JOHN BURROUGHS SCHOOL
R EPORTER SE P TEMB E R 2019
The Arrival of John Burroughs
I NSI DE
Tom Friedman ’83 creates an iconic sculpture for campus
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96 Years of Tradition and Growth Strategic Priorities for Our Second Century
“To know is not all; it is only half. To love is the other half.” That quote from John Burroughs the man — dovetailing with the spirit of John Burroughs School — can be found on the back of John Burroughs the sculpture, which now stands on the north side of the STAR building, overlooking Leland Field and Keefer Track. A few years ago, a small committee of parents, alums and faculty put out a call to commission a sculpture, and received proposals from artists throughout the U.S. Using simple tinfoil, Tom Friedman ’83 sculpted a tiny John Burroughs, transposing him over a digital image of Diemer Courtyard. His whimsical vision of the writer and naturalist, standing barefoot with hat in hand, won the day. One of the top contemporary artists of his generation, Friedman is known for his extraordinary use of ordinary materials. Like his 33.3-foot-tall stainlesssteel sculpture, Looking Up, which stands in front of the McDonell Planetarium, John Burroughs was
Tom Friedman ’83 visited campus on May 23 to oversee the installation of the life-size, nearly 400-pound statue. The process, which required a crew of assistants, was finished in time to give John Burroughs a front-row seat for field day — and the class of 2019’s processional to Graduation Grove.
made using lost-wax casting, which begins with a metal mold that picks up fine surface detail from the prototype. Friedman created a Styrofoam subform, covering it with a skin of cut-up roasting pans and baking tins. When the sculpture was cast, all of those dots, lines and crinkles remained. “It almost adds an illustrated man quality,” Friedman says. To create the quote, he cut out letters from the bottom of the pans, collaging letters in a meandering path. The final touch was a coating of special wax at the foundry, “so he’ll stay shiny,” Friedman says. Tom will be on campus to discuss his work at noon on Saturday, October 5. All are welcome.
PUBLISHED BY JOHN BURROUGHS SCHOOL FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS AND FRIENDS
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Tennis Takes State...Again!
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Where Our Grads Have Headed
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Photo Gallery
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Fond Farewells and Recognitions
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Alumni News & Notes
JOIN US ON CAMPUS Check the back cover for Blue and Gold and Alumni Weekend events. For a full calendar, visit us online at jburroughs.org.
COUNTDOWN TO 100
Where we are ... BY THE
NUMBERS 2009 TO 2019
33/1460
median ACT/SAT Scores
10 years ago: 33/1400
42% COLOR
students of
10 years ago: 28%
15 international trips 10 years ago: 10
31 athletics offerings
10 years ago: 24
68 named
scholarships
10 years ago: 49
10
endowed chairs and directorships
10 years ago: 7
154/24%
number/percent of students
RECEIVING TUITION AID 10 years ago: 122/20%
$3.4M tuition aid committed to
10 years ago: $1.8M
$56.8M endowment 10 years ago: $32.9
acceptance rate 40% admissions
10 years ago: 53%
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BURROUGHS REPORTER
96 Years of Tradition and Growth On October 2, 1923, John Burroughs School opened its doors to 75 students on a 17½-acre campus. Last month, we opened with 642 students on a 49-acre campus. While times have changed and concepts have evolved, our founding parents got so much right. Our core principles — academic excellence, a commitment to the whole child and a warm, inviting community — remain the focus. Campus: Our change and growth are measured, deliberate and driven by the needs and talents of our students and faculty. Improvements are made possible by generations of generous parents, alums and friends. That tradition continues. Most recent improvements were conceived under Keith Shahan’s leadership. Dr. Shahan and the Board of Trustees developed a master plan that identified a range of opportunities to upgrade the school’s campus, facilities and endowment. With exceptional community support, we were able to fully realize that master plan — and soon after, the STAR building. Students: Kindness, dignity and leadership are central values at Burroughs. Students must feel respected for who they are and what they bring to JBS. As a result, we’ve developed a four-year curriculum around cultural competency for students, with equivalent training for faculty and staff. We also keep a sharp eye on what we ask of students to encourage balance and a manageable workload. We continue to address course alignment to reduce variability from section to section, and on thoughtful athletic scheduling to avoid conflicts. We have a travel and equipment fund to ensure all students can participate fully in competitive athletics and school-sponsored travel. Additionally, our College Counseling Department has expanded programming to include all upper-school students, and our Counseling and Wellness Department has developed extensive programming around healthful lifestyles. Faculty: Hiring and retaining the very best faculty has long been a top priority. In the last decade, we have added new positions, including a director of academics, a director of service learning and a STEM director. We’ve increased the staff in our Counseling & Wellness, Academic Support, College Counseling, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity
offices. As we add faculty, we also invest in them. Since 2009, donors have created three new endowed chairs, for a total of 10 endowed positions. We added the Bogliasco Fellowship, which provides a monthlong residency at the Liguria Study Center for the Arts and Humanities in Bogliasco, Italy. We have also added more sabbaticals and professional development opportunities to provide faculty with time and resources to grow as educators.
While the growth and improvements to our campus have been transformative, it’s the people inside the buildings who make Burroughs truly special. Programming: Burroughs’ core focus areas are grounded in the arts, athletics, global studies, humanities, service and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). While remaining committed to our core, we continue to enrich our academic program through new offerings, from Modern Global Feminism to songwriting, from foundations in abstract math to mobile app design. Our Athletic Department has grown the outdoor education program, developed a wildly successful middleschool interscholastic sports program, and added new sports like boys lacrosse as well as independent activities such as boys and girls squash. Impact: For every 10 students who apply, we can only accept four. This is especially problematic in 9th grade, where we have an increased demand for openings to accommodate highly qualified students coming from public and parochial schools. As a result, we have increased enrollment. Changes are being made incrementally. Ultimately, our student body is capped at 650, with 100 students enrolled in grades seven and eight, and up to 112 in grades nine through twelve. By adding sections and teachers, our class size of 13 students will be maintained.
COUNTDOWN TO 100
Where we are going ...
Strategic Priorities for Our Second Century In advance of our Centennial, the Board of Trustees committed to a two-year strategic planning process. It was chaired by Mark Schnuck ’74 and managed by Collaborative Strategies with then-JBS board
president Gina Hoagland. The board relied on ideas and recommendations from parents, alums, faculty, staff and peer educators, obtained through a series of forums, surveys and conversations. The process
reaffirmed our commitment to what our founders envisioned nearly 100 years ago and defined the direction for the school into its second century. Five key priorities emerged:
PROGRAM The Burroughs program was born of pioneering parents who wanted their children to be inspired by their education. The work continues. Launch new programming that builds upon the core and prepares students for independent study in the subjects they love through humanities, STEM and global studies.
Build on the tradition of service to help students discover their most thoughtful and generous selves. Reveal to students their capacity for creativity and vision through the arts.
Instill in students an appreciation for health, wellness and positive competition.
PEOPLE Honor all members of our community. Every voice matters. Ensure all students and families feel known, valued and supported. Inspire alumni to stay connected to the school and to each other.
Develop the next generation of Burroughs faculty by recruiting and training from diverse communities.
CAMPUS Ensure that our campus meets the dynamic needs of our students and faculty. Our future depends on it. Commit to sustainable practices in every facet of management. Persist and be ever-vigilant to ensure campus safety and security.
Secure the future of the school’s campus by establishing funds to ensure adequate funding for improvements to support programming, ongoing maintenance and land acquisition.
FINANCES Ensure the financial strength of Burroughs. For a second century. Initiate an endowment strategy to control tuition increases. Support tuition assistance and faculty professional development.
Educate and inspire the school community on the importance of giving to build an enduring culture of generosity. Create dynamic and engaging gift opportunities for people to define their legacy at Burroughs.
BEYOND BURROUGHS Leadership is our shared history and our shared responsibility. Environmentalism, service, the arts and diversity are our hallmarks. Engage our community to identify our next big ideas and leadership opportunities. Through the richness of personal experience and the imagination of people like you, we will develop the next generation of talented faculty and independent school leaders, continue to establish JBS as a nationally recognized hub of inclusion and equity,
and develop new programs to encourage parents, families and alumni to stay connected for life. What do you think Burroughs should do next? Ginger Imster Director of Advancement & External Affairs 314-993-4040, ext. 256 gimster@jburroughs.org
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ATHLETICS
Tennis Takes State...Again!
