarded him with staying in NYC with their beautiful daughter while she came out to L.A. to visit us! Stephanie and I went surfing, met up with friends for dinner, visited two museums, saw the Hollywood sign, and traveled to the Griffith observatory for a sunset. My wife then joined for an all-day spa day. Thanks, Ryan! Annie Whittaker “CANNOT WAIT” for our 25 th reunion. She is already in the design studio trying to think of how our shirt should look. She is also contemplating ideas like personalized jerseys, pens, or even aprons. “I just want the swag to be useful, you know?” I do know, Annie! If any of you have ideas for our 25th reunion, please email me! perrykalmus@ gmail.com. We recently did a roundtable, or has Michelle Miller Mikol pointed out, a Harkness table… and some great ideas were proposed. We are excited to get more!

Alex Iannacone ’04, Pete Fishman ’98, Curtis Schickner ’08, Verdi DiSesa ’04, Ashby McElveen ’97, and Franco Famularo ’01 joined host Simon Hong ’01 in his San Francisco office in February before heading out for lunch.

Joseph Brazzi ’02 married Julie Hodgson in July 2022 with Rohit Padmanabhan ’02, Ed Rayner ’01, Kemper Diehl ’02, Matt Weber ’02, and Molly Stewart ’02 on hand to celebrate.

2000

Gena Ciccone Reisig gena.reisig@gmail.com Lucinda Halpern lucindabarr@gmail.com

2001

The terrific trio of Arusha Ghosh Niyogi, Julie Gravener Davis, and Shamafa Ali Khan have decided to step down as your class secretaries after many years of dedicated service to this column. The Lawrentian thanks them for all their hard work and invites any member of the Class of 2001 to take on the role.

Andrew Christopher Elipas was born in June to Emily Wilson Elipas ’05 and her husband, Chris.

Young Hugh Byron is all smiles over little sister Nell, who was born in March to Bayless Sword ’05 and Andrew Byron.

2002

Lacey Gray lacey.e.gray@gmail.com Elizabeth Greenberg Wilkinson elizabeth.g.wilkinson@gmail.com J.P. Hazenberg jphazenberg@gmail.com Nina Kumar ninamkumar@gmail.com Neil Mehta neil.mehta@post.harvard.edu Joseph Brazzi married Julie Hodgson in Lambertville, N.J., in July 2022. Rohit Padmanabhan, Ed Rayner ’01, Kemper Diehl, Matt Weber, and Molly Stewart ’02 were there to help Joe and Julie celebrate.

2003

Kristen Aland kristen.aland@gmail.com

Seth, were married at City Hall in Manhattan in 2022 and welcomed their son, Leo, in January. Seth is an anesthesiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering; Laurel is currently on maternity leave from Salesforce, where she is a senior creative. Your friendly Class Secretary welcomed Nell Byron on March 7. She still lives in Jackson Hole and would love to see any visitors that wander through!

2006

Sarah Hennemuth sally.hennemuth@gmail.com

2007

To submit news for the Class of 2007 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org.

A smile on every face as Emily Liggett Philpot ’05 and her husband, Nicholas, welcomed daughter Norah Jane in February 2023.

2008

Mythili Iyer mythili.iyer@gmail.com

Bayless Sword bayless.sword@gmail.com

Mythili Iyer has returned to Oakland with a brain crammed full of super useful British political minutiae. She managed to squeeze in time with Juliette Hall, Gaia von Meister, and Sydney Plummer and went to the Crescent Coast to (Atlantic) Coast toast as well before heading back and running into Kevin Yeh both in NYC and in SF. She was glad to see everyone at reunion and to continue the tradition of staying at Maria Zheng’s house with Vidhya Kumar and being treated to a casual Mr. Zheng feast the morning after. She’s looking forward to restarting that most Californian of traditions – nature – with a planned trip with Maria and Helen Bao ’09 coming up.

Shaunak Vankudre spent the first half of 2023 traveling around the world and country with his wife, Abby (just married last August!). On their road and trip across the U.S., they ran into Lawrentians including Neil Vangala, Anthony Hall, and David Mann. Shaunak and Abby have been spending the last month preparing to move from NYC (where Shaunak has been for 14 years!) to be closer to family, and recently saw Kevin Huang, Suzy Sciarra, Will Cleary, and Nan Ni ’06 as part of an ongoing goodbye tour. Shaunak and Abby are excited to (re)connect with any Lawrentians in the Atlanta area once they move later this summer! Emily Wilson Elipas and her husband, Chris, welcomed Andrew Christopher on June 11, 2023. Loyal, 2, is an attentive and curious big brother. Laurel Cummings and her husband,

Henry McNamara ’09 and Laura Belair McNamara ’09 now have two baby boys – Crosby Belair McNamara and Wade Scott McNamara – who are already developing their parents’ appreciation for Harkness tables and disdain for the Hill School.

Sophie Fitzgerald Burke sophiefburke@gmail.com

2004

Brad Gulick brad.gulick@gmail.com Sarah Sakson sarah.sakson@gmail.com

2005

Riley and Charlotte Guest, daughters of Emily Rowley Guest ’08 and Dennis Guest, are smitten with baby brother Dennis James, born June 25.

Callan Burke Williamson was born to Zack Williamson ’09 and his wife, Kelsey, in May.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

On a visit to his brother in Amsterdam, Maximilian Gademann ’10 visited the ‘Cheese Steak Factory,’ which, to his surprise, is owned and operated by David Shine ’79 and his wife, Cassandra.

Emily Rowley Guest writes, “Dennis and I welcomed Dennis James on June 25. His big sisters Riley and Charlotte are smitten with him!” Congratulations as well to Emily Liggett Philpot who welcomed daughter Norah Jane in February – a bundle of joy who joins big brothers Chip and Zach. She got to catch up with Caroline Barnhart in May when she was in Baltimore for a conference and reconnected after at least five years apart! They celebrated Caroline’s recent engagement – felicitations all around. And finally, a round of applause to Sydney Plummer who will be releasing her first full-length album entitled Light later this year! The title track and first single was released on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) on July 14 under the name Sydney Imani. More info can be found on her website: sydneyimani.com.

BIRTHS: Zack Williamson and his wife have had their hands full the last year working on their fixer-upper home just north of Boston. They still have lots of work left to do, but got a good bit done just in time for the birth of their son Callan Burke Williamson on May 28, 2023. Lots of sleepless nights in the time since, but their little family is doing really well! Henry McNamara and Laura Belair McNamara welcomed their first children, two boys, into their family this winter. Crosby Belair McNamara and Wade Scott McNamara already show a great appreciation for Harkness tables and disdain for the Hill School. Crosby, Wade, and their pug, Penny, have Henry and Laura busy the past few months! Caroline Cahill and her husband are still out in Oakland, Calif., and expecting to welcome their first child in November 2023. Big changes ahead!

