Peddie Chronicle Spring/Summer 2018

Peddie

Oliver Crane ’17 becomes the youngest person in history to row solo across the Atlantic

Increasing student engagement Alumni around the world

CLASS OF 2018 College and university destinations

PEDDIE CHRONICLE

Editor: Carrie Harrington

Director of Strategic

Marketing and Communications:

Wendi Patella P’17 ’20

Contributors:

Barb Grudt

Deanna Harkel

Doug Mariboe ’69 P’10 ’14

Patricia O’Neill P’13 ’15 ’17 ’20 ’22

Anthony Parrish

Matthew Roach

Peter Quinn P’15 ’18 ’21

Anne Seltzer P’88

Megan Sweeney

Art Director:

Brandon Detherage

Photography:

Brandon Detherage

Jim Inverso

Andrea Kane

Andrew Marvin

The Annenberg Gift: 25 years later

56 CLASS NOTES

ON THE COVER:

Oliver Crane ’17 arrives at Antigua’s English Harbour on January 28, 2018, after 44 days rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Printing: Prism Color Corporation

The Peddie Chronicle is published twice a year by the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications for alumni, families and friends of the school.

Peddie School

201 South Main Street

Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349

Tel: (609) 944-7500

peddie.org/chronicle

We welcome your input: editor@peddie.org

PETE HENRY ’62

“I do believe there was a cow on the roof of Wilson Hall …”

(Ted Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge)

Top of their Game 2

Number of school records broken in girls’ track and field

Ruby Avila ’19 broke the 400m record set in 1999 and the 200m record set in 2017.

3

Number of records broken by the Peddie boys’ swim team at the 2018 Easterns Swimming Championships

14

Number of Peddie football players honored during National Signing Day in February

The celebration marked the largest class of Division I commitments ever in one year for the Falcons.

Vanderbilt-bound QB Allan Walters ’18 was invited to participate in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl.

1

Number of Peddie cross country runners who have won multiple titles

2 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

THE FALCONS PUT UP BIG NUMBERS THIS YEAR

1

Number of Peddie boys’ crew MAPL championships

A trio of second place finishes propelled the boys to the MAPL crown, the first title for the Falcons in the 12-year history of the event. The Junior Four crew captured silver at Stotesbury for the first time since the ’90s and the varsity four+ team qualified for USRowing Youth Nationals.

9

Members of Peddie girls’ basketball 1,000-point club

Natalie Stralkus ’18 joined the ranks on a steal and fastbreak lay-up in a home matchup against Hun School in January.

3

Number of Peddie girls’ softball records broken this year

Pitcher Sydney Hixenbaugh ’18 is the school record holder for home runs, RBIs and grand slams.

Peddie Fund gifts add up!

Begin the year anew by setting up a recurring Peddie Fund gift. Your ongoing support of Peddie’s programs can have a big impact throughout the year. With a small monthly gift, you can give a lot to Peddie.

monthly gift brings the latest nonfiction title to the Annenberg Library.

$3 monthly gift lights up Ayer Memorial Chapel for Vespers with candles.

$10 monthly gift supplies the chemistry labs year round.

$35 monthly gift provides scripts and rights for a theater production. $100

Establish your recurring gift to the Peddie Fund online at my.peddie.org/give or by phone (609) 944-7521. Thank you for your support of Peddie!

What’s in Store

SHOW OFF YOUR PEDDIE PRIDE THIS SUMMER. Shop online @ peddie.org/store for your favorite apparel and accessories.

PEDDIE WELCOMES KARYN BYSSHE VELLA

Karyn Bysshe Vella, an accomplished manager and fundraiser with more than 20 years’ experience in private school advancement, joined Peddie in July as assistant head of school for development.

Before coming to Peddie, Vella was the assistant head for external affairs at Allendale Columbia School in Rochester, N.Y., where she led development, admissions, communications and strategic planning. During her six-year tenure, the school saw a 30 percent increase in enrollment, 69 percent increase in net tuition revenue and 300 percent increase in annual fund income.

Vella said the opportunity to join the Peddie community is a privilege. “During my visits to campus and in conversations with Peddie leaders, students, parents and alums, the curiosity, excitement and humility was palpable, and that

was very appealing to me,” she said.

Peddie’s Board of Trustees recently approved a strategic plan that aims to significantly grow the school’s endowment and aggressively increase giving to the annual fund. “It will be a real honor to be contributing to this chapter of Peddie’s story,” said Vella.

Vella previously worked in admissions and development at Winchester Thurston School, Shady Side Academy, Brophy College Preparatory, Bryn Mawr School and Oldfields School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Dartmouth College and is also an active alumna of Phillips Exeter Academy.

The appointment concludes a search launched earlier this year following Melissa von Stade’s announcement that she would step down after five years as Peddie’s assistant head of school for development.

Transitions

Three retiring faculty and staff, with a combined total of 98 years of service, were recognized at a special Chapel service on May 14. Headmaster Peter Quinn acknowledged these women’s impact on generations of Peddie students and the legacy they leave behind. “Their commitment to Peddie has changed the lives of hundreds of us for the better,” said Quinn.

LINDA GELDMACHER

Years at Peddie: 39

Positions and activities held: German and French teacher; dorm supervisor; softball coach, New Student Orientation Program coordinator; head of Disciplinary Committee; Faculty/Student Senate, Head’s Advisory Committee member; and Peer Leadership Program, Prefect Program advisor.

What’s next: “Six months in Harvey Cedars (Long Beach Island) and six months in Easton, Pa. with my parents. We built two houses connected by the two kitchens, so each of us can have our own space.”

BETTY TENNYSON

Years at Peddie: 31

Positions and activities held: Math teacher; dorm faculty; Gold Key Society, Family Style Dinner head; eighth-grade advisor; New Student Orientation Program, Sunshine Fund, annual coat drive coordinator; P.A. boys’ basketball moderator; and Christian Fellowship Club advisor.

What’s next: “I hope to become more involved in the three local soup kitchens in the Hightstown area, visit family and friends, read, spend time at the beach, play bridge and laugh!”

“Linda made each student feel seen and known and valued and included.”

— Michelle Morgan ’91

“She ALWAYS made me feel like I could do and learn anything. She had a way of instilling confidence in me that I am forever grateful for.”

— Bridgette Mitchell ’06

VERA WOJTOWICZ

Years at Peddie: 28

Positions held: Assistant to the director of academic affairs, the assistant head of school, the director of college counseling and the director of admission; and international student coordinator.

What’s next: “Paul and I will be moving to Massachusetts this summer to be with our daughter Jill ’03, her husband, Pete, and their two daughters, Sophia and Emily.”

“In a school that values a strong sense of community, Vera has been a defining influence.”

— Ray Cabot P ’09 ’12, Assistant Head for Strategic Planning

BROADWAY TONIGHT!

“Broadway Tonight!” marked a diversion from Peddie’s traditional spring term mainstage productions, and an opportunity for a record number of students - 64 - to work together and create a Broadway revue. Twenty-nine students new to the Peddie stage performed alongside more experienced actors. They entertained their audiences with selected songs from hit musicals “Something Rotten,” “Chicago,” “Hamilton,” “Spring Awakening” and “Wicked,” along with the movie “The Greatest Showman.” The show was entirely student-produced.

Sports Hall of Fame

Peddie honored a remarkable group of athletes at the 30th Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony in June. Their exceptional athletic feats and leadership have brought distinction, honor and excellence to the school’s athletic program.

The 1953 Boys’ Spring Track Team

A thirteen-year drought came to an end when the 1953 Spring Track team completed the first undefeated season since 1940 on their way to becoming New Jersey Prep School champions. Captain Bob Russell was a continual winner in the high and low hurdles. Tom Perks was undefeated in the shot, discus and javelin and broke the shot put record. Dave Wahlstad was unbeaten in seven meets at the pole vault. John Cox and Frank Davidson had wins in the 440 and 880, Dick Kauffman in the mile and Charlie Pepe in the high jump.

First Row: Griffin, Gilbert, Kauffman, Mangles, D’Amico, Davidson. Second Row: Cox, Downes, Kirby, Perks, Russell, Pepe, Hoagland, Wahlstad, Nelson. Third Row: Mr. Weed, Eichler, Greenberg, Ressler, Marsh, Sarafin, Miller, Acklen, Homer, Mr. Marshall. Fourth Row: Fendley, Palm, Schutte, Klein, Hettich, Grimaldi, Carroll, Gelfman. Fifth Row: Stivers, Ulivi, Gottlieb, Hansen, McGrew, Taggart, Abelow, Hunt.

Nick Kaschik ’98, Swimming

Nick Kaschik ’98 led the Falcons to four straight Eastern Interscholastic crowns, capturing seven individual golds in the process. He still holds the school mark in the 200IM. Much of the 1990s could aptly be called the Kaschik Era. Kaschik won two Swimming World’s National Prep Team titles and Most Valuable Swimmer honors at U.S. Nationals (1996), finished 10th in the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials (200-meter individual medley), and earned a place on the Star Ledger’s Team of the Century. The Peddie community was saddened by Kaschik’s passing from acute heart failure on August 20, 2011, at age 33.

