Winter 2014 Magazine

MAGAZINE WINTER 2014

Celebrating 100 Years Climate Change Centennial Essay

Winter 2014/Volume LXXVI, No. 1 ON THE COVER Climate change is the school theme for 2013–14.

Illustration: Senior Sarah Breckinridge and Patricia Cousins ON THIS PAGE The Darwin Club, under the direction of faculty member Peter Gwyn, constructed this bridge on a trail in East Hartland, Connecticut.

Photo: Sophomore Noppavut “Arn” Khunpinit DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING | Lynn A. Petrillo ’86 MANAGING EDITOR | Becky Purdy DESIGNER | Patricia J. Cousins CLASS NEWS | James S. Rugen ’70 OBITUARIES | Katherine A.B. Langmaid CONTRIBUTORS | Rachel Allen, Timothy Struthers ’85, James S. Rugen ’70, Alexandra Muchura, Lisa Salinetti Ross, KeriAnne Travis, Missy Pope Wolff ’04, and Karen Parsons.

SUBMISSIONS/STORIES AND NEWS Alumni may contribute items of interest to: Loomis Chaffee Editors The Loomis Chaffee School 4 Batchelder Road Windsor CT 06095 860 687 6811 magazine@loomischaffee.org PRINTED AT LANE PRESS Burlington, Vermont Printed on 70# Sterling Matte, an SFI sheet SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Loomis Chaffee School 4 Batchelder Road Windsor CT 06095

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3 | Save the Year!

Loomis Chaffee celebrates its Centennial in 2014–15, and you’re invited.

20 | Earth Works

What can we do about climate change?

Alumni with environmental expertise offer practical advice.

32 | Centennial Essay:

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INSIDE

LoomisChaffee

DEPARTMENTS 2 | HEADLINES | The Founders 3 | AROUND THE QUADS

8 | THE BIG PICTURE 14 | ISLAND ARRAY

16 | OF NOTE | FACULTY & STAFF

1 7 | ATHLETICS

Same As It Ever Was

19 | READERS’ VOICES

For our new series of alumni-written essays, Linda Fowler ’63 considers the origins and recurrences of gridlock in American government.

45 | ALUMNI NEWS

35 | Our Fiftieth

Thomas Engel ’63 reflects on the culminating Reunion event.

36 | C’est Magnifique Student photographers captured the picturesque in a Global Studies trip to France.

44 | OBJECT LESSONS | The Labor that Built Loomis

55 | IN MEMORIAM 64 | THE LAST WORD | Being a Teacher Go to Loomis Chaffee online www.loomischaffee.org for the latest school news, sports scores, and galleries of recent photos.

You also will find direct links to all of our social networking communities. For an online version of the magazine, go to loomischaffee.org/magazine.

HEADLINES | BY SHEILA CULBERT

The Founders and the Harvest of Their Lives

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EXT school year Loomis will celebrate its 100th anniversary—quite a milestone—and we are all looking forward to celebrating that birthday. Former Head of School John Ratté and school Archivist Karen Parsons are heading up the Centennial Working Committee, and I am indebted to them for their work in studying the school’s history closely and in writing about it. While we appropriately spend much of our time thinking about the school today and how best to serve our current students, the Founders and their vision continue to inspire us and to provide helpful guideposts as we seek to become the best school possible.

As generations of Loomis graduates know, the vision for a school grew out of an awful family tragedy—the successive deaths of the next generation of Loomis children in the mid-years of the 19th century. James Loomis, the oldest of the siblings, lost his 5-year-old boy, also called James, as well as 6-year-old Mary. His brother, Hezekiah, lost his two children, both while they were still very young. John Loomis, the youngest of the five siblings, lost his 5-year-old daughter in 1861.

These deaths left James’ son, also James, although known in the family as Jimmy. We know from Osbert Loomis’ letters that Jimmy was a delightful young man—“the light & life of us all.”

Unfortunately, Jimmy contracted typhoid fever as an undergraduate at Yale and passed away at the age of 21 in 1867. The Loomis family was devastated.

Indeed, some say that Jimmy’s grandmother passed away from

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heartbreak shortly after his death.

It was heartbreaking, but out of that heartbreak came the idea of founding a school for other people’s children, a school where other children could realize their dreams. It was a singularly selfless act. Osbert explicitly wrote about the “prospect of doing and establishing a permanent fountain of good … for the sacred cause of education.” The Founders cared deeply about education and hoped to extend the love felt for their own children to generations of other people’s children by making possible an extraordinary education.

Hezekiah in the 1878 Family Testimonial wrote: Somewhere near the termination of the year 1871, or the beginning of 1872, a sentiment, born of the strong natural love and sympathy between us, and intensified by the loss of all our children, crystallized into a desire to leave some memento of our lives, failing the natural one of succession; and this finally took the form of a free educational establishment, called the Loomis Institute…hoping and trusting that some good may come to posterity, from the harvest, poor though it may be, of our lives.

Once the Founders had decided on a school, they spent the next few decades planning, and the school finally opened in the fall of 1914. In so many ways the Loomis Institute was a school like few others.

•T he school enrolled boys and girls—and while the school un-

Senior Kassidi Jones, Head of School Sheila Culbert, and senior Rohin Bhargava.

Photo: John Groo

“

While we appropriately spend much of our time thinking about the school today and how best to serve our current students, the Founders and their vision continue to inspire us and to provide helpful guideposts as we seek to become the best school possible.

”

fortunately did not keep to this instruction for some years, we are proud of what the Chaffee School accomplished and its impressive graduates, and we are more proud still to be one of the best coeducational

boarding schools.

•T he Founders not only wanted students from the local area but also “without regard to state or nation.” The 1916 LooTHE FOUNDERS | continued 54

AROUND THE QUADS

Save the Year!

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LANS for marking Loomis Chaffee’s Centennial in 2014–15 are taking shape, with a year-long slate of special events, including musical performances, art exhibitions, guest speakers, an education symposium, on-campus celebrations of the five Founders’ birthdays, and even fireworks.

Loomis also will partner with the Windsor Historical Society for a series of programs and tours that will explore the history of the Loomis family, the school’s early history, and Evelyn Longman Batchelder’s artwork.

A commissioned book, song, and largescale art experience will commemorate the school’s first 100 years.

Committees of students, faculty, and staff have been busily planning and organizing the events for months under the direction of the Centennial Working Committee co-chairs, former headmaster John Ratté and history teacher and school Archivist Karen Parsons, and Director of Centennial Operations Louise Moran.

The year will officially kick off with a Centennial Celebration on campus on Saturday, September 20. The entire Loomis Chaffee community — alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, parents of alumni, retired employ-

ees, and friends of the school — is invited.

The day will feature a festival of events, including a ceremony at the Homestead, a family-fun fair, athletics contests, a special half-time show at the football game, a 3D art experience by world-renowned pavement artist Joe Hill ’93, the dedication of Richmond Hall, a dinner and party on Grubbs Quadrangle, and fireworks over the Meadows. This summer, generations of faculty children will get the party started with a Fac Brat Reunion on campus June 21–22.

In the spring of 2015, a multimedia virtual event will celebrate the impact that the Loomis Chaffee community has on the world and the common good. For 24 hours alumni, students, and current and former faculty and staff will be invited to share moments of their day with their fellow Pelicans via social media and video. The exact date of this crowdsource project and details about how to get involved will be available this summer.

The education symposium in conjunction with the Centennial will take place in April 2015 and is expected to attract a wide audience of students, teachers, administrators, and other educators. The day will showcase the work of the school’s three centers, with

nationally-known speakers presenting on civic engagement, education for global citizenship, and innovative pedagogy for the 21st century.

In addition to overseeing the Centennial year, co-chairs and historians John and Karen are writing a book about the school’s first century that will trace the history, progress, and unique character of the school and will document first-person accounts and archival images throughout the school’s first century.

The book will be available for sale through the Loomis bookstore starting in fall 2014.

Loomis also has commissioned David Snyder ’80, a professional composer, arranger, and conductor, to write a Centennial song for the school. The premier date for this work will be announced next fall.

The Centennial will come to a celebratory close with Reunion Weekend 2015, for alumni from classes ending in 5’s and 0’s, in June 2015.

For more information on the Centennial and a complete list of event dates, or to inquire about the Fac Brat Reunion and other specific celebrations, go to the Centennial website at loomischaffee.org/100.

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AROUND THE QUADS

Bill McKibben, flanked by e-proctors senior Keara Jenkins, junior Biri Guerrero, senior Owen Dumais, and senior Justin Morales, and senior environmental science student Derrick Stone. Photo: John Groo

Bill McKibben Discusses Global Movement to Battle Climate Change

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ELL-KNOWN environmentalist Bill McKibben visited campus on October 24 to discuss climate change, this year’s school theme. Author of the all-school read, Eaarth, Mr. McKibben began his convocation address with a sobering statement. “I wrote my first book, The End of Nature, in 1989, which discussed theoretically that if we keep burning fossil fuels and keep putting carbon in the atmosphere, our planet would change,” he said. “Today, there is nothing theoretical about it.”

The human-induced rise in the Earth’s temperature by one degree Celsius has caused the Arctic Circle to melt, Australia to have the hottest year on record, and Japan to experience unprecedented rainfall, Mr. McKibben said.

“If the temperature goes up by three to four degrees Celsius, then your lives, as you are coming into your prime, will be full of ongoing emergency efforts,” he told students gathered in the Olcott Center. “You will be spending an extreme amount of energy and money trying to hold together a working planet.”

The question, he said, is no longer how far into this new world of climatic disaster we are willing to go, but rather what we are going to do to prevent further deterioration. The answer, according to Mr. McKibben, comes down to political will. “If we are going to get the change that we need to prevent this global

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“

It’s a global problem, and now people are coming together all around the globe.

”

—Bill McKibben

deterioration, it can’t be one campus, one building, or one household at a time,” he said.

“This is a structural problem.”

With the intention of bringing social change to solve the climate crisis, Mr. McKibben and seven students at Middlebury College, where he is the Schumann Distinguished Scholar, launched the global movement 350.org in 2008. “Not everywhere in the world is there an environmentalist,” Mr. McKibben said. “But everywhere there are people who are worried about human rights issues — issues they won’t ever be able to solve if the environment is degrading.” With this theory in mind, 350.org

formed partnerships with people involved in human rights movements across the seven continents. On October 24, 2009, the organization helped to mobilize more than 5,200 actions in 181 countries, an effort that CNN called “the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history.”

During the convocation, Mr. McKibben shared slides of people from a wide range of cultures and homelands and locales, in large and small groups, participating in the action. “It’s a global problem, and now people are coming together all around the globe,” he said.

The activist also spoke of a student movement on hundreds of campuses urging college boards to drop endowment holdings in fossil fuel businesses, a tactic modeled on the divestment effort 25 years ago that helped to bring down apartheid in South Africa.

“I don’t know what the future looks like,” he said. “All I know for sure is that we are going to try, and there is going to be a fight.”

Following the convocation, Mr. McKibben met with community members for a questionand-answer session followed by lunch in the dining hall with a special sustainable menu.

Mr. McKibben’s visit was part of the Hubbard Speakers Series.

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In this Competition, Less Is More

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ETER KREITLER ’61 has brought together two of his alma maters, Loomis Chaffee and Virginia Theological Seminary, in a challenge stemming from Peter’s passion for environmental education.

Beginning this fall, the two schools partnered to compete annually for the Kreitler Cup, which will be awarded based on the progress each institution makes within the year toward becoming more environmentally sensitive and sustainable.

The Kreitler Cup, similar in some ways to the Green Schools Alliance Green Cup, requires that each institution measure its monthly energy use and carbon footprint, taking stock of recycling and composting efforts along with each school’s treatment of its natural surroundings and any new initiatives. During the course of the year, while competing with each other, Loomis and Virginia Theological Seminary also will share their best practices and outcomes, allowing the schools to learn from each other.

“This is a great partnership and friendly competition between the two schools,” Loomis Sustainability Coordinator Jeffrey Dyreson says. “It will be interesting to see the different perspectives on sustainability, learn the motivation, and hear the sustainable initiatives of the Virginia Theological Seminary. We hope each school walks away having learned something new; after all, we are vested in the same issues and can learn together.”

Eight members from the seminary visited Loomis in October and attended the convocation address by environmentalist Bill McKibben.

An Episcopal priest, Peter earned his degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1969.

He is a well-known environmental activist in Los Angeles, where he resides.

Laurence C. Smith answers student questions in Gilchrist Auditorium. Photo: Patricia Cousins

Imagining the World in the Year 2050

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OUR major forces — demographics, natural resources, globalization, and climate change — will shape the future of society, according to climate scientist and UCLA geography professor Laurence C. Smith, who visited Loomis Chaffee in September. Speaking at an all-school convocation, Mr. Smith took the opportunity to speak directly to the generation most involved in the social direction of the world and the response to climate change.

“Educate yourself on these issues and be armed with facts rather than ideology,” he said. “The best thing that you can do is be informed, which will help you to make thoughtful and transformative decisions.”

Author of The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future, Mr. Smith presented many of the challenges facing this generation, including an exponentially increasing urbanized population, difficulties that the world will face as urbanization depletes natural resources, and threats to the world’s climatic future unless meaningful climate policy is enacted.

If everyone around the globe lived the way that city-dwellers do, the consumption of natural resources would be comparable to having a world population of 72 billion — a drain that the world cannot sustain by

relying on available natural resources, according to analysis by Mr. Smith's colleague Jared Diamond.

Mr. Smith presented scientific and anecdotal evidence of some of the projections in his book, which offers a vivid forecast rooted in science of what the world may be like in the future. Quantitative analysis of current climate trends indicate, for example, that inhabitants of the earth could be living in “a cauldron of life” by the end of the century, he said. In a more tangible example, the effects of a warmer climate in the northern regions of the earth already have led to two separate discoveries of hybrid polar/grizzly bears in northern Canada, Mr. Smith said, sharing a photograph of one of the animals.

“There is much more uncertainty of the social direction than there is uncertainty in global climate change,” Mr. Smith stated.

“This calls for serious concerted action from [political and social] leaders and from all of you.”

Professor Smith, who is chair of the geography department at UCLA, was the first of this year’s Hubbard Speakers. All speakers in the series this year are addressing the issue of climate change.

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AROUND THE QUADS

In Disko Bay, Greenland, 20-story high icebergs broken off from the Greenland Ice Sheet float into the North Atlantic, raising sea level. Photo:James Balog

A View of Change on a Geologic Scale

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HE school community gathered in the Hubbard Performance Hall and the Olcott Center on October 4 for an all-school viewing of the documentary Chasing Ice. The film chronicles the tireless adventures of photographer James Balog and his crew to capture through time-lapse photography the immediacy of climate change. Over four years and eight months, they gathered visual evidence of the changing planet as glaciers retreated, thinned, and fell into the ocean, creating profound change on a geologic scale.

The documentary viewing was one of a series of events tying into the school theme of climate change this year.

“

It was kind of intimidating.

I've got to think more about what I can do to help.

”

— Sophomore Christopher Natcharian after watching Chasing Ice

Chasing Ice Director Jeff Orlowski films in Survey Canyon, Greenland, in the summer of 2009. Photo: James Balog

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Music for the Sake of a Tree

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HE Music Department hosted the indisciplinary presentation The Hemlock Project: Connecting New Music and Environmental Science in the Hubbard Performance Hall on November 7.

The event focused attention on the Eastern Hemlock and the threat of the hemlock woolly adelgid — an invasive aphid-like insect that feeds on hemlocks and deprives the trees of their vital nutrients. In conjunction with the school theme of climate change, the project aimed to help bridge the gap between the global effects of climate change and what happens locally.

“I hope there is a greater sense for students of the connectedness of environmental issues to their own lives, especially because this one is happening right in the backyards in Connecticut,” said Faith Miller, head of the Music Department and coordinator of the project. “I also hope it gives them a glimmer of an answer as to what they can do with what they know about environmental sustainability and climate change.”

The event included an opening musical excerpt performed by Jeffrey Krieger, Han-Wei Lu, Pablo Issa, and David Sims as The Frontiers Cello Quartet; a presentation on the hemlock woolly adelgid and hemlocks by Robert Leverett, executive director of the Native Tree Society and the co-founder and president of Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest; a presentation by composer and soundscape artist Michael Gatonska on the recording of hemlock soundscapes in Catlin Wood in Litchfield, Connecticut; and a performance of a musical work with pre-recorded soundscapes of hemlocks titled “Beneath the Hemlock Tabernacles,” composed for The Frontiers Cello Quartet and commissioned by the Connecticut Commission on Art.

Freshmen and faculty helpers during cleanup of a local open space.

Photo: Patricia Cousins

Freshmen Put on Their Work Gloves for Local Community

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HE freshman class embarked on a day of community service on October 16, cleaning rivers, parks, and local school grounds; tidying campus gardens; tending the school’s compost operation; working on a trailmaintenance project in East Hartland, Connecticut; helping at a local day care center; and writing advocacy letters to policymakers and media outlets on the subjects of sustainability and social change, among other community-oriented endeavors.

As part of the second annual Freshman Service Day, the class gathered at the beginning of the day then dispersed into small groups to donate their time to the projects.

“The Freshman Service Day gave students who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to perform community service a chance to do so,” says Roseanne Lombardo, the school’s director of community service. “It allowed Loomis to be a visible, positive factor in Windsor and helped to integrate the Loomis culture into the wider community away from the Island.”

The unified effort also benefit-

ted the students. “As part of the orientation process for freshmen, it’s important to get to know and navigate the surrounding town of the school you will be attending for the next four years,” comments Jim Govoni, Windsor Public Works municipal forester and tree warden. “It’s also a unique bonding experience and gives students the opportunity to get to know one another while helping the surrounding community.”

Following the acts of community service, the freshmen gathered for a barbecue on the lawn in front of Longman Hall.

Coming together once again as a class, the students had a chance to reflect on their experience.

“It was definitely hard work, but it was so much fun,” says freshman Erika Herman, who helped to weed and mulch outside of Bart’s Drive-In along with classmates Ben Ryu, Kiyiana Downer, Jamie Lee, and Eisuke Tanioka. “It was really gratifying to see the barrels full of weeds when we finished. Even though we just joined the Loomis community, we have already done something to help the bigger community.”

Illustration: Patricia Cousins

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THREE HUNDRED FIFTY Loomis Chaffee students, faculty, and staff created a human 350 on Grubbs Quadrangle on November 1 in support of the mission of 350.org, a global movement to solve the climate crisis. 350.org was founded by environmentalist Bill McKibben, who visited campus earlier in the fall. The organization takes its name from 350 parts per million, the level of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere that many scientists and climate experts say is the safe upper limit — a limit that the globe has exceeded. Project Green organized the campus action. Photo: John Groo

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AROUND THE QUADS

Students Conduct Cell Biology Research

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WO seniors this year are engaged in sophisticated cell biology research for an independent study project in science. Eliana Zhou and Jaewon Kim, under the guidance of science teacher Simon Holdaway, are modeling neurodegeneration using chick forebrain neurons to discover protective antioxidants, which can reduce stress caused by oxygen.