2009

2010

Yuliya Mykhaylovska ymykhaylovska@gmail.com

Christine Natoli cmnatoli@gmail.com

Matthew Gonzalez is finally finishing all his training to be a board-certified hand surgeon. His fellowship ends July 31 and he will be starting his first job in Bethlehem, Pa., joining the Lehigh Valley Health Network Ortho group on September 18. Matthew will be leaving good old NYC with his wife Helen Lopez Gonzalez ’08, a pediatrician and L’ville grad too, and their son, 2-year-old Luca. Will Levine is moving to South Beach, Miami with his girlfriend, which is an exciting development for him! Additionally, he just passed two years working for a great company selling lab automation equipment to assist scientists at some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, which has been awesome! Henry Towbin advised that this spring he successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation in geochemistry and has started a post-doctoral fellowship at the American Gemological Institute! He is still living in Brooklyn and all is going fairly well. ENGAGEMENTS: Jack Cantlay just got engaged to his girlfriend of four years on Fishers Island, N.Y.! He is also working in admissions and coaching at Landon School in Bethesda, Md. WEDDINGS: Sage Disch married Ava Kotelova on June 2 and the couple are expecting twin daughters in October 2023!

Bianca Okolie bokolie10@gmail.com

Gavin Leung gav.leung89@gmail.com

Before finishing medical school at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson, Alexander Luo ’13 (right) worked with attending physician Vamsee Chaguturu ’00.

Newlyweds Christy Leonhardt ’13 and Chip Maselli enjoyed their first dance at the Misquamicut Club in Watch Hill, R.I., in June.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Lucinda Mejer Lucinda.mejer@gmail.com

Maximilian Gademann was in Amsterdam to visit his brother, “who wanted to surprise me and took me to the ‘Cheese Steak Factory,’ run by fellow Lawrentian David Shine ’79 and his wife. David moved to Amsterdam (his hometown; he wasn’t born there) and opened up a small restaurant. We had a lovely chat and I promised to send in a picture to The Lawrentian. Everybody visiting Amsterdam should stop by his place!”

2011

Brendan Byrne bbyrne476@gmail.com Heather Hoffman heathhoff@gmail.com

2012

Madeleine Matsui madeleine.matsui@gmail.com Emma Waugh emma.w.waugh.16@gmail.com

2013

Celia Aidinoff caidinoff@gmail.com

East Hampton, New York this summer. Joe is finishing up his M.B.A. at the University of Chicago later this year and Christian is pursuing his Ph.D. at Cornell.

Kelley Barnes Kelleybarnes27@gmail.com

2015

Christy Leonhardt married Chip Maselli on June 10 at the Misquamicut club in Watch Hill, R.I. Lawrentians in attendance included Celia Aidinoff, Olivia Fleming, Liz Brissie, Sarah Funderburg, and Jay Lindseth ’11. It was a beautiful night of celebration and dancing – congratulations to Christy and Chip! In May, Alexander Luo, M.D., finished medical school at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson, where he ended up working with an attending physician who also graduated from Lawrenceville, Vamsee Chaguturu ’00.

2014

Cameron Rangecroft cmr3fe@virginia.edu Katie Dishner kadishner@gmail.com Allison Kazalski allison.kazalski@me.com

2016

Akash Bagaria akashbagaria@gmail.com James Stevenson jstonestevenson@gmail.com

Carter Cikovic cikocc15@gmail.com

Jake Pothast jakepothast@gmail.com

Megan Norris Megan.norris0421@gmail.com

There comes a time in every young adult’s life when they must embark on a journey into the unknown, when they must travel far from home in the name of self-actualization. During this quest, they must slay dragons and overcome their deepest fears. And while initially seeking adventure and glory, they eventually return home with an even greater prize, the timeless wisdom of understanding oneself and their place in the universe (not to mention the many friends made along the way). And thus they are proclaimed a hero. This is the Hero’s Journey, a concept often brought up by my freshman year English teacher at Lawrenceville, Deborah McKay H’85 ’88 ’94 ’14 P’97, who many will fondly remember. This coming-of-age story is embedded deeply in the cultural fabric of our species. At the time of writing, I (James Stevenson) am sitting with Akash Bagaria in the airport about to embark on our own hero’s journey. Shortly, we depart for Tanzania, where we will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. While trials and tribulations await us, so too do new friends and transformational life experiences. Wish us luck! Also, a note from Faith Moore: “Checking in on my Lawrenceville family via class note but in reality my relationship with my fellow Lawrentians hasn’t dissipated much. Currently living and working in New York City as a manager at a client-services firm on behalf of private equity clients. Since graduating from Wake Forest University in 2020, I have lived only with Lawrentians

Mary Larkin maryhlarkin@gmail.com Warm congratulations to Megan Norris on her marriage to Jake Grant in March at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Fla. Kate Gulbrandsen, Carla Tuan, Mary Larkin, Jess Castelo, Christian Belardi, Joe Slawek, and I (Carter) were in attendance to help the couple celebrate their big day. Congratulations to Izzy Steiner on her marriage to Jack Organ in the town of Porto di Capo Passero, Sicily. Izzy was joined in celebration at the Castello Tafuri by Mary Larkin, Luli Peralta, and Joe Slawek. Congrats to Sabine Pallat on her marriage to Charlie Linskey in Holyoke, Mass., this spring, and to Chris Euell on his marriage to Gabi Adams. Brendan Fish, Rosa Lee, Esther Baek ’15, Tara Fish Gass ’15, and Clarice Lee ’16 enjoyed catching up during the Lawrenceville gathering at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., this spring. Congrats to Kirstin Carter on the birth of her son, Jacob Ray Hamerslag, in April. Kirstin and Blake are excited about Jacob joining Lawrenceville’s Class of 2042. Jess Castelo graduated Seton Hall’s PA school and began her career as a physician assistant this summer. Christian Belardi, Joe Slawek, and I have enjoyed a few weekends in

Mary Larkin, Kate Gulbrandsen, Megan Norris, Carla Tuan, and Jess Castelo celebrated Megan’s wedding in Palm Beach, Fla., this spring.

Carter Cikovic ’14, Joe Slawek ’14, and Christian Belardi ’14 caught up in East Hampton, N.Y., this summer.

Sabine Pallat ’14 married Charlie Linskey this past spring in Holyoke, Mass.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

2014 classmates Christian Belardi, Jess Castelo, Kate Gulbrandsen, Carla Tuan, Mary Larkin, Carter Cikovic, and Joe Slawek were on hand to celebrate Megan Norris’ wedding at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Fla.

Greer Antell ’16 and Greg Swistel ’12 faced off at the Father-Child Backgammon tournament at The Union Club in New York City in July.

Peak Performance: Nico Mendoza ’16, James Stevenson ’16, Neel Ajjarapu ’16, Akash Bagaria ’16, and Leon Smith ’16 enjoyed an unexpected Lawrenceville reunion as they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mary Larkin ’14, Luli Peralta ’14, and Joe Slawek ’14 made it to Sicily to celebrate the wedding of Izzy Steiner ’14 to Jack Organ.