Billy Schuler ’08, Soccer

Perhaps the most decorated soccer player in Peddie history, Billy Schuler ’08 was a seven-time state cup winner, first with the Players Development Academy and then Match Fit Academy FC. He was a member of state, regional and national Olympic Development Programs (pre-academy) and a twotime area player of the year and team MVP. In 2007 Schuler was named both a PARADE High School All-American and an NSCAA/Adidas Youth All-American. That same year he played with the U-17 National Team in the FIFA World Cup in Korea. Retired from professional soccer, Schuler volunteers at Peddie as an assistant coach.

The 2003 Girls’ Basketball Team

One of the most accomplished Peddie girls’ basketball teams ever, the squad reeled off 20 wins in a row against an elite schedule. They also rolled to their seventh consecutive Prep A crown and fifth Mid-Atlantic Prep League title and received a top 10 national ranking from Street and Smith magazine. Christina Campion ’03 broke the school’s all-time career scoring mark. Whitney Douthett ’03 is remembered for her tenacious defense. Kindyll Dorsey ’03 dished out nearly eight assists per game. Crystal Goring ’05 and Bridgette Mitchell ’06 were named McDonald’s All-American and Mitchell earned New Jersey’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

(L to R): Coach Sean Casey, Erin Mullen, Danielle Collins, Crystal Goring, Whitney Douthett, Bridgette Mitchell, Christina Campion, Laura Giusto, Jennifer Stever, Kindyll Dorsey, Allison Salstein, Coach Eric Gustavson.

Last summer, when I was not playing basketball or watching “Game of Thrones,” I had the opportunity to read intentionally and widely, with Peddie in mind.

One particularly intriguing book I encountered was Colson Whitehead’s “The Intuitionist,” a deft racial allegory centered on the Department of Elevator Inspectors in a fictionalized future New York.

When the novel opens, there’s a debate between two schools of thought in elevator inspection:

On the one hand are the

systemic oppression of the city, this initial controversy got me thinking about teaching. Often, Peddie faculty must be empiricists. We need to check the forms, get our Commercial Drivers Licenses and complete training modules. We need to use data to market our efforts and be mindful of our expenses and

The classroom itself routinely demands empiricism. We use Canvas and Gradebook, and we have emergency drills. Our courses feature scope and sequence, rubrics and a certain number of graded assessments per term. We need to work hard and be on top of all of it.

But here’s the thing: This empirical work, while essential, is not what makes Peddie teaching distinctive, and not the core of our culture, or our mission. The true value of a Peddie education is in our intuitionism and our

It is not enough for us to be experts in our fields.

As my friend John Austin, the head of King’s Academy in Jordan, recently wrote:

“Learning happens between a student and a teacher in a relationship that is dynamic, creative and supportive. This has been true since the time of Socrates (Plato’s teacher), and it remains true today.”

For this kind of learning, then, it is not enough for us to be empiricists who are experts in our fields of study.

We need to be, as Austin wrote, “gifted at communicating the joy and pleasure of disciplined, rigorous inquiry.” We need to “delight in the energy, potential and playfulness of young people between the ages of 14-19 (and know how to direct those energies) and we need to see these formative years as an opportunity for inspiration and transformation.”

We need to get to know our students as full people — find out their interests, go to their games and concerts and plays, share with them readings and books about the things they love. One pleasure of teaching English, in particular, is that there is great writing about just about everything, from robots to basketball to fantasy. And any superb literary text can be taught in ways that connect directly with students’ passions and deep questions. Finding and developing these interests is the key to excellent teaching.

Simple gestures

As Peddie’s Assistant Head for Student Life Pete McClellan ’90 opines, “Students learn best from teachers who know them well.”

It is no coincidence that in recalling his most

“We need to get to know our students as full people — find out their interests, go to their games and concerts and plays, share with them readings and books about the things they love.”

formative influences, George Saunders — a writer that our English department loves to teach — has written about relationships built on teacherly intuition.

Saunders recalled making a comment in Mr. Lindbloom’s high school geology class, and then being pulled aside, personally, by his teacher, and asked to write more about it.

Saunders remembered: “I handed the essay over on Friday. Mr. Lindbloom pulled me aside on Monday. To thank me. That afternoon, [my English teacher] Ms. Williams told me that she read it, too, and thought it was good, really interesting, I should keep it up, keep writing things down as they came to me.”

Saunders’ story seems simple. A teacher takes extra time to encourage and support a child, and make him

feel important, talented and smart. After this conversation, the child feels like his words and his intellect matter.

These apparently simple gestures require attention, craft and intuition. We need to pick the right book, make the proper connection and have the perfect tone when we talk to our students. We need to cultivate an intellectual but unthreatening atmosphere, one of friendly, unanxious expectation.

And, crucially, we must listen to our students. We must establish trust and credibility, without demanding either.

This work becomes even more crucial when students feel out of place or when they appear disinterested in school, as Saunders did.

Saunders wrote, “It all could have been different for me and would have been,

if not for whatever it is that makes an older person — busy person, tired person, finite person — turn toward a young person and say, in whatever way is needed: ‘Of course you can. Why not? Give it a try.’”

Saunders goes on: “Mr. Lindbloom and Ms. Williams married a few years later, taught in that same school another 30 years and only recently retired. I do the math of that sometimes: how many kids, over the course of those years, got the benefit of their loving attention? How many people are incrementally more thoughtful, curious, and open — how many people think slightly better of themselves and their abilities, are more capable of change, love, generosity, rebound — because of these two examples of that precious race, the true teacher?”

“Students learn best from teachers who know them well.”

—Pete McClellan ’90, assistant head for student life

Matt Roach, pictured with Kevin Kong ’18 and Elle Grant ’18, believes his students learn more when they feel respected and valued.

Intellectual breakthroughs

In so many ways, our courses, curriculum and class planning can help us in the pursuit of both empirical and intuitive excellence in the classroom. Our courses are works of creative art from Peddie teachers, and they reflect careful consideration, excitement and curiosity. We challenge our students and give them options for fresh, innovative courses, assignments and class discussions — all while building traditional skills of reading, writing and discourse.

Indeed, our Peddie classes support this kind of relational, intuitive teaching on a structural level. They ask core questions about society and life. We seek to draw out connections and debates, and challenge students’ assumptions and ideas.

It is no coincidence that George Saunders’ intellectual breakthrough came after his teacher stepped away from a traditional, rote lesson plan to ask core questions:

“Every Friday he gave his class over to free discussion. Why are we here? Why does evil so often win? How should we live? Those things that you know: how do you know them? Are you sure about them?”

For those of us who teach in the humanities, these same questions are embedded in the texts we teach. Every day at Peddie features these kinds of conversations.

“Why are we here?” We might join Hamlet in pondering the question.

“Why does evil so often win?” We wonder while discussing Iago, or Tom Buchanan.

“How should we live?” We consider through Chimamanda Adichie’s “Americanah.”

“Those things that you know: how do you know them?” We question while reading Italo Calvino and Zadie Smith.

“Are you sure about them?” We unlearn and rethink with Vanessa Hua, Claudia Rankine and Toni Morrison.

These sorts of core questions can lead students to a deeper understanding of themselves and others. Students who are thus engaged have intellectual breakthroughs that form the basis of transformative learning.

The beauty of this learning and this approach is that, through intuitional and relational teaching, we can achieve greater empirical results. Our students will write more effectively if they care about their essay topics, and are curious about them. They will learn more when they know, respect and appreciate their teachers, and feel respected and valued in return.

It is crucial, then, that we continue to build our courses, and our school, with relational teaching in mind. When students share ideas, opinions or personal stories — whether they seem to be important or trivial — we will be ready to read them, hear them and respond to them with empathy and humanity.

Through this kind of teaching and learning, our students will see few limits, and many opportunities, for their minds and their lives. This is the essence of our mission and the real value of a Peddie education.

Setting a path for STM collaboration

A group of faculty is actively discussing ways to coordinate STM (Science, Technology and Mathematics) initiatives at Peddie, and is researching approaches to enhance education in these areas.

“Our conception of STM is an inclusive one,” said Tim Corica, chair of the new STM Research and Development Committee, which includes teachers from the math, science, computer science and technology departments. “We are encompassing applications of these ideas in disciplines other than science and math, and are interested in STM education of all students, not just those who plan careers in these fields.”

Over the last decade, Peddie has seen high enrollment in its math and science courses, and an increase in students enrolled in STM Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the Research Science Signature Experience. More recently, the school constructed a digital fabrication lab, embarked on a significant overhaul of its lower level math curriculum and hired an additional computer science teacher. The committee is evaluating Peddie’s programs and researching novel approaches to STM, and will recommend ways to boost the overall curriculum and integrate these academic areas.