ABOVE: The boys varsity tennis team opened the season by winning the team title at the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships in Tennessee, which is considered one of the most prestigious high school tennis tournaments in the U.S. The team then easily defended its Class 1 Team Championship at state in May, with individual rising juniors also performing well. FAR LEFT: Akash Rajan ’21 (on left) took first place in singles, and Rory Sutter ’21 (on right) took second. In doubles, Dev Nayak ’21 and Samuel Wang ’21 took second place, and Thomas Dobbs ’21 and Adam Zhao ’21 took fourth place. LEFT: Madison Fuller ’19 (left) overcame injuries for a spectacular finish to her high school track career, helping lead JBS to a second-place finish in the Class 3 state championships. Highlights included Fuller’s first-place finishes in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes. Kylie Goldfarb ’21 (right) finished first in both the 800- and the 1600-meter runs.
Celebrating the Hometown Team Fans are still celebrating the St. Louis Blues and their Stanley Cup win. And how exciting that the ownership group includes past parent Tom Stillman, past parent Jo Ann Taylor Kindle ’68, past parent Steve Maritz ’76, past parent Andy Taylor ’66, past grandparent John Danforth, past parent Jim Johnson and John Ross Jr. ’80. ABOVE: Stillman (far left) poses with his jubilant world-championship team and its Stanley Cup — the first in the franchise’s history. (Photo by Scott Rovak) RIGHT: Kennedy Holmes ’23 led fans in an exuberant performance of “Gloria,” the Blues’ victory song, after the game-four playoff win over the Boston Bruins. Kennedy also helped the team choose its new National Anthem singer for the 2019-20 season.
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BURROUGHS REPORTER
CL A SS OF 2019
Where They’ve Headed
Cl a s s of 2019
The 103 graduates from the Class of 2019 will attend 62 colleges. ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Michael Kovalic BARRETT, THE HONORS COLLEGE (AT ARIZONA STATE)
Karsen Youngerman UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Jamie Wagner (History)
Kavya John Dylan Meyer
Senior Assembly
BOSTON COLLEGE
Anju Sadasivam BOWDOIN COLLEGE
Almira Arnold
BROWN UNIVERSITY
Cassie Berns Matthew Yee
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI–COLUMBIA
Paul Byrne
CJ Harris Charles Hillman Louis Rothweiler Lightfoot
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Allison Dahl Frans von Kaenel
Kate Appleton Max Drozdov Ella French Ella Schactman
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
Ethan Wang Jason Zhou
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
Margaux Ballet CARLETON COLLEGE
Henry Edmonds UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Ethan Blinder Jan Kasal Nathan Peng COLGATE UNIVERSITY
Lily Sheets Izzy Thorpe UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER
Wyatt Baizer Madison Cornwell Bailey Hahn Tyler Palan Adam Schultz Madi Shands COLORADO COLLEGE
Knowlton Beck Bella Strawbridge COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
Ivy Goldson
HARVARD COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA CHAMPAIGN
Alex Keeley INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Keerti Ivaturi Stefano Lo Bianco Abby Meier Lexi Young NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Aiden Taylor NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SHANGHAI
Will Dreesen
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
Derrick Miller UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Cary Smith KENYON COLLEGE
Carolyn Herbosa LAKE FOREST COLLEGE
Chloe Frank Bobby Ojascastro UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
Collin Bradley MIAMI UNIVERSITY (OXFORD, OHIO)
Jack Kellaher
Elle Harris
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Amalan Gnanarajah
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON
Juliet Mahony Jack Nelson
John Browning
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Olivia Lamb
Edrick Joe
DUKE KUNSHAN UNIVERSITY
Allison James
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE
Greg Bishop Avi Dundoo Matthew Fan Shaila Lundal Chloe Sowers SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
Alexa Sutherlin TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
Jackson Williams TULANE UNIVERSITY
Elle Sullivan
Alex Duncan Madison Fuller Avi Goldberg VASSAR COLLEGE
Beecher Baldwin Carly Galvin
Eli Hurwitz
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Will Forsen
Turner Carlson
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
Annika Mathew
Zach Luhmann
OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS
Harley King PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Emma Swanson PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Isaac Bledsoe Katie Kuhlman
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
Sandeep Amarnath Kate Stengel
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI– KANSAS CITY
SCRIPPS COLLEGE
Lucy Bloomstran
“In my classroom by my door is a bulletin board with pictures from almost all the classes I have ever taught at Burroughs,” Jamie Wagner (History) told the Class of 2019, which chose him as faculty speaker for its final assembly. “I tell my current students that there are hundreds, thousands of stories on that board, and that their story will be on that board, too.” Speakers also included Alumni Board president Ellen Witscher Trovillion ’73, Head of School Andy Abbott and senior class president Beecher Baldwin.
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Matt O’Brien RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN
Sofia Di Lodovico RHODES COLLEGE
Olivia Arter Harry Coons Caleb Hughes Nandini Jain Ingrid Keane Grant Kinch Matthew Lorberg Divya Srihari Chase Warner UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN– MADISON
Ben Cummings Drew Hardwick
Andrew Keeney RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
Mia Meier
Irmak Karasinir
EMORY UNIVERSITY
YALE UNIVERSITY
Samantha Bernstein
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY
John Nash
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
Eli Coffer
Nandini Jain ’19 and Avi Dundoo ’19
94th Graduation On June 2, the Class of 2019 walked to Graduation Grove to receive their diplomas, passing (and sometimes patting) the newly installed sculpture, John Burroughs, created by Tom Friedman ’83. Gina Hoagland, president of the Board of Trustees, introduced the speakers. Prue Gershman (Counseling & Wellness) delivered the invocation and benediction; Avi Dundoo ’19 and Nandini Jain ’19 delivered speeches to their class; and Head of School Andy Abbott delivered remarks, then presented diplomas. After the ceremony and a brief reception, festivities for graduates and their families continued on campus.
Maya Shetty
September 2019 |
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C AMPUS LIFE
“Have confidence in yourself, embrace others, take risks. Use your failures as a catalyst and take comfort knowing that there is not a single, better place to fail, to learn and to grow than John Burroughs School.” —Jackson Miller, Senior Class President
97th Opening Day During the opening day assembly on Thursday, August 22, the Class of 2020 (per tradition) sat on the Haertter Hall stage facing their families, faculty and fellow students. Isabella Koster sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Andy Abbott welcomed students back to school. During his opening remarks, Mr. Abbott set the tone for the year, asking members of the Burroughs community to strive each day to make the school a place where every single person feels safe, seen and valued for who they are. Jackson Miller, senior class president, reminded his classmates that failure is unavoidable — and that it can even be a good thing if you’re taking calculated risks and learning new things. Student body president Lola Fernandez dubbed 2019-20 “The Year of the Dive,” as in “the year to dive headfirst into everything this school has to offer, to follow your passions and commit yourself to being an active participant rather than a spectator... we can all dive in and live this year to its utmost potential.” Mr. Abbott also welcomed new students to Burroughs: four juniors (including two AFS students), three sophomores, 11 freshmen, one eighth grader and 103 seventh graders.
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BURROUGHS REPORTER
Praxis Week 2019 In June, 20 JBS high school students participated in the second annual Praxis Week, a math and science career exposure program that offers the chance to experience the STEM fields firsthand. They toured architecture studios, experienced a virtual reality rendering of the City Foundry project, completed a climate-driven design challenge, and experimented with fuel cells. They lunched with Wash U’s Engineers Without Borders club, whose members had just returned from Uganda on a trip to plan how to supply clean water to a rural school. Students also met with a Ugandan member of Parliament to hear his perspective on the global challenges of clean water and HIV/AIDS — an inspiring finish to an impactful week.
Middle School Artists Every spring, upper-school students exhibit work as part of an intensive group show in the Bonsack Gallery. Art by eighth graders simultaneously hangs in the Kuehner Gallery. This year, that included a wall of sculpture, pastel still lifes and self-portraits like “Reflection” by Nyla Pruitt ’23 (above), inspired by Kehinde Wiley’s large-scale, celebratory portraits that students saw during a field trip to the Saint Louis Art Museum.
