Thacher Magazine: Spring 2014

The Magazine of The Thacher School * Spring 2014

THACHER The History Issue Looking Back While Looking Ahead... 125 Years and Counting

CONTENTS 14 • Armchair Wandering

14

Running the obstacle course of history in Northern Uganda.

16 • Understanding Backwards.

Living Forwards The past shapes us, it challenges us, and it gives us the tools we need to create the future. In this issue we take on the topic of history: Thacher's past, how and why we teach history today, and the work of some alumni historians. We also introduce you to CdePedia, a new archival site for collecting and sharing Thacher history.

ON & OFF CAMPUS

ALUMNI & COMMUNITY NEWS

01 • View From Olympus

32 • Gatherings

Michael Mulligan remembers three departed icons.

02 • Up Front The history of the history issue.

03 • Readers Respond We share your letters and emails.

16 FRONT COVER As a cover idea, we asked Dave Lauridsen for his take on the then-and-now images one finds on Dear Photograph (dearphotograph.com). We selected this one because we liked the way it links the constant of Thacher's iconic ridgeline backdrop with a foreground depicting excavation, construction, and fulfillment, themes echoed throughout this issue's examination of Thacher history.

04 • The Pergola An assemblage of noteworthy School and community intelligence.

Coverage of quasquicentennial celebrations, near and far.

36 • Class Notes, etc.

Alumni news, milestones, and news from faculty, staff, and friends.

45 • In Memoriam 49 • The Best We Can Do Keeping Thacher history alive.

VIEW FROM OLYMPUS… Honoring Three Thacher Stalwarts

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Iconic individuals, enduring lessons, and the end of an era.

A YEAR OF LOSS FOR THE THACHER COMMUNITY: Chuck Warren, Jack Huyler, and Bill Wyman all passed on. Many of you knew these men well. They were strong minded, determined, and—as needed— hard nosed. I had intimate interactions with all three. I learned a lot; I had my moments of frustration with each. And I came to love and respect each in different ways. They were born into three different molds, but in each case those were broken following their delivery into this world.

Chuck was a master of teaching carefully and then turning responsibility over to kids. He knew that they would not learn if they did not have to do things themselves. This allowed for some powerful learning and some moments of both frustration and humor. As he would say, “Experience is the best teacher.” An example: Go horse camping with Chuck. He would teach you what you needed to know, but then you had to do it. And you learned quickly that what you thought you knew, you actually did not know that well. Your first trip packing horses? Proud of your balanced load and diamond hitch on that first morning as you left camp? Twenty minutes down the trail the whole thing was sliding to the side. Chuck did not get off his horse. He turned to the packer and said, “Go fix it.” And you did it again. So that pack may have slid seven times during your ride that day. But one thing was sure: When you packed that horse the next morning, you made darn sure it wasn’t going anywhere. With Chuck, you learned by doing. It wasn’t easy, but by golly, he was not going to do it for you. Chuck was iconic, original, and brilliant. He was also his own man who did things in his own original way. Many of us had some of our most memorable moments at Thacher under his unique tutelage.

If there has ever been a character like Jack Huyler, I do not know who it is. An extrovert writ larger than life itself, he was a man of action and gumption. He loved risk. He loved riding fast on horses and motorcycles. He loved singing. He loved honoring those who came before him: He was a born historian. He was a stickler for detail. He was an inveterate record keeper. Were it not for Jack, we would probably not have a horse program. Jack took the historical program and codified every detail of it. He learned that what you measure matters. And he knew kids pay attention when you keep score—so every aspect of the Horse Program was scored (just like the English rules he drilled and the papers he corrected), as much of it is today. Nothing like seeing your name on a ranked list to get your attention. He knew that real fulfilment came from taking on real risks. He knew that failure is as important as > CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Big Gymkhana Dedication: Behind a procession of bagpipers, Kurt Meyer, Jake Jacobsen, and Sarah Lavender Smith CdeP 1986 led in riderless horses in honor (respectively) of Bill Wyman, Chuck Warren, and Jack Huyler, whose familes were presented with Thacher flags.

