On April 8 students and faculty donned RL’s finest eye protection, gathered outside, and turned their gazes skyward to enjoy a rare solar eclipse at 93 percent totality.
Photo by Marcus Miller
Celebrating Kerry Brennan’s two decades as Headmaster
12 A Fitting and Fond Farewell | Springtime celebrations honor Kerry Brennan’s impact on Roxbury Latin’s campus, curriculum, and culture. 18 In Tribute | Current and former students, colleagues, and friends offer thanks to a faithful guardian of our great school.
Dear Roxbury Latin Community
Sam Schaffer begins his tenure as the 12th Head of Roxbury
56 The Gift of Roxbury Latin | Valedictory Address by Ryan Lin ’24
60 Grace. Grit. Gratitude.| Commencement Address by Headmaster Kerry P. Brennan
66 The Class of 2024 8 The Right Man for the Times | by Peter G. Martin ’85, P’23’25
Kerry Paul Brennan spent his professional life teaching in and leading schools. Roxbury Latin’s 11th headmaster, serving from 2004 to 2024, Kerry’s first secondary school position was as Director of Music, English teacher, basketball coach, class dean, Chair of the Arts Department, and member of the Admission Committee at RL, from 1978 to 1986.
Prior to his role as headmaster of RL, Kerry served as headmaster of New York City’s Collegiate School; prior to that, he spent 14 years as a principal at Cleveland’s University School. A native of Schenectady, New York, and a graduate of its public schools, Kerry graduated from Amherst College magna cum laude with a degree in music and political science. At Amherst, he was deeply involved in music and theater. Named a Klingenstein Fellow in 1982, he earned his master’s in philosophy and education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
A Good
Good Run
Celebrating Kerry Brennan's two decades as Headmaster and 47 years as an educator.
Kerry’s contributions to education and the arts beyond the schools in which he has worked are significant, including serving as a trustee of the Civic Symphony of Boston and Lyric Opera Cleveland, the Nightingale Bamford School and Winsor School, to name just a few.
Kerry is also a founding member of the day school executive committee for the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Program in Independent School Teaching. A veteran champion of boys’ education, he is a longtime member of the Board of Trustees of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition, serving as its president for three years.
A lifelong musician, Kerry is musical director of Mastersingers USA, a 25-year-old, 80 member men’s chorus that has traveled abroad extensively, and of The Sly Voxes, a Boston-based, men’s a cappella group. That love and elevation of music was alive and well during Kerry’s tenure as headmaster, and the songs of Roxbury Latin play on in the hearts and minds of graduates and students today.
During his time as headmaster of Roxbury Latin, the school has expanded its programs in international education, social sciences, STEM, the arts, public speaking, student leadership, community and culture, and service. In addition to modernizing existing buildings, in 2016 the school opened its Indoor Athletic Facility, a state-of-the-art hockey rink, turf surface, and training and wellness space, as well as synthetic surface playing fields and 12 tennis courts. Kerry led efforts to join with other independent schools in support of a two-year teachers’ education program offered in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania. Four fellows are on campus each year thanks to that program. Kerry has emphasized access and affordability and broad representation in the student body from all Greater Boston demographics. Impressive fundraising has largely been in service to realizing those goals, as well as attracting, developing, and retaining a world-class faculty. Kerry also founded and co-taught a civics course for Class V, assisted with the direction of the 100-voice Glee Club, and advised many lucky students during his RL years.
Kerry’s lasting impact on Roxbury Latin is both broad and deep, and we are collectively grateful for the time, energy, vision, good humor, dedication, and love that he gave to this school, and to each of us. //
The Right Man for the Times
by Peter G. Martin ’85, P’23’25
John Eliot surely believed that Providence would guide the life of The Roxbury Latin School he founded. And who’s to say that this has not been true through its long history? RL has certainly been blessed with exceptional leaders who were the right men for their time.
The legendary F. Washington Jarvis III was a case in point.
Tony Jarvis, whom I was proud to call a mentor and a friend, took the helm of the school amid turmoil and led RL into a golden era. The times called for a strong,
unapologetic leader to affirm what Roxbury Latin stood for, and Mr. Jarvis was the man for the moment.
It may be surprising to some that I would also mention Richmond Mayo-Smith, Mr. Jarvis’s predecessor, in this context. The RL trustees asked Mr. Mayo-Smith to resign in 1973 when the Board was unhappy with the direction he was taking the school. My father, Gordon A. Martin, Jr., ’53, one of the trustees at the time, recognized these concerns, but he always believed that Mr. Mayo-Smith
made a crucial contribution to RL at an important juncture, humanizing the school and opening it to new perspectives. My father told me that he would not have sent me to Roxbury Latin if it had been the same place he had attended in the late 1940s and early 1950s, with nearly half of the boys withdrawing over the six years before graduation. I learned that at their 50th Reunion this spring, the Class of 1974 honored Mr. Mayo-Smith by establishing a scholarship fund in his name and dedicating a tree in his honor, and that Roxbury Latin commissioned a portrait of him, which will hang in the schoolhouse.
All of this brings me to Kerry Brennan. When Mr. Jarvis retired in 2004, I am told that the search committee had little doubt that Kerry was the right man to succeed him. Those of us who were his former RL students shared this confidence. Kerry knew RL well, and his experience elsewhere was impressive. But the search committee could not have envisioned the particular challenges Kerry would face over the next twenty years, and how he would prove to be just the man to meet them.
As Kerry assumed the headmastership, the world was quickly becoming more globalized and interconnected. Kerry made sure that RL prepared its boys for that world. He broke with RL tradition and added Spanish to the curriculum. He expanded and increased opportunities for boys to travel and study overseas and to experience other cultures firsthand. He also brought the world to RL, enriching the Hall program with international perspectives.
Kerry also had his eye on RL’s own backyard. As our communities experienced growing gaps in income disparity, he was determined that boys from all economic backgrounds would still have a place at RL. Kerry prioritized financial aid, insisting the school maintain its “need blind” admission and enrollment policy, as well as
significantly control tuition increases. But Kerry’s commitment to a demographically diverse student body went further. He insisted that all students had the same opportunities to participate in school life, such as school trips and other extracurricular activities, regardless of their ability to pay. Halls in the Brennan era consistently addressed themes of economic and racial diversity, character, brotherhood, dignity, and mutual respect.
This same mindset prompted Kerry to open Roxbury Latin to the neighborhood in new ways. Allowing and encouraging local groups to use RL’s fields, courts, and facilities was another democratic step, which I believe has led neighbors in West Roxbury to see RL as a community resource and not a fenced-off institution for the lucky few.
The COVID pandemic was a challenge that demanded timely and decisive leadership. Kerry, the faculty, and the staff deserve tremendous credit for quickly adapting to remote education and for getting the boys back to school as soon as they did. Kerry also realized sooner than most that, at a certain point, we had to accept a level of risk and continue to live our lives, in and outside of school.
I have appreciated that, in an age increasingly dismissive of higher callings, Kerry remained true to the school’s ideals by affirming the role of faith in the lives of boys. He continued RL’s tradition of prayer, invited faith leaders to Hall, and widened the school’s traditional Judeo-Christian focus to include talks about Islam, Hinduism, and other traditions. This approach has helped RL boys of all faiths and no faith to contemplate the transcendent.
So, was Providence at work in the selection of Kerry Brennan as the 11th head of The Roxbury Latin School? Let’s say that he was the right man for our challenging times, ensuring that the “good Apostle’s work” went “ever bravely on.” //
Programs Established
Many major programs, partnerships, and initiatives were established at Roxbury Latin during Kerry Brennan’s tenure as headmaster.
Need-blind admission policy codified, extending support for all aspects of the program Managing a seemingly contradictory financial model (lower tuition, full financial aid, and high salaries) Strategic Plan and subsequent fundraising for the Mens Sana In Corpore Sano campaign Spanish added to Modern Language offerings French and Spanish immersion trips for rising Class II boys, and RL’s travel offerings expanded Student exchanges with Maru-a-Pula School (Gaborone, Botswana) and Scotch College (Melbourne, Australia) Hennessy Scholars at Eton College Class V Civics curriculum STEM courses in Math-Science Investigations and Engineering Health and Wellness programming expanded Hall Program enhanced Eight endowed funds to support the arts, including the Claire Berman Artist-in-Residence Fund Eight endowed professorships and chairs to support the faculty, including Kerner, J. Brennan, Ward, Sugg, and Chauncey Seventy endowed funds to support student financial aid F. Washington Jarvis International Fund Lecture Robert P. Smith ’58 International Scholar in Residence VEX Robotics program Chamber Music program, Jazz Combo, and Guitar Ensemble Penn Fellows Program RL Summer Programs RL@Work 375th Anniversary Celebration RL Connected Messiah Sing Big Brother/Little Brother program enhanced Sixie Seminar / Student Leadership program Service partnerships enhanced, including Habitat for Humanity, Deutsches Altenheim, and Bed Building experience Academic calendar and advisor expectations reimagined Covid-19 pandemic navigated with success, maximizing in-person learning Alumni social and networking event offerings expanded Fun prioritized! (February Flurry, Faculty/Staff Nights Out, Holiday Hall antics) International Boys’ School Coalition growth and involvement (hosting 2007 international conference, serving three-year term as president) More opportunities for students to be on the podium (Senior Speeches, captains introducing teams)
Tripling the number of admission interviewers (lowering number of interviews per capita) Assistant coaches added at every level of athletic team All-faculty professional development field trips (Deerfield Academy, Groton School, Bowdoin College, Hopkins School) Class V Teacher Appreciation event South Shore Bus added
Campus Improvements and Expansion
Roxbury Latin’s campus and facilities experienced many additions, upgrades, and renovations during Kerry Brennan’s two decades as headmaster.
Indoor Athletic Facility Hennessy Ice Rink O’Keeffe Field
Centre Street Field Chauncey Diamond Tennis Courts
Evans Choral Room IDEA Lab Acquisition of “RL woods” (40 acres of land adjacent to West Roxbury Quarry) Outdoor Classroom Renovations to Ernst Wing and various spaces across campus Paving pathways, adding trees and lamplights to courtyard Additional conference rooms added for boys
Farewell A Fitting and Fond
In the month of May, more than 800 alumni and parents, faculty and friends joined together to honor Headmaster Kerry Brennan’s 20 years of dedicated service in leading Roxbury Latin, and to celebrate his retirement at the end of the 2023–2024 school year. On May 11, in the McNay Palaistra, guests gathered to hear from several of Mr. Brennan’s beloved friends and colleagues about what he has meant to them, to this school, and to the hundreds of students that he has known and loved over the course of his career and years at RL.
Father John Unni, pastor of Saint Cecilia Church in Boston, opened the program with an invocation, followed by welcome remarks from Tom Guden ’96, Assistant Headmaster for Advancement, during which Tom likened Kerry to the Good Shepherd of John’s Gospel—in how he knows his flock well, and cares for it with everything he has. In typical Kerry Brennan fashion, the program was full of song, featuring performances by RL’s Latonics (of Been In The Storm and Valerie), as well as two songs performed by Mr. Brennan’s own all-male a capella group The Sly Voxes (Will The Circle Be Unbroken and How Deep Is Your Love). The two groups then combined to perform An Irish Blessing.
Dennis Kanin ’64, former president of RL’s Board of Trustees, delivered the first of three dedicated remarks, followed by Mike Pojman—member of the Roxbury Latin faculty for 43 years—and, finally, Rick Hawley, Headmaster Emeritus of Cleveland’s University School. Each spoke to the remarkable impact that Kerry has had on RL’s program, its campus, and— most important—its people.
Dennis described how he served on the search committee that led to Kerry’s appointment as headmaster 20 years ago. “The night before Kerry was introduced as the 11th Headmaster of Roxbury Latin, John Kerry won the New Hampshire presidential primary. Talk about serendipity! The next morning a triumphant Kerry Brennan stood
on the stage of Rousmaniere Hall and held up a copy of that Boston Herald. The full-page headline read “Kerry Riding High!” That morning, Kerry pledged, as he put it, to be ‘both the respectful guardian of this great school’s tradition and the hopeful advocate of its promise.’
“The hopeful advocate of its promise. What better description of the era of Kerry Brennan than those six words. The philosopher William James wrote that faith is the courage to act when doubt is warranted. Kerry has that kind of faith. It was with that faith in the future that he led the school to purchase more than 40 acres of adjacent vacant land for the benefit of generations of RL boys to come. It was that faith that led him to boldly freeze tuition for two years—and to the surprise of many, parents who could stepped up to close the gap and bring the Annual Fund to a whole new plateau. It was that boundless faith, and perseverance, that led him to take on the ‘nimbys’ and the doubters and build the hockey rink and the Indoor Athletic Facility. Indeed, the Choral Room, the Idea Lab, bringing Broadway to 101 St. Theresa Avenue, the Penn Fellows program, the revolutionary installation of air conditioning at Roxbury Latin(!), and the far-reaching Strategic Plan that embodied Kerry’s vision of the school’s future—all stand as testament to that faith.”
Mike Pojman shared, “A school head must juggle five constituencies—the students, the parents, the faculty, the trustees, and the alumni—ever-sensitive to the needs of each group individually while shepherding all five onto common
The Heart of the Matter
In honor of Kerry Brennan’s retirement, Roxbury Latin published The Heart of the Matter: A Headmaster Knows and Loves —a collection of 27 of Kerry’s Hall talks that he delivered over his years at RL. The collection is bookended by the first Opening of School talk that he delivered in August 2004, and his final Opening of School talk that he delivered at the start of the 2023–2024 school year—both, coincidentally, having to do with what makes for a good school. The foreword to the book is written by his friend and colleague, former head of Cleveland’s University School, Rick Hawley. If you’re interested in receiving a copy of The Heart of the Matter, please contact Erin Berg at erin.berg@roxburylatin.org //
ground. When managed effectively, they fill the fingers of a well-tailored glove. If any one group goes into spasms, however, the glove no longer fits. Each has its own perspective; one may be blind to the needs of the others; sometimes they have conflicting agendas. By knowing, appreciating, and hearing—but not indulging—Kerry has successfully kept everyone moving in the same direction, sustaining a remarkable community with shared values based on mutual respect. It’s an elegant foxtrot, but anyone who has seen Kerry on the dance floor knows that the guy can cut a rug.
