2015 Landon Spring Magazine

L A NDON SPRING 2015

‘MASTER’ OF THE ARTS Teddy Sears ’95 on his hit TV show, his Landon mentors and how acting found him

The Armstrongs: A Decade in Photos 3

I Meet the Next Headmaster 2o I Alumni News 28

Landon School Board of Trustees Chairman: Joseph A. Kenary Jr. ’82 Vice Chairman: H. Keith Powell President: David M. Armstrong Secretary: Michelle L. Freeman Treasurer: Dale Wolf

Trustees Emeriti: Peter J. FitzGerald ’50 Knight Kiplinger ’65 Lawrence Lamade ’65 Samuel M. Lehrman H ’09 Russell “Rusty” C. Lindner ’72 Trustees: Anderson “Andy” J. Arnold ’78 Michael S. Banks ’92 Michael I. Connolly ’75 Francis “Mike” O. Day ’94 William C. Eacho III ’72 Robert H. Edwards Jr. Peter Jerry “Chip” FitzGerald Jr. ’83 Jeffrey E. Harris ’80 Wallace F. “Hap” Holladay Jr. ’65 Ernest D. Jarvis Douglas C. Kiker ’93 Rev. Steve Klingelhofer ’60 Douglas H. Lagarde Steven C. Mayer Amy R. Mehlman John P. Oswald Tushar Patel ’81 Monica M. Thompson Martin J. Weinstein Landon Magazine Headmaster

David M. Armstrong Editor

Meredith Josef Assistant Editors

Tom DiChiara Dartha Dragnich Daphne Kiplinger

Contributing Writers

Tom DiChiara Derrick Chengery Designer

Hillary Reilly Photography

OUR MISSION

Landon School prepares talented boys for productive lives as accomplished, responsible and caring men whose actions are guided by the principles of perseverance, teamwork, honor and fair play.

Derrick Chengery Tom DiChiara Daphne Kiplinger Wendy Steck Merriman GoLandon.com Landon School Archives Showtime

The Fighter by Deacon Brew ’15

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What’s Inside

20 Features

20 | Meet Our Next Headmaster Jim Neill shares his thoughts on Landon... and fun facts about himself.

24 | ‘Master’ of the Arts Actor Teddy Sears ‘95 hits it big with an acclaimed TV show and two movies on the horizon.

W

e thank you, the Landon community, for your unwavering support of our magazine and our school. You may have

noticed you received one copy of the magazine to your home this time around. In an effort to reduce waste and conserve resources

as outlined in our Environmental Stewardship Strategic Initiative

and to respond proactively to our readers who told us that multiple

Departments

copies are no longer necessary, we are now sending one Landon Magazine per household.

Please note that Landon Magazine is always available online

2

From the Headmaster

on our website, landon.net. If you have a Bear in your home who

4

Landon Lowdown

to another address, please go online to landon.net/magazine and

28 Alumni News 44 From the Archives

wants a personal copy, or you would like us to send an extra copy

ON OUR COVER Teddy Sears ‘95 poses for a portrait for the Showtime series Masters of Sex. Sears has won critical acclaim — and legions of fans — for his role as Dr. Austin Langham on the show.

Photo credit: Showtime

opt in for multiple copies. We always welcome updated contact

information as well so we can find you! Please send an email to addresses@landon.net.

As always, our Communications Office invites your feedback

on this initiative and our magazine! Please send us an email at communications@landon.net. – Meredith Josef

1

HEADMASTERNOTES

A Heartfelt Thank You Dear Members of the Landon Community,

T

I am also thankful for the MEMORIES I will carry with me always:

for the Convocations, the Azalea Festivals, the spirited contests with

his June I will close out my 11-year

Georgetown Prep, the awards ceremonies, the Commencements, the

and I will move back to the West

plays, the art exhibits, the faculty-staff holiday parties, the retreats... and

run as headmaster, and my wife Liz

Coast to be closer to family. Even as I soak in the

experience of my final days within the White Rocks,

I find myself reflecting upon my many wonderful, cherished years here

Shrimp Bowls and Landon Cups, the Bear Games, the concerts, the so much more.

In closing, I want to say thank you to all of you, the devoted members

of our community, for the honor and privilege of serving as the fifth

— and there is one word to which I keep returning: “thankful.”

headmaster of Landon School and for reminding me that an appreciative

greatness of an institution and a community as its place, its people and

soon, we know Landon will never leave us.

Historian Kenneth Clark describes the elements that define the

its principles. I am thankful that Landon excels in all three areas.

I am thankful for this PLACE: a gorgeous 75-acre campus that

combines seasonal beauty, serenity, tranquility, energy, tradition and

warmth. As work environments go, there are few that can compare. But

it has been so much more to Liz and me these past 11 years. It has been

heart is the greatest of all gifts. While Liz and I will be leaving Landon A parting piece of advice: Never, ever, ever take this special place for

granted. I know that Liz and I won’t.

All the best,

home.

I am thankful for the PEOPLE. For Landon’s passionate, steadfast,

committed alumni, who illustrate that the bonds of Bear brotherhood

David M. Armstrong

parents, past and present, who model selflessness for our boys by giving

Landon School

last long after they have graduated. For our engaged and supportive

so generously of their time, spirit and resources. For our wise, strong and

Headmaster

generous Board of Trustees, which provides direction and vision for the school. For our exceptional teacher-coach-mentors, who educate and

connect with our boys both inside and outside of the classroom. For our

professional, imaginative and dedicated staff, who keep Landon running.

For the members of our devoted and talented leadership management

team, who strive every day to make this the best school it can be. And, last but not least, I am thankful for all of our Bears, from the youngest to the oldest, the smallest to the biggest — well-rounded and wellgrounded young men who will make the world better.

I am thankful for the PRINCIPLES. Ours is a community predicated

on and sustained by the concepts of honor and civility, with character education as the top priority. Our school is committed to educators,

the teacher-coach-mentors who model these virtues and instill them

in our boys, and to producing young men of principle who grow into accomplished, responsible and caring men. I am thankful that we as

a collective strive for and celebrate excellence, demonstrate resiliency

and growth in the face of disappointment, and care for and support all members of the Landon community through thick and thin.

2

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

In Celebration of

Liz and David

Armstrong 2004–2015

We will miss you!

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

3

School Awards First Maguire Ethics Scholarships

T

hree rising ninth graders are the inaugural recipients of Landon’s Maguire Ethics

Scholarships. These merit-based grants of

$10,000 each will be awarded annually to students

entering Form III who demonstrate the highest standards of ethics, integrity and character.

The annual scholarships — which may be renewed each year the

recipients remain at Landon — are named for and funded by alumnus, businessman and philanthropist Cary M. Maguire ’46, who credits

school founder Paul Landon Banfield with teaching him the value of ethical behavior.

“The three students we selected this year are exceptional young men

of character,” said Assistant Head of School for Enrollment, Admissions

and Community Len Armstrong. “They embody those characteristics of honesty, civility and respect we strive to instill in all of our boys, and we

LOWDOWN Baseball Field Gets a Makeover

W

hen the Bears baseball squad took the field this spring,

fans may have noticed some substantial upgrades to the diamond and its surroundings — thanks to generous

donations from current and alumni families with ties to the program.

Over the winter,

Landon installed a

brand-new 20-foot-tall backstop behind home plate and replaced the

fencing along the firstand third-base lines,

extending it to provide

more protection farther

down the field. In addi-

tion, the school built two

new state-of-the-art batting cages next to the field and refurbished the

two existing cages. All four cages are equipped with fresh netting, protective L-cages, plates and mats. The most important update, however, is

hope they will lead by example.”

15 from Class of 2015 to Play College Sports

F

ifteen members of the Class of 2015 have committed to play Division I or Division III college athletics next year.

Congratulations!

Spencer Abraham, baseball, Claremont McKenna College Koko Avedisian, lacrosse, Hobart College Mike Blasey, golf, Davidson College

Aaron Byrd, basketball, Georgia Regents University Kennedy Dunn, lacrosse, Trinity College

Walter Egloff, golf, Loyola University Maryland

Tom Evans, lacrosse, United States Naval Academy Andrew Kvasnicka, baseball, Swarthmore College Landon McKenzie, lacrosse, Dartmouth College Paul Padalino, football, University of Richmond Colton Rupp, lacrosse, Cornell University

Hunter Sells, lacrosse, Johns Hopkins University

Kolby Williams, football, University of Richmond Jarrett Witzal, lacrosse, Bucknell University

Garrett Zoukis, baseball, University of Cincinnati Seven of Landon’s future college athletes

that the ground inside the cages has been leveled out and covered with a soft base of timber topped with crushed gravel.

“The field is now safer, and thanks to the new cages our kids will

have the opportunity to get more repetitions swinging the bat,” Director of Athletics David Holm said. “This was a needed facility upgrade to enhance our program and give our boys a great experience.”

4

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

Landon... In Your Words This year, we launched the Bear Blog on our website to give our teacherFROM OUR PARENTS

coach-mentors, students, alumni and parents the chance to share their

“I want everyone to feel included in this community, because that’s the way I have felt. I have felt that you can grow in this place because people here give you a chance, and everyone shows that faith in you.” — Saima Ahmad, Landon Mothers

perspectives on Landon. Below are excerpts from some of our inaugural posts. For more, please visit landon.net/bearblog.

and I’ve learned a lot from my art teachers here at Landon.”

— Alex Kapelina ’20

[Landon] has prepared me for the future, both academically and socially, and it offers a wealth of options that have helped me discover and cultivate my interests.

— Julius Kindfuller ’15, Class of 2015 president

“Landon was the place that helped to build a foundation of values that are honestly what has helped me to be successful on and off the basketball court. These things include: honor, pride, being a man of good character, and hard work.”

— Christian Webster ’09, former player for and current assistant coach of the Harvard University men’s basketball team

Association (LMA) chair and mother of Ozair ’14 and Omar ’19

FROM OUR TEACHER-COACH-MENTORS

FROM OUR STUDENTS

FROM OUR ALUMNI “I love to draw, sculpt, paint...

“Be authentic. Be generous. Be open. These are the things that I have learned from good men, and these are the things I pass on to you, so you too can be good men.” — Emily Piacenza, Middle School English teacher, addressing her students

How do you build good character?

You practice it until it becomes part of you.

— Randy Bednar, head of Lower School and father of Randy Jr. ’17

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

5

LANDONLOWDOWN

Millspaugh ’15 Named ‘Extraordinary Teen’

F

or 10 years, Peter Millspaugh’s teacher-coach-mentors at Land-

possible to shine both in and out of the classroom.

on the playing field, in the art studio, and as a leader in the com-

his 10-year Landon career have come to know and admire a young man

on have recognized his extraordinary talents in the classroom,

munity — and now Bethesda Magazine has acknowledged

“I and the others who have taught, coached and mentored Peter over who is not only fiercely intelligent, amazingly talented and

Millspaugh, as a winner in the sixth annual “Extraordi-

unfailingly dedicated, but also a natural leader with a robust

nary Teen Awards.”

character and a genuine care for the well-being of others,”

From a pool of more than 100 nominees, Millspaugh

said Form VI Advisor Andy Katz, who nominated Mill-

earned a spot among 13 area teenagers highlighted in the

spaugh for the honor.

publication’s March/April issue because they show that it’s

Indeed, Millspaugh, a member of the Cum Laude

Society, is among the top students in his class. His aptitude with a paintbrush has earned him various honors,

most recently a Gold Key in the regional 2015 National Scholastic Art Awards. He was an All-IAC varsity

football player and last spring won varsity baseball’s “Hard Hat” award

for work ethic. And, as a prefect and member of Landon Local Heroes,

the school’s community service organization, he is an on and off-campus leader who models the virtues to which all Bears aspire.

“Some high achievers make accomplishment their highest good and

ignore the humanity and generosity embedded in all acts of education,” Humanities teacher and Associate Headmaster John Botti said. “Not

Peter — he made these things his calling cards, and was thus one of the best classmates that I have seen in 17 years of teaching.”

Bear Kayakers Find Whitewater Success

L

ike so many Landon stu-

sports requirement, so we’re really

Waldron and Justin

water practicing and competing.”

dents, sophomores Robert

Shockey ’17 have embraced the

able to spend quality time on the

The practice has certainly paid

“sound mind, sound body” duality

off. Last September, Waldron and

their sport of choice doesn’t take

respectively, in “The Animal,” an

that the school espouses — but

place between the white lines of a playing field or the four walls of a

gym or pool. They are whitewater

kayakers who practice and compete on the challenging Class V rapids of the Potomac in Great Falls,

Maryland, the Upper Gauley River

Shockey finished first and second, experts-only whitewater race on the Upper Gauley that is comprised of nine miles of unrelenting Class V rapids and attracts Olympic-level

competition from across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan.

For the classmates, the 1-2

in West Virginia, and the gushing

finish was the culmination of years

“Landon has been really great

Waldron attended a kayaking camp

Alseseca River in Mexico.

about encouraging us,” Waldron

said. “Kayaking with Liquid Adven-

tures [a school run by alumnus Tom McEwan ’64] counts as our fall

6

said. “We train together and

We train together and we compete against each other to really push ourselves to get better. together ever since.

at Calleva the summer after fourth

to do a sport like this

at the camp the following summer

has been a friend since

— and they’ve been kayaking

to really push ourselves to get better.”

