The Dedication of the James M. Seidule History Center He remembers everyone. When he smiles, which is often, he smiles with his whole face. Decades have passed since his time on the Hill, but he puts names with faces effortlessly, calling out, “Flash! Agnes, of course! Richard!” He points across the room, making eye contact with someone struggling to get through the crowd to see him. He looks around and says, “Isn’t this great?” Standing in Jim Seidule’s presence, it is apparent within moments why his charisma, energy, and legendary reign as one of Episcopal’s most revered masters, has touched generations of students. On this day, one particular former student, Louis Bacon ’74, has the opportunity to publicly recognize and honor this great man. In the fall, Bacon’s Moore Charitable Foundation gave what Headmaster Rob Hershey refers to as the “trigger gift” for the Stewart Gym renovation project. Construction begins in early 2016 to transform the gym into a state-of-the-art student center that will serve the campus in a multitude of ways, while also preserving the integrity of one of the storied buildings on campus. Bacon chose to give his gift in honor of his former teacher and coach, Mr. Seidule, and thus the James M. Seidule History Center in Townsend Hall was named. On Saturday, June 5, during Reunion Weekend, the community gathered in Townsend Hall to dedicate the space and honor Seidule. Headmaster Hershey opened the dedication with introductory remarks. “We gather to honor and celebrate Mr. James M. Seidule,” Hershey said. “He had a stellar, 19-year teaching and coaching career. He’s one of those faculty members who had an impact on virtually every facet of life at Episcopal High School and on the students who attended. The occasion which brings us together now was made possible through the generosity of Louis Bacon ’74 and his Moore Charitable Foundation.” Louis Bacon is the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Moore Capital Management, LP (“Moore Capital”). Mr. Bacon founded The Moore Charitable Foundation in 1992, which supports conservation nonprofits that focus on protecting threatened landscapes, habitats and water bodies as well as education and community programs.
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Bacon and his Moore Charitable Foundation, said Hershey, have “established a very significant footprint in our country in the environmental area.” This footprint at EHS is also significant and lasting. In addition to his gift for the Stewart Gym renovation, Bacon supports the School through The Moore Charitable Foundation Scholarship, established in 1996. The scholarship provides financial aid to female students of outstanding character from North Carolina. Hershey concluded his remarks and said, “Not only are we here to recognize Mr. Seidule, but it’s a nice occasion to be able to recognize an alumnus of Episcopal High School who has done so many good things for so many people.” Bacon expressed his gratitude for the privilege of being there to honor Seidule, someone who has meant such a great deal to him, as a teacher and coach, but also as a purveyor of life lessons. “I remember doing push-ups and sit-ups and almost expiring, and Jim Seidule standing over us and saying, ‘No pain, no gain, boys!’ That was one of Jim’s mottoes,” said Bacon, while former students and athletes applauded in agreement. Bacon spoke of another one of Seidule’s mottoes: “Work hard, play hard.” Bacon recalled specifically the hard work Seidule demanded in the European history course Bacon took his senior year. “I remember that course. It’s given me the most indelible view of academics.” He held up a well-used book and said, “This was my text book. If you’ll notice, every page is either dog-eared, noted, or underlined. I don’t know why I didn’t just underline the whole thing. This a tome of more than a thousand pages. I think I must have read every word.” Bacon concluded by holding up the textbook again. He turned to Seidule and said, “I would like you to inscribe some new lesson that you have learned in the last 40 years. I hope I have a few more years, and I can profit from your direction and experience.” Following the dedication, Seidule and Perry Epes ’65 participated in a two-part symposium. The symposium can be viewed on Bleachers at gobleachers.com.