Esther Baek ’15, Rosa Lee ’14, Brendan Fish ’14, Tara Fish Gass ’15, and Clarice Lee ’16 enjoyed Lawrenceville’s spring reception at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon! I roomed all around Manhattan with Simon Shore and Bea Elizalde, then Willow Pagon, and plan to move in with Sophie-Aliece Hollis this fall! “My Lawrenceville friends continue to be my closest comrades and can’t seem to go even a couple of weeks without seeing them. Thinking it must have something to do with growing up together? I had the pleasure of visiting for Hill Weekend last fall, where we had a whole gaggle of Class of 2016 with us including Sammy Kunkel (former varsity track buddy), Kathleen Quackenbush, Christina Brown, Lindsay Quackenbush, Spencer Patten, Eric Hyson, Luke Apuzzi, Sam Smith, A.J. Ryan, Apollo Brown, Larry Cummings, and more. Currently spending the summer frequenting my hometown in Watch Hill, R.I., amidst training for my firstever marathon this coming fall in New York City! Wish me luck and hope to see

everyone else soon.” Brooks Wiser was born on March 11, 2023, to Caroline Allen and Woods Wiser! Congratulations, guys! Braden Brown recently moved to Virginia Beach, Va. Congrats on starting a new chapter, Braden!

2017

Sophia Cai sophiacai99@gmail.com

2018

Benjamin Chow benjamin.chow@me.com Matthew Haumann matthewhaumann@gmail.com Drew Korn dkorn111@gmail.com

Marriages and Commitment Ceremonies

2002

Kirstin Carter and her husband, Blake Hamerslag, a son, Jacob Ray Hamerslag, in April 2023

2009

2016

2013

2019

Brittany Sun britsun1010@gmail.com Harrison Lee writes: “One of my other favorite L’ville memories was when Lily Vore peer-edited my paper and said ‘I was the worst writer’ she had ever seen. Ever since then, we have been close to best friends. I even see her every Fourth of July. I just want to thank L’ville for such a strong and fun friendship. Can’t wait to see everyone at the reunion! Also, shout out Jae Won Kwon, best guy I know.”

2020

Jasmine Zhang jasminezhang398@gmail.com Ciara Hoover ciaradhoover@gmail.com

2021

Christy Leonhardt to Chip Maselli, The Misquamicut Club, Watch Hill, R.I., June 10, 2023

2014

Chris Euell to Gabi Adams, May 13, 2023 Megan Norris to Jake Grant, Henry Morris Flagler Museum, Palm Beach, Fla., March 18, 2023 Sabine Pallat to Charlie Linskey, Holyoke, Mass., Spring 2023 Isabel Steiner to Jack Organ, Castello Tafuri, Porto di Capo Passero, Sicily, May 20, 2023

1999

Jennifer Kim-Jansen and her husband, a son, Timothy, February 3, 2023

2005

Laurel Cummings her husband, Seth Glodowski, a son, Leo, January 2023 Emily Wilson Elipas and her husband, Chris Elipas, a son, Andrew Christopher, June 11, 2023 Bayless Sword and her husband, Andrew Byron, a daughter, Nell Byron, March 7

2022

2008

2023

To submit news for the Class of 2023 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org.

Caroline Allen and her husband, Woods Wiser, a son, Brooks Wiser, March 11, 2023

Deaths James J. H. Carey ’51 Douglas D. Monroe Jr. ’51 Jeremy W. Coon ’54 George H. Hawks III ’57 Michael Hornblow ’58 James A. Levy ’58 P’91 ’92 Richard Locke ’58 Loring F. Hill ’59 Bengt G. Sternberg ’60 Robert C. Legler ’61 Fletcher M. Durbin ’67 James J. McNamara Jr. ’67 Peter K. Phinney ’72 Jan E. Ellison ’73 Howard B. Foltz ’73 William C. Smith ’76

Births

Brian Ruan briantruan@gmail.com

To submit news for the Class of 2022 column, please send them to classnotes@ lawrenceville.org.

2014

Joseph Brazzi to Julie Hodgson, Lambertville, N.J., July 16, 2022

Sage Disch to Ava Kotelova, New York City, June 2, 2023

Brooks Wiser was born in March to newlyweds Caroline Allen ’16 and Woods Wiser ’16.

Zack Williamson and his wife, Kelsey Burke, a son, Callan Burke Williamson, May 28, 2023

Emily Rowley Guest and her husband, Dennis Guest, a son, Dennis James, June 25, 2023 Emily Liggett Philpot and her husband, Nicholas Philpot, a daughter, Norah Jane, February 2023

2009

Laura Belair McNamara and Henry McNamara, two sons, Crosby Belair McNamara and Wade Scott McNamara, Winter 2023

Memorials Paul B. Dickey Jr. ’47 Paul Browning Dickey Jr. passed away March 18, 2023. Born in Pittsburgh, he was 94 years old. At Lawrenceville, Paul lived in Cleve House and played baseball. After graduating from Trinity College in Connecticut in 1951, Paul served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War as a lieutenant aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Miller. Paul was a successful stockbroker for over 40 years, working for one company that changed names and ownership numerous times. He helped many of his customers become successful investors. He immersed himself in the securities industry, got very good at it, and had great enjoyment studying the market until the end of his life, which included 59 years of marriage to the late Lucy Ingham. In addition to his family and the stock market, Paul’s true love was the sport of sailing, and all things having to do with boats. Introduced to sailing as a boy, he spent many summers in Hyannis Port learning to sail and race. Paul was a proud member of the Indian Harbor Yacht Club for 64 years and held the No. 2 position

of longstanding at the club. His burgee occupied a prominent place near the Club’s ships clock. Paul also loved going for a swim, playing tennis and was also a longtime, proud member of the Bath and Tennis club in Palm Beach, Fla. Paul is survived by his children Heather Schneeberger, Paul B. Dickey III, Laura Boutelle, and William Y.H. Dickey; and three grandchildren.

Charles F. King ’48 Charles Francis “Frank” King passed away March 30, 2023. Born in 1928 in Somerville, N.J., he was 94 years old. At Lawrenceville, Frank lived in Hamill House, was a member of the varsity track and soccer teams and the Math Club, and served as a Chapel usher. Frank graduated from Lafayette College and before serving in the U.S. Army. In the 1950s, inspired by Henry David Thoreau’s writings on Walden Pond, Frank left a comfortable job his father had procured him at a bank in Chile to live a life of simplicity in the Cordillera mountains in Central America. In the 1960s, he and his future wife, Regina Marion Nielsen, joined an ashram in Southern France founded on the principle of non-violence by Lanza del Vasto, the Sicilian prince who had followed in the steps of Gandhi. After a few years, Frank set out alone on foot from Avignon, France, to Rome to be baptized in the Vatican, receiving his communion from the famed Padre Pio. Frank joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1973 with his wife, and six months later he became the first branch president in Antibes, France. In the mid-1990s, while Frank and Marion served their first mission in Frankfurt, Germany, he wrote his children a series of letters that became his first book, Ponderings. Frank later selfpublished several more books in which he unpacked meaningful life lessons, insights, and scriptures. Frank is survived by his two children, Marie-Josée Stout and Christopher King; and six grandchildren.

