The Alumni Magazine of Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall
spring 2010
Philanthropy
4
8
9
15
Review Spring 2010 Head of School
Photography
Design
Contributors
Editorial Office
Dr. John Strudwick
Ty Anderson P’10 Ruth Keyso Pfoertner Photography
Archetype Graphic Design
Jeff Bell Amy Ettinger Ryan Fowler Rita Schulien MacAyeal ’87 Liz Mayer George Pfoertner Frank Raiter ’57 Christine Ryder Robert Shannon Dr. John Strudwick
(847) 615-3268 rkeyso@lfanet.org
Dean of External Relations
Marina S. Krejci editor/Director of Communications
Ruth Keyso
Printing
John S. Swift Co., Inc.
Admission Office
(847) 615-3267 info@lfanet.org Alumni events Office
(847) 615-3238 smoller@lfanet.org
The Review is published three times a year by Lake Forest Academy, 1500 W. Kennedy Road, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045. Telephone (847) 234-3210, Fax (847) 615-3202. Third-class postage paid at Lake Forest, Illinois. Postmaster: please send change of address notices to Alumni Office, Lake Forest Academy, 1500 W. Kennedy Road, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045-1047. All of the words and photos contained herein were written or taken by the editor, unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed in the Review are those of the authors. No material may be legally reproduced without the written consent of the editor and Lake Forest Academy. ©2010, Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest, Illinois. All rights reserved. Lake Forest Academy supports and adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.
The Alumni Magazine of Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall spring 2010
32
16
20
40
Departments
Features
Letters to the Editor .............................. 2
Giving Back ............................ . . . . . . . . . 20
Letter from the Head of School .................. 3
Why do people give? In this feature article, we explore the art of philanthropy through the stories of several LFA and Ferry Hall graduates and parents of alumni. Join them in making a difference at the Academy today through your support. You, too, can make a mark on your alma mater. Read how, right here!
Ringing the Bell ................................. 4 Ferry Tales . . . . . . . ................................ 12 LFA Arts . . . . . . . . . ................................ 15 Sports Shorts . . . . ................................ 16 Class Notes . . . . . ................................ 30 From the Archives .............................. 40
table of contents
letters to the editor Board of Trustees 2009–10 Chair Catherine M. Waddell Zaid Abdul-Aleem ’90 Lawrence S. Benjamin Stephen J. Brewster Patrick J. Carroll ’87 Chinni Chilamkurti Nancy C. Crown Thomas J. Duckworth Merrill J. Ferguson ’72 Brian R. Gamache Karl R. Gedge ’69 Lauren A. Gorter David A. Gupta ’81 Gloria W. Harper A. John Huss, Jr. ’58 Ned Jessen Loretta Kalnow Kaplan ’73 Jeffrey B. Keller ’87 Mee Kim Charlene Vala Laughlin ’64 Susan E. Morrison Monique Pittman-Lui J. Christopher Reyes Betsy B. Rosenfield J. Michael Schell ’65 Jeffrey L. Silver Mark S. Simonian ’77 Nancy How Speer ’59 Regina E. Spellers ’85 James M. Stuart ’59 Robin G. Zafirovski
I wanted to thank you for putting Biz Lindsay-Ryan’s memory about her high school sports experience in the winter 2010 issue of Academy Drive. (Sports Memories, p. 2). I was honored to have Biz compliment my coaching (along with Eve Alexander’s). Coaching and working at LFA was a pleasure. I continue to counsel students and coach ice hockey and field hockey at St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H., where I have worked since leaving LFA. Coaching every afternoon is the highlight of my day and, hopefully, my current players will reflect kindly on my coaching the way Biz did in your magazine. Sandra Buzby (Coach Buzz) Whalen Former LFA school counselor, assistant dean of students, and ice hockey/field hockey coach, 1987–97
Feedback The staff of the Review welcomes your comments about our alumni magazine and the articles therein. Send your comments via e-mail to rkeyso@lfanet.org or mail your correspondence to: Ruth Keyso Director of Communications Lake Forest Academy 1500 W. Kennedy Road Lake Forest, IL 60045 Reprinted letters will be edited for style and length. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us!
www.LFANET.ORG Alumni Events
Review Online
Class Notes
Read more about upcoming alumni events and see photos of friends and classmates at: www.lfanet.org/alumni
Check out the Review online! Visit www.lfanet.org/review
Send us an update about yourself and your family. Log onto the LFA website at: www.lfanet.org/alumni and let us know how you are doing. With your permission, we will reprint your note in the summer 2010 issue of the Review.
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Recent tragic events at LFA have made clear the importance of compassion, support, and a sense of family within an educational program and community. It is with such values that a school can not only overcome grief and loss but also be able to gain strength and move forward with renewed purpose. In addition, the current and on-going events around the world make an awareness of pluralism and a sense of empathy of paramount importance to a meaningful high school education. Put together, it is clear that it is essential to educate students to be compassionate, thoughtful, open-minded, and prepared to give as well as to take. In this context, I am extremely proud of the approach that Lake Forest Academy takes to education, especially in how our underlying mission prepares our students to be responsible, aware, and generous global citizens.
Dr. John Strudwick Head of School
The Academy and Ferry Hall both have long histories of providing an education that promotes self-reflection and a personal awareness of the place of self within the larger context of society. Quality education involves looking outward from oneself and the known to examine, explore, and experience people, places, and events from the unknown as well as looking inward at oneself within the context of others and toward an understanding of self-responsibility. As some of the personal stories documented in this issue of the Review indicate, our alumni and alumnae are worldly, thoughtful, and generous and they understand clearly the relevance of their own positions as individuals in the real world. It is a proud legacy. LFA is always searching for the best way to stimulate students in their learning and faculty in their teaching. A key to succeeding in that effort is to ensure that an LFA education is relevant both to each and every student as well as to what is occurring in the real world. Relevance, inclusion, and responsibility are key concepts in developing an educational program and they continue to be vital elements at the Academy. In English, students study literature and its lessons of self-awareness in the context of its creation. They listen to authors speak to them from prose and poetry—literally so with the recent poetry reading by former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky. In history, students explore their national history in the context of a global paradigm. In science, students apply theoretical concepts to the real world through hands-on experiments and begin to understand the responsibility of mankind within the natural world setting. In language, students interact daily with different cultures and, through such events as the International Fair, are given a passport to engage in their own personal journeys. In mathematics, students examine how patterns and analysis can be applied to generate an understanding of real world issues. In the arts, students experience the variety of self-expression that stems from different life experiences, including their own. Good education empowers the student to explore the unknown, develops knowledge, and promotes understanding and empathy. LFA emphasises these key skills as it prepares its young men and women to be responsible and thoughtful citizens of the world. In so doing, we not only develop knowledge and understanding but we promote self-awareness, which engenders the desire to be philanthropic, and responsibility, which leads to each person finding his or her own way to give back. As a result, not only do we demonstrate pride in our institution but we also honour the legacy of that institution and secure its future. I thank everyone for their support of our school; like you, I believe it is an important and powerful investment.
letter from the head of school
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Visits LFA Robert Pinsky joins roster of famous writers, poets to have spoken at Academy by Jeff Bell On Nov. 16-17, 2009, Lake Forest Academy welcomed former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky to campus to engage with students and faculty and to share his thoughts about the art of writing and expression. Pinsky’s visit was supported through funds raised at the successful Spring Gala, Passion & Purpose, in May 2009.
Robert Pinsky reads from his book “Gulf Music: Poems” during the evening presentation in the Cressey Center.
Pinsky joins a pantheon of famous writers and poets who have visited the Academy and Ferry Hall in the past half century. Internationally renowned poets Robert Frost, Stuart Dybek, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Paul Muldoon, as well as fiction writers and distinguished alumnae Amy Hempel ’69 and Rebecca Makkai ’95, have enriched the learning experience for our students and opened their worlds to new forms of expression. Pinsky was no exception. A poet, critic, and professor of poetry at Boston University, he made an immediate and powerful connection with students during his two-day visit to LFA. Pinsky taught both sections of AP English and led a poetry workshop comprised of students who had won a schoolwide poetry competition. (Students submitted more than 200 poems for review.) Participants in the poetry workshop were afforded significant exposure to one of the preeminent poets of our time and reported making great strides in their own creative work. In the evening, Pinsky spoke to the LFA community in a tightly packed Cressey Center, where he concluded the evening with a book signing. Both faculty and students were moved and inspired by his presentation.
Review Spring 2010
Pinsky’s visit is indicative of the type of experiences the Academy offers its students—educational programming that is outside the general curriculum yet enriching and worthwhile to our students’ intellectual development. We continually strive to improve our program of study; visitors like Pinsky are evidence that we are heading in the right direction. LFA will continue to offer unique educational opportunities to our students during the spring 2010, when the Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) visits
campus to deliver a performance of “The Comedy of Errors.” The CST is performing at LFA thanks largely to the efforts of English instructor Bill Murphy, who serves on the Teachers’ Advisory Board of this regional theater.
Pinsky speaks with students about the art of poetry in an AP English class.
Robert Pinsky was U.S. Poet Laureate from 1997–2000, during which time he founded the Favorite Poem Project. Jeff Bell is chair of the LFA English Department and assistant academic dean.
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Music Man
Teacher introduces new art form to students; trades instruments for laptop computers by Ruth Keyso When Director of Library and Information Services and music instructor Grier Carson introduced an electronic music studies class at LFA in 2008, he did so with one goal in mind: to change the way people think about music. “I wanted to change the idea of what music can be,” says Carson. “I wanted to show students that electronic music is not just beat-driven [music]; it’s the primary way in which most people experience music.” To grasp the concepts he is introducing, Carson has students produce their own musical compositions in class. They start with a laptop computer and a couple of pieces of software. The students use the software to record, manipulate, and process digital audio. The audio can be pre-existing—their favorite rock or pop song, for example—or, students can record their own sounds, such as a person’s voice, an acoustic guitar or a car horn, and incorporate these into their artistic work. Next, the sounds are sequenced and mapped out. Students can decide how often and when a certain sound will be played within a composition. Once this is determined, they arrange the sequences to create a larger piece of music. “Think of a painting,” says Carson. “The software tools allow the composer to manipulate audio the way a painter would experiment with paints on a canvas.” Carson teaches the upperclassmen to create music independently while offering a vehicle for them to showcase their music as a group: the Lake Forest Academy Laptop Orchestra (Llork). The performance group has held several public concerts in the past two years, most recently in December 2009. LFA Orchestra Director Adam Schlipmann calls the performances “inspiring.”
“ The concert was a true testament to the depth of creative thought that students here are capable of.” “The concert was a true testament to the depth of creative thought that students here are capable of,” says Schlipmann. “It was very easy to be completely taken by each new layer of sound.”
Grier Carson teaching his electronic music class in the Cressey Center auditorium.
There are two prerequisites for students hoping to enroll in Carson’s class: a passion for music as an art form and a willingness to challenge one’s own preconceptions of music and art in general. Carson says he wants students to recognize that what we think we know about music is incomplete; we, as listeners, have been conditioned to expect certain things from a piece of music—rhythm, notes, harmony—but that this precludes us from considering the musical potential of any and all sounds. “Composers such as John Cage and Edgard Varese taught that we must embrace the musicality of everyday noises,” Carson says. Carson believes the language of traditional music, which many in this country associate with Western classical composers, is insufficient for a culture such as ours today, which is based on industrialization and saturated with auditory stimuli. Once a performance art, music has become a plastic art, with the advent of phonograph records, magnetic tape, CDs, and now, digital audio tools. This evolution sets the stage for a new era in music history. “The potential for electronic music is to bypass categorization and to create something new; it’s a means to moving music forward,” he says. Video and audio clips of Llork’s December 2009 concert can be viewed on the LFA website at: www.lfanet.org/mediagallery
ringing the bell
Lead donors on the project (from left): Lauren Gorter P’06, P’09, Nancy Crown P’07, P’09, and Susan Morrison P’08
(l to r): Sid Gorter P’06, P’09, builder Todd Altounian ’86, and architect Peter Witmer
LFA Breaks Ground on Crown Fitness & Wellness Center The Academy held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Crown Fitness & Wellness Center on campus on Fri., Jan. 29, 2010. The two-story building is situated in front of Glore Memorial Gymnasium and includes a fitness facility, student commons area, a multipurpose room for activities such as wrestling and dance, and athletic offices. The building serves as the main entrance to the existing gym and the pool. Those in attendance for the historic event included trustees, alumni, faculty, students, and friends of the Academy. Head of School John Strudwick P’13 made opening remarks, followed by comments from trustee Nancy Crown P’07, P’09 and Chair of the Board of Trustees Cate Waddell P’01, P’03. The primary donors for this project are Nancy and Steve Crown P’07, P’09 (Crown Fitness & Wellness Center), Susan and Bob Morrison P’08 (Morrison Fitness Center), and Sid and Lauren Gorter P’06, P’09 (Gorter Athletics Commons). For more information about the Academy’s capital campaign, contact Dean of External Relations Marina Krejci at: mkrejci@lfanet.org or (847) 6153223. View more photos from the groundbreaking on the LFA website at: www. lfanet.org/mediagallery (above) Trustees and supporters break ground for the Crown Fitness & Wellness Center. Pictured are (from left): Tom Duckworth P’08, P’10, P’12, Robin Zafirovski P’04, P’05, P’09, Susan Morrison P’08, Lauren Gorter P’06, P’09, Nancy Crown P’07, P’09, Chair of the Board of Trustees Cate Waddell P’01, P’03, and Head of School John Strudwick P’13
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Rothstein Lecture and HOS Symposium Team Up for Event (above, l to r): Panelist Margaret Stender, president and CEO of the Chicago Sky; Nancy and Steven Rothstein P’05; panelist Tim Cysewski, head wrestling coach at Northwestern University; Layne Horwich (grandmother of Josh Rothstein ‘05); panelist Jackie Slaats, athletic director at Lake Forest College; LFA Head of School John Strudwick P’13; and moderator Katie Schlosser, English teacher and field hockey/soccer coach at LFA.