— Justin Shockey ‘17

of hard work that began when

grade. Shockey joined his friend

we compete against each other

“It has been so great

with someone who

fourth grade,” Justin

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

Nine Students Earn Scholastic Art Awards

N

Faculty Collaborates to Review And Improve Curriculum

ceramics, photography and mixed

F

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Botti, who is spearheading the review, the pro-

Gold Key, the highest regional

seized upon this opportunity to talk more about teaching and learning,”

ine Bears from the

Middle and Upper

Schools earned a total

of 11 honors for their paintings,

riculum review to assess and improve

as how and why it is taught.

According to Associate Headmaster John

Peter Millspaugh ’15 won a

cess has already been a fruitful one. “Our faculty has

award, for a self-portrait titled

Botti said. “Through the review, Landon will not only produce specific

Ten Years of the Tie, and also recognition for his painting

have been engaged in a formal cur-

the state of what is taught at Landon, as well

media works at this year’s regional

received honorable mention

or the past year, Landon faculty members

recommendations for our curriculum; it will affirm a faculty culture that is Le Coq Bleu by Michael Mehlman ’18

driven by curiosity, collaboration and a deep reservoir of care for its boys.”

The review commenced in April 2014 with a faculty survey, where

Mondrian’s New World.

teachers shared their views on the success their respective departments

two awards, both honorable

feedback, department heads began yearlong discussions with their col-

Luke Glenn ’16 also received

have enjoyed in passing knowledge on to students. Equipped with this

mentions, for the paintings Lost

leagues to refine the curriculum.

in the Woods and Lights of Austria,

In September, Botti held one-on-one conversations with all 90+

while Deacon Brew ’15 (who

returning faculty to, as he puts it, “identify ways that Landon might

Yellow Barn Studio’s professional

cultivate specific skills and dispositions in its boys.” These discussions

also won the top prize at the

promote overall growth or improvement in its instruction and thereby

art show in December), Brett

brought to the fore recurring themes, ideas and issues that faculty be-

Gallagher ’18 and Michael

lieved warranted further discussion.

Mehlman ’18 joined eighth grader Omar Ahmad ’19 in taking home honorable mentions for painting.

This further discussion now happens in small peer groups that meet

Lights of Austria by Luke Glenn ’16

Bears showed their prowess in

regularly to exchange ideas about the specific capabilities teachers at-

tempt to build in their students, the steps necessary to achieve this, and how to best measure the success of their efforts. At the end of the year,

other media as well: Peter King ’18 received an honorable mention

each group will present recommendations for classroom and grade-level

earned honorable mentions in mixed media and ceramics, respectively.

implement these recommendations in the coming academic year.

award for photography, while Harrison Muth ’19 and Wesley Pan ’16

Past winners of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards include painter

Andy Warhol, photographer Richard Avedon, authors Truman Capote

and Stephen King, and filmmakers Robert Redford and Lena Dunham.

practices to their division heads, who will collaborate with faculty to

While the process has been labor intensive, Botti believes it has also

been invaluable: “Our community — both boys and adults alike — will be the richer for the effort.”

Two Seniors Are National Merit Finalists

S

eniors T.J. Vongkovit and

million students that took the

selected as finalists for the

Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

Austin Rose have been

2015 National Merit Scholarship Program, which honors students

who display the potential for excellence in their college studies.

Out of an initial pool of 1.5

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

Vongkovit was also named one

2013 Preliminary SAT/National

of 3,900 U.S. Presidential Scholars

(PSAT/NMSQT), Vongkovit and

3.4 million students based on their

Rose are among 15,000 nation-

wide finalists who will compete for one of 8,000 $2,500 merit-based

candidates selected from a pool of exceptional performance on the SATs or ACTs.

college scholarships.

7

LANDONLOWDOWN

A

A

rock star walks among the White Rocks, and

her name is Kim Coletta. For

s a longtime member of the

Washington Chorus,

eight years (1989–97), the Landon

Landon publications

history teacher played bass guitar

manager and graphic designer Daphne

in the popular D.C.-based alternative

Kiplinger has

rock band Jawbox. During that span, the group performed more than 700

showcased her singing

live shows in the U.S., Canada and

talent at notable D.C.-

Europe. They also released four albums,

area venues including

the latter two with Atlantic Records,

the White House, the

which was founded by Landon alumnus

Kennedy Center and

Ahmet Ertegun ’40. In 2009, Coletta and

Wolf Trap. This winter,

her Jawbox bandmates commemorated

she performed at New

the reissue of their 1994 album For Your Own Special Sweetheart by reuniting for a single performance... on the December 8 episode of Late

York City’s Carnegie Hall, one of the most iconic music venues in the world. Fun fact: Kiplinger’s husband and parents also sing in the Washington Chorus — which is how both couples met!

Night with Jimmy Fallon.

I

n October 2014, Landon Chief

I

t is no secret that Upper School history teacher Tré Johnson is a

former professional football star

Financial Officer/

and 1999 Pro Bowl selection who

Chief Operating Officer

played offensive lineman in

Jeremy “The Appleman”

the NFL for nine seasons, eight

Kugel solidified his

with the Washington Redskins.

status as “the Cal Ripken

What some may not know is

Jr. of produce” when he

that Johnson is still very much in

successfully closed out a

the game. During the NFL season,

campaign to eat an apple

he puts his expansive football

a day for 1,000 days

knowledge (and uncanny ability

in a row. (Note: Many

to turn a phrase) on display as an

of these apples were

analyst for the Redskins postgame

consumed in Lindner

show on 106.7 The Fan (radio)

Dining Hall.) Always up

and FOX 5’s Sports Breakfast (TV),

for a challenge, Kugel’s

as well as a commentator on

next goal is a slightly less healthy one: to dine at each of the top

103.1 WOOK-LP’s Sports Legacy

100 restaurant chains in the country in the span of 1,000 days.

radio show.

8

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

Academic Technologists Bring Innovation to Classrooms

L

andon’s new

classroom (including the cutting-edge reading program Kurzweil 3000),

strategic plan

terested in learning advanced skills. These include how to design objects

academic technology

and lead lunchtime and after-school Technology Clubs for students in-

aims to equip students and

with a 3-D printer and how to write computer code for mobile applica-

teacher-coach-mentors with

tions and video games.

the tools and technological

“Coding underlies everything [our boys] do in their technical lives,

literacy needed to succeed

whether it’s working in Microsoft Word, playing a video game or send-

in an ever-changing digital

ing a rocket into space,” Sears said.

landscape. Each division now

“Exposing our boys to coding is vital,” added Fisher, who will incor-

has a dedicated academic

porate code-writing into the Lower School curriculum next year. “Our

Tara Northcott in the Upper

being able to understand how computers can make their lives better.”

technologist (AT) — Dr.

place in the world is basically going to depend upon future generations

School, Laurie Sears in the

The ATs have other initiatives in the works as well. Fisher recently

Middle School and Michael

procured 14 iPads and five programmable robots to use with his students.

— and their impact is already

to beta-testing educational video games. And Northcott is currently

Fisher in the Lower School

Sears is helping middle schoolers launch an after-school club dedicated

being felt across campus.

Experienced educators and experts in their field, the ATs work with

division librarians to teach technology-specific courses, assist teachers

and students in implementing supplemental academic technology in the

overseeing a “bring your own device” (BYOD) pilot program with 20 Upper School students.

“The goal is to implement a division-wide BYOD policy next year,”

Northcott said. “The students are very excited.”

‘We Want to Be the Best School in the U.S.’

L

andon is always striving

Associate Headmaster John

improve not only what we teach

better school than

ultimate goal thusly: “We want to

of Academic Technology Larry

to become a stronger,

it already is. At a State of the

School meeting on October 16,

key educators and administrators shared with parents a road map for how they plan to make that

happen. The theme of the night was perhaps best captured by

Botti, who summed up Landon’s be the best school in the United States. There are a lot of things

that are going to go into that. But if you think that’s silly, I need you to tell me why. We can do it.”

The night’s speakers provided

ample reason to believe that

this objective is an attainable one. Headmaster David M.

Armstrong talked about the

success of the recent Landon

United capital campaign ($51+

million raised), improvements to the campus, and the formation of the Financial Sustainability

Task Force to ensure that Landon serves generations to come.

Botti filled in parents on the

curriculum review that he is

spearheading to generate concrete

recommendations for “how we can

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

but also how we teach it.” Director Fullerton expounded upon

20 YEARS

division-specific academic

25 YEARS

cutting-edge software, to more

Bob Hoppert Beth Hughes Agustin Umanzor

an academic tool. Center for

30 YEARS

Landon’s strategy to employ technologists, as well as

fully leverage technology as

Teaching and Learning Resources Director Linda McGhee talked about the steps she and her

team are taking to better serve

Andy Katz

Fred Mora Lisa Goenner 35 YEARS

students with special learning

Michael Carter

Counseling David Toomer

45 YEARS

plans. Director of College

shared his insights into the college

!

SERVICE AWARDS

Rob Bordley ’66

admissions process. And Banfield Ethics Chair John Bellaschi

stressed how important it is “to help our boys grow into young

men of strong character — nothing else matters if we don’t do that.”

communications@landon.net

9

LANDONLOWDOWN

Political Leaders Share Success Secrets with Seniors

S

uccess is not the product of smooth sailing. This is one

of the insights that Spencer

Abraham — a three-term U.S. senator, the U.S. secretary of

energy in President George W.

Bush’s Cabinet, and the father of

Spencer ’15 — imparted when he addressed Landon and Holton-

Arms seniors as the first speaker in this year’s Alan Brinkley ’67 Lecture Series.

Each year, the series — founded

by Associate Headmaster

John Botti and alumnus Sam

Potolicchio ’00 and named for Dr. Alan Brinkley ’67, a renowned

historian, author and educator —

exposes seniors from Landon and

Spencer Abraham and son

Sam Potolicchio ’00 and Laura Liswood with seniors

Success is a function of learning from experiences you have, especially mistakes that you make, and being able to translate those experiences into the future in ways that allow you to be more successful.

— Spencer Abraham, former U.S. Senator

Holton-Arms to what Botti terms

of the Council of Women World

a leader... is that it takes courage,”

about the power of resiliency.

and creativity they will encounter

lesson when she interviewed 15

from being in the crowd with

from experiences you have,” he

the “kind of thought, leadership — and attempt — when they ascend to higher education.”

This year’s second speaker,

Laura Liswood — a lawyer,

author, former D.C. Metro Police sergeant, and secretary general

Leaders — learned a similar

female world leaders (including U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher) to identify their

approaches to global leadership.

“One thing that I found was

really important for anyone being

said Liswood. “It means going friends to actually standing in

front of the crowd, having your ideas challenged and yourself

challenged, and being able to stand by what you believe in.”

Abraham, meanwhile, spoke

“Success is a function of learning said, “especially mistakes that you make, and being able to

translate those experiences into

the future in ways that allow you to be more successful.”

BOYS & GIRLS, AGE S 3 ½ – 17

JUNE 15 – AUGUST 14

LANDONSUMMER.COM

10

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

LANDONLOWDOWN

LANDON UNVEILS UPDATED CREST

B

eginning in the spring of 2015, Landon is using

In addition to the updated crest, Landon has reaffirmed its

an updated crest and visual identity program that

primary colors as brown and white, and has trademarked the

honors the school’s 86-year history as the premier

name “Landon School” and the bear logo. These trademarks

all-boys college preparatory school in the D.C. area.

“The reason for this update is simple. Just as our teaching, coaching and mentoring methods evolve to best suit the

are intended to ensure a positive image of Landon and to protect the school from unauthorized or inappropriate use of the school name and bear.

needs of our community, so too must our visual identity,” Headmaster David M. Armstrong

Guidelines for how to use Landon’s crest,

said. “In this dynamic digital world,

logo and name in visual communications

our school’s name and logos are found on everything from big

related to the school (publications, invitations, flyers, stationery,

signs we post outside our White

signage, etc.) can be found online at

Rocks to tiny apps we open on

landon.net/logo. Please reach out

our smartphone. The images that

to our Communications Office at

define our school must adapt in

communications@landon.net with

all shapes and sizes to allow us to

any questions.

communicate effectively.”

The centerpiece of this visual identity program is an updated crest, the most powerful symbol of academic excellence. Joe Patch ’41 designed the

eye-catching design, and functions beautifully across a wide

In this dynamic digital world, our school’s name and logos are found on everything from big signs we post outside our White Rocks to tiny apps we open on our smartphone. The images that define our school must adapt in all shapes and sizes to allow us to communicate effectively.

range of applications.

— David M. Armstrong, Headmaster

original crest, and elements of the mark, such as the shield (symbolizing the strength of body, mind and character Landon strives to instill in students) and flame (which represents the pursuit of knowledge), have changed over time.

Other elements on the updated crest, or seal, are completely new. The 1929 founding date has been added to evoke Landon’s impressive history and longevity. The image of chains, which represented the bonds that tie our community together, has been replaced with a circle to emphasize brotherhood and a unified community.