At the end of the spring term, the two seniors will give a presentation on their work to advanced science students and produce a scientific paper to be submitted to The Journal of Experimental Secondary Science.

The study, based on a neuroscience research course taught at Boston College by Joseph R. Burdo, is a year-long endeavor. During the fall term Eliana and Jaewon learned cell culture — the complex process of growing cells under controlled conditions outside of their natural environment — using hamster kidney cells, which infinitely multiply. The two students also produced a protocol for routine culture maintenance for future studies in cell culture at Loomis Chaffee.

“Most high school research isn’t done in the field of cell biology since it’s so technical,” Jaewon says. “We’re really thankful for this opportunity to explore something we are passionate about and are hopeful that more students will follow in our footsteps in the future.”

During the winter and spring terms, Eliana and Jaewon are performing literature research to produce a list of three compounds that have the potential to protect neurons from the damaging effects of oxygen. They will then test the compounds with chick forebrain neurons.

“We can’t really predict what will happen when we start testing substances that should protect cells from oxidative damage although we are hoping for good results come spring,” Eliana says.

Eliana and Jaewon each pursued laboratory internships last summer that gave them insights into the techniques involved in cell culture experiments, applicable to their independent study. Jaewon interned at the Ryeom Lab, Perleman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and worked on an independent research project involving the isolation of tumor endothelial cells — the cells that line blood vessels — while helping post-doctoral students and graduate students with their research topics. Eliana interned at CTK Biotech, an organization in San Diego that makes and packages antibodies and antigens.

Science Soars

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EVEN Loomis Chaffee students are designing an experiment that will be launched to the International Space Station in April. The experiment will test the effects of a microgravity environment in comparison to the gravity of the Earth.

“I would have never imagined that as a high school student I’d be creating an experiment with my peers that will go to space,” says senior participant Seyun Kim. The project is sponsored by current parent Michael Potter and entrepreneur David Leblang ’74. Science teacher George "Koby" Osei-Mensah is coordinating the project on campus With guidance from NSL, an Israelbased space technology and education company, the students attend virtual lectures to acquaint them with the idea of microgravity, and over the course of 19 weeks, they will explore a variety of topics related to the study of space.

Once the students decide on a specific experiment they want to pursue, they will create the experiment with MixStix, Teflon tubes that create a powerful, non-powered environment for fluid and biological research on board the International Space Station. NanoRacks, an organization that works in partnership with NASA, will provide the MixStix hardware for the project.

When the experiment is ready to go, the students will send the project to be placed aboard the U.S. National Lab, part of the International Space Station.

Astronauts on board the space station will conduct the experiment.

Jaewon Kim and Eliana Zhou work in a lab in the Clark Center for Science & Mathematics.

Photo: Patricia Cousins

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“It will be exciting come April to see what actually happens in space,” said Daniel Rockberger, NSL's chief executive officer.

Wong the water seller (sophomore Derek Martinez) greets the three gods (sophomore Madden Aleia, junior John KIm, and junior Mollie Richter).

Photo: Wayne Dombkowski

The Good Person of Setzuan endowments

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N the fall production of The Good Person of Setzuan at the Norris Ely Orchard Theater, Loomis Chaffee audiences stepped into the shoes of a heroine struggling to maintain moral standing in a town wrought with economic hardship, poverty, hunger, and greed.

At the opening of the play, directed by theater teacher David McCamish, a town water seller bounds onto stage describing the illustrious

leave Setzuan and continue their journey, Shen Te confesses that she sells herself for a living and wonders how it is possible to remain moral in a corrupt world. The gods, sympathetic to Shen Te’s disposition and eager to show their gratitude, pay for the night spent in Shen Te’s After multiple residents refuse to give shelter hospitality. When Shen Te realizes the gods to the gods, the water seller stumbles upon have given her 1,000 silver dollars, her own Shen Te, the play’s heroine, who agrees to take moral journey begins. them in. On the morning that the gods are to gods who are soon to visit the town, bringing with them a salvation that the inhabitants desperately seek. The three gods soon appear on a mission to discover at least one upstanding citizen in the world.

Cross-Continent Collaboration

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OOMIS CHAFFEE students are collaborating with students at the Sanskriti School in New Delhi, India, this year to find solutions to water deficits in locations around the world. The project is part of the National Association of Independent Schools 20/20 Challenge, which brings together young people to identify local solutions to 20 global problems created by the increasingly crowded and interconnected world. The book High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 years to Solve Them by Jean Francois Rischard inspired the program.

The participating students from Loomis and the Sanskriti School are teleconferencing and conducting research to define and investigate the problem of water shortages, identify a workable solution, and

map out steps for addressing the problem.

“It’s going to be interesting seeing how differently we solve the global issue at the local level,” says Alexander McCandless, the Christopher H. Lutz director of the Center for Global Studies. Loomis, he notes, is moving toward using less bottled water and “in New Delhi, they are figuring out how to bottle more water.” Alec and Sustainability Coordinator Jeffrey Dyreson are advisors for the group of Loomis students involved in the program.

INDIA

“The challenge we have of water deficits fits perfectly with our [2013–14] school theme of climate change,” Alec says. “It also fits with the mission of the Center for Global Studies and with the sustainable outlook of the school.” loomischaffee.org | 11

AROUND THE QUADS

Former Trustee Returns to Board

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ichael J. Dubilier ’73 was re-elected to the Board of Trustees this fall. Having previously served as a Trustee from 1995 to 2007, Michael has rejoined the board after a six-year hiatus. During that time, however, Michael continued to maintain his involvement with the leadership of the school, serving as an ex-officio member of the board’s Investment Committee and serving as a member of the Head’s Search Committee in 2007–08.

Michael is a managing partner of Dubilier & Company in Stamford, Connecticut, a private investment firm that he formed in 1994.

Previously he had been a partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, the private equity investment firm founded by his father, Martin H. Dubilier ’44 in 1978. A four-year boarding student from Larchmont, New York, Michael later earned a bachelor’s degree at Connecticut College, received an M.B.A. at the American Graduate School of International Relations, and attended the New York University Stern School of Business.

He and his wife, Minnie, live in Greenwich, Connecticut, with their son, Tate, 14, and daughter, Riley, 12.

International Lecture Series Launches with Talk on Strategic Force

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RUSTEE Nancy Walbridge Collins ’91, the inaugural speaker in the Bussel Family International Lecture Series, shared her insights this fall about global terrorist threats and the United States response to these dangers. An expert in international affairs and a member of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, Nancy also advises the U.S. Defense Department on military special operations. Her talk, titled “Utility of Strategic Force,” drew an interested audience of Trustees, students, faculty, and guests.

Nancy showed a number of video clips and reviewed major global terrorist threats and actions that the United States has faced going back to the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics of 1972, the Iran hostage crisis of 1979–81, the 1983 bombing of U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, and the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu “Black Hawk Down” debacle in Somalia — as well as ongoing concerns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. She raised questions about the usefulness of conventional military forces against the threat of terrorism and expressed her view that the United States lacks a coherent consensus on effective ways to combat terrorist threats. “Classic models aren’t going to work going forward,” she said. Following her remarks, Nancy addressed a number of questions from the audience

Director of the Center for Global Studies Alec McCandless, Ann B. Bussel, Deborah Bussel, Trustee and lecturer Nancy Walbridge Collins ’91, and Trustee John Bussel ’87 gather after the inaugural Bussel Family International Lecture.

Photos: John Groo

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in the Hoffman Ensemble Room of the Hubbard Music Center.

Nancy teaches international affairs and security studies at Columbia University. She is a research fellow with the University’s Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War & Peace Studies as well as co-chair of the Columbia Seminar on Defense and Security. Her essays and commentaries appear in scholarly journals and in the media. She serves on the U.S. Commission on Military History and is a member of the Atlantic Council and the Intelligence and National Security Alliance as well as the Council on Foreign Relations. Nancy earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Georgetown University and a master’s degree and doctorate in history from the University of London, where she was named the Thornley Fellow, an international prize. She has been awarded fellowships and grants from, among others, the University of Chicago, U.S. Congress, Harvard University, Rockefeller Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and Yale University.

Trustee John Bussel ’87; his mother, Ann B. Bussel; and his sister, Deborah Bussel, recently established the Bussel Family International Lecture Series “to bring experts in international relations, diplomacy, international economics and business, human rights, and the environment who come from the United States and throughout the world to Loomis Chaffee to inform and engage students, faculty, parents, as well as members of the local community, on issues that impact both our nation and nations around the globe,” John explains.

The series aims to promote Loomis Chaffee’s commitment to “educating students for service in the nation and in today’s global civilization,” as stated in the school’s Mission Statement.

John invited Nancy, his friend and fellow Trustee, to be the inaugural speaker in the series. Future presenters in the series will be selected by Alexander McCandless, the Christopher H. Lutz Director of the school’s Center for Global Studies.

brilliant!

Trustee Elizabeth Richmond ’80 signs the final beam for Richmond Hall. Photo: Patricia Cousins

Cement, Steel, and Sharpie Markers

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convoy of cement mixers and tractor-trailer loads of steel fed construction of the future Richmond Hall this fall. The building, which will be the school’s 11th dormitory, rose above the landscape on schedule, and the roof was in place before the first snowflakes fell.

In addition to cement, steel, and other customary building supplies, Richmond Hall also contains the ink from several dozen Sharpie markers. Members of the school community, including students, faculty, staff, Trustees, and members of the Richmond family, used the colorful indelible markers to sign the final steel beam before construction workers, with the help of a crane, lifted the beam into place on October 18. The “topping off” ceremony marked an important milestone in the project, which broke ground in May. The dorm, named in honor of Howard S. Richmond ’35, will house 50 students, four faculty apartments, and a state-of-the-art health center. The building is scheduled to open in September.

To see time-lapse photography of the construction project, go to www.loomischaffee.org/magazine.

 Senior Eliana Zhou received the Barnes Service Award from the WALKS Foundation on October 23 for her outstanding philanthropy and spirit of volunteerism on and off campus. Eliana was honored at the WALKS luncheon at the Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford.  Seniors Sijie Wei and Elizabeth Lee were selected to the 2013 National Association for Music Education All-National Honors Ensembles. On October 30, they joined more than 670 of the most musically talented and skilled high school students in the United States and performed in front of thousands in Nashville, Tennessee. Under the direction of four prominent U.S. conductors, Sijie performed as fourth-seat clarinet in the concert band ensemble and Elizabeth performed as assistant principal on the double bass in the symphony orchestra ensemble. The concert band and symphony orchestra consisted of 150 instrumentalists. Sijie and Elizabeth previously qualified for the state-level honor ensemble program and competed against other top students for their spots in the national honor ensembles. Over the course of one week, they learned, practiced, and recorded literature then sent the recordings to judges, who picked their seats in the ensembles.  In another realm of achievement, Elizabeth was named a semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, the nation’s premier research competition for high school students. She was one of 331 semifinalists out of a record 2,440 projects submitted to the competition this year. Elizabeth’s submission focused on research she conducted last summer in a nanoscale diagnostics research lab at the University of California Berkeley. Her paper is titled “A Systematic Study on Superoxide Dismutase-1 Aggregation Using Gold Nanoplasmonic Particles Toward Understanding Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.”  Junior Billy Holloway placed second out of 52 advanced debaters competing in the Parliamentary Debate Tournament at Buckingham, Browne and Nichols this fall.

Billy and his partner, freshman Chris Eun, were undefeated in the tournament.  Senior Keara Jenkins was honored this fall as a Girl of Merit in her home region of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The honor, presented by Girls World Expo, recognizes girls 11 to 18 years old for exemplary community service through their actions, activities, leadership, and positive influence on others.  Forty-four Loomis Chaffee students raised awareness about hunger and helped to alleviate the situation by participating in the annual Rachel’s Table Foodraiser at the Big Y supermarket in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, on November 10. Organized by the Pelican Service Organization, groups of four students were given $75 to spend throughout the store on food for the hungry. The groups competed to save money on their food bill, which resulted in a larger donation to the various recipient organizations. The groups saved between 33 percent and 56 percent off of their total purchases, and $825 worth of food was donated to Providence Ministries in Holyoke, Massachusetts, which serves Kate’s Kitchen, Margaret’s Pantry, and Loreto House; and to Open Pantry Community Services in Springfield, Massachusetts, which serves Open Pantry Emergency Food Pantry, Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen, and Greenwich Teen Living Program.  Five Loomis Chaffee seniors were named 2014 National Achievement Program Outstanding Participants Referred to Colleges. These students scored in the top 4 percent of more than 160,000 black Americans who requested consideration in the National Achievement Program when they took the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. They are James M. Daring, Errol D. Francis II, Kassidi S. Jones, Eseosa Osagie, and Alida Ratteray.  Seven members of the senior class earned the distinction of National Merit Semifinalists this year, and 19 others were named Commended Scholars from the National Merit Scholarship Program. The recognition is based on students’ performance on the PSAT in their junior year. The Semifinalists are Jungmin “Kevin” Cha, John Kelly, Elizabeth Lee, Cameron Nelson, Samuel Verney, Noah Verzani, and Albert Yoon.

loomischaffee.org | 13

AROUND THE QUADS | ISLAND ARRAY Fall happenings, night and day, inside and outside, at Loomis Chaffee INSIDE

Fall Dance Showcase

Clubs sign-up day

Demonstration by artist Jeremiah Patterson at “Untarnished” exhibit opening

Yearbooks arrive!

In the Footsteps of Marco Polo film maker Denis Belliveau Junior Greer Davis takes charge in science class

Performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria

by Orchestra, Chamber Singers, and faculty and staff guest vocalists

Jazz Band during Parents Weekend sampler

DAY

NIGHT

Spooky greeting on Grubbs Quadrangle Spirited: The Pelican and Director of Athletics Bob Howe ’80 Freshman ropes course activity

Seniors Eseosa Osagie and Adrina Thompson during Harvest Festival on the quad

Orientation morning with the green (freshmen) and orange (leaders) Brilliant fall color First snow: faculty member Peter Gwyn and Kate Fotos ’13

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Night game under the new lights on Pratt Field

Play for the Cure under the lights

OUTSIDE

Photos: Patricia Cousins, senior Shannon Deveney , Mary Forrester, John Groo, Joe Neary, Missy Pope Wolff ’04 and Tom Honan

Filling Empty Bowls

A

S Ceramics 2 students learned the intricacies of pottery this fall, they also made a difference in the wider community by creating beautiful bowls for the 16th annual Empty Bowls Project, an international grassroots effort to fight hunger.

The Art Department has participated in the project for several years, and department head Jennifer McCandless says students enjoy the process. “The students hone their skills on the potter’s wheel while supporting a very worthy cause,” she says.

Inspired by last year’s Empty Bowls Project, senior Harriet Cho, an advanced ceramics student, brought the project to her home in Korea last summer. Harriet raised $1,500, which she donated to United Help for International Children.

“This is the first time the Empty Bowls Project has been in Korea,” Harriet reflects. “I really wanted to be able to make a difference by donating with talent. I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t consider art as community service, but it’s something that can really help others, especially when shared.”

The Empty Bowls Project in the Hartford area is sponsored

by Manchester Community College Culinary Arts Department and Foodshare, an organization dedicated to ending community hunger. The project each year invites the public to its culminating event, where, in exchange for a donation, guests enjoy unlimited soups and bread and are invited to keep a ceramic bowl. The bowls serve as reminders of the many people who experience hunger locally and around the world.

Kathy Kern, instructor of culinary arts at the college, says the organizers appreciate Loomis Chaffee’s participation in the event. “The students are tremendously talented and always create such unique bowls that are beyond popular with our guests,” she comments.

Art Department head Jennifer McCandless assists Ceramics students.

Photo: Patricia Cousins

loomischaffee.org | 15

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AROUND THE QUADS | OF NOTE | FACULTY & STAFF

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8 Honored as Environmental Stewards

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plaque dedication in November for the Gilchrist Environmental Fellowships served as an occasion to honor the recipients of the first fellowships, who have completed their environmental stewardship projects. The ceremony recognized the six students and two faculty members for making a difference in the community and for advancing environmental stewardship at the school.

The names of the recipients and their project titles will be engraved on the plaque, which will hang in the Clark Center for Science & Mathematics.

“It’s only a small token of our appreciation but allows these projects to become a part of the history of the school as well as the course for the future in regard to sustainability,” says Loomis Chaffee Sustainability Coordinator Jeffrey Dyreson.

The Sustainability Committee also is looking ahead the next round of fellowships. Individuals and groups who are part of the Loomis community may submit proposals, and the Sustainability Committee reviews, sponsors, and awards fellowships for the chosen projects. Proposed initiatives must promote the education of sustainability or fund projects that support environmental stewardship at Loomis.

Fellowship awards range from $500 to $5,000.

16 |

 Scott MacClintic ’82, director of the Henry R. Kravis ’63 Center for Excellence in Teaching, was a panelist at The Association of Boarding Schools national conference in Boston in December. The session, titled “Learning and Sharing with Educators Around the Globe,” covered developing Personal Learning Networks, which allow teachers to connect and collaborate with other teachers in their field around the world. Scott also was a facilitator of the first TABS UnConference, a program for classroom teachers after the regular conference. The discussion-based unconference focused on teaching, learning, and current education issues. Earlier in the fall, Scott presented on the flipped-classroom approach to teaching during the Online Education Symposium for Independent Schools.  Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities Michael Donegan and Audiovisual Coordinator Keller Glass also presented at the TABS conference. In their session, “Putting Students in Charge: Fostering Technology Education & Leadership,” Mike and Keller described the success of an initiative in the Student Activities program.

“What started as an experiment — letting a few kids run their own offhours activities — quickly morphed into a dynamic, self-sustaining, student-run organization,” the session description states. “The students designed, purchased, and implemented their own technology needs for weekend activities and special events — and in the process gained invaluable experience and independently met an important community need.”

“

What started as an experiment — letting a few kids run their own off-hours activities — quickly morphed into a dynamic, self-sustaining, student-run organization.

”

 Several faculty members have traveled internationally for professional development in the last year with funding from the Center for Global Studies. Science teacher Naomi Appel visited Hana Academy in Seoul, South Korea, last summer for a student science conference. In a trip jointly funded by the center and School Year Abroad, French teacher Sabine Giannamore visited the School Year Abroad program in Rennes, France. To help in the development of the interdisciplinary course Race and Desegregation, the Center for Global Studies sent English teacher Sally Knight to South Africa last summer along with a group of students and faculty visiting the country for one of the center’s international education programs.

Sally co-teaches the new interdisciplinary course with history teacher and Director of International Students Meg Blunden, who was one of the faculty chaperones on the student trip. Trip chaperoning also doubles as a professional development opportunity for faculty. In the last year, teachers have chaperoned Center for Global Studies trips to France, the Dominican Republic,

India, and Budapest as well as South Africa.