Sports took center stage at the 7th annual Joshua A. Rothstein ’05 Memorial Lecture held on Thurs., Nov. 12 in the Cressey Center on campus. Lake Forest Academy welcomed a panel of experts to speak on the topic of men and women in sports. The panel included Tim Cysewski, head wrestling coach at Northwestern University; Jackie Slaats, athletic director and senior advisor to the president at Lake Forest College; and Margaret Stender, president and CEO of the Chicago Sky (a Women’s National Basketball Association team). LFA English teacher and field hockey/soccer coach Katie Schlosser moderated the discussion, which focused on the effects of Title IX, gender equity in college athletics, and the financial profiles of men’s and women’s professional teams. The lively panel discussion included nearly one hour of question and answer exchanges between the audience and the expert panelists. This year’s Rothstein lecture was presented in conjunction with the Head of School Symposium on Gender Issues of the 21st Century. For more information about upcoming events, visit the LFA website at: www.lfanet.org/events. ringing the bell
(l to r): Charlie Domash ’08, Stu Derse ’08, Jed Somers ’08, Katie Stricker ’08, Brad Heinz ’08 (l to r): Megan Kozak ’09, Dean of Multicultural Affairs Lusanda Mayikana, Connor Crown ’09, Spanish teacher Noelle Balson, Justin Westre ’09
Young Alumni Return to Campus for Annual Lunch This year’s Young Alumni Lunch, held on Jan. 5 in Reid Hall, included one new component: a tour. After enjoying a buffet lunch in Reid Hall, alumni from the classes of 2005-09 headed to the James P. Fitzsimmons Athletic Wing on campus to tour the new sporting facility, which opened in October 2009, and to get a glimpse of the bronze Caxy Frog, a gift from the Class of 2009. The frog sits in the foyer of the athletic building. More than four dozen of you returned to campus for this annual event! Thank you for staying connected to us—and to one another! We look forward to seeing you again soon. More photos, as well as a calendar of upcoming alumni events, can be found on the LFA website at: www.lfanet.org/alumni. Go, Caxys!
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
chicago
NEW YORK
NEW YORK
Coming Together Alumni events in Chicago and New York brought together graduates from the 1950s through 2006. In January, a group of nearly 40 alumni cheered on alumnus Brad Morris ’94 at The Second City comedy club in Chicago, where Morris delivered laughs as one of the stars of the club’s “Taming of the Flu” anniversary show. Several weeks later, alumni in NYC gathered at the Harvard Club in Manhattan for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and conversation with Academy representatives, including Associate Head of School Bill Dolbee P’04, P’10. For more information about upcoming alumni events or to view photos from previous gatherings, visit www.lfanet.org/alumni. We hope to see you soon!
(above) (l to r): Ahazi Dismukes ’96, Tom Willis ’95, and Brad Morris ’94 (l to r): Ferry Hall alumnae Ann Spalding ’73, Marina Joclyn ’63, and trustee Charlene Vala Laughlin ’64 (l to r): Dave Allan ’54 with Linda and Gerry Nordberg ’53
ringing the bell
Chicago Networking Event Takes Global Theme John Blachaniec ’81 (left) and trustee David Gupta ’81
This year’s Chicago Networking Event, “Global Corporate Citizenship,” featured a panel discussion with business world luminaries Jim McNerney, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of The Boeing Company; Frederick H. Waddell, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Northern Trust Corporation; and Miles D. White, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Abbott. The discussion was moderated by LFA Head of School John Strudwick. Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall alumni/ae and their guests enjoyed a luncheon followed by a discussion with the panelists about their roles as global corporate citizens in the international marketplace. The event took place at the Northern Trust Bank on Thurs., Feb. 25. View more photos online at: www.lfanet.org/alumni. (above, from left) Jim McNerney, Chairman, President, and CEO of The Boeing Company; Dr. John Strudwick, Head of School at Lake Forest Academy; Rick Waddell, Chairman and CEO of The Northern Trust Corporation; and Miles D. White, Chairman and CEO of Abbott.
10
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Dean of External Relations Marina Krejci (left) with trustee Loretta Kalnow Kaplan ’73, P’03 and Beth Petit Shaw ’75.
Young alumni (from left): Lindsay Krempely ’04, Ben Kant ’03, Sara Calfee ’05, Doug Patterson’06, and Katharine Patterson ’06.
ringing the bell
11
Ferry Tales Sometimes the pieces just fit together. The fall 2009 issue of the Review focused on change; this issue centers on philanthropy. The current LFA campus is a good example of these two themes working in tandem.
Ferry Hall Advisory Board Members Chair Loretta Kalnow Kaplan ’73 Mary Anne Ameter ’61 Anne E. Bloomberg ’59 Keena Dunn Clifford ’64 Janet Wemmer Crawford ’61 Dr. Evan Gaines DeRenzo ’69 Terry Hall ’67 Leslie Steiner Johnson ’79 Charlene Vala Laughlin ’64 Cecily Barnett Meers ’69 Pam Norris ’71 Happy Tomson Pross ’56 Ann Ridge ’71 Beth Petit Shaw ’75 Harriet Arpee Sherman ’54 Nancy How Speer ’59
What a terrific time to be involved at Lake Forest Academy! In the fall the school celebrated the opening of the James. P. Fitzsimmons Athletic Wing. If that wasn’t exciting enough, in January the school broke ground on the Crown Fitness & Wellness Center. Wow, now that’s change! The other side of the story, of course, is philanthropy. The two go hand in hand. Without giving, progress is hindered. Without justified change, the inspiration to give is stifled. Thankfully for LFA many have been inspired to be generous. As we know, these recent building projects did not happen in a vacuum. They were the result of great vision, generosity, hard work, and collaboration by many. The school was fortunate to have had lead gifts for both of these endeavors—the impetus for getting the shovel in the ground—but, as we know, very few projects would ever be completed without numerous smaller donations. Most of us will never see our names on the outside of a building, but we all can enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that our contributions, whether to the annual fund, the capital campaign or both, have helped shape the lives of Academy students. The reasons people support institutions financially are, of course, varied and personal. For me, giving to LFA is a high priority because of my past experience with the school. I have always been loyal to my alma mater, Ferry Hall, but now that I have gained the perspective of a past parent and trustee, my loyalty to the school has strengthened even further. As the years pile up and afford more time for reflection, I realize just what a profound influence my Ferry Hall experience had on me. I want future generations of young people to have the same opportunities for intellectual growth and personal development. I urge you all to visit today’s LFA. Tour the new buildings, but please look beyond the bricks and mortar to see the impact of the new facilities. The sense of enthusiasm and pride are contagious. Come catch some! Loretta Kalnow Kaplan ’73, P’03 Chair, Ferry Hall Advisory Board
12
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Ansara Named Woman of Distinction for 2010 The Academy celebrated the 7th annual Ferry Hall Women of Distinction event on campus on Sun., March 7, 2010. This year’s honoree, Karen Keating Ansara ’75, spoke to those in attendance about her experience at Ferry Hall and her professional work helping the poor in some of the world’s most economically disadvantaged countries. The ceremony for Karen, which was attended by faculty, staff, trustees, alumni/ae, and students, took place in the Cressey Center, followed by dinner in Reid Hall. To view more photos from the event, visit the LFA website at: www.lfanet.org/alumni. Karen Keating Ansara ’75 and her husband, Jim, support global anti-poverty programs through a donor-advised fund at The Boston Foundation with a focus on Greater Boston and six countries: Nepal, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru, and Haiti. Building their family through international adoption exposed them to the breadth and complexity of global poverty and its impact on families. In 2008, Karen helped found New England International Donors, a collaborative effort among international donors, grantmakers, and philanthropic advisors to increase the quantity and quality of international philanthropy originating from the region. The donor network was modeled after the highly successful Chicago Global Donors Network. (l to r): Ferry Hall Prefect Rachel Fybel ‘10, Karen Keating Ansara ‘75, Chair of the Ferry Hall Advisory Board Loretta Kalnow Kaplan ‘73, P’03, and Head of School John Strudwick P’13.
Karen is an alumna of The Philanthropy Workshop West, a member of the Leadership Council of Oxfam America, and chair of the Diversity Committee at Landmark School in Prides Crossing, Mass., a school devoted to students with language-based learning disabilities. Her professional and volunteer work in fundraising, coalition building, and ministry has made her appreciative of the hard work of building lasting, effective organizations. Karen attended Ferry Hall from 1971-74 and graduated from Lake Forest Academy—Ferry Hall School in 1975. She holds a B.A. from Wellesley College and a master’s in divinity from Andover Newton Theological School, both in Massachusetts. Karen and Jim live in Massachusetts and are raising four adopted children, who are now teenagers.
Guests gather in Reid Hall for a dinner following the ceremony. (l to r): Jenny Cullinane Kinsella ’57, life trustee Muriel Burnet ’40, trustee Nancy How Speer ’59, and Dean of Pluralism and Multicultural Affairs Lusanda Mayikana.
ferry tales
13
Alumna Makes $600,000 Bequest to LFA Gift to be used for female scholarship support by Liz Mayer It wasn’t about making a grand statement. It wasn’t about drawing attention to herself. It was about helping young women and recognizing the importance of a good education. Every year, Ferry Hall alumna Marguerite Hubert Sherwin ’30 loyally mailed in her Academy Fund gift. Her contributions were not large, but her consistent giving made them significant. Along with her annual support, Marguerite also made certain that deMarguerite Hubert Sherwin ’30 serving young women would always have the opportunity to enjoy the same high-quality education that she did as a student at Ferry Hall. This legacy continued after her death on Sept. 3, 2009. In her will, Marguerite had made a generous bequest of nearly $600,000 to the Academy. Two-thirds of that amount will be used to establish the Marguerite Hubert Sherwin ’30 Scholarship Fund for Girls. The balance is currently undesignated. Dean of External Relations Marina Krejci says the Academy was “thrilled” to receive notice of Marguerite’s bequests and that the entire school benefits from her generous scholarship fund gift, which will live on for generations. “When our alumni remember and recognize their Ferry Hall and Academy experiences so generously, it is extraordinarily meaningful for the entire school,” Krejci says. “We are grateful for Marguerite’s gift and the reaffirmation of the value of her education at Ferry Hall.” Though she only attended Ferry Hall for her senior year of high school, Marguerite made the most of her time at the girls school. She was involved in the English Club, played volleyball, and had a role in the Senior Play, “A School for Princesses.” Known as “Marge” to her friends, Marguerite stayed in touch with several classmates over the years, includ14
Review Spring 2010
ing Audrey Moore Stewart ’30 and Justine Gentle ’30. Marguerite also corresponded with Mary Hoffmann Griffis ’43 and Helen Heyl Royster ’29 as they lived in Delray Beach, Fla., where Marguerite spent the later years of her life.
