Andover Athletics Hall of Honor: 2008 Inductees

Andover Athletic Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony 2008

Andover Athletic Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony 2008 Saturday, June 14 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Kemper Auditorium

Opening Remarks Head of School Barbara Landis Chase, introduced by Alumni Council President Peter Hetzler, MD ’72 Introduction of the Hall of Honor Peter Hetzler Announcement of Inductees Abigail Harris ’96 and John Kane ’63 Keynote Speaker H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger ’72: “The Role of Athletics in Education”

H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger ’72 “The Role of Athletics in Education”

Buzz Bissinger is a distinguished writer and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. A native of New York City, he also has received the Livingston Award, the American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award, and the National Headliners Award, among others. A former Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, Bissinger is the author of three highly acclaimed nonfiction books: Friday Night Lights, A Prayer for the City, and Three Nights in August.

Andover Athletic Hall of Honor Inaugural Inductee Class of 2008 Becky Dowling Adams 1994 Inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame fours years ago, Becky Dowling Adams began playing basketball in the seventh grade. During her four years on the PA basketball team, the team lost only three games. “Our greatest accomplishment was coming together as a team and as a family,” said Adams during her Hall of Fame induction.

Following Andover, she became a Division I athlete at the U.S. Naval Academy, graduated, trained as a naval aviator, and now flies F-18s. She was deployed aboard the USS George Washington for six months in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. “Because of our teamwork, VFA-83 and the USS George Washington were able to do our jobs successfully while defending the freedom of this great country,” she said.

Adams went on to become the first female graduate of Top Gun, the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) program. She is currently the training officer in VFA-105 on board the USS Harry S. Truman, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Arabian Gulf.

George H.W. Bush 1942 Known to his PA classmates as “Poppy,” George H.W. Bush was the president of his senior class, secretary of the student council, president of the community fundraising group, a member of the editorial board of the Phillipian, and captain of both the varsity baseball and varsity soccer teams.

Bush has long been considered one of Andover’s greatest soccer players. He went on to captain the baseball team at Yale and played in the first two College World Series.

Between his time at PA and Yale, though, Bush was determined to serve his country.

The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred during his senior year at Andover, and at that point, Bush decided his path after graduation. In 1943—following significant training, and three days before his 19th birthday—Bush was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve and became its youngest naval aviator.

With a storied political career that spans half a century, Bush’s most prominent position was that of our nation’s 41st president. Last year, he was awarded the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award by former first lady Nancy Reagan.

Richard “Dick” Duden 1943 Captain of the varsity football and varsity basketball teams at Andover, Dick Duden—or “Dude,” as he was called—was outstanding on and off the field.

He twice set new records for individual points scored in a game while playing basketball at PA. Legendary PA football coach Steve Sorota once called him “the best I ever coached.”

Duden was president of his class both lower and upper years, secretary of the class in his senior year, a member of the Student Council and its president for one year, and a member of the Athletic Advisory Board. At graduation, he was given the Aurelian Honor Society Award, which recognized steadfast character, scholarship, and exceptional leadership.

Considered one of the top athletes at the U.S. Naval Academy, Duden served as an officer in the navy and played professional football with the New York Giants for one year before a knee injury ended his sports career. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Fred “Ted” H. Harrison 1938 Ted Harrison earned “triple threat” status as a student at Andover—though not the triple threat you normally associate with boarding schools. Entering as a 10thgrader, Harrison was a superstar athlete in football, hockey, and baseball at PA and later at Yale.

Following Yale, Harrison entered the army and served as an artillery battery commander under General George Patton. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Army Commendation medals.

Shortly after receiving a master of arts degree from Trinity, Harrison returned to PA as a triple threat once again—this time as a teacher, housemaster, and coach. An English and history teacher for 31 years, Harrison also served as the athletic director from 1955 to 1977.

In 1967 he was named one of 25 Silver Anniversary All-Americans by Sports Illustrated and in 1981 was elected to the Massachusetts Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame. He was the founder of the Pee-Wee Hockey Program in the town of Andover and for decades was active in the local YMCA and other community programs.

The Harrison Rink, which opened in 2002, is named in honor of this exceptional athlete, teacher, and community servant.

Honored posthumously

Frank Hinkey 1891 A member of the PA football team for two years, Frank Hinkey was a slight young man with a severe lung problem. The doctors advised him to lead an easy, healthconscious life. Instead, Hinkey played football with every ounce of determination and energy possible—prior to protective equipment and modern rules. While at PA, Hinkey’s team played 14 games, including ones against Tufts and MIT. In 10 of the victories, the PA team shut out the opponent.