 Kathleen Houlihan, director of prospect management and research in the Alumni/Development Office, and her husband, Paul Gaeta, welcomed a second son, Miles, on November 19. Miles joins big brother Ethan in the family.  Faculty members Elizabeth and Jake Leyden welcomed their first child, daughter Madeline Alexandra Leyden, on September 23, 2013.  Spanish teacher Charles Bour and Atabex “Mary” Cortes Alindato welcomed their baby girl, Lila Magdelena Bour Alindato, on September 16, 2013.

AROUND THE QUADS | ATHLETICS | BY BOB HOWE ’80

Athletic Aptitude H

ERE’S a quick quiz on Loomis Chaffee sports:

Choate is our most frequent athletics opponent.

Photo: Tom Honan

1. Which schools are our most frequent opponents in athletics competitions?

2. What is NEPSAC? 3. What schools, in addition to Loomis, are members of the Founders League?

My colleague Bobbi Moran and I were surprised this fall to discover that many members of the Loomis community could not answer these questions correctly. This unsettling situation began to dawn on us when we taught a Freshman Common Good Seminar. As part of the Center for the Common Good’s initiative to introduce freshmen more closely to all aspects of campus life, Bobbi, who is the sports information director, and I were invited to attend the seminars one week to discuss the offerings of the Loomis Chaffee Athletics Department and to explain who we are as a school athletically.

During the week of classes, I realized that many of our students are misinformed on such topics as our chief competitors in interscholastic sports. I was further surprised to learn that a large number of our own faculty and staff don’t know some of the answers to these questions. So here, for the sake of truth and Pelican pride, are the facts: Loomis Chaffee is a member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC). This conference includes 173 schools located across New England and on the eastern edge of New York state.

NEPSAC is split into four geographic districts, and we belong to district IV, which is comprised of 69 schools in the southwestern corner of New England, including schools in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.

NEPSAC also classifies schools according to the size of their student bodies. In all 29 of our varsity interscholastic sports, we compete at the Class “A” level, the largest-size school classification.

Loomis Chaffee also is a member of the Ten Schools, an association of independent

schools with very similar admissions philosophies and procedures. It is not an athletics league although we play the majority of schools on this list fairly often. The Ten Schools includes Loomis Chaffee, Choate, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, Hill, Andover, Exeter, St. Paul’s, and Taft.

The athletics league to which Loomis belongs to is the Founders League. This league was formed to unite a group of schools with similar athletics philosophies and to ensure that the member schools would work together to promote sportsmanship and fair play. Current Founders League members are Avon Old Farms, Choate, Ethel Walker, Hotchkiss, Loomis Chaffee , Kent, Kingswood Oxford, Miss Porter’s, Taft, Trinity Pawling, and Westminster.

“

This league was formed to unite a group of schools with similar athletics philosophies and to ensure that the member schools would work together to promote sportsmanship and fair play.

”

Which schools are our most frequent opponents? When we asked freshmen this question, we heard only a few correct answers.

Here is a breakdown of the schools we play most often and the number of times our varsity teams and all of our interscholastic teams play against these schools each year: SCHOOL

Total Varsity Contests Contests

Choate

63 34

Deerfield

63 32

Taft

58 31

Hotchkiss

53 33

Westminster

52 22

Williston Northampton 44

25

Suffield

36 21

Kent

36 20

Northfield Mount Hermon

34 19

Nobles 29 21 Andover

29 21

Exeter

21 16

APTITUDE | continued next page loomischaffee.org | 17

APTITUDE | continued from page 17

Now you have the answers to the quiz. But did you also know that our athletics program has more than 60 interscholastic teams that compete in more than 800 games, matches, and meets per year? We competed in 218 games this fall and will play in 316 games in the winter and 280 in the spring.

Loomis Chaffee’s mission is to advance the development in spirit, mind, and body of boys and girls drawn from diverse cultural and social backgrounds and to inspire in them a commitment to the best self and the common good.

The school recognizes the important role of athletics in the education of our students.

Success in sports requires and cultivates hard work, commitment, teamwork, good sportsmanship, responsibility, and ability to focus on goals. These abilities are essential in everyday life, long after competition on the field ends.

As in all that we do at Loomis, we expect to strive for success in athletics, not just to win a substantial percentage of our games, but to foster strong programs in the sports we offer and develop these important individual abilities.

Junior Greer Davis and senior Maxine Offiaeli

Senior Bobby Turner and sophomore James Jin Sophomore Margaret Stover, senior Caitlin Farrell, and sophomore Erin Jones

Varsity football's defensive line Senior Garrett Esper

VARSITY SCOREBOARD SPORT

RECORD ACCOLADES

Football 6-3 Boys Cross Country 4-3

Girls Cross Country 4-3

Field Hockey 10-6

Boys Soccer 11-3-5

Girls Soccer 13-2-2

Boys Water Polo 11-6

Volleyball 17-3

* 1st place Shaler Invitational * 2nd place Founders League * 1st place Shaler Invitational * Founders League Champion * New England Tournament Quarterfinalist • New England Tournament Quarterfinalist • New England Tournament Quarterfinalist • New England Tournament Quarterfinalist • New England Tournament Finalist • Founders League Champion

Photos: Tom Honan

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Junior Anna Costello

Senior Hannah Oganeku

Senior Jeremy Bogle

READERS’ VOICES

Marchetti Tales

the people in them. And so, upon looking through the “In Memoriam” page of the Summer 2013 Loomis Chaffee Magazine, I saw that William Harris, Class of 1972, had passed away.

I

very much enjoyed reading about the career of Ron Marchetti in the summer edition of the magazine.

While I can appreciate the difficulty of adequately describing on one page a 43-year teaching career and the unique qualities that separate one faculty member from another, please know that Mr. Marchetti was like no other. A few stories to round out his bio sketch: In the fall of 1974, I was a freshman in Mr. Marchetti’s Latin I class along with 10 or 12 other boys. Mr. Marchetti, in one word, was intense, and so was his teaching style. During the second or third week of class, he was conjugating a verb on the blackboard based on responses from a classmate. Mr. Marchetti and the pupil disagreed on a verb tense.

He asked the class for the correct tense, and after an awkward silence, a brave soul agreed with the student. Mr. Marchetti, realizing he had made an error, calmly put down his chalk and silently left the room. The classroom was on the south side of the second floor of Founders, which allowed us to spot him walking back to his apartment in Flagg. He returned to class in a complete set of new clothes, including shoes, and resumed teaching without comment.

Mr. Marchetti, who I believe was single at the time, was an avid auto enthusiast. He owned a Pontiac GTO, the definitive muscle car of the era.

One day he entered the class and immediately began a 20-minute description in Latin of an excursion he had taken the prior evening in his GTO. His ability to vividly recount driving his GTO through the twisting back roads of the area in a 2,000-year-old language was truly impressive. Of course it helped that he added plenty of dramatic simu-

lated driving motions of the steering wheel, brake, stick shift, and clutch.

There were also plenty of sound effects of squealing tires accelerating, squealing tires decelerating, and engine sounds, and he went through the gears. Since the class at this point only had a vocabulary of about two dozen nouns and verbs and numbers to 100, I remember concentrating on the numbers so I could try to figure out how fast he was going or the RPMs on the tachometer.

Loomis Chaffee was fortunate Mr. Marchetti chose a career in education over the family plumbing business. Where else could one learn Latin and the performance limits of a GTO in the same class?

If you happened to be on the Island circa 1968–72 and cared at all about the Loomis basketball team, you will remember Billy Harris. Lithe, quick, silky smooth, with nifty dribbling skills and a deadly jump shot, he was far and away the best player on our team. As a sophomore on the 1968–69 team, I fancied myself a pretty good player; but it quickly became apparent to me, Bobby Wilson, Gordy Turner, Tom Ritter, Bobby Clements, and other teammates that only one of our number had a rare gift, and that was Billy. Your obit notes he graduated as the school’s all-time leading scorer. Whatever his final numbers, I can attest that Billy could have scored many more points had he not been such an unselfish

team player, distributing the ball to lesser talents like me.

On top of which, he was a warm, open, thoughtful, lovely guy, quick to smile, always ready to help others.

I was not surprised to read that his passions including a “love of training, mentoring, and teaching.”

May he rest in peace.

Phelps Gay ’71 We welcome and encourage your opinions and reactions.

Although letters may be edited for clarity, length, and accuracy, they always reflect the opinion of the writer and not necessarily that of the school. Please submit comments to Loomis Chaffee Editors, The Loomis Chaffee School, 4 Batchelder Road, Windsor CT 06095; or magazine@loomis.org.

James A. Hewitt ’78

Satisfied Reader

I

was so impressed by the high quality of the summer Loomis Chaffee Magazine — articles and pictures throughout — that I had to write to let you know. It’s a wonderful effort by each and all contributing staff members.

Where the wonders of summer meet the joys of learning

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P

U M M E R

M R O G R A

If I could award a prize to the best of all preparatory school publications, without a doubt yours would be number one. Congratulations!

Bill Gehron ’43

A Rare Gift

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pproaching 61, I’ve reached the age where I read obituaries and increasingly seem to know

June 29–August 2, 2014 | For Girls & Boys Grades 7–12 Our classes are small and our faculty — experts in their respective disciplines — offer a broad curriculum that includes science, mathematics, history, robotics, writing, literature, public speaking, and the arts.

Learn more about our program at www.loomischaffee.org/summerprogram loomischaffee.org | 19

CLIM

EARTH WORKS

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C ATE HA

What can you do about climate change?

More than you might think, according to these alumni.

BY BECKY PURDY

“W

HAT will you do with what you know about climate change?” This question will serve as the focus for a school-wide interdisciplinary project at Loomis Chaffee this spring based on the year’s school theme, Climate Change. A variety of thematic events on campus this year — including a convocation address by Bill McKibben, author of the all-school read, Eaarth; campus visits from other climate change activists and experts; and an all-school viewing of the documentary Chasing Ice — will provide background and common ground for the interdisciplinary project. With a problem as immense and seemingly inexorable as climate change, however, solutions can seem elusive and action items inconsequential. In the search for possible answers, we turned to several alumni steeped in environmental work and asked them a slight variation on the query. “What can you do with what you know about climate change?” Their answers offer a sampling of the real-life possibilities and at least a modicum of hope for solving this global problem. continued page 22

Photo: Patricia Cousins

loomischaffee.org | 21

! ria. Fifty years ago, airplanes spewed black trails of partially burned fuel into the air. Today, ere are some of their an airplane uses fuel more suggestions: efficiently, wasting less and polCompost. luting less as a result. Computork toward community- or ers have made oil exploration more efficient and effective, state-wide composting, Thomas Gilbert ’96 is former urges Thomas Gilbert ’96. Either Bob says. Thirty years ago, one executive director of the Highfields on an individual or a community of every seven of the industry’s Center for Composting, a Vermont- scale, composting plays a huge exploration wells resulted in based nonprofit that advances role in the food and waste cycle, “commercial discoveries,” he sustainable food and agricultural notes. Today’s faster, larger in reducing or mitigating the systems capacity computers can process use of fertilizers on fields and through seismic data using algorithms, the use of chemicals in landcommunity with better results. More than fills. Composting also boosts composting half of exploration wells result the quality of the soil, which programs, in commercial discoveries today, improves water quality and compost reduces erosion. The Highfields he says. research and Institute, where Tom was the Just as individuals save gas by education, executive director, has led the doing all of their errands in a and a way in this effort in Vermont, single trip to town, oil exploracomposting through design of composttion operators have developed enterprise. Tom and his wife ing facilities, marketing and more fuel-efficient methods for own a farm in Vermont, where permitting work, and program their work, Bob says. Explorathey grow high-quality hay and development. The effort is still tion ships, for instance, now tow raise laying hens. (Tom inspired mid-campaign but very success- seven or more cables out to sea Loomis’ own small-scale chicken ful, he says, and Vermont is well at once to collect seismic data, project, begun two years ago.) on its way to being the first state compared to one cable per ship A certified compost specialist, with a state-wide composting in the past.

Tom earned a bachelor’s degree system.

EARTH WORKS | continued from 20

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from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where he studied sustainable agriculture, community development, and composting science and technology. He is an adjunct lecturer in University of Vermont’s Plant and Soil Science Department, and he serves on the boards of the Center for Agricultural Economy and the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District. In 2010, Vermont Business Magazine recognized him as a Rising Star, and he received a Community Leadership Award in 2009 from the Vermont Council on Rural Development.

Meet your individual needs in as low-impact a way as possible.

A

s a society, set a goal of transition to 100 percent or a long time, Tom and his renewable energy; as individufamily lived off the grid in als, work toward realizing the Vermont, either with no power goal, urges Sajed Kamal ’65, or with only solar power. The an expert on solar and other house they lived in was not on renewal energy systems. Create the grid, and putting in a solar a plan for this transition and energy system cost about as put it in place, says Sajed, who much money as connecting to lectures, writes, and consults on the grid. So they put in a solar this very topic. It can be done. system. Since then, they have “We have the fuel source and sold the homestead and bought a technologies for it,” he writes farm that already was connected in the article “The Renewable to the grid, but they continue to Energy Transition: Why Now?” strive for low-impact living.

But, he adds, we must commit to living within the limits of our Do things more renewable natural resources. efficiently. “[T]here’s work to be done,” he echnological advances have writes. “A 100 percent transihelped to improve industrial tion to renewable energy — the efficiency, and greater efficiency sustainable energy solution — is can mean less waste of natural achievable, but only if we exerresources, points out Robert cise our choice for it — choice to Kieckhefer ’70, a geophysicist be educated about it, choice to for an oil company in Nigeact on it.”

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Move toward 100 percent renewable energy.

Robert Kieckhefer ’70 is a geophysicist for an oil company in Lagos, Nigeria. In his 33 years in the oil business, he has worked largely on exploration for new oil and gas fields as well as evaluation of existing fields. For the last decade, his work has focused on technical geophysics, which he explains involves “study[ing] the fine-scale details of the wiggles in seismic traces and try[ing] to predict what we will find before we drill.” He is most known for interpreting “reflection time” — the time it takes for sound to travel, like an echo, from the surface of the land or ocean to a rock layer and back to the surface — to determine the depth of a well and other qualities of the field. Bob earned a bachelor’s degree in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology and a doctorate from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.

[

“The sooner we get off this idea that we are on a trajectory of inevitability, [the sooner] we’ll start to see the opportunities.”

— Tom Gilbert ’96

Photo: Patricia Cousins

loomischaffee.org | 23

!

Innovate.

I

Sajed Kamal ’65, an expert in sustainable energy and technology, teaches “Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development” in the Sustainable International Development Program at Brandeis University and has more than 30 years of experience in renewable energy.

He has consulted on projects in the United States and abroad, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Armenia, and El Salvador. He has published many articles and more than a dozen books, including his latest book, Sustainability and Well-Being: The Middle Path to Environment, Society and the Economy (Palgrave Pivot), published in May 2013. In 2007 Sajed received a Boston Mayor’s Green Award for Community Leadership in Energy and Climate Protection, and in 2008 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Sajed earned his bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education at Northeastern University. He received a doctorate in education from Boston University.

nnovation has brought about technological advances Bob describes and will continue to steer the way toward sustaining the planet. Although the initial investment in renewable energy systems, for instance, has been a barrier for individuals, businesses, and organizations to convert to them, the cost of renewable energy technology is decreasing, in large part because of innovation, Sajed says. Improvements in the efficiency and lifespan of solar energy systems have been significant, making them more affordable and practical. If they’re more durable, they pay for themselves earlier in their lives. And if they’re less expensive to begin with, they pay for themselves earlier in their lives.

Seek and/or develop ways of making renewable energy more affordable for all.

F

inancial innovation can play a role as well, notes Sajed. Subsidies and financing programs for renewable energy projects are proliferating.

Support brands with the “1% for the Planet” logo.

T

hese companies have committed to donating 1 percent of their sales — not just 1 percent of their profits — to environmental causes, so choosing these brands allows you to “vote with your dollars,” explains Barbara Friedsam ’88, who works for 1% for the Planet. Patagonia, Clif Bar, and Klean Kanteen are three of the brands.

Volunteer with nonprofit and grassroots environmental efforts.

B

arbara suggests a few: 350. org, Ceres, Climate Counts, Clean Air Cool Planet, and Union of Concerned Scientists, and she notes that there are many more.

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If you are passionate about the cause, choose a professional path that incorporates it.

B

arbara ultimately did. “I feel so unbelievably fortunate to have merged 20 years in the for-profit sector into a career that is at the intersection of business and environmentalism, celebrating and encouraging business to be a significant part of the solution,” she says. 1% for the Planet builds and supports a growing alliance of businesses to “Give Back to Blue” (the big, blue planet). Member businesses donate 1 percent of their sales directly to their choice of sustainability-oriented nonprofit organizations that have been vetted by 1% for the Planet for their track records and impact.

In return the businesses’ products bear the 1% for the Planet label, encouraging consumers to choose with their consciences too. In 2012 member businesses’ donations to environmental organizations topped $100 million.

Ask questions and seek answers.

“H

ow do politics influence energy prices? How do different countries set standards for estimating oil reserves?” asks Bob. “Why are some nations failing to achieve their Kyoto Protocol goals? Why can governments not agree on a successor treaty to Kyoto? How can developed nations influence developing nations to ‘do as we say, not as we did?’ How are developing countries using new technologies to improve their standards of living faster than the developed countries did? How can we estimate how much energy developing nations (especially China and India) will demand in five or 10 years? How will rising or falling energy prices affect this demand? How will the developed nations’ economies alter as developingnation living standards improve

Barbara Friedsam ’88 works as senior director of marketing and New England for 1% for the Planet, a global alliance of businesses that donate 1 percent of their sales to sustainability initiatives.

More than 1,200 companies in 48 countries are members, including Patagonia, Horny Toad apparel, and Klean Kanteen.

Barbara says she developed a love for the outdoors while at Loomis. In college at University of Wisconsin, Madison, she focused on environmental studies and sociology, and she earned a master’s degree in geography at University of Nevada, Reno, where she wrote her thesis on towns that host public lands. After working for 20 years in the for-profit business sector, she joined 1% for the Planet in 2012. At the nonprofit based in the the Mad River Valley of Vermont, she combines her experience in business, marketing, and brand development with her passion for sustainability and for what she describes as “responsible consumerism.”

[ “A 100 percent transition to renewable energy — the sustainable energy solution — is achievable, but only if we exercise our choice for it.”

— Sajed Kamal ’65

Photo: Patricia Cousins

loomischaffee.org | 25

! and wages rise? What is the role of American education in this?”

Peter Grannis ’60 served as commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation from 2007 to 2010.

The agency oversees the state’s environmental policy and compliance and is considered a force in the fight against climate change and in advancing a broader agenda of environmental issues. Before being appointed to the post by Governor Elliot Spitzer, Pete served as a member of the New York state assembly for 32 years and was a member of the assembly’s Environmental Committee for his entire tenure. A graduate of Rutgers University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Pete worked as a tax lawyer in New York and helped organize the city’s first Earth Day celebration before running for office in 1974.