He devoted his master’s degree studies while a Klingenstein Fellow at Columbia to the under-sung but essential place of the arts in school life, and he has enhanced the arts dimension in every school he has served, no more so than at this one. He understands what too few of his colleagues in school leadership understand: the primacy of relationship—the knowing and loving—in school life, and that knowing and loving must be prior to scholastic distinction, prizes, and victories that schools can be too quick to trumpet. It helps that Kerry does not merely know these things; he is able to communicate them persuasively and eloquently.”
“Serving so faithfully and so tirelessly throughout his two decades at the helm, Kerry has accomplished more than I can put into words. The buildings, the programs, the initiatives, they are his profound and enduring legacy. But most consequentially, from the moment he stepped onto this campus, it has been all about the boys. They have been his number one priority, always. Kerry puts everything he has into supporting the faculty and staff as we dedicate ourselves to loving, nurturing, and challenging these boys—doing our best to set them on a path that empowers them to find their way as they strive to be all that they aspire to be.”
Rick Hawley concluded, “In a profession in which the mission is to promote learning, it helps that Kerry is himself a devoted lifetime learner. He was a prodigious scholar at Amherst and Columbia. He is a constant and deep reader, who has an informed passion for American politics and history.
Following these remarks, Ethan Berman ’79, president of the Board of Trustees, presented Mr. Brennan with several gifts including a scholarship in his name that will financially support the tuition of several RL boys each year; the dedication of RL’s Director of Music position in his name; a commissioned portrait which now hangs in the schoolhouse’s main hallway; a book of his Hall talks representing 20 years; a watercolor painting of the Indoor Athletic Facility created by Erik Zou ’19; and a bound book of well wishes from decades of his friends and fans.
Finally, Mr. Brennan himself took to the lectern to deliver poignant, powerful—even uproariously funny—words of gratitude for the career he has loved and for the many people who have given him “a life worth living.”
Following the program—which concluded in a rousing rendition of “The Founder’s Song”—guests repaired to the Gordon Fieldhouse for food, drink, and fellowship.
On May 23, alumni parents from over Mr. Brennan’s tenure gathered on campus to celebrate his retirement and wish him well, and after this year’s culminating Prize Day Hall, Roxbury Latin students and college-aged grads celebrated Mr. Brennan with a barbeque lunch. //
In Tribute
Thank you, Kerry, for being, in your own words “a respectful guardian of this great school’s tradition and the hopeful advocate of its promise.” Here are some ways in which you lived up to that promise, in our words.
Le Lion et Les Suricates
Lucas Vander Elst ’24
Se hâtant dans la salle sacrée et immense, Les suricates bavardent sans cesse ou sens. Attendant la proclamation imminente, Ils rigolent et ils se moquent: c’est tout plaisant.
Puisque, tout d’un coup, le lion bien estimé, Venant à son palais royal, fait son entrée. Ses petits sujets, connus et aimés, se taisent Pour leur chef—tous droits, les suricates se lèvent.
Le Lion vénérable, tenant la salle, Les regarde, et laisse tomber la nouvelle, Qu’il quitte et donc vient une nouvelle saison.
Dans le crépuscule de sa vingtième année, Notre digne Lion, aimable mais âgé, Doit enfin partir, et quitter cette maison.
The Lion and the Meerkats
Lucas Vander Elst ’24
Hurrying into the sacred and immense hall, The meerkats chatter incessantly or senselessly. Awaiting the imminent proclamation, They laugh and they make fun: it’s all pleasant.
When, all of a sudden, the well-esteemed lion, Coming to his royal palace, makes his entrance. His little subjects, known and loved, are silent For their leader—standing straight, the meerkats rise.
The venerable Lion, holding the hall, Looks at them, and drops the news: He is leaving and in comes a new season.
In the crepuscule of his twentieth year, Our worthy Lion, lovable and aged, Must finally depart, leaving this home.
The day you left RL the first time we knew you’d be back whenever it was time, and we knew it would be to lead an era of growth, reflection, strength, and deepening the school’s meaning in people’s lives. And just like many of us saw it, these things came to pass. Thank you for sharing your life with the RL community, Kerry, and for your many gifts to all of us while we were in the nursery and long after. The songs you helped RL sing echo still in the world. May you go from strength to strength. — Andy Tarsy ’87
Kerry, you made a pledge to get to know each and every student intimately over the course of their RL years, and you certainly delivered. On behalf of Bryce and the Ketchen family, we can’t thank you enough for your honesty, integrity, leadership, and hard work involving all things RL. It is no easy task, and you have proven a level above and beyond our wildest expectations as headmaster. RL truly is a special place, thanks to your leadership and commitment to excellence, and you will be dearly missed. — Nicole and Christopher Ketchen P’25
Mr. Brennan, your mentorship and wisdom—during and after my time at RL—have been transformative in my personal and professional life. Thank you for a lifetime of service to others and a peerless career as an educator. — Ryan Dukeman ’13
Kerry, thank you for helping build and maintain this community I have so quickly grown to know and love, and for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to live out a dream I’ve had for as long as I can remember. It’s been an absolute pleasure. — Matt Golden, Assistant Director of Athletics and Head Football Coach
Once in a while I see a perfect match between someone’s skills, principles, and leadership style with the organization they are leading. The result is a level of excellence and achievement beyond what one would expect. This is what I have seen with you as the head of Roxbury Latin. You have been the perfect person at the right time for the school, solidifying the work of Tony Jarvis while creatively and thoughtfully guiding the evolution of RL into the future. In this regard, you have been steadfast in holding to the characteristics and principles that make the school uniquely
RL, while showing an ability to adapt when necessary. Importantly, you have recruited and trained talented faculty and trustees to ensure RL preserves the attributes that have served it so well for so many years. I am grateful for the 20 years you have served as headmaster, and I know that while your daily responsibilities will change, you will remain a staunch supporter and advocate for Roxbury Latin. With gratitude — Ian Lane P’24,’26,’29, Trustee
Kerry, congratulations on a job exceptionally well done. You have accomplished the most important job of any leader: Leave the institution far better than you found it. In your case, you have achieved this with flying colors. And that was no easy task. The school that I so respect and love is clearly better than it’s ever been. And you have led it there with grace, diligence, and love. RL is so lucky to have had you at the helm these many years. Thank you for all you have done for the school and this community. Warmly — David Fischer ’90
Kerry, I owe you a great deal for launching me into the good work and life of a schoolman. At the age of 23 with only a year under my belt at Groton, you offered me a start as an English teacher and lacrosse coach and, unappreciated by me at the time, a team of role models—the likes of Kerner, Randall, Pojman, Brennan, Ward, Diop, and more—from whom I learned the special power of relational teaching, high standards, and a love of what is best about boys. You had a tough act to follow, and occasionally Tony’s shadow loomed large. Still, you were a transformational head, not a transitional one, making RL better, tenderer, and more modern in ways true to the school’s mission and identity and infused with your spirit. We worked hard for you because we knew, right or wrong, you were trying to do what was right for the boys. — Ben Courchesne, Former Faculty Member
Headmaster Brennan, thank you for your presence, your ear, and your commitment to the development of young boys into young men. Thank you for making sure we were prepared and ready to take on the world, not only to exist in it, but to transform it. Your service to the One True School is invaluable, and we are better because of it. — Adam Layne ’07
You had us at “We will get to know and love every boy!” Kerry, I’ll never forget the day when Tyler and I came to visit RL’s open house in 2021; your description of the school, its history, and what an RL boy was sealed the deal. I just knew you were speaking directly to Tyler. Your leadership, thoughtfulness, and (especially for me) humor, will be missed. — Andrew Dearborn P’28
My two boys are the best versions of themselves, thanks to your leadership and modeling of what a good person looks like. Thank you for everything. — Marci Rosenthal P’12,’19
Kerry, there certainly were big shoes to fill and very high expectations when you entered, and you easily exceeded them. It’s been a pleasure and a great source of pride to
watch what you’ve done with RL over the last 20 years. From the physical plant to innovation to the boys themselves, I am a very proud alum and feel that RL is sitting in as good of a position today as it has ever been. Thank you for all of your tireless efforts on behalf of all the boys. Every one of them will remember you and be a better person for it, as will I. — Andy McElaney ’96, Trustee
Mr. Brennan, I want to thank you for everything you have done for RL, myself, and the hundreds of boys whose lives you left a lasting and positive impact on. You truly were an amazing steward of RL and left it better than you found it.
Your Hall speeches inspired us, your passion moved us, and your leadership shaped us to be who we are today. I thank you for that today and every day. — Max Ginsberg ’16
I am one of many who see who you are, Mr. Brennan, what you have done for our sons, for RL, for a band of brothers all over this country who are who they are because of you and your leadership skills. So, thank you, Mr. Brennan, thank you for every word written, every song sung, and for every value you instilled in my boy. Thank you for giving Patrick all the tools he could ever need to navigate through any challenge he will ever face in life. You are a shaper of leaders, a grower of extraordinary men, and I will be forever grateful that my son got to stand in the light that is you and that is RL for some of the most formative years of his life. — Katie Schultz P’23
An empathetic leader who leaves a legacy of enormous impact and progress on a cherished institution. Your track record and care for this community to preserve its core values and drive its pursuit of excellence is to be admired. I am grateful for your leadership and friendship. — John Connaughton P’24, Former Trustee
Kerry, the entire RL community has been the blessed beneficiary of your exceptional leadership, infectious enthusiasm, and faithful dedication to all the Founder Eliot envisioned 375-plus years ago. When the next chapter in the school’s history is written, we have no doubt that the “Brennan Era” will be known, not only for your myriad successes in leading RL “ever bravely on,” but even more importantly for Kerry Brennan himself—you—the one who, by words and by deeds too numerous to count, put his heart and soul into making Roxbury Latin the school that it is today. We wish you the very best in the future. Prosperum iter facias. — Bob ’78 and Maggie Pinkham
Mr. Brennan, you struck up a conversation with a woman and her son at a Roslindale barber shop back in 2007. You asked my mother if I was a smart boy and, like any doting parent, she answered with an emphatic “yes!” Though future Latin 1 (and 2 and 3) quizzes would eventually cast doubt on her assessment, that haircut set off a chain of events that made me into the man I am today. RL took a chance on me under your stewardship, and I will be forever grateful to you because of that. — Isaias Cardona-Lopez ’15
Mr. Brennan, what an unbelievable career. I still vividly remember my first day at Roxbury Latin, coming into school
as a naive and clueless sixie, and walking by your office shyly for the first time. To my shock, you addressed me by name and offered to shake my hand, with a courtesy pat on the back that I have become happily accustomed to over the last five years. My impression of you as a headmaster is one that has not at all changed since that day; I have never seen or heard of a headmaster who so dearly loves his students, and takes the time to get to know and cherish each individual for their own particular talents (and weaknesses). Your example and leadership was truly one of a kind. Your positivity, composure, sense of humor, and compassion will be sorely missed, as will our conversations in your office and your genuine care for my well-being. No matter how hard things got for me, I always knew you would have my back. If there were a hall of fame for headmasters, you would be the GOAT. — Christo Velikin ’25
Of the many things I’m grateful for, I want to thank you for your commitment to music at RL. Singing in the Glee Club has been one of my most memorable experiences at school, and it is amazing to be supported by the entire school in Recital Halls and other musical opportunities. I’m grateful to have RL support events like my Senior Recital in the Evans Choral Room, and I’m truly thankful for your devotion to music. — Alex Yin ’22
Kerry is an illuminator. He brings an authentic warmth and positivity to the school, and his leadership truly has made a difference over the last twenty years. — Whit Collier ’94
A community that upholds respect, honor, love, and hard work at the core of its value system requires such strong leadership. The work requires a lot of time, patience and “showing up.” Thank you for walking the walk with the boys: For “showing up” at the hardest moments and at all the games, plays, musicals, concerts, and countless other events to see “your boys.” Thank you for always setting the example and for holding the community values to such a high standard. Both Christian and Dominic have become men of character, critical thinkers, and compassionate humans after belonging to a school community that loved them well. — Ximena Soto Landry P’20,’24
A Greeting
On July 1, Dr. Sam Schaffer greeted the Roxbury Latin community as he officially began his tenure as the school’s 12th Head.
Ryan O’Callaghan Discusses Journey as a Gay Professional Athlete Lou Manzo’03 Shares Stories from RL and the Courtroom
On March 5, former Patriots offensive lineman Ryan O’Callaghan spoke to students about his struggle as a gay man in professional sports. Mr. O’Callaghan discussed how he used football to mask his sexuality, and the toll it took on his mental health from grade school to adulthood. After six years in the NFL, Mr. O’Callaghan came out and founded The Ryan O’Callaghan Foundation to provide scholarship and support for LGBTQ athletes. //
On March 11 we welcomed back to Alma Mater Assistant U.S. Attorney Lou Manzo ’03. Lou spoke in Hall about his RL experience and his professional journey—including his role in prosecuting members of the Oath Keepers for the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. //
A Surprise Hall from All The Light We Cannot See Author Anthony Doerr
On April 4, RL was honored by a visit—a retirement surprise for Headmaster Brennan—from Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All The Light We Cannot See. Mr. Doerr was a student and advisee of Mr. Brennan’s at University School in the 1980s, and is a friend and Bowdoin classmate of faculty member Tony Teixeira ’93. Mr. Doerr delivered an energetic, inspiring Hall, extolling the values of intellectual curiosity and a generalist mentality, and the inspiration behind his novels. //
Politics Panel featuring Sam Jacobs ’04, Nancy Gibbs, and Governor Chris Sununu
On April 9, we were honored to have in Hall three individuals who have committed their careers, in various ways, to civic responsibility. In a conversation moderated by Sam Jacobs ’04, he—along with Nancy Gibbs and Chris Sununu—discussed with us the state of politics in America, and how a smart, engaged student should think about the 2024 presidential election.