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UP FRONT…

Quasquicentennial, anyone?

WHAT DOES ONE WEAR TO A QUASQUICENTENNIAL? What even is a quasquicentennial? We asked these questions and many more as we began thinking about how the magazine should recognize Thacher’s 125th anniversary. Would we commit to extensive coverage of a lavish gala under a big white tent? Well, no, since no such gala is planned. How about an issue dedicated to sharing our archival photos? We tossed that idea as well; not only did all those sepia-toned images seem to be a waste of color printing, but it also meant too much backward gazing. After all, a major anniversary like this one should not simply consider the past; it should also celebrate those elements of the past that have been carried forth into the present, and those that inform our plans for the future. And speaking of history, why not take a look at the way we teach and study it today, and check in with a few of our historian graduates?

As for celebration, not only did we learn that the name for a 125th anniversary is a quasquicentennial, but we decided that rather than hold a big event on campus that only a relative few could attend, we would encourage a more far-reaching celebration. Think of it as a gathering unbounded by time or space that begins with CdePedia, the collaborative online platform we’ve created to help you explore our history through media from the Thacher archives (where you can get more than your fill

of sepia) alongside user-submitted content. We hope you participate in this virtual effort to capture our history in as many voices and from as many perspectives as possible.

There is also a somber side to “The History Issue.” Michael Mulligan’s tribute to Chuck, Jack, and Bill reminds us that this year’s milestone feels like the end of an era. In short succession, our community lost several of our luminaries, men who shaped Thacher history and recorded it, and who have supplied momentum we now harness as we look toward another school year. Starting with Dave Lauridsen’s cover, we’ve tried to strike a balance that notes our losses along with our gains, and that honors the century and a quarter just completed as much as it leans into the next 125 years. Glad to have you with us.

- Christopher J. Land, Editor

> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

success in learning who you are. How many of you Silver Dollar Contest winners fell off your horse time and again as you learned to reach down near beating hoofs to pluck that coin from the dirt? Fame awaited you, however: the roar of the crowd; the adulation of your peers; your name ensconced upon the wall. Jack knew just what he was doing. The yin to Jess Kahle’s yang, the two of them made the Horse Program stick at Thacher.

Boasting western movie star rugged good looks, Bill Wyman was a precise writer, an engaging speaker, a college professor of English, a university dean, and an experienced mountain packer. He cared deeply about academic excellence. He hired a talented and able faculty, many of whom are with us to this 2 Spring 2013

day. He championed coeducation. He built our math-science center, among other projects. Not one to suffer fools gladly, he’d take you down a notch when needed. He also quietly helped many struggling students make it through Thacher; indeed, he saved a number who would not have graduated without his care and support. Bill knew the Sierra mountain trails as well as anyone. His devoted relationship with Ike Livermore CdeP 1928—the great Thacher alumnus, trustee, and packer—bespoke his love of the mountains. He brought that love to the School and it, in turn, strengthened and gave wings to The Thacher School Horse and Outdoor Programs. Bill was a demanding head and a tough boss, and like all headmasters, he had his critics. At the end of the day, however,

he brought Thacher back into national preeminence and he left to me the much easier work of refining what had become a great school.

We stand on the shoulders of those who come before us, and we at Thacher stand taller today because of their stellar contributions.

Original, dynamic, and iconic, Chuck, Jack, and Bill were as different from each other as night and day, but they helped educate legions of students and faculty, and made this School a much better one. I take my hat off to each of them and thank them for their signal work on behalf of our School.