“ We are grateful for Marguerite’s gift and the reaffirmation of the value of her education at Ferry Hall.” Marguerite was born in Sheboygan, Wis., on March 8, 1910, to William F. and Mary (Brick) Hubert. After graduating from Ferry Hall in 1930, she attended the University of WisconsinMadison. Marguerite was married (and widowed) twice. She lived in Elkhart Lake, Wis., until 1968 when she moved to Delray Beach. Marguerite was passionate about female education and was an active member of the Association of American University Women. She was also greatly involved in her church, Church of Palms in Delray Beach, where she served as an historian, librarian, and Sunday School teacher. She kept in close touch with the Academy over the years, sending in class notes for the Review. She wrote about her love of travel, lawn bowling, and her involvement in her church. In 1998, she noted it was “nice to know there [were] some ‘old Ferry Hall’ girls in [the] area.” Marguerite was the eldest living Ferry Hall donor and had been giving to the Academy Fund consistently for many years. We are so very thankful for her generosity and are proud to steward her generous bequest in a way that advances the education of young women today. Planned gifts, such as bequests, are an important part of Lake Forest Academy’s financial sustainability. For more information on how to make a planned gift, please visit our website at: www.lfanet.plannedgifts.org or call Marina Krejci at: (847) 615-3223.
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
LFA Arts Upcoming Arts Events
Senior Joey Lieberman as Pippin with Andrea Shen ’12 (left) and Devan Rottman ’13
Mark your calendars for these upcoming events. All performances will be held in the Cressey Center for the Arts on campus, unless otherwise noted. For more information about the arts at LFA, visit www.lfanet.org/arts or contact Ryan Fowler, chair of the fine & performing arts department, at: rfowler@lfanet.org.
April 2010 April 16 Musical performance by Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist, pianist, and singer Jason Robert Brown, 7 p.m. April 16 2nd Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, Cressey Center April 22–23 Student-directed plays, 7 p.m.
Holly West ’11 as Fastrada and Bryan Chou as Lewis in the winter musical, “Pippin.”
Pippin! This year’s winter musical, “Pippin,” showcased the talents of our many student actors and musicians. Under the direction of Mark Dryfoos P’96, P’00, our students put on a spectacular performance in the Cressey Center from Feb. 18-20. For more information on the arts at LFA, visit the website at: www.lfanet.org/arts
Cast
April 28 Arts Concentration Concert, 7 p.m.
May 2010 May 13 Chamber Music Concert, 7 p.m. May 18–19 One-Act Plays, 7 p.m. May 24 Co-ax Concert, 7 p.m. May 26 Pops Concert, 7 p.m.
Jessica Anderson, Joey Lieberman, Brandon Eason, Bryan Chou, Holly West, Henry Winship, Morgan Jones, Clemonse Lin, Chris Shadek, Charlotte Ahern, Haley Wilhelm, Andrea Shen, Mimi Moses, Emily Kulas, Bailey Ayers, Hannah Olinger, Dasha Omelchenko, Hannah Jung, Lucy Sun, Abby Ripoli, Matt Stevens, Zoë Murken, Carina Baker, Greta Nagel, Amanda Shi, Devan Rottman, Lamees Esmail, Aline Feijo, Brian Challenger, Laura Davey, Cecilia Wang, Calin Cave, Catalina Todd (Dance Captain) and Sachi Patel.
lfa arts
15
16
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Winter Sports in Review Boys Basketball
Cheerleading
The boys basketball team finished a successful season with a 17-7 record. The team faced an extremely challenging schedule but was able to capture two tournament titles: Peoria’s Tournament of Champions (3-0) and LFA’s Midwest Prep Invite, where the Caxys won 2 of 3 games against boarding schools from three different states. The most impressive victories of the season for LFA came against Chicago Catholic League powerhouse De La Salle, a hard-fought victory over cross-town rival Lake Forest High School in a riveting game, and a comeback win against an extremely large and talented Kiski (PA) team. The Caxys were nearly as impressive in defeat as all 7 of their losses were under 8 points, including close calls against quality opponents such as Crane High School, North Chicago, South Kent School (CT), and Orr Academy. Junior point guard Dylan Ennis had an excellent season, leading the Caxys in scoring and assists. His season was highlighted by a 35-point effort against Crane High School; in addition he earned All-Tournament accolades at the New Heights Classic held in New York City in December. Senior Remy Ndiaye led the team in rebounding and continued to provide his team and fans highlight-reel material almost every game with thunderous dunks and out-of-nowhere blocked shots. Senior Michal Banczer was the second-leading scorer for the Caxys and had his own share of impressive dunks and great moments throughout the season. Senior Dwight Bibbs was a steadying influence on the team and a great defender. Senior Cole Moore had a strong second part of the season with his tenacious style of play while sophomore Charles Harris showed his athleticism and unbelievable potential numerous times during the season. Fellow sophomore Faith Ekakatie proved to be a force from the perimeter as well as near the basket using his great strength, while junior Jared Dimakos was the team’s main 3-point threat off the bench.
The competitive cheerleading team enjoyed another successful year. They competed in three competitions, including Champion Spirit Group’s Super Nationals. The girls took 1st place in the Private Varsity Division at their first competition, the Elk Grove Cheerleading Invitational, and 2nd place at the Midwest Challenge. On Feb. 13-14, the team competed in the Champion Spirit Group Super Nationals in two divisions, Varsity and Stunt Group, taking 1st place and a national title in the stunt competition and placing 3rd in the Varsity Division. Captains Diamond Li ’10 and Jess Kaminsky ’11 were instrumental in the team’s success while the stunt competitors, including the two captains along with Alexa Wilson ’11, Anastasia Perry ’12, and Hannah Thuroff ’13, had a breakout performance!
Senior Remy Ndiaye attempts to block an opponent’s shot. Sophomore Melvin Pitt helps the defensive cause.
The Caxy cheerleaders perform at the Midwest Challenge in Chicago in January 2010.
Girls Basketball The girls varsity basketball team had a great season, playing against some tough competition and finishing with a 13-10 record. Highlights included going 5-1 against the former ISL schools, a 2nd-place finish in the Christian Liberty Tournament, a 3rd-place finish in the Vernon Hills Thanksgiving Tournament, and a road trip to Culver Academy. LFA also hosted two independent schools from St. Louis and will travel to play them in St. Louis next year. Individual honors were awarded to senior Lauren Kraemer, who made the All-Tournament Team at Culver while junior Erin Petersen and senior Tori Smith made the All-Tournament Team at Christian Liberty. Kraemer led the team this year, averaging approximately 13 points and 10 rebounds per game. She was followed closely by freshman Lauren Clamage, juniors Erin and Ella Petersen, and senior Smith. The team will miss its four seniors but looks forward to returning a core group of juniors next year, including co-captain Kathleen Kennedy, as well as a strong group of underclassmen. Junior co-captain Kathleen Kennedy pushes the ball up court for the Caxys. Kathleen is one of five juniors returning to the team next year.
continued on page 18... sports shorts
17
18
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Winter Sports in Review Swimming
Boys Prep Hockey
The boys swim team finished a fine season. Two school records were broken: Phil Barnhart ’12 broke the 100 backstroke record with a time of 1:07.29, beating out Adnan Sadiq ’95’s record of 1:09.60 set in 1994. Philbert Tong ’12 swam the 500 free with a time of 5:51.82, breaking the record of 5:52.30 set by Jason Oberg ’99 in 1999. Other significant contributions were made by Mantas Ivanauskas ’13 and Jack Cowie ’10. The team also rang the Bowditch Bell for the first time in more than five years!
The boys prep team enjoyed another successful season. The team played in tournaments designed to push the school and the players to the top level of Prep and Midget Major AAA competition. The boys won the Marquette Fall Classic with a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Edge. In the 2nd tournament of the year, the team won the Chicago Fury Autumn Invitational with a 4-2 victory over the host team in the final. Along the way the Caxys were able to tie the No. 1 team in the country, Shattuck, and beat No. 2 MDHL White, No. 7 MDHL Green, and No. 8 Culver. With these wins, the team entered the top 10 nationally and stayed there the entire season with a record of 44-5-4. For the first time in school history, the team won the overall regular season of the MPHL with a 12-0-1 record. This year’s squad was captained by seniors Harry Matheson, Aaron Beck, Kyle Gaskin, and Andrew Upshall.
(l to r): Philbert Tong ‘12, Mantas Ivanauskas ‘13, Phil Barnhart ‘12, and Jessica Lee ‘13 complete a successful 200 medley relay.
Wrestling The wrestling team entered the 2009-10 season with new direction from coaches Mathias Kerr and Charles Parmenter. Led by senior captains Tom Anderson and Patrick Steveson, the team combined for a total of 48 wins and 106 takedowns. Anderson accounted for 17 of those wins and led the team in 8 statistical categories. Despite an injury-plagued season, Steveson showed heart and commitment by continuing to attend practice and work out with the team despite knowing his time on the mat had ended. Through displays of hard work and dedication from a group of first-year wrestlers including Julian Perez ’12, Henry Lopez ’11, Matt Payne ’11, and Devan Dailey ’13, the wrestling program is excited about its future and will build from the many successes it enjoyed this year. Julian Perez ’12 hitting a stand-up to escape from his opponent.
Charlie O’Connor ’11 finishes on Ridley during a November 2009 match at LFA.
squash The squash team completed a successful season, with all of our players showing great improvement. Hunter Johnstone ’12 and James Padley ’13 had some nice wins; both are gaining on the top guys. Carolyn Gillette ’12 and Andrew Kingsley ’10 finished the season with wins in their respective groups at the Klippermate Open. Gillette also had a 3rd-place finish at the Midwestern Junior Championships. She is currently ranked 1st in Illinois and 45th in the United States in the girls-under-17 division.
Girls Hockey Our girls had an amazing hockey season. They tied Loyola Academy—a team always at the top of the league—twice. Unfortunately, the season came to a disappointing end when the girls missed out on playing in the championship game because the tie-breaker of a three-way tie for 1st place in the Founders Cup was decided by penalty minutes, of which the Caxys had the most. Even with this disappointing end, the girls remain proud of their season. They finished with a record of 12 wins, 10 losses, and 3 ties. Kailee Heidersbach ’11, Natalie Bernstein ’12, and Joanie Davis ’11 led the team in points with 46, 8, and 6 points, respectively. Gabby Baldassari ’10 played goalie and held the team in every game, stopping 446 of the 500 shots she faced during the season, giving her a .89 save percentage. Junior Kailee Heidersbach breaks away in a match against Naper Valley. sports shorts
19
Giving Back by Ruth Keyso
20
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Thank you. We dedicate this issue of the Review to all of you who support Lake Forest Academy through gifts to the Academy Fund. Your support of our school makes many things possible—from academic programming and scholarships to arts initiatives and sports. Your generosity touches the life of each student in ways too numerous to count. On the following pages are the stories of alumni/ae, parents, and trustees who have made LFA a top philanthropic priority. Read what inspires them to support the Academy and how you, too, can keep the spirit and traditions of LFA and Ferry Hall alive today through your support. We cannot continue to be a strong and competitive school without your help. Thank you for your generosity!
John Huss ’58 Before John Huss ’58 writes a check in support of a charitable organization, he asks himself the following: “If you don’t, who will?” This philosophy has guided his decisions about philanthropy for more than 40 years. One of the Academy’s most loyal and consistent donors, Huss generously supports all elements of campus life, from the arts to education to faculty housing. He and his wife, Ruth, gifted the school with the Huss Performance Stage in the Cressey Center in 2001, endowed the A. John Huss Jr. ’58 and Ruth S. Huss Chair in the Humanities in 2004, and made leadership gifts that financed the construction of four new faculty homes on campus in 2006. In addition to supporting the Academy’s annual fund at the Cornerstone level for many years, the couple has also committed generously to the capital campaign. “It’s a way of saying thanks for a good time, for good training, and for a good education,” Huss says. John and Ruth make all decisions about philanthropic giving as a team. In addition to supporting LFA and Ruth’s alma mater, St. Paul Academy
and Summit School, the couple contributes financial resources to arts organizations, museums, human services agencies, and programs that support recovery from alcohol and chemical dependency. (John has been in recovery from alcoholism for more than 30 years.) He says he and Ruth are blessed to have the financial capacity to support programs and organizations to which they have a personal connection. “Where you can try to make a difference, you should,” says Huss, who adds that much of his gifting is to local organizations in the St. Paul, Minn., area where he and Ruth have lived for 40 years. “The needs are great everywhere.” Huss says the most important lesson he learned about philanthropy as a young man was to follow through on his commitments. “My parents basically taught me to deliver on my promises,” says Huss. “If you can do something or assist someone, don’t promise too much but make sure you deliver on it—or deliver more.” Delivering more has been a theme in Huss’ relationship with the Academy continued on page 22... features
21
LFA provided the educational foundation that helped Huss earn a degree in English from Wesleyan University followed by a law degree from Washington and Lee and a master’s in law from Indiana University. His professional success as an attorney and a businessman has allowed him and his wife to enjoy plenty of life’s “creature comforts,” he says. But purchasing a larger house or adding a few more cars to the garage is not as fulfilling as changing the lives of those in need.