Sam Jacobs ’04 is editor-in-chief of TIME magazine, leading its global newsroom and its journalism, which reaches a combined audience of 120 million people around the world. Sam started at TIME in 2013 and has held various senior editorial positions there, including Deputy Editor. Before joining TIME, Sam was the national political correspondent at Reuters, associate editor at Newsweek, and a staff reporter for The Daily Beast.
Nancy Gibbs is director of the Shorenstein Center, and is the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice of Press,
Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her teaching and research explore the forces shaping the media environment—economic, social, political, technological—with the goal of advancing an information environment that supports and sustains democratic and free societies. Until 2018, she was editor-in-chief of TIME, the first woman to hold the position, and remains an editor-atlarge with the publication.
Chris Sununu is the 82nd Governor of the State of New Hampshire and is currently serving his fourth term. Before being elected Governor in 2016, Gov. Sununu served three terms on the New Hampshire Executive Council representing 32 cities and towns in Rockingham and Hillsborough counties. In 2010, Gov. Sununu led a group of investors in the buyout of Waterville Valley Resort where he worked as Chief Executive Officer and was in charge of an expansion of the ski resort done in cooperation with the United States Forest Service. //
exelauno day
On March 4, Roxbury Latin students and teachers gathered in Rousmaniere Hall to celebrate a tradition that is distinctly RL: Exelauno Day dates back more than 130 years, when Classics teacher Clarence Willard Gleason inaugurated a celebration of the Classics, in which Greek students would be exempted from homework. Today, the event allows for the singular annual pleasure of hearing from boys of every age and level of exposure to Latin and Greek. (It is worth noting that the day continues to be one in which Greek and Latin students are exempted from homework!) Gleason chose March 4th as a punny reference to Xenophon’s Anabasis and its use of the verb exelauno meaning “to march forth.”
During the morning’s special Hall, boys in Class VI through Class I competed in this year’s David Taggart Clark
Competition in Greek and Latin Declamation—reciting the stirring words of Ovid and Caesar, performing rousing speeches from Hannibal to his troops, and bringing to life the tales of Vergil himself. The year’s winners were Joseph Raposo of Class V (Lower School Latin), Chris Vlahos and Avish Kumar of Class III (Upper School Latin), and Oliver Cook of Class II (Greek).
RL extends its gratitude to Exelauno Day judges, Sean Albertson, Classics Chair at St. Sebastian’s School; Marden Nichols, Professor of Classics at Georgetown University; and Michael Cowett, teacher of Classics at Duxbury Middle and High Schools. //
2024 winners and judges: Jamie Morris-Kliment, Sean Albertson, Oliver Cook (II), Avish Kumar (III), Chris Vlahos (III), Joseph Raposo (V), Michael Cowett, and Marden Nichols.
Life Lessons in Four Stories: Tom Batty Delivers 2024 Cum Laude Address
On April 18, Roxbury Latin celebrated in Hall the 11 members of Class I whose efforts and accomplishments earned them membership in the Cum Laude Society. Each spring, the all-school Cum Laude ceremony honors the life of the mind—affirming that at the heart of a good school is scholarly engagement.
“This special event is intended principally to do two things,” began Headmaster Kerry Brennan. “The first is to recognize the most distinguished scholars of the First Class. In their efforts and in their accomplishments, they have put to good use the gifts they have been given… The second purpose of this annual ceremony is in many ways the more consequential, for it involves everyone else in this room. In honoring these 11 boys, we are honoring the life of the mind; we are honoring trying hard and doing well; we are affirming that at the heart of a good school is scholarly engagement. I admonish you to take to heart the example of the inductees… All of you boys have the capacity to strive, to grow, to change, and to know the satisfaction of ideas unearthed and potential realized.”
Delivering the morning’s Cum Laude address was Tom Batty, executive director of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition and former headmaster of Scotch College in Melbourne, Australia— home to 2,000 boys in grades Pre-K through Grade 12.
In his Cum Laude address, he spoke to the boys about balancing a rewarding and original interior life with the responsibilities and gifts we are all afforded by living in community. He wove those lessons through four powerful stories, peppered with great humor, beginning this way:
“We carry this stuff around in our heads that only we know about; our personal thoughts and internal conversations; our life in our mind. And we do this while trying to make some sense of all we observe and those we observe it with.
“To add spice, there is paradox: We all crave our own personal freedom, but we are quite willing to restrict the freedom of others to get it.
“We know that we have something unique to offer; we want our moment in the sun, but we are also conscious that the group can do things the individual can’t and that we can gain from this; that our quality of life is a product of the quality of lives of all around us, near and far. But this brings restrictions to our freedom: the need for common codes, laws, and regulations. How do we find balance?
“We sense when the balance is right: art that transcends culture to tell of our condition; song that inspires the soul; literature that
moves us to tears; scientific advancements that reduce suffering; social advancement that leads to respect and dignity; mathematics that simultaneously thumps the heart and hurts the brain; rising to meet your mate’s cross to header the ball into the back of the net; or as I was on Saturday, hugging the stranger next to me when Brentford scored to get their first win in 10 games.
“But we also know that when the balance is wrong it can be disastrous: anger; prejudice; greed; repression; persecution; bigotry.
“Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one or the few? Or are the needs of the many best served by protecting and advancing the needs of the one or the few? How do we find balance between all that is going on in our minds and all around us?”
Between lively renditions of America the Beautiful, Jerusalem, For the Splendor of Creation, and The Founder’s Song, Mr. Josh
Cervas, president of RL’s Cum Laude chapter, provided a history of the organization before he awarded the eleven inductees their certificates: “By formally recollecting our origins each year, we also reaffirm our commitment to the Society’s original and abiding motto—three Greek words inspired by the three letters of the old Alpha Delta Tau name: Alpha stands for Areté (Excellence), Delta for Diké (Justice), and Tau for Timé (Honor). These three words, with deep roots in our past and far reaching implications for our future, raise qualities of mind and character which, ideally, each member of the Society will espouse as his own values and strive to instill in others throughout his life.”
The following seniors were inducted into the Cum Laude Society this year: Leo Bene, Theo Coben, Aidan D’Alessandro, Akhilsai
Damera, Dennis Jin, Ryan Lin, Jack Tompros, Lucas Vander Elst, Justin Yamaguchi, Evan Zhang, and Eric Zhu. //
Mr. Josh Cervas, Theo Coben, Aidan D’Alessandro, Dennis Jin, Leo Bene, Ryan Lin, Jack Tompros, Eric Zhu, Akhilsai Damera, Justin Yamaguchi, Lucas Vander Elst, and Evan Zhang.
The Arts
RL’s Winter Musical Brings
Spelling Bee to the Stage
On February 23 and 24, Roxbury Latin brought its winter musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, to the Smith Theater stage. RL boys were joined by students from the Winsor School, Montrose School, Ursuline Academy, and Newton Country Day School to give life to each of the musical’s iconic and idiosyncratic characters.
Under the direction of Mr. Matt Phillips, with musical direction from Mr. Rob Opdycke and set design by Ms. Rachel Korotkin, the cast delivered impressive, high-energy performances throughout the show’s 145 minutes, from the sharp and witty I’m Not That Smart to poignant numbers like The I Love You Song. //
The Phantom Tollbooth: This Year’s Junior Play
On May 3 and 4, RL’s youngest actors and crew—from Class VI through Class IV—came together to bring this year’s Junior Play, The Phantom Tollbooth, to the Smith Theater stage.
The Phantom Tollbooth brings to life the whimsical world of Norton Juster’s beloved classic. The story follows young Milo, who discovers a mysterious tollbooth that transports him to a fantastical land full of quirky characters like Tock the watchdog and the Humbug. As Milo journeys through the Kingdom of Wisdom, he learns valuable lessons about the importance of knowledge, curiosity, and imagination. The talented cast, directed by Mr. Matt Phillips, captured perfectly the charm and wit of this timeless, delightful tale. //
An Italian Adventure for RL’s Glee Club
On March 15, 72 RL boys—along with four faculty chaperones—departed Boston for Italy, to enjoy a week-long, spring break tour of music and culture. On day one, the group first sang Mass at Santa Croce in Florence before heading to San Gimignano, where the Latonics drew a crowd busking, and the Glee Club sang a second Mass at San Agostino. That Monday offered a slower pace, as the group embarked on a city tour of Florence in the morning, before enjoying a free afternoon to explore the city independently in smaller groups.
Next, the boys and faculty headed to Siena, where they packed a lot into two days. En route from Florence to Siena, they stopped to visit the Corsini Estate in the beautiful Tuscan countryside. There they enjoyed a tour of the villa and the wine and olive oil production facilities—enjoying an olive oil tasting prior to lunch! After arriving in Siena, the singers gave their third performance of the tour at San Francesco—another wonderful acoustic experience. They then continued their Franciscan theme by traveling to his hometown of Assisi, where they performed in the San Francesco Basilica in the morning and took a tour of the city in the afternoon. Since all roads lead to Rome, the group concluded their Italian adventure there, with a visit to the Vatican and the powerful experience of singing at St. Peter’s Basilica. Our special thanks, for planning and leading a successful, memorable trip, goes to faculty chaperones Rob Opdycke, Kerry Brennan, Michael Beam, and Alex Pellegrini. //
Class of 2024 Honored at Senior Concert
On April 19, RL celebrated the Class of 2024 in the annual Senior Concert—a musical send-off for Headmaster Kerry Brennan, as well.
The Glee Club opened with Salmo 150 and O Bone Jesu and offered an eclectic selection of favorites—several with accompaniment by student instrumentalists. The Junior Chorus presented three songs of its own, including Imagine Dragons’ Radioactive and the Beatles’ Hey Jude, while the Latonics’ two-part lineup included traditional pieces and pop favorites.
Class I chose Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver. Thomas Silva sang the solo for the night’s penultimate number, Lift Every Voice, and keeping with tradition, the evening concluded with the Glee Club joined by Junior Chorus and alumni singing The Founder’s Song. //
AC Fest 2024
On April 5, fans packed the Smith Theater for A Cappella Fest 2024. The concert kicked off with the Brown University Jabberwocks— featuring Latonics alumnus Will Grossman ’23—followed by Similar Jones, featuring RL’s Mr. Rob Opdycke and Mr. Nate Piper. The Latonics took the stage following intermission with an eclectic set of folk ballads and pop favorites. //
Spring Recitals
On March 12, Roxbury Latin’s Jazz Band and Jazz Combo held their annual Jazz Band Hall in the Smith Theater, and the following month, on April 11, RL’s pianists and string instrumentalists held their Spring Recital in Rousmaniere Hall. //
Prize Day
On May 31, the Class of 2024 took their rightful seats at the front of Hall for the last time. During the traditional and festive Prize Day Hall—which honors a range of prizewinning students and serves to wish ave atque vale to the year’s departing faculty and staff—songs such as Jerusalem and The Founder’s Song reverberated around Rousmaniere Hall. The annual Prize Day Hall is the formal conclusion of the school year for students in Class VI through Class II, during which an impressive roster of prize-winners— honored for academic, athletic, artistic, and extracurricular achievements—earn their plaudits.
As Headmaster Kerry Brennan began, “Our purpose for gathering today is to recognize discernible excellence in all areas of school life—academic and extracurricular. In singling out certain prize winners, we are intending to affirm the highest standards of schoolboy endeavor. We do this even though we know that others in your seats may be more deserving of congratulations, for they have struggled mightily, come far, taken risks, and been honorable boys. To you goes the faculty’s admiration and congratulations.” While some of the major Class I awards were announced at the concluding Closing Exercises, this year’s prize winners are as follows (lists on following pages):
academic awards
Joseph A. Sasserno French Deturs
Caiden Crowley (V), Charles Austin (IV), Tom Pogorelec (III), Miles Baumal-Bardy (II), Lucas Vander Elst (I)
Headmaster’s Spanish Deturs
Sam Ruscito (V), Nishant Rajagopalan (IV), Max Kesselheim (III), Krish Muniappan (II), Jack Tompros (I)
Isabel M. Fowler History Prizes
Leo Venanzi (VI), Paul Tompros (IV), Jacob Strojny (III), Levi Harrison (II), Dror Ko (I)
Richard M. Whitney Science Deturs
Anthony Wallace (VI), Joseph Raposo (V), Colin Bradley (III), Krish Muniappan (II)
N. Henry Black Science Detur
Akhilsai Damera (I)
Donald L. Whittle Math Deturs
Leone Seidel (VI), Grant Hedgepeth (V), Alvin Li (IV), Dylan Pan (III), Nathan Zhang (II)
Islay F. McCormick Mathematics Prize
Dennis Jin (I)
Anna Cabot Lowell Deturs in English
Peter Mohan (VI), Lucas Dolan (V), Andrew Plante (IV), Liam Walsh (III), Lucas Connors (II), Aidan D’Alessandro (I)
Trustees’ Greek Deturs
Aspen Johnson (III), Lucas Connors (II), Ezra Liebowitz (I)
Anna Cabot Lowell Deturs in Latin Andrew Kramer (VI), Liam Guadagno (V), David William Comander (IV), Tom Pogorelec (III), Raj Saha (II), Leo Bene (I)
extracurricular awards
Lower School Latin Declamation Prize
Joseph Raposo (V)
Upper School Latin Declamation Prize
Avish Kumar (III)
Christopher Vlahos (III)
Greek Declamation Prize
Oliver Cook (II)
Cameron A. Rylance Music Prize
Justin Yamaguchi (I)
Ralph F.F. Brooks Art Prize
Alejandro Rincon (I)
Joan M. Regan Service Prize
Peter DeVito (I)
Class of 1976 Dramatics Prize
Thomas Silva (I)
Rehder Prize in International Relations
Eric Zhu (I)
Albert W. Kelsey Debate Prize
Jayden Phan (I)
Publications Award
Ryan Peterson (I)
Class
Class II Book Award Winners
Holy Cross Book Prize Michael Strojny
Harvard Book Award Raj Saha
Brown Book Award Lucas Connors
Dartmouth Book Award Alex Giordano
ISL Award Jake Popeo
ISL Award Angus Leary
Sportsmanship Award Eric Diop
Scholar-Athlete Ryan Lin
Best Athlete John Thomas
Best Athlete James Henshon
Jeff Ott
Ornithologists tend to be especially interested in migration patterns. Often birds of a feather flock together, and other times, they go rogue establishing individual trajectories. Sometimes those who follow their own paths end up freezing to death in the Northeast winter cold. Since his arrival on campus last summer, Mr. Ott has been associated with his avocation as a bird watcher, and knower of all things avian. Alas, he has made a most favorable impression on us all—as a fine invested teacher of economics and a patient purveyor of IPS to fifthies. In the fall Mr. Ott assisted Coach Reid with that juggernaut of a junior football team. The highlight of Mr. Ott’s year, however, came with wrestling, a sport he helped define at both Belmont Hill and Harvard. A super talented wrestler himself, Mr. Ott was skilled at conveying what each wrestler needed to know in order to be successful. Half nelson, full nelson, Admiral Nelson. Most important, Mr. Ott connected authentically and caringly to a host of boys who relied on his affirmation and instruction. Sadly, Mr. Ott has chosen to fly the coop in order to pursue other plans. We will miss him but wish him well. And thank him especially for his genuine care and concern.