Michael K. Mulligan, Head of School

READERS RESPOND…

THACHER

The Magazine of The Thacher School Volume 8, Issue 1 Spring 2014 EDITOR Christopher J. Land ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jane D. McCarthy ALUMNI EDITOR Suzie Nixon CLASS NOTES EDITOR Aaron Boydston FEATURES COPY EDITOR Mark Lewis ARCHIVAL EDITORS Bonnie LaForge Theresa Vyhnal DESIGN Charles Hess, design director Lisa Lewis, designer PHOTOGRAPHY Doug Ellis, Bynk Chanuntranont `17, Christopher Land, Dave Lauridsen, Caitlin Jean Peterson, Dana Vancisin HEAD OF SCHOOL Michael K. Mulligan DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Brandon C. Doyle

Council and Courage

I’m writing to say how delighted I am by the School I see portrayed in “The Thacher News.” The latest issue struck a chord because I do work with courageous conversations in my life and community. I hungered for more of them in my teenage years. My work with the process of Council (a speaking and listening format) comes from The Ojai Foundation. They have done a lot with Council in school settings and may be a helpful resource. I was tickled to be featured in the last issue about food! Spring growing season is under-way. Here’s to nourishing learning and growth.

Alexia Allen CdeP 1996

Forgive Us Our Trespassers

In the Fall Thacher Magazine, I read an account of Sam Lino’s horseback journey on the historic mission trail. I understand the route included traveling up the Santa Clara Riverbed until they were blocked by the Freeman Diversion Dam, forcing them to backtrack and reroute along Highway 126. What a great trip and it is encouraging to see that Thacher’s culture is helping preserve, and perhaps revive, our county’s vaquero culture. That said, please let Sam and any future riders know that the Santa Clara Riverbed, on which they were traveling, is private property, much of which has been in the ownership of my family since 1855 as part of our ranch, Rancho Santa Clara del Norte. This, too, is consistent with the vaquero days, as permission was usually requested to ride on private lands when riding off the Camino Real....

Had we known about Mr. Lino’s trip, we’d have been more than happy to help him secure access through our private property, and through the Freeman Diversion, as well as points north.

We own most of the riverbed from Saticoy to Santa Paula and would have been happy to help. I’m sure that you understand our interest in keeping our private property private; but at the same time we’re more than happy to help out with unique rides such as Mr. Lino’s trip. Should there be others, please encourage them to request permission from someone in our ranch office.

Tom Lloyd-Butler CdeP 1978

DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT AND PLANNING William P. McMahon Thacher is published twice a year by The Thacher School, and is sent free of charge to alumni, parents, and friends of the School. Every effort is made to ensure that contents are accurate and complete. If there is an omission or an error, please accept our apologies and notify us at the address below.

Copyright © 2014 The Thacher School Third class postage is paid at the Oxnard Post Office.

POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to the following address.

Editor, Thacher Magazine 5025 Thacher Road Ojai, CA 93023 www.thacher.org thachermagazine@thacher.org 805-640-3201 x264 How to Submit Class Notes Online: blogs.thacher.org/classnotes Email: alumni@thacher.org Fax: 805-646-1956 (fax)

Thacher is printed by Ventura Printing using an environmentally friendly waterless printing process, soy-based inks, and recycled paper.

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THE PERGOLA…

CAN'T CAMP ENOUGH THE SECOND-ANNUAL WINTER Camping Weekend sent more than 100 students and faculty leaders off campus and into the wilderness. Whether rock climbing at Joshua Tree (pictured here), surfing at Hollister Ranch, or honing their ranchero skills, the adventurers reconnected with nature and with one another.

SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS GAIN TRACTION

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T’S IMPOSSIBLE to walk across campus these days without spotting evidence of Thacher’s efforts to make more efficient use of resources, better manage waste, and reduce our carbon footprint. Kitchen scraps are hauled out to feed the hogs. Next to the hogs, Thacher bees make honey that (like the hogs) will end up in the Dining Hall. In the photo above, juniors John Carey, Ben Chadwick, and Sasha Ongley inspect manure composting bins, part of their project to help the School convert this nitrogen-rich byproduct of our Horse Program (which generates 1,187 tons of it a year!) into valuable fertilizing material while keeping it out of local creeks.

Coordinating these activities is a newly formed Sustainability Council, which includes Juan Sanchez, appointed in the fall of 2013 as Thacher’s director of sustainability, and Kurt Meyer, the faculty sponsor of the Environmental Action Committee. The Council is in the process of creating a strategic action plan to sustain existing projects and build a robust program to encourage and coordinate new efforts.