John L. McGraw Sr. ’48 John Louis McGraw Sr. passed away July 4, 2023. Born in Summit, N.J., he was 93 years old. At Lawrenceville, John lived in Raymond House before graduating from Newark Academy. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. John served in the U.S. Navy and was stationed at the Jacksonville (Fla.) Naval Air Station, where he met his bride, Marjorie Lee Peddy, in 1951. John had a long career with the publishing firm

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

McGraw-Hill, which his grandfather founded. During his time there, John served as an executive vice president, as well as chair of the board. After retiring from McGraw-Hill, John joined his wife in a business selling antiques. They would eventually become renowned collectors of early American furniture and paintings. He served as chair of the boards of the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, and The Norton Museum of Art. He also served on the board of Newark Academy and with the Metropolitan Opera Advisory Board. John greatly enjoyed flying his airplane. An avid golfer, and enjoyed membership at clubs such as Pine Valley, Baltusrol, Gulf Stream, Wianno, Somerset Hills, Essex Fells, Canoe Brook, White Beaches, and the New York Yacht Club. He traveled extensively for his job and later with his family, including cruises at sea and along Europe’s rivers. John is survived by his wife of 71 years, Marjorie; children John, Lee, Mark, Scott, Lynne, and Brian; five grandchildren; and three great-granddaughters.

Lowell P. Weicker Jr. ’49 GP’06 Lowell P. Weicker Jr. passed away June 28, 2023. Born in Paris, he was 92 years old. At Lawrenceville, Lowell lived in Dawes House, was a member of Periwig, and played football. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, served in the U.S. Army from 1953-55, and graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1958. In 1970, at the age of 39, Lowell was elected to the U.S. Senate where he received national prominence as a member of the Senate Watergate Committee. He became an advocate to protect the world’s oceans and promote marine research, and he would become the author of most of today’s laws expanding the rights and liberties of children and people with disabilities culminating in his introduction of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Early on, Lowell recognized the seriousness of the AIDS/HIV epidemic and held special hearings on the subject and would push through the Congress crucial funding to expand NIH research and CDC tracking and public education. He was unafraid to focus attention on intractable issues and was arrested for protesting apartheid outside the South African Embassy. Throughout his Senate years, Lowell aligned himself with a bipartisan group of members and some unlikely allies. As governor of Connecticut, he laid the groundwork for decades of financial stability. The Lowell P. Weicker Marine Sciences Building sits on the campus of

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

the University of Connecticut at Avery Point in Groton, and on the campus of the National Institutes of Health, the building that houses AIDS/HIV and infectious disease research is named in his honor. Lowell is survived by his wife of 38 years, Claudia Testa Weicker; sons Scot, Gray, Brian, Sonny, and Tre; stepsons Mason and Andrew Ingram; 12 grandchildren, including Melissa Weicker ’06; and four great-grandchildren.

Gerard F. Binder ’50 P’88 ’97 Gerard Fine “Jerry” Binder passed away September 7, 2023. Born in Trenton, N.J., he was 91 years old. At Lawrenceville, Jerry lived in Davidson, Griswold, and Upper Houses and played House football, earning the nickname “Gory Gerard” on the gridiron for Griswold. He was also a member of the Glee Club, Periwig, The Lit, the Debating Club, Concert Club, and The Recorder. Jerry proudly served in the Korean War, stationed in both New Mexico and on Governors Island. After attending the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, he became a renowned leader in the piano industry, most recently as the founder of PianoPiano, a piano rental and rehearsal studio business catering to the industry’s finest talent. Widely recognized for his generosity, Jerry provided pianos to lower income neighborhood schools and churches, the Harlem Boys’ Choir and other cultural institutions. A true family man and a Lawrentian, Jerry was particularly proud that his daughter, Gennifer Binder ’88, was just the second girl to graduate from the School after its first year of coeducation. He was a gentleman with a heart of gold who touched everyone he met with his charming sense of humor, fantastic stories, generosity, and bright smile. Jerry is survived by his wife Judy; daughters, Gennifer Binder ’88, Sarah Binder Mehta ’97, Ginny Binder, and Cindy Binder; and two granddaughters.

Charles E. Welles III ’51 Charles Edwin “Charlie” Welles III passed away June 12, 2023. Born in Troy, N.Y., he was 89 years old. At Lawrenceville, Charlie lived in Upper House before graduating from South Kent School in Connecticut. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1956 before going to work at National City Bank in New York City. Charlie’s banking career was short because, as he explained, he did not want to wear a white shirt on days when he preferred to wear a blue shirt. He returned to Yale to study art history.

In September 1966, Charlie started his career as an English teacher at Hopkins Grammar School where he taught for 32 years. At Hopkins, Charlie taught generations of students with flamboyant, didactic enthusiasm. After retiring from Hopkins in 1998, Charlie moved to Homer, Alaska, where he and friends adventured around the state, visiting Denali Park, Dutch Harbor, and the Pribilofs. They also drove an RV to Canada for the Arts Festival in Inuvik. Charlie is survived by children Chase, Edwin, Giles, and Talbot; and eight grandchildren.

David E. Harrah ’52 David Ellsworth Harrah passed away June 18, 2023. Born in Norwalk, Conn., he was 89 years old. At Lawrenceville, David lived in Cleve House and was a member of Periwig and the Glee Club. He attended Princeton University, where he played hockey, before enlisting in the U.S. Marines. During his 20-year military career, David rose to the rank of master gunnery sergeant, one of the top enlisted ranks, and served in the Vietnam War. Stationed in Japan, he met his wife Miyako Oota, with whom he had two sons before divorcing. In Washington, D.C., David served at many events and functions, including as an usher at the 1963 funeral of President John F. Kennedy. He later managed hotels in the Phoenix area before joining the Phoenix Racquets of World Team Tennis as a top executive. In 1980, David married Patricia Bedrava, who became his partner in life and in business. They ran a financial planning company until retiring in Fallbrook, Calif. For many years, he made it his daily custom to fly the American flag outside his home, adhering to the flag code. His respect for “Old Glory” earned him a special Flag Certificate from the local Daughters of the American Revolution for his “love of and dedication to our country and its flag.” David is survived by his wife, Patricia Harrah; sons Neal Harrah and Brian Harrah; stepsons Bill and Bob Bedrava; three granddaughters; and two stepgrandchildren.

E. Rust Muirhead ’52 Ezra Rust Muirhead passed away July 31, 2023. Born in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., he was 89 years old. At Lawrenceville, Rust lived in Dawes House and was on the staff of the Olla Podrida. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in 1956. Shortly after beginning his career with Pacific Union bank in San Francisco, Rust met Mercedes Wisler, and they were

married in 1961. Soon after they moved to Grosse Pointe Farms, where Rust started in the fixed income department of Heber, Fuger & Wendin. Rust was elected to the city council and was an active participant in various activities at the Country Club of Detroit, The Grosse Pointe Club, and the Yondotega Club. In 1974 Rust moved his family to Ross, Calif., after accepting a position to launch the fixed income department at Rosenberg Capital Management in San Francisco. He became known for his daily pre-dawn swims in the San Francisco Bay as a member of the Dolphin Club. Rust retired in 1993 and soon thereafter, Rust and Mercedes purchased a much-loved home near Brantome, France, in the Dordogne, where they spent about half their time. After several years, they returned to the United States full time dividing their days between homes in Sausalito and St. Helena, Calif., with both locations allowing them to pursue their shared passion for food and wine. Rust and Mercedes traveled widely and often. Rust is survived by children E. Rust Muirhead Jr. and Elisabeth Price; and five grandchildren.