The STM Research and Development Committee will present their preliminary findings to Peddie’s administrative team this summer.

Formal Flashback

Above: Students of the then all-boys Peddie School and their guests attend prom in the Peddie gym on February 11, 1923.

Below and opposite: This year’s prom was held on May 24 and included a festive pre-prom gathering on center campus.

ALEXANDRA GENSEMER HARALAMPOUDIS ’09

Alumna strikes a chord with student harpist

Since the first time she played a child-sized harp in second grade, there has only been one instrument for Alexandra Haralampoudis ’09 But when she found herself with an instrument she no longer plays, she immediately decided to gift it to the school that allowed her to flourish as a musician.

“One of the reasons I came to Peddie was because I lived in rural Pennsylvania and I drove two hours three times a week to Philadelphia to take lessons,” Haralampoudis said. Once she entered Peddie, that same teacher, Elaine Christy, provided her with lessons as an adjunct music instructor.

“Alex played the harp beautifully with Peddie’s orchestra,” said Alan Michaels, chair of the arts department. “She performed at Chapel several times, and we were treated to a harp solo during one of our Vespers services.” Haralampoudis also began playing with the Princeton Youth Orchestra and with a harp ensemble.

Michaels said the music department was especially grateful for the harp donation to Peddie this year — the first time the school has had a student harpist since Haralampoudis graduated in 2009.

“The timing could not have been better for this gift. With a fine freshman harpist in Peddie’s orchestra, having a professional level harp provides a great opportunity for our student to grow as a musician,” he said. “The harp sounds and looks beautiful. It is a work of art, noticed by all visitors.”

Clara Middleton ’21 arrived at Peddie with several years’ experience playing the harp and has been grateful to play on a professionallevel instrument. Often found in the Swig Arts Center practicing on it between classes, after

school or during study hall, Middleton performed with the harp at three music concerts, in Chapel and at special events on campus. She said she appreciates the bigger sound this harp gives her.

This particular harp, Haralampoudis said, has always been special to her. The year before she arrived at Peddie, she traveled to France to visit the factory showroom, where she was able to play a variety of instruments before settling on her prized possession. As a boarding student at Peddie, that purchase allowed her to have one harp at school for daily practice and one at home in Pennsylvania.

Since that time, Haralampoudis graduated from Cornell and is now pursuing a graduate degree in social work while living in a walk-up apartment in New York City.

“That beautiful harp was sitting in storage, and I really wanted someone to have it and love it,” she said. “Peddie was the first place I thought of to see if they could use it. I was so excited to hear there was a student harpist.”

The harp donation isn’t the only way Haralampoudis has contributed to the school as an alumnus. A class agent who works with her fellow alumni to donate to the Peddie Fund, she also recently designated Peddie as a beneficiary on a portion of her life insurance policy. By making the gift, she became one of the youngest members of the Bell Society, the school’s planned giving society.

Haralampoudis first learned about the Bell Society in her senior year at Peddie when she was asked to perform the harp during the annual Bell Society Breakfast for donors.

“As a young alumnus, you might think you can’t make the biggest gift, but I try to think of ways I can give back,” she said. “I try to stay involved in Peddie and help any way I can. I am just so grateful for Peddie.”

Clara Middleton ’21 plays the harp donated by Alexandra Gensemer Haralampoudis ’09 in the Mariboe Gallery.

3,OOO MILES. 44 DAYS.

PEDDIE CHRONICLE

OLIVER CRANE ’17 IS THE YOUNGEST PERSON IN HISTORY TO ROW SOLO ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.

For Oliver Crane ’17, rowing a 23-foot boat across the Atlantic Ocean sounded like the ultimate adventure. It would be an opportunity to test his physical and mental limits and a great way to raise awareness about two causes that he feels passionate about, marine conservation and homelessness.

Crane knew that he would have to grapple with monster 40-foot waves as well as sleep deprivation, hunger, salt sores and seasickness.

And he knew that he would face extraordinary loneliness. Day by day. Hour by hour. Minute by minute he would be alone with his thoughts in the middle of a vast ocean. Hundreds of miles from another human being. Just him, his boat, three months’ worth of food and a waste bucket.

Crane secured admission to Princeton University during his senior year at Peddie. But first, he would fulfill a family tradition and

embark on this exciting gap year adventure.

More humans have flown into space and climbed Mount Everest than have rowed across the Atlantic. If Crane completed the “world’s toughest row,” at 19 years old, he would be the youngest person ever to do so.

A FAMILY TRADITION

It is customary in the Crane family to take on a meaningful project before university. Oliver Crane’s older siblings have all accomplished amazing feats during their gap years. His brother Cason climbed the highest mountain on each continent, his brother David cycled across Africa and his sister, Bella, hiked from Mexico to Canada.

Crane rowed crew at Peddie all four years, so as he contemplated what he would do during his gap year, something related to rowing seemed like a good start. He began researching gap year opportunities midway during his senior year, and when he came across the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, he immediately knew it was what he wanted to do.

“I thought the row was the perfect way to test my limits, physically and mentally,” he explained. “And I was drawn to the isolation aspect of it, having to take on these challenges by yourself and do everything on your own …

once you get out there, you are unsupported. If something goes wrong, it’s up to you to fix it.”

Crane is a firm believer in living life to the extreme. “My mom [Isabella de la Houssaye] who is an ultra-endurance athlete has always fostered that in me,” he said. “Forget the risks. I’m honestly more scared of going through life and having regrets about what I didn’t do.”

“A DETERMINED YOUNG MAN.”

Crane’s rowing coach at Peddie, Joe Murtaugh, whom he called “the best coach in the world,” was surprised to learn that Crane was preparing for a Trans-Atlantic row. “I’ll state the obvious and say that Oliver is a determined young man,” said Murtaugh. “But he’s also kind and humble.”

Coach Murtaugh called his former student “a grinder” and “low-maintenance.”

“He rarely had a bad day on our team, and he improved consistently, finishing his career at Peddie in a successful first varsity boat.”

Crane’s achievements earned him the Caspersen Crew Award his senior year. The award recognizes a rower who exhibits dedication and commitment and who embodies the spirit of rowing.

Peddie Director of Rowing Barb Grudt, who is also a two-time Olympian in the sport, was amazed to learn of Crane’s gap year plans. “I

thought it was such a massive undertaking that would forge him in a life-altering way,” she said. “You don’t spend that much time by yourself at the mercy of the ocean without it leaving a mark on your soul.”

PREPARATION

Significant weight loss is typical for Atlantic rowers, and so Crane ate unceasingly in preparation for the race’s December start date, hoping to add bulk to his 160-pound frame. His weight peaked at 176 pounds in the fall but eventually dropped to 168 pounds by race day. He also lifted weights and spent a lot of time on the rowing machine.

In September, three months before the race, Crane went to Devon, England, a fishing village on Britain’s Southwest coast, to purchase the Homeward Bound.

It was at least slightly reassuring to his father that the Homeward Bound had completed an Atlantic crossing the year before. The 23-foot custom-built boat “reputedly was the only boat that never capsized last year — and that was a key selling point to us,” David Crane wrote in one of his frequent social media posts that laid bare his excitement and angst about his son’s journey.

After purchasing the boat, Crane remained in Devon for two months to train for the event. As he headed home in October, the Homeward Bound would be driven through Europe and eventually ferried to the Atlantic Challenge starting point, La Gomera in the Canary Islands.

“MOTHER, I WILL BE OK.”

Crane’s parents were anxious in the hours leading up to their son’s departure from La Gomera Marina. “I needed to move,” David Crane posted on Facebook. “I wandered the

deck talking to the other teams, and I scoured the town looking for Pringles and other things he could take.”

Set to begin on December 12, the race was delayed 48 hours after gale-force winds prompted safety concerns. In what David Crane described as “childlike joy,” his son emerged from the daily briefing on December 14 with his arms full of emergency flares, the final piece of safety equipment distributed by race organizers and an indication that the race was about to begin. As he was going over last-minute preparations, Crane enveloped his mother in a giant hug and gently reassured her, “Mother, I will be OK.”

Soon after he departed La Gomera, Crane began to realize the enormity of his situation. “It set in after I took that first stroke out of the harbor, knowing that I had a million more to go.”

IMMEDIATE CHALLENGES

Solo rowers continuously need to be aware of their surroundings. They must regularly check their course and adjust the boat’s rudder.

Crane initially worked in two-hour shifts, rowing for two hours and spending the next couple of hours eating, cleaning the boat and cleaning himself. It was an efficient timetable, but as his body began to struggle with

Crane rows with the Peddie varsity crew on Mercer Lake during the 2017 season.

THE BOAT

Crane journeyed on the SS4; a custom built 23-foot rowing boat outfitted with a solar-powered water maker, a VHF radio and other navigational systems. The boat has two small, watertight cabins — one for the water maker and one for sleeping and holing up during storms. Crane’s ocean rowing toilet was a sturdy bucket from Home Depot.

sleep deprivation, he was forced to adjust his schedule.