He says he has loved the outdoors and been interested in the environment all of his life. Pete’s left the Department of Environmental Conservation post in 2010 during a state budgetary battle. Soon after, Pete was appointed first deputy comptroller for the state, serving as second in command to New York's independently elected comptroller. Pete has received numerous awards and recognition for his distinguished career in public service.

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Another set of questions concerns geoengineering, the idea of modifying the climate on purpose. The most attractive favored method among geoengineers, Bob says, “is to distribute sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere to reflect incoming sunlight and thereby cool the planet. This occurs naturally following major volcanic eruptions like Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.”

Bob poses these questions surrounding this idea: “Should we geoengineer our planet? What are the potential benefits of geoengineering? What are potential problems? What are worst-case scenarios if we get it wrong?”

Take a long view and a clear one.

“I

f sustainability is a concern, nearsighted gratification blurs our vision, … ruthless exploitation of natural resources alienates us from our role as stewards of the Earth, … and displaced priorities desensitize our moral sensibilities,” Sajed writes.

Organize.

A

group of friends that included Peter Grannis ’60 managed the first Earth Day in New York City in 1970. At the time he was a tax lawyer at a small law firm in New York.

He had been interested in the outdoors and the environment since an early age, and when the Earth Day idea took shape, he and some friends got involved.

Earth Day, he says, was an expression of citizen frustration that nothing was being done about the environment, and there is a similar level of frustration about climate change today.

Run for office.

P

ete ran for the New York state assembly in 1974 “because I wanted to have more of a voice in policy matters.” He won that election and others to come, serving for 32 years in the state assembly. He served on the Environmental Committee for his entire tenure in the assembly, and that committee helped create the guiding laws in the state environmental law, including the cornerstone Environmental Quality Review Act, which requires environmental review of development proposals during the permitting process. Businesses fought the bill, but it passed. “If you read it today, it’s a miracle that this ever got enacted,” Pete reflects.

He also sponsored the antismoking laws in New York.

Work for the government.

W

hen New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller united several state agencies to create the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Pete was hired as enforcement counselor. A few years later, he was elected to the state assembly, a position he held until he was appointed commissioner of the DEC in 2007.

He was placed in charge of an agency with 3,000 employees and a budget of $1.2 billion that worked to clean and protect the environment. Air and water testing, permitting, toxic waste disposal, pollution control all went through the DEC. “It was a dream job,” he says. “These were issues I had been working on for 30 years and I cared deeply about. These were issues that I felt had an overriding responsibility to make sure the world was a better place.” And Pete already had worked on these issues with many of the people in the agency during his decades in the legislature.

Moreover, “for whatever reason, I got basically a free hand

in … selecting the directors of those offices and their counsel,” Pete recounts. “I had just an extraordinary team of people who were very connected and had long been involved in environmental issues.” Among the DEC initiatives under his leadership: developing a climate action plan initiated by Governor Eliot Spitzer that involved a sweeping array of strategies for combatting climate change; cochairing a regional greenhouse gas initiative, which created a cap-and-trade program to limit emissions from power plants in 10 northeastern states; continuing the department’s work on air permitting and monitoring of industries’ air emissions; and heading up the state’s Sea Level Rise Task Force.

Stand up for what you believe in.

P

ete left the DEC abruptly in 2010 in the midst of a budget battle near the end of Governor David Paterson’s administration. As Pete explains it, he was told to make indiscriminate cuts in the department’s staffing and budget. He warned that the cuts risked setting back important environmental initiatives and programs. When a memo he wrote to the state budget director outlining the impact of the potential cuts was leaked to news outlets, Pete was asked to resign. When he refused, he was fired by Governor Paterson’s administration. “I wouldn’t have changed what happened when I left. This is who I am,” Pete says of his abrupt departure.

He had a reputation for sticking to his principles, even as an assemblyman, although he was a coalition-builder and realized it sometimes took a long time to get things done. But he wasn’t afraid of battles. In fact, he says, when he didn’t win a battle in the legislature, he never saw it as a battles he had lost. He still felt he made a difference by fighting those battles, and he sees progress as incremental.

[

Technological advances have helped to improve industrial efficiency, and greater efficiency can mean less waste of natural resources.

Photo: John Mullin

loomischaffee.org | 27

!

Work for the government, again.

T

Terry Walters ’84, author of the bestselling cookbooks Clean Food and Clean Start, is a leader in the clean eating lifestyle movement.

Dedicated to sharing her knowledge and passion for eating clean and living well, Terry works extensively as an educator, consultant, clean food chef, and advocate for healthy change in the way people eat and live. Her goal is to inspire and empower people to make positive changes for their health and the health of the environment. Terry is regularly featured on television, radio, print, and Internet media and writes the popular blog “Eat Clean Live Well.” She serves as an advisor to the Board of Directors for Urban Oaks Organic Farm in New Britain, Connecticut, and is the director of culinary education for The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition in West Granby, Connecticut. She is a James Beard Foundation Award finalist and recipient of the Nautilus Gold and Silver Book Awards. Of her first book, chef Mario Batali said: “Clean Food is the most exciting book based on fresh produce and simple recipes I have used in years.”

Terry, an avid runner, cyclist, skier, and gardener, says she strives to live what she teaches, doing the best she can to embrace good health for herself, her family, her community, and the environment.

wo months after leaving his environmental post, Pete was asked to serve as the first deputy controller for the state of New York. The elected controller, Thomas DiNapoli, served in the state assembly with Pete and chaired the Environmental Committee for 10 years. Like Pete, Mr. DiNapoli cares about the environment and climate change. Along with looking out for the fiscal well-being and effectiveness of state and local governments, the controller’s many responsibilities include serving as the trustee of the state’s $160 billion pension fund, which has been recognized as one of the most active pension funds in influencing companies’ attention to climate change. “We use our shareholder leverage on these issues to try to get companies to improve their environmental performance or their environmental disclosure or their environmental risk,” Pete says.

Seize opportunities.

M

anufacturers of new technologies and their peripherals are going to be a huge driving force behind business growth, Pete predicts.

“This green revolution is going to rival the industrial revolution over the next 15 years or so in terms of economic (impact),” he says. “The world is filled with opportunities for people that understand the changing nature of our world economy and our national economy.” Climate change initiatives are a big part of that trend, he says.

Bob adds another factor. “If energy prices rise, different fuels and technologies will become attractive,” he says. “As in any field, think outside the box.”

Eat clean food.

E

at locally-grown, in-season, nutritious food, and sup-

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port local organic farms, says Terry Walters ’84, author of two bestselling cookbooks and a leader in the clean eating movement. Don’t eat foods that are the result of agricultural practices that pollute, deplete natural resources, and harm our health. More natural resources are required to produce a calorie of animal-based food than a calorie of plant-based food, Terry asserts. Some experts also claim, though not unanimously, that the livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the transportation industry. “The move towards clean food is essential,” Terry concludes.

tually should seek to extend beyond the personal level and engage at least with their local communities in their efforts to bring change for the environment.

Think local.

ar pool. Walk to work. (Bob Kieckhefer does.) Ride your bike instead of driving.

(Barbara Friedsam does.) Turn off lights when you don’t need them. Focus on renewables.

Grow your own food. (Many do, including Terry Walters and Tom Gilbert.) Heat with wood from local sources. (Tom and his family get their heating wood from their own property or from sources within 30 miles of their home, saving on the fuel required to transport wood from farther away.)

T

he “think local” mantra applies on many levels, from food choices to energy sources to legislative action.

As for food, grow your own if possible or buy from local, preferably organic, farmers, says Terry. Locally-grown food is not only fresher and healthier for you, it also requires less fuel to get from the farm to your table, compared to buying outof-season produce from across the country or beyond.

Applying “think local” to energy sources, Bob says communities should focus on using alternative energies that are plentiful in their locales. There isn’t a one-approach-fits-all solution. Instead, he explains, solar power makes sense in Arizona, geothermal power is a good choice in Iceland, and New Zealand wisely uses natural gas-fueled buses since natural gas is more plentiful in that country than gasoline, which would have to be transported a long distance.

Activism on the local level can have a major impact as well.

“Organize locally or organize within reach,” Tom says.

Change can start at home, but he believes individuals even-

Legislative efforts to protect the planet are gaining momentum on the local level more effectively than on the national front.

Pete points out that the United States does not have a national energy policy, and no climate change legislation is likely to pass in Congress. State and local initiatives, however, are making the changes that Washington hasn’t been able to make.

Do what you can.

C

Use your expertise to help local efforts.

T

om sits on the Board of Directors for the Center for an Agricultural Economy, an organization that sets up food cycling systems for the town of Hardwick, Vermont, and seven surrounding towns. Terry is an advisor to the Board of Directors for Urban Oaks Organic Farm in New Britain, Connecticut. She also works with local schools to encourage school lunch programs that are healthy and produced in ways that support farmers and take care of the environment. Through his involvement with Solar Fenway, a group of volunteers from his Boston neighborhood, Sajed has helped his community to turn

[

Eat locally-grown, in-season, nutritious food, and support local organic farms.

Photo: Patricia Cousins

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! to solar energy. A few years ago, Solar Fenway joined with the city of Boston to install a solar system on the roof of the Boston Arts Academy, and similar projects ensued.

Establish your values.

“I

n order to act with effect in any capacity, we must first establish values toward which we are investing,” Tom says. And we should state our values in the affirmative, what we are for, not what we are against. “Organizing within reach should begin with establishing clear personal values and clarifying shared community values toward which we will work together.”

“I feel so unbelievably fortunate to have merged 20 years in the for-profit sector into a career that is at the intersection of business and environmentalism...”

— Barbara Friedsam ’88

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Lobby.

H

ighfields supported the Universal Recycling Bill, which the Vermont legislature passed two years ago. The law mandates that by 2020, Vermont will recycle 80 percent of what currently goes to landfills.

Tom notes that a big portion of the landfilled waste is food material.

Work on a farm.

W

hen Tom was 14, he went to his uncle’s farm in Kansas for the summer. “I guess I was kind of leveled by my own ignorance of how food works,” he recalls. While he was a Loomis student, he spent his summers working on farms in southern Vermont, and he and his wife now own a 128-acre farm in Standard, Vermont, where they have 40 acres of high-quality hay and 50 laying hens. They sell the eggs, and the chickens eat food scraps. They plan to expand to about 2,000 laying hens next year, fed on food scraps in partnership with local food composting programs. The goal is to produce 100 percent grain-free eggs, he says, because transporting grain for livestock consumes a large amount of energy.

Study sustainability.

Teach sustainability.

T

om attended Evergreen College, where he studied sustainable agriculture, community development, and composting science and technology. Once he gets his farm fully operational, Tom plans to start a school in sustainable agriculture and community organizing. Barbara focused on environmental studies and sociology in college and earned a master’s degree in geography.

Sajed teaches and continues to learn about sustainability in the Sustainable International Development Program at Brandeis University. Bob’s scholarly background is in geophysics, and he teaches about his field at conferences as well as passing on his knowledge and expertise to his less experienced colleagues. Terry is the director of culinary education for the Institute of Sustainable Nutrition in West Granby, Connecticut. Pete often is invited to give lectures on environmental issues, among other topics.

Do something within reach.

“T

he sooner we get off this idea that we are on a trajectory of inevitability, … we’ll start to see the opportunities,” Tom says. “You start with what’s within reach.” For instance, he said, if you’re a dentist and know your work is important, start by treating a couple of people free of charge. You are bringing system change by giving people access to health care, and doing so moves the community closer to sustainability. Terry describes this idea somewhat differently: “Perhaps the real question is not what can we do with what we know, but how can we motivate others to care about using that knowledge for positive change, how can we teach the mind and inspire the heart?”

Focus on building the future, not upending the status quo.

A

lthough the goal may be the same with either approach, the first one will more likely achieve the goal than the second one will. Sajed quotes American architect, author, and futurist Buckminster Fuller, who said, “You never change something by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” And Sajed adds, “The revolutionary potential of renewable energy bears within it the opportunity — and the power of the people — to build such a model. That power of the people needs to be unleashed.

The ‘people’ are you and me.”

Examination of climate change and the possible solutions to this global problem are continuing throughout the year at Loomis. Various classes are engaged in projects related to the school theme, and preparations are under way for student presentations, an all-school convocation, and a variety of environmentrelated projects on the interdisciplinary “day of action” on Earth Day, April 22. ©

You can follow the on-campus discussion and projects as they unfold by visiting the school-theme web page at loomischaffee.org/SchoolTheme.

[

“This green revolution is going to rival the industrial revolution over the next 15 years or so in terms of economic [impact].”

— Peter Grannis ’60

Photo: Patricia Cousins

loomischaffee.org | 31

CENTENNIAL ESSAY | BY LINDA FOWLER ’63

“Same as It Ever Was, Same as It Ever Was . . .”

1914

2014

EDITORS NOTE: Beginning with this issue and continuing over the next few years, Loomis Chaffee Magazine offers its readers a special feature: the Centennial Essays.

These pieces have been commissioned from Loomis Chaffee graduates who have made their marks in various fields.

They offer perspectives derived from their work at this, the school’s centennial moment. Some make connections between the writers’ years at school and the experiences that have shaped their views.

Some focus on a national or global crisis. All present cutting-edge ideas. Most importantly, all bring to bear on their subject the insights gained from years of study and action, and from a compelling need to deepen understanding, shape opinion, and provoke commitment.

Linda L. Fowler ’63 is professor of government and Frank J. Reagan Chair in Policy Studies at Dartmouth College.

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W

HEN I graduated from Chaffee in June 1963, Congress was in gridlock over civil rights. When I attended my 50th Reunion in June 2013, Congress again was mired in dysfunction, this time over the federal government’s role in the nation’s economy. Having worked as a young staff member in the House and written and taught about Congress throughout my professional life, I have wrestled with the question that is particularly relevant today: Why is the institution, which the framers placed at the center of the American democracy, more likely to disappoint than inspire its citizens? Many political observers trace the poor performance of the legislative branch to the design of the Constitution while others point to the limitations of the public in holding members to account. Both interpretations have merit, but a prime factor is the fragmented American party system, which so often fails to promote electoral competition and allows narrow interests to dominate the congressional agenda.

Examples of congressional incompetence and accomplishment fill the record of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy. On the negative side, George Washington’s attempt to seek the advice of the Senate regarding border conflicts with Native American tribes went so badly that Washington confided to his diary that he would be “damned if he ever went there again.” Mark Twain’s 1873 account of the Gilded Age offered Senator Balloon as the venal archetype of the American lawmaker. Contemporary news accounts abound with stories of legislators embroiled in sexual escapades or financial scandals.

Yet Congress has produced statesmen, policy entrepreneurs, and, especially, dealmakers who have done the right thing for less than admirable reasons. Senator Arthur Vandenberg, for example, was the lynchpin for the 1947 legislation to aid Turkey and Greece that became the basis for the Truman Doctrine and then the Marshall Plan. Senator Sam Nunn conceived the plan to collaborate with Russian scientists to safeguard nuclear weapons and materiel as the Soviet Union collapsed and then persuaded a reluctant White House to go along. Representative Dan Rostenkowski, the consummate Chicago pol later convicted of misuse of government funds, and

“

The failings of the American party system fostered congressional gridlock during my youth at Chaffee and have played a major role in the budget battles of today.

”

Senator Bob Packwood, eventually censured for sexual harassment of his staff, steered landmark tax reform legislation to successful passage in 1986.

Many aspects of the U.S. Constitution foster a congressional politics that provides political opportunities for small-minded lawmakers and thwarts the ambitions of innovators. The framers feared that a majority faction would gain control of the formidable powers assigned to Congress in Article I and created a system that fragmented authority and responsibility in order to minimize threats to liberty and property. Since its inception, the legislative branch has struggled to articulate a collective will thanks to the division into two coequal chambers, the differences in constituency size and term length for senators and representatives, and the staggered elections of senators, who until 1911 were chosen by state legislatures. The result was what noted political scientist Robert Dahl termed “minorities rule,” in which coalitions arrived at consensus through bargaining.

Few modern democracies have copied the American legislative model, and they have avoided continued 34

Illustration by Wesley Allsbrook loomischaffee.org | 33

SAME AS IT EVER WAS | continued from 32

coequal chambers when they opted for a bicameral legislature. Laws in the United States, by contrast, require that a bill obtain majorities not once, but four times — passage first in both the House and Senate and then adoption of a revised measure in each chamber before it can go to the White House for the president’s signature. Lawmaking inevitably appears arcane and unprincipled, affirming the image of legislation as “making sausage.”

Paradoxically, the unusual structure of the U.S. Congress discourages legislative ambitions in its members while demanding exceptional skill and tenacity to effect policy change.

The framers expected that future lawmakers would be men of character and accomplishment much like themselves to manage such an unwieldy system. They held no illusions that all, or even most, lawmakers would be statesmen, but they anticipated that each Congress, as Madison asserted, would have “a few members of long standing who will be thoroughly masters of the public business.” In one respect, their expectations were correct: A few members have had an outsize impact on the institution.

Yet shrewd observers of the United States have identified the absence of qualified leaders as a major flaw in both the legislative and executive branches. Traveling the country in the 1830s, Tocqueville concluded that Americans lack ambition for greatness as a nation, the result of their tendency “to eagerly covet small objects,” their disinterest in “lasting monuments,” and their propensity to “care more for success than fame.” Lord Bryce, six decades later, ended his magisterial work noting that American politics had fallen “into the hands of mean men” and that the nation’s greatest deficiencies had “least to do with constitutional arrangements … [but resulted from] the prominence of inferior men … and the absence of distinguished figures.”

In hindsight, the framers failed to devise mechanisms to inspire ambition for service in the House and Senate and to ensure that voters would have choices about issues facing the nation. Instead, they allocated the responsibility for elections to the states, which gave rise to fragmented, anti-competitive parties heavily depen-

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“

In hindsight, the framers failed to devise mechanisms to inspire ambition for service in the House and Senate and to ensure that voters would have choices about issues facing the nation.

”

dent upon interest groups. The unfortunate outcome is a deeply flawed system for identifying, recruiting, nominating and choosing individuals to serve in Congress. Such a haphazard system requires candidates to be self-starters, to personally assume a disproportionate share of the costs of seeking office, and to spend too much time raising funds unless they have significant personal wealth. It favors incumbents and fosters excessive localism and sensitivity to economic elites.

The failings of the American party system fostered congressional gridlock during my youth at Chaffee and have played a major role in the budget battles of today.

The one-party rule in the South, which sustained the oppression of blacks, had its origins in a backroom deal in 1876 to break a deadlock in the Electoral College.

In effect, the Republicans agreed to stop competing for votes in southern states in exchange for the presidency. The GOP became the dominant party at the federal level, controlling the White House and the Congress with a few interruptions, until the Democratic landslide election of 1932. Meanwhile, southern lawmakers exploited the absence of electoral competition to impose the Jim Crow system and use their electoral security to gain

control of key committees in the House and Senate. With an effective veto over bills that went to the floor, they held off civil rights legislation for decades, until the assassination of President Kennedy and the landslide election of 1964 created enough political momentum to pass landmark civil rights legislation.