C AMPUS LIFE
Summer Days From July 8 through July 19, a staff of 30 JBS students entering grades 9 through 12 worked as counselors under the leadership of senior leaders and faculty sponsor Margaret Altvater Clark ’73 during Summer Days. Thirty-nine kids from the Youth and Family Center in downtown St. Louis spent time with JBS students, playing games and taking field trips to the zoo, Magic House, Tropicana Bowl and City Museum. Originally called August Days, this program was created by JBS faculty and students more than 50 years ago. Below: JBS senior Rekha Morgan helps a camper tie-dye a shirt to wear on Summer Days field trips.
School Spirits in the Bonsack Gallery In August, the Bonsack Gallery exhibited School Spirits, which Vashon High School students created with guidance from artist and JBS parent Natalie Pinson (Jeremy ’16 and Audrey ’22). The exhibit was previously on view at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis as part of its ArtReach Initiative. Pinson worked with Vashon students to consider the nature of their material environment and how it has changed over time, helping them to create a sculptural installation from old and discarded school furniture and supplies.
A Four-Season Campus Burroughs truly is the campus that never sleeps. The 2019 session of Bomber Sports Camp ran June 3 through 7, hosting 460 elementary-age kids who participated in sports activitives including field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, tennis, swimming and a dodge ball dance party. From June 10 through July 18, 714 pre-schoolers through 6th graders spread across campus for Burr Oak Camp’s 68th summer (below). And Aim High, a tuition-free personal and academic enrichment program (founded by Alec Lee ’76 in California and brought to campus by JBS faculty in 1991), ran June 13 through July 19. It brought 223 motivated middle schoolers to campus, supported by 25+ JBS teaching assistants.
A Sense of Place More Leaded Glass Donya Allison and Ashley Oates (Fine Arts) led the charge to repeat an architectural theme in the STAR building was established in the 1990s with the renovation of the Brauer Building and construction of the Schnuck Wing. Eight members of the Class of 2019 — Divya Srihari, Sofia Di Lodovico, Irmak Karasinir, Chase Warner, Avi Dundoo, Lily Sheets, Carly Galvin and Jan Kasal — designed new windows as part of their May Projects. Seven were placed in the STAR building, and Di Lodovico’s Rosie the Riveter window was placed above the doorway to a history classroom in the Schnuck Wing. The students worked with artist and past parent Nancy Willimon, who has been part of the project since the ’90s. Her son, Beau Willimon ’95, helped finance the project, and Jim Lowe (Classics) taught the students to solder. While on campus for the installation of John Burroughs (see page 1), Tom Friedman ’83 visited with student stained-glass artists.
September 2019 |
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C AMPUS NEWS
Fond Farewells and Recognitions Prue Gershman (Counseling & Wellness) retires; other faculty members depart; and still others are honored for 25 years of service. Before heading the Counseling & Wellness Department for a decade, Prue Gershman chaired the parenting committee as a volunteer when her kids, Charlie ’99, Tom ’01 and Lara ’06, attended Burroughs. During that time, she set out to see what was on parents’ minds, to give parents a space to talk to each other and to get a better sense of what was going on with students — all key to designing effective programming for families. After coming on as a full-time faculty member during the 2005-06 school year, Gershman counseled hundreds of students and families through rough patches, connecting them with outside resources when necessary. She developed extensive programming and wellness curricula for students at all grade levels, and sponsored KUTO (Kids Under Twenty-One) and the gender equity club. During her 14 years with Family Network, when her volunteer and professional roles overlapped, she launched several initiatives that have gone on to become core Family Network programs, including the yearlong parenting book club. Through it all, Gershman was known for her calm and steady presence, her professionalism, her warmth and her tireless listening ear. Even during her last school year — when she was working part-time — Gershman had an outsized influence. She continued to run the Family Network book club and organized a visit by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Damour, a leading expert on the pressures kids feel in our hyper-digital age. She also gave the invocation and convocation for the graduating class of 2019. “I have loved being here, being part of this community, every aspect of this community,” Gershman says. “It’s a place that’s in my blood now.”
Perfecting the Putt “We didn’t have a player individually shoot below an 81, and we won a state championship. That to me defines a total-team effort,” Tim Begley told St. Louis Post-Dispatch last fall, after the girls varsity golf team won the Class 1 state championship, its first since 2013 and the second in the program’s history. In his role as head coach, Begley encourages athletic excellence — but never at the expense of good sportsmanship. That approach caught the eye of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, which named Begley the 2018-19 NFHS Coach of the Year for Girls Golf. The association says it aims to recognize coaches who model good character, integrity and good sportsmanship; who teach that “life lessons and experiences precede winning”; who show courtesy and appreciation toward other schools; and who succeed by “winning the right way.” Begley’s honor was announced on JBS’s Opening Day as students headed out to the new golf facility to resume practicing for district tournament games, which are scheduled throughout the months of September and October. RIGHT: Begley coaches girls varsity golf team member Karuna Kayembe ’21 on the first day of school. The team had actually been out on the new chip and putt the week before, when fall sports practices began.
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BURROUGHS REPORTER
DEPARTING FACULTY
At the close of the 2018-19 school year, Burroughs said farewell to Jen Gosnell ’85 (Library, Computer Science). Over the past 23 years, Gosnell served as computer science teacher, learning management system administrator, Google administrator, Drey Land supporter, a sub for gardening and Russian classes and robotics sponsor. Brian Connor (Theatre), who also spent 23 years at JBS, departed as well. He first taught in the ITE department, then in 2013 became the full-time theatre production manager, overseeing light and sound for assembly and managing basically everything but costumes — lights, sound, sets, props and special effects — for the production of plays and musicals. Frédérique Joubert (Modern Languages), who joined the Burroughs faculty in 2016 as a French and Spanish teacher, relocated to Singapore with her family. Katie Bava (Librarian) and her new husband moved to Portland, Maine. Bava became collection development and reference librarian in 2015, and for the past two academic years, served as yearbook co-sponsor. HONORED FOR 25 YEARS OF SERVICE
Burroughs also recognized two members of the faculty/staff for 25 years of service at the close of the 2018-19 school year. Jason Taff (Math) has taught every math course imaginable at Burroughs — from 7th grade math to pre-calculus. He’s also, by his own count, taught geometry to more students than any other math teacher in the history of the school. Since his second year, Taff has been the math competition coordinator, supporting students as they compete and check their skills against their peers locally and nationally.
Prue Gershman (Counseling & Wellness)
Chris Tillman (Plant Operations) oversees HVAC, plumbing and electric — anything and everything mechanical, from boilers to door locks. He says he stays busy all day, every day, fixing old systems while mastering new ones. He’s also part of the plow and salt crew, which means when it’s snowed all night, he arrives on campus in the early hours of the morning to make sure the driveways and parking lots are safe and clear for students, faculty, staff and visitors.
ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES
Alumni News & Notes Don’t see your note? The notes, marriages, births on these alumni pages were received by August 1, 2019, and the condolences were received by August 5, 2019.
1950s
with Jim Costello, of car dealership fame. Jim did lose credibility when he told me about this vet that took care of his dog in the summer … best vet ever, and a true gentleman. And he went to Burroughs. I said, ‘You can’t be talking about Bob Schleiffarth, can you?’ He was. Pretty crazy considering we were 10 miles from nowhere in northern Michigan!” (For classmates who don’t want to leave everything to chance, the JBS Class of 1969 50th reunion happens October 3.)
Elizabeth Brandon O’Herin ’53 recently moved to Richmond, Virginia, to be near her son, John Studt ’79, and his wife, Lenore. She writes that she likes Richmond but misses her JBS friends in St. Louis. Ann Sutherland Hughes ’57 reports that she enjoys spending time with her five grandchildren, who are engaged in a variety of pursuits — from earning a doctorate to brewing craft beer, from playing volleyball to working as a tech specialist.
1970s
Terrence Croft ’58 continues to work with JAMS (formerly Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services), the largest for-profit alternative dispute resolution provider in the United States. He was named one of the top two individual mediators/ arbitrators of 2019 by Daily Report and tapped as Atlanta Arbitration Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers of America in 2018.