“I would wake up at four in the morning, try to row as much as I could in the daylight when it was a lot easier to see the waves coming at me, and then try to get a three-hour chunk of sleep around one in the morning,” he said.

He encountered other challenges early on too, including constant seasickness.

“I couldn’t eat anything substantial without vomiting, and I immediately started losing a lot of weight,” he said.

Since he was unable to hold down the calorie-packed freeze-dried meals that he brought with him, Crane switched to a diet of

Pringles, nuts and candy. “I ate mainly junk food,” he said. The one food he didn’t tire of was Nature Valley granola bars. “I ate them every morning.”

“MY ROW IS OVER.”

On day five, Crane felt a sharp pain in his ankle. A blister he had gotten on the first day of the race had become severely infected.

His first thought: “My row is over.”

He called the race doctor on his satellite phone: “He said I couldn’t take antibiotics because of sun sensitivity, and I needed to cut off the infected flesh.”

Armed with a scalpel, he followed the doctor’s instructions.

Crane: “Since that experience, I’ve realized that when we get pushed to our breaking point, it’s important to remember the impermanence of everything. Nothing lasts forever. The good or the bad. Especially pain.”

It would take 60 days for the wound to heal.

THE LONELIEST BOAT ON THE OCEAN

At times, Crane was separated by more than 100 nautical miles from other teams both ahead and behind him, prompting his father to label the Homeward Bound, the “loneliest boat on the ocean.”

The solitude was crushing for Crane. “I would go in my cabin after finishing a rowing shift, and I would just cry. It was hard dealing with the physical challenges while I was also feeling so alone.”

Crane encountered humongous waves and capsized six times during the Atlantic Challenge. (Atlantic Campaigns)

Crane brought along an iPod for entertainment, with a playlist of nearly 1,000 songs including “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival (his favorite song) and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Unfortunately, his speakers landed overboard relatively early in the trip, and salt erosion damaged his iPod.

He had a lot of time to think. At times, his thoughts turned to Peddie.

“Those four years had such an impact on my life,” he said. “I thought about all the good times I had on the crew team, and all the times I shared with my friends. It helped me feel like I wasn’t alone.”

CHRISTMAS ON THE ATLANTIC

There was a bright spot on Christmas Day.

To get into a festive mood, Crane donned a Santa suit and put up holiday lights in his cabin. His parents even packed a few presents for him to open while at sea.

He also had a rendezvous with a passing yacht.

“They started chanting my name and singing Christmas carols, which was the best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten,” he said. It turned out that the yachters, who seemed to have come out of nowhere, had been tracking Oliver on the race tracker and knew his course. “It was amazing, though it did make me wonder for a bit whether I’d finally become delusional and completely lost my mind.”

THE CAUSES

Crane rowed on behalf of Oceana and HomeFront, two social causes close to his heart. Oceana (oceana.org) is the largest international advocacy organization in the world focused solely on ocean conservation. HomeFront (homefrontnj.org) is working to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness in Central New Jersey. To date, Oliver has raised more than $70,000 for the two organizations.

A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE

The weather was more turbulent than usual for this year’s race participants. Intense winds enabled teams to push ahead of schedule, some at a record pace.

But those same conditions also proved terrifying.

The Homeward Bound capsized six times during the crossing. Crane described the first two times his boat overturned as a “thrilling adrenaline rush.” Next came an experience that had him fearing for his life.

Shortly after Christmas Day, an encounter with a ginormous 40-foot wave left Crane underwater with his feet strapped into his rowing foot plates.

“The wave crashed right on deck and blew me back and flipped the boat right away. I was upside-down underwater, and I couldn’t get out because I was tied by my feet. I felt that fear. That instinctual fear rising up inside of me. That animalistic desperation to survive. I kicked and kicked, and I felt my chest tightening. I finally kicked my shoes off and managed to get to the surface in time.”

After this near-death experience, Crane hid in his cabin, terrified that he would have to go through this harrowing experience again.

“But that fear wasn’t helping me in any way. It wasn’t going to prevent those waves from crashing on the deck. A big part of my row following that experience was me trying to control that fear. Realizing the futility of it.”

Crane ended up capsizing three more times but, thankfully, did not have another close call.

CALM SEAS

At last, twenty-six days into his journey, Crane experienced calm seas. Now, he could fully appreciate the beauty of his surroundings.

He saw whales (one popped up less than three feet in front of his boat), dolphins and “massive double rainbows.” He was awed by the ocean at night, which became “flat as a mirror, glistening from a sky littered with countless stars.”

Crane was grateful for the improved weather, but he missed the winds as they had provided much-needed relief from the sun. Rowing shifts were torturous in the blazing heat, and the temperature in his cabin climbed to 120 degrees.

The journey continued to take a physical toll on his body. Crane never recovered from his weight loss, and that seemed to make everything harder. “Any movement I make on the boat is accompanied by a chorus of groans,” he wrote in his log.

FIN

Crane was thrilled when he finally caught sight of land again.

“After all those days rowing toward an empty horizon, to have the finish finally be within sight was incredible,” he recalled.

But he was also anxious about returning to civilization.

“On one hand I was so excited to see my family and everyone, but I was

worried about how I was going to be after spending all that time by myself.”

Crane rowed into English Harbour in Antigua around 1 a.m. on Sunday, January 28, after 44 days, 16 hours and nine minutes at sea. He lit his flares to celebrate a successful ocean crossing in front of a jubilant crowd of friends, family and spectators.

After a physical, during which he learned that he had lost 25 pounds and dropped to four percent body fat, Oliver indulged in a traditional ocean rower meal: a cheeseburger, fries and a Coke.

It was overwhelming for Crane to adjust back to “normal” life after 44 days in isolation.

“My body was a wreck. I couldn’t even walk because I was so used to being on the boat. For the first few days, I had to have people support me when I walked. When I tried to sleep the first night, I closed my eyes and got bad motion sickness because I was so used to being cradled by the boat and the waves.”

He also had to adjust mentally. He went on, “You would think that after

Along the journey, Crane saw whales, dolphins and “massive double rainbows.” (Oliver Crane)

spending all of that time by myself I would want to be surrounded by people, but it was hard. All the sights, sounds and even smells were so much to process compared to how simple life had been on the boat. Even the smell of humans was unfamiliar.”

There has been little rest for the Guinness World Record holder since his return. Crane rowed to benefit two charities, Oceana and HomeFront, and he embarked on a speaking tour this spring to help raise awareness about these organizations’ work. During a visit to Peddie in April he spoke to the community in Chapel about his extraordinary quest across the Atlantic. In May, Crane and his mom hiked the nearly 500-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain. This fall, Crane will attend Princeton University where he thinks he will major in political science.

It’s likely that we will hear of other gutsy adventures by the unsinkable Oliver Crane. Crane: “I think one of the biggest mistakes you can make in life is to not try something because you are scared or because it seems too dangerous. I think that’s how I’m going to live the rest of my life.”

DID YOU KNOW?

In 1966, British Sir Chay Blyth and John Ridgeway made history by becoming the first men to row the Atlantic. It was a 92-day battle against hurricanes and a near-starvation diet.

Blyth decided he would create a new event for people who wanted to take on the challenge of rowing the Atlantic. The first race was held in 1997. The event changed sponsors throughout the years, eventually becoming the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge in 2011.

Crane gives Peddie students a tour of the Homeward Bound during a visit to campus in April.

MOVING MOMENTS

Crane used a satellite phone to communicate with race coordinators and his family. His father, David Crane, kept family, friends and fans up to date on his son’s progress on social media. Here is a chronicle of Crane’s journey based on interviews and updates he provided to his family.

DAY 3

December 17, 2017

Crane encounters immediate challenges, including constant seasickness. Crane: “Who knew being confined to a 20-foot boat in the Atlantic by yourself would be lonely, right? It’s really been a mental struggle staying positive when I think about how much time I have left out here. I’m sure it’ll get more enjoyable once I adapt.”

DAY 6

December 20, 2017

After a blister on his ankle becomes infected, Crane uses a scalpel to cut off the infected flesh. It takes 60 days to heal. Crane: “Nothing really heals out on the Atlantic.”

DAY 8-9

December 22-23, 2017

The weather becomes problematic. A vessel rescues a duo who spent 12 hours in a life raft after their boat capsized in a storm. Another team safely boards a passing freighter after their boat flips and catches fire. Crane experiences “house-sized” waves and strong winds. A massive wave lifts his boat and nearly flips it over.

DAY 11

December 25, 2017

Before the race, Crane packs a Santa outfit in anticipation of being alone at sea for Christmas. On Christmas Day, a passing yacht named Anne pulls up alongside him, and the passengers sing him Christmas carols. “OLIVER CRANE,” they shout. “We are here to wish you a Merry Christmas!”