Ruth and John Huss ’58 Photo courtesy of Leo Kim (St. Paul, Minn.)
over the years. Supporting the school is not difficult, he explains, when he recognizes the many positive things he took away from his boarding school experience. He remembers the teachers who made a difference in his life—Sid Ainsworth, Lou Wetzel, Joe Fremd, Headmaster Harold Corbin—and the lessons about values they taught him through their own actions and behaviors. A four-year Warnerite, he recalls the kindness shown to him by housemasters and their wives who created a happy home environment in the dorm for the boys. In fact, it is this memory that motivated his gift of faculty housing to LFA and inspires his giving toward a new girls’ dormitory, which will provide for spacious new faculty apartments. “Looking back on the demands of the housemasters and their wives … their generosity knew no [boundary],” he says. “They were on the job 24/7.”
“It comes back to this: There are incredible needs, and if you don’t help fill them, who can step up and do it?” he asks. Huss says he and Ruth have made provisions to leave their estate to charity upon their deaths. They have included LFA in their list of philanthropic interests. He hopes that their capacity will support the evolution and continued growth of the Academy and help more students get a leg up on life through a strong and meaningful high school experience. “Somebody somewhere along the way dug deeply to help me get to school,” he says, citing his parents’ generosity in supporting his education and that of others through their contributions to LFA. “Ruth and I want to give back to things that have given us pleasure and that have made us successful.” John Huss ’58 and his wife, Ruth, live in St. Paul, Minn. John has been a trustee at the Academy since 2002. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2008.
“ My parents basically taught me to deliver on my promises ... If you can do something or assist someone, don’t promise too much but make sure you deliver on it—or deliver more.” —John Huss ’58
22
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
“ You can make a huge impact when you give. People don’t realize how much of a difference they can make.” —Fran Crane ’05 Fran Crane ’05 Giving back to Lake Forest Academy comes easily to Fran Crane ’05. The former prefect, swimming sensation, and Master of the Houses at LFA says her high school years were the best of her life and that LFA provided the perfect atmosphere for her to grow intellectually and socially. “I loved LFA—the faculty, the students, and what the school stands for,” she says. “I loved high school even more than college.” Crane supports the Academy through its annual fund. One of nearly two dozen Young Alumni Cornerstone Society members, Crane says the Academy is at the top of a list of institutions she supports financially. Her reason for giving is simple: She knows her gifts are being used for a good cause and that they are making a difference in the lives of students and faculty. “I see results at LFA; when I get the Review or read The Spectator, I see how the school is growing,” she says, citing the addition of new teachers, a more diverse student body, and capital improvements to the campus. All the while, some things remain the same: the splendor of Reid Hall and plenty of familiar faces among the faculty population. “The things that aren’t supposed to change don’t.” A strong culture of giving in the Crane household encouraged Fran’s philanthropic habits from a young age. She remembers accompanying her mother to a women’s service club in Chicago for its annual “Bring Your Daughter
to Work Day” when she was in 8th grade. There, she observed how the group managed requests from organizations around the city for financial assistance. She also recalls her father’s generous support of their former parish in Glenview, Ill., and his contributions to the collection basket every Sunday. And, she says, holiday season at the Cranes’ was not complete until the family had provided turkeys to the needy and Christmas presents to strangers who needed a helping hand. “My parents were a good example. [They taught me] that if you have money to spend on yourself, then you have money [to help others, too].” To further educate their three children about philanthropy, the Cranes gave them $500 on their 17th birthday to donate to charities of their choice. The practice continued through their 21st birthday, at which time Fran and her sister, Kate ’04, and brother, Wes ’07, were responsible for their own charitable giving. For Fran, that meant setting aside a portion of her budget for those organizations to which she felt a personal connection. LFA was one of them.
Frances Crane ’05 in Chicago, November 2009.
Even on a student budget, Crane says she finds a way to give back to the place that taught her so much. Her experience at the Academy boosted her self-confidence, increased her selfawareness, and provided her with opportunities that she might not have enjoyed at a large public school. In addition, the Academy was a safe place where she felt comfortable “messing up” but learning from her mistakes. continued on page 25...
features
23
In memory of you, Sam: mission accomplished A 50th class reunion. For many, it’s about reconnecting with classmates and reliving shared experiences. But for Frank Raiter ’57, his 50th LFA Reunion signaled an opportunity to connect the past to the future. Reunion Weekend 2007 marked the official launch of a class campaign that culminated in more than $50,000 raised from 19 classmates to establish The Perisho Memorial Scholarship Fund. This endowed scholarship, named for deceased alumnus Gordon “Sam” Perisho ’57, supports a current LFA student with a parent(s) in the U.S. Armed Forces. Sam Perisho ’57
In the piece below, Frank describes how the memory of a dear classmate inspired him and the close-knit class of ’57 to create an opportunity for future generations of Lake Forest Academy students. I had thought about it for years. I wanted to do something at LFA to honor the memory of my classmate Sam Perisho, who was killed in combat during the Vietnam War. On the occasion of my 50th high school Reunion, I had that chance. I started talking to the guys from ’57, LFA’s Centennial Class, about a 1957 Reunion class gift. Sam Addoms, our class president, was enthusiastic about the idea and established a close working relationship with all concerned. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Perisho Scholarship Fund. Sam Perisho was a very popular guy. He was friendly with everyone and had a wry sense of humor; he laughed a lot, quite often at himself. A highlight of his LFA days was causing the old Warner House clock to mysteriously ring in the wee hours of the night, after decades of silence. This noise woke the entire campus and bamboozled school authorities for weeks. After graduating from LFA, Sam matriculated at Cornell University. He later joined the aviation branch of the U.S. Navy. Sam got orders to join a squadron flying missions over Laos and North Vietnam. I was sent to an intelligence position in Vietnam. Three months later I saw Sam’s name on a list of airmen missing over North Vietnam. For years I thought about my classmate, who had fallen in combat, and how I could commemorate his life. Realizing that LFA was the institution that had done the most for me during my formative years, I thought it fitting to give back. And what better time to launch the idea of a scholarship fund than at my Reunion. In memory of you, Sam: mission accomplished. Frank Raiter ’57 lives in Kennebunk, Maine.
24
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
“ So many of the faculty, families, and students at the school touched and influenced our lives; we’re honored to say we’re part of [the community].” —Robin Zafirovski “Students grow into respectable people there,” she says. “It’s a very special place.” Crane encourages her classmates and all young alumni to give back to the Academy—at any level possible—as a way of saying thanks. Even those on the tightest of student budgets can find a way to make a small contribution, she says. “Of course you have to cover your basic necessities first,” such as your food and rent, she explains. But if you can afford to spend $5 a day on coffee, for example, you can find a way to make a charitable contribution. “You can make a huge impact when you give. People don’t realize how much of a difference they can make.” Crane is confident that her contributions—and those of others—will provide today’s LFA students with an education and opportunities that will shape their lives in a positive way. “I had such a wonderful experience [at LFA]; if I could give others the same experience I had, there would be a lot more happy people on the planet.” Fran Crane ’05 is a senior at Loyola University-Chicago, where she is majoring in history with a minor in Italian. She plans to attend graduate school in social work in the fall 2010.
the Zafirovski family For the Zafirovskis, giving is a family affair. “We expect our children to be givers,” says Robin who, along with her husband, Mike, and sons Matt ’04, Kirk ’05, and Todd ’09, established the Zafirovski Family Foundation in 2005. The goal was to teach the boys about philanthropy and to encourage charitable giving. The family makes most of their decisions about gifting as a group. Their top priorities are children and education. Lake Forest Academy has benefited mightily from the Zafirovskis’ generosity. In addition to supporting the school’s annual fund at the leadership level, the family contributes heartily to the capital campaign. A portion of their most recent gift supported the construction of the Zafirovski Training Room in the newly erected James P. Fitzsimmons Athletic Wing on the LFA campus. Robin and Mike say their loyalty for the Academy stems from their sons’ positive high school experiences and the sense of community they felt at LFA, as well as the connections they made, particularly with teachers, advisors, and coaches. “The [boys] had so many opportunities and ran with them—opportunities to be leaders and to be involved in various areas of the school, from sports to classes to clubs,” says Robin. “And so many of the faculty, families, and students at the school touched and influenced our lives; we’re honored to say we’re part of [the community].”
continued on page 26... features
25
“ We realized how lucky we were … and how many advantages we had, while recognizing that we have an opportunity to do whatever we can to provide opportunities for others.” —Matt Zafirovski ’04 Robin and Mike’s personal life histories have influenced their philanthropy. Robin spent the first three years of her life in Korea, where her father worked for Church World Service, a humanitarian agency that provided aid and economic assistance to Korea in the wake of the Korean War. The family’s service work continued when they returned to Robin’s mother’s hometown of Batavia, N.Y., where they were actively involved in ministry through their Episcopal church. “I grew up modestly; our giving was mostly to the church, and it was through action and deed,” says Robin. “I don’t remember my parents talking specifically about philanthropy; it was just a way of life.” Mike, who immigrated to the United States from Macedonia with his family in 1969, remembers the many people— teachers, coaches, neighbors—who assisted his family in finding jobs and apartments during their early years in Cleveland, Ohio. (Both of his parents took jobs in factories.) He is grateful to those who helped him learn English in high school and coached him to become one of the top swimmers in the state. His athletic prowess earned him a soccer and swimming scholarship to Edinboro University in western Pennsylvania, where, in November 2009, Mike and Robin participated in the dedication ceremony for the new 85,000 square-foot sports structure he and his family gifted to his alma mater: the Mike S. Zafirovski Sports and Recreation Center, known as the Z Dome.
26
Review Spring 2010
Thankful for their good fortune and for the opportunities life has presented them, Robin and Mike have committed themselves to educating their children about the importance of philanthropy. Both stress the significance of donating time and talent—in addition to treasure—to causes they believe in. For Mike, it starts with community. “We like to support the communities we belong to and come from,” he says. These include his and Robin’s college alma maters, their children’s schools, and their church. While education remains their top philanthropic priority, the family also supports causes such as children’s health initiatives and business development in economically emerging countries, including Macedonia. (Mike was one of the founding directors of Macedonia 2025, which targets a stronger nation through education, a vibrant economy, and expedited access into the European Union.) Their commitment does not stop by writing a check; Robin and Mike sit on numerous boards, including the Founders’ Board of Children’s Memorial Hospital and the United Way, respectively, and have chaired the Duke University Parents’ Committee. They give of themselves, Mike says, because “it’s the right thing to do.” “There is no down side to giving,” he says. All three of the Zafirovski boys credit their parents for teaching them about philanthropy through their own good example. Matt ’04 remembers volunteering alongside his parents at their church in Lake Forest, doing service
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
projects in Chicago, and taking a family trip to the Honduras to support HIV/AIDS ministry. He also recalls journeys to third-world countries when the family lived in Europe in the late 1990s. “[My parents] impressed on us that we’re citizens of the world,” he explains. “They wanted to broaden our perspective and to give us a deeper understanding of the inequities and injustices in the world. [Through travel] we realized how lucky we were … and how many advantages we had, while recognizing that we have an opportunity to do whatever we can to provide opportunities for others.” While the Zafirovskis set a fine example for their sons on the importance of giving back through volunteerism, they also reminded the boys of their financial commitment to others. Kirk ’05 remembers contributing to food and clothing drives as a young boy and making donations to the church. Though giving was never “pounded into us,” he says, simply observing his parents’ actions made him want to do the same thing. “[Giving] was consistent in my family,” he explains. “I remember thinking ‘This is something I should do.’ It became a personal goal: to see my parents [contributing] and wondering how I, too, could make a difference.” As young alumni, both Matt and Kirk are making a difference at LFA through their support of the school’s
annual fund. Kirk says his commitment is simply a way of saying thanks for the opportunities the school provided and for the strong educational background that helped him succeed at Bucknell.
The Zafirovski Family ( l to r): Kirk ’05, Todd ’09, Robin, Mike, Matt ’04 Photo courtesy of Children’s Memorial Hospital
“I wouldn’t be where I am now … without the training I received at LFA,” he says. Matt, too, believes in contributing to those institutions that have prepared him well for life as a professional. In addition to supporting LFA and Duke, his college alma mater, he recently helped establish the Associates Board at the Golden Apple, a Chicago-based foundation dedicated to supporting teacher development and recognition. He says his commitment to education comes naturally. continued on page 28...