The school’s Latin motto, Virtute et non vi (“By virtue, not by force”), remains unchanged from Paul Landon Banfield’s days. It indicates the school’s continued commitment to the Landon Code of Character and emphasizes remaining respectful, honest and ethical in the pursuit of excellence.

The net effect is a 2015 version of the crest that maintains the traditions captured in the original, boasts a distinctive,

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

11

FALLATHLETICSUPDATE

newcomer Wes Feldman ’17, as

FALL SEASON HONORS

well as a talented crop of freshmen,

!

with providing the ingredients for

success. “Part of the reason we were good this year is that our freshmen

CROSS COUNTRY

were so strong,” Hunt said. “They

Jack Chlopak ’17: All-IAC, All-Montgomery County, Most Valuable Runner

work harder.”

pushed the upperclassmen to

With a close second-place finish

Wesley Feldman ’17: All-IAC Ben Gilbert ’16: All-IAC, All-Montgomery County, Co-Captain, Coaches Award Will Powell ’17: AllMontgomery County Henry Smith ’16: Co-Captain Kevin Tsai ’18: All-Montgomery County, Captains Award Matthew Wellington ’15: Co-Captain FOOTBALL

Cross Country Three-Peats As County Champs

F

or the third consecutive

Peter Millspaugh ’15: All-IAC Paul Padalino ’15: Private All-State Honorable Mention, All-Gazette Honorable Mention, All-IAC, Defensive MVP Colton Rupp ’15: All-IAC, Offensive MVP Keith Simms ’16: All-Met Honorable Mention, Private All-State Second Team, All-Gazette First Team, All-IAC, Co-Captain Trent Whalen ’15: All-IAC Kolby Williams ’15: Private All-State Honorable Mention, All-Gazette Honorable Mention, All-IAC, Lineman of the Year

12

The win was the culmination

that the Bears can bring home the

elusive IAC crown — and more —

led the way for the Bears with a

comprised of one junior, three

ships. Sophomore Jack Chlopak

hard-fought individual victory in the race, hosted on Landon’s 5K mates (Ben Gilbert ’16, Will

team — the varsity top seven were

next year.

sophomores and three freshmen

returning, the goal for 2015 is to

week. Head Coach Addison Hunt

our mark there, winning the IAC

“With our entire top seven

— steadily improve week after

win State,” Hunt said. “If we set

credits strong leadership from

becomes much more attainable.”

the likes of Gilbert, Powell and

Football Finishes on a High Note

V

arsity football fought

hard through a season of

impressive wins and nar-

all-time record against their IAC rivals 41-40-4.

“Despite any disappointment

row defeats. Finishing with a re-

they were carrying going into that

a 30-point margin of victory and

a great game,” Padalino said.

cord of 5-4-1, the squad averaged just a 9-point margin of defeat.

“It was one of those seasons

where we were in it all the way

up to the fourth quarter,” Head

last game, they let it all go and had Eight All-IAC honorees (see

sidebar) and a strong senior class helped lead the team.

“We had 22 seniors, and they’re

Coach Paul Padalino said. “Every

guys I’ve been lucky enough to

Despite those four losses and

grade.” Padalino said. “They’re

game came down to the wire.”

missing out on an IAC title, the team finished their season with

a strong performance to beat St. Albans for the third consecutive year in a Homecoming victory.

Listing coninued on page 13

country’s first conference title since

of a season that saw the young

Powell ’17 and Kevin Tsai ’18) also

Johari Johnson ’15: All-IAC, MVP

finished in the top 20 to score All-

County Private School Champion-

claimed the Montgomery

Griffin Brown ’15: Co-Captain

Josh Hunter ’15: Co-Captain

out on what would have been cross 1978. However, Hunt is confident

course, while three of his team-

Tom Evans ’15: All-IAC

onships, the team narrowly missed

Montgomery County honors.

year, varsity cross country

Rob Adkins ’15: Hanker Award

Tommy Crittenberger ’15: Lunch Pail Award

to St. Albans at the IAC Champi-

The 42-8 win made Landon’s

know since they were in eighth hardworking kids who wanted to

compete and did so the right way every day.”

already played three years of var-

for the Bears next year, thanks to

IAC title,” he said. “I don’t think

Padalino has high expectations

a group of rising seniors that have

sity football. “We’re here to win an there is any goal other than that.”

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

Water Polo Scores Winningest Season Ever

F

or the 2014 season,

the varsity water polo

team focused on simple

FALL I’m just SEASON really happy HONORS with the season, really proud of the boys and what we have learned.

!

SOCCER

fundamentals and controlling the clock — and rewrote the

Charles Branche ’16: All-IAC, Most Valuable Defensive Player, 2015 Captain

Landon record books as a result.

The squad set new single-season

Zach Cooper ’15: All-Gazette Honorable Mention, All-IAC, Co-Captain, Class of 1948 Gillespie Memorial Award

school records for most wins (24)

and most goals (237) en route to a 24-10 overall record.

— Walt Bartman, Head Coach, Water Polo

“We just came out this fall and

played smart,” Head Coach Walt

Bartman said. “We got great leadership from senior captains Miles

(9). Rahul Gill ’16 broke the team

Prep in the end-of-season Eastern

latter of whom] was our program’s

keeper Hayden Fralin ’16 crushed

“I’m just really happy with the

Robbie Edwards ’17: Most Improved Player Parker Lotstein ’18: Rookie of the Year Hal Pence ’15: Co-Captain, Coaches Award

Prep Championships.

Hunter Sells ’15: Coaches Award

his own record for saves (418).

season, really proud of the boys

Jarett Witzal ’15: Coaches Award

viduals also helped. Blake Dannen-

bracket at the Beast of the East

man said. “The great thing is that

WATER POLO

for goals in a season (107) and

best teams on the East Coast, and

back, so I think we’re going to give

Alex Ashy ’15: Academic All-American, All-Eastern Prep, Co-Captain, Defensive Player of the Year

Franklin and Alex Ashy, [the

first Academic All-American.”

Record-setting play from indi-

baum ’16 set new school records

offensive kickouts (36) and tied the record for goals in a single game

record for steals (57). And goal-

As a result, the team won its

Tournament, which features the

battled to a close second-place finish to powerhouse Lawrenceville

and what we have learned,” Bartalmost all of our guys are coming some really great teams a serious

run for their money next season.”

Soccer Pushes Through Adversity

H

ead Coach Bill Reed

challenges, including an injury to

silver lining of the 2014 season is

positives in the varsity

the first game,” Reed said. “The

quality playing time. “We bring

found an abundance of

soccer team’s fall 2014 campaign, despite the squad’s 1-8-5 record.

There was the victory, of course,

an exciting early-season 4-0 defeat of Bullis that Reed said “carried

us for a while.” There was also the

[senior co-captain] Hal Pence in boys never let it get them down

or take away the fun of what they

were doing. They came to the field psyched to play every day, and that

tied five games and lost just three

Charles Branche, who set a

valiant 1-0 loss to IAC champion

St. Albans). But what really stood out to Reed was the team’s nevergive-up attitude, even after losing four key starters early on.

“We had lots of unexpected

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

Trevor Mathers ’16: Coaches Award Miles Franklin ’15: Co-Captain, Most Improved Player of the Year

said, “and they will be battle-tested and ready to go.”

Reed credits seniors Zach

Cooper, Jarett Witzal and

by two or more scores (including a

back 11 players next year, Reed

Isher Gill ’16: All-Eastern Prep

resiliency was important to me.”

Bears’ superb defense: Because the team gave up very few goals, they

that every member of the team got

Blake Dannenbaum ’16: All-Eastern Prep, Offensive Player of the Year

Hunter Sells, as well as junior positive tone in practice that

carried over to the games. “These guys were leaders of strong

character,” Reed said. “They were

happy and excited to be out there, and that was just contagious.”

According to Reed, another

13

WINTERATHLETICSUPDATE

Ice Hockey Wins MAPHL and IAC Championships

W

ith 1 minute 27 seconds left in overtime of the 2015

keys to a season that far outpaced expectations. “I have coached a lot of

pionships, Landon co-captain Tommy Crittenberger ’15

“They were selfless. They believed in each other. They were full of moxie.

Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League (MAPHL) Cham-

buried a 15-foot slap shot to cinch a dramatic 3-2 victory over Calvert Hall. The MAPHL title — the equivalent of the state championship

teams, and this is the best group of guys I have ever had,” Farnstrom said.

And it made going to the rink enjoyable every day.”

Early in the season, success was not a foregone conclusion. In Decem-

for prep schools — capped off a stellar 21-5-2 season that also saw the

ber, Landon lost three straight games in one week.

Championship with a 4-2 win over St. Albans.

2-1 loss to Gonzaga and saying, ‘Coach, we can really rally around this,’”

and teamwork — as well as the guidance of assistant coaches Corson

reassumed the head coaching reins this season, recalled. “I knew that if

Bears capture their 10th straight Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC) According to Head Coach Hans Farnstrom, selflessness, resilience

Fidler and Peter Anas and some strong senior leadership — were the

“I remember Drennan Greene ’16 coming up to me after the tough

Farnstrom, who started the Landon hockey program back in 1994 and our kids had that attitude we were going to be all right.”

I have coached a lot of teams, and this is the best group of guys I have ever had.

They were selfless. They believed in each other. They were full of moxie. And it made going to the rink enjoyable every day.

— Hans Farnstrom, Head Coach, Ice Hockey

Tourney Win Highlights Basketball Season

T

he varsity basketball

squad rebounded from a disappointing 2013–14

campaign by earning eight hardfought victories this season and

taking home the overall champi-

onship at the Winston Churchill Holiday Classic tournament.

“This was a building year for

our team, and I’m really proud

of everything our boys accom-

Central to this cohesiveness was

senior Aaron Byrd, who trans-

ferred to Landon from DeMatha this fall and served as a much-

needed role model for the younger players. “Aaron’s attitude was

always, ‘Let’s put in the work and

get it done together,” Perkins said.

“That was crucial for our development as a program.”

Teamwork paid off during

plished,” said first-year Head

the final regular-season home

bought into what we as coaches

dramatic one-point victory over

Coach Rory Perkins. “The guys were trying to do, which was cre-

ate a team that worked together to achieve our goals.”

14

game, when the Bears cinched a IAC rival St. Albans on Senior

hopes to improve upon in seasons

8-17 overall record, which Perkins

momentum,” he said. “We’re going

Night. Landon finished with an

to come. “We have some good

to continue to work hard and see how far we can go.”

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

Young Track Team Shows Promise

WINTER SEASON HONORS BASKETBALL

! T

his year’s indoor track and field team was young — more than

half the members were freshmen — but what the squad lacked

in years, it made up for in heart and hard work. All of that paid

off in the final meet of the season, the Hoxton Invitational, when the boys recorded a slew of stellar performances and personal-best times.

Wes Feldman ’17 led the way with a third-place finish in the 1,600

Aaron Byrd ’15: All-Met Honorable Mention, All-Gazette Honorable Mention, All-IAC, Most Valuable Player

meters, while Arihant Chadda ’18 clocked 3:08.93 in the 1,000 meters to narrowly miss setting the school freshman record, and Drew Parker notched the No. 2 spot on the freshman 1,600-meter all-time list with

Mark Ebo ’15: Co-Captain

a 5:22. Fellow freshmen Matthew Lowrie (1,600m), Jason Cavanaugh

Grant Hani ’16: Coaches Award

(500m) and Alan Kupka (500m) also ran their way to personal bests in

Vincent Steis ’15: Co-Captain

their respective events.

ICE HOCKEY

experience competing against more seasoned athletes,” said Coach Tom

Jack Concannon ’16: All-Gazette Honorable Mention

example for the underclassmen. “I think our boys learned a lot about grit

“This season, our main goal was to get the young guys some quality

DiChiara, who credits senior throwers Jodi O’Keefe and Will Clark, as well as juniors George and Eric Shalloway, with setting a strong

and resilience, especially training outdoors for much of what was a pretty

Tommy Crittenberger ’15: Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year, All-Gazette First Team, All-IAC, Most Valuable Player, Co-Captain Patrick Giles ’18: All-Met Honorable Mention, All-Gazette Second Team Jones Lindner ’15: Coaches Award, Co-Captain Alex Norwinski ’15: All-Met Second Team, All-Gazette First Team, All-IAC, Coaches Award Colton Rupp ’15: All-Met Honorable Mention, AllGazette Honorable Mention, All-IAC, Fishman Award for Determination, Integrity & Enthusiasm, Co-Captain

brutal winter. Those lessons and that toughness will only make them better in seasons to come.”

Wrestlers Excel at Every Level

V

Trevor Wolf ’15: Coaches Award INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

arsity wrestling finished

’15, were IAC individual champi-

the Maryland Independent School

Championships, but

and Zack Zulauf ’16,were IAC

National Prep Championships.

third at the IAC

“2” was the team’s magic number this season. Two wrestlers, Ben

Goodfriend ’16 and Jarett Witzal

ons. Two others, Luc Shermer ’18 runners up. And two, Witzal and freshman Brendon Gallagher,

turned in stellar performances at

Championships to qualify for the

For Witzal, the Nationals berth

(his second in as many years)

completed a career that saw him

win 104 matches (the eighth most in school history), claim two in-

dividual IAC crowns, and become only the sixth Bear to make it to the finals of the Maryland state championships.