DAY 12

December 26, 2017

Crane’s boat capsizes in what he describes as a “near-death experience.” While at the oars a 40-foot wave comes from behind, crashes on the deck and flips his boat. Fortunately, Crane is tethered to the boat so it won’t blow away from him in the high winds. But his feet remain strapped to the rowing foot plate while he’s upside down underwater. Crane struggles and finally manages to wiggle his feet out of his shoes and kick to the surface, but while attempting to climb back on board, the boat rolls again. He hangs on and is thrown on to the deck as the boat rights itself. Crane records his immediate reaction after he reaches the surface: “I couldn’t get out of my shoes. I’ve been underwater for so long. It’s just so dark, and I haven’t really been truly scared yet, scared of dying. But I feel it now.”

DAY 16

December 30, 2017

Crane’s body is covered in sores, bruises and cuts, but he says that conditions have improved. Crane: “On the physical side, my body is already a lot weaker than when I started, and I have trouble finishing my rowing shifts. I’m trying to increase my calorie intake, but I’ve already lost so much weight from the first week where I barely ate. The weight loss has made everything harder. Even when I’m sleeping, I have to constantly change positions because I’m so bony and my hips get sore. Mentally things are a lot better though. I’ve gotten used to just thinking about different things for hours on end almost daydreaming in a way. I’ve had a lot more practice now that my speakers are gone (I lost them when I capsized). But it’s amazing how unfamiliar actual thinking feels. At home life is busy and you never really have time to just sit down and think.”

DAY 20

January 3, 2018

Crane and the rest of the Atlantic Challenge fleet continue to cross the Atlantic in sustained heavy winds. During a call to his family, Crane learns that his sister, Bella, is recovering from a severe snowboarding accident in which she broke her neck. As his family reassures him that Bella is going to be OK, Crane needs to hang up. Another big wave is coming up.

DAY 26

January 9, 2018

For the first time in 24 days, Crane finds himself in calm seas. He showers (which consists of holding a 5-liter water bottle over his head) and puts on the first set of clothes that he’s worn since departing La Gomera. He decides to skip a night shift and do some star gazing.

DAY 31

January 14, 2018

Crane: “The Atlantic is truly magnificent. It’s hard to put into words the feeling of standing on a three-foot high boat, surrounded by waves as big as buildings crashing around you for as far as the eye can see — the saltiness of the ocean spray … But even completely surrounded by nature thousands of miles from land, I’ve still been reminded of mankind’s impact on nature. Almost every day I’ve seen various pieces of trash drift by my boat. And when you consider the vastness of the Atlantic, the idea that I’m seeing this much garbage is frightening. Being witness to this is more moving than I would have even thought, making me more inspired than ever by the work of Oceana and others to save our oceans and clean our waters.”

DAY 36

January 19, 2018

David Crane: “Oliver called today, and he sounded as tired as I have ever heard him. He misses the wind, not so much because it propels him, but because the heat is brutal. The cabin is 120 degrees with the door closed – as it must stay – and the sun pounds down on him all day. He goes in the water to scrape off the barnacles that slow the boat and to cool down but obviously being out of the boat impedes his progress … It is tough thinking about him in extreme discomfort out there but he says he is eating and staying hydrated and, with 471 nautical miles (NM) to go as of midnight Antigua time, he is getting close to the point where he just needs to hang in there for a few days more.”

DAY 38

January 21, 2018

Before his departure, Crane requests that his family refrain from updating him on the fate of his beloved Philadelphia Eagles, who have entered the postseason. But in a phone call with his family, Crane’s younger brother, Christopher, lets it slip that he is headed off to the NFC Championship Game. Crane realizes that the Eagles have survived the first round of the playoffs. His family promises not to share the results of the game.

DAY 41

January 24, 2018

Crane: “Final week!!! I can’t believe Antigua is almost within sight. Despite being so close, everything has just gotten harder. My body is really feeling it now. Any movement I make on the boat is accompanied by a chorus of groans. There are so many different places that hurt it would be pointless listing them all. I’m most worried about my weak knee (the one I foot steer) which is finally starting to go ... I try to remember though it’s all about my mindset and how I handle the pain (despite all my complaining) …

“Now that I’m done listing all my grievances, I can focus on the positives. I saw whales the other day! I heard a massive spout of air and turned behind me to see a tail of a whale less than three feet in front of my boat. A few more swam by over the course of the next few minutes which was awesome. I’m also seeing more and more different kinds of birds which is cool. And of course, the stars continue to be amazing. I put on my foul weather gear and lay on deck last night for a while soaking in the view.”

DAY 44

January 27, 2018

With 35 NM to go, Crane calls his family, who are now in Antigua waiting for his arrival. David Crane: “It was all so bittersweet for him – the excitement of being home against the shock of no longer being at one with the ocean. He was also anxious about finishing at a reasonable hour Saturday night Antigua time given that he was already spent physically and it wasn’t even midday yet. He seemed to fear that if he arrived too late, all of us would go back to our hotels and he would arrive at an empty dock. We assured him that no matter the time of his arrival, Team Ollie would be out in full force and cheering in full throat.”

VOYAGE ENDS

January 28, 2018

Crane arrives at Antigua’s English Harbour around 1 a.m. local time. At 19 years old, he has become the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic. He also has the distinction of having lost the most body weight during the race. After a physical, Crane enjoys a 2 a.m. meal of a cheeseburger, French fries and a Coke. As his family and friends bring him up to date on current events, his sister, Bella, lets it slip that the Eagles are in the Super Bowl. David Crane: “The room full of people carefully suppressing that news issued an immediate collective groan … Bella immediately assumed a ‘deer in the headlights’ look until the pure joy that Oliver felt in that news engulfed the room, and all was forgiven (almost). To be surpassed a few moments later when Isabella had the privilege of telling Oliver he would, in fact, be attending the Super Bowl next Sunday, accompanied by his youngest brother, Christopher. With that revelation, Oliver literally wept (although it may have been because his cheeseburger and fries were finished).”

Oliver Crane (center) celebrates the end of his voyage with (L to R) father, David; sister, Bella; mother, Isabella de la Houssaye; and brother Cason. (Ted Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge)

WHERE ON EARTH?

PEDDIE ALUMNI AROUND THE WORLD 8124

TOP COUNTRIES

China

Argentina • Aruba • Australia • Austria • Bahamas • Bahrain • Barbados • Belgium • Bermuda • Bolivia • Brazil • Bulgaria • Curaçao • Canada • China, P.R. • Colombia • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Dominican Republic • England • France • Germany • Greece • Guatemala • Haiti • India • Indonesia • Iran • Ireland • Israel • Italy • Jamaica • Japan • Lithuania • Malaysia • Mexico • Moldova • Monaco • Netherlands • New Zealand • Nigeria • Pakistan • Panama • Peru • Phillipines • Poland • Portugal • Russia • Saudi Arabia • Scotland • Singapore • Slovakia • South Africa • South Korea • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Taiwan (R.O.C.) • Thailand • Trinidad and Tobago • Turkey • Uganda • Ukraine • United Arab Emirates • Venezuela • Vietnam • Wales

Reunion 2018

1. Peter Park ’07 (right) celebrates with members of the Class of 2013: Forrest Davis, Blair DeMaio, Sam Wagner, Amanda Spohrer and Catherine Tedeschi. 2. Chrissy Meier-Fernandez ’98 and Margo Diamond Strahorn ’96 3. Bridgette Mitchell ’06 and former girls’ basketball coach Sean Casey 4. Class of 1968: Robert Hendrikson, Bob Kugler, Steven Del Vecchio, Jim Soltz and John Glace

5. Class of 2013: Rory Merklinger, Jamie Woodard, Morris Pulver, John Gannon, Jacob Miller and Marshall Borden 6. Charlie Ascher ’52

7. Al “Scooter” Masland ’74 P’03 and Sarah Masland-Fatherree ’03

8. Diane Mitchell, David Mitchell ’63 and Joyce Copleman

9. Alan Lozier ’99, Roby McClellan P’88 ’90 GP’19 ’21, Elaine McClellan P’88 ’90 GP’19 ’21, Lisa McClellan P’19 ’21 and Pete McClellan ’90 P’19 ’21 10. Roger Burns ’63 addresses the crowd at the Class of 1963 Memorial Grove dedication.

DEEP ROOTS, MODERN TWIST

Randy Forrester ’05 and Ally Brown Forrester ’07

Their bite-sized restaurant is making a big impact.

Ally Forrester ’07 and her husband, Chef Randy Forrester ’05, opened Osteria Radici in Allentown, N.J. last fall. The quaint 24-seat restaurant has already garnered rave reviews for its take on modern Italian cuisine.

Osteria Radici was named one of New Jersey Monthly’s Best New Restaurants, and a James Beard Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant.

While Randy and Ally appreciate the recognition, earning critical acclaim has never been their primary focus. “Our goal is to push forward modern, Italian gastronomy the way it has been allowed to evolve in Italy,” said Randy. “The recognition does redeem the hard work we have put into expanding the mindsets and palates of our guests.”

