IN MEMORIAM: Walter Bunce Spencer Jr. | 1922–2010 Walter Bunce Spencer Jr., 88, died on October 16, 2010, in Portland, Me. Walter was the former head of the Clark Science Center and served on the faculty from 1967 until his retirement in 1991. He also served for many summers as the director of the renowned Program in Biochemistry, a National Science Foundation summer institute for gifted science students from around the country. Walter was born March 29, 1922, to Walter B. Spencer and Marion Corliss Spencer and grew up in New Haven, Conn. An Eagle Scout, Walter attended Mt. Hermon School and graduated cum laude in 1939. He went on to Yale University and graduated in December 1942 as a member of the Class of 1943. During World War II, Walter worked as a research chemist on aviation fuels and later joined the Manhattan Project at Columbia University, the first of five labs to work on the atomic bomb. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1950. In August 1952, Walter married his wife, Marilyn Lincoln, who later became the director of the Health Center.
to follow their interests. It was during his tenure as department chair that this teaching philosophy led Mr. Spencer to expand the science curriculum beyond the traditional offerings of earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics. Under Mr. Spencer’s tenure the science course offering introduced classes that reflected the burgeoning field of environmental sciences and sustainability, and the first computers (a Digital PDP 8, if I recall correctly) were introduced into the science building.” Remembered for riding his bike around campus and for never relaxing his personal dress code, Walter coached junior varsity tennis and club soccer. Ed Rak ’78 remembered that “the first and only time I found Walter Spencer intimidating was on our first meeting, as he strode down the first-floor Flagg corridor in the early fall of 1974, impeccably attired in blue suit and — for the occasion — white gloves, easily extracting from each successive room of a scruffy freshman the undisputable evidence of inadequate preparation for Sunday room inspection. In his trademark style of unassuming competence, he treated each encounter with a new Loomis Chaffee student on that hall much as he did every interaction I had later with him — in the dorm, on the soccer field, and in his perhaps most comfortable teaching home in the Clark Science Center — as an opportunity to respectfully convey some insightful nugget of his experience to those of us not yet as far along in our own journey of making sense of the world.”
Walter served as president of the Connecticut Valley Independent Student Teachers Association from 1980 to 1985. Walter was awarded the first endowed Clark Foundation Instructorship in Science and held it from 1985 until his retirement. Walter left In 1953, Walt was drawn back into education, returning to the a lasting legacy at Loomis Chaffee through his work on faculty Mt. Hermon School as a science teacher. Teaching and research salaries. Together with Marilyn, he worked to improve the workpositions developed into a position as the head of the Science life experience of the faculty. His colleague, now-retired biology Department at The Tilton School. A tennis coach at Tilton, Walter teacher Dick Venable, observed, “Walter was a gentle, soft-spoken always appreciated time outdoors. Walter is remembered as an man, very concrete in his thinking and deliberate in his actions. active friend, spending weekends skiing and socializing with a He never sought glory or praise but only to do what was right. strong cohort of faculty friends. Walter pioneered the earliest He didn’t boast about being part of the Manhattan Project, or filming of Tilton football games, overcoming his discomfort with developing new rubber compounds for tires or fuel additives heights to scale the telephone pole nest and film the games. He to increase miles per gallon. He was truly old school. He could will forever be remembered by students (and maybe the Maintedrive you crazy when he was slow to make decisions or would nance Department) for his chemistry classes in contact exploponder over using a particular word in a 20-page document. But sives. precision was one of the hallmarks of his life. He could grill meat In 1967, Walter moved to his position as head of the Science Deperfectly and consistently make the best Old Fashioned. Chemispartment at The Loomis School. During his 24-year Loomis Chaffee try was at the heart of what he did. Dedication to the task at hand career, Walter oversaw the expansion of the Clark Science was at the heart of who he was.” Walter and Marilyn retired to Center, increased the school’s science offerings, and welcomed Portland, where he rekindled his passion for choral music, joining the Chaffee science staff into the Clark Science Center following the choir at Woodfords Congregational Church, United Church of the merger of the two schools. Walt used his experience from Christ. Walter volunteered at the Children’s Museum of Portland research days to offer glass-blowing seminars to students. In the and developed a teaching program for the camera obscura. Walsummers he directed the Program in Biochemistry. Mark Gold ter also enjoyed many concerts of Portland’s Kotzschmar Organ. ’68, who worked at the program for six summers, recalled, “He He led a life full of science, teaching, photography, singing, and was the one who could be counted on to keep chaos at bay and family. Suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Walter spent his last daily crises in perspective. As a teacher he encouraged and led two-and-a-half years living at the Barron Center in Portland. students, while as an administrator he helped draw the best efWalter is survived by his wife of 58 years, Marilyn; his children, fort from the college-aged teachers and program assistants. Mr. Walter B. Spencer III ’71, Mary Lincoln Spencer, Sarah Spencer Spencer understood that the key to teaching science was havStrickland ’74, and Katy Spencer Donovan ’79; and three granding students learn and love the scientific process of asking and children. He is also survived by two sisters. A memorial service answering questions, and then giving those students the freedom was held on October 30, 2010, at Woodfords Church in Portland. loomischaffee.org | 49