Robert B. Williamson ’52 Robert Boatright “Will” Williamson passed away February 5, 2023. Born in Richmond, Va., he was 88 years old. At Lawrenceville, Will lived in Upper House. He earned his bachelor of arts, master of arts, and Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Virginia, and read with Strauss and Hayek at the University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought. In 1960, Will and his wife, Marilyn, moved to Annapolis, Md., where he became a long-time faculty member at St. John’s College. Will was a polymath. His work beyond the classroom included co-authoring an Ancient Greek textbook, writing essays on Plato and Einstein, and translating from French the philosopher Kojève. An accomplished amateur actor with a focus on Shakespeare, Will’s roles included Hamlet and Othello, parts he still could still recite from memory in the last weeks of his life. Will shared a love of literature and travel with Marilyn, who predeceased him. Together, they instilled in their three children a love of learning for its own sake. Those who knew Will remember his expansive and logical mind, his gentle and kind manner, and his flashes of brilliant humor. Will is survived by children Rebecca, Marc, and Hal; and five grandchildren.

Alan C. Fitts ’53 P’85 Alan Campbell Fitts passed away April 11, 2023. Born in Plainfield, N.J., he was 88 years old. At Lawrenceville, Alan lived in Upper House. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College in 1958. During his 40-year career in investments, Alan worked in sales and trading at several firms, including Salomon Brothers and Merrill Lynch. His interests ranged widely from fishing, racquet sports, fitness, yoga, triathlons, and guitar. He was a 55-year member of the Merion Cricket Club. His first marriage was to Susanna Jopson Chandlee Fitts, who died in 1972. Alan had a sharp mind, dry wit, loved New York Times crossword puzzles and closely followed the stock market after his retirement from Wellington Management Company in 1998. Alan is survived by his wife of 50 years, Josephine Poe Chandlee Fitts; sons Alan C. Fitts Jr. ’85 and Caleb Poe Fitts; and three grandchildren.

W. Grant Hellar III ’54 P’87 William Grant Hellar III passed away April 1, 2023. Born in Tacoma, Wash., he was 87 years old. At Lawrenceville, Grant lived in Cleve and Upper Houses. He was associate editor of the Olla Podrida, and a member of the Glee Club, Math Club, Spanish Club, and the Cleve House Championship football team in 1952 and ’53. As an alumnus, Grant remained an active and dedicated Lawrentian as a member of the Alumni Association Executive Committee, the John Cleve Green Society, and his 65th Reunion Committee. He also served as a trustee, an admission interviewer, and, for many years, as class secretary. At Yale University, Grant enrolled in R.O.T.C. and majored in history. After graduating from Yale in 1958, he joined the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant junior grade and served his country aboard the U.S.S. Hornet. In July 1962, Grant settled in San Francisco, where he began a banking career. He also joined The Young Scandinavian Club, where he met his bride-to-be and the love of his life, Eva. They married in August 1965 at Christ Episcopal Church in Sausalito, Calif. During Grant’s 30-plus years with Bank of America, the family relocated to Australia, Japan, and Santa Barbara, Calif. In 1996, Grant joined the Montecito Bank & Trust in Santa Barbara. Grant’s passion for sports, especially golf, threaded his life. Competitive into his senior years, he was always in the mix to win an event or be closest to the hole. For over 40 years, a proud

and involved member of Meadow Club in Fairfax, Calif., Grant knew many successes, including three holes-inone. Grant and Eva travelled extensively in the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, usually with their golf clubs. One voyage stands out: one hundred days on S.S. Universe Explorer, sponsored by Semester at Sea, with over 500 U.S. college students, 42 adult passengers and 22 professors. They visited ten countries; it was a life-changing experience. Being a grandfather came naturally to Grant. He found joy in attending his grandchildren’s sports games, cheering them on from the sidelines, and celebrating their achievements on and off the field. His love and guidance were a constant source of strength and support, leaving an everlasting impression on their young lives. Grant’s distinguished career was paralleled by his commitment to community and his almae matres. A generous man, he sat on an advisory board for The Salvation Army and San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Grant’s volunteerism included Dominican University of California Presidents Council and the board of directors for Semester at Sea Alumni Association, as well as service as board treasurer for Aldersly Retirement Community, an alumni interviewer for Yale applicants, chief inspector at his local voting precinct, and president of his San Rafael homeowners association. He was also hailed as “the absolute best” class secretary for keeping his Lawrenceville classmates informed and connected. Grant is survived by his wife of 57 years, Eva; sons Eric Hellar and Scott W. Hellar ’87; four grandchildren; and brother Charles W. Hellar ’59.

Henry R. Hamman ’55 Henry R. Hamman passed away May 11, 2023. Born in Houston, he was 85 years old. At Lawrenceville, Henry lived in Griswold House and as an alumnus, he served on his 55th Reunion Committee. He earned his bachelor of science and master of arts in geology at the University of Texas at Austin. Henry was the president of Hamman Oil and Refining Company, a fourthgeneration family-owned oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in Texas. He was proud to be a Texan and proud to be an independent oilman. His love of earth sciences led him to a long-term and happy relationship with the Houston Museum of Natural Science, where he served as a trustee and advisor for many decades. A constantly curious and a lifelong

learner, Henry supported the Jackson School of Geosciences through scholarships, programs, and the recently opened Henry R. and Ann H. Hamman Gem and Mineral Gallery in the Jackson Geology Building at the University of Texas. He also served as the president of the George and Mary Josephine Hamman foundation for many years, issuing thousands of college scholarships and supporting numerous community organizations. Henry and his family travelled extensively exploring Asia, Europe, and Africa. In 1970, they settled in Sydney, Australia, for four years where Henry pursued mining and real estate opportunities. He was a member of a number of social organizations in Houston including the Bayou Club of Houston and River Oaks Country Club. Henry is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ann Hufendick Hamman; children Anne Hamman Brollier, Kendall Hamman Connors, and Russell Royden Hamman; and nine grandchildren.

Richard L. Doege ’57 Richard Loren Doege passed away March 26, 2023. He was 83 years old. At Lawrenceville, Richard lived in Davidson and Raymond Houses and Upper East, and was a member of the choir, Glee Club, and the Lawrentians. An active alumnus, he served as an admission interviewer and was a member of the John Cleve Green Society. Richard earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Northwestern University, an M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg School in 1961, a Ph.D. in economics from Arizona State University in 1973, and an M.P.A. from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2000. Richard’s professional career began in 1963 as an economist with Price Waterhouse; first in Chicago, and later in Mexico City. In 1972, he moved to Minneapolis as an executive with Control Data Corporation. Richard settled in Seattle in 1980 as vice president of Meteor Communications Corporation. In his later years, he taught economics at Johns Hopkins SAIS and the University of Maryland. Richard started climbing in the 1960s, developing tools for ice climbing that are now in general use. In 1970, he made a record ascent of Denali in Alaska. By 2000, he had made over 100 technical ascents worldwide, including the Matterhorn, Mt. Kenya, Cotopaxi, and New Zealand’s Tasmin. For over twenty years, Richard and his wife, Julia, adventured around the world, from the Dolomites to Patagonia. They enjoyed living in Washington, D.C., surrounded by friends, art, and music. Richard was

a member of the University Club and St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square, where he was an active lay reader. Richard is survived by his wife, Julia Koster.