Valete
Prize Day is also the moment that the students, faculty, and staff recognize those adult members of the community who are leaving Roxbury Latin. Thanks to their endurance, loyalty, and commitment, very few adults move on from RL each year. We are the better for that continuity. This spring, however, we bid farewell to seven members of the faculty and staff—two of whom have completed their Penn Fellowship, and three retirees. Below are the remarks delivered in their honor by Headmaster Brennan on May 31.
Eric Tran
One had only to see Mr. Tran shamefully assert himself on behalf of Blue team’s woeful fortunes during May Day to understand what is especially captivating about him. Mr. Tran came to us in the fall of 2022 as one of two Penn Fellows in that class. His distinctive resume and academic interests preceded him—talent in mathematics and the Classics resonate especially well in our generalist Nursery. Those in Mr. Tran’s classes know him to be a brilliant, energetic conveyor of facts and enthusiasm. His teaching assignments reflect his flexibility—high-level math to sophomores and seniors and sixie Latin. Mr. Tran has also added a special touch to coaching soccer at two levels and assisting with varsity and lower wrestling teams. He is an idiosyncratic, willing, friendly fellow traveler who will continue to make valuable contributions as his career unfolds. For next year, he will be at Newman Prep in the Back Bay. We are happy he will be close by, thank him, and wish him the best.
Jack Colavita
Jack Colavita bears both the advantage and the burden of being a son of the school. During his schoolboy days, Jack
excelled in the classroom, but also as president of his class and as a soccer co-captain. The same principles and personality traits that earned the respect and affection of Jack’s classmates, teachers and coaches were demonstrated back at RL for two years as a Penn Fellow. Mr. Colavita shared his expertise across three courses—two in English and one in Classics. Mr. Colavita has been a painstaking teacher, eager for clarity and participation, and determined that his students—especially in foundational English and Latin classes—earn their stuff. Mr. Colavita has also mirrored his own schoolboy priorities by coaching fifthie soccer and JV lacrosse. His knowledge of the games, but, more important, his encouraging instinct made him a favorite of his young charges. Mr. Colavita’s outdoor tromping instinct also inspired him to offer several opportunities for en plein air adventures—seeing the world from a higher, more rugged perch. Finally, Mr. Colavita was a thoughtful, humorous, affectionate shepherd to his flock of advisees. Serious and funny, Mr. Colavita epitomizes the balance that all of us in this community seek to develop. And now, Mr. Colavita goes to Phoenix and Phoenix Country Day School at which he will teach English and coach. While his winters will be different, blessedly his generous, careful, loving approach to his work and his students will be the same. We wish my old advisee, Mr. Jack Colavita, well.
Rachel Korotkin
Art is an elusive entity. Sometimes people complain that it is in the eye of the beholder—absent objective, consistent criteria for excellence. Sometimes, however, there are artists, and even art teachers who defy fashionable subjective criteria and are acknowledged by all to be superb, arresting, and life-giving. Such is Rachel Korotkin, our colleague for a too brief two-year stint. Ms. Korotkin, Ms. K, is a remarkable artist—someone with expertise in all sorts of media—but an even better art teacher. Given that great teaching always starts with relationships, Ms. K has provided the setting for such greatness by her regard and affection for her students. As a result, she has created studio space known for its affirmation and creativity. Because Ms. K is also a theater tech expert, our program in that area has grown by leaps and bounds, and scores of boys have been trained in the fine arts of lighting, sound, and set making. Ms. K loves what she does and the boys with whom she does it. And now, regretfully, thanks to the replanting of her doctor husband in Chicago, she will be
off to the Windy City. Back here, however, though we will miss her, we will be forever grateful for the positive impact she has made, the style she has brought to her studio, the guidance she has offered her colleagues as their chair, and especially the friendships she has fostered.
Hunter White
I have known Hunter White since 1982. When she was first appointed to the faculty by Mr. Jarvis, Madame White had been teaching at Miss Hall’s School, a girls’ school in Pittsfield. Because her husband was beginning law school here in Boston, Madame White was eager for a teaching job nearby and RL, grace à Dieu, needed a French teacher. What no one could have known in making that appointment was what a lasting, affecting contract that would be. Given the number of women on the faculty now, it would be hard to believe that in those earlier times, Madame White was the sole female. You could imagine that it took an exceptionally strong professional to withstand the challenges both in the classroom and institution. Madame White did that with strength and always with grace. A superb speaker of French and an invested, brilliant teacher, Madame White has taught virtually all levels of our sequence and brought special vitality to the instances when language, history, and culture met. Madame White left RL when she began her family, but blessedly returned in 1998 eventually to become a full-time teacher with assignments coaching tennis and other responsibilities. Madame White has been a kind, supportive advisor. The number of boys whom she has advised throughout their time here will attest to their powerful relationships. I asked Madame White to take on two important leadership tasks. First, I asked her to direct our burgeoning travel programs. This assignment grew out of our collaboration in order to imagine and then establish the immersion programs. Those programs, now so convincingly in place, were just a dream 14 years ago when we dreamt of adding a meaningful complementary experience abroad. Because Spanish had just been added to the curriculum, it was only right that each modern language should have a viable site and program, one of our own making. Madame White was a key voice in the imagining of those programs. Subsequently, I asked her to coordinate any of the school’s now extensive travel programs and she has done that with creativity, integrity, and diplomacy. Second, in 2018, I asked Madame White to be the Dean of Class VI (in those days
we would have called her the “Sixie Classmaster.”) You can well imagine the various challenges of this post. But Madame White welcomed new crops of seventh graders into the school with her characteristic warmth, clarity, and affection. Boys who entered RL under Madame White’s tutelage quickly came to understand, appreciate, and adopt RL’s complicated culture. Madame White never left a boy behind.
After all these years and all this good work, after entrusting RL to educate three of her own sons, after 13 summers spent accompanying boys on the immersion trip to Caen, after all these years of conjugating French verbs and interpreting French literature, after all these years of guiding and affirming hundreds of boys, Madame White has decided to retire.
Madame White has loved to teach Le Petit Prince, a staple of the French 2 curriculum. One of the most memorable passages reads: Voici mon secret. Il est tres simple: on ne voit bien qu’avec le Coeur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.
“Here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Of Madame White’s work there was much to see, much to appreciate and be grateful for. But less visible was the real magic of Hunter White—a big heart that animated her courage, resourcefulness, optimism, regard, and love. For all that, but especially for the latter, we will miss you, Madame White, and we honor you for all you have meant to all of us. Bon voyage!
Paul Sugg
Finally, today, we say farewell to a beloved, iconic figure in the pantheon of beloved RL teachers. Paul Sugg has been the quintessential schoolmaster—a teacher-coach-counselor committed to each of his various jobs and to each and every boy. He has loved school life. And he has caused all of us to love it, too, thanks to his upbeat, measured, responsible, compassionate, funny approach.
I have known Paul Sugg since 1983. I was something of a griseled veteran by then, and Paul, well, he was not more than a college kid forced to wear a jacket and tie. He replaced my friend Chuck Farrington as the biology, sixie science and IPS teacher and, eventually, as head varsity soccer coach. I, like
most of my colleagues, liked Paul from the start. He was warm, witty, eager, and affable. He was fun to be with. I know you will find this amazing but back then he liked to sneak up on people from behind and offer a Vulcan nerve pinch. Star Trek was popular in those days and Mr. Sugg had perfected Spock’s imitable technique mainly used by the Vulcans to render unconsciousness by pinching a pressure point at the base of the victim’s neck. Several unsuspecting sixies were paralyzed by this seemingly well-intentioned salute. It caused some problems: We did not have a nurse in those days; we hardly had a trainer. If a boy was sentient following the grip, he would not have had to lean in to hear what Mr. Sugg would have to say because Mr. Sugg’s mouth was halfway up the hearing canal. He was and is a close talker. When Seinfeld and the writer Larry David introduced the concept to the Nation, it was because they had attended a fraternity party at Hamilton College, home of the Fighting Continentals, and had encountered Mr. Sugg and this technique. It’s strange, but we like it.
We like a lot about Mr. Sugg. He joined this faculty 41 years ago after having interned at St. Paul’s School. In a strange twist of fate, we had already known his soon-to-be fiancée, Emily Stimson, who was a pioneering woman on the faculty, a wonderful, carbonated French teacher, and our pal. That they would fall in love and marry was seen by all of us as a great blessing.
Over the years, Mr. Sugg has taught various levels of biology (sometimes it was offered to sixies, sometimes to sophomores, sometimes to seniors), as well as IPS to fifthies and the Personal Development course to fifthies as well. This became a super Sugg experience. Of course throughout his time here, Mr. Sugg followed up on his own high school prowess as a wrestler by assisting with a program that routinely dominated the ISL and New England. What better sport to coach for a gripper and a close talker than wrestling! It was as the head varsity soccer coach, however, that Mr. Sugg found his greatest pleasure and effectiveness shepherding his lucky teams to sometimes championship, often winning seasons, but, more important, ones during which they felt the specialness of a meaningful, joint enterprise in which they honed and shaped their character and developed deep, eternal bonds with their teammates and coaches. Paul Sugg was able to ask boys to do hard things and got them to like doing them.
Because Paul had a loving, joyful childhood in his native Buffalo, he has always understood what it meant to be a kid, a boy, and the sense of play and occasionally mischief that he honed with his three brothers informs his understanding of all the boys with whom he has worked. So, too, did that empathy underscore his work as Dean of Students. Mr. Jarvis asked him to take on that often-thankless job in 1998. In many schools, the person doing that job is a sheriff, antagonizing and punishing the students in his charge. For Mr. Sugg, the job was simply an extension of his teaching, coaching and advising. Whatever heinous crime a boy may have committed, Mr. Sugg always preserved his worth and his humanity. He stood tall when it came to upholding the school’s (and the world’s) virtues, but he was always about building a boy up, never tearing him down. Indeed, as he honored the Biblical admonition, he always hated the sin, and loved the sinner.
Over the years, Mr. Sugg has served in various other consequential ways sometimes unnoticed by the average schoolboy. For virtually all his time here, Mr. Sugg has been an indispensable member of the Admission Committee, advancing the virtues of an RL education even as he took the measure of unsuspecting 12-year-olds. Mr. Sugg also served on the College Committee, a group of a handful of us who crafted the school’s letters on behalf of our seniors applying to college. His writing was matched only by his insight as we all tried to capture on paper our beloved students. Mr. Sugg has also been a remarkably effective, rabidly devoted advisor, accompanying many boys through the RL farrago and providing them with confidence and attitude to last a lifetime. Over the years, Mr. Sugg and a rotating group of unsuspecting colleagues sponsored outward bound-like experiences for a handful of rising seniors. Exploring Alaska and various wildernesses in the West, these boys would live a life for 10 days that forever changed their appetite for the outdoors and their regard for each other.
Finally, let’s be reminded of the propensity for imitating Paul Sugg. Keep it up. He has and will continue to tolerate the somewhat nasal incantation and the utilization of the Vulcan death grip that mark your echoes of him. Best of all though, imitate Paul, the man. Faithful son and brother, devoted husband, loving father, and grandfather, irascible colleague, fun loving friend, and beloved teacher, coach, advisor, and dean of
students. We all pledge to be role models for our unsuspecting students. And we care most of all about what kind of person a boy is. Given that priority, there could be no better role model than Paul Sugg. We salute him and thank him. And we wish him Godspeed as he embarks on a well-earned retirement.
Kerry Brennan
Remarks by Mike Pojman, Prize Day, May 31, 2024
I am so honored to have been invited back to say a few words about Mr. Brennan on this day of days, when we have come together as a family to say goodbye, but not, we hope, goodbye as he prepares to pass the baton to Dr. Schaffer. Of all the people in this room, only Mr. Randall has known Mr. Brennan as long as I have, dating all the way back to the early 1980s, when he had already emerged as the school’s hope for the future—a promising young pup on a faculty of aging titans.
Mr. Brennan has had a great run, but now, alas, we are nearing the end of the Brennan era. In the long history of the school, the past twenty will certainly be regarded as a golden age. Serving so faithfully and so tirelessly throughout his two decades at the helm, he has accomplished more than I can put into words. Heading a school is a tricky business, but Mr. Brennan has made it look easy. It has been said that a wise and successful leader must make the right choices consistently, even—and especially—in those situations when the path forward is murky. Without question, Mr. Brennan has proven himself to be a wise and successful headmaster, who has made the right decisions time and again when it has really mattered.
A year ago on this very stage, I delivered 19 lessons for you to live by. I’m sure you have them memorized, so I won’t go through them again. I would, however, like to add one more now, to round out the list to an even twenty. Here it is: Life is about being as much as it is about doing. In other words, being a young man of integrity matters more than doing things for the sake of doing them, although using your talents well is important, too. Without question, Mr. Brennan has done a lot. The buildings, the programs, the initiatives, they are his profound and enduring legacy. But even more, he has been a lot—been at your games, been at your plays, been at your concerts. Being there for you whenever and if ever you have needed him. From the moment he first stepped onto this campus over four decades ago, Mr. Brennan has been all
about you. You have been his number one priority, always. He has put everything he has into creating and sustaining an environment where you can thrive, supporting both the faculty and staff—your teachers, your coaches, your advisors— as we dedicate ourselves to loving, nurturing, challenging, and encouraging you, doing our best, collectively and individually, to help you to find your way as you strive to be all that you aspire to be.