A major cause of gridlock in Congress today arises from the pervasive use of primaries to nominate candidates for the House and Senate, a practice no longer confined to the South. Turnout is exceptionally low in primary elections, so a small number of activists and donors determines the outcome. Residential sorting produces increasingly homogeneous communities that enable state legislatures to draw district lines that discourage competition in the general election. Ideological extremists and special interest groups in both parties are in a strong position, therefore, to threaten lawmakers with retaliation at primary time, especially in off-year elections.

Their hold over the nomination process discourages moderates from seeking congressional office, making compromise even more difficult.

Historically, Americans have preferred pragmatic, centrist politics. Looking at the rhetoric and roll call votes of the contemporary Congress, one might conclude that citizens have turned their backs on moderation. Yet opinion surveys over the last 50 years reveal a pattern of remarkable stability in public attitudes toward the role of government in their lives with modest shifts to the right of center or left of center on most issues. In contrast, activists and the lawmakers they favor have polarized dramatically.

The gridlock in Congress that I witnessed as a girl and the stalemate that I see today differ in important respects, but both flourished in the fragmented congressional system. In the 1960s, the landslide victory of Lyndon Johnson with its surge of new members broke the impasse over civil rights. Today, the absence of moderates in the House and Senate insures that ideological disputes about the role of government will persist until one of the parties realigns into a coherent majority that can overcome congressional fragmentation. ©

Our Fiftieth A

By THOMAS E. ENGEL ’63 — Chair, Loomis Class of 1963 50th Reunion

year ago Sheila Culbert visited me in New York and asked if I would chair the 50th Reunion for the Loomis Class of 1963. I thought, “Hmm, the 50th, that’s the time when grads, stooped in their seersucker and sporting their boaters, break out the canes and walkers and recall the days when they were pups.”

“But maybe that was then, and this was now,” I told myself.

Though I hadn’t kept up as much with Loomis as some and my kids hadn’t gone there, I didn’t need much persuasion.

As much as, or even more than, anywhere else, I felt I derived from Loomis.

We assembled a committee of a dozen or so. And we called everyone. We asked them to come in June and asked them to think about Loomis and what it had meant to them. Later, we asked them to contribute to our 50th Reunion gift.

I reached one classmate whom I hadn’t seen since that hazy,

muggy June day a half century ago. “How was your life?” he asked. I’m still puzzling about that.

We reached 70 to 75 classmates out of the 100 who graduated. Fourteen of these, sadly, had died, and one more left us even as we began to organize ourselves in February. Another dozen or so were in the “DNC” category — “Do Not Contact.”

I tried one of these, a college professor. Big mistake. He bit my head off when I inquired about his Reunion interest. My insurance didn’t cover this.

Of those we contacted, about half showed up at Loomis Chaffee in June. (Another 20 alumnae from the Chaffee Class of 1963 attended to celebrate their 50th Reunion as well.)

One classmate traveled from his home in France; there were a few from the left coast; a Floridian came in his Hawaiian shirt; and the Hawaiian member of our class told us he was a beekeeper and ran a B&B. Unlike a college reunion, everybody remembered everybody else. It may have taken a second or two a few times. Some guys had “changed,” sure, but most looked more or less the same.

One classmate had altered from the rangy cross country captain to the very image of Clint Eastwood, with the same twinkle in his eye.

On Saturday night we had 36 for dinner — many with spouses.

Our quarterback had gotten

married the week before and, with a sangfroid that some veteran husbands would never have mustered, brought his new bride, a very good sport herself, to the dubious den of our 50th.

All in all, the cohort was in good shape. We looked good in our blazers. And we remembered. … We remembered many things and different things — perhaps we remembered more of those years at Loomis than we did of the much longer interstice since.

After dinner there was an open mike. One classmate recalled a day student’s dilemma: Am I in or out? What happens at night when I’m not there? Another told us about a road trip to Florida that he’d taken with another student and a master over spring break. “Where was I when that happened?” I wondered. The guy from France prepared for Reunion by rereading Proust — in French. From anyone else, it would have been baloney or pretentious, but it wasn’t.

And one guy, the captain of our undefeated basketball team, went to the microphone and told us how he recalled his father. He said, “My father died five years ago. I was very close to him. He told me, ‘Son, when it’s important, say the words.

If you love someone, don’t just think they know already. If it’s important, say it, say the words.’”

So he said it. “I love you guys,” he said. ©

The author (second from right) and other members of the 50th Reunion Planning Committee for the Loomis Class of 1963 pose for a photograph last June after receiving the Stephen Conland ’35 Award for volunteer effort. Pictured with Tom are classmates Stephen Neubert, Gardner Gillespie, Spencer Hays, Michael O'Connor, Peter Pond, and Peter Bingenheimer.

The class, which raised $7 million for the school, earned three additional awards — for total giving, Annual Fund giving, and Reunion attendance. Photo: Patricia Cousins

loomischaffee.org | 35

Ten students’ photographic journey in France . . .

C’EST MAGNIFIQUE!

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Lacoste

CAMERAS

in hand, 10 Loomis Chaffee students, led by two faculty members, traveled to France last summer to work on their photography portfolios while immersing themselves in the French culture and language.

Upon their return, the Emerging Artists Exhibit this fall in the Barnes and Wilde gallery of the Richmond Art Center featured 120 of the students’ photographs from the trip. These pages offer a sampling of their work.

During the trip, the students studied photography in a stateof-the-art lab at the Savannah College of Art and Design’s campus in Lacoste, an ancient town in the hills of Provence.

The group also traveled to Paris, where the students expanded the geographic diversity of their portfolios while enhancing their spoken French.

Student participants included juniors Marguerite Chapman, Ayanna Curwen, Leilah Diong, Biri Guerrero, and Alessandra Piccone; seniors Shannon Deveney and Eseosa Osagie; and 2013 graduates Anna Pearce, Olivia Szczerbickyj, and JoDeanne Francis. Photography teacher John Mullin and Mary Forrester, director of public information and a former French teacher, led the trip, which was offered by the Center for Global Studies.

To see more student photographs from the trip, go to www.loomischaffee.org /magazine.

— RACHEL ALLEN

L’île sur la Sorgue

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Lacoste

Cassis 38 |

Lacoste

MĂŠnerbes

L’îleloomischaffee.org sur la Sorgue| 39

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L’île sur la Sorgue

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L’île sur la Sorgue

Cassis

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OBJECT LESSONS | | BY BYKAREN KARENPARSONS PARSONS

The Labor that Built Loomis

T

HIS photograph, one in a series of images documenting the construction of the Loomis School, records a scene from Wednesday, September 23, 1914.

Twenty-five families would be delivering their sons to Mason and Taylor Halls that afternoon. Twelve “day fellows,” five local girls, and eight students enrolled in a cooking class would join them the next morning for the start of classes. But curiously, the school buildings were not ready. Headmaster Nathaniel Horton Batchelder, recalled, “We moved carpenters and painters out for a day, moved the pupils in, and then let workmen back to finish.”

Building prospectuses promised a finished school by September 23, 1914. Excavation of the site began in July 1913, and firms for landscape design, construction, and engineering were selected before the first steam shovel dug into the Island terrain. Deliberate thought characterized the planning from the earliest work of the architects, Murphy & Dana of New York, to detailed communications between the Trustees, Mr. Batchelder, the architects, and each firm involved in the project. Mr. Batchelder and his wife Gwendolen visited almost daily to check on progress. Why an unfinished school on September 24?

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When Mr. Batchelder first saw the Island in 1912, he “found a rather desolate bit of New England farm land. … [T]he site was small and unattractive.” Transforming this into the gracious Colonial Revival school designed by Murphy & Dana required earth moving on a grand scale. Mr. B recalled that “thousands of yards of dirt were moved about” and “grading went on all winter, with frozen earth blasted out and handled in great chunks.” A steam shovel, workmen with hand shovels and picks, and horses pulling carts of earth helped to dig out and level the quadrangle and “cut” an area for the gymnasium. Fill was put on future athletic fields to the west of the quad and “good black loam dug out of the swampy area around the brook until a clean-banked hockey pond appeared.”

More formidable were the deep layers of thick clay that lay underneath the topsoil.

Consulting engineers Ford, Buck and Sheldon of Hartford warned after their March 1913 test borings that this made for “rather unsatisfactory foundation conditions” for most building sites. Footings had to be dug as deep as 20 feet to reach the hardpan.

And then heavy rains came, submerging the footings and leaving Mr. B and the workmen to bail out the water and wait for what

he called “better days.” At the gym site, the builders gave up trying to reach hardpan and, according to Mr. B, “’floated’ the building on huge, irregular chunks of concrete.”

When it came time to lay brick, the weather interfered again. Mr. B recalled, “It was a bitterly cold winter, and no masonry could be installed with the thermometer below 20. Many a time we … sat in the superintendent’s shack watching the thermometer. But some days it was clearly not worth the trip.”

In the end, the entire building project required “weeks of redoing” and an extra cost of $30,000 “to subdue a rebellious land.”

But did the unfinished school make an impression on those first students? Walter Wood ’18 described September 23, 1914, in an oral history interview he gave more than a half century later. He and his classmates “came that beautiful clear September day, excited, a little scared but feeling we had warmth and safety as we trudged ... down the path to the dining hall which was then [also] the headmaster’s office. …We felt safe and ready for what lay ahead.”

The pioneering students were ready even if the campus was not. © Karen Parsons is archivist and teaches history.

ALUMNI NEWS | EDITED BY JAMES S. RUGEN ’70

1939

“I was pleased to learn that Chris Hedges ’75 has addressed the school. He is a rare voice of sanity,” writes Jim Munves.

1950

Henry Traverso has published a new book: The Art Lover’s Pocket Guide: Where to View the World’s Great Masterpieces.

Featuring diverse artists such as Joseph Albers, Picasso, Monet, Francisco de Zurbarán, and many others, this comprehensive handbook provides essential biographical information and historical context for more than 250 visual artists. It includes an orderly list of each artist’s works and where those works are located, including museums, galleries, churches, monasteries, athenaeums, universities, parks, and libraries in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Both an easy-to-search database and a crash course in art history, the guide provides an enhanced understanding of the arts along with the tools needed to plan an art history trip and to better navigate museums. The guide is available from iUniverse (www. iuniverse.com), booksellers, and online retailers.

1954

R. Carter Elwood, professor of history at Carleton University, Ottawa, Ont., Canada, was named one of the recipients of the 2013 Capital Educators’ Awards at the 12th annual EduCala on May 23, 2013. The award recognizes the achievements of outstanding educators in Ottawa and celebrates public education from kindergarten to graduate school. A Carleton student who nominated Carter noted that many students appreciate his creative approach to teaching

and his ability to find the perfect balance when delivering his lectures: “He has an uncanny and unmatched storytelling ability that makes history come alive; and we, as his students, are part of that process.”

esearch shows that Loomis Chaffee Magazine’s Alumni News is read faithfully by more than 80 percent of our constituency. The reach and archival appeal of this section make it a great place to share your news — an effective “social networking” tool for alumni from all classes.

We rely on you to keep these important pages in our school magazine full and vibrant, reflecting the diverse lives, interests, accomplishments, and

experiences of our extraordinary alumni body.

Please send news and highresolution photographs for inclusion in the Alumni Newsnotes to magazine@loomis. org. Please make sure all people in photographs, alumni or not, are identified clearly.

It’s always a pleasure to hear from you!

Please note this important policy: Information about alumni weddings/marriages or photos

June 13–15, 2014

1960

A new book by Susan Schwartz Jhirad, Dickens’ Inferno: The Moral World of Charles Dickens, is available through Amazon and on Kindle. It is a comparison of the Christian moral systems of Dante and Dickens, using the unique method of placing Dickens’ villains in their appropriate circles in Dante’s Inferno. Susan notes that she received “much moral and intellectual support in this unusual effort” from Catholic literary critic David Impastato ’59, her co-star in the Loomis/Chaffee production of She Stoops to Conquer.

Susan notes: “David has become

Please write!

R

20 Reunion 14

from weddings should come from the bride or groom (graduate or spouse). Information or photos from third parties will not be published without permission of the alumni bride or groom.

James S. Rugen ’70 Alumni Newsnotes Editor Music Department, Strategic Communications & Marketing

CLASSES ENDING IN 4s AND 9s!

Loomis Chaffee wants YOU to celebrate this year! Join classmates, friends, and faculty for your 5th or 60th or any other Reunion in between.

Look for your invitation this spring.

Be sure to receive electronic updates by sharing your email address with the school.

Update your information at www.loomischaffee.org/ reunion or call 860.687.6273.

loomischaffee.org | 45

ALUMNI NEWS

a serious Catholic (like Dante), and I am currently a practicing Unitarian (like Dickens).” Susan received her bachelor of arts degree in history and literature from Harvard-Radcliffe in 1964, her master’s degree from Columbia in 1966, and her doctorate in Romance languages and literature from Harvard in 1972. She is professor emerita at North Shore Community College in Lynn and Danvers, Mass., where she taught for 30 years and for a period of time chaired the English Department. Her longtime social justice activism in the civil rights, anti-war, and women’s movements affected her career choices. An instructor in the Literature Department at M.I.T., she resigned her position to become a union organizer for several years before returning to teaching. Susan is married to Michael Glenn, a retired physician. She has two children, two

stepchildren, and four grandchildren

1964

Curtis W. Hart delivered the second annual J.R. Williams Lecture on Spirituality and Medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine on November 14, 2013. His subject was “Biography as an Art Form: The Story of Helen Flanders Dunbar, M.D., Ph.D., B.D., and Med. Sci. D.” Helen Flanders Dunbar (1902–59) was a physician, medieval and Renaissance scholar, theologian, and founder of the American Psychosomatic Society and its journal, Psychosomatic Medicine. Curt explored Dunbar’s personal history and professional achievements and also addressed how biography, as an art form, transforms both author and audience. Curt is an Episcopal priest and lecturer in public health, medicine, and

psychiatry in the Division of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York. He is editor in chief of the Journal of Religion and Health and author of articles and lectures on a number of important historical figures including William James, Paul Tillich, and J. Robert Oppenheimer. At Weill Cornell Medical College, he teaches in the Medicine, Patients and Society curriculum for undergraduate medical students and serves on the Institutional Review Board. He is a member of the research faculty in the Richardson Family Seminar in the History of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell and its Working Group on Psychoanalysis and the Arts. Curt is a cum laude graduate of Harvard and Union Theological Seminary.

1965

Nicholas Fox Weber, the longstanding executive director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres last spring, with a ceremony taking place last October in Paris. A passionate scholar of the arts, Nicholas has devoted much of his career, since 1976, to directing the Albers Foundation and continuing the Alberses’ legacy via his writings, lectures, and exhibitions throughout the world and through the establishment of an affiliated organization, American Friends of LeKorsa in Sénégal.

1970

The closing event of the yearlong 50th year celebration of the Frank Lloyd Wright Marin County (Calif.) Civic Center was an original staged radio drama,

Chaffee

BOOK CLUB SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 6 p.m. Dinner 7:30 p.m. Discussion Burton Room, Athletics Complex Americanah

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Discussion Leader: Sally Knight, English Department

46 |

Head of School Sheila Culbert hosted the fall gathering of the Chaffee Book Club on a summery October evening at the Head’s House. Sheila and the group discussed the political biography Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham. Back: Gretchen Schafer Skelley ’45, Kate Butterworth De Valdez ’67, Anne Schneider McNulty ’72, Jenefer Carey Berall ’59, Elaine Title Lowengard ’46, Peggy Hansen Sparrow ’50, Sue Fisher Shepard ’62, and Betty Collins ’72. Front: Alice Templeton Custer ’45, Mims Brooks Butterworth ’36, Katie Cox Reynolds ’45, and Priscilla Ransom Marks ’67.

2013–14 ANNUAL FUND

MY PELICAN

TALE

MARIA GLUCH BRIGGS, M.D. ’85

Physician, Connecticut Multispecialty Group

“

I remember the first time my mom brought me to Loomis Chaffee. We took the city bus from Hartford and walked from Windsor Center. My mom was telling me, “You can’t go here. We can’t afford this.” But I got in, and Loomis provided enough aid that my family could afford to send me.

Loomis showed me that anything is possible. It prepared me for future challenges in college, medical school, and my work. I left the Island equipped with tools that allow me to better deal with real-world situations. My mentor was Barbara Baker, and I still keep in touch with her today. She encouraged my interest in biology and advised my senior research project that helped define my major in college and ultimately my career path.

I choose to give back because Loomis gave me a chance and it changed my life. Hopefully I can give somebody else a chance to define their path. Please join me in supporting the Annual Fund today.

Vera, Mary, and Mr. Wright, by Richard Rapaport. The drama was performed at the Civic Center on October 29, 2013. The play traces the political struggle to design and build the civic center, focusing on the impact of two visionary women in the strongly male-dominated world of politics in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The performance can be viewed at www.youtube. com/watch?v=L7rPpeWKLfM. Brian Rooney writes: “This is a strictly commercial appeal, because I would like to announce the opening of my new website, TheRooneyReport.com. For nearly a year I have been writing a daily email digest of the day’s news. It started out as a personal report for my daughter Emma in college, but she spread it around to her friends and their parents,

”

www.loomischaffee.org/giving

and it appeared that there might be a market for this. The Report is designed to be simple and direct with a little fun thrown in. It is the essentials of what you need to know every day. It’s designed for all kinds of people, from students to busy parents.

Even in the age of information saturation, a lot of people want to know what’s going on and don’t have time to follow the news. So, I invite you to take a look: www.therooneyreport. com. Please subscribe, or, if it’s not for you, spread the word to someone who might enjoy it.”

1973

Bill Rowland is a patent lawyer in the Alexandria, Va., office of Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, a 450-attorney firm with offices in 16 cities around the country.

He was recently elected to the firm’s board of directors. He has served on the Compensation Committee, as head of the Mechanical Practice Group and as head of the Virginia office. Bill travels frequently throughout Europe, Japan, and China, advising clients and lecturing at local legal forums. He has two children, who recently graduated with degrees in civil engineering from Virginia Tech and Cornell, and who compete against each other in the Washington, D.C., construction industry.

1976

Loren Loomis Hubbell was named dean of administration at Lyndon State College (Vt.), and began in her position there last August. She has many years of experience in finance, strategic

planning, and operations — primarily in higher education.

Previously she served as vice president of finance at North Carolina Wesleyan College, where she was also an adjunct instructor. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard and has conducted workshops and lectures on a variety of topics, including designing and implementing cost-effective control systems, tuition pricing and financial aid, and endowment spending formulas. Within the Vermont State College system, the dean of administration is in charge of planning, implementing, managing, and supervising the college’s financial and business affairs in compliance with the VSC Board of Trustees’ policies and procedures. Loren oversees loomischaffee.org | 47

ALUMNI NEWS | EDITED BY JAMES S. RUGEN ’70

’50

’52

’57

’68 Seventeen members of the Chaffee Class of 1968 and Vini Norris ’67 enjoyed a 45th Reunion dinner at the cabin of Anne Shepard King, who organized the event with Kathy Howard Kerrigan. Pictured: Emmy Norris, Elise Konney Weber, Jean Liscord Kelly, Bronwen Zwirner, Toni Treadway, Gail Baldauf Borkowski, Lisa Sinclair, Bev Earle, Diane Tutherly Resly, Wendy Bell, Anne, Kathy, Linda Manning Morris, Mary Seaverns Saner, Deb Wardner Donoghue, Susie Carlson Garrat, and Jan Saglio.