The Cornerstone Society recognizes generous members
of the LFA community who contribute $1,000 or more annually to the Academy Fund, which includes the Alumni Fund and the Parents Fund. The Academy also encourages its younger alumni to support their alma mater and has modified gift levels for Cornerstone Society membership. Leadership support is vital to the continued success of Lake Forest Academy. We thank you for your past support and encourage those who have not yet joined the Cornerstone Society to consider a leadership gift today. For more information, contact Christine Ryder at: cryder@lfanet.org. Or make a gift online at: www.lfanet.org/give. View the various Cornerstone Society levels on the LFA website at: www.lfanet.org/cornerstone
features
27
“ It’s about the power of the arts to inspire and transform lives ... Through the arts we teach kids to think critically and creatively.”
“There’s something to be said for supporting an institution you’re a part of,” he explains. “Even after you leave a place, you want to see it grow and evolve and become even better than when you were there.” The boys have left an indelible mark on the Academy through their financial support, their contributions to the school’s sports program, and their participation in its service clubs. All three took what they learned at home and applied it to their lives at school. Whether interacting with young people through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, raising funds for their senior class gifts, or serving the community through Interact, the school’s service learning club, the boys modeled the good behavior and example of their parents. Todd ’09 says he’s fortunate to have grown up with role models like his mother and father. “I can look up to them,” he says. “They’re grounded people; they know where they came from.” Robin Zafirovski has been a trustee at LFA since 2004. She and her husband, Mike, live in Lake Forest. Matt ’04 is a consultant and lives in Chicago; Kirk ’05 works for a sports marketing company in North Carolina and sits on the board of GYLI (Global Youth Leadership Institute); Todd ’09 is a freshman at Duke.
—Ruth DeYoung Kohler ’59
Ruth De Young Kohler ’59 Ruth DeYoung Kohler ’59 understands the importance of philanthropy firsthand. The director of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wis., Kohler relies on the generosity of others to keep the Arts Center alive. “It’s about the power of the arts to inspire and transform lives,” says Kohler about the work of the Arts Center, which is part museum and part performing arts venue. “Through the arts we teach kids to think critically and creatively.” Good schools do the same thing, she says, which is one reason she has been a loyal supporter of Lake Forest Academy over the years. A steadfast Cornerstone Society donor, Kohler believes in giving back to the places that helped shape her life.
Ruth Kohler ’59 in the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wis., January 2010.
Kohler’s widowed father, Herbert, sent her to boarding school at Ferry Hall in 1955. In this environment of caring and committed women, Kohler formed lifelong friendships and honed her love of learning. She cites Mrs. Keeling and Ms. Reber as particularly inspiring instructors who taught her to think critically and to dig deeply into literature and foreign language, never settling for a superficial knowledge of any topic. Her positive high school experience has inspired Kohler to support the Academy financially. Through gifts directed toward scholarships at LFA, she is opening the doors to learning and intellectual exploration for many young women. Her generosity extends to her college alma mater as well.
28
Review Spring 2010
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Kohler contributes annually to an endowed fund for scholarship support at Smith College, where she earned her undergraduate degree in art in 1963. Her father had started the fund in 1954, in memory of his wife, who had graduated from Smith in 1928. Kohler says her parents taught her the importance of supporting causes she believes in. Her mother, also named Ruth, was a journalist at the Chicago Tribune in the 1930s. A champion of women’s rights and an enthusiast of local and state history, she wrote two books about women and aspects of Wisconsin history. She took Ruth with her when she traveled throughout the state seeking artifacts for a Wisconsin centennial building devoted to the history of women in the state, and for the restoration of a stage coach inn. “She let me see what she was doing, what she was involved in,” Kohler says. “My mother was a dynamic woman, an amazing mom, and a great role model.” Her father, too, was involved in the community and, through the Kohler Foundation, supported those initiatives—art, education, preservation —which inspired him and for which he felt there was great need. Ruth became a member of the family foundation board when she was 16 and accompanied her father on visits to organizations the foundation supported. This was how she learned about her father’s thought process when making philanthropic decisions. She says she
always held great respect for both of her parents and their commitment to bettering the community and the world around them. “My father encouraged me to take a broad look at fields I might choose for a career, but also to remember that it was important to do something that would make a difference in our world,” she says. “My parents taught by example.” Kohler has created her own list of organizations that inspire and engage her. Most focus on arts, education, and women’s issues. When she joined the LFA Board of Trustees in 1987, she recognized the opportunities available to young women at the school but also the need for scholarship support. Thus began a long and steadfast commitment to supporting the Academy financially. Kohler encourages people of all ages to support those institutions that have shaped and transformed their lives. Large or small, all contributions reinforce a habit of giving that can stay with donors for a lifetime. “It doesn’t take a lot to make a dent,” she says. Ruth DeYoung Kohler ’59 is director of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan. She lives in Kohler, Wis. Ruth served on the LFA Board of Trustees from 1987-92 and was named a Ferry Hall Woman of Distinction in 2008. She was inducted into the Academy’s Hall of Fame in 1988. n
Academy Fund 2009–2010 It All Adds Up! Make your Academy Fund donation today. Gifts of all sizes go to work immediately and make an impact on each and every student at LFA. Thank you for your generosity. www.lfanet.org/give • (847) 615-3215
features
29
class notes
1935
1951
Bill Croker and his wife, Mary Esther, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Nov. 25, with their grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and son and daughter, who came from both coasts to honor the occasion.
Reuel Sutton writes he was sorry to hear of Jerry Snyder’s passing. (See obituary on page 42 of the fall 2009 Review.) Reuel retired from the truck body manufacturing industry 12 years ago. He has three adult children and seven grandchildren. He has lived in the same house since 1966 (and has been married since 1966 as well!). His hobbies include spending time with his grandchildren and sailing.
has something to do outside, which is the key to surviving winter in Chicago. Another fun activity has been taking classes at Harold Washington College. As a senior citizen, he gets to take up to six hours of classes free of tuition. He has been taking photography and digital media. Since the summer 2009, Jeff has dropped 45 lbs., lost 6 inches off his waistline, and is two sizes smaller. The key: 1,800 calories and 18 fat grams along with 10,000 steps each day. He says he has never felt better.
1952
1960
Paul Crimm still works part time for the Evansville, Ind., school system. In his spare time he restores old British cars. On a sad note, he lost his wife, Patricia, in February. They had been married for 43 years.
Linfield College German professor Pete Richardson was named Oregon Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The award is presented annually to one professor from each state in recognition of excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. Pete has been at Linfield since 1980. (See related article on page 32.)
1942 Betty Lou Firstenberger Hummel writes that in October 2008 she was struck by a car while crossing the street in downtown Chicago and had to have a shoulder replacement. She is now ambulatory and driving her car again. She would love to hear any news from other Ferry Hall ’42s. Una Corley Groves writes that she and the classmates she keeps in touch with have made it through another year. They are full of memories. Una and Fran Herndon Chandler talk about once a month. And Una corresponds regularly with Betty Winther Johnston.
1947 Litta “Willie” Williams Sanderson writes that she has completely recovered from cancer and is back to being a step-on guide in Washington, D.C. She can still lead a vigorous tour, although admittedly, at Arlington Cemetery she stops the group frequently to point out interesting things—and to catch her breath! Willie also volunteers at the Capitol, the Capitol Historical Society, Washington National Cathedral, and Ford’s Theatre (as an usher when they have performances). And she still takes exercise classes and water aerobics. Willie is in frequent touch with Mary “Lefty” Dailey ’46, and also corresponds with Carol Marsh Froze ’46. She sees Evan Gaines DeRenzo ’69 for monthly dinners and sometimes sees David Black ’64, whom she met when she served on the D.C. regional committee for many years.
1949 Gene Griswold Omundson writes that she and her husband spent a wonderful long weekend in Colorado Springs with Ferry Hall classmates Gail Cook Karges and Donna Beagle Sidwell and their husbands. They shared many fun memories!
30
Review Spring 2010
Jim Snyder is now singing and playing his dad’s mandolin in an 18-piece guitar, banjo/mandolin ensemble called Sparky’s Strummers for charity shows at the Villages near Orlando, Fla. He also plays tennis three times a week, not for charity. Jim captains a village tennis team called “Heim’s Hitters.” Dorsey Holt writes that not much has changed in his life. He is still retired, in good health, married, and active.
1954 Phebe Carter Hethcock writes that her good friend and classmate Greta Miller Arrington died in late August 2009 after suffering a severe stroke about nine months earlier. She will surely be missed. (See obituary on page 39.)
1958 Jeff Blumenthal writes that winter has arrived in Chicago. His motorcycle is parked in a heated garage in his condo and when the spirit moves, he can ride up and down six floors. It’s more fun when there are not too many parked cars, but the concrete pillars are a lot less forgiving than orange rubber cones for steering practice. Jeff bought a pair of skates recently. He has not skated in more than 40 years, but with two rinks within one-half mile of where he lives, he had to do it. He spent a couple of hours getting his balance back and learning how to skate forward and backward—and how to stop. Now he
Dave Percival writes that he and his wife, Geri, recently finished a new prairie-style inspired home in Fort Collins, Colo. They are calling it the “Wright house at the Wrong time.” They welcome visits from any former LFA friends traveling in Colorado. (Bring your golf clubs.) Dave says he will try to attend the 50th Reunion. Somehow he managed to hang on to Sid Ainsworth’s recipe for Mexican beans and assorted other stuff from his days at LFA. He will bring copies for all attending.
1961 Dean Conrad is retired and spends his time traveling, doing tax returns, and helping keep his brother in the U.S. Senate. Nancy Royster Rice is enjoying retirement after 30 years of law practice (Ropes & Gray, LLP), and now teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Suffolk University Law School. Her family members are also in academia. Her husband, Peter, is a professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and is actively involved in medical research. Their daughter, Nicole, has her Ph.D. and is a medievalist, teaching in the English department at St. John’s University in New York. She is also researching and writing in the few hours that are available to the parents of a toddler (Tobias Jonah Rice-Master).
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
class notes spotlight
Passion and Purpose Ferry Hall alumna devotes life to art, follows passion from high school days During her first art class at Ferry Hall, Betty Winther Johnston ’42 learned the basics of sculpture and a painful lesson about how difficult life as an artist can be. After completing a sculpture of a little girl on a shell, Johnston put a wet cloth around the piece so that it could dry and left the studio to take a break. “When I came back from lunch it had been destroyed,” says Johnston. Apparently, a jealous classmate had broken the piece she’d worked so hard to create. In tears, she went to see Miss Tremain, who gave her advice she’s put to good use in the years since. “Do the best you can and fix it.” Johnston studied art during all four of her years at Ferry Hall, and went on to major in fine arts at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. She has been producing oil paintings and sculptures ever since.
After marrying her husband and moving to Toledo, Ohio, in the 1950s, Johnston began volunteering at the Toledo Art Museum. For more than 50 years, she led groups of school children through the museum and helped fundraise for the collection. In Toledo, she also honed her portrait skills, producing pastels of children. The pieces often took more than a week to produce, but because of the subjective nature of art, the parents of the children in the portraits sometimes had conflicting opinions about Johnston’s work. So she shifted her focus to animals. “Animals are so adorable, and they don’t complain about the results,” she says. Always eager to learn more, Johnston has traveled throughout the country to take workshops with famous artists, including John Howard Sanden, Daniel Greene, and Helen Van Wyk. The techniques she learned from these masters have allowed her to improve on her work, she says. Now living in Columbus, N.C., she sculpts humorous pieces. Her clay sculptures range from
1962
1964
Peter Goulet and his wife, Lynda, recently moved to the Kansas City area (Lee’s Summit) to be closer to their daughter and their new grandson. Peter and Lynda are having a ball getting to know their new home. If there are any LFAers in the area, Peter would love to see you!
Keena Dunn Clifford writes that despite great Reunion activity last October, only she and Paulette Weinberg showed up! Next time let’s set a record! Here’s to the 50th in 2014!
1967 Andrew French enjoyed three wonderful dinners recently with 1967 classmates. Steve Lawton took Andrew and his wife to a funky Mexican place on the Monterey Peninsula in California,
Johnston’s “Joy to the World” sculpture, terra cotta.
small foxes to complex multi-animal works, such as “Noah’s Ark.” Her work has won the “Most Popular” award at shows in Tryon, N.C. Johnston, who is 85, hasn’t worked in her studio as much as she’d like in the past few years, but says she continues to produce and prefers working with clay. Her daughters, Sue ’70 and Patty ’68—both Ferry Hall graduates—have picked up on their mother’s passion for the arts. Sue can be found sculpting in her mother’s studio and also works as an art therapist; Patty was heavily involved in needlepoint. Johnston credits her time at Ferry Hall for giving her a lifelong love for art. “Ferry Hall opened up a whole new world to me,” says Johnston. “It was the most marvelous four years of my life.” —Amy Ettinger Amy Ettinger is a freelance writer in San Francisco and a regular contributor to the Review and Academy Drive. (left) Betty Winther Johnston ’42 at Rollins College in 1946.
where the Frenches were vacationing. Max Bardeen and Frank Briggs both broke away from New York business conferences long enough to join Andrew at neighborhood joints in New York City. What distinguished all three events, he says, was how quickly they dropped all artifice and talked about things that were important to them—what they had done in their lives, what they are currently doing, and what they are looking forward to doing in the future. It was great. All promised to try to make it back to campus for their next significant Reunion. You should, too! continued on page 33... class notes
31
class notes spotlight
Top Teacher LFA alumnus named professor of the year Linfield College German professor Peter Richardson ’60 considers himself a spoiled man. He has a job he loves at a school where students want to learn. What more could you ask for as a teacher? How about some national recognition? In November 2009, Richardson was named Oregon Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The annual award recognizes professors around the country for excellence of undergraduate teaching and mentoring. One person from each state is selected for this national award every year. “I was surprised, delighted, and humbled,” says Richardson about receiving the prestigious award. “What a wonderful thing for Linfield College.”