Now, inevitably, Roxbury Latin must face the prospect of moving ahead without Mr. Brennan, even as Mr. Brennan prepares to move on without Roxbury Latin. And although I have no doubt that both will be just fine, I think it’s safe to say that neither will be the same without the other.
There is memorial to Mr. Jarvis in the foyer just outside of this Hall. You have walked by it many times, and you may even have paused to read the inscription, a truly beautiful statement of how Mr. Jarvis would want to be remembered. It says simply, “He loved us.” I’m very glad that I am not up here today quoting from a memorial plaque to Mr. Brennan. That is many years down the road. But I do hope that wherever your life takes you—next year, 10 years, 20 or even 40 years from now—you will carry Mr. Brennan in your hearts and remember: He loved you.
Ave atque vale, Mr. Brennan. May the luster of your glory through your children ever brighter grow. //
Board of Trustees
2023–2024
Front Row: Soren Oberg, Kent Sahin, Bob O'Connor, Derek Ho, Ethan Berman, Anne McNay, Chris Mitchell, Jim Hamilton, Marlyn McGrath. Second row: Jay Mitchell, Matt Consigli, Katherine Craven, Monica Neuman, Ian Lane, Matt Fruhan, Andy McElaney. Missing from photo: Mike Giarla, Roberto Goizueta, Eugene Lambert, Bo Menkiti, Paul Provost, Jim Quagliaroli, Paul Spinale.
Celebrating The Class of 2024
Closing Exercises
On June 1, the 379th year of The Roxbury Latin School culminated with Closing Exercises and the graduation of the Class of 2024. The traditional and intimate ceremony—which includes the seniors, their families, the faculty, and trustees— took place in Rousmaniere Hall. Immediately after the ceremony, under sunny skies, the 53 newest alumni of The Roxbury Latin School celebrated on the Senior Grass with classmates, family members, and members of the faculty.
Beginning with opening remarks from Headmaster Kerry Brennan—which acknowledged the challenges and triumphs of this particular group of boys, and also noted their many, worthy accomplishments—the ceremony included the singing of America The Beautiful, Commemoration Hymn, and The Founder’s Song, as well as a performance of Build Me Up Buttercup sung by The Latonics, featuring eight of the day’s graduates. The ringing of the school bell, chiming 3-7-9, officially concluded the school year.
The elegant and powerful final commencement address was delivered by Headmaster Kerry Brennan. Mr. Brennan shared with the graduating seniors three important lessons—the grace that brought them to Roxbury Latin, the grit that got them through Roxbury Latin, and the gratitude they are compelled to express for the gifts of Roxbury Latin. (Read Mr. Brennan’s complete remarks on page 60.)
Following the ceremony’s addresses, Headmaster Brennan and President of the Board of Trustees Ethan Berman ’79 awarded diplomas to the 53 newest RL alumni.
Elected by his classmates, class valedictorian Ryan Lin explored the gift of Roxbury Latin: “Our school is a gift that has been bestowed upon our class, and a gift that we’ll carry with pride for the rest of our lives. Today, I hope to put this gift into words.”
(Read Ryan’s full remarks on page 56.)
The Gift of Roxbury
Valedictory address delivered by Ryan Lin, who was selected by his classmates to speak on their behalf at Closing Exercises 2024.
When I was young, I spent nearly every summer day fishing with my grandpa in our backyard pond. He was always in charge of the fishing, and I was always in charge of the bait, which was a simple job, but one little elementary me took great pride in. So, each day, as my grandpa prepped his hooks, and fastened his lines, I set out into the forest with a little yogurt cup to collect worms. Braving the thorny brush and poison ivy, I would flip logs, overturn boulders, and kidnap those slippery suckers until my cup was full and my fingernails were black with dirt. I’d find worms as hunky as Reid’s calves, worms as long as Jack’s legs, and worms as stubborn as Matteo at lunch table discussions, yet no matter the figure, the pink guys always hit the bottom of my cup with a satisfying clunk. I’d sit eagerly as my grandpa speared each of my squiggly hostages through the head and out the tail, before casting them into the shimmering, peaceful waters. And then… for hours and hours… we’d wait. Held in the comfortable drone of the pond side mosquitos, and calm as the little waves crashing against the bank, we watched our red and white bobber tilt and sway under larger and larger ripples. Back then, that was all life was, and all life needed to be. Grandpa. Worms. Ripples. Life was simple, but life was beautiful.
During the past six years at this school, I’ve often longed to return to these simple, beautiful days—the days where you didn’t have to sit in creaky wooden seats at 8:30 AM, rubbing your exhausted eyes, as you silently stressed over upcoming math tests and Spanish presentations. Because it seems that as soon as you’ve entered these historic halls, as soon as you’ve sung about your first wilderness of Roxbury, you realize life may never be so simple again. You yourself become the red and white bobber, hanging on by a thread, struggling to stay afloat against the heavy pressures of schoolwork, sports, and social life. But somehow, each and every time we’ve been dragged under, we’ve made it back, slightly stronger and slightly more resilient than before. And, as time wore on, it became clear that RL was never meant to be as simple as summer days by the pond, but, in its own way, it is just as beautiful. Even if RL has neither worms nor ripples, the school itself is an incredible gift. It’s a gift that has been bestowed upon our class, and a gift that we’ll carry with pride for the rest of our lives. Today, I hope to put this gift into words. The gift of RL.
What is the gift of RL? It’s this gift we’ve been given, yet something you or I will never fully understand.
Roxbury Latin
It’s the gift our parents trusted in when they dropped us off at school and signed their hard-earned dollars into our tuitions. It’s the belief that the school would shape us into men of strong character and glowing hearts. So, at its foundation, the gift is trust. It’s the trust in your teachers and your advisors to want the best for you. It’s the trust in your friends to be there for you forever and always. And, it’s the overwhelming trust in yourself to be what you should be, and to become what you want to become.
Another part of the gift exists during those late nights deciding whether to keep studying or to just go to sleep. It exists in those nights when Mr. Bettendorf creeps into your dreams, shouting at you to grow up and be a big boy. The gift is in those moments where you’re considering giving up, but push yourself further than you ever thought you could. Because at RL, we have become a unique type of resilient. We’ve become the type of people who, with the weight of the world on our shoulders, can walk past oil paintings of people much older and richer than we are, with smiles on our faces. For the gift of RL is in the difficulties of RL. And it’s only through these difficulties that we have become men of discipline.
The more time I’ve spent at this school, the more I’ve realized that school is not about school. The parts of this place that will stick are not going to be the grades I’ve gotten or how to find the lagrange error bound, but I’ll remember the little, daily moments that bring me back to summer days at the pond. I’ll remember the deep and subtle beauties that made this place feel like a home, and that made you all feel like my family. I’ll remember the moments that felt like love. For the gift of RL isn’t printed into the A’s, B’s, and C’s on your report cards, the gift of RL is felt in each one of Ammar’s Ke-Ke-Ke’s, each one of Joe’s hair flips, and each one of Nick’s “Hey Peter’s”. The gift is in each rumble of quarry dynamite, in each of Mr. Brennan’s “Please be Seated’s,” and in every cloud that we unfold. It’s a gift that feels as warm as Angus’s laugh in a silent Refectory, and as light and pillowy as the Fuller Family cupcakes. The gift of RL is the memories and the time spent together. The gift is loving RL and knowing RL loves you back.
Many a Hall speaker has stood in this very place and uttered the familiar phrase “From those to whom much has been
given, much will be expected.” While much will probably be expected from us in the coming years (no pressure), it seems just as important to appreciate that we’ve been given anything at all. Because, as great as RL has been for all of us, it’s a gift that not everyone receives. Take, for example, my older brother, Jeff. Despite being just as capable as you or I, he did not get accepted into this school. RL’s denial instead pushed him to a neighboring Dedham private school whose name rhymes with Schmobles. He never got to go to Beaver Brook, the first or the second time. He’s never dressed up for Maru-a-Pula or eaten bourbon chicken. And as much as I think he’d want them, he’s never had nicknames like Linner, Linsanity, Ry, Ryguy, or even Linnah Linnah Chicken Dinnah. So please, cherish RL. Cherish our gift. It’s not something everyone gets.
I’ve said RL was never actually about school itself, and when I try to put RL into words I think back to this one free period on February 23, 2023. On this snowy Thursday, Reid, Jed, Dom, Justin Loo, and I were doing exactly what you’d expect five RL boys to be doing during the busiest stretch of the third marking period … not studying. In fact, we might’ve been doing the exact opposite of studying. We were sledding down the hill next to O’Keeffe field in a big gray plastic bin we found in the study center. Again and again, we’d barrel down the hill until we slammed into the metal grate lining the field, at which point we’d be ejected into giant piles of snow. To all the parents listening to this right now thinking that is the stupidest, most unsafe thing you’ve ever heard in your entire life, in our defense, it was fun. It was the pure type of fun that transcends age. The type of fun that settles in your heart and strengthens your bones. But it was, in fact, unsafe and kind of stupid, because a couple of runs in, JLoo slammed his arm into that grate and gashed his elbow open. The fun quickly shifted into concern for our injured friend, and while it was initially frightening, a couple stitches, a couple phone calls to his panicked mom, and a little bit of blood loss later, Justin was mostly back to normal. I bring up this story not as a cautionary tale, but as a celebration of the best RL has to offer. It’s an appreciation for people like our nurse, Mrs. Maguire, who didn’t ask any questions when five melty goofballs dripped into her office at 2:30 PM. It’s an appreciation for a place that lets kids launch snowballs at each other with shameless grins. And, it’s an appreciation
for the thoughtful, resilient, and kindhearted people like Justin Loo this school creates. Because as Justin waited in that office with his arm growing more and more numb, and the stain on his sweater growing more and more red, he was only concerned about one thing: If he went to the emergency room, who would drive his brother home from school? RL is a place where people put others above themselves. It’s a place full of love, and it’s a place full of care. The true gift of RL is the people.
I’ll conclude my speech by considering how this gift of RL will carry with us through the rest of our lives and how we can keep looking for it wherever we go. Because, as much as I love this place and as much as it’s shaped me into who I am, it hasn’t always felt like a gift. In fact, it may even have been more of a curse at times. We often get so stressed focusing on the finer details, like the one point swindled off our Chemistry test, that we fail to appreciate the bigger picture. As my beloved track coach, Mrs. Dromgoole, puts it, sometimes we have to take a step back and “see the forest from the trees.” Amidst the challenges and frustrations of life, look for the moments that feel like fishing in the summer, or sledding in plastic bins. Look for the moments that feel like home. Look for the moments that feel like RL.
Now, how might you find these moments you may ask? I think the answer lies in a little joke Abe told during his homeroom comedy segment back in 8th grade. “Why don’t
you see elephants hiding in trees? … Because they’re so good at it.” Like Abe’s elephants, beautiful moments and wonderful gifts tend to hide themselves. At RL, they were often obscured by the unending seas of schoolwork, sleepless nights, and teenage responsibilities. But, like Abe’s elephants, even if you don’t see them, they are there. No matter how good they are at hiding, if you look for them, you’ll find your moments and you’ll find your gifts.
So, I leave you with this: As you guys leave this place in search of bigger worms and steeper hills to sled, never forget RL. Never forget the trust, the discipline, or the love. Never forget the gift. Because even if it’s good at hiding, RL will always be with you. You just have to look for it.
To our families, to the trustees, and to our teachers, thank you. It’s hard to put into words just how grateful we are for all of you, but thank you for making this place special. Thank you for bearing with us through the hard times, and thank you for trusting in us to become great men. And finally, to the Class of 2024, my classmates, my friends, you guys mean the world to me. We may never look like we do again, but I hope the love and the joy we have for one another never dies. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we will always be connected by the invisible ties of our school. We’ve all been given a gift, now it’s our turn to spread it with the world. //
Grace. Grit.
Kerry Brennan delivered the Commencement Address in his twentieth and final Closing Exercises as Headmaster.
Dear Friends. I am delighted today to offer again and finally some thoughts on who you are, where you’ve been, and where you are going. I can imagine what you’re thinking: Brennan again? With all the possible graduation speakers out there—captains of industry, political titans, inspired rap stars—this is what we get? Or perhaps as he comes to the end of another fiscal year, he’s just trying to save some dough.
In reality, I exercised my prerogative and invited the person to speak who I thought could remind you, if not eloquently, at least repeatedly, of what we had explored many times before.
In some ways I feel like we’re an old married couple—so familiar with each other’s moves, each other’s moods, how we breathe, the cadences of our lives together, finishing each other’s sentences. Or maybe I’m just like an old grandfather begged by his adoring grandchildren to tell a well-worn story that he’s told over and over one more time. “Please grandpa, tell us again what happened when you saved the free world from oblivion on D Day.”
Here we are. I hope to remind you of a few matters that I find important, if not essential, as you go on, as we go on, from this cloistered garden. Several years ago, on
a sweltering June day, before we had air conditioning, the father of a boy graduating agreed to give the Commencement Address. He was doomed from the start however, as he confessed, not kidding, “I have sixteen points…” The only thing more transparent than the sweat-soaked suit stuck to his ample frame was the derision of the impatient group of graduates.
Let me begin. First, I remind you that all of us are here on this earth, all of us are gathered and associated with Roxbury Latin thanks to Grace. Grace, as you know, is a popular concept of mine. I have often railed against entitlement, and especially people who believe they deserve whatever it is they’ve gotten. In your case you’ve been born into loving families—who incidentally have seen fit to access this education for you; you’ve been given brains that have allowed you to probe and parse and particularize; you’ve been given bodies that have allowed you to soar and strive and endure; you’ve been given hearts that have allowed you to feel and know hurt and delight and love. None of us deserves any of those gifts. They are unearned. And yet we are the beneficiaries of so much—so much opportunity, so much freedom to choose, so many chances to make a difference. Grace. Not many Roxbury Latin boys are guilty of hubris, of presumptuousness, but occasionally there are boys who
Gratitude.
forget that were it not for Grace, or good fortune, or blessings that they would not be who they are, they would not have what they have, they would not be able to do what they can do. Occasionally I’ve met a boy who was born on third base and claims to have hit a triple. But such arrogant, narrow minded compatriots are blessedly rare indeed. Acknowledge who you are, where you came from, how your lot is so much better than your parents’ lot or surely your grandparents’ lot. Be humble. Give credit where credit is due. Even if occasionally it is just good luck. Grace.