’60

’69

’80

Bob Barr ’69 and former faculty member Jim Wilson catch up July 13, 2013, in Hanover, N.H., at the 32nd annual Audrey Prouty Fundraiser for Cancer Research.

This year’s fundraiser surpassed the goal of $2.75 million, raising funds that support cancer patients and cancer research at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center.

Ruthie Davis ’80 completed her fifth ING New York City Marathon, November 3, 2013, with a time of 4:01:27. She finished 16,502nd out of 50,000 finishers, placing 3,748th out of the 19,430 female finishers.

The shoe designer and innovator had her running gear logo’ed and brandished for the occasion with her social media handle @Ruthie_Davis as a way for her followers to stay in touch during the marathon.

The Art Lover’s Pocket Guide by Henry P. Traverso ’50 offers a guide to locating the works of the most popular and well-known Western visual artists worldwide.

’69

Former Loomis Chaffee teacher and coach Jim Wilson gathers with newlyweds Ashley Morton and John Nesbitt ’96 at their wedding reception, August 3, 2013.

Betsy Nesbitt ’00 served as a bridesmaid for her new sister-in-law. John and Ashley live in Stowe, Vt., and John is in his second year at the University of Vermont Medical School.

Bill Schaffer ’52, Sally Schaffer Martin ’50 (front), Alice Schaffer Smith ’57, and Susan Schaffer Patricelli ’57 met up in Palo Alto, Calif., last Labor Day. The cover of a new study by Susan Schwartz Jhirad ’60 of Charles Dickens’ moral system was designed by her son Dylan Jhirad, head of the graphic arts department of a New York architectural firm. (See her newsnote for more information.)

At right, Kaitlyn Valerie Lovett poses with her big brother, Ryan. Kaitlyn was born August 29, 2013, to Jacqueline Gange Lovett ’92 and her husband, William.

48 |

’92

’85 ’86

Dads and sons enjoy Parents Weekend reunions last October: freshman Connor Rush and Mark Rush ’86, freshman Charlie Hanson and Fridolf Hanson ’85, freshman Graham Struthers and Director of Development Timothy Struthers ’85.

operating and capital budgets, personnel and payroll functions, student billing, financial aid, and insurance maintenance for the college and its staff.

1979

Mary Collins is one of the creators of a history project concerning Connecticut in the American Revolution. For information, see the website www.

CTAmericanRevolution.com.

Her organization sponsored a Revolutionary Connecticut Breakfast at the Connecticut Historical Society last October, offering the opportunity to meet professionals from the 162 historic sites featured in the project’s nine Connecticut American Revolution-themed tours.

1989

Suzanna Henshon received the Wesleyan University Service Award on May 25, 2013, during Reunion Weekend.

A daughter, Caroline Lilly Jaworowicz, was born June 6, 2013, to Sara Rosenberg Jaworowicz and her husband, Warren.

Paula Daqui Pitcher writes: “I am enjoying life on the West Coast, and frequently see alumni in San Francisco. My sister Heather Daqui Thanos ’94 recently moved to the nearby suburbs, and I currently serve on the board of trustees for my children’s preschool with Libby Macartney Mitchell ’91. Please email me at paula_daqui@ yahoo.com if you would like to connect.”

1990

The Boston Blades hosted Gretchen Ulion Silverman, longtime Loomis coach Chuck “Bruno” Vernon, and several others for a ceremonial puck drop on opening night, November 2, 2013. “The Boston Blades is proud to honor these ‘legends’ to acknowledge everything they have done for decades to further the growth and development of women’s hockey as role models of the overall mission of the

CWHL (Canadian Women’s Hockey League),” Aronda Kirby, general manager of the Boston Blades, said.

1992

Last summer, Adam Larrabee served on the faculty of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Izmir International Jazz Camp, an intensive music program for instrumentalists and vocalists held in the Soyer Culture and Art Center, Izmir, Turkey. Fretted string player Adam has performed with many jazz greats, including Dave Holland, Jimmy Heath, Larry Goldings, Barry Harris, and Hilton Ruiz as well as mandolin virtuoso Evan Marshall and banjo icon Béla Fleck. He has recorded pop music with Bruce Hornsby, and in the eclectic, award-winning quartet Andromeda, he plays Eastern European and tangoinfluenced chamber-jazz on guitar, banjo, and mandolin. In 2003 the group was chosen to play for the American Repertory Theater’s adaptation of the traditional Chinese opera Snow in June, featuring the music of Paul Dresser. In the Enigmata classical mandolin septet, he plays the mandocello and arranges works of Bach and Shostakovich as well as traditional Brazilian choro pieces. Adam has been commissioned to write works for the New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Music Festival, the Milton Academy Chamber Orchestra, and the Virginia Commonwealth Classical Guitar Ensemble. His music has been performed at Juilliard, Arizona State University, Oberlin College, Roger Williams College, and the Notre Dame Jazz Festival. Adam tours nationally as the banjoist in the neo-bluegrass group Joy Kills Sorrow, which won first place in the Podunk Bluegrass Festival band competition in 2007. Currently, Adam teaches jazz and classical guitar at VCU. During the summer, he teaches at the American Guitar and Mandolin Summer School and Eastern Washington University’s Jazz Dialogue Camp.

JOHN METCALF TAYLOR SOCIETY

Alumnus Leaves Estate to Benefit Faculty Salaries

W

HEN Jim Pilkington ’60 passed away on June 7, 2013, after a battle with cancer, his longtime friend and executor of his estate Tom Witmer called to inform Director of Development Tim Struthers ’85 that Jim had left the entirety of his estate to Loomis Chaffee. A year earlier, Jim had shared with Tim’s former colleague Marc Cicciarella his strong desire to benefit faculty salaries with his planned gift.

Thanks to Jim’s thoughtful and generous bequest, Loomis has established the James F. Pilkington ’60 Fund for Faculty Salaries, an endowed fund that will support teacher salaries at Loomis in perpetuity.

Jim personified the school’s mission statement, dedicating himself to the “best self and the common good.” Upon graduating with distinction from Loomis, he went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Immediately thereafter he completed his doctorate in French literature at the University of Virginia. After devoting much of his work life to the field of banking, he finished up his career at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as the community affairs officer for the southeastern United States, encouraging banks to meet the credit needs of under-served communities in the region. Known for his enthusiasm and optimism, Jim was a friend and trusted advisor to many.

Loomis Chaffee is grateful for Jim’s belief in the importance of compensating our dedicated faculty as generously as possible.

Thanks to gifts such as Jim’s, the school is able to attract and retain the very best faculty.

To learn more about how you, too, can benefit the faculty and students of the school by becoming a member of the John Metcalf Taylor Society, please contact Tim Struthers ’85, Director of Development, at 860.687.6221 or tim_struthers@loomis.org.

loomischaffee.org | 49

ALUMNI GAT

HERIN GS

Receptions in 3 Cities

L

tional legal firm where Marc is partner. The Chicago reception took place on November 20 in the MacLean family's apartment in the Windy City.

OOMIS CHAFFEE receptions with Head of School Sheila Culbert took place took this fall in Boston, Chicago, and New York City. Thanks to the generosity of Marc Rubenstein ’82, Trustee Duncan MacLean ’90, and former Trustee Sarah Lutz ’85, more than 150 alumni, parents, and friends gathered for the receptions to meet or catch up with each other and to stay in touch with the Island.

Sirena Huang '12

A special reception was held in New York in honor of the school’s leadership donors. Sarah hosted the New York City fete, which took place at the famed Gramercy Park Hotel. Guests enjoyed a private performance by virtuoso Sirena Huang ’12, who is a student at Julliard.

In Boston on September 25, attendees enjoyed sweeping views of the city and Boston Harbor from Ropes & Gray, an interna-

Visit www.loomischaffee.org/ events for more information.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Christopher Norton ’76

Head of School Sheila Culbert and reception host Sarah Lutz ’85

Heads Holiday Rec eption s 2014 Gather with fellow Pelicans in celebration of your favorite Loomis Chaffee mid-winter break, Head’s Weekend!

SAME DATE. SAME TIME. FOUR CITIES.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

6:30–8:30 p.m.

Boston, Hartford, New York, and Washington, D.C. For location information and to register, visit www.loomischaffee.org/events.

BE A PART OF THE FUN. In his new ebook, The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side, Mark Oppenheimer explores, as he puts it, “the horrible but compelling 50 years of exploitative sexcapades by Eido Shimano, one of America’s leading Zen Buddhism teachers.” Excerpts from the article-length Kindle “single” have been published in The Atlantic and The New Republic. Through the story of Shimano’s building of a prestigious Buddhist organization comprising many students from the heights of New York society, Mark offers a sobering study of 50 |

how aspects of Buddhist practice can facilitate abuse.

1995

Chris Doherty writes: “I’m still in the San Francisco Bay area, loving the people, the food, and the work — and hating the weather. I spent 2010 teaching English in Valparaíso, Chile. I volunteered with the organization WorldTeach, which I can’t recommend highly enough. I got married in 2011 and acquired a partly-grown stepchild, whom I quite like and who does an ex-

Suzy Phan (wife of Dang Phan ’79), Maria Gluch Briggs ’85, Revell Horsey ’79, Edward Babbit ’61, and Lawrence Briggs (Maria's husband)

cellent job of washing my car in his spare time. I think of Loomis often, and I’d love to hear from classmates lurking in the area.”

1996

John Cannon visited the Island on September 12, 2013, while on a brief respite from an East Coast organ recital tour. He toured the Hubbard Music Center with James Rugen ’70, one of his former music teachers; and at lunch he was thrilled to encounter his former Headmaster John Ratté, on campus

doing preparatory work for the school’s Centennial. Organist and choirmaster of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Estes Park, Colo., John also performs in concerts throughout the country.

Morgan Pinney and Daniel J. Smithwick II were married during the summer solstice, June 22, 2013, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Longtime friend Kimberly A. Reed ’81 officiated at the ceremony.

Former Loomis Chaffee faculty member Dominic Failla con-

versity of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where she served as editor-in-chief of the California Law Review. She serves on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Homelessness & Poverty. A native New Yorker, Jennifer speaks Spanish, PortuNew York Governor Andrew M. guese, French, and Italian. She Cuomo announced on November has also run three marathons in six months in California, New 14, 2013, that Jennifer M. GóJersey, and New York. mez, one of the members of the inaugural class of the Empire State Fellows program, has been appointed New York assistant In June 2013, Preston Byrne secretary for human services joined the firm of Norton Rose After graduating from Smith and information technology. The Fulbright in London, where he College and working in New Empire State Fellows program works as a securities lawyer. He York City for a number of years, is a full-time leadership training notes that he continued “a noble Suzette Lee studied at Johns program that prepares the next tradition, begun at Loomis, of Hopkins University to become generation of talented profesunwisely challenging authority” a nurse. She worked at Hopkins by publishing a paper with the for four years, finishing her sionals for careers as New York Adam Smith Institute opposing duty in the pediatric emergency state policy makers. Jennifer a new U.K. mortgage program room. Suzette left last Septemwas in the first “class” of eight similar to Fannie Mae. The pubber to work for Doctors Without 2012–14 fellows. In her new lication was reported widely in Borders in Mali, where she is a position, Jennifer will provide supervisor in the pediatric hosoversight to several key agencies the British national press, even provoking a response from the pital in Koutiala, a region she de- delivering important services chancellor of the exchequer. scribes as “relatively safe” in the to New Yorkers, such as the southeast part of the country.

Office of Temporary and Dis“A lot has happened over the ability Assistance, the Office of past year,” reports Katherine Children and Family Services, Mitterling. “Last August, I the Division of Veterans’ Affairs, Peter Rogers and Logan Milmoved from central Illinois to liken were married July 27, 2013, and the Office of Information Syracuse, N.Y., after my graduTechnology Services. Having at Logan’s grandparents’ house ate advisor was recruited by spent her first year of the Empire in Northeast Harbor, Maine.

Syracuse University. I hope to State Fellowship at the Office of It rained the day before the finish my graduate studies on Temporary and Disability Assiswedding and the day after, but cognitive changes in a model of tance, she recently served in the the nuptials were celebrated in Parkinson’s disease in the next Executive Chamber, applying perfect weather. Attendees inyear or two. After five years in cluded Martha Rogers Parzych her legal and policy expertise to central Illinois, it’s nice to be ’95 and Greg Parzych ’95, Hugh improve the lives of low-income back in the Northeast.” Katherchildren and families. Her O’Reilly ’96, John Rogers ’67, ine and Rob McCoy are engaged Karalyn Parzych ’97, Brian An- career in public service began at (see photo). dre ’97, Dave Achterhof ’97, Tip the New York City Council, to Olcott ’98, Dan O’Reilly ’98, Jeff which she served as legislative counsel for the General Welfare Bruno ’98, Charles Russo ’98, Matthew Loring Pinkney Committee, which oversees the Brooke Coughlin Barquin ’98, Charles’ mother reports that he Administration for Children’s Sylvia O’Reilly (alumni parent), graduated from St. John’s ColServices, the Department of Barbara Olcott (alumni parent), lege, Santa Fe, N.M., and spent a Homeless Services, and the and Emery Olcott (alumni paryear teaching English in South Human Resources Administraent and former Trustee).

Korea. Living in New York, he tion. Previously, Jennifer was a has worked with the Tribeca litigation associate at Simpson, Film Festival and the Nantucket Thacher and Bartlett and a felNews from David Thal: “The Film Festival. He’s thinking last few years have been packed low at the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University about graduate school. with landmark events for School of Law. Jennifer earned In the New York Marathon my family and me. Nhi and I her bachelor of arts degree, cum on November 3, 2013, David celebrated our son Hugo’s first laude, in sociology and Latin Nightingale finished in 126th birthday June 16. We moved American studies at Mount place out of more than 50,000 from New Haven to Fairfield, Holyoke College. She received runners with a time of 2 hours, where we enjoy weekends at her law degree from the Uni42 minutes. David was a the beach and are settling into sulted on the development of the ceremony outline. Morgan reports, “His insight into the symbolic and spiritual was invaluable, as always.” Alumni in attendance were father of the bride Edward A. Pinney ’69, the bride’s brothers Kieran ’98 and Rainger ’01, and bridesmaid Susan Elizabeth Tynan ’96. Morgan and Daniel live in Somerville, Mass., with their two cats.

1997

our new house. I moved to the Stamford office of the law firm Cummings & Lockwood and have had a busy year adjusting to all the life changes. Get in touch if you’re in the area!”

2001

2002

1998

2004

1999

3000-meter runner and miler at Princeton, and he tried his hand in the professional circuit after college, running internationally and adding longer races to his repertoire. Although he now works full-time in New York, he continues to run competitively.

David describes his marathon training: “It was a bit limited due to my working schedule. I arrive at the office at 6:30 a.m. and usually don’t leave until 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. But I was running about 50 miles per week, with long runs of up to 22 miles on the weekend. Ideally, I would have been running about twice as many miles per week, but I was able to establish a fairly good routine of running most days after work and meeting up with training partners for longer runs and workouts on the weekend.” He adds: “Much like the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day, the New York Marathon is an event that captures the attention of nearly everyone in the city. I’ve watched the New York Marathon several times before, but you get such a newfound appreciation for the number of people cheering when you actually run the race.” Setting the bar high, David was disappointed in his performance: “I was targeting between 2:25 and 2:30 for my final time, which is an average of about 5:30 per mile. I ran that exact 5:30 pace over the first 18 miles, and as my final time of 2:42 would suggest, I fell off pretty dramatically as I made my way through the Bronx, Harlem, and home to Central Park.” Looking ahead, David notes: “I’m excited to sign up for another marathon and put to use all of the valuable lessons from this experience. First and foremost, I have to thank (Loomis Chaffee teacher and coach) Sally Knight, who was an outstanding coach, role model, and an amazing marathoner that I should have called upon for advice before I decided to run this darn race! Ray Carta, Mike Stubbs, and John Mitchell, three of my high school teammates, are some of my closest friends to this day, and I never loomischaffee.org | 51

ALUMNI NEWS | EDITED BY JAMES S. RUGEN ’70

’97 Former faculty member Kari Diamond ’97 and David Kayiatos were married January 19, 2013, in Longmeadow, Mass. Back row: faculty member Nick Barker, Alex Maskalik, former faculty member Mercedes Maskalik, faculty member Ewen Ross, Geoff Allen ’97, faculty member Adrian Stewart ’90, Ryan Belden ’97, Seth Fierston ’82, faculty member Andrew Bartlett, Greg Bemis ’97, faculty member Andrew Matlack, faculty member Steve Colgate, faculty member Ned Parsons, former staff member Jamie Vernon, and Bryan Brisette ’91; middle row: faculty member Naomi Appel, faculty member Lisa Salinetti Ross, faculty member Liz Stewart, former faculty member Sharon Flannery ’82, Alison Thurber ’98, Kari Diamond Kayiatos ’97, David Kayiatos, Erin Shoudy Meyer ’97, Liz Dunn Marsi ’97, faculty member Lisa Parsons, Melody Diegor Caprio ’97, faculty member Marley Matlack, and former faculty member Jon Goldstein; front row: faculty member Nancy Cleary, former faculty member Katie Gravel Barker, former faculty member Cara Coscarelli Woods, former faculty member Heidi Erdmann McCann ’93, Brooke Diamond O’Brien ’99, Kathy Agonis ’97, and former faculty member Chuck Vernon.

’01 ’96

Kimberly A. Reed ’81, D. Rainger Pinney ’01, Morgan D. Pinney ’96, and Kieran D. Pinney ’98 gather at Morgan’s wedding last June.

’98

Pete Rogers ’98 and Tip Olcott ’98 enjoy each other’s company at Pete’s wedding last July in Maine.

52 |

’99

Jonathan Kruesi ’01 (left middle) and Andrew Beattie (right middle) were married September 8, 2012, at the Basin Harbor Club, Vergennes, Vt. They are flanked by Adam Nathan ’02 and Jason DiVenere ’01. Jonathan and Andrew live in Chicago.

Charlotte James Sadler was born December 3, 2012, in Munich, Germany, to Rachel McAllister Sadler ’99 and her husband, Henry. Last June, Charlotte was christened at Loomis Chaffee by the Rev. Richard Huleatt, father of three Loomis graduates. Here, Charlotte is flanked by her godmother Liz Failla ’99, her mother, and her godmother and aunt Lauren McAllister ’01. In attendance at the christening were former and current faculty members Gwendolyn Pierce (Charlotte’s grandmother), Kevin McAllister (Charlotte’s grandfather), Betsy Conger, Dom Failla, Simon Holdaway, and Karen Parsons.