Learn more at thacher.org/magazine/ spring2014.

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AUTOGRAPH TROVE ADDS $3 MILLION TO ENDOWMENT HOWARD “TUCKER” Fleming Jr. CdeP 1943 was as devoted to Thacher as he was to collecting photographs, manuscripts, letters, and other autographed memorabilia from the worlds of literature, art, music, dance, theater, and film. At right is a signed first-day cover commemorating the aroundthe-world flight by Howard Hughes CdeP 1923, a gift to Thacher from the collection; some may recognize it from the Thacher Library, where it hangs on the wall. It was Tucker’s wish that after his death proceeds from the sale of his $6-million collection be divided between Thacher and the Huntington in Pasadena.

Read more about this generous gift at thacher.org/magazine/spring2014.

HOLD THE HORSES AS PART OF THE BUILD-UP to Big Gymkhana, the Indoor Committee organized a horseless gymkhana event they called “Heritage Games” to celebrate Thacher’s 125th anniversary. Students, faculty, and a few fac-brats enjoyed unmounted versions of speedball, hurry-scurry, the rescue race, and silver dime pick-up, among others.

Next year, the plan is to have points from these events count toward Big Gymkhana point totals for the Orange, Blue, and Green Teams.

Top: Students competed in horseless gymkhana races and took turns (left) providing spirit.

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THE PERGOLA…

ONE MOMENT IN TIME: EDT PHOTOGRAPHY

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ACHLAN NUTTING CdeP 2014 runs her horse on the beach at Montaña de Oro State Park (photo by Dana Vancisin). The other photos are by Bynk Chanuntranont ’17, who used a digital Leica M9p fitted with a Summilux 50mm f1.4 lens to capture these vivid portraits of some of his trip mates. Bynk tells us that as he composed these shots he was thinking, “Gee, I am here, and I am experiencing a story that is unique to me and those here around me; and in a few days, months, or years, I will be somewhere far away from here, scrolling through my old photos and will come across this album, and will be transported back to that one moment in time, that belongs solely to us, once more.”

CdeP 2014: THACHER'S 125TH GRADUATING CLASS This year’s crop looks forward to matriculating at the following institutions come fall (or, in a few cases, after a gap year).

STUDENT

COLLEGE

Paul Timothy Ammons................................................. Colorado College Jackson Paul Baldwin .................................................... University of Southern California (School of Engineering) Anne Mae Nash Beckham .......................................... Colorado State University (College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences) Annika Cox Bhasavanich............................................. McGill University Blake Stewart Bowie...................................................... University of Southern California (School of Business) Lillian Claire Boyle .......................................................... Vanderbilt University Ciara Christine Byrne .................................................... Occidental College Pascal Yves Cévaër-Corey .......................................... Stanford University Jonathan Yang Ming Chang ..................................... Columbia University David Kakuei Chao .......................................................... Stanford University Minah Mi Young Choi .................................................. Pomona College Andrew James Combs ................................................... Colorado College Caleb Couturie................................................................... University of Oregon Mateo Cohen Davis ........................................................ Tufts University Jackson Ford Dolphin..................................................... Dartmouth College Auden Rose Ehringer ..................................................... Stanford University Jillian Rea Elkin ................................................................. Vassar College Grant Kennedy Ellman.................................................. University of Southern California (Thornton School of Music) Hannah Sophie Celia Everett ................................... Boston University Clemencia Marie Garcia-Kasimirowski .............. The George Washington University Reed Oliver Gulick-Stutz ............................................ Dartmouth College Truman Theodore Hanks ............................................. Stanford University Isaac Harris Hayman ...................................................... Colby College Isobel Gail Hayne ............................................................. McGill University Erich Noa Herzig............................................................... California Institute of Technology Leah M. Ho-Israel ............................................................ Pomona College Quincy Jefferson Hunter-Daniel ............................ Colorado College Hsin-Yu ª Feliciaº Jiang................................................. University of Chicago Wallace Kalkin ................................................................... Barnard College Kathryn Deanna Kellner .............................................. Vanderbilt University (College of Arts & Sciences) Nayla Christene Kidd..................................................... Columbia University (Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Sci.)