John J. McGowan ’57 John J. “Jay” McGowan passed away June 24, 2023. Born in Trenton, N.J., he was 83 years old. At Lawrenceville, Jay lived in Davidson and Dawes Houses, played football, ran track, and was a School Camp counselor. As an alumnus, Jay remained an active Lawrentian, serving on his 60 th and 65th Reunion Committees. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont, graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate, ranking in the top 20 percent of Army R.O.T.C. graduates nationwide, and second lieutenant in the Military Service Corps. Six days after graduation he married Patricia Ann Merlone of Hamden, Conn. Jay attended Flight School and Helicopter Qualification School and was deployed to Vietnam in 1964 in the 57th Medical Detachment for evacuation and rescue. While in Vietnam, he was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross twice, the Bronze Star medal, and Army Commendation medal, both with V device for valor. After two and a half years in Japan and a year in Korea, Jay retired from the military. He was employed as a helicopter pilot with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for 32 years, eventually becoming chief pilot and manager of the Wall Street Heliport. A scoutmaster with Boy Scouts of America Troop 32 for 13 years, Jay greatly enjoyed sharing his knowledge of scouting and the outdoors with the boys. Jay is survived by his wife Pat; children Stuart, Heather, Keith, and Sarah; and six grandchildren.

Stuart G. Dow ’58 Stuart Gordon “Stu” Dow passed away June 1, 2023. Born in Detroit, he was 82 years old. At Lawrenceville, Stu lived in Cleve House, and was a member of the swim team, the Olla Podrida, and Periwig. Stu earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from the University of Michigan. After graduating, Stu joined the Ford Motor Company finance staff. During his time there, he worked on the re-election campaign of U.S. Sen. Robert Griffin, who valued Stu’s skills as well as his wide network of relationships in Detroit. After joining Merrill Lynch in 1967, Stu enjoyed a 35-year career as a financial advisor there. Stu married Therese O’Sullivan in

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

1969 and they had two daughters. His devotion to his family was immeasurable and overflowed to the lives of those around them. His “girl dad” care extended to the wider community as well. When Stu volunteered to help with a girls’ Neighborhood Club soccer team that needed a coach, no one could have imagined it would lead to a 45-year journey coaching girls’ youth soccer in Grosse Pointe, Mich. Stu also launched travel soccer for girls at a time when only the boys had this competitive opportunity. He then founded Pointe Girls Soccer Association to provide a breadth of experiences to girls of all ages. Stu was still on the sidelines at the Neighborhood Club in April 2023. Stu was a beloved member of The Witenagemote, a men’s literary society, as well as a dedicated director of several local organizations. Stu is survived by daughters Sarah Reimers and Laura Coon; nine grandchildren; brother, Peter A. Dow ’50; and nephew Jay D. Dykhouse ’88.

Verne L. Skjonsby Jr. ’58 Verne Leslie Skjonsby Jr. passed away May 2, 2023. Born in Honolulu, he was 82 years old. At Lawrenceville, Verne lived in Woodhull House. He earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Colorado in 1967. Verne had a range of careers that generally involved education. He started teaching the gifted and highly gifted in science in the seventh and eighth grades, allowing them to experience flying rockets in the air and traveling on the R.V. Inland Seas on the San Francisco Bay. Verne became fascinated with the early computers, tutoring employees of a large company to use them. He then worked for Tandy as a systems engineer before teaching bid-estimating to contractors all over the United States. Verne was a lay assisting minister in the Lutheran church for 35 years, first in Burlingame, Calif., and then at Calvary Lutheran Church in Eureka. He served on Lutheran Homes for the Aging Board for 15 years, and many years on Calvary Council. Verne spent nine years on the Pacific Union School District board before moving to Cutten, Calif., to serve on the Cutten School Board for four more. Election Day found Verne doing a wide range of activities from poll worker to supervising of several polling places. An avid reader, the Mensa book club one of Verne’s favorite activities, as well as camping in most of the Western United States and Canada. Verne is survived by his wife of 52 years, Dorothy Eda Svennngsen Skjonsby; children Johannes Skjonsby,

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

Jason Skjonsby, and Kierstine Escalante; and four grandchildren.

Edward G. Thurber ’58 Edward Gerrish “Ed” Thurber passed away July 9, 2023. Born in Pennsylvania, he was 82 years old. At Lawrenceville, Ed lived in Cleve House. He earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering at Princeton University, where he also lettered on the track team, setting a long-standing university record in the javelin throw. Ed also earned a Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Southern California. Ed served as a mathematics professor at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., for 38 years. In 1966, he married Leona Antoinette Izmirian, to whom he was married until her passing in 2002. They had two children together. Ed was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ who loved to teach and share about the grace of God. Ed is survived by his wife of 18 years, Barbara Ann Thurber; children Edward Thurber and Stacy Whitelock; stepchildren Denise Wendorff, Cindy Scharkey, and Rod Turner; and 17 grandchildren.

Bailey L. Wiener Sr. ’58 Bailey Lee Wiener Sr. passed away March 25, 2023. Born in Memphis, Tenn., he was 83 years old. At Lawrenceville, Bailey lived in Kennedy House before graduating from Central High School in Memphis. He attended the University of Mississippi and the University of Memphis. Bailey was also a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve stationed in Millington, Tenn. After completing his education, Bailey went to work for the Donruss Company, a candy manufacturing business known for its Super Bubble Gum. As the sales and marketing director at Donruss, he was recognized for developing several products that were awarded the national new item of the year. After the 1972 sale of Donruss to General Mills, Bailey went to work for various family enterprises in farming and real estate development. He was also a founding member of Cotton Growers Gin in Blytheville, Ark. As member of Second Presbyterian Church, where he was a deacon, Bailey initiated a program to provide the polio vaccine for children in South Korea. He was a board member of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Memphis Zoo, as well as a trustee for Presbyterian Day School and Hutchison School, the latter of which he served as chairman of the board. Bailey was also a member of the Memphis Country Club, Memphis Hunt and Polo Club, the Rotary Club of

Memphis, and Coral Ridge Country Club of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Bailey is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marilyn McGee Wiener; children Donald Russel Wiener, Bailey Lee Wiener Jr., and Carroll Wiener Bernard; and six grandchildren.

