Elizabeth Richmond ’80, Nelson Schulman, Spencer Richmond Schulman ’11, junior Anita Richmond, Robert Richmond, and Richmond Hall dorm head Naomi Appel listen to remarks at the dedication and plaque unveiling. Photo: John Groo
Good Vibes at Richmond Hall Dedication
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ORE than 200 people, including 24 Richmond family members and their guests, gathered on September 20 in an intimate courtyard just west of Kravis Hall to celebrate the dedication of Loomis Chaffee’s newest dormitory, Richmond Hall. Opened this fall and home to 50 underclass girls and four faculty families, Richmond Hall is named in recognition and honor of Anita B. and Howard S. Richmond ’35. Howie was the first of three generations of the Richmond family to attend Loomis, and he extended his dedication and generosity to the school throughout his life. In remarks at the dedication, which coincided with the school’s Centennial Celebration, Head of School Sheila Culbert recalled receiving
roots as a predominantly boarding school with 70 percent of the student body residing on campus.
a package in the first days of her tenure at Loomis with a handwritten note and two pieces of paper with “Good Vibes” printed on them. The letter was from Howie explaining how much Loomis meant to him and sending Sheila his good vibes. “At times Howie spoke of Loomis as his ‘sixth child,’” she remarked, “and we have certainly been the beneficiaries of his extraordinary love for our school.” Richmond Hall was made possible through the generosity of several
donors, lead among them Howie’s children Frank ’71, Larry ’72, Rob, Phill, and Elizabeth ’80, who, through the Anita B. and Howard S. Richmond Foundation, “wanted to honor Howie’s lifetime of involvement with and dedication to the school,” Sheila explained. Sheila also acknowledged and thanked Joel Alvord ’56, Joan Joseloff Kohn ’43, Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan ’87, Duncan MacLean ’90 and his family, Temp Keller ’94 and his family, and two anonymous donors for their support of Richmond Hall, which also includes a state-of-the-art health center located on the garden level. The addition of Richmond Hall this fall and Cutler Hall in 2016 will enable the school to return to its
“Richmond Hall is destined to be yet another thread woven into the fabric of the Loomis Chaffee experience, linking the people of its past with the incredible living force of todayˇs faculty and student body,” commented Howieˇs son Rob, whose daughter Maddy is a senior. “I believe that my father would view Richmond Hall as part of the mystical, magical transformative energy that is the place you call the Island.” A successful music publisher, Howie served on the Board of Trustees from 1975 until 1984. The school presented him with its Distinguished Service Award in 1985, and he remained an Honorary Trustee until his death in 2012. To read the remarks of the dedication speakers and to see more photos of the event, go to www. loomischaffee.org/magazine.
Dedication celebrants: (front) Lois Gartlir, June Gartlir, Head of School Sheila Culbert, Elizabeth Richmond ’80, junior Anita Richmond, Dana Saks, and Victoria Saks; and (back) Bruce Deely, Lauren Richmond, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Christopher Norton ’76, Kenneth Gartlir, parent of alumni and current parent Nelson Schulman, Jeremy Richmond, Danielle Richmond, Caitlin Richmond, Harrison Richmond Schulman ’13, parent of alumni Robert Richmond, and Spencer Richmond Schulman ’11. (Missing from the photo are Larry Richmond ’72, Benjamin Richmond, Olivia Richmond, and senior Maddy Richmond.) Photo: John Groo
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