1960s Ann Etherton Legg ’61 recently moved to the hill country just north of Austin, Texas, where she’s loving the view — she can see for miles. She lives a few streets from her youngest son and his family. “I just finished a pool with a big ‘infinity’ edge,” she writes. “And I just closed on my Maine house. So happy!” Ellie Walz Svenson ’63 recently moved to an independent living villa in West St. Louis County. Her daughter, Kimberly Svenson Weas ’93, son-inlaw, Dan, and three grandsons, Ben, Henry and John, live nearby. “I am playing duplicate bridge several days a week, volunteering at my local elementary school and spending the winter months on Sanibel Island,” she writes. Hugh Law ’65 submitted a “Six Degrees of JBS” story: “When putting out from a float trip on the Current River in Akers Ferry last Friday, I encountered classmates Steve Biggs and Charlie Dee, who were back in Missouri — from Michigan and Wisconsin, respectively — for a float on the Current with their significant others. A great surprise!”
Photo Opp On a recent visit to campus, Tim Philpott ’83 (left) and Clark Thomas ’83 took the opportunity to get a photo with John Burroughs, the new sculpture by their classmate Tom Friedman.
Mary Heineman ’71 writes that she’s “finally retired and am living in Laguna Niguel, California. Still playing bass and singing, of course, and planning to travel.” Tina von Gontard Duemler ’73 says, “It was fun to see classmates at our reunion. A wonderful group.” In April, Tony Reed ’73 started the Caribbean Endurance Sports Corporation, a sports marketing firm, which organized the Five Island Endurance Challenge marathon and half marathon along with the organizers who put together races including the Bahamas Race Weekend, Run Barbados Marathon, Reggae Marathon & Half Marathon/10K and more. The firm was featured on the cover of the summer issues of Texas Runner and Triathlete Magazine.
Six Degrees of JBS Steve Biggs ’65 (far left), Hugh Law ’65 and Charlie Dee ’65 serendipitously bumped into each other during a recent float trip on the Current River.
Holly Thayer Eggert ’74 writes that her husband, Chas, just retired, and she’s started a new career as a personal stylist with AH Styling. Her son, Charles Eggert ’02 and his wife, Lauren, are expecting a second child. Her daughter, Melissa, recently married. Michael Siebold ’75 is senior partner of law firm Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein. He’s residing in Frankfurt with a second home in Munich. “I look forward to our next reunion!” he writes.
John Herbert ’66 ran in the Midnight Sun halfmarathon in Tromsø, Norway, in June. It is the northernmost certified marathon in the world. Competitors start at the Tromsø Bridge, run uphill from 6 to 43 meters above sea level, then, after running 20 kilometers, recross the bridge, returning through the city center. Bob McCall ’69 reached out with his own “Six Degrees of JBS” story: “Two days ago, Barb and I hiked up to our favorite Lake Michigan view. Heard a jeep come up and stop behind us. Two couples got out, and we started talking. They were from St. Louis. Told them we grew up there and eventually mentioned Burroughs. One of the men asked who some of our classmates were. I started with Jim Steiner… ‘Oh, yeah, I know Jim.’ Then I mentioned Artie Kerckhoff. ‘Oh, yeah, we know Artie.’ Then Barb asked about Susie (Littmann) Schulte. ‘Oh, yeah, we know Susie.’ (I’m not making this up.) Then I said: ‘How about Mont Levy?’ ‘Oh, yeah, we know Mont Levy!’ Speaks volumes for the influence Burroughs has in St. Louis. Then it happened again
In early July, Monty Don of the BBC’s Gardener’s World paid a visit to Henry Domke ’70 at Prairie Garden Trust in New Bloomfield, Missouri. The focus was on what’s unique about American gardens — in this case, prairie wildflowers and native plants. Henry reports that the episode will air in England in February and that the series may be acquired by Netflix, so American viewers can see it as well.
Eric Porterfield ’79 is living in State College, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kelly; six kids; three dogs; and a cat. He produces film and television projects for Iron City Beer and the Roberto Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh.
The Nature of Art This summer, Jon Bunge ’80 was part of a group show, Planting for Peace, at Walls-Ortiz Gallery in Manhattan. The exhibit, which focused on nature, featured work by eight diverse artists. Jon joined them throughout July for a series of community conversations about the works on display. Jon also works with artists with intellectual disabilities at the Fisher Center, and two of those artists recently exhibited at the New York Public Library.
1980s In late June, Randy Hayman ’81 left Beveridge and Diamond, an environmental law practice in Washington, D.C., to become water commissioner for the City of Philadelphia. As reported by WHYYFM radio, Randy is responsible for the conditions for 2,000 workers, 3,200 miles of water mains, 3,700 sewers and 25,000 fire hydrants. He also works to create green storm water infrastructure, control rates and restore public trust in Philadelphia’s water (among the cleanest and safest in the nation) with hopes that people will ditch their plastic water bottles.
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Jeff Monson ’81 is director of operations at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. He says that he, wife, Courtney, and six-year-old son, William, are still enjoying life in the Arizona desert. In June, Liz Pittman Steinglass ’85 published Soccerverse: Poems About Soccer, a children’s book with illustrations by Edson Ikê. “Twenty-two poems celebrate, from a young person’s perspective, the beautiful game that is soccer,” Kirkus Reviews wrote. “A player contemplates the difficulty of offering a handshake to an overly aggressive opposing player at game’s end, Another, carded for an infraction, is relieved to have his apology accepted… Each poem uses one or more of 13 poetic forms described briefly in an author’s note — something that will surely charm teachers and aspiring poets,” Kirkus continued, calling the book “A pitch-perfect ode to the details and delights of playing soccer.” Simone‑Claire Delevett ’89 and her husband, Damon McClure, bought the historic general store in Hope, Maine (pop. 1536). They were living and working there full-time as of June. The building has been consistently in use since it was built in 1832 and is one of Maine’s oldest general stores.
University on May 15. “Since my advisor was out of town during commencement exercises, I had the pleasure of being hooded by another member of my committee, fellow Burroughs alumna Dr. Mary Corley Dunn ’94,” Yvonne writes. “May was a very happy month!” Mason Wright ’03 and his wife, Josephine Chiang, live in Seattle, Washington. Mason earned a doctorate in computer science engineering from the University of Michigan, where he researched how artificial intelligence can be applied to economics. In December of 2018, he started work as a research scientist in Facebook’s Seattle office.
(Under) 30 Rocks! Daphne Benzaquen ’08 and Jake Banton ’10 were both honored with St. Louis Business Journal’s “30 under 30” awards this summer. The paper highlighted Daphne’s sustainable fashion business, daph., as well as Jake’s work with Mackey Mitchell Architects.
Jennifer Buesching Soll ’04 earned a doctorate in molecular genetics and genomics from Washington University School of Medicine in April. She has accepted a position as a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University in St. Louis studying DNA damage response.
1990s Chris Elitt ’96 works as attending neurologist in the fetal-neonatal program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In October, he received the Child Neurology Society’s (CNS) Philip R. Dodge Young Investigator Award, which will support his research on cellular mechanisms of brain injury in premature infants. “This is a translational neuroscience, from bench to bedside and back again, as it should be practiced,” wrote Dr. David Union, a member of the awards committee. “Chris, and his work, represent a career the CNS is proud to honor, a model for other young physicianscientists coming along.” David Jimenez ’96 is celebrating 25 years at Emerson Electric Co. and 20 years of full-time employment there. In his spare time, David serves as head coach of the Washington University in St. Louis women’s water polo team. In 2019, he led the team to a second-place finish in the inaugural Division III National Collegiate Club Championships and earned Division III Club Coach of the Year honors.
The High School Question Ellie Abrams Forman ’01 (left) writes: “Back in May, I had the opportunity to lead a workshop for UNICEF alongside Andrea Bell, MICDS class of ’05. We thought it was fun that two St. Louis girls from rival high schools ended up in corporate philanthropy in Chicago and ‘set our rivalry aside’ to come together and lead this session for UNICEF.”