B. Russell Formidoni ’59 Bernard Russell “Russ” Formidoni passed away April 28, 2023. Born in Trenton, N.J., he was 82 years old. At Lawrenceville, Russ lived in Kennedy House. As an alumnus, he served as a member of his class’ Reunion Committee. Russ earned his bachelor’s degree from Brown University in 1963. Russ began his career with IBM before joining Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor and, in later years, managed UBS’s offices in Princeton, N.J., and Newtown, Pa., where he served as a mentor and sponsor to many. An avid golfer, Russ grew up at the Trenton Country Club, where he served two terms as a director and claimed to hold the record for the longest drive on the fourth hole. He enjoyed summers at their home in Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Island, N.J., creating lasting memories with his grandchildren, extended family, and friends. He contributed his time and efforts to the Boys & Girls Club of Mercer County. Russ is survived by children Karen Robbins and Mollie Colavita; stepsons Grant and Robert Fessler; four grandchildren; and brothers Roland R. Formidoni ’61 and Roger Formidoni ’68.

Courtland Kelsey III ’59 Courtland “Court” Kelsey III passed away June 23, 2023. Born in East Orange, N.J., he was 82 years old. At Lawrenceville, Court lived in Kennedy House and played golf, for which he earned a Major L, and was a member of the House Council, Choir, and Glee Club. As an alumnus, Court served as an admission interviewer. Eschewing college, Court embarked on a four-year journey around the world, working in construction in various countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Germany, the Hawaiian Islands, Canada, and Alaska. At age 20, during his time in Australia, he began a diligent study of the Bible, and he was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany in 1962. Later, Court’s golf skills led him to become a professional golfer, playing on PGA mini-tours ours throughout California and Florida. His love of golf, combined with his unique artistic talents, lead him to create art trophies for major PGA events. Recipients of Court’s

work included Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. In later years, Court held two state championship titles for Montana State Senior Golf. In the spring of 1992, Court married Holly Kehm. They made their home in Dickinson, N.D., before moving to Sidney, Mont., and, in 2004, to Glasgow, Mont. Court was the owner and operator of Associated Fencing Co. and Fountain Head Group Inc., serving Western North Dakota and Eastern Montana with commercial and residential fencing for over 30 years. Court is survived by his wife of 31 years, Holly; stepchildren Dawn, Matthew, Mitchell, Erica, and Christopher; several grandchildren; brother Howard D. Kelsey ’64; and cousins John F. Kelsey III ’65 and Bruce C. Kelsey ’73.

William E. Welch ’59 William Edgerton “Bill” Welch passed away April 8, 2023. Born in Chillicothe, Mo., he was 82 years old. At Lawrenceville, Bill lived in Upper House before graduating from Avon Old Farms School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration the University of Arizona, where he also played baseball. In addition to his baseball career Bill was an author and inventor of the patented Baseball Analysis and Reporting System, or BARS. This system was the first of its kind and was the very beginning of computerized baseball scouting and forecasting. The BARS system was used by the Kansas City Royals in 1985, and the Cincinnati Reds in 1990, years in which each team won the World Series. During this time, he was a scout and traveled with the founder and owner of the Kansas City Royals, Ewing Kauffman. Bill and a friend also invented the Pro-Down marker for professional and college football, which are currently used in today’s football games. Bill was a fourth-generation chairman of the board for Citizens Bank & Trust, which was founded by his great-greatgreat grandfather as Citizens Bank & Trust of Missouri in 1889 and became the largest independently owned bank in Missouri. Bill is survived by his wife, Gina Lott Welch; stepson Brandon Gilmore; and two grandsons.

F. Scott Andrews ’60 Frank Scott Andrews passed away July 26, 2023. Born in New Orleans, he was 80 years old. At Lawrenceville, Scott lived in Cleve House and was a member of Periwig and the swim team, with which he was Eastern National champion in diving.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in art history from Princeton University, where he was an All-America diver, in 1964. After graduating, Scott worked in the Washington, D.C., congressional office of his father, A. Glenn Andrews Sr., and also in Atlanta for the International Salt Co. before moving back to Anniston, Ala. There, he went into go into business with his father and brother under the name Andrews Advertising, which became Noble Signs. He retired in 2020 after 50 years in the business. A lifelong member of Grace Episcopal Church in Anniston, Scott served as an acolyte in his youth and on the vestry as junior and senior wardens. He was a member of Sons of the Revolution and a long-standing member of the Anniston Rotary Club, where he was a Paul Harris Fellow. Scott loved traveling and spending time with friends and family, whether it be on the ski slopes of Big Sky, Mont., or on the beaches of Perdido Key, Fla. Scott is survived by his wife of 42 years, Augusta Marshall Andrews; children Frank Scott Andrews Jr., Lisa Andrews Palmer, and Joseph Jackson Andrews; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; nephew Thomas E. Kilby IV ’81; and niece Isla Houston Kilby ’21, Houston Sproull Andrews of Anniston, Christopher Justin Stagner (Courtnee) and James Dylan Stagner of Creola, AL, James Marshall Andrews, Morgan Peter Andrews and William Augustus Andrews of Nashville; one great-grandchild, Jackson Brooks Stagner of Creola, and many more family members and friends.

John T. Battin ’60 John T. Battin passed away April 9, 2023. Born in Albany, N.Y., he was 80 years old. At Lawrenceville, John lived in Woodhull House. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in 1964 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps the following year. After serving in the Republic of Vietnam in 1966-67, John was awarded the Bronze Star for valorous conduct in combat. He married Evelyn Battin in May 1967 and they had three sons. Upon his return to the United States, John went to work for the State Bank of Albany and rose steadily in that job, remaining and ascending throughout that bank and all its successor banks, until his retirement. Active as a member of the Albany New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee, his participation was integral in the funding and building of the memorial, which was dedicated in 1993. John lived in Albany until after Evelyn’s passing 2008, when he moved to Fort Myers, Fla.. His son Sam moved to Fort Myers as well and was with John in the

last years of his life. He was a loving father and husband and well loved by all who knew him. He brought joy and good fellowship to everyone he met through his hard work, reliability, razor-sharp mind, keen wit, and excellent sense of humor. John is survived by sons John Christopher Bovingdon Battin, Samuel Frost Battin, and Gregory English Battin; two grandchildren; and brother Harry B. Battin ’58.

Roy E. Thompson Jr. ’63 Roy Edward Thompson Jr. passed away June 2, 2023. Born in Boston, he was 79 years old. At Lawrenceville, Roy lived in Dawes House and The Lodge, was a member of the House Council and Olla Podrida, played baseball and football, and ran track. Roy earned his bachelor’s degree at Yale University, where he also played football, in 1967 before serving as an engineering officer on the destroyer U.S.S. Charles H. Rohn in the Mediterranean during the Vietnam War. After his service, Roy earned a law degree from Boston College Law School and married Pamela Sibley in 1972. They moved to Houlton, Maine, where Roy became a partner in the law office of Forrest Barnes. Forrest was a great mentor to Roy and they became lifelong friends. During his Kennebunkport years, Roy served on the town’s zoning board of appeals, was a recruiter for Lawrenceville, and volunteered with a local theater group. Throughout more than 40 years of trial work in state and federal courts, Roy represented design professionals, including architects, engineers, and surveyors, against claims of professional negligence. He was respected as a preeminent construction law attorney. After retiring from law, Roy relocated to the Portland area, where he met Susan Adams; they were married in 2006. Sue, a deep University of Michigan fan, brought a new level of sports appreciation to Roy. They quickly raised the Michigan flag in their East Boothbay, Maine, home. Roy is survived by his wife of 18 years, Susan Adams Thompson; four grandchildren; and brother Arthur Pearce Thompson ’65.