Hinkey went on to become a three-time All-American at Yale and captained the Yale team in the infamous and contentious game against Harvard at Springfield in 1894. Yale won that day 12–4 after several serious injuries on both sides of the field.

Hinkey died prematurely in 1925. Following his death, New York sports columnist Grantland Rice said of Hinkey: “Never since he came up from the club system at Andover through his four years at Yale did any team gain a yard around his side.”

In 1951, Hinkey was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Honored posthumously

Sarah E. Mleczko 1976 Sarah Mleczko entered Andover in 1973 and was among the first girls to attend PA. She earned nine varsity letters in three years and played on the boys’ junior varsity squash team. “I believe Sarah could adapt herself to play any sport proficiently in a very short period of time,” recalls her coach Lou Hoitsma, now retired, “for she had the confidence, attitude, and ability to attempt and succeed.”

In her first year at Andover, Mleczko led the basketball team in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game, including 22 against Exeter. Her spring lacrosse season earned her the distinction of Female Athlete of the Year, which she would earn twice more. The next year, she led the field hockey team with 12 goals—and she made history by competing on the boys’ junior varsity squash team. She later became number one on the ladder of the new girls’ varsity squash team.

At Harvard, Mleczko earned 10 varsity letters and was inducted into the Varsity Club Hall of Fame. She was the first female athlete elected to the Crimson’s Hall of Fame in the All-Around category, a very select group.

In 1987, Mleczko opened Sarah M. Woolworth Fine Art, Inc., which specializes in American and European 19th-century painting. She has been recognized in Art & Auction magazine as one of the top eight private dealers in the country.

Aisha Jorge Massengill 1988 A varsity volleyball, basketball, and softball player and the captain of the volleyball and basketball teams, Aisha Jorge Massengill was the first student to earn 12 varsity letters in her four years at PA. In basketball, she led her team in scoring, assists, and steals while being the on-court leader as point guard.

Elwin Sykes, her ninth-grade softball coach, remembers Massengill as exceptionally athletic and intellectually bright. “She held her own on a team with several seniors and uppers,” he said. In softball, she led her teams in steals and was an offensive standout at bat. While at Andover, Massengill was given the Robert L. Wurster Basketball Trophy, the Golden Glove Award, and the Press Club Award.

A Double Eagle, she received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston College and played varsity softball freshman year; her team won the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship.

Today, Massengill sings in her church choir, volunteers for Andover’s Admission Office, and is both a senior claims officer for the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and a mom. Her husband has served two years on tour in Iraq.

John “Jack” Morrison 1963 Captain of the PA hockey and tennis teams, Jack Morrison also played football. In 1963, LIFE magazine featured Jack as one of two outstanding secondary-school hockey players in the country. At Yale, he was named first-team All-American hockey player in 1967, following which he was a member of the U.S. hockey team at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble. Combining size and speed with exceptional physical grace and intelligence, Morrison was outstanding in his generation of hockey players.

After earning degrees at Yale and Harvard Business School, Morrison became an investment banker. Following 15 years as executive vice president of Pillsbury Company, Morrison founded Goldner Hawn, an investment firm based in Minneapolis.

Morrison serves on several public and private boards, including the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board in Washington, D.C., and Hormel Corporation. He also has helped the YMCA, the Minneapolis Club, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Richard “Dick” Phelps 1946 A top pitcher, varsity football player, and the man for whom PA’s Phelps Park is named, Dick Phelps arrived at Andover in 1944. Following graduation, he attended Yale and founded Superior Brands—now Phelps Industries—which introduced new and innovative products in both pet treats and pet foods.

A successful businessman, Phelps is also a true philanthropist. He serves on the boards of several prominent institutions, including the Tennis Hall of Fame, and the advisory board of the School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. A former PA alumni trustee, he created the Phelps Scholar program, which has helped provide scholarships for countless talented and promising students. He also provided a generous contribution in 1993 to renovate and improve the baseball field, now known as Phelps Park.

Shirley Ritchie, Faculty Emerita To say that Shirley Ritchie has dedicated her professional life to athletics would be one of the all-time understatements. Before she had even graduated from college Ritchie was getting her start while serving her country with theU.S. Navy in California as a Specialist 3rd Class in charge of barracks and athletics.