Grit. Over the past 20 years, people have come to talk admiringly of Grit. They profess to having discovered a value that has persisted for a long time. Those of us who played for coaches over the years who insisted that we could do something physically that we thought we could not—or at least we did not want to—know that they were insisting on Grit. But you know that I believe that each of you who has made it through the rigors of RL, the relentless demands, the daily grind embodies the idea of Grit. I have confessed that were I to have had the opportunity as a boy to go to this school I am not sure that I would have had the resilience, the ambition, the courage to make it through. How many mornings did you wake up, knowing what lay ahead for that day – tests, quizzes, papers due, advisor meetings, followed by athletic practices, followed by rehearsals, followed by, in some cases, arduous commutes, always by more homework, and a late bedtime, falling asleep exhausted imagining what is in store for tomorrow. Rinse and repeat. Where does it come from this determination, this capacity, this courage to prevail? I don’t know —perhaps as a result of the example of others—your
parents, your teachers, your friends—but miraculously you do it and you have done it. Congratulations. While you could be inclined to question the sanity, the fairness, the pace, the volume of what you’re asked to do—in some ways there is so much of it that you hardly have time to pose the cynical questions Why? What difference does it make? I think that each of you has held up the other through your example and your reassurance and your friendship. You’ve been in it together. And you have a heavy dose of belief in your own capacity; you have a healthy competitive streak; and you can channel your own desires and skills in such a way that you, too, measure up, you do your part, you suggest that you are not lesser than. And dare I say, in part you are motivated because you do not want to disappoint. You are part of a team that strives to realize its lofty expectations. But it is often hard. William Bradford, a founder of Plymouth Bay Colony, our Commonwealth’s impressive predecessor, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage. His statesman successor, John F. Kennedy, reminded us in 1962 in a speech at Rice University extolling the benefits of the United States’ space program that “we choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
In coming to RL, in choosing to stay the course, in striving to learn and achieve, you all have summoned forth Grit to do this hard thing. And it is not simply to honor the sometimes perverse academic demands of your well-intentioned teachers and coaches, but to reflect the other things we expect of you: honor,
integrity, potential, broad participation, kindness, and a cheerful demeanor. It has taken Grit, and you have it in abundance.
Grace. Grit. And now Gratitude. How can we measure how much we have been given? At every Thanksgiving Hall we give special point to the holiday Thanksgiving as a national treasure but also profess an attitude of gratitude that signals our appreciation for all the good things we enjoy. Sitting cross legged in the Palaistra last November you expressed and heard of people’s reflections on gratitude—for talents, for opportunities, for things, but mainly for people who have made our lives possible, who have made our lives worth living. In this school we have been given the opportunity to build a living city, a shining city, even a city on a hill that strives to honor the promise of youth. But were it not for those who came before who gave of their time, talent, and treasure, we would have none of this. We would surely not have the demographic we enjoy—unlike that of any other school I know—in which we strive to realize a meritocracy, an opportunity for striving, talented boys to receive their educations here regardless of whatever the financial circumstances are of their families. Over the decades this has been a school about opportunity for families that may have arrived on the Mayflower, but more important, ones that arrived yesterday, or just a generation ago, who came to this country, and eventually to Roxbury Latin for the gift of possibility, the gift of hope.
Gratitude needs to be felt. Gratitude needs to be expressed. When I ask you at that Thanksgiving Hall to take out your cell phones (otherwise a forbidden act in school!) and to text someone your thanks, I am seeking to model what should be an everyday habit. So many people, but especially people in this room, have made it possible for you to be who you are—for what you’ve already enjoyed and for what lies ahead. In another countercultural anomaly for which we are known, I believe that you make this a welcoming and a grateful place. Are there times when some things or some people are taken for granted? Yes, of course. But in the main, at least in the utterances you practice, there is a feeling of gratitude around here that I find impressive and I want never to change. Hardly a boy goes through that serving line in the Refectory that he doesn’t say thank you to the people who are providing us with food—dare I say of late not on trays, but many, many plates. (What’s up with that?) You say thank you. Some of you say thank you at the end of each class or at the end of each practice. Even if you may not feel it as much as I would like you
to, when you say it, you suggest to another person that you care about what he or she has done, and who he or she is. You are grateful. Occasionally I will hear from you about prayer. What is it? Most people when they pray are asking for something—that a beloved relative will be healed, that you will do well on a major assessment, that one of the ubiquitous senior citizens scratching off lottery tickets at the 7-Eleven will finally win the jackpot. But prayer should also and perhaps mainly be about thanking whatever great all giving, all-loving force there is for our blessings. I call that force God.
Showing gratitude is linked to acknowledging ALL that we have been given. Sometimes we lose context. Sometimes we feel aggrieved when not enough pasta has been delivered in a timely way to the Refectory buffet. My concern in this regard extends beyond our own thoughtless complaints to what I have seen to be a culture of complaint. And especially a culture of victimization. Despite the many gifts Americans know—for access to the democratic process, for educational opportunity, for economic sublimation—too many people see themselves as victims of some nationwide or institutional unfairness or injustice. Often this competitive victimhood is conferred thanks to one’s gender, race, sexual orientation, socio-economic condition, or relative immigration status. Two generations ago, our grandparents would advise us if we didn’t like how we were treated or the limitations of opportunity that were perceived, do something about it: work harder, study more, befriend all kinds of people, even some who were in authority. Today, it seems that often people are quick to blame other people or the system for their fates. Is the deck stacked against some people because of discrimination and inertia? Yes. But to complain is not to solve the problem. To challenge one’s status by working harder or differently is to change the situation for you and perhaps for others.
Many of us have turned our attention to college campuses over the past month as protests concerning the situation in the Middle East have paralyzed these institutions. There have been complaints on both sides—some who contend that objecting to the nature of Israel’s actions in Gaza is simply a form of antiSemitism, while some assert that citizens of Gaza are undervalued as a reflection of anti-Palestinian feelings. College ought to be a place for the free expression of ideas—preferably a variety of them—conveyed in civilized, persuasive fashion. To deny fellow
students access to class and buildings and to cause the universities to cancel graduations as a result of fear of violence, however, is not in the spirit of the academy. Students who are protesting have legitimate reasons to assert a point of view. The manner in which that has been expressed, however, is often selfish and disrespectful of others, and suggests to me a lack of understanding of the gift of a peaceful forum within which ideas can be expressed and in fact a lack of Gratitude. When tent communes are torn down because they are getting in the way of a college’s normal traffic and activities, students claim to be victims, treated unfairly, because they believe they are singularly entitled to express themselves even if others are inconvenienced as a result. That seems selfish to me. And, also, politically inept. In this instance and many others college students project an air of narcissism thankfully not seen elsewhere in our society. Please don’t become narcissists.
Grace. Grit. Gratitude.
An acknowledgement of these and indeed the practice of these will help to guarantee a life well lived, a gratifying expression of who you are and what you stand for.
Of course, however, I can’t just leave it there. There are a few things we have stood for at RL over the years that I hope will continue to animate, if not define, your lives. As you go forth from here, or in these inflationary times, perhaps I should say “as you go fifth from here,” I hope you’ll remember these other things as well.
Unity. You have been a band of brothers. You represent all kinds of diversities—of race, of ability, of religion, of interests, of hometowns, of socioeconomic station, of ethnicities, of family structures, of tastes. Continue to try to draw together and to appreciate the richness reflected by a varied diet of ideas, and experiences, and people. You’ll be tempted by structures that are in place at colleges or other schools to become more tribal, to caucus with those with whom you share a characteristic. Some make the argument that one’s sense of identity is deepened thanks to such expectations. As a student of 1960s social activism, I, however, believe that our goal is to come together, not to be pulled apart.
Citizenship. In Class V you participated in a Civics class that sought to teach you about ways in which people engage with a system of laws, of government, of tradition that enable all of us to live the lives that we do. Don’t forget. Honor the hopes of the
Constitution and do your share. At the least, this involves being aware of candidates and issues in every election and then voting for the candidate you feel best honors what you feel to be most important—sometimes that is community-oriented, sometimes it may be for selfish reasons, a candidate who pledges to alter the tax structure favorably, for example. Support a candidate, financially or by working on campaigns. Run for office. Too few RL alumni step forward in this consequential way. Not since John Connolly ’91 was runner up in the 2013 race for Mayor of Boston has any RL alumnus stepped forward. Peter Choharis ’79 just recently ran in a primary for his Maryland Congressional District, but I know of few others. Public service is one way to honor the admonition in the Refectory and to lead and serve. Always, always be informed and vote.
Pay attention and engage. Given the fact that all of us are distracted by screens of all kinds, our ability and willingness to engage directly with others is in short supply. I know some helpful communication is conveyed through social media and in blogs and other expressions. Nothing, however, compares to a conversation in which one looks into the eyes of another. In that case one does not just hear the words but can feel the connection. Why not agree that occasionally when you go out for dinner that no one is going to check his or her phone?
Where in the world? During your time at RL, if you have visited a foreign country on a school trip, please stand. We have provided these opportunities, and, in many cases, the funding for them, in order that your worlds could open up, that you could imagine yourself a citizen of the world. Your language training and your studies in history and English, in particular, were, in part, meant to suggest that you could and should lead a different kind of life, one not bound by this country’s borders (or the black wrought iron fence surrounding our campus) or its ideas and customs. The way we have sent you out, and through the various speakers who have spoken to us from this stage and that of the Smith Theater, brought the world in is part of our hope that you will travel, that you will learn from people from all over the world, and that you will imagine Americans and Americanism as part of a broader, more interconnected, more diverse dialogue.
Generalism. How varied has been your experience at this school. How we have pushed you to try new things. In doing so, you may have discovered new abilities, new passions even. And
occasionally, you have failed. It is in the trying, however, that one discovers new truths about himself or herself. And I want that spirit of adventure, that spirit of possibility to continue. You will be tempted, urged even to become more narrow as you declare a major or imagine a life’s career. Resist. Embrace the liberal arts. Read books. Listen to all kinds of music. Go to lectures and ask good questions (the way you have in Hall here). Attend in-person arts events—theater, concerts, dance. Go to galleries and museums. Make art yourself. Write. And don’t settle. Don’t settle for a path well-trod. Be yourself. Be your generalist self. It will allow you to live an exciting, questing life. And incidentally will prepare you well for a life with a loving partner or a gaggle of kids.
Discernment. This may be the most important of all. I believe that the crisis in which the Nation finds itself is a breakdown in people’s ability to discern. Because we are deluged with all kinds of sources of information and all kinds of entertainment and, most concerningly, all kinds of unchallenged assertions, we often find it hard to know what the truth is. Honesty may be expected in all dealings at Roxbury Latin, but it is in short supply in the culture at large. Anyone can say virtually anything and avoid accountability. The 24-hour news cycle, the ever-present yammerings of CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News, provide constant streams of commentators on what they assert is the reality in our country. Not only can most people not discern what is the truth, they pitifully can’t even discern what is in their best interest. They are victims of this country’s incomplete and often woeful educational system. You owe to yourselves, but also to the communities in which you live, to know the Truth. You need to figure out how to determine it. You need to access various
sources. You need to develop trust in certain commentators and to apply the research skills you have been taught. When it comes to matters of intellectual integrity including in the academy, and especially when it comes to matters of national priorities and fealty to principles that define us as a distinctive Nation, be discerning and speak the Truth yourself.
Be kind. Give people the benefit of the doubt. If there is a chance to help someone out, to offer friendship, if someone is left out and you can include him, do it. In his absence, if a group of people is maligning him for any reason, defend him, and shut down the unkindness. Be kind. For me, that is the most important quality of all.
Finally, fall in love. Don’t be afraid to fall in love—with a discipline, with the style of a professor, with a compelling writer, with elegant mathematical theorems, with periods of history, with the draw of learning. Especially, however, continue to fall in love with your closest friends, and with your family, who first fell in love with you. And, of course, fall in love with some lucky, particular person who will brighten and give meaning to your life.
To say that I have fallen in love with this school and especially with all of you is true. That will not end on this day but will be the blessing of my life for the rest of my life.
Grace.
Grit. Gratitude.
You know them all. You will carry them with you. So, too, will you carry with you the lessons and love of all of us. Godspeed. //
The Class of 2024
First Row: Akhilsai Damera, Joseph Wang, Alejandro Rincon, Mark Anderson, Dror Ko, Dennis Jin, Hunter Lane, Justin Yamaguchi, Headmaster Kerry Brennan, Brendan St. Peter, Sean Patrick DiLallo, Matthew Bastardi, Jake Novak, Jiho Lee, Jayden Phan, Dominic Landry, Theo Coben. Second Row: Aidan D’Alessandro, Aydin Hodjat, Dovany Estimphile, Nick Consigli, Matteo Santagata, Eric Zhu, Justin Loo, Andrew Cerullo, Abe Jacoby, John
Thomas, Benjamin O’Keeffe, Ryan Peterson, Ryan Lin, Edgar Torres. Third Row: Thomas Silva, Ian Herrera, Hayden Cody, Peter DeVito, Lucas Vander Elst, Ammar Elawad, Reid Spence, Angus Leary, Leo Bene, Evan Zhang, Ezra Liebowitz, Ayan Shekhar. Fourth Row: Eric Diop, Ian Fuller, Jake Popeo, Hunter Stevens, Camden Carr, Jack Tompros, Sean Perri, James Henshon, Matt Golden, Mark McGuire, Brett Streckenbach.