Randy began working in local restaurants when he was 15 years old. As a participant in the Peddie Summer Signature Experience, he spent time with prestigious Italian Chef Scott Conant, and later with Fabio Trabocchi. It was in these Manhattan kitchens that Randy learned to blend traditional Italian flavors with modern technique. He’s been cooking in highly-rated kitchens ever since.

Ally, a former teacher, manages the front of the house at Osteria Radici and oversees most “paperwork aspects” of the business. When

she wasn’t in the classroom, Ally was traveling throughout Italy with Randy. They studied Michelinstarred restaurants and rustic osterias in preparation for their long-term plan to open an Italian restaurant back home.

One of their most memorable meals ever was on a trip to Campania.

“Ally and I dined at a restaurant across from a run-down soccer stadium that appeared to be a roadside shack,” Randy recalled. “We were fairly certain we had the wrong address, but in the end were amazed that we had found one of the most charming restaurants. The hospitality, attention to detail and technique-driven food captivated us. We think of that experience often.”

Randy and Ally met at Peddie, dated briefly, and reconnected in the Boston area during college (Ally attended Wellesley College; Randy went to Boston University). Both are sentimental about their time at Peddie and credit the school with having a positive influence on their careers. “Discipline and time management are the pillars of the hospitality industry,” said Randy. “Peddie gave me a strong foundation in both.”

“When you run a small restaurant or a small business of any type, you have to wear many, many hats,” added Ally. “Peddie has prepared us for that.”

FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR EMMA WATKINS ’14 IS HEADED TO WALES

For as long as Emma Watkins ’14 can remember, she’s been listening to her father’s stories. “I can remember looking out my window after my brother had fallen asleep and imagining the mythological world that he was describing. A lot of the things I’m interested in exploring academically now in terms of folklore and mythology come from bedtime stories.” Watkins’ father is Peddie writer-in-residence, Paul Watkins, and the bedtime stories were plucked from the canon of Welsh mythology.

Now Watkins is a Fulbright Scholar and Princeton University graduate, preparing to head to Cardiff University in Wales in the fall to join their Masters in Celtic Studies program. Her senior thesis is “Trailing Rhiannon,” a musical play rooted in the conventions of traditional Welsh theater, and a meditation on storytelling. It’s the culmination of Watkins’ research project, in which she spent

the summer traveling Wales, meeting with folklore experts and folk musicians, attending performances and visiting the actual locations referenced in myth. The play reinvents the tale of mythic storyteller Rhiannon while also covering Watkins’ journey into storytelling. “I’m interested in the mythology,” she said, “but it’s also about connecting to a tradition and understanding where my family comes from.”

When describing how she reached this point, Watkins said, “I can trace a line back to teachers I had at Peddie. I couldn’t take Matt Roach’s Anna Karenina class because I had another commitment at the same time, so he did a separate study with me. I took a class with Leigh Wood which pointed me in the direction of coming-of-age literature. There’s a path — a very strange and winding path — that can be traced to this point. I’m very grateful to the people who helped me get here.”

COMMENCEMENT

“Don’t let anyone convince you that your passion is unrealistic because what you pursue might have an impact on the community around you. And you might create something or become someone that is one of a kind.”

Binglun Shao ’18, valedictorian

“Commit yourselves to beginning anew each day, living for the future but not unmindful of the past. Be the kind of citizen our country and all the countries you represent need and the kind we have taught you to be.”

Peter Quinn, headmaster

Congratulations, Class of 2018!

College and university destinations for the Class of 2018

THE ANNENBERG GIFT

YEARS LATER

It has been 25 years since Walter H. Annenberg ’27 bestowed his historic gift on Peddie. On Father’s Day 1993, Annenberg gave $100 million to the school – along with $265 million to the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California and Harvard University – as an endowed fund designed to expand financial aid, institute innovative programs and recruit exceptional faculty. It was the largest cash gift ever given to an independent school, and it brought instant fame to Peddie.

Overnight, the school’s endowment catapulted from $17 million to $117 million. Applications soared. Students who previously had never considered Peddie because of financial circumstances were given an opportunity at a world-class education.

A quarter-century later, we continue to see the transformative power of Ambassador Annenberg’s generosity. Our students represent a wide range of geographic, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, adding a plurality of thought that spurs innovation. Our alumni are a vibrant, global community that is pushing the world forward.

When asked by The New York Times in June 1993 about his colossal gift to private education, Annenberg said: “I’m interested in the young people because the character of our country will be shaped by young people in the days ahead.” As Peddie continues to evolve and innovate, we do so with Annenberg’s imprint guiding the way.

Walter H. Annenberg (1908–2002)

Walter H. Annenberg arrived on the Peddie campus in 1921. He was a shy seventh-grade boy, with a bit of a stutter and hard of hearing in one ear.

Over six years at Peddie, he would transform into a confident man, make lifelong friends and enjoy what he called “the happiest days of my life.”

Annenberg, known as a student as “Annie,” was voted by his classmates “best businessman” and “done most for Peddie” when he graduated in 1927. That same year, he made his first gift to the school, donating $17,000 for a new cinder track on the athletic field.

In recounting his Peddie experience, Annenberg told of hanging out in the nurse’s office on his first days on campus, finding he was most comfortable there. But soon he was well-known on campus by faculty and students alike.

Annenberg’s father was a successful businessman who went from a newspaper street vendor to the owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Daily Mirror, the Daily Racing Form and other magazines. Annenberg, the only son in a family with seven sisters, took over the family’s publishing company after graduating Peddie and attending the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He expanded the media empire, launching Seventeen Magazine and TV Guide, which became the nation’s largest selling weekly magazine.

In 1938, Annenberg married and had two children, Roger and Wallis, before he divorced. He married Leonore Annenberg in a 1951 ceremony performed by Peddie’s headmaster, Dr. Carrol Morong.

In 1969, he was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom by President Richard Nixon.

During his entire adult life, Annenberg remained deeply involved with Peddie. He made numerous generous gifts and often visited the campus. In addition to the original Annenberg Library (now CoatesColeman Alumni House), Annenberg funded Masters House in 1967 in honor of all his former teachers, an athletic center and the new Annenberg Library. The last contribution he ever made to Peddie supported the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Science Center. The building was dedicated in 2005 and funded with a $7 million gift from the Annenberg Foundation.

Reflections

PETER QUINN

Headmaster Peter Quinn served as Peddie’s admission director from 1991-96. He oversaw the admission office in the years immediately following Annenberg’s $100 million gift.

“The extraordinary events of June 20, 1993, are still vivid for me. There had been a hint in Head of School

Tom DeGray’s mysterious comment earlier that spring to ‘ignore our financial aid budget’ for the coming year. There was the heads-up from Tom to the faculty at the end of our June meetings that there would be a major announcement soon. When the news broke, we scrambled for copies of Sunday newspapers at Krauszer’s. Later that

day, I remember sitting at a bank of specially-ordered temporary phone lines with Tom, Board Chair Finn Caspersen ’59, Business Manager Charlie Galbraith and Development Director Anne Seltzer answering inquiries from families and the press. Then, the joyous, impromptu gathering a couple of days later at the DeGrays celebrating the great

“When the news broke, we scrambled for copies of Sunday newspapers at Krauszer’s.”

Former Director of Development Anne Seltzer (left) and Headmaster Peter Quinn stand in front of the portrait of Walter Annenberg that hangs in the Walter H. Annenberg Library.

gift and the remarkable national attention that was suddenly focused on our respected but obscure school. It was both a lottery-like experience (for the surprise and size of the gift) and nothing like the lottery because it was a gift from a man we loved, and who loved Peddie.

Ambassador Annenberg had always been generous, but the $100 million gift to our endowment was unlike anything he had ever done before both in size and purpose. The gift was precisely what we needed to fulfill our mission, and everyone knew it. The pride and gratitude were evident in that now-famous bedsheet hung on the Class of 1942 gates, and in the thunderous student welcome when Mr. Annenberg appeared in Chapel the following September. This was the best gift he could have given us, and it was very much a forward-looking gift.

“In the twenty-five years since that brilliant June morning, the endowment has generated extraordinary income for financial aid, faculty support, program development and campus upkeep. Hundreds of students who would not otherwise have been able to come to Peddie have made a substantial positive difference in our school. Faculty and staff salaries are more competitive. Program innovation is better supported. Even the grass is greener! Most importantly, Peddie is a school for the future: a student body united by excitement, curiosity and character; an excellent teaching faculty distinguished by dedication, humor and patience; an innovative program focused on personal growth and intellectual discovery. We ‘begin anew’ each day.

“As remarkable as June 1993 was, this summer I celebrate the focus Peddie has maintained on its mission-driven evolution from 1993 to 2018. The entire community has resisted the inclination to be something Peddie had never been

— instead dreaming and working together to fulfill our mission in ways that we have never been able to before. To maintain that, a new generation of philanthropists, born of that historic gift, must meet the challenge.”