Torrey Wolff Spies ’02, her husband, Noah, and their children, Oscar and Ayla, recently relocated from Menlo Park, California, to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Torrey earned a master’s degree in city planning from MIT. She now works as a campus planner for Northeastern University in Boston. Yvonne Angieri Klein ’03 successfully defended her dissertation (with distinction) and was granted a doctorate in historical theology from Saint Louis
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This summer, Anton Troianovski ’04 left his position as Moscow bureau chief at The Washington Post to take a position as the Moscow correspondent for The New York Times. As the paper stated in its welcome note, Troianovski has, over the past year and a half, traveled the “Trans-Siberian along with Asian World Cup fans, chased down a Russian spy mystery in the Norwegian Arctic, and reported from three disputed territories: South Ossetia, Crimea and the Kuril Islands.” It added: “Vladimir Putin’s Russia remains one of the most important stories in the world. With Anton joining Andrew Higgins and Andrew Kramer, we know we are in good hands.” Letizia Dell’Asin ’05 reports “I am not lost! Still very much reachable. I was an exchange student in 2003-04, and visited St. Louis and the JBS campus during Christmas 2017.” Letizia works for UNICEF and the United Nations Children’s Fund. She currently resides in New York City, where she has lived for the past one and a half years. Molly Naunheim Huston ’05 completed a medical residency at the University of California, San Francisco last year and is currently working on her fellowship training in Seattle. She has accepted a job at Washington University Medical Center and reports that she is excited to be moving back to St. Louis. Her specialty is laryngology.
2000s As part of her work as assistant professor of medical and clinical psychology at NIH’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (Bethesda, Maryland), Natasha Schvey ’02 worked on a team that studied the effects of bullying on children and adolescents, discovering that negative comments about body size correlated with more weight gain. After the results were published in Pediatric Obesity, the study was covered extensively in the media, including by National Public Radio, Forbes and Newsweek. This spring, Natasha published P Is for Psychology, an introduction to the field of psychology for both parents and children. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband, Garrett, and their toddler, Gabriel.
Annalisa Bolin ’04 earned a doctorate in anthropology in June from Stanford University. Her field of study is post-genocidal Rwandan heritage politics. Annalisa will move to Sweden for a postdoctoral fellowship at Linnaeus University, where she’ll undertake a project titled “Body Politics: Heritage Repatriation for the Postcolonial Future.” As part of her research, she will travel to Rwanda and Germany.
Power Lunch After hitting what she called a “disappointing” 83 in the U.S. Girls Junior Championship qualifier at the Quincy Country Club in Quincy, Illinois, Lucy Bloomstran ’19 reluctantly went to lunch with her dad. Another player called to let Lucy know she had 10 minutes to return and participate in a playoff for second place. She made it back with less than a minute to spare... and made the team for the 71st U.S. Girls Junior Championship (Photo by Gordon Radford)
Sonalee Ravi ’05 is assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at Children’s Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri– Kansas City. Melissa Wright ’06 resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband, James Schroll, and works at Inova Health Plans and Population Health Services. Daphne Benzaquen ’08 launched a sustainable fashion brand, daph., in 2017 after searching for a functional, fashionable backpack to carry during her MBA studies. Coming up empty-handed, she embarked on an adventure that led to a self-taught crash course in designing leather goods, multiple visits to her native Peru to line up craftspeople to create her products and a website (shopdaph.com), where her line is sold. Daphne was a member of the St. Louis Business Journal’s 30 Under 30 2019 cohort, and was also featured this year in Ladue News and St. Louis Magazine. She’ll sell her newest collection at JBS’s Unique Boutique in November.
ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES
2010s Jake Banton ’10 was named as one of the honorees in the St. Louis Business Journal’s annual “30 Under 30” awards for his work with Mackey Mitchell Architects. “Architecture is a career that allows me to think creatively and be involved civically — one of the reasons I love the profession,” he told the Business Journal. “I’ve contributed to more than $410 million worth of construction projects at eight different universities as well as a handful of local projects at Mackey Mitchell. While I thoroughly enjoy working on these projects at the firm, my passion for architecture really stems from the issues facing my home — St. Louis.”
Guests at the wedding of Teddy Maritz ’08 and Lauren Bull (from left to right): Parker Mastorakos ’08; Lindsey Maritz Waite ’04; Beth Adams Louis ’72; Jim Maritz III ’69; Alex Wade ’08; Teddy; Jimmy Maritz ’01; Zach Weisenfels ’08; Celia Lieberman Hosler ’75; and Vicki Spann Sheehan Piontek ’71.
Haley Jacobson ’09 has been living in Cambodia the past two years. After graduating from Reed College in 2013, she worked with an American experiential travel company, leading trips to the Balkans, Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Tanzania and Cambodia. Haley now runs her own travel company with a Cambodian business partner, designing sustainable travel experiences. “My day-to-day here has that classic Southeast Asian vibe — countryside fishing one day; visiting with a ceramics artist the next; Bourdain-style food at plastic red tables along the river; and learning the language, myths and legends of Cambodia at every opportunity.” As the 10-year anniversary of her JBS graduation approaches, she’s thinking a lot about the sense of community at Burroughs and would love to create “a custom, community-building” travel experience in Cambodia for JBS alums.
Tasha Evanoff ’11 graduated from Washington University School of Medicine and is a resident in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. Hannah Phelps ’11 graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and is a surgical resident at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Tanvi Subramanian ’11 graduated from Washington University School of Medicine and is a resident in surgery at University of Chicago Medical Center. Maddi Hicks ’12 works for Cision, a global marketing software company, and is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Chicago. In July, Isabelle Stillman ’12 returned to St. Louis from her current home base of Denver to celebrate the release of her debut album, Middle Sister, at the Blueberry Hill Duck Room. That show was followed by tour dates in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York and Nashville. The album is available on streaming services, including Spotify. Carlie Johnson ’13 resides in New York City. She works for the restaurant group, Dig Inn, and is helping to open new restaurants in Boston and Philadelphia. Nathan Hicks ’14 is pursuing a master’s degree in finance at Washington University in St. Louis.
Last December, John Stegeman ’15 graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a bachelor’s degree in robotics engineering with a minor in computer science. He works at Labyrinth Technologies, a smart infrastructure company in St. Louis. Lucy Bloomstran ’19 was part of a 156-player field for the 71st U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, played July 22-27 at the SentryWorld golf course in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Last fall, she was part of the JBS team that won a Class 1 state title. She has just started her freshman year at Scripps College, where she plays on the golf team. This summer, Eli Hurwitz ’19 was featured in the Green Show preceding all performances of Love’s Labor’s Lost at the Shakespeare Festival–St. Louis. They also headlined in the one-act play “Kim Jong Rosemary” by Carter W. Lewis, playwright-inresidence at Washington University in St. Louis, as part of the Saint Louis Actors’ Studio LaBute New Theater Festival. After receiving a summa cum laude placement this spring on the National Latin Exam, the organization awarded Matthew Yee ’19 a scholarship. He was one of 21 graduating seniors nationally to receive one. Eligibility is limited to seniors who win gold medals on the Latin III, III-IV Prose, III-IV Poetry, or Latin V-VI+ exam.
Marriages Congratulations to: Mason Wright ’03 and Josephine Chiang, married on May 15, 2016. Scott Huston and Molly Naunheim ’05, married on October 6, 2018. James Schroll and Melissa Wright ’06, married on October 15, 2016. John Ramsey and Katie Shortt ’07, married on December 1, 2018. Teddy Maritz ’08 and Lauren Bull, married on June 8, 2019.
Births & Adoptions Congratulations to: Dan ’99 and Brandi Burke on the birth of twin daughters, Audrey Lynne Burke and Caroline Marie Burke, on March 22, 2019. Sam ’00 and Cyrielle Moore on the birth of a daughter, Léonie Moore, on July 3, 2019. Ryan and Lauren Fee Christensen ’01 on the birth of a daughter, Rainier Lark Christensen, on June 21, 2019. Koushik Kumar and Joanna Dee Das ’01 on the birth of a daughter, Jaya Deepanjali Das, on May 25, 2019. Brian Buechel and Kelsey Lents ’01 on the birth of a son, Callum Buechel, on June 29, 2019. David and Heather Blake Berkley ’04 on the birth of a son, Blake Charles Berkley, on September 4, 2018.
Doug ’05 and Amanda Winters on the birth of a son, Bryce Harris Winters, on February 13, 2019.
Jared Van Slyke ’07 and Lauren Thomas on the birth of a daughter, Victoria Rose Van Slyke, on August 18, 2019.