Class of 2024 Matriculation
Bates College
Boston College (3)
Bowdoin College
Brown University (2)
Cornell University (2)
Dartmouth College (2)
Dickinson College
Durham University (UK)
Georgetown University (3)
Harvard College (4)
Haverford College
Howard University
Marist College
MIT (2)
New York University
Northeastern University (2)
Oberlin College
Princeton University
Trinity College
Tufts University (6)
Tulane University
U.S. Naval Academy
UMass Amherst
University of Notre Dame
University of Vermont
University of Wisconsin
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
Wheaton College (MA)
William and Mary
Yale University (3)
Accurate as of August 28, 2024
c lass i varsity
athletic awards
Soccer
Ian Herrera
Lacrosse
John Thomas
Hockey
Jake Novak
Tennis
Eric Diop
Football
Angus Leary
Basketball
Sean Perri
Track & Field
Ryan Lin
Cross Country
Eric Diop
Wrestling
Aydin Hodjat
Baseball
James Henshon
Varsity Tennis Wins ISL and New England Titles
The finals started well for RL, as they won the doubles point. In the singles matches, Daniel Stepanyan at #5 singles was the first one to finish his match and gave the team a 2-0 lead. Then Eric Diop at #2 singles won his match, which brought the team up 3-0, needing just one more match to win the championship. Cole Oberg at #1 singles, Jiho Lee at #3 singles, and Sid Chalamalasetty at #6 singles lost close matches, so RL and GFA each had 3 points with one more match to decide it all. Finally, Tanner Oberg at #4 singles won his match in a second set tiebreaker to clinch Roxbury Latin’s fourth New England crown ever.
Based on the team’s success in the ISL regular season, they were invited to play in the 2024 New England Class B Tournament, along with the best seven other schools in New England in their division. RL has won the New England Championship three times before (2013, 2019, 2022). RL received the #1 seed and was supposed to host the first two rounds of the top half of the draw on May 18. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, and Milton Academy generously offered to host RL and Belmont Hill in the first round of the tournament. RL won 4-0; one point for the doubles, and wins from Eric Diop, Tanner Oberg, and Daniel Stepanyan gave the team the necessary 4 points to advance.
On May 17, Roxbury Latin Varsity Tennis won its final regular season match against St. Mark’s School, completing an undefeated ISL season (15-0) for the second year in a row and winning its ninth ISL title since 2011. Eric Zhu ’24, Eric Diop ’24 (Captain), Jiho Lee ’24 (Captain), Lucas Vander Elst ’24, Cole Oberg ’25, Daniel Stepanyan ’25, Tom Pogorelec ’26, Avish Kumar ’26, Tanner Oberg ’27, and Sid Chalamalasetty ’27 had memorable performances. As a team, the boys had a phenomenal 86-4 record in singles in the ISL. “I loved coaching this team because the players had a wonderful chemistry, and they really bought into the concept of team,” says veteran head coach Ousmane Diop. “They not only worked hard for each other, and sacrificed for each other, but they were also resilient, tough, competitive, and fun. Justin Yamaguchi ’24, our longtime team manager, who is often referred to as my assistant coach, was the glue that held it together, and he will be sorely missed.”
“It was truly a team effort, and I could not be prouder of every player,” said Coach Diop. “As always, I want to thank Mr. Brennan and Mr. Teixeira for their continuous support. I am also grateful to RL parents, faculty, students past and present, who came to support us during our matches and the New England tournament. As we celebrate our successful 2024 season, all the players and I can’t wait to start it all over again next spring.” //
They then played Milton Academy and won 4-0, securing the doubles point and earning wins from Cole Oberg, Eric Diop, and Daniel Stepanyan. The team was excited to play Greens Farms Academy (who beat Westminster and Nobles on the other side of the draw) the next day in the finals at RL, but once again the weather was uncooperative. Thankfully, Laury Hammel (well-known in the world of tennis in New England) allowed RL to use one of his facilities for the finals, and the school is so grateful to him.
A Varsity Sweep on Spring Family Day
On May 11, crowds donned in Roxbury Latin red and black flocked to O’Keeffe Field, Chauncey Diamond, and the RL courts for Spring Family Day. Alumni, students, families, and faculty enjoyed a BBQ lunch under the arches of the IAF and cheered on members of our Varsity Baseball, Lacrosse, and Tennis teams as they swept victories in contests through the afternoon. Varsity Lacrosse beat St. George’s (16–7); Varsity Baseball also defeated St. George’s (11–0); and Varsity Tennis was victorious over Lawrenc (7–0). Off campus, RL’s Varsity Track and Field team competed in the ISL Championships at Milton Academy, placing fifth behind Milton, Belmont Hill, Middlesex, and Nobles. //
Varsity Track and Field Places Second in New England
RL’s Varsity Track and Field team finished second overall in a very competitive New England Championship tournament in May—the result of a complete team effort. The meet was the culminating event of an impressive season, filled with personal bests and noteworthy accomplishments.
Alejandro Rincon ’24 was named the New England Champion in the Pole Vault, at 13’ 0”—only the second RL athlete ever to reach 13 feet!
Dante LaMonica ’27, Nitin Muniappan ’26, and Noah Abdur Rahim ’25 set freshman, sophomore, and junior records respectively in their events. In dramatic fashion, Dante’s third and final javelin throw in the preliminary round (127’ 5”) was a new PR, new RL freshman record, qualified him for his firstever championship final, and placed him sixth overall, scoring a key point for RL. Not to be outdone, Nitin followed up with a new sophomore record in the javelin (151’ 0”), a massive PR of over 13 feet—good enough for second in New England in just his first season of throwing! Noah was able to work with teammate Ian Herrera ’24 in the seeded section of the 400m to race to a new junior class record and PR of 51.57, good for fourth all-time at RL.
Elsewhere on the track, Ezra Klauber ’25 raced the “distance double,” the 1500m and 3000m, setting PRs and scoring in both races. Liam Walsh ’26 took the early lead of the 3000m, finishing with a new PR of 9:31. Levi Harrison ’25 charged down the homestretch in the 800m, moving from fifth to second place in the final meters, while Richie Federico ’26 and Zach Heaton ’25 followed close behind in PRs of their own.
Two seniors had their turn to shine in the sprints and hurdles.
Dovany Estimphile ’24 finished his outstanding season by qualifying for his first-ever championship 100m final and placing fourth overall! Approaching the final barrier of his signature race, the 300m hurdles, Ryan Lin ’24 was in third place. Giving it his all, he clipped the last hurdle, but quickly scrambled across the finish line to nab fifth place. Ryan’s grit kept RL in the running for second place as a team.
Also of note, at this year’s ISL Championship meet, RL’s 4x400 relay team—including Benji Macharia ’25, Noah Abdur Rahim ’25, Richie Federico ’26, and Ian Herrera ’24—set a new school record, at 3:31.63. (The photo of Benji crossing the finish line of that race was captured by Mark Anderson ’24.)
Of the 19 RL athletes who competed at the New England Championships, 14 were awarded All-NEPSAC honors or NEPSAC Honorable Mention distinction. RL also has 13 athletes who received All-ISL and ISL Honorable Mention awards. //
Spring Varsity Teams
Aidan Cleary, Robby O’Shaughnessy, Ryan Molloy, Tommy Weber, Finnegan Leary,
Thornton, Marcus Rios, Michael DiLallo, Mateo Werner, Michael Higgins
Varsity Lacrosse — Front Row: Ben O’Keeffe (Manager), Camden Carr (Manager), Timmy Ryan, Taylor Cotton, Michael Strojny, Mark McGuire, Jake Novak, Jake Popeo (Captain), Matthew Bastardi (Captain), John Thomas (Captain), Angus Leary, Reid Spence, Hayden Cody, Michael DiLallo, Johnny Price, Ezra Liebowitz (Manager), Teddy Smith (Manager). Back Row: Chris Brown (Coach), Tucker Rose, Will Sutton, Matthew Young, Thomas Mattera,
Mark Mattaliano, Kevin Brennan, Thomas Mitchell, Jacob Strojny, TJ
(Head Coach).
Erin Dromgoole
Temi
Nick
Miles
Dovany Estimphile, Dennis Jin,
Ian
Noah Abdur Rahim, Jack Sweet. Middle Row: Jamie Morris-Kliment (Coach), Omar Rahman, Darian Estrada, Louie Baumal-Bardy, Tobias Harrison, Calvin Reid, Fin Reichard, Joshua Hua, Ryan Miller, Paul Wilkinson, Lucas Connors, Nitin Muniappan, Max Kesselheim, Brian Weeks, Richard Federico, Chris Eaton, Austin Reid, Chris Heaton (Coach). Back Row: Arturo Solís (Coach), Isaac Frehywot, Robbie Sun-Friedman, Aspen Johnson, Colin Bradley, Alex Giordano, Lincoln Hyatt, Navid Hodjat, Kenneth Foster, Brendan Reichard, Liam Walsh, Levi Harrison, Preston Bearce, Brayden Gillespie, Ezra Klauber, Caleb Frehywot, Chris Vlahos, Habo Baaj, Benji Macharia, Oliver Colbert, Paul Tompros, Grayson Lee, Alec Bleday (Coach). Missing: Bruce Lynch (Coach), Blake Sundel (Coach), Zach Beaver, Oliver Cook, Zachary Heaton, James Kerr, Bruno Kim, Dante LaMonica, Krish Muniappan, Aiden Theodore.
Varsity Baseball — Front Row: Ryan Conneely, Matt Taglieri, Dror Ko, James Henshon (Captain), Justin Loo (Captain), Aidan D’Alessandro, Matt Golden, Thomas Pender. Back Row: Dave Cataruzolo (Head Coach), Ben Samuels, Bryce Ketchen, Caleb Meredith, Liam Russell, Samuel Seaton, James Gibbons, Braden Place, Ben McVane, Colin Roache, Shawn Heide (Coach). Missing: Jonathan Loo (Manager).
Varsity Tennis — Ousmane Diop (Head Coach), Avish Kumar, Eric Zhu, Lucas Vander Elst, Cole Oberg, Eric Diop (Captain), Jiho Lee (Captain), Daniel Stepanyan, Tanner Oberg, Tom Pogorelec, Sid Chalamalasetty, Justin Yamaguchi (Manager).
Varsity Track and Field — Front Row:
(Head Coach),
Martins Dosumu,
Makura,
Baumal-Bardy,
Akhilsai Damera, Jack Tompros,
Herrera, Dominic Landry (Captain), Ryan Lin (Captain), Alejandro Rincon, Edgar Torres, Hunter Lane, Simba Makura, Drew Anderson,
Class of 1974 Celebrates 50th Reunion and Establishes Fund to Honor Richmond Mayo-Smith
The Class of 1974 celebrated their 50th Reunion on campus on Friday, May 10. Twenty-five members of the class came back to reconnect with the school and each other for a luncheon, class visits, and school tours. The event was highlighted with an evening reception and dinner in the Great Hall. Before the evening began, the class gathered in the Headmaster’s Garden to honor former Headmaster Richmond Mayo-Smith. Dan Driscoll ’74, Chris Dowd ’74, and Scott Schnapp ’74 announced the establishment of the Class of 1974 Richmond Mayo-Smith Fund honoring the culture of diversity MayoSmith brought to the school. Overall, the fund has raised more than $500,000 in gifts and pledges in order to support student financial aid. In addition, a tree will be planted in the garden and a portrait of Richmond MayoSmith will be hung in the school. Members of the Mayo-Smith and Palsang families were there to celebrate the reunion and dedication with the class. Thank you to all members of the great Class of 1974 and congratulations on your 50th Reunion! //
class notes
1961
Richard Alan Lewis has begun his 46th year at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, as Professor for Molecular and Human Genetics, Ophthalmology, Pediatrics Medicine.
1974
In June, Jim Washington completed his MALS degree, in the creative writing program at Dartmouth, and was selected by fellow students as a class marshal at commencement. Jim also received a thesis excellence award for his sixty-page poetry manuscript. “It occurred to me that this was my only academic award from the jump, so perhaps I was simply overdue,” jokes Jim.
1999
1 Greg Johnson’s new joke book for kids, Your Kid’s Special: The 99 Funniest Jokes for Your Child’s First Stand-Up
Comedy Hour! hit #1 on Amazon’s New Release Jokes and Riddles list. It’s a fun, visual joke book (illustrated by AI) designed to keep kids entertained, help them always have a joke on hand, and maybe even boost their self-confidence through joke-telling.
2009
2 Sam August married Emma Hershey on May 3. Dave Leach and Corey Rosenberg were both in attendance. Sam and Emma and their dog, Ziggy, have moved to Vermont from Michigan. Emma is a resident at Dartmouth-Hitchcock hospital and Sam is touring as the lead guitarist for Grammy-nominated country music artist Joe Nichols.
3 Paul McCabe and his wife, Rachel Le, celebrated their wedding on May 25 at St. Raphael’s Parish in Medford, followed by a Vietnamese tea
ceremony and reception in Norwood, Massachusetts. Matthew Neelon served as best man, and Jake Hasson, Timothy Norton, Colm Flaherty, Erik Talbot, and Michael Ciommo served as groomsmen. Paul and Rachel live near Worcester, where Paul is pursuing a cardiology fellowship and Rachel is a practicing intensivist.
4 Nick Poles and his wife, Isabelle, welcomed their first child, Piergiorgio “George” Jenkins Poles, on July 5. George arrived at 3:35 a.m., weighing in at 6 pounds, 0.7 ounces.
2011
5 Adrian Silver and his partner, Tim Preisenhammer, got married in New York City in May, with several RL friends in attendance, including Michael Rosengard, Dhimitris Lefteri, Adrian’s brother Julian Silver ’08, and Andrew Kingsley ’12.
2014
6 Rob Opdycke’s a cappella band, Similar Jones, played at Dorchfest on June 1 on the Garvey family’s porch in Dorchester. After performing he enjoyed hanging out with RL alumni Henry Booth, Reed Garvey ’16, Cole Garvey, Jake Rooney ’16, and Andrew Yeager.
Andrew Yeager left his role at Accenture in Boston and moved to New York City last fall to attend Columbia Business School. He also recently became engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Melissa.
2018
7 Andrew Steinberg has begun concurrent JD/MPP degrees at Georgetown Law and the Harvard Kennedy School. “I am eager to combine this legal and policy education as I deepen my commitment to public service. Thank you to everyone who has helped me on this journey!”