ANNE SELTZER

Anne Seltzer was appointed director of development in 1992. She previously served as acting head of school for one year after the sudden death of Headmaster Potter in 1998. It was during Seltzer’s tenure as development director that Peddie received the largest gift in the school’s history.

“Head of School Tom DeGray and I knew there was a gift coming from Ambassador Annenberg, but we had NO idea what size it would be. Several months earlier in November Walter said, ‘So if I were to give

Peddie education through financial assistance would fit the mission of the school and, in the long run, would be transformative. It was the smartest thing we ever did.

“By spring we brought Board Chair Finn Caspersen and Business Manager Charlie Galbraith in on the planning. We knew by then that if there were going to be a big announcement from Ambassador Annenberg, it would likely be on Father’s Day. Finn Caspersen sent the development office a new fax machine because he figured that we would be getting so many faxes due to the publicity.

“Of the four schools that received a gift from Ambassador Annenberg that day, Peddie by far received the most publicity. Communications Director Susan James kept saying, ‘We are the ones that have the

Peddie a significant gift, what would you think?’ Tom and I pledged to each other that until we knew for sure, no one else would know.

“It created a bit of a strange situation. Tom would be in budget meetings worrying about the cost of pencils, yet we knew there was a big gift in the offing. But it was still tentative so we certainly couldn’t count on anything.

“Tom charged me with getting background information on schools that had received transforming gifts. I remember distinctly that a college in Minnesota said, ‘you know, 25 years later it hasn’t made that much difference.’ That caused Tom and me to think differently about Walter’s proposal, and we decided to ask the Ambassador to restrict the gift for financial aid. It seemed to us that promising broader access to a

emotional story because we knew Ambassador Annenberg when he was a kid.’ We had all those stories and pictures from when he was young. We knew that if we could get all that information ready to go at the drop of the announcement that we would reap the benefits for years to come. The minute the story broke reporters were swarming the campus. We had everything ready to go.

“Walter was the guest at a luncheon with the first students who received Annenberg scholarships, students who quite simply could not have attended Peddie without him. One senior got up to talk and started to cry. And Walter just went over and put his arm around her, and said, ‘I want to hear your story, and we’ll do it in five or ten minutes, but I want to hear your story.’

“Finn Caspersen sent the development office a new fax machine because he figured that we would be getting so many faxes due to the publicity.”

“It was a ‘Little Engine That Could’ story.”

1921

A young Walter Annenberg enrolls at Peddie. Known as “Annie,” he makes the class superlative list for “Best Businessman” and “Done Most for Peddie.”

1957

The original Walter H. Annenberg Library is dedicated. The building is later renovated as the CoatesColeman Alumni House.

1967

Annenberg donates money to build The Masters House, and it is dedicated in honor of his beloved teachers.

1927

Shortly after graduation Annenberg donates $17,000 to Peddie for a new track. In the fall, he attends The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

1983

Annenberg pledges $12 million to Peddie, the largest individual donation to a private school.

WALTER H. ANNENBERG 1908–2002

On one of the biggest days in Peddie’s history, a bed sheet was spontaneously hung by students on the front gates with the simple message, “Wow! Thanks, Walt.”

When Susan James was hired by Peddie in 1993 to help guide the school’s public relations, little did she know that a $100 million gift from Walter Annenberg was on the horizon. “Not only did the gift transform the school, but it was an exciting way to start a 15-year career at Peddie,” said James.

When James found out that Annenberg would be attending the dedication of Peddie’s new hightech library in May, she took the opportunity to gather footage of Annenberg on campus that she could use later when pitching the story of the gift to major news outlets. “Talk about visuals,” said James.

“Walter was in his Tudor bonnet flanked by faculty in mortarboards processing in gowns across our spring campus to the Chapel.”

Peddie held a press conference at the new Walter H. Annenberg Library on the day of the official gift announcement. James remembers that Tom DeGray’s wife, Ellen, helped her send out hundreds of faxes announcing the event to news outlets.

On the morning of the event, trucks from WABC, WNBC and others set up their broadcast trucks in front of Annenberg Hall. CNN’s Jeanne Moos was first on the scene to corral students for interviews.

“Brian Davidson [Alumni & Development] still remembers her opener,” said James. “Moos said, ‘Walter Annenberg made a $100 million gift to the Peddie School, and there’s nothing petty about it.’ I remember her kicker at the end of the broadcast: ‘not a lot of pomp, but boy, what great circumstances!”

The news coverage continued for close to a week, including Tom DeGray’s live via satellite interview

MAY 1993

with Paula Zahn of “CBS This Morning.” Multiple news outlets showed the now iconic image of a bed sheet that students hung on the front gates with a simple message, “Wow! Thanks, Walt!”

Peddie received more news coverage than Harvard College, the University of Southern California and the University of Pennsylvania, all of which received comparable gifts that same day from Annenberg. James: “Peddie was the small, little-known ‘non-preppy prep school.’ Now, our endowment would enable us to give scholarships to students from diverse backgrounds. It was a ‘Little Engine That Could’ story.”

1988

Annenberg pledges another $10 million to Peddie.

FATHER’S DAY 1993

The Walter H. Annenberg Library is dedicated, launching the school’s information network with Internet and email access. The facility was the first of its kind at the secondary education level. Memorial Hall, which houses the new library, is renamed Annenberg Hall.

Annenberg donates $265 million to the University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, Harvard University and $100 million to Peddie. In one day, Peddie’s endowment jumps from $17 million to $117 million.

1996

Walter and his wife, Leonore, visit Peddie to celebrate the 25-year tenure of Board Chair Finn M.W. Caspersen ’59.

A LIFETIME OF GENEROSITY

2002

The Annenbergs donate $7 million to name the new Walter and Leonore Annenberg Science Center.

Walter Annenberg takes questions from reporters at the library dedication in May 1993.

Former Peddie roommates remember the man behind the fortune

In 1992, Jeff Larsen ’93 and his roommate, Joseph DiSalle ’93, wrote a letter thanking Walter Annenberg for his years of generosity to Peddie. Annenberg responded with a note:

“There is no doubt in my mind that from the ideals I heard you express, you will someday have a leadership position in the country … there is no doubt your parents are proud of your start and will be increasingly so as the years move on.”

A year later, Larsen and DiSalle had the opportunity to meet Annenberg when he visited campus for the library dedication in his honor.

Today, Larsen is a managing partner for Larsen MacColl Partners in Wayne, Pa. and a member of the Peddie Board of Trustees. “I was lucky enough to get selected to sit next to him at lunch,” he said in a 2002 interview with The Peddie News. “I had a marvelous time getting to know him. Annenberg was very down to earth, and very interested in what the students were up to. He truly cared about the school and, most importantly, the students.”

“I remember he gave me a very firm handshake,” recalled DiSalle, commercial marketing representative for OmniSource Corporation in Toledo, Ohio. “His wife, Leonore, said how much Walter loved Peddie.”

DiSalle also remembered running into Annenberg on campus one day while he was playing Frisbee. “Not kidding, he literally just showed up to campus driven by his chauffeur in a green Cadillac. Ambassador Annenberg was walking on the sidewalk right in front of Coleman when our Frisbee landed on the sidewalk and slid right into his foot. He turned around and said, ‘I thought it was a gift out of the sky.’ We were so scared that he would negatively react. Just proves he was a down to earth person who didn’t get upset about something small.”

A photograph of Larsen and Annenberg [above] at the luncheon hangs in the corridor of the Annenberg Library.

Jeff Larsen ’93 speaks with Ambassador Annenberg during the 1993 library dedication luncheon.

Peddie paved the way

Twenty-five years later, the beneficiaries of Annenberg’s generosity continue to touch lives, build futures and strive for the highest quality of citizenship. And, they are grateful for the lessons they learned at Peddie … in the classrooms, and on the field and stage.

SANGU DELLE ’06

Born in Ghana, Sangu Delle’s ’06 search for an alternative school in America led to a full scholarship from Peddie.

JR RODRIGO ’11

John Raphael “JR” Rodrigo ’11 was involved in numerous activities at Peddie, including varsity golf, student council and musical theater. “Music and the arts were an amazing way for me to find balance in my life when I was at Peddie, and they are things that I try to maintain in my life to this day.”

Delle delved into nearly every aspect of student life at Peddie. At graduation, Peddie awarded him the school’s highest student award, the Wyckoff Honor Prize.

Today Delle is the co-founder of a venture capital firm that invests in entrepreneurial ventures in Africa.

“Peddie has played such a powerful role in my growth and development,” he said. “The experience changed my life, and I am grateful to Ambassador Annenberg for playing a role in that.”

Delle received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and obtained a Doctor of Law from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Forbes magazine named him one of Africa’s Top 30 Under 30 and Euromoney named him one of Africa’s rising stars. Delle received the Young Person of the Year Award at the 2014 Future Awards Africa and was honored as a finalist for Young CEO of the Year by the 2016 Africa CEO Forum. He is a TED Global Fellow and a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow.