According to Head Coach

Drew Parker ’18: Most Valuable Athlete

Andy Katz, the team, which tal-

Arihant Chadda ’18: Coaches Award

showed its true depth in big

George Shalloway ’16: Most Improved Athlete

lied an 11-13 dual meet record, competitions: The Bears took

home first place out of 13 teams

at the St. James Tournament, with Listing coninued on page 16

two individual champs and four

runners up, and placed a solid 14th in the state championships.

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

15

WINTERATHLETICSUPDATE

Swim and Dive Team Finishes Strong

T

he varsity swimming

and diving team kicked

Alexander Ashy ’15: Senior MVP, Co-Captain

end of the 2014–15 season: The squad finished third at the IAC

Jack Chlopak ’17: Sophomore MVP

Championships, and athletes from all grade levels qualified for and

Hayden Fralin ’16: All-Gazette Second Team, Junior MVP

turned in top-notch performances at the Washington Metro Inter-

Will King ’18: Freshman Coaches Award

scholastic Swimming and Diving Championships (a.k.a. Metros).

Sam Krauland ’15: Senior Coaches Award, Co-Captain

“Metros is our biggest stage in

terms of competition, and our guys

John Popera ’18: Freshman MVP

rose to the challenge and swam so

well,” Head Coach Walt Bartman

Austin Rose ’15: Co-Captain

said. “The boys were on fire — I

Noah Thomas ’16: Junior Coaches Award

was proud of them.”

Fralin ’16 provided one of the

just days later.

ber of events. Juniors like Noah

ros by swimming to a sixth-place

of the season was the daily hard

their teammates to work harder.

Not to be outdone, Jason Tang

all his athletes. “We had freshmen

season’s biggest highlights at Metfinish in the 100-meter freestyle. ’17 broke the 18-year-old school record in the 100-meter breast-

stroke at the IAC Championships

Seniors Aim True for Riflery Team

T

he Upper School riflery

team proved themselves tough competitors

this winter with a 4-5 record, a

fifth-place finish in the Potomac High School Rifle League, and

For Bartman, however, the story

work and dedication he saw from

Thomas and Hayden inspired

And our senior co-captains [Alex Ashy, Austin Rose, Sam Krau-

who made an immediate impact,”

land] were strong leaders for our

Bartman said. “Our sophomores

swimmers and divers.”

could score points in any num-

Out of a 16-person team, eight of them were seniors. All season they helped our rookies learn all three [shooting] positions.

— David Wray, Head Coach, Riflery

According to Head Coach

erage, and co-captains Alexander

eight invitees to the season-ending

David Wray, the team owed its

school record. In their match

young marksmen the ropes. These

of them were seniors,” Wray said.

honorable mention shooters: T.J.

learn all three [shooting] posi-

regional championship — a new

against St. John’s, the boys earned a season-high team score of 1096 (out of a possible 1200), just six points shy of the school record.

16

!

SWIMMING & DIVING

it home strong at the

All-Gazette honoree Hayden

WINTER SEASON HONORS

success to senior leaders showing

seniors included three All-Metro

Vongkovit, a rookie who lead the

squad with a 272.5 (out of 300) av-

Christner and Grayson Ours.

“Out of a 16-person team, eight

“All season they helped our rookies tions. You saw it every day during

Ramin Zarfeshan ’17: Sophomore Coaches Award RIFLERY T.J. Vongkovit ’15: All-Metro Honorable Mention, Frank Parsons Award for Highest Individual Average Alexander Christner ’15: All-Metro Honorable Mention, Co-Captain Grayson Ours ’15: All-Metro Honorable Mention, Co-Captain WRESTLING Miles Franklin ’15: Most Outstanding Wrestler, Co-Captain Brendon Gallagher ’18: Rookie of the Year Brett Gallagher ’18: Coaches Award Ben Goodfriend ’16: All-IAC, Most Improved Wrestler, Co-Captain Jarett Witzal ’15: All-Gazette Second Team, All-IAC, Most Valuable Wrestler, Co-Captain

practice.”

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

ARTSUPDATE

Students Excel in the Studio, on the Stage This fall and winter, Bears

Lower School actors brought

showcased just how well-rounded

comedy and music to the

artwork, crowd-pleasing theatrical

Center with their staging of Shrek

they are with award-winning

performances and ovation-worthy music concerts.

In December, senior Deacon

Brew’s painting won the top prize in the Yellow Barn Studio &

Gallery Members Show. And in

February, nine Middle and Upper School artists earned a total of

11 accolades for their paintings,

photography, ceramics and mixedmedia works in the prestigious

National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

three divisions and a variety of dis-

1 Handbells performers ring true at Middle School MAD Day.

and chorus — played to crowds

2 Middle School strings members show off their talents.

ciplines — handbells, band, strings

Mondzac Performing Arts

the Musical Jr. Upper School

performers teamed with HoltonArms girls for the play Stage

Door. And, under the guidance

in Coates Auditorium during a

series of concerts this winter. And the string trio of T.J. Vongkovit

’15, Louis Tanous ’15 and Ramin Zarfeshan ’17 earned the highest

of new Director of Theatrical

Arts Andreu Honeycutt, Middle School thespians showed off

their chops with Molière’s Les

Précieuses Ridicules and the Rogers and Hammerstein revue A Grand Night for Singing.

Musicians had their day in the

spotlight as well. Bears from all

competitive score possible for their performance of six Beethoven

works at the District Ensemble Festival in March.

3 Donkey carries a tune in the Lower School’s Shrek the Musical Jr. 4 Middle School actors go for laughs in Molière’s comedy of manners Les Précieuses Ridicules.

5 Upper schoolers Vongkovit, Tanous and Zarfeshan competed at the District Ensemble Festival.

In case you missed them, here

are some highlights in pictures...

4

LES PRÉCIEUSES RIDICULES

1

SHREK

2

3 5 SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

17

ARTSUPDATE

VISUAL ARTS GALLERY 3

1

4

2 1 Peter King ’18 showed his eye for photography with his award winning Polaris.

4 William Amorosi ’22 painted this set backdrop for the Lower School’s Shrek the Musical Jr.

2 Wesley Pan ’16 created this dynamic ceramic, titled Joy.

5 Sawyer Gouldman ’19 took a uniquely cheery approach to his Day of the Dead skull painting.

3 Brett Gallagher ’18 harnessed the spirit of an Arctic fox in the aptly named Into the Wild.

6 Connor Pugh ’19 infused his Day of the Dead skull painting with a nature theme.

5 18

6 LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

7

Luke Glenn ’16 earned one of his two National Scholastic honors for Lost in the Woods.

12

Harrison Muth ’19 impressed judges with his mixed-media work A Piece of the Tetons.

8

Tyler McTague ’16 captured a pastoral vibe with this painting.

13

Clemens Knebel ’21 channeled Edgar Degas with this pencil drawing of a dancer.

9-11 Lower schoolers created

Halloween masks this fall.

9

13 10 7

14

8 SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

11

12 19

FEATURE | JIM NEILL

MEET OUR NEXT HEADMASTER Jim Neill shares his thoughts on Landon... and fun facts about himself

BY TOM DICHIARA

20

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

n July 1, Jim Neill will become Landon’s sixth headmaster

in its 86-year history. Since the Board of Trustees an-

nounced Neill’s appointment

in November, he has met

with trustees, parents, students,

faculty and staff to begin to get

acquainted with our school and our

community. Some may be familiar with Jim’s background: A

sixth-generation Washingtonian who attended Gonzaga College High School, Harvard University and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, he has served as head of Na-

tional Presbyterian School (NPS) for the past nine years. He has

What I’m most excited about is getting to know the people of the institution.

Everyone I have met here is clearly missioncentered with a real devotion to and affection for the place.

— Jim Neill, Incoming Headmaster

taught at St. Albans and Georgetown Visitation locally, as well as

Convent of the Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco. He and his wife, Amy McNamer, an attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are the parents of three children, Kathleen (14), Bridget (12) and Hugh (9).

In a wide-ranging conversation with Landon Magazine, Neill provides insight into why he is excited about

the opportunity to lead Landon, what he hopes to accomplish, and how several years spent on Wall Street

and Capitol Hill led him to a career in education. He also shares some illuminating personal facts, including how he spends his summers, why he counts A River Runs Through It among his favorite books, and what he did when he briefly lived in Morocco.

WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING THE HEADMASTER AT LANDON, AND WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT ASSUMING THE ROLE? What I’m most excited about is getting to know the people in the community. Everyone I have met here is

clearly mission-centered with a real devotion to and affection for the place. There’s an incredibly impressive group of people running the school and delivering the mission, and all of the students I’ve met are so wel-

coming, respectful and thoughtful. That is really exciting because I think of this job as a form of service, and those are the ones whom I’m serving. The mission and the culture of the school are attractive to me. It’s a

place that’s interested in being forward-looking but in a traditional setting. That aligns with how I see things.

The school’s core values, from honor to character to integrity to fair play — those are the right things to fo-

cus on. A boys school setting is also one that I feel really comfortable in. I believe in it. I have lived it, both as

a student and as a teacher and coach. And I understand the value of it. It’s also exciting to try something new.

But, at the end of the day, this mission, this focus on balanced excellence and getting to know the students as human beings — the whole teacher-coach-mentor idea — resonates with me.

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

21

FEATURE | JIM NEILL

Jim, an avid fisherman, hooked this massive salmon on the Olympic Peninsula.

A big part of being in education is feeling like you’re giving back, feeling like you’re in service to others and, from a long-term perspective, feeling like what you do matters.

— Jim Neill

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR FREE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY? I love to coach, and I have coached most of my life. I started in third or The Neill kids enjoy summer vacation in Maine.

fourth grade coaching my little brother’s soccer team. I have coached my older daughter’s soccer team since she was in kindergarten (she is now a freshman in high school), and I now coach my younger daughter’s club soccer team. I also enjoy going to watch my children’s games. I have a big extended family here in D.C., so we spend a lot of time together.

My wife, kids and I have a house in Maine where we spend part of every summer. When we’re there, we swim and kayak and spend a lot of time outside; my son and I in particular like to get out into the woods or on

the lake, and both of us like fishing. Lastly, I love to garden and work in the yard — I find it to be relaxing, creative and physically engaging.

WHAT KIND OF MOVIES AND TV SHOWS ARE YOU INTO? I like movies, but don’t see too many. The last movie I saw was The Hobbit with my son because he was all fired up about it. I must admit that

I’m somewhat of a sap for happy-ending stories and I also like documentaries, like the recent ones on the Roosevelts. As for TV, I mostly end up watching sports. I love NFL games, and I’m happy that the Wizards are

good again. I grew up with good professional sports teams in D.C., so it’s been a rough decade or two.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS? WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR HERE? I plan to listen as much as I can, ask questions, and at the same time share a fresh perspective on things. I want to work with the existing

systems and the people who are a part of the place and tap into their

gifts, so the overall institution can be as strong as possible. That doesn’t

come about from one person thinking he has all the answers. That comes about from collaboration and constructively challenging one another...

and an intense focus on the fact that we’re here for the boys and we have to make mission-oriented decisions based on what is best for them.

22

I read nonfiction mostly, and I recently read Boys in the Boat about the

1936 University of Washington rowing team. They were Depression-era sons of families engaged in the Pacific Northwest trades of fishing, log-

ging, mining and farming — and they ended up being the 1936 Olympic gold-medal winners. It’s a story that’s very American and very moving.

I recently finished reading Seabiscuit, which is the horse version of that story in a lot of ways. Unbroken is another great book — an amazing

story of survival and will. My favorite fiction book might be Cry, the Be-

loved Country. It’s beautifully written, and the story is so intensely powerLANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

Jim gets to know Landon faculty members during a visit to campus.

ful. And I’m a fly fisherman, so A River Runs Through It is a book that

really speaks to me. The story of family, the poignant nature of loss, the

spiritual aspects of fly fishing, and the fact that my wife is from Montana — for me, that’s a book that resonates. I also like reading books like The

Big Short or When Genius Failed, interesting stories about how large-scale crises come about in business and the financial markets. One of the main reasons we teach Greek and Shakespearean tragedies is that these works reveal timeless truths about human nature, like the notion that hubris

leads to a downfall. This isn’t a new idea, and yet we see it play out again and again in contemporary life.

HOW DID YOU GO FROM WORKING ON WALL STREET AND CAPITOL HILL TO A CAREER IN EDUCATION? I went right to Wall Street after college and took a job working in the tax-exempt bond markets. It was great exposure to how Wall Street,

government and the markets work, but ultimately I decided it wasn’t

for me long-term. I wanted to get back to D.C., so I took a position in

New York Senator Pat Moynihan’s office on the Hill, working on banking and tax legislation as a junior staffer. It was a great experience with

great people, but it was something of a burnout job. So I took a year off

and went to Morocco because Amy (my then-girlfriend, now-wife) was

there teaching at the Casablanca American School. I met some Moroccan guys, traveled and played soccer on the beach, and had a great time.