Katherine Mitterling ’02 and Rob McCoy ’02 became engaged in March 2013 and will be married in August.

’02

LC ONLINE IS REBORN! Visit Loomis Chaffee’s updated online alumni community at spark.loomis.org • Update your alumni profile and biographical information through the password-protected online directory • Search the directory for fellow alumni by:

would have made it this far in running without their encouragement.”

2007

Drew Snider is a star offensive weapon for the Major League Lacrosse team the Denver Outlaws. He was featured in the October 2013 issue of Lacrosse Magazine. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, a school perenially near the top of the rankings in men’s Division I lacrosse. He suffered a back injury in college that slowed his momentum, but he made a strong comeback, finding success in his last two seasons at Maryland, playing in back-to-back national championship games. He was drafted 45th overall in 2012 by the Chesapeake Bayhawks before being traded to Denver. In his second professional season with the Outlaws and his first campaign as a full-time offensive midfielder, Drew has developed into one of the top players on the team.

2008

Justin Murphy-Mancini is a candidate for the master of music degree in historical keyboards at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He performed an organ recital on October 25, 2013, at Emmanuel Church, Chestertown, Md., focusing on music of the 17th and 18th centuries and also featuring two world premieres by emerging composers.

2009

Elizabeth Hackett received her bachelor of arts degree in anthropology and psychology from Franklin and Marshall College on May 11, 2013. A research

assistant in the Child Development Lab, Liz collaborated with a professor and another research assistant to examine various specific aspects of tool use and functionality. In April 2013, they presented their work, Tool Use is Less than the Sum of its Parts: How Children and Adults Fix Functions to Objects, at the Society for Research of Child Development’s international biennial conference in Seattle. Their article “Separate but Equal? A Comparison of Participants and Data Gathered via Amazon’s MTurk, Social Media, and Face-to-Face Behavioral Testing” was published in the scientific journal Computers in Human Behavior last fall.

Kaitlyn Tarpey, Miss Connecticut 2014, progressed to the final 10 at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City last fall. She survived the interviews, fitness evaluations, and on-air swimsuit and evening gown competitions that eliminated 42 contestants.

Her talent was Irish step dancing. The contest began with 13,000 contestants across the country and in two territories.

Miss New York, Nina Davuluri, was named Miss America, the first winner of Indian descent.

2010

Chris Lee and Tully Hannan, seniors at Williams and Bates, respectively, have continued to find success on their colleges’ cross country teams. During the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championships on November 2, 2013, each finished in the top 10, with Chris at fifth and Tully finishing at sixth. Chris, running a time of 24:57.4 on the 8-kilometer course at Connecticut

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College, was the second runner on his Williams team to cross the finish line. By placing among the top seven, Chris earned AllNESCAC First Team honors, and as a captain, he led his team to claim the conference title.

Williams defeated pre-meet favorite Middlebury by a score of 51–62 to earn the championship in the 11-team conference. Tully led his Bates team to a sixthplace finish at the meet. His time of 25:01 paced the Bobcats in the field of 117 runners. Captain of his team, Tully also earned All-NESCAC First Team honors, marking the fourth year he has earned all-conference distinction.

Dana Lerner spent last summer working at a television and film production company in Tel Aviv.

She is a senior at Cornell.

Columbia University senior Chelsea Ryan has been a pivotal member of the Columbia Lions soccer team. Last September she was named Co-Ivy League Player of the Week, her second Ivy League weekly award. On September 13, 2010, she was named Rookie of the Week.

An English major, Melanie Grover Schwartz is a senior at Colgate.

2011

Swarthmore junior Anisa Knox

recently was selected as the first-runner-up in the senior-level group for the 2013 Hong Kong Chinese Speech Competition.

She was awarded a chance to study at the Chinese University in Hong Kong during her March break and a summer internship with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. “I’ve never been to Hong Kong,” Anisa said.

“I’m very excited to travel there and also to taste authentic milk tea. I have a deep passion for learning about other cultures and am anticipating the visit knowing I will learn something new every day.” The 16 contestants were non-native speakers from Harvard, Princeton, Brown, and Swarthmore. In her speech, Anisa examined ways that Hong Kong and the United States can promote a better understanding of one another through education and cultural exchange. Anisa is an honors Chinese major pursuing a minor in educational studies. She is taking business Chinese with the intention of entering the corporate world following graduation. She credits her experience at Loomis for equipping her with the skills to further her studies in Chinese language. “I’m very grateful to (Loomis Chaffee Chinese teachers) Bo Zhao and Naogan Ma for always correcting my tones and encouraging me to visit China,” she said. “They have made such an impact on loomischaffee.org | 53

my academic career at Swarthmore.” The competition, hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Commission Office, was held on October 19 at the SUNY Global Center in New York.

’03

2013

Kristin Rooney ’03 and Stephen Reenock were married in New York City, August 24, 2013. Loomis Chaffee alumni in attendance included bridesmaid Micaela Melley ’04, Deirdre Cannell ’03, and Claire Melley ’08.

’04

His debut last September as the placekicker for the M.I.T. football team was so impressive that Tucker Cheyne was named the New England Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. He was a key part of the Engineers’ 28–26 victory over Pomona-Pitzer College, converting on all three of his field goal attempts against the Sagehens, hitting from 29, 25, and 27 yards.

His final boot of the day came with 2:20 to play and gave M.I.T. an eight-point lead and proved to be the difference in the game.

With the addition of a successful point after touchdown, Tucker accounted for 10 points in the

contest for the Engineers. His points scored set a new singlegame record for an M.I.T. kicker, as did his three field goals in a game.

Dale Reese has made an impact on Grove City College’s men’s soccer team as a midfielder, earning Offensive Player of the Week for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference on November 4, 2013. Dale recorded a goal and an assist in Grove City’s 3–0 conference win over Saint Vincent College, and in the following game against Thomas More College, he scored the lone goal for his team in the 82nd minute of the game. This late goal tied up the score, giving his team the 1–1 draw. Dale played and started in all 18 season games and is second in overall points, with seven goals and three assists for a total of 17. He leads his team in game–winning goals with two. ©

THE FOUNDERS | continued from 2

Raymond Carta ’04 and Jessica Barrineau Carta were married August 17, 2013, in Ludlow, Vt. David Nightingale ’04, Michael Stubbs ’04, and Daniel Schachter ’04 (neckties) celebrate the occasion with the groom (bowtie). Raymond and Jessica live in New Haven, Conn.

’10 ’09

Peter Aspinwall ’09 graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering and a minor in entrepreneurship. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force as a civil engineering officer (with an electrical concentration), he is stationed at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., and is receiving civil engineering and expeditionary training at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Chelsea Ryan ’10 earns athletic honors at Columbia.

Swarthmore junior Anisa Knox ’11 (middle), first runner-up, senior level, in the 2013 Hong Kong Chinese Speech Competition

’11 ’12

Former Loomis Chaffee teammates Ellis Gould ’12 (University of Southern California) and Nick Stasack ’12 (Notre Dame) played against each other with their college club hockey teams.

miscellany listed students from all the New England states, as well as from New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, and even Hawaii. Today we take students from across the United States as well as from 40 different countries.

•T he education provided was to be free so that the school would be as accessible as possible to as broad a range of students as possible. Sadly we are no longer free, but thanks to the generosity of so many alumni, parents, and friends we have a robust financial aid program with one third of our students receiving some level of scholarship support.

•T here was to be no political or religious test for students or faculty—surely a first principle for any academic institution.

•A nd each boy and girl was to “sustain a good moral character.”

54 |

The Loomis Institute opened on the eve of World War I. Few people had any idea of the massive changes that would soon convulse the world. Mr. Batchelder and the faculty provided a curriculum that allowed for both academic and more practical tracks and were ever mindful (with one glaring exception concerning girls) of the strictures laid out in the Act of Incorporation.

Over the past 100 years much has changed. We are in many ways a different school, but we have been fortunate in our Founders. Their values speak to us today and continue to drive us in the right direction even as we move into our second century. The Founders’ goal is a worthy goal for all of us—that “some good [should] come from the harvest of our lives,” that we make a difference. ©

IN MEMORIAM | BY KATHERINE A.B. LANGMAID

1931

Lyndol Hutchinson, on October 1, 2013, at the age of 101. Lyndol attended Loomis for two years before graduating from Plainfield High School in Plainfield, Vt. Following Loomis, Lyndol attended Green Mountain Junior College for one term before leaving school for work in the midst of the Great Depression. He helped his parents start Hutchinson Gardens on a 13-acre farm just over the East Montpelier line. Hutchinson Gardens became a central Vermont institution and for decades sold fine vegetables, fruits, flowering plants, and eggs to central Vermont residents and to local markets and restaurants. Lyndol was active in church Bible study at the Macedonia Baptist Church in Marshfield, Vt. He loved singing and sang tenor in the choir for 20-plus years until his hearing began to fail. In retirement, for many years Lyndol was a fixture at the Twin Valley Senior Center in Marshfield. The Senior Center and the Macedonia Baptist Church both had gala celebrations for Lyndol’s 100th birthday in 2012, complete with congratulations from Vermont’s congressional delegation and President Obama. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Edna. Lyndol is survived by his sister, Phylis; and his children, Joan, Edward, and Cheryl. A celebration of Lyndol’s life was held on October 10, 2013, at the Macedonia Baptist Church.

1938

William Tapley Hubbard, on August 3, 2013. William was a one-year student from Springfield, Mass. He was active with Allyn club basketball, Allyn club baseball, and Allyn club soccer, the latter of which he was captain. Following Loomis, William worked for Dun and Bradstreet before entering World War II in 1942, serving in the Counter Intelligence Corps of the U.S. Army in the Asian-Pacific Theater. Upon discharge in 1946, he returned to Dun and Bradstreet, where he worked for two more years before entering the general insurance business in Schenectady, N.Y., with the Schenectady Insuring Agency. He retired as vice president and secretary on January 1, 1985. William 55 |

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

was active in a variety of community organizations, including serving as president of the Schenectady County Council of Churches, the Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Schenectady, Planned Parenthood, and the Schenectady Rotary Club. William was a member of the First Reformed Church in Schenectady for more than 50 years and was a member of its Greater Consistory. In December 1984, William was named Schenectady Patron by the City of Schenectady. He was predeceased by

his wife, Charlotte. William is survived by his daughter, Susan; two granddaughters, Laura and Katie; six great-grandchildren; and a sister, Mary. A memorial service was held at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady on September 14, 2013.

1939

William Bradford Patterson, peacefully at his residence on April 10, 2013. Brad, as he was known, was a one-year student from West Hartford. He was involved loomischaffee.org | 55

IN MEMORIAM

with the Glee Club, Senior Dance Committee, and Library Committee. He was active with Allyn senior basketball and as captain of Allyn senior football. Following Loomis, Brad earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College. He served two years as a Navy Lieutenant PG on a PT boat.

Brad then earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He practiced general surgery in Boston and was assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. He became a leader in less invasive treatments for breast cancer and lobbied the American Cancer Society to launch its first smoking prevention campaign. Following a 10-year professorship at the University of Rochester, Brad returned to Boston in 1978 to direct the Department of Cancer Control at the Dana Farber Institute. During his tenure at Dana Farber, Brad convinced the institute to ban smoking on the premises, the first ban of its kind in a medical setting.

He also developed and directed the first ethics rounds at the institute, which led to innovations in patient care and in training opportunities for staff. The Patterson/ McGraw Center for Population Studies was created through a gift from a grateful patient. The center’s purpose is to carry on Brad’s goals of cancer prevention, education, and access to cancer treatment for all populations. Brad retired to Middlebury, Vt., in 1988. He was active in the Hawthorne Club, the Congregational Church, and many other groups. From 1943 until his death, Brad maintained his love of Lake Champaign and the family property on Long Point in North Ferrisburgh, Vt. He enjoyed sailing, fishing, bird watching, and teaching his children and grandchildren everything about nature and the lake. A beloved member of each community, Brad was known for his warm and caring spirit, and his generous sharing of medical knowledge about everything from a cut knee to a diagnosis of a frightening disease. He was an avid hiker on the Appalachian and Long trails. He also loved to sing in every possible setting and was a lifelong pianist.

A lover of literature and poetry, he quoted Robert Frost up until his final hours. Brad was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, 56 |

Helen; his eldest son, William; and two sisters, Cornelia and Ruth. He is survived by his daughters, Linda and Rebecca; his son, Stuart; and nine grandchildren. A Circle of Remembrance was held at Wake Robin in Shelburne, Vt., on May 3, 2013.

1942

Nancy Morse Stanfield, peacefully on September 2, 2013, after a fall. Nan attended Chaffee from Windsor and served as class president. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Lasell College. Supporting the war effort as an Army cadet, she trained at Crile General College in Cleveland, Ohio, treating soldiers coming back from the Battle of the Bulge. When World War II was over, she continued working in Hartford for a private doctor’s practice. She moved with her husband, Charlie, to Lake Worth, Fla., in 1946, where they lived and raised their family.

In 1993, Nan moved to Wilmington, N.C., where she worked in the family business until she was 81. She loved music, especially the organ and piano; tomatoes; and unusual hamburgers. She was instrumental in building the first Habitat for Humanity home in the Lake Worth area of Palm Beach County in the 1980s. A member of PEO and First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington, she knitted baby blankets for newborns as her personal ministry. Nan was predeceased by her husband, Charlie; her son, Chuck; and an infant great-grandson, Maddox. She was also predeceased by her uncle, Howard Morse, who was the first business manager of the Loomis Institute; and her cousins, Howard R. Morse Jr. ’38 and Barbara Morse ’42. She is survived by her daughter, Suzanne; grandsons Dusty and Brent; five great-grandchildren; and nephews. Family services in Houston, Texas; Glenville, Ga.; and Lake Worth, Fla., were to be scheduled for later in the year.

Wallace Bradley Thompson Jr., of a pulmonary embolism, on June 26, 2013. Wally was a three-year student from Collinsville, Conn. He was involved with the Student Council, Debating Council, Athletics Council, Political Club, Reception Committee, Spring Dance Committee, and Darwin

Club, and was sports editor of The LOG. Wally was active with first football, Allyn senior basketball, winter track squad, and club tennis, and was manager of the track team. Following Loomis, he matriculated at Williams College before joining the U.S. Army in 1943 and serving in Europe. He returned to Williams after World War II and earned a bachelor’s degree. Wally earned a master’s degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute before being hired by Dupont Company in 1950, where he worked until his retirement in 1985. He started in plastics at Dupont and ended his career in central research. Among many civic activities, Wally served on the vestry of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Del.; as president of the board of St. Michael’s Nursery in Wilmington; and as governor of the Delaware chapter of the Mayflower Society. Wally was predeceased by his wife, Katharine; and by a son, Lansford. He is survived by two other sons, W. Bradley and Neill; three granddaughters; and two nieces. Private services were to be held.

1943

Frederic Van Vorhees Bronner, on August 23, 2013, following a short illness.

Frederick attended Loomis from Schenectady, N.Y., before earning his bachelor’s degree from Union College. He served aboard the U.S.S. Amphitrite (ARL-29) during World War II in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Following Union College, he entered the publishing profession in Manhattan and spent most of his business career with Time Magazine, where he became director of sales development.

Following early retirement, Frederick joined his wife in running 7/12 Productions Ltd., a firm that specialized in handling marketing and sales promotion projects for a long list of consumer magazines. He served three terms as president of the New York Caledonian Curling Club, one of the oldest sports clubs in the United States, and two terms as the secretary of the Grand National Curling Club of America. He was also active as a member of the Union College Alumni Council and as a director of the Union Association of Alpha Delta Phi. He

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution; the Herkimer, Van Voorhees, and Snell-Timmerman-Zimmerman family associations; the American Legion; and the American Civil Liberties Union. Wally was predeceased by his wife of more than 47 years, Judith. He is survived by his son, Geoffrey; and his sister, Louise. A memorial service was held in November.

1945

William Ambrose O’Hara Jr., on August 10, 2013, surrounded by his loving family. A three-year student from Rockville Center, N.Y., Bill was active with Wolcott intermediate football. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. Following his honorable discharge, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University. He was a New Jersey state police officer for two years before working at Olin Winchester as president of western sales and operations for international. He then moved to Washington, Conn., where he worked at Colt Firearms. In 1968, he opened The Armoury in Washington, Conn., which he ran for 32 years. He was an expert in all types

of firearms, especially antiques. Bill was a lifetime National Rifle Association member, a certified instructor, and a trap shooter.

He was an avid hunter, traveled the world many times, and was a private pilot. He is survived by his wife, Elena; two daughters; eight grandchildren; a great-grandson; and two step-children. A Mass of Christian burial was held on August 16, 2013, at St. Casimir Church in Terryville, Conn.

1946

Oliver Wentworth Hubbard, on September 8, 2012, at Cheshire Medical Center/ Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene. Wentworth was a two-year student from Walpole, N.H. He was involved with the Political Club, Glee Club, and Choir. He served on the Senior Advisory Committee and was a volunteer medical aide. Wentworth was active with Ludlow intermediate football and Ludlow senior basketball. Following Loomis, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire. He was president/CEO and business administrator for Hubbard Farms from 1962 until 1986. He was president of Tulsa Baseball Inc. from

1986 until his death. Wentworth served in the U.S. Army, 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War, where he received the Bronze Star. Through the years, he served at many organizations, including the American Egg Board, New Hampshire Poultry Growers Association, New Hampshire Agriculture Conference, 4-H Foundation of New Hampshire, Kurn Hattin Homes, and other civic organizations. He was the chairman of the Walpole School Board for seven years, vice president of the Rockingham Memorial Hospital Board, director of Bank North, director of the National Broiler Council, member of the New Hampshire Agricultural Advisory Council, and trustee of Vermont Academy, and he had a longtime involvement with the Walpole American Legion Baseball Program. Wentworth is survived by his brother, Robert P. Hubbard ’47; two sons, Dale and Jeff; two daughters, Jan and Heidi; 15 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held at the Walpole Congregational Church on September 11, 2012.

loomischaffee.org | 57

IN MEMORIAM

1948

Elizabeth Gosselin, at Maristhill Nursing Home in Waltham, Mass., on September 26, 2013. Betsy came to Chaffee from Hartford before going on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College. She was employed as a systems analyst for IBM in Boston, Mass. Betsy is survived by her brother, John; two nieces, Elizabeth and Jennifer; one nephew, George; and two grandnephews, Samuel and John. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on October 6, 2013, in Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Rutland, Vt. Elizabeth Ann Stewart Taylor, at Willow Valley Communities in Pennsylvania, on November 3, 2013. Betty Ann, as she was known, attended Chaffee from Windsor. She graduated from Katharine Gibbs School in Boston and worked for Meade Alcorn in his Hartford law office and in Washington, D.C., when he was Republican national chairman during the Eisenhower administration. She was a noted caterer and cooking school conductor in the Washington area for 25 years. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Daniel; three children; and eight grandchildren.