Danny Matlock ’06 and Amie Abouhassan on the birth of a son, Caden Daniel Matlock, on July 31, 2018.
Frederik Baumgardt and Stella Dee ’08 on the birth of a daughter, Rosalind Miriam Baumgardt, on July 14, 2019.
Maxton and Jenny Weinstein McPhee ’06 on the birth of a son, Jackson Edward McPhee, on March 16, 2019.
Lee and Martha O’Connell Tapia ’08 on the birth of a son, Jameson Travis Tapia, on May 13, 2019.
Nathan ’06 and Nina Strauss on the birth of a daughter, Nathalie Wainwright Strauss, on June 11, 2019.
FROM LEFT: Rosalind Miriam Baumgardt, daughter of Stella Dee ’08; Caroline Marie Burke and Audrey Lynne Burke, daughters of Dan Burke ’99; Nathan Strauss ’06 and daughter, Nathalie Wainwright Strauss.
Robert ’04 and Sara Nulle O’Connell on the birth of a daughter, Grace Marie O’Connell, on April 11, 2019. Tom and Lindy Rothschild Olcott ’05 on the birth of a son, Thomas Reed Olcott, on June 12, 2019. Todd and Diana Sternberg Waldman ’05 on the birth of a son, Theodore August Waldman, on June 18, 2019.
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Condolences Joan Singer Schiele ’52 on the death of her brother, Daniel England Singer, on April 22, 2019.
Kirk Ostertag ’78 and Laurel Ostertag ’82 on the death of their mother, Jean Albrecht Ostertag, on April 22, 2019.
Elizabeth Zorumski, Matt Zorumski ’92 and Joe Zorumski ’95 on the death of their husband and father, Thomas Zorumski, on May 6, 2019.
Bill Yearout ’71 on the death of his father, William Yearout, on July 31, 2019.
Judeth Desloge Egan ’81 on the death of her mother, Marian Falk Desloge, on June 3, 2019.
Margaret Meyer Hvatum ’73, John Meyer ’76, Charles Meyer ’82, Elm Meyer ’06 and Julie Meyer ’10 on the death of their mother and grandmother, Peggy Bragdon Shepley, on July 25, 2019.
Didi Rogers Bowers ’84, Sandy Rogers and George Rogers ’17 on the death of their father and grandfather, Weldon M. Rogers, on July 20, 2019.
Nancy Willimon and Beau Willimon ’95 on the death of their husband and father, Henry Pack Willimon Jr., on May 21, 2019.
Condolences are offered to:
Ted Levis ’76 and Joan Levis ’77 on the death of their mother, Rita Gottlieb Levis, on June 29, 2019. Mary Ellen Brucker, Katie Brucker ’78 and Ed Brucker ’81 on the death of their husband and father, Eugene E. Brucker, on May 10, 2019.
Lavanda Caldwell Wagenheim ’85, Jeannette Caldwell Thompson ’90, Hannah Thompson ’18 and Caleb Thompson ’21 on the death of their father and grandfather, James Patternson Caldwell, on August 17, 2019. Claude Charles, Diliane Charles Pelikan ’91 and Ally Pelikan ’22 on the death of their husband, father and grandfather, Rulx Charles, on June 23, 2019.
Darron Sargent ’98 and Rosie Day on the death of their mother and daughter, Edna Day, on May 25, 2019. Anna Fu, Josh Fu ’06 and Victoria Fu ’08 on the death of their husband and father, Jason Fu, on May 28, 2019. Connor Slaten ’14 on the death of his mother, Maureen Slaten, on July 30, 2019. Anya Drozdova and Max Drozdov ’19 on the death of their husband and father, Brian Donaldson, on August 5, 2019.
Obituaries The Reporter includes death notices for alumni and faculty as soon as possible after notification has been received. Survivors and friends of the deceased can help by sending information to Alumni Office, John Burroughs School, 755 South Price Road, St. Louis, MO 63124 or to alum.ofc@jburroughs.org.
death by his brother, Bob Shifrin ’44, and his sister, Mitzi Shifrin Sisson ’46. The school thanks the family for suggesting that memorial gifts be made to John Burroughs School.
David A. Scott Jr. ’42 died on May 26, 2019.
1940s Mary Cutts Jones ’40 died on May 7, 2019. Mrs. Jones graduated from Vassar College in 1944 with a bachelor’s degree in French. Drawing on her love of languages and travel, she worked as a Pan American Airways flight attendant, and taught Spanish at Burroughs and at Chatham Hall in Virginia. In 1955, she was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to attend the Sorbonne in Paris. When she returned to St. Louis, she met and married Meredith “Bud” Jones and devoted her energies to raising their four children. Her interests included sailing, writing poetry, historic preservation and genealogy. She was also an active member of the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America. The school offers condolences to Mrs. Jones’ family, including two sons, David Jones ’77 and Meredith Jones ’80; two daughters, Mary Jones Otto ’78 and Christine Jones Sorensen ’81; and five grandchildren, including Jenny Otto ’16, Mary Otto ’18 and Rachel Sorensen ’18. She was preceded in death by her husband, Meredith Jones, and by a sister, Jane Cutts Pieters ’44. The school thanks the family for suggesting that memorial gifts be made to John Burroughs School.
Edwin G. Shifrin ’40 died on July 19, 2019. Mr. Shifrin spent two years at Amherst College before Army service in World War II interrupted his college years. He landed on Omaha Beach in mid-June 1944. He fought in several battles in and around St. Lo, Mortain and St. Barthélemy and was captured in early August. He escaped from a German prison camp with two others in January 1945 and returned to the United States in May. In recognition of his combat service, he earned the Purple Heart and POW medals. Upon returning to St. Louis, Mr. Shifrin attended Washington University School of Law, then joined Shifrin & Treiman, a practice owned by his father and uncle. His law career focused on mergers and acquisitions, general business law and estate planning. He was counsel at Gallop & Johnson when he retired. Mr. Shifrin also served as a board member and officer for numerous charitable and civic organizations, including Jewish Hospital, Washington University Medical Center, the Leader Foundation and Jewish Family & Children’s Services, among others. He was a longtime member of Westwood Country Club, serving a term as its president, and of Temple Emanuel. Mr. Shifrin enjoyed horseback riding, golfing and travel with family, including fishing trips to Canada, sailing in the Caribbean, and tours in the U.S. and overseas. The school offers condolences to Mr. Shifrin’s family, including his wife, Barbara Shifrin; two daughters, Ellen Shifrin Kearns ’68 and Mary Shifrin Bloch ’74; son, Dan Shifrin ’71; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in
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Mr. Scott earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. While attending college, he met his future wife, Shirley Wood, on the steps of a Presbyterian church. Mr. Scott earned a master’s degree in physics from Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College and then embarked on a long career in electronic engineering, spending the last 35 years with the aerospace company that’s now known as Raytheon, including time with the company offices in Australia. Mr. Scott also served in the Marines during World War II. In addition to being active in the Boy Scouts of America, Mr. Scott served as an elder, youth fellowship group leader and adult Sunday School teacher at the Presbyterian church he attended in Dallas. The school offers condolences to Mr. Scott’s family, including his wife, Shirley Scott, two sons, a daughter and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by another son and a brother, William Scott ’46.
Alex McNutt Usher ’46 died on July 11, 2019. Mrs. Usher attended Wellesley College and married Rich Usher in 1949. The couple performed folk music together in Gaslight Square during its heyday. Mrs. Usher was a singer, folk guitarist and self-taught autoharpist who won the title of International Autoharp Champion in 2004. She performed regularly in St. Louis, starting with public TV children’s shows in the 1950s. More recently, she performed at Sheldon Concert Hall and the St. Louis Scottish Games. One of her most notable St. Louis performances was singing the
ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES
National Anthem in front of 46,000 Cardinals fans on the inaugural opening day ceremony at Busch Stadium in 1966. Mrs. Usher also performed at national folk music festivals, including the Ozark Folk Center. She made several recordings, and her children’s songs and autoharp solos were published by Mel Bay. Mrs. Usher was also an educator and a children’s book author. The school offers condolences to Mrs. Usher’s family, including two sons and a daughter; six grandchildren; and a brother, Francis McNutt ’42. She was preceded in death by her husband and another son.