“He was a terrific role model,” he says. Richardson continued his education in languages at LFA, where he studied Latin with Dick Carbray and German with Dennis Bauman. His senior-year German class included just two students: him and classmate Buck Meyer ’60. “I remember realizing how lucky I was to be at LFA,” he says, noting that other schools may have cancelled a class with such a small roster of students. Richardson went on to major in German at Stanford and briefly considered entering the Peace Corps after graduation. He changed his mind when he received a teaching assistantship at Ohio State. After earning his master’s degree there in 1966, he set off for the University of Marburg in Germany on a Fulbright Scholarship
“ I was surprised, delighted, and humbled ... What a wonderful thing for Linfield College.” Richardson joined Linfield in 1980 after teaching for 10 years at Yale, where he earned his doctorate in German in 1970. He started out at Linfield as an instructor of Latin and German. Richardson says he always knew he would become a teacher; academic life was part of his upbringing. His father was a geologist at the Field Museum in Chicago, and their home in Gurnee, Ill., was always filled to the rafters with books. Many of those were in foreign languages. He remembers his father giving him a Spanish book to read so that he could see how accessible other languages were.
32
Review Spring 2010
before returning to the States to earn his doctorate at Yale. When asked about a formula for success as a teacher, Richardson says following your passion is a great place to start. “If you teach what you love, you will be motivated and the kids will love it,” he explains. In addition to teaching, a large part of his experience at Linfield involves advising students. Richardson says he works mostly with freshmen
and seniors—students who are at the “periphery of college life.” “I love to see young people grow into their adult selves, to discover who they are and where they are going,” he says. One of the most important messages he imparts to his students is to study what they want to study—art, philosophy, music—and to be engaged in the process of learning. The knowledge and experiences they receive through courses that inspire and engage them will define the type of people they will be in their adult life, he says. In fact, if there is one thing he hopes his students remember about him in the long run is that he was a person for whom “students’ futures were of paramount importance.” “I want to be someone who shows them all that is available,” he says. At 67 years old, Richardson says he is not considering retirement anytime soon, but when he does, he will continue to stay active and involved in those things he loves most—writing, reading, woodworking, carpentry, hiking. But, he confesses, he’s not sure anything will compare to the work he is doing as a teacher. “There are lots of things I want to do, but so far this is my favorite,” he says. Dr. Peter Richardson ’60 lives in McMinnville, Ore., with his wife, Beverly. They have two daughters. —Ruth Keyso
(above) Dr. Peter Richardson ‘60 in his German classroom at Linfield College. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Hurst)
class notes
Samuel Saad and his wife, Fahada, have three grandchildren and one more on the way.
wife of 26 years, Debi, and their sons, Michael and Anthony.
Nancy Crawford retired on Jan. 2, 2010. She had been an engineer for the Navy. She is looking forward to sleeping in as she no longer has to get up at 2 a.m. every day in order to get a parking spot.
1976
1968 Ed Farley reports that all is well in Atlanta, though there is too much rain!
1973 Elmer Heinel writes that his son participated in an ice hockey tournament at LFA in January. His son attends boarding school in Pittsburgh. This was Elmer’s first visit back to the Academy in 15 years.
1974 Robert Croskery has retired from the Army and returned to the full-time practice of law in downtown Cincinnati. He and his wife live in Mt. Adams, Ohio, overlooking downtown Cincinnati. His time with U.S. Special Operations Command was a tough but treasured experience. Rob will continue to serve as Chairman for Congaloosh, Inc., a nonprofit with a mission of promoting improvisational interactive theater, and will continue singing as part of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Glee Club.
1975 Darryl Thomas writes to say that he thinks about his LFA family/friends all the time. He lives in Birmingham, Ala., and has three daughters. He and his wife, Tammy, have been married since 1984. Life is good, work is stressful, and all is well. He hopes to make it to Reunion in 2010. He and Craig Anderson are already talking it up! Richard Quagliano writes that he just completed his 25th year as a volunteer youth football coach. This was his 10th year as head coach. He is still freelancing for the Sun-Times and selling packaging materials for Kent H. Landsberg. Richard lives in Hoffman Estates with his
Bradley Ruedig sends a hello from his home in Diamond Lake, Ill. His daughter Lindsay will graduate from ISU this spring with a degree in pre-law. His other daughter Emily is at Stevenson High School. Brad says his education at LFA has helped him in his career; he is in his 7th year as chief pilot of a mid-sized, rapidly growing company. He had been at American Airlines for several years. He has traveled from Nova Scotia to the Keys to Vancouver, spending quality time in every state. Brad has set his sights on the high desert, looking for retirement spots. In his spare time, he stays active in sports, spends time with his daughters, and sees as many new places as possible. Brad would enjoy hearing from friends and classmates: bruedig@bprnets.com. Cindy Pekin Mazzetta and her husband, Tom, proudly announce the engagement of their son, Jordan, to his fiancée, Melissa.
1982 Joseph Krakora retired from the Lake Forest Police Department in May 2009 after 20+ years of service. He now works with the National Life Group in its Chicago office, where he manages a comprehensive portfolio of life insurance, annuity, and investment products. Contact Joe at: krakora_joseph@nlvmail.com.
1987 Michael Rizzo writes that he hopes everyone is doing well. He has been working for V. Marchese Produce for about three years. His children recently started drivers’ ed. Boy, does time fly.
1988 After graduating from LFA, Geoffrey Diehl studied government and urban studies at Lehigh University. Though it was never in his master plan to run for office, based on his involvement with his town’s Finance Committee and his ownership of a local business, he felt it was time to try
to make a difference in Massachusetts. Geoff is running for State Representative of the 7th Plymouth district in the Bay State. The election is in November 2010. Check out Geoff’s website at: www.geoffdiehl.com and visit his Facebook page. He writes that he looks forward to providing personal tours of the State House for fellow alumni, once he is in office! Hillary Loeb Singer and her husband, Neal, welcomed their second son, Dean Leob Singer, on April 18, 2009. Dean is adored by his big brother, Reid, and his mom and dad! The Singers live in Glenview, Ill.
1989 Aaron Blackledge writes that the first year of Care Practice Inc. has been like a dream. The organization has grown from a small office to a major force in primary care redesign nationally and is about to launch offices around the country while partnering with a large healthcare IT company. Next year ought to be even crazier. Chris Jadwin Rounds writes that she enjoyed her 20th Reunion in the fall. Great to see everyone and visit the campus.
1990 Geoff Smart’s book, “Who,” a New York Times bestseller, was recently named a “Top 5 Business Book” in China by the Shanghai Daily. Amy Zeiger recently became a certified optometric vision therapist. She had to complete a series of written and oral exams as well as a guided study education program. Amy lives in Boulder, Colo., and works at Boulder Valley Vision Therapy Center.
1992 Michelle Levy and her husband, David Blaustein, are expecting their first child in late March. They live in New York.
1994 Matt Barker and his wife, Rebecca Brandt, announce the birth of their first child, Beatrice Crosswell Barker. continued on page 35... class notes
33
class notes spotlight
Making An Impression Funny man Morris takes his act from Second City to L.A.
Comedian Brad Morris ’94 (second from left) with his former teachers Bill Dolbee P’04, P’10 (left), Mark Dryfoos P’96, P’00, and Chris Dozois ’84 before a performance of “Taming of the Flu” at The Second City in January 2010.
Brad Morris ’94 became a good comedian by keeping his mouth shut.
or twice, to use material about his family in his shows, but quickly gave up. “I can’t stand the aftermath,” he quips.
“Being an observer is key,” says the 34-yearold Second City main stage actor and writer. “You’ve got to keep your eyes and ears open. If you’re talking, you miss the minutia going on around you.” It’s the things going on around him that Morris uses to make people laugh. A sketch comedian and improvisational actor, Morris has been working at the nerve center of sketch comedy, Second City, since 2004. He started as part of the touring company, working his way to understudy for the main stage production of “Iraqtile Dysfunction” in 2006, before reaching “the pinnacle” of success as an actor on the venue’s main stage in 2007 in “Between Barack and a Hard Place.” “It’s phenomenal getting to this place,” says Morris about Second City. “I’ve gotten spoiled here. I get to create on the spot, there’s no censorship. I can do the kind of comedy I want to do.” Morris knew he was funny from a young age. As a student at LFA, he used humor to negotiate his way through high school and to make people laugh. He started with impersonations. Some of his favorites were faculty members Steve Ryder, Jim Fornshell, Peter Braverman, and David Wick. He is especially proud of his imitation of a youthful Ryder playing his guitar and singing in the commons area of Warner House during study hours. Another highlight? Trying to make Coach Wick laugh during bus rides to and from baseball games by doing impressions of Coach Braverman. “He was so stiff, so serious,” says Morris about Wick. “But he was one of the best people to get 34
Review Spring 2010
laughing. It was such a full, guttural laugh.” Morris’ interest in performing continued in college, but he didn’t pursue it right away. During his first two years at Skidmore, he focused on soccer and played for the school’s varsity squad. But, realizing he’d never go pro, Morris turned his attention to other pursuits. Always comfortable on stage, he considered acting. He discovered an improv comedy troupe during his junior year and took in one of their shows. He liked what he saw. Morris found himself auditioning for a spot shortly thereafter. “It just clicked with me,” he says. “It gave me something to hang my hat on.” He remembers his first appearance in front of an audience in the Student Union building on campus. It was noisy. His former soccer buddies were in attendance. People were chatting and studying at tables. He was a bundle of nerves. “It was horrifying,” he recalls. “I remember thinking I had made a terrible mistake.” But he kept at it. By the end of his senior year, Morris was convinced he’d pursue comedy as a career. That brought him back to his hometown of Chicago. He took work wherever he could find it—“I remember performing in the backs of restaurants and bars”—while dogwalking, house-sitting, coaching middle school soccer, and working as a temp to pay the bills. By 2004 he landed a gig with Second City’s touring company and spent the next 18 months making people laugh in places like Little Rock, Ark., and Charleston, S.C. Like many artists at Second City, Morris relies on pop culture, politics, and social satire as the basis of his writing, he says. He has tried, once
Joking aside, Morris says being a comedian has its advantages: He gets to sleep in late, be creative, speak his mind, and, best of all, avoid working in an office environment. So far he has detected only one down side to life as a funny man: getting into a cab. “Never tell a cabbie you’re a comedian,” he warns. “You are now trapped in a steel cage while he asks you to tell him jokes.” In the summer 2010, Morris plans to retire from Second City and, like many alumni of this storied comedy house, make a name for himself in movies and TV. He talks about his many comedic heroes—Alan Arkin, Steve Carell, Bill Murray, Richard Pryor—and fantasizes about his own ability to make it onto the big screen. “It would be phenomenal to get to this place,” he says. “If I could have a fraction of the success that Steve Carell has enjoyed...” Whatever the future holds, Morris knows he will always be doing something to make people laugh. “Doing comedy is addicting; I keep coming back,” he says. “I still get an adrenaline kick when I step on the stage. What other kind of job can you have where you feel like this?” Brad Morris ’94 lives in Chicago with his wife, Marni Richman. He can be reached at: bradmor@gmail.com —Ruth Keyso
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
class notes
1996 Scott Kaeser got engaged over Thanksgiving weekend to Melissa Lynn of Highland Park. Scott proposed at the top of a mountain overlooking the Tonto National Forest outside of Scottsdale, Ariz. And she said yes! Scott and Melissa met at Northwestern University. Scott Kaeser and his fiancée, Melissa Lynn
1998 Neil Thakkar is a resident in anesthesiology at St. Louis Hospital in Missouri. You can reach him at: NThakkar@westernu.edu. Elizabeth Alicea has been living in NYC since graduating from LFA. She works in the entertainment field, most recently at MTV. In the fall she plans to go to law school full-time. She is currently in training for a ½ marathon for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She encourages classmates to visit her page and consider making a donation at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/rnr10/ealicea
2000 Christina Massey is in her 4th year of teaching English at a university in China.
2002 Carson Krislov is an on-air TV reporter for WDBJ News 7 in Roanoke, Va. She would love to catch up with other 2002 alumni and hopes her classmates are doing well! Shoot her a note (or story idea!) at: Carson.Krislov@gmail.com.