1949

Robert Rich Smith, at home on September 25, 2013. Bob was a four-year student from Hartford. He was involved with Glee Club, Dormitory Committee, and Chemistry Club, and he was a volunteer medical aide, senior library supervisor, and K.P. supervisor. He served as secretary-treasurer of the Classical Music Club and on the Business Board of The LOG. Bob was active with Allyn senior football, Allyn senior tennis, and winter track. Following Loomis, Bob earned his bachelor’s degree from Trinity College. For many years, he served as an executive officer of the Chase Manhattan Bank, starting as a credit man in 1953 and serving in many capacities. In 1966, Bob served as a loan executive with the International Executive Service Corps in Asunción, Paraguay. In 1987, he transferred to the newly-established Chase Bank of Florida, from which he retired in 1989. Over the 58 |

years, Bob cultivated many activities and hobbies. He was a private pilot, sailor, fisherman, and lapidary. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Theresa; his son, Robert; and two granddaughters. Bob was predeceased by two brothers, James and Craig; and a sister, Madeleine. Private funeral arrangements were to be planned.

1951

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

Charles Perkins Arms, on February 22, 2013. Charles was a five-year student from Hopkinton, Mass. He was involved with the Library Committee, Radio Club, Darwin Club, Spanish Club, Puppet Club, Stagehands Union, Student Endowment Fund, and Mitchell House, and he was a Founders office assistant. He was active with Ludlow baseball, Ludlow tennis, and Ludlow junior

basketball and was captain of Ludlow soccer. Charles spent a long career in corporate real estate before retiring to Albuquerque, N.M. in 1997. He became very active at St. Chad’s Episcopal Church, serving as treasurer for eight years. He subsequently became treasurer for the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande — work he loved and friends he cherished. Charles also established the St. Chad’s Computer Club, which is still active and growing. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his daughter, Meredith; his brother, Richard W. Arms Jr. ’54; a niece; and a nephew. A memorial service was held on April 12, 2013, at St. Chad’s Episcopal Church in Albuquerque.

1952

George Michael Cooley, on October 14, 2013. George was a four-year student from Windsor. He was involved with the Senior Library Committee, Senior Engagement Committee, French Club, Glee Club, Chorus, and Christmas Chorus. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Senior Council and the reportorial staff for The LOG. George was active with Wolcott junior baseball and as captain of Wolcott soccer. Following Loomis, George earned a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University before serving in the U.S. Army. He was employed for many years by Humana Health Care. George was predeceased by his brothers William G. Cooley Jr. ’51 and Joseph; and by a niece, Laurenna. He is survived by his wife, Dora; his brother Jack; and seven nieces. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on October 18, 2013, at St. Gabriel Church in Windsor.

Robert Stacy MacLaughlin, unexpectedly at home in Harvard, Mass., on September 9, 2013. Bob was a four-year student from Niantic, Conn. He was involved with the Stagehands Union, the Entertainment Committee, the School Committee, The LOG, and the Jazz Club. He was a cheerleader, president of the Student Endowment Fund, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Student Council. Bob was a cast member in Julius Caesar, Madwoman of Chaillot, Harvey, and Saint Joan. He was

active with Wolcott basketball and Wolcott tennis and coached Wolcott junior football.

Bob earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He spent his career in finance, first with the Norton Company, where he became chief financial officer, and later at Dennison Manufacturing Company and National Medical Care. He spent the last years of his career as a founder of two privately funded, innovative healthcare companies, where he worked alongside his wife, Maria.

Their partnership extended to a love for sailing, which they pursued in earnest after Bob’s retirement at age 60. He was a passionate sailor, testing, together with Maria, their seaworthy yacht, Tashtego, for off-shore sailing adventures, including three Marion-Bermuda regattas, a five-year Atlantic Circle voyage, and an exploration of the Mediterranean coast and islands.

Trips often included family, friends, and even young grandchildren. Bob is survived by his wife of 25 years, Maria; his daughters, Kyle and Pamela; his son, Stephen; two step-daughters, Rebecca and Tessa; and 11 grandchildren. A memorial service was held on September 27 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Harvard, Mass.

Henry Evans Simpson, on July 8, 2013.

Henry was a two-year student from Birmingham, Ala. He was involved with Bridge Club, Senior Reception Committee, and Nominating Committee Council Elections.

He served as vice president of the Student Council, as a member of the Council Executive Committee, and as co-chairman of Wolcott Club. He was active with first team tennis and first team football, earning a varsity letter for the latter. He also was captain of Wolcott senior basketball. Henry earned the Martin Harold Johnson Memorial Prize at Commencement. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. While at UVA, Henry was a member of the Virginia Law Review and the Dillard Scholarship Committee of UVA Law School. He was a partner of the law firm Lange, Simpson, Robinson & Somerville, now Adams and Reese. He was a fellow of the American College of Trial

Lawyers, having represented clients in more than 200 jury trials, and was included in the registry of Best Lawyers in America.

He served as a member of the Board of Directors of Regions Financial Corporation from 1969 to 2003. Henry also was a member of the Board of Directors of the Civil War Preservation Trust and served as chairman from 2011 to 2013. He was a member of Independent Presbyterian Church, The Redstone Club, Birmingham Country Club, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Henry was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth; and two brothers, James Evans Simpson ’48 and Joseph E. Simpson. He is survived by his children, Charles, Elizabeth, and John; and eight grandchildren. A memorial service was held on July 11, 2013, at Independent Presbyterian Church in Birmingham.

1954

Everett Pierson Strong Jr., on June 10, 2013, peacefully, with his wife by his side, after battling a long illness. Through his mother, Peter, as he was known, was a direct descendant of William Bradford, a passenger on the Mayflower and governor of Plymouth Colony. Through his father, Peter was related to Abraham Pierson, the first president of Yale University. Peter’s early life took a dramatic turn when, at the age of 7, during a tragic Ringling Brothers Circus fire in Hartford in which 169 people lost their lives, he and other children were lifted to safety through a hole cut in the big top’s canvas. Peter was a four-year student from Hartford and was involved with the Student Council, Political Club, Foreign Policy Association, and Election Committee. Peter was active with first team soccer, for which he earned a varsity letter; Allyn senior basketball; and Allyn tennis. Following Loomis, Peter earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College, where he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity.

Over the years, he continued to follow the Bowdoin Polar Bears football team, enjoyed keeping in touch with fellow Loomis and Bowdoin alumni, and was a keen observer of the evolution of both schools. Peter was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in Germany.

Peter had a long and successful career in loomischaffee.org | 59

IN MEMORIAM

insurance, pension, and benefits administration business. His first job was as a group representative for the Aetna Life Insurance Company in New York City, where his clients included Electrolux, Revlon, and Texas Gulf Sulfur. While at Aetna, he developed an international pension program for 20th Century Fox employees in 39 countries. In 1980, Peter established his own benefits administration company, Compensation Program Inc., in Albany, N.Y., from which he retired in 2003. A man of many interests, Peter loved history; conservative politics; golf; Union College hockey, which he followed for many years; and all of his labradors and rat terriers. He also enjoyed his leisure time during spring and summer months at his homes on Lake Webb in Weld, Maine; on Lake George at Glenburnie, N.Y.; in Gull Bay, N.Y.; at Sugar Mountain, N.C.; and at Wilmington, N.C. At his own expense, Peter replaced approximately 1,000 corroding cast-iron flag holders with aluminum flag holders at the graves of Civil War veterans in 10 cemeteries throughout the Northeast. He was proud to have received a letter from President George H.W. Bush thanking Peter for recommending that he acquire rat terriers for mouse patrol, as President Theodore Roosevelt had done, to help the president’s springer spaniel Millie control the White House rodent problem.

Peter is survived by his wife, Diane; a sister, Elizabeth; and two nieces, Amy and Emily.

A private memorial service was to be held on a date at the convenience of the family.

1957

Cornelius Anderson Silber, of liver disease, at Toronto Grace Health Center, on August 19, 2013. Andy, as he was known, was a two-year student from Schenectady, N.Y. He was involved with the Jazz Club, French Club, Stagehands Union, Senior Scholarship Committee, Northfield Religious Committee, and Student Endowment Fund, and he was manager of South Office.

Andy was a cast member in Of Thee I Sing.

He was active with tennis and Wolcott senior basketball. Following Loomis, Andy earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. He taught for two years at St. 60 |

Paul’s School in Concord, N.H., before moving to Toronto for graduate studies in English and American literature at the University of Toronto, where he earned his master’s degree and doctorate. He was one of the first residents of Massey College and joined the faculty as a lecturer while in his doctoral years. He became assistant professor in 1974 and retired as associate professor in 2005. Through the years, Andy developed a passion for ballet and donated time and financial support to a number of organizations, notably Ballet Jorgen Canada. He will be remembered for his cheerfulness, poetry, conversation, love of learning, generosity, and sense of humor.

Andy was predeceased by his partner, Rea Wilmshurst. He is survived by his sister, Cristina; and his cousins. A memorial service was held in the Chapel of Victoria College of the University of Toronto on October 26, 2013.

1960

John S. Wilbur Jr., on July 26, 2013, at Hospice in West Palm Beach, Fla. John was a four-year student from Shaker Heights, Ohio. He was involved with the Assembly Committee, Glee Club, Key Society, and the Circulations Board for The LOG. John was active with first team football and first team wrestling, earning a varsity letter in each, as well as track. He was the Connecticut Interscholastic Wrestling Tournament champion and took second place in the New England Interscholastic Wrestling Tournament.

Following Loomis, John earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He continued to wrestle at Yale and was captain of the team. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1968, first in the Underwater Demolition Team 22 and then with Seal Team 2, where he lived among the Vietnamese of the Mekong Delta. For his service, he was awarded a Purple Heart. After Vietnam, John earned a law degree from Case Western Reserve School of Law. He practiced law in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, as chief assistant U.S. attorney before returning to Florida, where he was a trial lawyer and a partner with the firm Coe & Broberg in Palm Beach.

He moved back to Cleveland in 1994, where

he was a president of University Circle Inc., a non-profit organization. Later he revisited Vietnam and wrote Split Vision, in which he recalled his war experiences and commented on the people, country, and culture with poetic impressions. John was a past president of the Yale Club of the Palm Beaches, a founding director of the UDT/Seal Team Museum in Ft. Pierce, and a vestry member and senior warden of Bethesda By the Sea. He was a long-time, loyal volunteer for Loomis Chaffee, having served on several Reunion committees and as a volunteer for the Annual Fund. He established the John S. Wilbur ’29 Scholarship Fund in memory of his father. John led an interesting and adventurous life, but his friends and family were what he treasured most. His friends were legendary and remained an active and joyous part of his difficult last years with dementia. John was predeceased by his father, John S. Wilbur ’29. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Beverly; step-daughters Blair and Jill; step-son Jay; two grandchildren; three sisters, Atheline, Andrea, and Maren; and many nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews. A memorial celebration of his life was to be held in October.

1964

Mildred Spillane Pease, peacefully at home on May 18, 2013, surrounded by her loving family. Wendy, as she was known, was a student at Chaffee from Hartford.

While at Chaffee, Wendy was involved with the Chapel Committee and Tutoring Committee, was a member of the Epilogue staff, and served as president of the French Club.

Following Chaffee, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. She had a career as a human resources officer in the financial services sector before retiring in 1996. She served in numerous capacities throughout her life, as a deacon and elder in the Presbyterian Church, a volunteer with Duke HomeCare and Hospice, a volunteer leader in Bible study fellowship, an alumna volunteer for Chaffee, and a willing care giver for her mother during the last years of her mother's life. Wendy enjoyed swimming, water skiing, and playing golf

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

with the Nifty Niner group at Chapel Hill Country Club in Chapel Hill, N.C. Above all, she cherished her faith, family, and friends. She especially treasured time with her grandchildren. She will be remembered for her kind words, her gentle spirit, and her servant’s hand. Wendy is survived by her husband and high school sweetheart, James C. Pease ’64; three devoted children, Melissa, Aimee, and Edward; eight grandchildren; her sister, Beverly; and her brothers, Lowell and Robert. A memorial service was held on June 1, 2013 at Triangle Presbyterian Church in Durham, N.C.

1973

Grace Yeomans Thaler, of pancreatic cancer, on October 27, 2013, with her devoted husband by her side. Grace attended Loomis Chaffee from West Hartford. She was involved with the Glee Club and Committee X. Following Loomis Chaffee, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Smith College.

Before developing her own independent art appraisal business, Grace held leadership positions at Sothebys New York and Grogan & Company of Dedham, Mass. Her expertise was in Chinese export porcelain and ceramics. She completed the distinguished Attingham Summer School program of study in Britain. Before she became ill, Grace served on the Board of Governors

and the Furnishings Committee of the Shirley-Eustis House Association in Roxbury, Mass., and on the Board and the Collections Committee at Gore Place. She was active on the board of the National Society of Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was the co-chair of the society's historic headquarters, the William Hickling Prescott House in Boston. Grace was to become the next president of the Dames in the spring of 2014. She was a past corporator of the Worcester Art Museum, a proprietor of the Boston Anthenaeum, a past member of the Board of Managers for The Vincent Club, and a member of the Chilton Club, where she was an enthusiastic member of the Restaurant Committee. Grace was passionate about food and loomischaffee.org | 61

IN MEMORIAM

Photo: Missy Pope Wolff '04

cooking and, as a past president of the Smith Club of Cambridge, hosted many gatherings with Julia Child. Grace is survived by her husband, Thomas; her sister, Carol; her brother, Tyler; three godchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. A celebration of her life was held on November 8, 2013, at Trinity Church in Boston.

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Former Faculty

Adrian Bronk died September 7, 2013. Born in Philadelphia, Pa., Adrian was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a teacher and dormitory head at Mercersburg Academy before joining the Loomis faculty in 1967. A steady and kind leader, Adrian was a great role model for new colleagues and students both in the classroom and out. During his 35-year career on the Island, he taught all levels of English, developed the reading skills program, and especially enjoyed teaching term courses in the works of Mark Twain, American film history, and short story. With a kind and

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

steady hand, he guided many students toward higher levels of reading and writing and in the appreciation of fine literature.

Adrian also served as a college advisor, Mountain School coordinator, assistant in the Audiovisual Department, head coach of JV lacrosse, dormitory affiliate in Flagg and Kravis

halls, and Book Fair coordinator. He initiated the Outdoors Program, guiding students in camping, hiking, back-packing, cross-country skiing, and canoeing. He was advisor to the Sailing Club for many years.

Adrian served on the Advisory Committee for the Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe Summer Teaching Institute for several years. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed backpacking, canoeing, skiing, and sailing.

He kept a sailboat moored in Woods Hole, Mass., for most of his life. Adrian was a member of the Woods Hole Yacht Club, the Sierra Club, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. Adrian was predeceased by his brother, Ramsey. He is survived by his

wife of 30 years, Jane, who also is a retired Loomis Chaffee faculty member; his stepdaughter, Andrea Barton ’83; and his granddaughter, Macy. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law; a niece; and three nephews. A memorial service was held in Founders Chapel at Loomis Chaffee on October 19, 2013. The family has asked that gifts in Adrian’s memory may be made to The Loomis Chaffee School.

Dale M. Clayton Sr. died September 14, 2013. Born in Swampscott, Mass., Dale served in the U.S. Army and was a proud member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree from Central Connecticut State University, and a doctorate from Syracuse

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

University. Dale worked for a number of years as an audiovisual coordinator and teacher of middle school history, mathematics, English, and science.

He joined the Loomis faculty in 1968 as director of audiovisual instruction. He also served as Advanced Placement coordina-

tor, Education Testing Service Center supervisor, and SSAT Center supervisor. Dale spearheaded initiatives to bring technology into the classroom and worked with faculty members to expand their teaching resources. He was a proponent of the use of videotaping classes as a teaching tool for both teachers and students. Dale served on the staff of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools Beginning Teachers Institute in 1989 and 1990. His previous experience as a middle school teacher and his communications expertise made him a valuable resource for the school. Dale was a member of the Association of Educational Communication and Technology and the Connecticut Education Media Association.

Among Dale’s hobbies were flower photography, skiing, golf, bowling, woodworking, and playing the dulcimer. A Mason, he was active in community service and served on the South Windsor Economic Development Commission and as a Red Cross instructor in first aid and CPR. Dale retired from Loomis Chaffee in 1992. Dale was predeceased by two siblings. He is survived by his wife, Margarethe “Maggie”; his children, Hilary, Dale, and Lance; his sister, Judith; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson. Private services were to be held.

Martha Louise Porteus ’38, peacefully, at home on October 21, 2013. Martha was born and raised in Windsor, the daughter of Robert and Ruth (Morgan) Porteus. She graduated from Chaffee before earning her bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College and her master’s degree from Columbia University. She taught science at

More News

The Alumni Office has learned of the passing of John Edward Landish Jr. ’44, on May 12, 2013; Olaf Shipstead ’46 on November 11, 2012; David Edward Driscoll ’55, on February 29, 2012; John Walter Davis ’63, on September 3, 2013; and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees Wilson “Bill” Wilde ’45, on November 25, 2013. More information, as available, will be printed in future issues.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

schools in Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New York before returning to Windsor in 1962 to teach science at Chaffee and, later, Loomis Chaffee. During her time with Loomis Chaffee, Martha served on a number of committees, including the Academic Committee, Diploma Committee, Cum Laude Committee, and Discipline Committee. She served as head of the Science Department from 1972 to 1979. Martha retired from Loomis Chaffee in 1984. She was an avid birder, photographer, and limerick writer. Martha also loved opera, Beethoven, the Red Sox, and her dogs. She is survived by her brother, Morgan; her nephews, Christopher, Jonathan, and Milton; a cousin, Jasper W. Morgan ’56; and a cousin, Loomis Chaffee Mailroom Manager Gayle Alford. Martha’s ashes were interred at Palisado Cemetery in Windsor on November 23, 2013.

In the obituary for Addison Beacher Colvin Whipple ’36 (Summer 2013, page 62), Elizabeth Whipple Jourdan’48 was incorrectly listed as predeceasing Cal, her cousin. We are happy to report that Elizabeth is very much alive.

loomischaffee.org | 63

THE LAST WORD | BY THOMAS S. BRUSH ’40

Being a Teacher

Editor’s Note: Thomas S. Brush ’40 wrote a short essay titled “The Joy of Communicating Understanding” for the April 1955 Alumni Bulletin. He recounted the following conversation with Loomis’ legendary Latin teacher John Edmund Barss.

“

Thomas S. Brush ’40 Photo: 1940 Loomiscellany

I asked Dr. Barss one time, ‘What do you like best about being a teacher?’

He looked at me with grave eyes and said: ‘Tommy, when a boy comes to me all perplexed and snarled up with some problem in his studies, and I help him, there comes a moment when the light dawns. The expression on his face of sudden understanding is the finest reward a teacher can have.’

”

—Thomas S. Brush ’40

64 |

John Edmund Barss is pictured in his apartment in Taylor Hall.

Photo: By John H. Steinway ’34 while he was a Loomis student.

Loomis Chaffee Archives.

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