1950s George L. Hickenlooper Jr. ’53 died on July 18, 2019. Mr. Hickenlooper earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Georgetown University, followed by a master’s degree in German from Washington University and a doctorate in drama from Yale University School of Drama. He was an accomplished playwright — his work was recognized with awards from the Missouri Association of Playwrights and the Buckham Alley Theatre, among others. Mr. Hickenlooper was also a beloved humanities teacher at Lindenwood University, where he taught English and creative writing for more than 20 years. After retiring from Lindenwood in 2014, Mr. Hickenlooper continued to write plays and attend theatre performances. He also enjoyed visiting museums with his wife and cooking. The school offers condolences to Mr. Hickenlooper’s family, including his wife, Jane Thatcher, and a grandchild. He was preceded in death by a son.
William H. Longstreet ’54 died on July 13, 2019. Mr. Longstreet attended Cornell University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics. During his career as a commodity broker, he held positions at Longstreet-Abbott and Co., Clayton Brokerage Company and Longstreet Ltd. During the 1970s, he ran Ranch-Roy-L Ssummer camp in Jonesburg, Missouri. During his life, Mr. Longstreet was an active pursuer of a variety of spiritual faiths, eventually settling into several hands-on roles with Webster Groves Presbyterian Church, including usher, Stephen (lay) minister and Bible study leader. His hobbies included playing and watching sports, reading, listening to classical music and spending time in nature. The school offers condolences to Mr. Longstreet’s family, including two sons, one of whom is Bill Longstreet ’86; daughter, Elizabeth Longstreet Walsh ’90; three grandchildren; and a sister. He was preceded in death by two brothers.
1960s Tex Van Hoefen Harrison ’61 died on June 21, 2019. Mrs. Harrison graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in art in 1965, then spent the next year driving across Europe in a vintage taxi with her best friend, hitting the ski slopes along the way. The early part of her career was spent in interior design and architecture, including at a firm in Denver. She married her husband, Tom, in 1977. They relocated to Asheville, North Carolina, in the mid ’80s, where Mrs. Harrison bought a kitchen store, Complements to the Chef, which she ran for 25 years. It became a destination shop for local chefs.
Jeannette T. Wallace ’62 died on April 26, 2019. Ms. Wallace earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Washington University, master’s degrees in counseling and applied human development from Columbia University and a doctorate in organizational psychology from the University of Rhode Island. During her career, she worked in a number of positions, including as an organizational consultant for Harcourt Brace, Lifespan and Bryan Associates. She was a voracious reader with a deep interest in U.S. history and current events. The school offers condolences to Ms. Wallace’s family, including her mother, Harriet Wallace; a son, Justin Ruth; granddaughter, Lauren Ruth ’25; and brother, John Wallace ’66.
After Mrs. Harrison sold her shop, she and her husband moved to West Texas, where she served as the executive director of the Food Pantry at Fort Davis. A 35-year cancer survivor, she also dedicated herself to volunteer work supporting other cancer patients and survivors. The school offers condolences to Mrs. Harrison’s family, including her husband, Tom Harrison, and a son.
REMEMBERING
Elizabeth Renard Ruwitch ’32 Elizabeth “Liz” Renard Ruwitch ’32 died on April 30, 2019. At age 103, Mrs. Ruwitch was Burroughs’ oldest living alum, and the Ruwitches are Burroughs’ first four-generation family. Mrs. Ruwitch was the mother of two alums, the grandmother of six alums, and the great-grandmother of two alums and two current JBS students. Mrs. Ruwitch attended Skidmore College and the National College of Education (now Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy). After earning a bachelor’s degree in education, she remained in Chicago, where she met Joseph Ruwitch at a party thrown by mutual friends. After marrying, the couple moved back to St. Louis and, at the invitation of his new father-in-law, Mr. Ruwitch joined the family business, Renard Linoleum & Rug Company. In addition to caring for her home and family, Mrs. Ruwitch used her formidable problemsolving skills as a panelist for KMOX’s “Call to Action” program, helping listeners solve everyday problems such as replacing a lost Social Security check or holding the city accountable for street cleaning. She also
volunteered in a number of roles for BarnesJewish Hospital, including event planning for galas and fundraisers. Mrs. Ruwitch knitted and sewed many of her own outfits, including suits, and was known to take apart a garment in process and start from scratch when it didn’t meet her exacting standards. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Ruwitch traveled the world, including on several monthlong world cruises, with friends from all over the United States. She was too young to graduate with Burroughs’ first senior class, but her parents, Wallace and Lucille Kohn Renard, were friends with many of the founding families, including Ernest and Emma Stix and George and Edna Gellhorn. Mrs. Ruwitch often recalled how she and her younger sister, Nina, would take the 04 Clayton Streetcar to the end of the line at Price Road, then climb the hill to school — even in winter, when the hill was icy and slippery, and, as she recalled, “a monster to climb!” The school offers condolences to Mrs. Ruwitch’s family, including son Joe Ruwitch ’59; daughter Jane Ruwitch Mitchell; six grandchildren, including Mike Ruwitch ’80, Tom Ruwitch ’83, Lucy Ruwitch Langer ’89, Julie Mitchell Baur ’90, John Ruwitch ’92 and Joe Mitchell ’93; and 13 great-grandchildren, including William Ruwitch ’13, Maddie Ruwitch ’15, Henry Baur ’20 and Joe Baur ’23. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Ruwitch; son, Wallace Ruwitch ’56; and sister, Nina Renard Meissner ’37.
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REMEMBERING
Glenn Johnson Sheffield ’54 Glenn Johnson Sheffield ’54 died on May 2, 2019. Mrs. Sheffield attended Smith College, graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1958. After graduation, she met and married William Sheffield, working to support him as he attended medical school in Washington, D.C. The couple returned to St. Louis in 1965. A positive force and role model in the St. Louis community, Mrs. Sheffield devoted her life to public service. She served on dozens of boards, often as chair. A short list includes The Repertory Theatre
1970s
of St. Louis, Citizens for Modern Transit, Women of Achievement, the Girl Scouts, the Arts and Education Council and, of course, Burroughs. She also spent years as a docent and educator with the Saint Louis Art Museum and volunteered for the Musée de Noel boutique, which supplied scholarship funds for Bryn Mawr, Smith and Vassar Colleges. Mrs. Sheffield’s most public role was as the first female mayor of Webster Groves. She was elected in 1986 and served two terms. She helped to pass bond issues to repave streets, fix streetlights and build the Recreation and Community Center. As the only female member of the City Council, she lobbied to improve the infrastructure and housing standards of North Webster, making sure each citizen had proper plumbing. After her run as mayor, she spent six years on the board of trustees for the Metropolitan St.
Bruce P. Westling died on August 4, 2019.
Mr. Akin attended Georgia Institute of Technology, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in industrial management, then earned a master’s degree in business administration from Columbia University. During his career, he worked for Allied Signal Foundation, as an ordnance program manager for General Electric and as a welding teacher at Warren County VoTech High School. He was a lifelong learner who enjoyed growing Christmas trees on his farm, as well as working on elaborate wood and metal projects and reading on all subjects.
Mr. Westling was a young science teacher at Grosse Pointe when Burroughs headmaster Bill Craig offered him a job. The two met at Harvard Graduate School of Education, where Mr. Westling taught a summer course. Dr. Craig enticed the young science teacher with a position as department chair and the prospects of particpating in the planning of a new science building. Mr. Westling served as chair of the Science Department for the first 25 of his 27 years at JBS, and in 1967, developed the 7th Grade Drey Land program, where students learn biology by experiencing the natural world firsthand. He was also instrumental in bringing computers into the science department and in initiating the advanced placement program. Mr. Westling was rated a Master Teacher Consultant by Independent Schools of St. Louis and was the recipient of the National Science Teachers’ Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Missouri. The school offers condolences to Mr. Westling’s family, including a son, Robert Westling, and a daughter, Donna Westling Kenney ’81; two grandchildren; a great-grandchild; and a sister. He was preceded in death by his wife, Esther Westling, and a daughter. The school thanks the family for suggesting that memorial gifts be made to John Burroughs School’s Drey Land program.