Joseph T. Manning IV ’64 Joseph Thruston “Tom” Manning passed away April 20, 2023. Born in Philadelphia, he was 77 years old. Tom came to Lawrenceville after graduating from Chestnut Hill Academy in 1963. He lived in Upper House and Belknap House and was a member of the Glee Club and Orchestra. Tom enrolled at the University of Miami before enlisting

in the Navy. He served his country from 1966-69 aboard the U.S.S. Blue and the U.S.S. Chicago. After his service, Tom earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Temple University and his M.B.A. from Lehigh University. Tom spent most of his career in project management and worked until retirement for the State Liquor Control Board of Pennsylvania. Tom loved spending his summers at Seaside Park, N.J. An active member of the Seaside Park Yacht Club for many years, he enjoyed boating and history, and loved to read. He was very supportive of wildlife conservation and historical preservation. After retiring in 2013, Tom and his wife, Eloise, moved to Fort Myers, Fla., where they enjoyed the warm sunshine and snowless winters together. They enjoyed various social memberships including Sandy Run Country Club in Oreland, Pa., and Gulf Harbour Yacht and Country Club in Fort Myers. Tom is survived by his wife of 52 years, Eloise Reynolds Manning; children Megan Swartz and Eric Manning; and six grandchildren.

Thomas Smidt II ’64 Thomas “Tom” Smidt II passed away May 1, 2023. Born in New York City, he was 77 years old. At Lawrenceville, Tom lived in Kennedy House and was a member of the Choir, Glee Club, and the Lawrentians. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 1968 before attending American University School of Law, where he graduated top of his class and earned a coveted internship with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. In 1976, Tom moved with his family across the country to Albuquerque, N.M. After some years with local law firms, he opened his own and practiced there for the remainder of his life, including 19 with his eldest son. Tom was deeply involved with his community, serving on many boards throughout New Mexico. He was a generous supporter of numerous no-kill animal shelters, including Watermelon Mountain Ranch. In his younger years, Tom was an avid tennis player with a beguiling serve. He took numerous photos of his children and family and put together sensational slide shows. In later years, neighbors would know him by his early morning walks with his beloved rescue dogs, no matter the weather. He also had a green thumb, filling his house and office with some of the most arduous of plants. Tom is survived by his wife of 30 years, Victoria S. Smidt; children Marie Smidt Reinarz, Thomas Smidt III, David

M. Smidt, John B. Smidt, and Miranda Alongi; and eight grandchildren.

Samuel J. Atlee ’69 Samuel John “Sam” Atlee passed away August 1, 2023. Born in Lancaster, Pa., he was 72 years old. At Lawrenceville, Sam lived in Dawes House and played lacrosse. As an alumnus, he served on his class’s Reunion Committee. Sam earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University in 1973. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer and teaching English in Beja, Tunisia, Sam received a graduate degree in 1977 from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa where he was a Teaching-Writing Fellow. In his professional life, Sam worked primarily in publishing. He was a business writer for Time magazine in New York, a financial writer for the Vanguard Group in Valley Forge, Pa., and a writer and business manager for The Wall Street Journal. In 1985, he and his family moved to Hong Kong, sparking a lifetime interest in Asia. Sam was the circulation director for the Asian Wall Street Journal and later general manager of the Far Eastern Economic Review. Since 2008, he ran his own consulting firm, specializing in financial communications. Sam was also a fiction writer and published two collections of short stories: Men at Risk in 2002 and Baby Why Not? in 2008. He published more than 30 stories in literary magazines and in 2001 received a Fellowship in Fiction from the National Endowment for the Arts. He served on the board of the Lancaster Literary Guild and the Hong Kong Publishers Association. Sam is survived by children Paul Nemir Atlee, Mary Atlee Castelli, and Samuel J. Atlee Jr.; eight grandchildren; brother Benjamin C. Atlee ’62 H’74 ’75 ’79 ’80 ’83 ’84 ’87 ’89 ’06 P’92; cousins Simon R. Zimmerman III ’50, Edward W. Zimmerman ’51, Herbert W. Zimmerman ’54; nephew William A. Atlee III ’82; and niece Ana D. Atlee ’92.

Norman P. Silvester Jr. ’80 Norman P. “Chip” Silvester Jr. passed away May 31, 2023. Born in Princeton, N.J., he was 61 years old. At Lawrenceville, Norman lived in Griswold House and was a member of the Olla Podrida and the Open Door Society. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in 1984. Norman began his research career at Response Analysis Corporation RAC, followed by over 20 years as a research analyst with Braun Research in Princeton. Norman is survived by his mother, Dorothy E. Titus Silvester.

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

OLD SCHOOL

85 years ago in

The Lawrentian OCTOBER 1937

OUR NEW BUILDING The Administrative officers and their staffs are now all happily set in our new Administration Building, but they will probably remember September, 1937, with little affection. Unavoidable delays on construction made it impossible to move into the new offices until the 18th, so that the Registrar’s staff, the accounting offices, and the others were performing their many complicated opening-day tasks at the same time they were moving. That they succeeded is a tribute to their efficiency and their good nature. — From a news item detailing the nascent days of the James Cameron Mackenzie Administration Building. The migration of administrators freed up valuable space in Pop Hall for classrooms, a biology lab, art studio, and headquarters for the Photography Club.

50 years ago in

The Lawrentian DECEMBER 1973

BEES IN THE BELFRY ... Last spring it was determined that the ornamental scrollwork which decorates the cupola on Pop Hall had begun to rot out and needed replacement. Scaffolding was erected and the repair crew went to work, only to be driven off by angry bees who apparently lived in the cupola in substantial numbers. The repair crew retreated and called up the artillery – in the form of insecticidal gas. The gas dispatched the bees but had also gassed a deposit of honey in one corner of the cupola, estimates of whose size ranged as high as “a coupla hundred pounds.” — From an “Echoes of the Campus” news item by Thomas J. Johnston H’65 P’74. Wasting that sizable horde of honey was such sweet sorrow.

T H E L AW R E N T I A N

ROAD READY? Students in science teacher Nicki Selan’s Introduction to Mechanical and Structural Engineering made full use of the Gruss Center for Art and Design, from design software to manufacturing, to get these crude carts ready to test on Noyes Quad and the Bowl.

usps no. 306-700 the Lawrenceville School Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648 Parents of alumni: If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please email us at contactupdates@lawrenceville.org with his or her new address. Thank you!

It’s coming...

our next issue of The Lawrentian will feature an intriguing new look, with updated typefaces, reconsidered editorial departments, and a greater variety of voices from our campus and beyond. We’re also launching a totally new digital platform for our 87-year-old periodical that will give you the option to keep up with Lawrenceville on any desktop or mobile device, or even share your Big Red pride on social media channels! It’s all coming this spring.