STUDENT

COLLEGE

Alexandra Hayne Kirkwood ....................................... University of Richmond Joanna Solveig Knutsen............................................... Bowdoin College Beatrice Emery Land ...................................................... Vassar College Ann Elizabeth LeFevre................................................... New York University Anasazi Vanessa Levy .................................................... University of California at Los Angeles (College of Letters & Science) Momo Lewis ........................................................................ Occidental College Sophie Jane McMillan .................................................. TBD Mahogany Monette ....................................................... The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Alexander Leben Morris .............................................. Carleton College William Strong Newirth .............................................. New York University Simon Joshua Novich .................................................... New York University Lachlan Ogden Nutting ............................................... Colorado College Cooper Keaton Penner .................................................. Brown University Alexandra Winter Purcell............................................ American University Susanna Jean Renfrew ................................................. High Point University Rachel H. Rex...................................................................... Johns Hopkins University Jae-Hyun Jeffrey Rhee.................................................. Emory University Madison Rubeli ................................................................. Northwestern University (Engineering) Jamie Thomas Rush ........................................................ Dartmouth College Anand Kiran Shah ........................................................... University of Notre Dame Christine Olivia Simonson.......................................... Boston University Yoonhee Lane Sohn ........................................................ Colby College Raúl Soto............................................................................... Occidental College Madeline MacGregor Taylor ..................................... Oberlin College Mia Reynolds Voevodsky............................................. University of Michigan (Literature, Science, & the Arts) Caroline Sheldon Vohr.................................................. Duke University Wade Philip Warren ....................................................... University of California at Santa Barbara (College of Letters & Science) Aidan Lake Waugh.......................................................... Princeton University Sage Whipple ..................................................................... Northeastern University Alexander James Yeagle .............................................. Carleton College Alexander Zaldastani..................................................... Duke University (Pratt School of Engineering)

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THE PERGOLA…

GYMKHANA TRIBUTE This year’s Big Gymkhana was heralded with bagpipes and a moving dedication of the proceedings to Chuck Warren, Jack Huyler, and Willard Wyman.

Then it was off to the races, with Green Team taking top honors.

Below, captains Briggs Boss ’15, Ben Connor ’15, and Lane Sohn ’14 lead Orange Team onto the field.

Fiona Bean `17 and High Style make quick work of the hurry-scurry course.

PUZZLERS VERBATIM: A SOPHOMORE GIRL'S GUIDE TO FRIENDSHIP

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HORTLY BEFORE LEAVING campus at the end of the spring trimester, the girls of Middle School took stock of their year and compiled some advice for next year’s sophomore girls. Here are a few excerpts from the section on friendships:

PLAQUE BUILDUP The Thacher campus is home to scores of historical markers, dedications, and memorial plaques. Can you match these markers to their campus locations?

Match photos (A-F) with their corresponding map locations (1-6) and send your entries to thachermagazine@thacher.org.

C

“This is very, very important: Be forgiving of your friends and be willing to apologize. Be willing to accept an apology. Be willing to apologize even if you think you’re right. Sophomore year is a big transition year and super stressful.”

A B

“Be receptive to how your friends are feeling. Be supportive, be encouraging. Sometimes a hug means a lot more than asking about how someone feels. Do not judge people because they change and surprise you! Honesty and communication are the most important in a solid friendship.”

“Don’t be lazy with your friends. Venture to the other side of the dorm, upstairs or downstairs. It’s worth it. Get to know new people.”

D

E

F

“Make friends with upperclassmen, you can learn a lot from them.

Also, make friends with freshmen! The faculty are pretty cool, too.

And socialize with the boys.”

Alex Morris `14 in the role of Billy Crocker

NUMERACY:

WINTER MUSICAL “IMDB ME” SAYS THE LICENSE PLATE of J.P. Manoux CdeP 1987.