That was just a short stint, though. A buddy of mine was coaching at

St. Albans and told me about an opening for a teacher-coach, which I

was fortunate enough to get. I worked at St. Albans for three years and

When we had our first child, we moved back home. My family is here,

and Amy has two siblings in D.C. I got a job at Georgetown Visitation and was there for three years before I decided I wanted to take the leap

into a leadership role. Having taught at three schools at that point, I had

my own perspective of what ideas might work and how I would approach leading a school. So I went to business school to use it as a springboard into academic leadership. The plan worked: After Kellogg, I came back to D.C. to be head of NPS.

WHAT DREW YOU TO EDUCATION? Being part of a school makes you look forward to going to work every

day and you feel good knowing that what you do has real social value to it. For me, a big part of being in education is feeling like you’re giv-

ing back, feeling like you’re in service to others and, from a long-term

perspective, feeling like what you do matters. If you can get children to

do the right things now, it will hopefully stick... and maybe they’ll teach their children the right things, and on it goes.

loved it. Then we moved to San Francisco when Amy took a job with a

WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE

of the Sacred Heart High School (similar to Stone Ridge) for five years.

I suppose here at Landon most folks don’t know much about me yet —

firm there right out of law school, and I taught and coached at Convent

SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU? I’m something of a mystery man. So I look forward to getting to know the community and vice versa. I’m a big gardener, and especially enjoy shaping the landscape and overall planting of our yard. I enjoy house

projects too. I tore the siding off our house in Maine, and underneath it found cedar shingles still in great shape. I’m not a great carpenter, but

I think I can do more than the average guy. My brothers are both very

good in that respect, so it’s fun learning from them or working with them on projects, and my son enjoys it too. I’ve always loved to fish and got

into fly fishing in the ’90s. When I was teaching, I’d take the summers

and drive around the Rockies with teacher friends to fish for weeks at a

time. It got to a point where I was really in tune with the water and fish.

I could see little movements in the water and just know where a fish was and where to cast. I’ve since lost some of that sensibility, but it was fun The Neill family celebrates Kathleen’s 8th grade graduation from Norwood School.

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

while I had it... and I know one day I will regain it.

23

FEATURE | TEDDY SEARS

‘MASTER’ OF THE ARTS

Actor Teddy Sears ’95 on his hit TV show, his Landon mentors, and how acting found him BY TOM DICHIARA

24

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

T

eddy Sears is not a doctor, but he does play one on TV. Specifically, he portrays Dr. Austin Lang-

ham on the hit Showtime series Masters of Sex, a ’50s-set drama about the doctors whose research

ignited the sexual revolution. The role has won the 38-year-old critical accolades and legions of fans,

as well as a trip to the 2014 Golden Globes and a

spot on People magazine’s 2014 “Men of the Year” list.

Although Teddy has an impressive resume — including a stint as a

What makes Landon great is this emphasis on the wellrounded individual. That starts in the classroom and continues with disciplines in other areas, be it athletics or the arts.

series regular on the TNT lawyer drama Raising the Bar, guest spots on

— Teddy Sears ’95

a role in the Tom Ford film A Single Man along with Colin Firth and

nothing like it is today. It makes me happy to see the arts being celebrated.”

AMC’s Mad Men, FX’s American Horror Story and HBO’s Big Love, and Julianne Moore — acting was not always his dream.

Even so, it was at Landon that the seeds of Teddy’s future career began

to take root. He says that teachers Al Goddard, Tom Dixon and Hans Farnstrom instilled in him a lifelong love of language and storytelling

SOWING THE SEEDS A 10-year Bear, Teddy is one

that has served him well as an actor. He also learned the value of explora-

of many Sears men to walk

tion and self-reflection in discovering one’s passion.

among the White Rocks. His

“What makes Landon great is this emphasis on the well-rounded

father Ed ’61 and uncles Joe

individual. That starts in the classroom and continues with disciplines

the school. Teddy’s younger

fantastic — especially as a young kid, it’s great to try it all. Exposure to

’54 and John ’65 attended

in other areas, be it athletics or the arts,” Teddy said. “I just think that’s

brothers Ricky ’99 and

these things is the best way to figure out what interests and excites you.”

Christian ’01, also 10-year men,

A strong bond with math teacher Steve Sorkin, forged during Teddy’s

now teach at Landon: Ricky is an

Upper School years, opened his eyes to

Upper School art teacher, Christian a

Middle School science teacher. (Teddy’s older

sister Dana, a 1993 graduate of Holton-Arms,

the full breadth of options The Sears children with their mother Charlotte

before him.

“Mr. Sorkin was some-

and mother Charlotte are also teachers.)

one who was very influ-

doubt where his sons would go to school. “When I came to Landon, I

said. “He told me it was

started in third grade, so Charlotte and I wanted to make sure our boys

graduating college to

According to Ed Sears, there was never a

was in the seventh grade,” he recalled. “I really envied my friends that

got the Lower School experience. They certainly made the most of their 10 years at Landon.”

As a Bear, Teddy played football, was a nationally ranked swimmer

and perennial Student Council member, skated on the school’s inaugural

ice hockey team, and dabbled in the studio arts. One thing he did not do at Landon was act — at all.

“Having a profession in the arts was something that just never really

entered my head because everyone’s parents did something in business or

ential for me,” Teddy

not uncommon for guys ride motorcycles across

North Africa. I was like,

‘Whoa! That’s something

you can do?’ He was very much

in favor of the world being a big

place and exploring it to find yourself. That inspired me.”

Teddy was a football, swimming and ice hockey standout in his Landon days.

“I told Teddy, ‘The best time to

politics, and it was hard to imagine diverging from that,” Teddy confessed.

try something adventurous is when you’re 22 or 23,” Sorkin recalled. “If it

culture was definitely changing to incorporate the arts more, but it was

schools and business schools will always be there.’”

“Back then, the emphasis at Landon was ‘sound mind, sound body.’ That

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

doesn’t work out, you can always come back and buy a blue suit. The law

25

FEATURE | TEDDY SEARS

whether he landed a part or one of my paintings got into a show.”

BLAZING HIS OWN PATH With this in mind (and having

When Teddy moved out to Los Angeles to pursue more acting roles,

received similar advice

Christian was there for support. The two lived together, surfed together

graduated from the

lacrosse coach at the time, also helped Teddy read lines and prepare for

from his father), Teddy

and ate $1 hot dogs together. Christian, a personal trainer and high school

University of Vir-

auditions. It was a time that Christian, six years Teddy’s junior, relished.

ginia in 1999 and

“When you’re growing up, six years is everything,” Christian said. “I

moved to Hawaii

used to do summer strength and conditioning as a fifth grader to spend

work on a catama-

for his football team. It was so cool to live with Teddy in California and

for six months to

time with Teddy. When I was in the Lower School, I was the water boy

ran. There, he met

see how hard he worked to realize his dream.”

an entertainment

agent and got his first

KNOW YOUR SEARS BROTHERS

taste of acting as an extra

in a Kiefer Sutherland movie in Kauai.

Teddy then moved to New York

Teddy and Ricky (pictured) share a love of surfing with their siblings.

City, signed with a modeling agency

and, on a lark, auditioned for the soap opera One Life to Live. “I had zero acting experience,” he said. “I figured I’d do it just to have a great story

for my grandkids one day.” He went into the audition with no headshot

and the faint notion that he should “act natural”... and walked away with the role of “Chad.”

“I was thrilled, but I was also terrified,” Teddy remembered. “But when

I got to the set, I just fell in love with it immediately. I don’t know how

TEDDY ’95 • Actor on Masters of Sex, American Horror Story, the upcoming movie Liv • Member of the inaugural Landon ice hockey team • Recently played in the Winter Classic VIP hockey game at Nationals Park RICKY ’99 • Upper School art teacher at Landon • Member of Landon’s 1999 lacrosse national championship team • Recently exhibited his paintings at Brookville Healing Arts

to say this except that acting found me.”

CHRISTIAN ’01

because I just don’t think I was that good,” he joked). But his passion for

• Member of Landon’s 2001 lacrosse national championship team

Teddy spent two years on the show before being let go (“I was fired

acting was undaunted, and he committed to a two-year acting school to hone his craft with legendary teacher William Esper.

• Middle School science teacher at Landon

• Recently got engaged to Landon Chinese teacher Elizabeth Tredeau

To pay the rent, Teddy worked any odd job he could — as a night

janitor at an acting studio, where he would practice his lines by himself

in the wee hours; as a security guard at trade shows defending top-secret displays; and even painting apartments and hanging drywall with Ricky, who was in New York getting his master’s at the School of Visual Arts.

BROTHER BEARS Teddy and Ricky leaned on each other heavily during that period. “When Teddy was out in Hawaii, he and I wrote each other letters — it was him listening to me figure myself out, and me doing the same thing for him,” Ricky said. “When we were in New York, both trying to make it in these creative arenas, it was important that we had each other for encouragement and support. The best times were when one of us got something,

26

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

I like to imagine that if there’s some guy reading this who is curious about some area of his life that isn’t emphasized in the curriculum at Landon, he’ll go after that thing and explore it... because you never know where it may lead you.

— Teddy Sears ’95

FROM STRUGGLING ACTOR TO ‘MASTER’ PERFORMER That hard work certainly paid off, something Teddy attributes to sticking it out through the years.

“You hang around long enough, and the casting people get to know

you and start to see your development over the years,” he explained.

“Then they feel comfortable advocating for you to network executives.

That’s when you start to get jobs.”

In 2008, Teddy landed a series-regular role on the TNT drama Raising

the Bar, which lasted two seasons, and subsequently booked multi-episode arcs on high-profile shows Torchwood and American Horror Story.

While these parts gave Teddy confidence in his abilities, it wasn’t until he

scored the role of Dr. Langham on Masters of Sex that his career truly took off. “I knew as soon as I read the part that

“Hanging out with my

siblings is great — when we

get together, we speak in this

weird language that’s a hybrid of old Simpsons episodes and movie quotes,” Teddy said.

“And my closest friendships are

still with my Landon classmates.

The personal bonds that I formed make

me look back and say, ‘Man, that’s what really

makes that place special.’ I would fly across the

Teddy with wife Milissa, a fellow actor

world to visit my Landon friends.”

The feeling is mutual. Bryan Sun ’95 flew in from Nairobi, Kenya, to

it was something I wanted to do,”

attend Teddy’s October 2013 wedding — and he was not the only Bear

riod drama on an exciting cable

and Class of 1995 members Tanner Campbell, Craig Shapiro, Jamie

Teddy said. “It was a prestige pe-

present. Teddy’s longtime pal Oakley Johnson ’96 was the best man,

network. I’m just so lucky that

Leachman, Mike Voris, John Lazerow and Brad Ansary also

I got the part and that people

attended.

love the show as much as

“Teddy is the same guy today as he was at

they do.”

Landon: reserved, smart, inquisitive, kind,” John-

The show debuted in 2013

son said. “He hasn’t let fame phase him at all.

and went on to earn a Best

And he’s very loyal and still very connected to

Drama Series Golden Globe nomination. Teddy suddenly found his

image gracing magazines and fans screaming for him on red carpets.

Still, he insists that not much

the Landon community.”

Left: Teddy on the set of Masters of Sex Right: At senior prom with classmate Jamie Leachman

has changed in his life — except that more doors have opened for him

professionally. Over the past year, he has filmed the independent features Liv and Curve, and other projects are in the works.

LANDON FOREVER For now, Teddy is spending time with his wife (actress Milissa Sears) and

playing hockey whenever he can. This winter, he returned to the D.C. area to visit family and friends, including his siblings and former classmates.

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

Indeed, Teddy hopes his experience may

inspire other Landon students to boldly take the

road less traveled.

“It’s just so important to follow those things inside of

you that excite you. It doesn’t have to be something in the arts

necessarily. But whatever gets your heart beating or tickles your insides

is something worth checking out,” Teddy said. “It may lead to a career, it

may not. That’s what acting was for me initially, and it has blossomed into a real love. I like to imagine that if there’s some guy reading this who is

curious about some area of his life that isn’t emphasized in the curriculum at Landon, he’ll go after that thing and explore it... because you never know where it may lead you.”

27

LANDONALUMNI

July 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014

CLASS NOTES

Alumni Board Eyes Bigger Role In the Community

T

here are more than 2,400 living Landon alumni, and

1942

the discussion not only about Landon’s past but also its

new Grizzly Bear caps with friend Sarah in

the Alumni Board wants to make them an active part of

future. To accomplish this, the Alumni Board, under President Matt Coursen ’99, has formulated a four-part strategic plan to enhance

Forever young, Fred Weekes displays his Lakewood, Washington.

its mission and reconnect the entire Alumni Association with the Landon community as a whole.

“The Alumni Board represents the largest constituency within

Landon by a huge margin,” Coursen said. “So we need to have more visibility on campus. We need to be more connected to the school, the faculty, the admissions process and the families themselves.”

The first step in this plan, which Coursen calls “The Four Rs,”

is for the Alumni Board to refine its purpose — a goal that will be

accomplished through a survey of the entire Alumni Association to gather and analyze data that will inform its strategic plan mov-

ing forward. Coursen’s hope is that the results of this survey, which

launches May 7, and the corresponding plan ensure that the Alumni Board serves its constituents in the most effective way in the future.