2019
Roxbury Latin alumni were well represented in Harvard Club Baseball this spring, in what was a successful, winning season that included Ethan Kee, Ben Rounds, Peter Frates ’21, and Justin Shaw ’23.
2020
8 Sam Ginsberg earned AllAmerican Honorable Mention honors for Swarthmore Lacrosse this spring.
2021
9 Tufts University beat RIT to win the Men’s DIII Lacrosse National Championship this spring, for the fourth time in program history. Four RL alumni were on the roster for Tufts: Beau Keough, Cam Keough ’19, Declan Murphy, and Will Anderson ’23.
Bobby O’Grady was named to the AllBig East Second Team for Marquette Lacrosse this spring. //
Many members of the Class of 2009 helped Paul and Rachel celebrate their wedding: Timothy Norton, Jake Hasson, Erik Talbot, Rachel Le, Paul McCabe, Timothy Sullivan, Michael Ciommo, Colm Flaherty, and Matthew Neelon (Credit Kadri Karmo Photography).
February 29
Conspire Back Bay, Boston
Spring Alumni Luncheon
April 8
Harvard Club of Boston
Alumni and Class I boys attended the annual Spring Alumni Luncheon at the Harvard Club in Boston, where they heard from screenwriter Jared Rosenberg ’05, whose film Flight Risk, starring Mark Wahlberg, debuts this fall.
In Memoriam
Former faculty member David Brooks Smoyer, of Jamaica Plain passed away peacefully on June 1 from complications of dementia. He was 82. Devoted to his wife of 58 years, Mary, and to their children’s families, David relished sports, travel, and his community. He was a master conversationalist, always interested in the adventures and minutia of the lives of friends and family. Born on New Year’s Eve 1941 in Akron, Ohio, David was very proud of his roots there, the birthplace of his parents, Stanley Smoyer and Barbara Brooks Smoyer. Inspired by memories of his visits with grandparents at Turkeyfoot Lake, he loved to swim in whatever open water,
lake, river, ocean, he came upon. David grew up in Princeton, NJ, and his treasured friendships from carefree days as a youth were a throughline in a journey full of enthusiastic competitions and spirited recreation in family rooms and outdoors, particularly during seaside summers in Marion, MA.
David was raised to put education first, and he followed up his many accomplishments as a student by spending most of his career working in schools. He attended Princeton Country Day, Phillips Andover ’59, Dartmouth ’63, and Harvard Law ’66. At Dartmouth, he earned nine varsity letters, in soccer, squash, and tennis. A goalkeeper in soccer, he was named to the 1962 All-America first team. David practiced law for only
six months before returning to his first love: sports. He worked for the North American Soccer League, in the athletic departments at Yale and Swarthmore, and at Roxbury Latin. Of these, it was at Roxbury Latin where he found a home, immersing himself in its community during and outside school hours. For more than 14 years, David assumed varying roles in the RL community, most notably Director of Development and soccer coach extraordinaire.
An energetic and creative traveler, David visited 48 states, 40 countries, and six continents. His favorite countries were France and Egypt. He was known to leave home with only a backpack and a reservation for the first night. He was an outgoing tourist and loved talking with anyone he met,
resulting in warm connections across the globe. A highlight was taking each of his seven grandchildren, when they reached age 10, on a trip of their choice. Born a Cleveland Indians fan, David was at the Polo Grounds when Willie Mays’s famous 1954 World Series catch foiled Cleveland. He later worked in concessions at Candlestick Park, after the Giants moved to San Francisco, and became a huge admirer of Mays and San Francisco itself, where he and Mary would honeymoon.
Adopting the Red Sox in the ’70s, he was at Fenway for Game 6 of the ’75 World Series. He attended a men’s World Cup in France, Wimbledon in England, the British Open in Scotland, and the Olympics in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Inspired by his time as the Swarthmore women’s soccer coach, he was swept up in the U.S. frenzy around the 1999 women’s World Cup. He attended every Dartmouth game that he could. At his most frequent haunt, Fenway, he usually would seek out a free (or almost free) ticket by putting up one finger in the air. Year after year, he kept a record: In 2004, he attended 31 games at the total cost of $72.20. In Boston, David volunteered at Squashbusters, the Hyde Square Task Force, the Cape Verdean Task Force, and Beacon Academy. Living in Jamaica Plain for over 30 years, he loved museums, jogging, biking, tennis in Franklin Park and Carter Playground. He even swam once or twice in Jamaica Pond. David is survived by Mary Howland Smoyer; and their children, Laura (Christopher Myers), Amy (Jaime Muleiro),
and Mark (Jennifer Reese); and grandchildren, Isabel, Edith, Joseph, Henry, Owen, Javier, and Michael.
William Gordon Coughlin ’51, born on July 9, 1932, passed away peacefully at his home in Brookline on June 3. He leaves behind his devoted wife, Sally; his beloved children, Bart, Read, and Kate and their respective spouses, Mette, Kate, and Lloyd; as well as his seven grandchildren: Schuyler, Mead, Emme, Peter, William, Charlie, and Peyton. He is also survived by his precious Norwich Terrier, Oliver.
Bill was a proud graduate of RL, which helped prepare him for matriculation at Harvard. But, more importantly, he recalled, RL served as a guide and mentor to a boy who lost his father when he was only ten. In a college recommendation, Headmaster Northrup praised Bill’s character as “all boy, frank, kindly, cooperative, and so friendly as to be loveable. He is as natural as daylight and he has a big heart.”
At Harvard, Bill joined the PhoenixSK Club and the Hasty Pudding Club, and became captain of the LightWeight Crew. After graduating in 1955, Bill spent two years serving in the U.S. Army in France. Upon his return to Boston in 1958, he began a lifelong career in commercial real estate, becoming a founding member of Ryan, Elliott, and Company.
Rarely seen without one of his signature bow ties (most of which were handmade Christmas or birthday gifts from Sally), Bill was a gentleman with many interests. He loved collecting art,
gardening, attending Boston Baroque and Handel & Haydn concerts, reading, jigsaw puzzles, golfing, foreign travel, and even learning at age 55 to play the saxophone! Some of Bill’s happiest days were spent walking on the outer beach in Eastham, exploring the back roads of Nelson, NH, or picking wild blueberries wherever he could find them.
A gregarious fellow, Bill enjoyed his memberships in the Union Boat Club, The Country Club, the Somerset Club, the Boston Athenaeum, and the Brookline Thursday Club. Gifts in his memory may be made to The William G. Coughlin Scholarship Fund at Roxbury Latin.
Francis McArdle ’59 died on March 15 in Danvers, MA, after a short illness. A train buff and infrastructure maven, Francis earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and did graduate work at Syracuse’s Maxwell School of Public Policy before serving in multiple posts in New York City government, culminating in three years at the helm of the Department of Environmental Protection under Mayor Koch.
At RL, Francis was a scholar and an athlete. A student of imposing size, at 6’6’’ and 210 pounds, he excelled on the football field and the wrestling mat, in addition to being a voracious reader. In a college recommendation letter, Headmaster Weed advocated for Francis’s wide ranging abilities and interests with the following: “Francis is a large boy who has a good head and a pleasing personality. He has a wide range of interests and is
an omnivorous reader—with such diversity of interest as the Byzantine Empire and ‘Hot Rods.’ He is never without a book, and his mind is at once penetrative and original.”
For most of the following three decades Francis served as the managing director of the General Contractor’s Association of New York, where he was a tireless champion for more investment in the city’s critical infrastructure. He was also a longstanding member of the Moles, and served on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission.
When he was not talking trains, roads, and tunnels, he was an avid fan of old books, traditional Irish music and dance, and cat puns. He is survived by his sisters Patricia and Regina McArdle, daughters Megan (Peter Suderman) and Nora McArdle, and his niece, nephew, and four great-nieces and nephews, and predeceased by his sister, Catherine McArdle Kelleher. All who know him will miss his infinite store of trivia, his deep enthusiasm, and his puckish sense of humor.
Peter Bruce Weinreb ’65, of Los Ranchos, New Mexico, died unexpectedly on March 20, at the age of 76. Peter was an adoring and supportive husband to his wife, Judy, and a loving and proud father to his son, David; he was also devoted to his brother Roger, sister-in-law Didi, and stepmother Kelly.
Peter was born in Boston and grew up in Newton. After RL, he graduated
from Tufts with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, later earning his MBA at Columbia. He started a successful business in New Mexico with his wife, and derived great satisfaction from the personal and professional relationships that came from that work.
Peter was a lifelong learner who particularly enjoyed studying languages to enrich his love of travel. He was also a loyal Red Sox fan who enjoyed listening to baseball games on the radio, sitting outside on many beautiful New Mexico evenings with his beloved dogs, Tolie or Riley, at his side.
An active member of the Jewish community, Peter belonged to Congregation Albert and Congregation B’nai Israel. He served as New Mexico State Chair of the Anti-Defamation League and was a board member of philanthropic organizations in Massachusetts and New Mexico.
Peter was a kind and thoughtful man who was dedicated to helping others. For many years he was a committed classroom volunteer at his local elementary school. He gave generously to many philanthropic causes, served meals at Project Share, and volunteered at Congregation Albert. He cared deeply for the people around him and had a profound impact on so many lives.
Joseph Anthony Calareso ’66 passed away peacefully on April 28, surrounded by his family—with love,
laughter, cannolis, and prayer. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Stephanie, and their daughters, Christine Bleecker, Angelina Weyler, Dianna Sawyer, and JulieAnne Calareso; his sons-in-law David, Rand, and Kevin, as well as his beloved grandchildren: Benjamin, Joseph, Sydney, Reagan, Piper, Jolene, and Penelope.
Joe grew up in Hyde Park and, after RL, attended Bowdoin College. At Roxbury Latin, Joe was described as “an asset to RL as an athlete, a fine citizen, and a good addition to the classroom because of his cheerful interest in his studies.” An athlete, scholar, and lover of practical jokes, Joe made lifelong friends at both schools, modeling for his family the value of deep, abiding friendship.
Joe met Stephanie while working at the P. Tavilla Produce Company in Boston, and they married in 1970, enjoying a strong marriage defined by mutual love and support. Joe made Stephanie laugh every day, and spent his life expressing his love and unwavering devotion to her. After the death of their infant son in 1975, Joe established the John Stephen Scholarship Fund at Roxbury Latin. The Fund provides a full scholarship for young men who have exceptional potential but would otherwise lack the ability to attend Roxbury Latin; receiving the updates on these scholars was a source of joy for the entire Calareso family. Joe and Stephanie went on to have four devoted daughters, who were the light of Joe’s life. He loved nothing more
than cheering them on at volleyball and soccer games, band concerts, and graduations. He loved seeing his grandchildren grow into their own talents; Grampy beamed with pride as his grandchildren excelled at football, baseball, music, art, and theater. He delighted in spending time with his grandchildren—eating ice cream, riding on the golf cart, and watching baseball together on the couch.
Joe instilled in his daughters the importance of faith; it gave him tremendous joy to see all of his children and grandchildren following God in their own lives. He was an active member of every church he attended, always involving himself in acts of community service and generosity. His heart and hands were always open wide, drawing people to him with his quick wit, intelligence, and eagerness to give. Good luck paying the bill at a restaurant with Joe; he loved seeing a table full of people eating, laughing, and enjoying life together.
Sports were a major part of Joe’s life, from his days on the baseball diamond and football field, to attending countless MLB, NFL, and NBA games. His biggest passion was baseball, and he could often be found cheering on the Red Sox and taking his daughters to nearly every Marlins home game. Joe loved the competition of sports, but he also took very seriously the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and practice. At RL, Joe demonstrated his commitment to his athletic values particularly in baseball, in which he was an especially strong batter and
team captain. He encouraged his daughters to set goals and work hard to achieve them; he was supportive in all their endeavors and often shared life advice through the lens of sports, including his favorite: “When you get to the end zone, act like you’ve been there before.”
Joe expressed his love through humor and acts of service. He prided himself on keeping the gas tank full, preloading Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards for his kids and grandchildren, and being known as the most reliable person to call for an airport pickup. He drew people in by making them laugh, and disarmed them by being able to laugh at himself. Despite his profound intelligence, he loved to be silly, making up songs, expressions, and traditions that made his daughters laugh and roll their eyes.
Joe and Stephanie moved to southern Florida shortly after their marriage, and lived there until 2023, when Joe retired from a decades-long career in sales. In retirement Joe discovered new passions such as water volleyball, ukulele, and U.S. and world history clubs. He took advantage of every opportunity to make new friends, take up new hobbies, and enjoy live music and shows.
Richard P. Brauer ’92 died on June 12, in Boston, at the age of 50. He was the youngest son of David and Margaret Brauer, and brother to the late David Brauer, Robert Brauer, Paul Brauer, Diane Brauer, Susan Cavanaugh, Stephen Cavanaugh, Christopher Brauer, Kim (Brauer) Gaete, Stephen
Brauer, and Kerin Nunn. He was uncle to many nieces and nephews. Rich married Stephanie Sluka in 2002. He is survived by Ziggy, a lanky and beloved canine companion.
At Roxbury Latin, Rich was a well respected and accomplished student who offered his talents to a variety of school activities: Varsity Football, Varsity Lacrosse, Model UN, Glee Club, Debate, Drama, and Tripod.
In Rich’s final advisor letter, Mike Pojman summarized his time at RL with the following praise: “Rich winds up his long and distinguished high school career, and what a career it has been. I daresay no one in Rich’s outstanding class explored more completely Roxbury Latin’s academic and extra-curricular opportunities, nor immersed himself more deeply in all aspects of daily life at the school.” After graduating, Rich attended Yale and was an active supporter of Roxbury Latin for years.
Rich traveled the world and made his home in South Africa for many years. His extended family stretches across countries and continents and includes the ‘Yugo’ community gathered at Sabur Restaurant in Somerville; Yale classmates connected since freshman year; the relationships forged around the South African braai; Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury neighbors; and friends and mentors stretching back to his formative years at Roxbury Latin. Rich valued his friendships deeply, often going above and beyond to help in a time of need, and always ready with a quip and a twinkle in his eye. //