2004 Molly Pearson is studying nursing at NYU and is working at a women’s clinic in Manhattan. She sends her best to everyone at the Academy!
Max Bernstein was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps during a ceremony with family and friends at Lake Forest Academy on Jan. 15, 2010. During his training at Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va., Max ranked 1st in his platoon of 50, 3rd in his company of 250, and in the top 5 percent of his battalion of 750. He is currently preparing for The Basic School, where newly commissioned officers learn the fundamentals of infantry tactics, communications, administration, etc. He is planning for an MOS (military occupational specialty) in infantry and will attend the Infantry Officer’s Course (IOC) in Quantico. E-mail Max at: maxwellfbernstein@gmail.com. Max Bernstein ’04 is commissioned an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps on Jan. 15, 2010, at LFA. He is pictured with faculty members (from left) Jonathan Freeman, Matt Vaughn, Suzy Vaughn, and Matt Less.
’96
(bottom) Max Bernstein ’04 with former classmates and faculty: (l to r): Eric Rosado ’04, Matt Zafirovski ’04, Kevin and Lynne Versen P’09, P’13, Michael Hopkins ’04, and Warren Yancey ’05.
2006 Sam Goudreau is a senior at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., where she majors in accountancy (minor in math) and plays soccer for the varsity squad. She is the president of Lady Accountants of Tomorrow and the VP of the Young Executive’s Club. In addition, she assists the college’s Admissions Office as a student ambassador. She plans to work as an accountant with Crowe Horwath, LLP in Oak Brook, Ill., upon graduation.
’04
2007 Chih-Hao Yang is a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he is studying advertising with a minor in business. He is scheduled to graduate a semester early, in December 2010. During the summer 2009 he worked at ad agency Ogilvy & Mather in Taipei. He is also a regular on a TV talk show in Taiwan called “University Yet.” When he is in Taipei, he records about 3-4 episodes a week. On the show he shares his personal experience of American education with the general public. The show is in Mandarin, but he edited a few clips with English subtitles for his media classes (view one on YouTube at: http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=-E07mEh50Q8). Get reconnected with Chih-Hao on Facebook!
’04
continued on page 37... class notes
35
class notes spotlight
Guitar Hero LFA’s Levin making his mark in the field of classical guitar It happened sometime in high school. Adam Levin ’01 says he can’t pinpoint the exact moment, but when most of his classmates were turning their attention to the wonders of teenage life, his chore was becoming a passion. “In the beginning I didn’t understand music or its layered meanings,” says Levin on the phone from Madrid, Spain, where he is studying classical Spanish guitar under a Fulbright Scholarship. “I didn’t have the proper perspective.” But then, he adds, a musical maturation took place. Levin is a special talent, a nearly lifelong-trained classical guitarist, who is now commissioning Spanish classical composers to write new works for the guitar, interpreting these works for live performances and recordings. Levin began studying music at a young age, under the tutelage of his father, Dr. David Levin, a passionate guitarist and music aficionado. Adam took up the piano at age 5, followed by the guitar two years later. At times he approached the long practices with a grudging acceptance but, he says, he eventually developed “a growing appreciation and enthusiasm for the purpose of it all.” “I realized there was something more to it; it’s not just a bunch of black and white dots scrambled together on a piece of paper,” Levin says. “They are ordered in such a way to create a genetic blueprint. You can extrapolate little strands or groups of notes from a vast and complex body of music and link them together to create a more basic and comprehensible musical sentence.”
36
Review Spring 2010
Levin is well on his way to making the music his own. After LFA, he earned degrees from Northwestern University and the prestigious New England Conservatory, performed throughout Europe, and recorded three CDs. “What becomes important is your own interpretation and finding your own unique personality in music,” he says.
Levin credits Ghiglia and Fisk as his primary musical influences. While at Northwestern, Levin was enrolled in a five-year double-degree program, earning a bachelor’s degree of music in classical guitar performance and a bachelor of arts and science in psychology. It wasn’t until he studied with Ghiglia, he says, that he ultimately chose music over medicine.
Levin has trained with some of the most notable names in the field of modern classical guitar. Oscar Ghiglia, a protégé of Andre Segovia, who is widely regarded as the father of modern classical guitar, instructed Levin during a summer abroad in Italy. Levin also spent seven years as a student of guitar virtuoso Eliot Fisk, first in private tutoring sessions and later as a formal student at the New England Conservatory.
Now, hundreds of early mornings and thousands of hours of practice later, his life’s work and his life’s passion are one and the same. “Not many American guitarists perform contemporary Spanish music, and it’s my ambition to promote it in the States,” Levin says. “It needs to be championed, and I want to take the torch. There’s an incredible sensation of exoticism,
“ Not many American guitarists perform contemporary Spanish music, and it’s my ambition to promote it in the States” “Segovia had a distinct sound; Eliot Fisk had his own sound,” Levin says. “That’s definitely something I am striving for. Like my mentors, I’m trying to insert my own distinct sound and interpretation in the guitar repertoire.” Fisk says Levin is succeeding in developing a unique style of his own. “[There is] an ever-growing individuality and personal style in his playing,” says Fisk. “I am especially pleased at some of his more recent forays into the field of contemporary music, where he has commissioned and premiered a plethora of new works.”
romanticism, and cultural richness that gives Spanish music its own special flair and worldwide appeal.” Adam Levin ’01 lives in Madrid, Spain. Listen to his music and learn more about his guitar career on his website at: www.adamlevinguitar. com —Robert Shannon Robert Shannon is a freelance writer in Chicago and a regular contributor to the Review and Academy Drive.
(above) Classical guitarist Adam Levin ’01
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
class notes
2009
In Memoriam 1929
Judy Suh, a freshman at Northwestern University, was one of three winners of the Motherwell Challenge art competition for the best “Robert Motherwell-inspired art.” The campus-wide art competition was sponsored by the Block Museum of Art and Urban Outfitters. Judy’s work was displayed in the window of Urban Outfitters in Evanston in December 2009. Charlie Mengel is in his first year at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where he is studying philosophy and society, math tools for economists (Mr. Tennyson would be proud!), public speaking, the dialogue of art and religion, and writing and rhetoric. He is considering a major in business or communications. He writes that LFA prepared him well for this next level in his education. The combination of the strong curriculum mixed with the block system schedule provided him with all of the tools he needed to succeed in college. He encourages LFA students to consider Boulder if they like the outdoors. Charlie joined the hiking club soon after he arrived in Boulder and is also in a fraternity, the Phi Kappa Psi Colorado Alpha Chapter.
Helen Heyl Royster died Sept. 1, 2009, in Delray Beach, Fla. She was 98. After graduating from Ferry Hall in 1929, she attended Knox College. Helen was a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority, the Junior League of Peoria, and a member of First Federated Church of Peoria. She loved to play golf and was an active volunteer with Methodist Medical Center in Peoria and The Florence Crittenden Foundation in Peoria. Helen was preceded in death by her husband, John, in 1985. She is survived by her daughters, Jean Smiley ’56 and Nancy Rice ’61, two granddaughters, Debra Tucker and Nicole Rice, and a great-grandson, Tobias Jonah Rice-Master.
1930 Science teacher Catherine Ochalek Wilensky and her husband, Ben, married on Aug. 22, 2009.
Faculty Notes English teacher Kim Bell will have a poem published in Slate Magazine (May 2010). It is entitled “Sea Level.” History teacher Diane Cooper and her husband, Chris, welcomed their first child, Tyler Carter, on Dec. 6, 2009. After 25 years of living on the LFA campus, history teacher and associate head of school Bill Dolbee P’04, P’10 and his wife, Sue Peecher, are now experiencing the joys of home ownership in unincorporated Mundelein. Biology teacher Mathias Kerr had an article published in the scientific journal “Infection and Immunity” in October 2009. The article is entitled: Flagellum-Mediated Biofilm Defense Mechanisms of Pseudomonus aeruginosa against Host-Derived Lactoferrin. Mathias is a 2006 graduate of Northern Arizona University. The article is based on research Kerr conducted while at NAU.
Director of Communications Ruth Keyso was published in the winter 2010 issue of Medill Magazine. Write to her at: rkeyso@lfanet.org or get connected on Facebook. Former LFA math teacher Willis Pierre (LFA, 1961–70) recently donated a copy of his book, “Whatsoever Things Are True,” to the LFA Library. He encourages his former students to stay in touch. Visit his website at: www.willispierre. com or e-mail him at: willis.pierre@verizon.net. Associate Dean of College Counseling Andrew Poska and his wife, Olivia, welcomed their first child, Eleanor, on Nov. 18, 2009.
Marguerite Hubert Sherwin died Sept. 3, 2009. She was 99. Born in Sheboygan, Wis., Marguerite lived in Elkhart Lake, Wis., until 1968, when she moved to Delray Beach, Fla. Marguerite graduated from Ferry Hall in 1930 and matriculated at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1940, she married Charles Debell. He preceded her in death in 1962. In 1963, she married Harold L. Sherwin. He preceded her in death in 1990. Marguerite was a former member of the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Sheboygan, and Church of the Palms in Delray Beach. (See related story on Marguerite on page 14 of this issue of the Review.)
1932 Flora Seely Butcher died Oct. 11, 2009. She was 95.
1934 Hamilton “Ham” Herman died Nov. 24, 2009. He was 93. Born and raised in Highland Park, Ham graduated from the Academy in 1934 and matriculated at Williams College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English in 1938, followed by both a bachelor’s and master’s degree of science from MIT in 1943. During WWII he served as an aeronautical engineer. In 1948 he moved to Massachusetts continued on page 38... class notes
37
in memoriam
with his wife, Martha, and daughter, Carolyn. He worked at MIT. In 1955 the family moved to New Canaan, Ct. After a career with AMF and American Can, Ham was appointed to serve in the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., during the Ford administration. He and Martha lived in Potomac for 11 years. After returning to Connecticut, Ham was active in his community. Always adventurous, he traveled to Montana every fall to fish and spend time in the mountains and at Yellowstone National Park. His family remembers him as a man who loved life and who always had a sparkle in his eye and a ready laugh. Ham was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers. He is survived by his wife, Martha, daughter, Carolyn, and two grandchildren, Jessica Lane and Keith Lane.
cents for the Jacksonville Ramses II exhibition, was a lecturer in Asian Studies at Jacksonville University, and served as program director for the lecture series at the Koger Gallery and Gardens. Age was simply a state of mind to Sarey. Some of her post-retirement milestones included rafting the Colorado River at age 60, climbing the Great Wall of China at 70, and earning golfing accolades in her 80s. Among Sarey’s proudest achievements were her beloved children, Sally and F. Scott. She is survived by her children, numerous nieces and nephews, their children, and grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents, a stepfather, two brothers (including Bob Peck ’42, who died in 1997), and her husband of 55 years, Frederick H. Boucher.
Merrill G. Smith Jr. died Nov. 11, 2009, in Leesburg, Fla. He is survived by his daughter, Diane, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine; a son, James, of Hotchkiss, Colo., five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
1939
1938 Sara “Sarey” Peck Boucher died Jan. 21, 2010. She was 89. An educator and civic activist, Sarey graduated from Ferry Hall in 1938 and matriculated at Smith College, ultimately earning her BA from Lake Forest College. She also earned a master of arts in teaching from Jacksonville University. Sarey studied classical studies in Greece through a Fulbright-Hays Grant and was awarded a Lilly Endowment Grant for Islamic studies at the University of Chicago. In addition, she completed graduate studies at Harvard, Ohio State University, and the University of Hawaii. She began her career in education in 1959 as a Western civilization instructor at the Bartram School for Girls. In 1969, she began a 25-year tenure at Florida Community College, serving as professor of humanities, coordinator of international studies, and director of the Program for Academic Excellence. Her teaching accolades included Florida Star Teacher and Instructor of the Year. Sarey served as president of the United Nations Association Jacksonville Chapter, president of the Friends of the Bartram Trail Library, and vice chair of the St. Johns County Library Advisory Board. When she retired, she reviewed international studies proposals in the Office of Higher Education for the U.S. Department of Education. She was also active in the training of do38
Review Spring 2010
Robert W. Johnson died Nov. 6, 2009. He was 87. Raised in Lake Forest, Robert graduated from LFA in 1939 and attended Oberlin College until his senior year, when he left to join the U.S. Navy in 1941. When he returned from serving in the South Pacific, he earned his MBA with distinction in 1946 from Harvard University, followed by a doctorate in finance from Northwestern University in 1952. While on the faculty at the University of Buffalo, Robert wrote the textbook, “Financial Management.” In 1970, he joined other professors of finance to form the Financial Management Association and was elected its first president. His research interests began with his dissertation on consumer credit. He served as reporter-economist in the drafting of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code and as a presidential appointee to the National Commission on Consumer Finance. He founded the Credit Research Center in 1974 and served as its director for many years. Robert also taught at Michigan State University. In 1964 he joined the faculty of the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University, where he remained until his retirement in 1997. In 2000, Purdue University awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Management, in recognition of his distinguished career in credit research and excellence as a teacher and mentor. Robert is survived by his wife, Dixie Porter Johnson; a stepdaughter, Valerie McKenzie; and two daughters from a previous marriage to the late Mary McCormack Johnson: Judith Plows and Cynthia Gaa. He is also survived by two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.