The second step is to reconnect with the Landon community on

campus through events such as an Alumni Board Visiting Day. The

1943 Bob Hanson hosted Landon Grizzly Bears for a potluck picnic at his farm in September.

goal is to strengthen relationships and form new ones with key stakeholders in order to improve the Alumni Board’s visibility and play a more prominent role as advocates for Landon’s mission.

The third initiative is to reimagine the alumni brand. “We need

to convey the good of what we’re doing to the greater community,”

Coursen said. “The Landon alumni network is one of our strongest

differentiators as an institution. We owe it to our fellow alums — both present and future — to ensure that the public perception of a Landon alumnus is positive, proud and in line with

1944

more frequent professional network-

the farm of Bob Hanson ’43 in early September.

Landon’s core values.” The plan calls for ing events and a more active presence

Stan Harris attended a potluck picnic held at

on social media to promote the many accomplishments of the alumni.

Please take the Landon Alumni Survey online beginning May 7 at landon.net/alumni.

The fourth “r” is to raise Landon’s

endowment to ensure the success of

the school for generations to come. “The most effective way to build our endowment is through one-on-one engagement with the alumni,” Coursen said. “If we

accomplish these things, we’ll be more involved in the discussion about the school, so that when you think

about Landon you won’t just think about the students and faculty; you’ll think about its alumni as well.”

28

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

Margaret and Joe Sears ’54 and Charlotte and Ed Sears ’61 joined several Grizzly Bears and their wives for a potluck picnic at the farm of Bob Hanson ’43 in early September.

1940s Class Reunion During homecoming weekend last November, several alumni who graduated in the 1940s (our

Grizzly Bears) shared Landon stories while enjoying dinner at Columbia Country Club. Front row (L to R): Jack Barriger ’44, Stan Harris ’44, Everett Wilson ’44; Back row (L to R): Chuck Boteler ’41, Ted Wright ’44, LeMoyne Ellicott ’47, Jay Ridgely ’47 and Bob Hanson ’43 Ted Wright writes: “We did a weeklong

canoe trip on the Green River of Utah with Adirondack Mountain Club. I gave a paper on ‘Modi and the Muslims in India’s 2014

Election’ at conferences in Zurich, Switzerland, and Hempstead, New York. Visited Greenland and saw Viking ruins there on the way home

from Europe. On Labor Day weekend, I hiked

3.5 miles into Johns Brook Loj in Keene Valley,

1950 Michael Riddiford is enjoying California retirement!

1952 Jay Phelan and Mary Fox attended a Grizzly

Bear potluck picnic at the farm of Bob Hanson ’43 in early September.

New York, and then hiked back.”

Page Cranford writes: “I retired from law practice and we moved to Williamsburg,

Virginia, in March 2014. We celebrated our

50th wedding anniversary with a river boat trip from Paris to Normandy in July 2014 with our two daughters. Now taking adjunct courses at College of William & Mary for fun.”

John Hains writes: “Best wishes to all my classmates!”

David Povich writes: “Monday, December 15,

1946

2014, was my last day at Williams & Connolly

Charlie Hobbs writes: “2014 brought sadness

after 51 years. A good run, but not close to my

and happiness. My beloved wife, Harriette,

father’s at the Post: 75 years.”

passed away June 13 after fighting a persistent infection for two years. My youngest of four

1955

grandchildren to 10. Life is good, health is good.

Skip Rideout closed their bed and breakfast

daughters bore twins in January, bringing my

For the first time in nine years, Jennie and

I’m happy with how my daughters have turned

in Cambridge, Maryland, during “prime

out.”

1954

1948

Meryl and Gil Nolan joined several Grizzly

Gilbert Bogley is “delighted that the top three players on Landon’s 1948 national champion tennis team are still upright and taking

nourishment. Must have been those healthful

Landon lunches taken under the watchful eyes of the Messrs. Clarke, Collins and Prindle.”

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

Bears and their wives for a potluck picnic at the farm of Bob Hanson ’43 in early September.

time” and took a 17-day vacation by plane,

train and automobile to the West Coast and Canada. First it was 2,000 miles by plane

from Washington, D.C., to Calgary. That was

followed by a one-week rail trip on the Rocky

Mountaineer to Banff, Lake Louise, Vancouver

and Seattle. From there they took an additional 10 days driving 3,600 miles cross-country,

through 12 states, back to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. They took in several of the national

29

LANDONALUMNI

parks (Glacier, Custer’s Battlefield, Devil’s

Tower and Mount Rushmore) and also had

a chance to visit friends along the way. It was a tiring but exhilarating trip. They plan to go back to cruising, an easier form of travel, for

their next adventure. (For more on Skip, see the Grizzly Bear profile on p. 31.)

Murray Simpson ’55 and Clayton Eisinger ’56 attended a potluck picnic at the farm of Bob Hanson ’43 in early September.

Charlie Hayes retired October 31 and has moved to Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.

Sam Milliken says: “I’m enjoying my 42nd

year of catering, and I’d like to say that catering relationships are wonderful, helping people

celebrate some of the most important events

of their life. Day after day, meeting clients and former clients to discuss their dreams is very

satisfying. My wife Lore received the Medal of Civil Merit from the king of Spain, and more recently she [was named an] Outstanding

Woman of the Year by a Taurine organization.”

1956 Marjatta and Mac Langford are a very active couple on Lopez Island, Washington. They

are friendly with everyone on the island and are involved with almost every community,

environmental and philanthropic activity. As

Mac and Marjatta’s guests for a day, Nancy and Lowell Davis received the royal treatment —

Nancy and Lowell Davis visited Frank Hughes and wife Paula in Seattle. Frank displayed

his varsity letter sweater, which he had not

worn for 50 years (still fits!). Frank is an avid

bicyclist. Paula is a professor working on an app to help regulate healthy lifestyles.

even though Lowell was a Williams College grad and Mac settled for Amherst.

Heaton Nash writes: “Hurrah for Bobby

Banks!” Heaton spoke at the Banks dedication during Landon’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.

1959 Karin and Bill Weber joined several Grizzly

Bears and their wives for a potluck picnic at the farm of Bob Hanson ’43 in early September.

George McCeney’s latest song, “A Face From

Another Place,” was released on Bill Emerson

& the Sweet Dixie Band’s Dancin’ Annie album.

1957 Nancy and Lowell Davis visited Dr. Ward

Smith and his wife Joyce in Portland, Oregon,

where they have a home and yard large enough to keep six children and eight grandchildren

Stephen Kneipple writes: “I retired from

and chickens active and happy. Ward was at

Administration on July 31, 2014. My wife

(all living in Portland), cats, dogs, goldfish

Bandon Dunes in 1999 for the dedication of the golf course.

30

1958

my job with the Mine Safety & Health Nancy and I took a tour of Australia in October.”

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

Grizzly Bear Skip Rideout ’55: Inspired to Educate

A

Landon education did more than

help Skip Rideout ’55 develop into an accomplished, responsible and

Landon Fathers Club president in ’61.

His wife Jennie and her mother Ella

caring man; it also guided his 38-year career

Thompson also have Landon connections. Ella

connections.

Landon Summer day camp nurse and secretary

in education and helped him forge lifelong

“Landon is a great place to grow up, a great

place to study, and a great place to solidify your

taught third grade for 17 years, and Jennie was a for three years.

Rideout’s grandchildren Chase ’16 and Cal

friendships,” said Rideout, who credits strong

Christensen ’21 currently attend Landon. His

Assistant Headmaster Bill Triplett, with first

Greens Sale and Holiday Boutique. “We are

relationships with his teachers, particularly

sparking his interest in becoming an educator.

Triplett hired Rideout as a counselor and

swim instructor at his summer camp program.

daughter Anne has been involved with the

probably as thick with Landon as any family,” Rideout said.

Rideout is proud of how the school’s mission

Although Rideout thought the position

has progressed since he left the White Rocks —

discovered, during several summers as a swim

way [Landon] does these days,” he recalled —

would be nothing more than a summer job, he instructor, that he loved to teach.

Rideout graduated from Amherst in 1959,

Landon is a great place to grow up, a great place to study and a great place to solidify your friendships.

and ’55, and his father Chuck served as the

“We didn’t emphasize community service the and has some advice for current Bears.

“Take advantage of all Landon has to offer,”

and, after a stint in the Maryland National

he said. “Sign up for AP courses, study as many

for teaching into a career. Headmaster Paul

foreign language.”

Guard, decided to transform his passion

Landon Banfield hired him as a Middle School

different subjects as you can, and take up a Today, Skip and Jennie run a bed and

English and geography teacher, as well as a

breakfast in Cambridge, Maryland, called the

grade and coached soccer and baseball during

to campus in October to celebrate his 60th

varsity football coach. Rideout also taught sixth six years at Landon, before going on to serve as a teacher and assistant principal at several

Mill Street Inn. Skip looks forward to returning reunion with his fellow Bears.

Bethesda-area public schools.

Among Rideout’s most memorable Landon

experiences were Mr. Banfield’s weekly Form VI ethics meetings and classes held in the Perkins Garden and Perkins House, which the boys lovingly referred to as “Azalea Tech.”

Landon holds a special place in the hearts

of many of Rideout’s relatives as well. His

brothers Tom ’59 and Steve ’61 also graduated

from Landon, and his parents were active in the community. His mother Ruth was the chair of the first two Azalea Garden Festivals in 1954

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

31

LANDONALUMNI

1961 Art Burket joined several Landon Grizzly

Bears for a potluck picnic at the farm of Bob Hanson ’43.

Joe Ford writes: “Globetrotting Dave Madison sent pictures of his chance encounters in

Europe with Fred Hetzel and John Ordman,

so I rummaged through my picture file labeled

1963 Dick Sanger took his grandson Wynn to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

“Chance Encounters” and — behold! — there was a snapshot taken at Peter Herrup’s

compound in Tanzania last February. Peter and

his wife Pam live at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro and run a general store selling mountaineering

supplies to tourists who come from all over the

world to tackle Kilimanjaro. We enjoyed a meal and a drink with them and their neighbors.

We became so enamored of our trip that we

decided to purchase Peter and Pam’s compound Ed Sears writes: “Very proud that two of my

sons, Ricky ’99 and Christian ’01, are teacher-

coach-mentors at Landon. Ricky teaches Upper School studio art and sculpture, and Christian teaches Middle School earth sciences.” (For more on the Sears family, see the feature about

from them. Sarah and I love the good life. As a special treat, we wake each morning at 4:30

a.m. to watch the wildebeests’ migration across our yard. If you thought traffic on the D.C.

Beltway was bad, try navigating my front walk to get the Tanzania Times!”

actor Teddy ’95 on p. 24.)

1964 Tom Shea had lunch with Nancy and Lowell Davis at a local favorite restaurant in Lake

Oswego, Oregon. Tom has retired from Merck & Co. and traveled to more than 90 countries.

Dave Madison writes: “I just bumped into

Currently, he and his wife Susan spend a

Judy and Bill Cox here in Santiago, Chile. I

great deal of time with their 5-year-old twin

was about to enter a restaurant for dinner, and I

grandchildren who live nearby.

noticed someone who looked like Billy arriving at a hotel across the street. So I cautiously approached and said, ‘Billy?’ And it was.

Incredible. They were just returning from an

Antarctic cruise and will be in Santiago for 2–3 days. I will enjoy showing them around a bit.

This on top of unexpectedly running into John Ordman in Rome and Fred Hetzel in Naples, Italy, last year. Classmates keep turning up when and where you least expect them.”

For the past 15 years, George Barbee has

been a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of

Business Management. He is currently writing a book on innovation, to be published in 2015.

1965 Quinn Holloman writes: “Since retiring from the Department of Defense in 2009, I have been coaching high school girls tennis. In

2014, I was named Patriot Conference Coach of the Year in Northern Virginia for helping

lead the W.T. Woodson Lady Cavaliers to the conference championship.”

32

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

The Washington City Paper featured Ellie

and Bob Tupper, who self-published a book tentatively titled Drinking in the Culture:

Tuppers’ Guide to Exploring European Beers. The book highlights the culture, history and top

beer destinations of 24 cities from Edinburgh

to Vienna. In between European travels, Bob is also a history teacher at Holton-Arms.

1967

1969

Charles R. Holton is a litigator and partner

Eric Pierpoint received the Mountains &

at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, and he is the director of the new Civil Justice Clinic

Plains Independent Booksellers Association

(MPIBA) “Reading the

at Duke Law School. Duke’s 10th legal clinic

West” children’s book

promises to build students’ civil litigation skills

award for his first novel,

while serving the legal needs of low-income

The Last Ride of Caleb

North Carolinians. Holton also leads a weekly

O’Toole. It is an

seminar that teaches basic civil litigation skills

exciting read for

and offers a confidential forum for students to

anyone, not just kids,

discuss their cases and brainstorm litigation

interested in the Wild

strategy.

West of the mid-1800s.

