ENSURING OUR FUTURE
The Homan Memorial Courtyard By Nancy Berlier J.B. Buse BMS ’75 has great memories of his days at The Summit. He has a particular fondness for former teacher and coach Dick Holmes and recalls the glory days of former Head of School Ed Tyrrell. But his best memories are of being part of a community where lifelong friendships develop. To this day, J.B. remains close friends with Walter “Chip” Homan SBS ’66. When Chip’s dad, Frank X. Homan, died last year at the age of 85, J.B. decided to pay tribute to him at The Summit by funding a community gathering spot for students. The Homan Memorial Courtyard was officially dedicated on Nov. 8. Already, the brick walkway and low serpentine stone wall has become a community meeting place where students can talk as they wait for rides home. “I have great memories of The Summit. I have friends from here – people that I continue to see,” J.B. says. “I hope future generations who come out of The Summit will continue to be a big part of our community. I just wanted to give a little back.” Both the Homans and the Buses are multigenerational Summit legacy families whose connections go far beyond the friendship of J.B. Buse and Chip Homan. The late Mr. Homan was a well-known businessman and real estate investor in Cincinnati. As a philanthropist, his generosity led to the establishment of the Homan Foundation in 1969, which he created with his wife of 56 years, Margo (Schott) Homan.
20 18 Winter 2014 - 2015
J.B. Buse BMS ’75, left and Walter “Chip” Homan SBS ’66 stand in the Homan Memorial Courtyard.
At The Summit, the Homans established the Frank X. Homan and Margo S. Homan Scholarships. Mr. and Mrs. Homan sent all six of their children to The Summit. In addition to Chip, they included Frank X. Homan Jr. SBS ’64, Margi (Homan) Masters ’71, Sophia (Homan) Male ’77, Holly Homan-Witte ’81 and Christine A. Homan ’84. Of their 14 grandchildren, 10 attended The Summit – Charles Male SMS ‘03, Jonathan Masters ’02, Kelly (Homan) Masters ’03, Robert Bench SMS ’04, Josephine Male SMS ’06, Kathleen (Homan) O’Brien ’99, Matilda Ziegler SMS ’12, Maxwell Ziegler (att.), Walter Homan ’02 and Samuel Male SMS ’05. J. Barrett Buse Sr. SBS ’45 and the late Anne (Blum) Buse ’55 also sent all of their children to The Summit. In addition to J.B., they included Brian Buse ’84, Anne (Buse) Bathhalter ’87 and Beth (Buse) Carroll ’77. Of their grandchildren, The Summit legacy continued with Sam Buse SMS ’09, James Buse SMS ’03, the late Robert “Andrew” Buse SMS ’04; Chad Carroll (att) and Daniel Carroll (att). Many other members of the extended Buse family also attended The Summit. “The Summit is about community,” says Head of School Rich Wilson. “We teach what the Sisters taught from the beginning – that human beings are meant to live in community. As Christ said, ‘For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ Summit is a place of connections and the courtyard symbolizes those connections. It also expresses the ties that bind the Homans with the Buses, and these families in turn with the greater Summit family.”