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In 1997, Webster Groves Chamber of Commerce named her Citizen of the Year, the same year that Suburban Journals named her its Woman of Achievement for Community Service. Mrs. Sheffield also spent a great deal of her energy supporting Burroughs, and in 2001, received the Outstanding Alumna Award. The school offers condolences to Mrs. Sheffield’s family, including sons, John Sheffield ’79 and Jamie Sheffield ’85; daughter, Ellen Sheffield ’83; five grandchildren, two of whom are George Pace ’21 and Dalton Pace ’24; nephew, Michael Johnson ’91; and brother, Duke Johnson ’59. She was preceded in death by her husband. The school thanks the family for suggesting that memorial gifts be made to John Burroughs School.
Former Faculty
Samuel B. Akin ’72 died on December 24, 2018.
The school offers condolences to Mr. Akin’s family, including his parents, Paul and Nancy Akin; his wife, Laurie Comstock Akin; two sons; four granddaughters; and two brothers, Todd Akin ’66 and Paul Akin ’68.
Louis Sewer District. As with every role in her life, she was admired by those she worked with for her common sense, get-it-done attitude, hard work and warm personality.
Please Keep Us Informed Please keep us updated on changes in your contact information, new jobs, degrees, honors, marriages, births and adoptions, deaths — any news you may have. To notify the school of news, please contact Cindy Schnabel at cschnabel@jburroughs.org or 314/993-4040, ext. 264.
EDITORS: Lynn Hoppe Phelps Stefene Russell PHOTOGRAPHERS: Andrew Newman ’87 Allison Roberts
MEMORIAL AND TRIBUTE GIF TS
Memorial and Tribute Gifts Thank you to the members of the Burroughs community who have honored friends and loved ones through memorial and tribute gifts to John Burroughs School. The following gifts were received from April 15 through August 1, 2019. IN MEMORY OF Donald H. Altvater ’40 John W. Minton Jr. ’46
Tex Van Hoefen Harrison ’61 Bob ’61 & Carolyn Cranston
Ann Niemeyer Maritz ’43 John W. Minton Jr. ’46
William L. Bolster Mary Beth and Allen Soffer & Family
Mary Cutts Jones ’40 Andy & Katie Abbott Charles & Laura Barnes John S. Ross Jr. ’80 John Shepley Steven Shepley Mr. & Mrs. Jack Thomas Lisa Holekamp Yost ’78
Ed Okun To the Judith R. & Dr. M. Gilbert Grand & Family Endowed Tuition Aid Fund Gil & Judy Grand
Barry Mendle Kayes ’49 To the Jonathan M. Kayes Library Fund Eric Goldberg Vicki Liebson Goldberg ’54 Ann Ruwitch & John Fox Arnold
Don Shelby Pruett ’52 John W. Minton Jr. ’46
William Morton Edison ’45 John W. Minton Jr. ’46 George S. Gerlach ’51 John Louis Gerlach II ’56 Hannelore Gerlach John Louis Gerlach II ’56 Robert W. Gibson ’46 John W. Minton Jr. ’46 Mary Snellenburg Harris Phyllis Cherrick To the Judith R. & Dr. M. Gilbert Grand & Family Endowed Tuition Aid Fund Bud & Susie Wilson Elizabeth Rogers Hayes ’59 To the Ebet Rogers Hayes Faculty Study Fund Dick ’62 & Julie Rogers
Newell S. Knight Jr. John W. Minton Jr. ’46 Sion Levy The Edwards Family JBS Parents Council Wen Li The Edwards Family JBS Parents Council Jason K. Lohr ’91 To the Jason K. Lohr Memorial Scholarship Ronald Lohr John W. Minton Jr. ’46 Chris ’90 & Lisa Schoenecker Bud & Susie Wilson
Lynne Palan JBS Parents Council
Kenneth H. Read ’49 Nancy Williamson Wasson ’49 Elizabeth Renard Ruwitch ’32 Henry ’59 & Ellen Dubinsky To the Judith R. & Dr. M. Gilbert Grand & Family Endowed Tuition Aid Fund Gil & Judy Grand Bud & Susie Wilson Edward R. Samuels ’41 To the Edward R. Samuels Memorial Scholarship Jim & Kris Samuels Holmes ’78, Katie ’09, Davey ’12 & Sam ’18 Holmes Betty B. Schmid John W. Minton Jr. ’46
Roslyn Schulte ’02 To the Roz Schulte Spirit Fund Henry ’59 & Ellen Dubinsky Steve ’70 & Susan Felker Scott ’65 & Lynne Johnson Chris ’02 & Sara Lange Chris ’90 & Lisa Schoenecker Bud & Susie Wilson
Frank ’44 & Mary Rassieur Jay & Sally Wallace Shinkle ’79 John & Alice Snodgrass Mary Beth & Allen Soffer Liz Teasdale Addison & Nancy Thomas Terry McIlvaney Whittemore ’54
Glenn J. Sheffield ’54 Andy & Katie Abbott The Backerman Family Jim & Nanci Bobrow Ellen Leschen Bremner ’67 Nancy Reinhart Burke ’55 Sandra Dillard Jacki Straub Dowell The Gail Fischmann Family Gretta Forrester Kent & Susan Garlinghouse Michael & Diedre Gray Paul & Carol Hatfield Harold & Sonny Wotka Helmkampf ’54 Judy Olin Higgins ’54 Anne Parham Hizar Briggs Hoffman Harry ’83 & Ginger Imster Martin & Margie Jaffe Jim & Suzanne Jim Johnson Frederick McCoy Jr. Don and Gayle McLean Joe & Barbara Megginson McKinney ’54 Jack & Susan Musgrave Shelby ’50 & Estie Pruett Sue Morrison Rapp ’54
Edward G. Shifrin ’40 Andy & Katie Abbott Lee ’76 & Julie Bearman Gary & Robin Feder Roxanne H. Frank Lee G. Kline Kit Samuels Sameer R. Talwar ’08 Anonymous Jeanette T. Wallace ’62 Tom ’62 & Molly Herbst McConnell ’62 Julie Zander ’82 Pamela Seymour Bliss ’82
IN HONOR OF Emma Birge Osborne ’04 Anonymous Jim & Nanci Bobrow To the Judith R. & Dr. M. Gilbert Grand & Family Endowed Tuition Aid Fund Gil & Judy Grand Class of 1969 To the Alumni Reunion Scholarship Mont ’69 & Karen Levy Amy Greenwood Dunaway ’92 Jack & Susan Musgrave Grandparents Committee JBS Parents Council
Jon Hamm ’89 To the Deborah Garner Hamm Memorial Scholarship Bud & Susie Wilson Gina Hoagland Mary Beth & Allen Soffer J. Barlow Martin ’47 Susan Walter Shelby ’50 & Estie Pruett Howard & Susan Elliott James E. Schiele ’47 Roxanne H. Frank
Leave a Legacy Your gift through a will, trust, life income plan or other planned gift will make a difference for future generations of Burroughs students. For more information, contact Ginger Imster at 314/993-4040 ext. 256.
September 2019 |
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ALUMNI WEEKEND (CONT.)
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BLUE AND GOLD WEEKEND
Alumni Awards Assembly Honor 2019 Outstanding Alum, Vicki Liebson Goldberg ’54 and 2019 Distinguished Service Alum, William Shearburn ’79 Friday, October 4 8:15 am, Haertter Hall
Conversations on Art and Politics...and More New This Year: Tom Friedman ’83 on art Gabe Fleisher ’20 on politics Saturday, October 5 10 am, STAR buiding
Alumni Cocktail Party It doesn’t get any better than STL food trucks and the Ralph Butler Band Friday, October 4 7 pm, Quadrangle
Student Spirit Bonfire Watch the kids fan the traditional fires Friday, September 27 7:30 pm, Haertter Hall Overlook Fun Run from JBS to MICDS Run/walk 2.5 miles to MICDS Saturday, September 28 7:30 am registration in the Quad 8 am “Go!” Blue and Gold Games Check the athletic schedule at jburroughs.org/blueandgold ALUMNI WEEKEND
Opening Reception for Robert Lucy ’84: Recent Work Enjoy wine, cheese and Bob Thursday, October 3 5:30 pm, Bonsack Gallery
Alumni Family Picnic Saturday, October 5 Noon, Quadrangle
JOHN BURROUGHS SCHOOL
John Burroughs Arrives Tom Friedman ’83 creates an iconic sculpture for campus
SEPTEMBER 2019