Ann and Nick Park spent a memorable three

days with relatives and friends celebrating the

wedding of their son in August. Nick is happily retired, and both he and his wife keep active After college, Cliff Roberson spent seven years

in Alaska, where he raised husky dogs and raced the Iditarod several times. Needing a change of pace, Cliff became a neurosurgeon for 35

years, then retired — needing a change of pace again. Now a farmer, Cliff has a 150-acre farm outside Corvallis, Oregon, on which he grows blueberries, hazelnuts and wheat. Cliff wants

his classmates to know that he sings in a choir

that has been invited to perform at the Kennedy Center on Memorial Day weekend 2015. In his spare time, Cliff has run marathons and also enters amateur bicycle races.

with their three grandchildren, who live near them in Portland, Oregon. Nick’s father was

a world traveler and instrumental in founding Smithsonian Magazine.

Mike Poore retired in April 2015, and will move to set up the Landon Class of ’67 headquarters in Las Vegas!

1969

Mike James writes: “After 40 years in the

had a wonderful 45th reunion the weekend

journalism business, the last five as sports editor of the Los Angeles Times, I retired at the end of August. The most frequent comments: ‘What are you going to do? You’ll have to get some

kind of part-time work to stay busy, won’t you?

You can’t play golf all the time.’ Well, after

three months, I can safely say that if you live in

Southern California, you CAN play golf all the time. And I’ve never been so busy. How I ever

got anything done while I was working, I have

Jack Leachman Jr. writes: “The Class of 1969 of November 7–8, with almost half the class present. A special thanks to Vicki and Zeke

Dodson, as well as Robert Fogarty, for hosting

class parties in their homes. We look forward to our 50th reunion in 2019 and hope many more will join in the festivities at that time. Our

class has been one of the leaders in supporting

Landon over the years, and more than 10 of us have sent our sons to Landon.”

no idea. Life is very, very good.”

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

33

LANDONALUMNI

1973

1970 Robert Arnold’s novel,

The Class of 1973 celebrated their 40th reunion

Novel of Saigon, which

Chase Libbey writes: “The Class of 1973’s 40th

Wilderness of Tigers: A

he wrote with his late

father, is now available at Amazon.com and

barnesandnoble.com in both print and e-pub,

as well as in print from

our website, chandellewinery.com. The book presents a vivid, unforgettable portrait of

Saigon on the eve of the 1968 Tet Offensive.

Mark Bierbower writes: “This is a photo of Santa Fe artist — and noted portraitist —

Ned Bittinger and me in front of St. Francis Cathedral Basilica in sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico, on November 10, 2014. My wife

Eleanor and I stopped by Santa Fe on a cross-

country drive and spent the afternoon with Ned, who gave us a great tour of the city — including the Miraculous Staircase at Loretto Chapel,

lunch at Pasqual’s, and his favorite art galleries

on Canyon Road. It was a terrific day, including many warm memories of our days at Landon.”

in 2013, and the festivities were unforgettable.

reunion weekend featured a Friday on-campus party at which class members performed,

in addition to the traditional Saturday class

dinner. For the bandmates (Bruce Tanous, Rip Westmoreland, Lee Wallace, Clark Cochran,

myself, and Peter Stone and Bruce Wilkinson from our Middle School years), the reunion

was actually a year-long process. We had several overnight practices, followed by post-practice partying and late-night crank calling the

random unsuspecting absent bandmate (sorry, Wally Lum). We reconvened the next night

for dinner at David “Mel” Laird’s. Felice and

Mel once again opened their amazing abode to

succeed has always been invaluable. Although it may sound trite, when things get a bit out

of hand, I frequently think back to the 1973

Landon v. St Albans game, which we lost in the waning minute on a 45-yard field goal kicked

by Nick Lowery of NFL fame. That game

taught me a few lessons, including that it is not whether you win or lose that matters so much

as it is how you win or lose. And there are silver linings to almost everything. The last piece is

a condensation of what Jeff Georgia’s dad told us after the game. I still remember it as if it were yesterday.”

1975 Michael Murphy, P.C. Koch and Chip

Arnold ’76 enjoyed a round of golf with Lowell Davis in Bethesda in September.

host, for which we give many thanks. Perennial reunion committee leader Bruce McNair

ensured all were warmly welcomed and properly feted — great food, fun, and 26 members of the class together again after all of these decades.

And hardly anyone forgot a name.”

Nick Gill writes: “Escorted my father, John

W. Gill Sr. ’42, to the Landon vs. St. Albans

football game. He has gone to every game since 1936 except while abroad during WWII. He turned 92 on November 17, 2014.”

1974 Dr. Louis Meyers is a physician working in Vermont hospitals.

Richard Abraham writes: “I have been Scott Watson got married on June 28, 2014, and is living happily in Flourtown, Pennsylvania.

married to Beth for 27 years. We have two

sons. Our elder son, Andrew (23), is a graduate of Marquette University and an account

executive with a marketing/advertising firm in

Minneapolis. Our younger son, Jordan (20), is a junior at Roanoke College. I am the managing

1976 David Beardsley writes: “Retired from Navy

a year-and-a-half ago. Moved back to D.C. to be near kids who live in Baltimore, D.C. and Raleigh, so Fredricksburg is central to all of

them. Current practice is wonderful, doing a lot of regional anesthesia.”

member of Abraham & Bauer’s Towson office.

The work ethic that Landon instilled in me to

34

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

ALUMNI EVENTS

Homecoming, Reunion, Holiday Lunch, Hockey Game and More!

1 Generations mingled at the Alumni Holiday Luncheon.

2 Bears get pumped for the Homecoming game.

1

2

3 Grizzly Bears caught up at the Holiday Luncheon.

4 Alumni and students played in May’s Jacoby Cup tennis tournament.

5 Kupka Award winner Donald Dell ’56 and Banfield Award recipient Murray Simpson ’55 were honored at the Holiday Luncheon.

6 Homecoming spirit.

7 The Class of 2004 celebrated their 10th reunion.

3

4

8 Alumni reconnected at an NYC reception.

5 7 6

8 9 Mike Finn ’64 met his Lower School pen pal during a special Grizzly Bear reunion event.

10 Bears hit the ice for the annual Alumni Hockey Game overThanksgiving break.

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

9

10 35

LANDONALUMNI

1977 Dr. Roger Blumenthal writes: “I enjoyed

playing golf with John Marvin Jones and

Bill Amoroso and watching Rob Adkins ’15

quarterback the Bears vs. Boys Latin game in

Baltimore. It was also fun to speak at Landon’s

great time catching up, laughing, reminiscing

assigned to Station 101 in the Arden/Arcade

demonstrated how to properly cut down a

— you won’t be disappointed!”

and rummaging about his property. Jay

95-foot-tall tree, which took him all of about

neighborhood of Sacramento. Come ride along

10 minutes (including dragging it back to his mill). Jay makes it look easy.

Women’s Health Forum honoring Maria Weiss.”

1979 Owen O’Toole

published Not Water, a

collection of drawings, collages and paintings

from across 30 years of

1985

artistic practice.

1982 1980 Steve Block joined Eagle Bank as a senior

Rocky Kern visited Brooks Englehardt in San Antonio, Texas.

mortgage banker.

Husband. Father of four. If you aren’t convinced whatever Rich Roll is doing works (for him),

1981

we’re not sure what else will convince you.”

Dr. Mark Peterson ’81 writes: “My youngest

1988

son, Luke ’17, is in Form IV and wears the

Luke Lappin, his wife Shelly and their two

Landon Bear with pride. He is being taught

Classmates Mark Peterson, Greg Mott and

Bill Adkins ventured to the White Mountains in New Hampshire recently to spend a few days with Jay Legg, his wife Cheryl and

their family. Jay has a 100-acre tree farm,

forest and sawmill, and his company Legg’s Logs specializes in all sorts of specialty

lumber. Jay is a certified forester and is also

the town fire warden! The classmates had a

Greatist named Rich Roll one of the 100 Most

athlete. Former entertainment attorney.

triumph!”

ones are still around.”

“intersection of art and commerce.”

described him thusly: “Vegan. Ultra-endurance

of the ’79 reunion class at the Homecoming

Rosenthal, and we feel lucky some of the great

Project, a convention that focuses on the

Influential People in Health and Fitness, and

John Sanders writes: “Happy to see some

by two of Landon’s finest, Mr. Sorkin and Mr.

Tom Scott hosted the 4th annual Nantucket

1983 Rick Kirschner was selected to be the next

head of school of Canterbury School, a pre-K through grade 12 coeducational, college

preparatory school in Fort Myers, Florida. He

daughters, along with Lowell and Nancy Davis, enjoyed a cookout gathering at the Portland,

Oregon, home of Blake Kingsley ’78. Blake’s

wife Linda and three of their five children also provided great company.

will begin full time in July 2015.

1984 Brad Reynolds writes: “On June 29, I was

promoted to the rank of fire captain with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, the

seventh largest fire department in California.

I will continue to work as a paramedic

with the department and am currently

36

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

Lee Van Blerkom and Jamie Rooney ’90

realized that both were working in Seattle and

brought their respective families together for an evening of Landon stories followed by a lunch the next day with Lowell and Nancy Davis.

Although living in Seattle, both Jamie and

Lee still have family members who love the Redskins.

1989 Class Reunion 1989 Andy Johnson, Craig Beach, Ed Loughran, Aydin Tuncer, Carter Hertzberg, David Michener, Scott Huguely, Lee Schinnerer, Jimmy Mannino, Paul Dorn, Dickie Mahaffey, Hardy Spire,

Donald Sienkiewicz, Scott Davis, Conan Matthews, Brian Rodgers, Kevin Kane, Brian Klapac

and Ed Cunningham were among those who gathered for the Class of 1989 reunion party.

1991

1992

The five Singh brothers gathered at the home of

Ed Burman was inducted into the Bucknell

December 2014. Pictured (L to R) are Jayan ’93,

of the Bucknell football team and the Patriot

their mother, Judy, to celebrate her birthday in

1990 Jamie Rooney and Lee Van Blerkom ’88 took

Raman ’97, Rajan ’92, Gari ’90 and Ravi ’91.

a lunch break in downtown Seattle with Lowell

career total of 25.5 sacks is still tied for the most

the Redskins over the Seahawks.

in program history. During that sensational

1995 season, Burman also totaled 101 tackles

Pete Olson writes: “Hey boys! Happy New

and one interception, which he returned 79

Year to you all! I’m in Asia taking on another

yards for a touchdown in a seven-point win over

racing season with the goal of becoming the

the 2015 season and am ready to kick some

butt. All the best to you guys! My website is

was also an Associated Press I-AA Third Team school record with 14.5 quarterback sacks. His

and climate of Seattle while still cheering on

just received BELL Helmets sponsorship for

League Defensive Player of the Year in 1995. He All-America selection that year, when he set a

and Nancy Davis. Both enjoy the sports culture

first American to win a race series out here. I

Athletics Hall of Fame. Burman was the MVP

Amy and Peter Corrigan welcomed Allison

Lane Corrigan on July 18, 2014. Byers and CC love playing with their new sister “Laney.”

Fordham. Burman was also a Second Team AllPatriot League choice in 1994, and he earned

the Christy Mathewson Award as the top senior athlete in his class at Bucknell.

www.peteolson.com or www.facebook.com/ peteolsonracing.”

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

37

LANDONALUMNI Karin and Jason Redisch welcomed twin

baby girls, Virginia Michael and Everly Susan Redisch, in May 2014.

1993 Reed Fawell, Todd Eichelberger, Douglas

Kiker, Brooks Brown, David Wilner, Webb

Hayes and Graham Ernst got together in Vail, Colorado.

1996 Pictured: Adam Katzen and wife Lisa with daughter Bryce; Paisley and Doug Blank with sons Gardner and Levi; Lyndsy and Adam Paulson with daughter Nataly; Kristin Gunther with daughter Campbell; Morgan and Preston Miller with children Reese, Harper and Wyatt

1996 Matt Katz writes: “Lela Jane Katz was born

on October 20 and joins Jake (7) and Elsa (5).

We live in Bronxville, New York, and enjoyed

1994 Lowell and Nancy Davis joined Aaron Baraff and his 2-year-old daughter Jessica for dinner

getting back to Landon for my 20th reunion this past November.”

Kristin and Matt Gunther welcomed son

Bode Burke Gunther on November 9, 2014.

He tipped the scales at 8 lb. 6 oz., likely his last time in the heavyweight division. Bode also

arrived with a full head of hair, not likely his

last time surpassing dad. Bode joins big sister Campbell Rose, 1½ years.

in Portland, Oregon, while both were eagerly

awaiting the birth of a baby brother. Waiting no

longer, Eli Robert Baraff was born September 16.

38

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

1998 Dr. Ravi Ramachandran is a spine surgeon

living in Sacramento, California. He is chief of surgery at Nivano Healthcare and director of spine surgery at Mercy Hospital of Folsom.

1999 Alex Walker of Miller Walker Retail Real Estate helped George Vincent secure the

location of his third Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop in Georgetown, which opened December 15.

Kendall and George Vincent welcomed

daughter Channing Peel Vincent on October 9, 2014. Channing was 6 lb. 2 oz. and 19 inches long at birth.