After graduating from Trenton State College in 1948 Ritchie worked at the Trenton, N.J., YWCA in its department of athletics for two years and then came to Abbot Academy, where her tenure spanned a 23-year period from 1950 to 1973.

Ritchie served as a teacher in the physical education department, coach, and house counselor. In 1961 she was named head of Abbot’s physical education department, and it was under her direction that the school instituted a formal schedule of interscholastic athletic competition in team sports. Her own coaching specialties were soccer, basketball, and softball, but in Ritchie’s own words, she was willing and capable of coaching “most any” sport.

After the merger of Abbot and Phillips academies, Ritchie continued on as a teacher and coach for another decade, and she and her Abbot staff played a critical role in ensuring a smooth transition into coeducation. In taking on the assistant athletic director responsibilities at PA in 1979, Ritchie showcased her administrative talents while scheduling contests, arranging for team transportation, assigning officials, and making sure that all went smoothly on game days. As many can attest, Ritchie also had a great talent and passion for ensuring that all PA students learned to swim before graduation.

Representing Andover in the greater athletic community, Ritchie served as the District III president in the New England Prep School Athletic Council. For her enthusiasm, dedication, leadership, and vision, Ritchie was honored with the NEPSAC Distinguished Service Award in 1991.

Natalie Ware Ryherd 1963 Natalie Ware Ryherd earned varsity letters in tennis, skiing, and lacrosse and also played basketball. Captain of the ski and tennis teams, Ryherd also was vice president of the Abbot Athletic Association her senior year. Most sports at Abbot Academy were played at the intramural level; only the best athletes were able to compete on the interscholastic level. Ryherd not only competed, but also outshone her opponents. “Nat’s overall way of thinking was imbued with fairness,” said classmate Bettina Walker.

Ryherd’s athletic accomplishments were made even more extraordinary by her disability. Born with a congenital defect, Ryherd had no toes on one foot, yet her prowess on the tennis courts, down the ski slopes, and on the lacrosse field was astounding. She also was a member of Fidelio, the choir, and the Intoxic-eights octet and played violin in the Andover orchestra.

After graduating with a bachelor of fine arts degree from Stephens College, Ryherd pursued a career in fashion. She was the chief fashion designer for H.L. Miller & Son until her retirement in 1985.

Although Ryherd’s health had begun a severe decline, she agreed to be a member of her 45th Reunion committee. One day prior to the committee’s meeting in San Francisco in February 2007 (for which she traveled from Kansas), Ryherd was given the diagnosis of Lou Gehrig’s disease, a terminal illness that destroys nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. “At our reunion committee meeting…we witnessed what poignantly constituted the most impressive demonstration possible of inner fiber, strength, and steel,” said Walker. Unflappable, Ryherd went about the meeting as if planning for the reunion was one of the most important items of the day. She passed away at her home on August 13, 2007.

Honored posthumously

1948 Swim Team In 1948, one team broke five records and had a 7–2 season. The varsity swim team, led by coach Roscoe Dake, lost only to Dartmouth and Yale and defeated Exeter 48–19. On March 13, 1948, the team won the first New England Interscholastic Meet at Amherst College by one point, with all nine members contributing to that score.

Team members Henry Beatty ’49, Robert Brace ’48, Robert Brawner ’48, James Carroll ’48, Buckey Clemson ’49, Robert Denney ’48, John Geyman ’48, Austin Graff ’48, James McLane ’49, J.C. Miller ’50, Chris Pinkham ’48 (manager), Frank Rutan ’48, Alan Schwartz ’48, Edward G. Smith ’49, Richard Thoman ’49, John Thompson ’50, John Turner ’48, and Chris Weeks ’48 were all outstanding. Said team captain James Carroll: “In retrospect, this was a very unusual group of boys. If you think about us going off and winning the inaugural interschols championship with everyone contributing a point, it says something very special about this team.

None of us understood what we had at that time.”

Following Andover, many members of the team pursued swimming in college.

Brawner, Carroll, McLane, and Thoman were members of the All-America Collegiate Swimming team in various years from 1950 to 1953. Brawner, McLane, Thoman, and Turner set records at their universities.

Brawner, McLane, Carroll, and Thoman were NCAA and AAU swimming champions a total of 47 times. Brawner, McLane, and Thoman also toured Japan in 1950 as part of the USA All-Star Team.

Most notable was McLane’s participation in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics. At the London games in 1948, between his upper and senior years at PA, he won two gold medals. In 1952, he served as the captain of the USA Swimming Team and won another gold medal.