Nobles
letter from the head
WINTER 2017
A Room with a Story THE MEMORIAL ROOM AT NOBLES is powerfully poignant. That
space has had varied utile iterations over the years. I vividly recall that in the 1980–81 school year, when I was a teaching fellow at Nobles, clouds of smoke would billow out whenever the door opened. In those days, the Memorial Room was a faculty lounge of sorts, but tobacco users seemed to be its primary inhabitants. I knew that if I wanted to find Mr. Bird when he wasn’t teaching, he could be discovered in his armchair throne in a corner of the Memorial Room with his prolific pipe between his teeth. I did not reflect much, however, about why it was a “memorial” room or the implications of all those names etched on plaques on the walls. It is only rather recently, without the smoke, that the Memorial Room has become one of my most treasured places. After I returned to Nobles as head of school in 2000, the significance of the Memorial Room began to grow on me. I had many meetings in that space my first few years as head of school. As the student body grew, and meeting space was developed elsewhere, the Memorial Room was often used as a classroom. In some ways it was less than ideal—without whiteboards or other accoutrements—yet in other ways it was a perfect environment, with its oak bookcases, high ceiling, school memorabilia and the solemnity of its purpose. It was those plaques on the wall, however, upon which I kept reflecting. In particular, I found it fascinating that 20 young Nobles men gave their lives in service during World War I. In contrast, there were eight who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War II. Most stunning, there were none in Korea, and one in Vietnam. Fortunately, no Nobles graduate has given his or her life in any of the U.S. military conflicts over the past 40 years. But why, I pondered, was there such an extraordinary imbalance between the military role of Nobles students a century ago and today? While my research has been limited, I have reached rational conclusions that have led me to appreciate the more complete story that the Memorial Room tells about our school. American involvement in the First World War was rather brief, and Nobles was tiny in the early 1900s. Yet the obligations of class, a draft and a different sort of patriotic fervor drew our students in large numbers to serve. They were sent directly into combat, perhaps many of them as officers, leading men out of trenches into horrific carnage. The result took a terrible toll, claiming more than twice as many Nobles lives as in all the other wars that have occurred since then. In this issue of Nobles magazine, we honor those who have served in every capacity throughout our history, with the deepest admiration and respect, and with profound gratitude for their sacrifice so that we may live in freedom and safety. In 2004, Nobles honored all 29 men who gave their lives in service to their country with the Distinguished Graduate Award. Their names are now displayed in both the Memorial Room and on a plaque in the Shattuck Schoolhouse hallway. The plaque reads “These 29 men, through their valor, bravery, commitment and sacrifice, serve as role models for all of us. In honoring these men for their military service, we honor all graduates who have engaged in all forms of service. In so doing we affirm the value of service for which Nobles has so strongly stood throughout its history.”
—ROBERT P. HENDERSON, JR. ’76, HEAD OF SCHOOL
2 Nobles WINTER 2017
Editor Heather Sullivan DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Assistant Editors Kim Neal
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Ben Heider
DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCER/WRITER
Alexis Sullivan
WRITER/CONTENT MANAGER
Design 2COMMUNIQUÉ WWW.2COMMUNIQUE.COM
Photography Tim Carey Jared Castaldi Adam DeTour Michael Diskin Michael Dwyer Ben Heider Leah LaRiccia Kim Neal The Editorial Committee Brooke Asnis ’90 Greg Croak ’06 John Gifford ’86 Tilesy Harrington Bill Kehlenbeck Nobles is published three times a year for graduates, past and current parents and grandparents, students and supporters of Noble and Greenough School. Nobles is a co-educational, non-sectarian day and five-day boarding school for students in grades seven (Class VI) through 12 (Class I). Noble and Greenough School is a rigorous academic community that strives for excellence in its classroom teaching, intellectual growth in its students and commitment to the arts, athletics and service to others. For further information and upto-the-minute graduate news, visit www.nobles.edu. Letters and comments may be emailed to Heather_Sullivan@ nobles.edu. We also welcome old-fashioned mail sent c/o Noble and Greenough School, 10 Campus Drive, Dedham, MA 02026. The office may be reached at 781-320-7268. © Noble and Greenough School 2017