1999 The Class of 1999 posed for a picture at their reunion in November. Back row: Matt Coursen;

Middle row (L to R): Dave Vendt, Cameron Coursen, Justin Shackleford, Charlie Gelatt, Ravi Pillay,

Erik Vachon, Mike Boyd, Dan Adams, James Langdon, Joe Hainline, Ricky Sears, Juan Pablo Valdivieso, Leonard Bennett; Front row (L to R): Thad Minshall, George Vincent, David Kramer, Ted Glynn,

Brigham Kiplinger, Sanjay Rupani, Myke Cohn, Jeff Saltman, Alex Walker, Fikapo Gondwe, Dan Freer Class of 1999 members (pictured L to R) Alex Bush, Drew Cole, Thad Minshall,

George Vincent, Billy Libby, Cameron

Coursen, Matt Coursen, Myke Cohn, Dave

Burman and Dan Adams reunited for Libby’s November 2014 wedding.

Anderson Orthopedic Clinic in Arlington, Virginia, and will begin in August 2015.

Landon hosted the third annual Capital

Lacrosse Invitational, a premier college fall-ball lacrosse tournament in memory of George

Boiardi ’00 and in support of The Mario St. George Boiardi Foundation and its mission

Billy Libby married Tiffany Jow at the

of “empowering the next generation through

University Club in New York City on November

academics and athletics.” This photo of

1, 2014, and many people from Landon

volunteers includes Deborah and Mario Boiardi,

attended. Tiffany is currently a dermatology

Billy Fort ’98, Marcus Witowski ’00, and (on

resident at Albert Einstein College of Medicine,

the far right) Jeff Tambroni, who was the head

and Billy is back at Goldman Sachs doing

lacrosse coach at Cornell when George Boiardi

electronic trading.

played there.

Dave Burman and his family traveled to

London to watch Mike Rutenberg coach the Jacksonville Jaguars in their game against the Dallas Cowboys at Wembley Stadium.

2000 Thomas Sanders and his wife Megan

welcomed their second daughter, Cecilia Anne Sanders, on June 7. Big sister Evelyn adores her new play toy. Thomas has also accepted a position as an orthopedic surgeon at the

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

39

LANDONALUMNI

2001 Duffey Phelps is studying in the MBA real

Lindsay and Jeff Wieker welcomed baby Zane Lee Wieker on August 29, 2014.

estate program at the University of Wisconsin,

Kevin Sanford ’02 and Matt Ward ’02 served

as groomsmen. Other Bears in attendance

first child, Nicolas Gabriel Barahona, to the

included Stoddie Nibley ’05, Alex Staffier ’03,

family last November.

Mackenzie Fulk ’02, Brendan Martin ’02, Ben Shand ’02, Hunter Campbell ’02, Andrew

Alec Emmert writes: “I left active duty in the

Blechman ’02, Stephen Corby ’02, David

Navy in January 2013, but stayed in the Naval

Evans ’02 and Matt Avery ’02.

Reserve. I took a break to work on The Daily

Show for a few months, then got a “real” job as

2003

a strategy consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton.

Warner Ball writes: “I got out of the Army

My work has taken me all over the country,

and am currently working in the Middle East. I will be out next spring.”

Rachel and Will Yavinsky welcomed their first

child, Juliana Grace Yavinsky, on September 10,

Elihu Island in Stonington, Connecticut. Luis Bears Andrew Fenwick ’02, Tony Vita ’02,

Denaye and David Barahona welcomed their

to active duty by the Navy a few months ago

September 13, 2014. The wedding was held on Beruff ’05 served as best man, while fellow

Madison.

from D.C. to Texas to Tennessee. I was recalled

Jorge Beruff ’02 married Tessa Truex on

Drew Doggett unveiled his latest photography collection Dunes: Landscapes Evolving, a blackand-white exhibition of the grand shapes,

endless lines and subtle tones of Namibia’s

desert sand dunes. His photographs were also featured on the website One King’s Lane.

2014. Juliana weighed in at 6 lb. 15 oz. and was

in 2014. I deployed two times to Afghanistan

with my Special Forces Green Beret team. I am currently working as a recruiter at the Buller

Group, and the CEO is Rob Buller, whose sons Zac ’14 and Nate ’17 are Bears.”

Aris Baras, his wife Lia and their three children visited friends and relatives in

Bethesda during the holiday break. Aris and

19.5 inches long.

Lia are busy with moving to a new home in

New York while searching for schools for their children.

2002 Candace and Chris Ourisman welcomed baby boy Van Ashley Ourisman on September 5, 2014.

Andrew Imbrie is an assistant speechwriter for John Kerry. This photo shows him in

a planning meeting with top Asia-Pacific

advisors ahead of the APEC Ministerial in Beijing.

40

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

The Destination Redskins group goes to a

different away game once a season. This year, they headed to San Francisco to visit Kevin

Raesly, Alex Amaro, Alex Zakupowsky and Max Feely, who are all living there now. Jon Kelly came up from Los Angeles, Brady

Cobb ’08 from Charleston, Alex De La Pena

from Chicago, Tim Watson and J.J. Carbonell from D.C., and Henry Mann, Joe Tkac,

Jonathan Duber and Spencer Flajser from New York.

2006 Joseph Gnall ’06 married Alice Derry on August 9, 2014. The two met in 2004 on the Landon in Spain: Segovia trip. Jamie Gnall ’03 and Johnny Gnall ’99 were the best men. Classmates

Anthony Naing and Tim Ott were groomsmen. Alice and Joseph live in Arlington, Virginia, where Alice is a Spanish teacher and Joseph works for CoStar Group, Inc. Bears gathered for

a group photo at the wedding. Back row (L to R): Marshall McNair ’06, Ryan Kiernan ’06, Dave

Procelli ’06, Kyle Williams ’06, Jamie Gnall ’03, Tyler Hunt ’06, Mike DeFranco ’06 and Alex Barker

’06; Middle row (L to R): Tim Ott ’06, Michael Potolicchio ’06, Will Feltus ’06, John Fechnay ’06, John

Skolnik ’06, Joseph Gnall ’06, Alice Gnall, Billy Clinton ’06, Anthony Naing ’06 and Johnny Gnall ’99;

Front row (L to R): Martha Moss Benavides, Alfredo Benavides, Neal Brown ’06 and Greg Gosnell ’06

2007 J. Daniel Butz was commissioned as an ensign

in the United States Navy on January 10, 2014.

He is currently in flight school at Naval Station

Pearse Nibley, Carl Frederique, Alex

Zakupowsky, Kevin Raesly, Alex Amaro, Jon Kelly and Max Feely got together in San Diego.

2008 Charles G. Bakaly IV has returned to his alma

mater, the University of Southern California, to attend the USC Gould School of Law.

2009 Stephen Potts III graduated from basic

school at Quantico, Virginia, and reported to Pensacola, Florida, for flight school. In

Corpus Christi.

the photo, the proud Marine can be seen

with father Stephen “Dek” Potts Jr. ’76 and grandfather Stephen Potts Sr.

Will Comiskey’s brother Barrett and his family traveled to the Philippines and got to observe an amphibious landing.

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

41

LANDONALUMNI

2009 Class Reunion 2010 Four alumni served as captains of their

respective college lacrosse teams in spring

2014: Sam McDonough ’10 at Bucknell, Jack

Strabo ’10 at Princeton, Matt Morrison ’09 at

the U.S. Naval Academy and Tommy Minkler

’11 at Ohio Wesleyan. Strabo was also named a USILA Scholar All-American.

Wes Lincoln is chief executive officer of

the start-up YouFolio, an online portfolio platform that helps job seekers create a

personal brand by uploading their work and

experiences into an e-portfolio. The platform simultaneously provides employers and

recruiters with tools to better match applicants with job openings.

Joe Paoletta received the Al “Junior” KelzMike Herriott Memorial Award, which is

given to an

outstanding

senior on the Cornell

University

lacrosse team.

Joe is now at the Marine

Corps Officer Candidate School.

Austin Dabney graduated from the University

of Virginia in May 2014 and is now working at Skadden law firm.

Landon Latin teacher and Associate College Counselor Andy Luther met up with Landon guys

before a University of Virginia (UVA) basketball game. Present (and pictured L to R) were Robert Leachman ’12, Isaiah Colclough ’13, Will Olson ’14, Ethan Fieger ’14, Brent Bubes ’14 (a

University of Maryland Terp, but there for the game), Harry Laird ’14, Taylor Trumbower ’13 and Yash Balasaria ’13 (not pictured).

Gregg Hunter writes: “I’m participating in

the Lutheran Volunteer Corps and working at a non-profit in Wilmington, Delaware, called Lutheran Community Services. I’m a food

and shelter assistant, working with our various

food programs in Wilmington and New Castle County and helping pay their rent or mortgage and/or obtain security deposits. I also recently

graduated from Davidson College in May with a B.A. in classics and a minor in religion.”

42

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

2011

2014

2017

Justin Murphy was selected to the Inside

Ryan Curto is a freshman at Washington &

Teacher Andy Luther and current Bears

Conference Team.

both the Men’s Glee Club and the even more

Ben Selya ’17 and Nate Smith ’17 went

Lacrosse Ivy League Coaches’ Preseason All-

2013

Lee. He auditioned for and was accepted into select men’s a cappella group Southern Comfort.

California in Los Angeles.

University lacrosse teammates Jordan Stevens

IN MEMORIAM

Memorial Award, which is presented to

Peter Goldsmith ’73. 2013.

the freshman athlete at Cornell who best exemplifies leadership qualities through dedication and strength of character.

basketball game. There, they caught up with with Harvard.

university life at the University of Southern

and Connor Hunt) received the Jeff Stenstrom

to Charlottesville for the UVA-Harvard

Christian Webster ’09, now an assistant coach

Stephen Poon joined a fraternity and loves big

Marshall Peters (pictured center with Cornell

Timothy Dye ’17, Robbie Edwards ’17,

William P.R. Smith ’46. July 5, 2013.

John B. Rehm, father of David ’78. June 23, 2014.

James D. Williams Jr., father of Jim ’74 and John ’76. July 6, 2014.

Naola McDermott, mother of Daniel ’72. July 24, 2014.

Dino G. Pappas, father of George ’82 and grandfather of Nicholas ’18. July 29, 2014.

Andrew “Andy” Alan Mills ’66. July 30, 2014.

Amir Ali Jr. ’93. July 31, 2014.

Evelyn D. Barriger, wife of Jack Barriger ’44. September 4, 2014.

Thomas Hale Boggs Jr., father of T. Hale ’79 and Douglas ’85. September 15, 2014.

Annette Slowinski, mother of Richard ’83 and grandmother of John ’16. October 28,

On Saturday, December 20, members of the

Class of 2013 met on campus to see the newly installed Victory Bell, their senior gift to the school.

2014.

Jon L. Boisclair, father of Pierce ’07. November 3, 2014.

Anne Ravenel, wife of Lee ’55. October 31, 2014.

Sanford “Sandy” Slavin, father of Jeff ’73. December 7, 2014.

John "Jack" Gude Gosnell, grandfather of Britton Brown ’07, Geoff Brown ’02, Drew Doggett ’02, and John Michael Gosnell ’02. December 12, 2014.

William “Bill” L. Poulton ’56. December 16, 2014.

Heather Berry, mother of Duncan ’78 and Alex ’80. December 17, 2014.

Raymond Nadonley, father of Mike ’83. December 20, 2014.

Wayne J. Costley, father of Jay ’77 and Tom ’78. December 22, 2014.

SPRING 2015 | LANDON SCHOOL

43

FROM THE ARCHIVES

LANDONALUMNI

PITCH PERFECT 1985. These young Bears’ talents reached new heights when they took to the balcony at this historic D.C. hotel. Can you identify the concert location or any of the singers? Send your best guess to communications@landon.net!

“Howdy, Roy!” Photo Identified Thanks to Arthur Lambert ’53 and Susan and Bill Hooks ’57, both

of whom wrote in with very personal ties to the young Bears pictured!

Arthur Lambert himself appears in the photo (second from the left).

While he enjoyed dining next to Roy at lunch, Arthur was disappointed Trigger the horse did not make a cameo. The young man in the front

left is Guy “Mack” Hooks Jr., brother of Bill Hooks. The photo Roy is presenting to Mack currently hangs in Susan and Bill’s basement!

44

LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2015

A Million Reasons to Say Yes! The alumni boards of Washington and New York have agreed to the challenge of raising 1 million dollars in planned gifts this year. Under their leadership, more than $500,000 has been raised so far. The boards look to complete this challenge by June 30, 2015. Support the next generation of greats!

Will you join them in meeting the challenge?

If you are interested in making a planned gift, please contact: George Pappas ’82 Director of Planned Giving (301) 320-1005 direct George_Pappas@landon.net

N O N - P RO F I T O RG A N I Z AT I O N U.S. P O STAG E

LANDON SCHOOL 6101 WILSON LANE

PA I D

BETHESDA, MD 20817

B E T H E S DA , M D P E R M I T N O. 7 0 2 7

SAVE THE DATES

FSC

Alumni Golf Tournament

Friday, May 29 Reunions

(Classes ending in ‘5 and ‘0)

October 22, 23 & 24 Homecoming

Saturday, October 24

communications@landon.net A painting by Omar Ahmad ’19