1946 John Blair Wamboldt, long-time resident of Lake Forest, passed away. He is survived by his wife, Jean Di Blasi Wamboldt; his sons, George Blair Scribner and John Scribner Wamboldt and wife, Penelope Procops Wamboldt; two granddaughters, Christina Blair Wamboldt and Gabrielle Sophia Wamboldt; and his sister, Carter Dufour and husband Laurence Dufour. John graduated from LFA and New York University. He served in the Army Signal Corps during the Korean War and managed American companies in South America for many years. He was an avid motorcyclist and a long-time member of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America.
1950 Bettina Reed MacAyeal died Nov. 28, 2009. She was 76. Bettina grew up in Lake Forest and graduated from Ferry Hall in 1950. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Smith College in 1954 and an MS in library science from Case Western Reserve University in 1975. Bettina and her husband, Howard, raised their family in Lake Forest, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. She was an avid volunteer during President Johnson’s War of Poverty era and served as a board member of several settlement houses in Chicago. She was also a member of the Board of Trustees at Ferry Hall from 1959-64. Once her children were grown, she took up a career in library science and worked professionally as a librarian and editor of professional journals for many years in Cleveland and Chicago. Upon retirement, she volunteered at the Field Museum in Chicago as an editor of display plaques on exhibits. She remained a member of the museum’s Founder’s Council to the end. Bettina was an avid amateur scholar of American history, particularly that of the early settlement of the American West. She loved literature, read widely, and was a supporter of the arts and humanities throughout her life. She enjoyed travel and had visited all of the world’s continents. She is survived by a son, Douglas R. MacAyeal, a daughter, Jean O. MacAyeal, and five grandchildren, Leigh, Hannah, Evan, Shannon, and Tayler. She was preceded in death by a son, Berry R. MacAyeal.
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
in memoriam
1954 Ralston “Rich” Taylor of Keokuk, Iowa, died Sept. 3, 2009, in Carthage, Ill. He was 73. Margareta “Greta” Miller Arrington died Aug. 26, 2009. She was 73. Greta attended Ferry Hall for her junior and senior years of high school. After graduating in 1954, she attended the University of Oklahoma, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Greta was active in civic affairs and very involved in St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Pampa, Texas. She held many positions at St. Matthew’s through the years: past chairwoman and member of St. Matthew’s Day School board, Altar Guild directress, senior warden and chairwoman of the Memorial Committee, and served on the vestry. In addition, she was a charter member and past president of the Pampa Junior Service League. Greta also served as chairwoman of the White Deer Land Museum Foundation and was a member of the Community Concert Board. Greta was known for her cooking, entertaining, and for being the perfect hostess. She was a loving grandmother who was particularly proud of all four of her grandchildren receiving their university degrees. Greta is survived by her husband of 53 years, Bill; a son, William, and his wife, Alexia; a daughter, Melanie, and her husband, Flavious; four grandchildren: William, Elizabeth, William, and Peyton; a sister, Patricia, and her husband J. Robert; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
1964 Vicki Jean Haigh Ludlow died Jan. 5, 2010, at her home in Wisconsin. She was 63. Vicky graduated from Ferry Hall in 1964. She studied at Oakton Community College and Roosevelt University in Chicago, graduating with honors in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Vicki worked at Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod as a loan servicing specialist for more than 10 years. She was an elder with Presbyterian Church of Glenview, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star in Evanston, Amaranth Friendship Court in Oaklawn, and White Shrine Hope Shrine #106 and Bethsaida Shrine #43 as a PWHP. Vicki enjoyed helping others and was actively involved in supporting local food pantries, homeless shelters, women’s centers, and Boy Scout Pack and Troop 9 in Waukesha. Vicki is survived by her children, Tammy and
Dan; 2 grandchildren; 3 step-daughters from her marriage to Allen Ludlow; a sister Marody Haigh Faulkner ’61; a niece Jennifer Faulkner McKillip ’85; a nephew; and a brother. She was preceded in death by her husband, Allen, her parents, a step-daughter, and a brother. Vicki’s grandmother, Lillian Wise Haigh, and aunt, Kathryn Haigh Kirkpatrick ’31, were also Ferry Hall alumnae.
1981 Linda Suzanne Kneifel Cagle died Aug. 6, 2009. She was 45. She is survived by her husband, Melvin E. Cagle; his children, Jordan, John, and Faye Cagle; and her father, Earle Kneifel. Linda was preceded in death by her mother, Donna Stone; and grandparents, Clement and Jesse Stone.
2010
Ju Young “Chris” Lee August 27, 1991 – February 5, 2010 Ju Young “Chris” Lee ’10 died Fri., Feb. 5, 2010, when he was struck by a train near the West Lake Forest train station. He was 18. Chris entered the Academy in 2007 as a sophomore ESL student. An active and involved member of the community, Chris played football and ice hockey and ran track. In addition, he participated in the Salsa Club and Model United Nations and served as a Caxy Key and vice president of our service learning club, Interact. He lived in Atlass Hall. Chris was scheduled to graduate in June 2010 and planned to attend the University of Notre Dame. He is survived by his parents, Won Soo Lee and Young Hi Park of South Korea. Chris, thank you for the joy you brought to our school and for the love and kindness you showed toward all of your classmates. We love and miss you and will never forget that beautiful smile of yours! You will be forever in our hearts. Rest in peace.
Friends of LFA Life trustee and former Lake Forest resident Robert F. Carr III died Nov. 22, 2009, in Naples, Fla. He was 69. Robert was the founder and chairman of the investment advisory firm Fiduciary Management Associates, until he retired in 2006. He began his career as an officer at the Northern Trust Bank in 1964 after earning his bachelor’s degree from Babson College and serving in the U.S. Army. Robert is the past treasurer of the Murine Company, which was founded by his maternal great-grandfather; it ultimately became part of Abbott Laboratories. Robert entered the field of financial management as a partner at Investment Capital Management in 1972. He became a leading figure in the management of corporate, government, and nonprofit pension plans. He served for many years as a board member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefits. Robert was also a philanthropist. He served on the boards of Children’s Memorial Hospital; Brookfield Zoo; the Better Government Association; Graceland Cemetery; and for many years as the chairman of Grant Hospital. He remained on the board of Grant Hospital Foundation until his death. He also served as trustee of the Regenstein Foundation; on the advisory board of Northwestern University; and on the boards of the Admiral Retirement Home and the Lake Forest Police Commission. He was particularly interested in wildlife conservation and the natural world. He recently became a trustee of the Everglades Foundation. Robert and his wife, Barbara, were the honorary chairs of the Openlands campaign for the restoration of the Lake Shore Preserve at Fort Sheridan. Robert is survived by his wife, Barbara, six children: Rebecca Carr Hedges, Mimi Carr Killoren ’85, Robert F. Carr IV ’89, Brooks Phillips, Edward Whitney, and Amanda Zimmer; and 11 grandchildren.
in memoriam
39
Reading, Writing, and ‘Rithmetic: Elementary Education at LFA and Ferry Hall addition to the basics, the girls received instruction in music, French, drawing, manners, and morals.
by R ita Schulien MacAyeal ’87, Archivist Many years ago, the voices of young children reciting their “ABCs” and “123s” echoed through our classrooms and halls. At various times during the late 19th century and early 20th century, both Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall operated schools for elementary children. At times, these schools were co-educational. In 1870, LFA opened a Primary Department with 55 students: boys and girls aged 5 to 12. Headed by a principal trained at Oswego Normal and Training School, the school embraced the Pestalozzian Method, which eschewed books in favor of an experiential, child-centered learning environment. Two of the original students were Alfred L. Holt and Lily Reid, who would marry years later. Both would succumb to early deaths in the 1890s. In 1899, Mrs. Simon Reid would donate the Lily Reid Holt Memorial Chapel at Lake Forest College in her daughter’s honor. The Primary Department at LFA quickly became single-sex when Ferry Hall announced plans for its own school for young girls, “combining the best advantages of home and family.” In 1872, the school opened with 31 girls in the home previously occupied by the family of Reverend Dickinson. In 40
Review Spring 2010
In 1876, it appears that LFA adapted its Primary Department to serve as a three-year feeder program for the Academy. In a brief turn back to co-education, several boys too young for the LFA Primary Department attended the Ferry Hall Primary Department instead. Recalling that era years later, Ferry Hall alumna Ellen Holt (1886) remembered reciting lessons with Henry C. Durand (LFA 1885), who she said was the only boy in her classroom. In fact, Henry Durand was listed as a Ferry Hall student in 1876-77, when he would have been 7 years old. (The following year, in 1878, he was able to enter the LFA Primary Department.) Holt also recalled that primary classes were held in “an old laundry house” behind the Ferry Hall building. In 1880, the old Dickinson home became a college women’s dormitory (Mitchell Hall), which might explain a relocation to the laundry building. The primary departments closed at LFA in 1883, and at Ferry Hall in 1884. A few decades later in 1912, LFA again opened a day and boarding elementary school named The Country School for Boys. The school operated in East House, an LFA dormitory, and enrolled boys aged 8 to 13. The traditional curriculum emphasized the “three R’s”, but also introduced French, German, and Latin at an age much younger than then was typical. The school averaged about 30 students a year until it closed in 1917. Although short-lived, these elementary programs at LFA and Ferry Hall provided a number of children with a secure educational foundation. Many of those children continued on as secondary students, and some attended the college as well. The primary schools offered a strong start in “the basics,” and good preparation for more advanced coursework to follow. (left) The students and faculty of the Country School for Boys, 1913-14. (above) Lily Reid Holt began at the LFA Primary School in 1870 at age 5, continued her studies at Ferry Hall, and graduated from Lake Forest College in 1884. She married another primary school classmate, Alfred L. Holt, and they both died in the early 1890s of “consumption,” or tuberculosis. The Lily Reid Holt Memorial Chapel at Lake Forest College is named in her honor. Image courtesy of the Lake Forest College Archives
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
Save the Date!
Spring Gala
Saturday, May 8, 2010 Call (847) 615-3276 for more information.
save the date
homecoming & reunion 2010 October 1–2
We are celebrating all classes, especially those with graduation years ending in “0” or “5.” Questions? Contact Sheila Moller at: (847) 615-3238 or at smoller@lfanet.org.
www.lfanet.org/events
MISSION STATEMENT Lake Forest Academy strives to embody in its practices and to cultivate in its students excellence of character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility. Character encompasses respect for others and their beliefs, dedication to honesty in every sphere of life, realization of moral clarity and conviction, and pursuit of virtue and value in life. Scholarship encompasses acquisition of knowledge, development of critical thinking, enthusiasm for discovery and learning, and exercise of a powerful imagination. Citizenship encompasses appreciation of diversity and multiculturalism, involvement in the LFA community, participation in service to others, and commitment to global awareness and understanding. Responsibility encompasses development of self-reliance, ability to seek guidance, dedication to cooperation and teamwork, and action based upon informed decisions.
1500 West Kennedy Road • Lake Forest, Illinois 60045-1047
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID LAKE FOREST, IL PERMIT NO.100
POSTMASTER: RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
8 Click: www.lfanet.org
In the visual arts component of the Freshman Foundation in the Arts course at LFA, students learned about the ancient craft of paper marbling. Marbled paper is often found on the covers and fore-pages of vintage books. The paper is made by floating pigment on water that contains carrageenan (algae). Pigment is manipulated using various tools and techniques. The paper is then positioned on top of the design that is floating atop the water. Each print becomes a unique monotype that cannot be duplicated—one of the most appealing aspects of the art. The design featured here was created by freshman Grace Coburn.