Delle volunteers for both his alma maters, serving on the Peddie Board of Trustees and the advisory board of the Harvard Center for African Studies.

For his Summer Signature Experience, Rodrigo traveled

to the Philippines to examine the microfinance industry and its impact on local entrepreneurs and businesses. The experience influenced his decision to pursue a career in finance and asset management.

A Potter Scholar and a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rodrigo said that he is grateful for the opportunities that Peddie provided to him. “Walter Annenberg’s monumental contribution gave me and countless other students the chance to pursue a Peddie education that otherwise might have been less attainable. Put simply, Annenberg’s gift and the Potter Scholarship opened doors for me.”

“The experience changed my life …”

“Annenberg’s gift … opened doors for me.”

CHAVON SUTTON ’99

The valedictorian of her eighth-grade class, Chavon Sutton ’99 was accepted to all of the top schools near her hometown of Newark, N.J. Still, the intellectually curious student felt thwarted by the shortage of resources available to her.

That changed when Sutton earned one of the first scholarships funded by Ambassador Annenberg’s historic gift to Peddie. “While I may have done OK in life attending a top school at home, going to a school as nurturing and progressive as Peddie ensured that I would CRUSH life!”

Sutton immersed herself in many activities at Peddie and had the opportunity to travel to Trinidad as part of the Principio Project to study HIV/AIDS at the Caribbean Center for Epidemiology.

DANIEL FUNDERBIRK ’19

Daniel Funderbirk ’19 traveled from Georgia to become part of the Peddie community. “Peddie has shown me that you can feel comfortable even in a new or unfamiliar environment,” he said.

“It feels like home!”

Funderbirk is an avid musician. He’s been in multiple Peddie productions, both as an actor and in the pit band, and performed in numerous concerts. Two years ago he portrayed Gaston in the freshman musical, “Beauty and the Beast.” “Being on stage is fun and easy for me,” he said.

One of Sutton’s favorite memories is when she opened her mailbox on December 10, 1998, to find a big envelope from the University of Pennsylvania. It was then that Sutton learned that she would be the first person in her family to attend an Ivy League university.

Sutton graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania and obtained an M.A. and MBA from New York University. She was a financial analyst at Bank of America, then a reporter for CNNMoney.com and eventually a vice president at J.P. Morgan. She recently took on an independent consultant role at Momentum Advisors. Sutton is a board member of Hyde Leadership Charter School in Bronx, N.Y. All of that and she is also a classically-trained soprano.

“I am eternally grateful to Ambassador Annenberg,” said Sutton. “My experiences at Peddie made me the well-rounded creative professional that I am today.”

Funderbirk’s favorite Peddie experience so far was this spring’s music department trip to New Orleans. “The city was buzzing with music,” he said. “People were playing on the street, on stage, and some let me jump in on trumpet, piano and even kazoo.”

A gifted student and a valuable member of the Peddie community, Funderbirk might not be here if it weren’t for the long tradition of financial aid and merit scholarships spurred by the contributions of Ambassador Annenberg. Funderbirk is grateful to be the recipient of the Armellino Scholarship. “Giving back is such an important part of Peddie,” he said. “It encourages me to work harder to succeed, and is a reminder that I can do anything that I am committed to.”

“… Peddie ensured that I would CRUSH life!”

“It feels like home!”

REGAN COOK ’19

Regan Cook ’19 has a busy summer ahead of her.

First, she will row for the Pennsylvania Athletic Rowing Association, a competitive racing experience that prepares athletes for collegiate and national level competition. Following her one-month stint on the Schuylkill, Cook begins her Summer Signature Experience at the Southern Oral History Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“History has become one of my passions ever since I took Modern Global History my sophomore year,” said Cook. “My Summer Signature Experience at UNC will allow me to explore my favorite subject as well as a part of the country that holds a special place in my heart. I spent a lot of time growing up with my dad’s family in small-town Alabama.”

Cook is involved in a variety of activities at Peddie. She’s one of a select group of student

Michael Armellino ’57

Emeritus trustee Michael Armellino ’57 served as chair of the investment management committee at Peddie from 1994-2006. He is credited with guiding the investment of Walter Annenberg’s historic gift. His own generosity has resulted in enhancements to faculty housing and facilities, and capital improvements. In 2014, Peddie announced the creation of the Armellino Scholarship, which Armellino endowed to launch the most expansive and competitive merit-based scholarship in Peddie’s history.

Armellino believes that Annenberg’s tradition of philanthropy must continue in order to meet the needs of future generations.

ambassadors for the Office of Alumni and Development and is a member of Peddie crew. Cook said, “I want to get as involved as I can at Peddie. I want to make the most out of my time here.”

When reflecting on the Armellino Scholarship that brought her to Peddie, Cook said, “I would not have been able to attend Peddie without the kind of financial support that Walter Annenberg inspired and that has continued with the generosity of those like Mr. Armellino.”

“Being at Peddie is the best thing that has ever happened to me, she added. “I’ll never stop being grateful for this opportunity.”

“The Annenberg gift provided previously unavailable financial aid to substantially broaden access to Peddie, as well as superb faculty and facilities necessary to attract capable and diverse students. Mr. Annenberg showed the way. However, as the cost of education continues to escalate and competition is intense, it is clear to me that Annenberg’s extraordinary generosity alone is not enough to sustain Peddie as a leader in secondary school education. I hope to do my part to continue Ambassador Annenberg’s legacy.”

“I’ll never stop being grateful for this opportunity.”

Continuing Annenberg’s legacy

The past 25 years have been a remarkable journey. Thanks to Walter Annenberg’s forward-thinking gift, Peddie is one of the most socio-economically diverse private schools in the country.

Our recently completed strategic plan commits us to the historically significant hallmarks that inspired Ambassador Annenberg to make his spectacular gift to Peddie in 1993. We will expand access to Peddie so that more students of diverse backgrounds and talents can experience the transformational nature of a Peddie education. And we will grow our endowment to sustain Peddie’s level of excellence for generations to come.

Our vision solidifies Peddie’s position as one of the nation’s leading boarding schools. As we continue Ambassador Annenberg’s legacy, our success relies on everyone in the community joining together to achieve our goal.

Peddie’s current endowment enables the school to offer more than $8 million annually in financial aid to 40 percent of the student body. However, we still receive far more applications from exceptional students than we can support. By growing our endowment, we will have more resources for financial aid, and to support the exceptional teachers and innovative educational programs that define the Peddie experience.

“Few things are as essential as education.”

—Walter H. Annenberg ’27

Walter Annenberg attends the dedication of The Masters House in 1967.

JARRID TINGLE ’09 is changing the face of entrepreneurship

Harlem Capital Partners (HCP) launched in 2015 to help women and minority entrepreneurs gain access to capital and create jobs in their communities. Jarrid Tingle ’09 is a co-founder of the early-stage investment firm that was featured in Forbes and Black Enterprise earlier this year. Tingle graduated cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2013 and is currently an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School. He is also an active member of the TEAK program, which prepares middle school students to get into the nation’s most selective high schools and colleges.

Did your experience at Peddie influence your decision to found Harlem Capital Partners?

I had an incredibly enriching learning experience during my junior year in AP U.S. History. In addition to exploring America’s successes, we also discussed the structural inequalities that have persisted for minorities in this country, especially regarding social mobility and wealth. After this course, I decided to focus on addressing wealth inequality through my career in financial services and investing.

HCP aims to fund 1,000 diverse entrepreneurs. Why is changing the face of entrepreneurship important?

Women and minorities represent the majority of the U.S. population, but they are severely underrepresented as heads of large companies or venture-backed startups. The wealth gap

persists for minorities even when their education, consumption patterns and family structure mirror that of their white counterparts. Changing the face of entrepreneurship by empowering diverse founders will help close the wealth gap for minorities and income gaps for women faster than would be possible under (still necessary) diversity and inclusion initiatives at larger companies. We need more women and minority entrepreneurs to spur new forms of innovation, create high-quality jobs and reinvest in their communities. These entrepreneurs are tackling everyday problems that others cannot or will not address, like inclusive educational tools, media platforms or more functional clothing, and backing these founders addresses market inefficiency.

In your Forbes interview, you mentioned that working at a Black-owned private equity firm, ICV Partners, helped you start HCP. Peddie parent Willie Woods P’18 co-founded ICV Partners. How did this work experience assist or inspire you?

Working at ICV Partners under Willie gave me the confidence and experience necessary to start my own investment firm. Seeing professionals who look like me successfully raising funds and generating strong returns for their investors made it easier to visualize success as a fund manager. The ICV team also treats people well, protects their reputation, and stands by their word — all of which rubbed off on me.

“We need more women and minority entrepreneurs to spur new forms of innovation, create high-quality jobs and reinvest in their communities.”

Do you know which Class of 1927 alumnus bestowed a historic gift on Peddie in 1993?