If you heed that request (by looking him up at IMDb.com), you’ll find a long list of dramatic roles that doesn’t include his recent turn as director of the Thacher Masquers’ Production of Anything Goes. For a few days in February, the Milligan Center was transformed into the deck of an ocean liner bound for London, much to the delight of audiences.

Find a highlights video at thacher.org/magazine/spring2014.

I AM THINKING OF A NUMBER whose digits increase reading left to right. Moreover, it is a perfect cube and so is the sum of its digits.

What is the number?

Send entries to thachermagazine@thacher.org.

ARE YOU CARTOGRAPHICALLY ORIENTED? Explore the new interactive Thacher map at cdepedia.thacher.org. It’s just one element of CdePedia, a digital online celebration of Thacher’s 125th anniversary. Learn more about CdePedia on page 28.

THE PERGOLA… Georgie Becker `15 passes to co-captain Ciara Byrne `14.

SCOREBOARDS (FALL/WINTER/SPRING) FALL: CROSS COUNTRY AMONG 10 BEST IN STATE Not only did the boys' and girls' cross country teams qualify for the CIF state championships by winning the Condor League and finishing 2nd and 4th respectively in the Southern Section, but both teams finished in the top 10 at the State Meet in Fresno. The girls placed 9th and the boys took 8th in the state, led by captain Simon Novich CdeP 2014, who placed eighth individually.

WINTER: GIRLS CAGERS MAKE GOOD RUN Despite a roster that included only one senior, co-captain Ciara Byrne, the girls' varsity basketball team racked up a 10-6 record, riding up-tempo offense and ironclad defense to the 2nd round of CIF playoffs before losing to Santa Clara. Co-captain Georgie Becker will be back next year with a talented and seasoned squad ready to see what they can do.

SPRING: THACHER LEAVES THE CONDOR LEAGUE Spring brought the final whistle to Thacher's membership in the Condor League. A redistricting effort designed to improve competitive balance has Thacher joining the Frontier League of the Tri-Valley Athletic Association in the fall of 2014. There, our competitor schools will include Cate, Villanova, Bishop Diego, and Grace Brethren. Given Thacher's departure from the Condor League, it was all the more significant that we were voted this year's winner of the CIF Sportsmanship award for the League. Athletic Director Pete Fagan noted, ªTime and time again, our students rise above the pettiness often seen in high school athletics. They play hard and passionately until the last whistle and cheer proudly, loudly, and positively for their teammates and classmates. Next year will be a new and exciting challenge for our program. There will be games where we won't be the best team on the field or court, but I'm confident that our level of commitment and sportsmanship will outshine every opponent we face.º

Top left: Coaches Sarah DelVecchio and Fred Coleman flank their teams at the state meet. Boys (L to R): Kevin Griffee `15, Simon Novich `14, Jack Richardson `15, Spencer McCune `16, Ryan Jackson `17, Peter Callan `16, Jack Pierrepont `16.

Girls (L to R): Bea Land `14, Sara Voss `16, Isobel Hayne `14, Reade Rossman `16, Sophie MacMillan `14, Arianna Finger `15, Georgie Becker `15.

EDITORS NOTE: Welcome to the new Scoreboards! Instead of duplicating comprehensive season coverage that has long been available via the Thacher website, we plan to use this space to highlight a story or two from recent seasons. As before, ardent Toad fans will find more complete and timely coverage at www.thacher.org/athletics.

I WILL WINS

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HACHER’S ALUMNI and Development Office recently won the gold Circle of Excellence award for targeted campaigns from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Circle of Excellence is advancement’s premier international awards program, acknowledging superior accomplishments that have lasting impact, demonstrate the highest level of professionalism, and deliver exceptional results. The judging, which measured Thacher against 38 other entries (most of them colleges

10 SPRING 2014

and universities with much larger staffs and budgets), recognized the originality and success of the I Will campaign that helped grow membership in Thacher’s Boot Hill Legacy Society by 35 percent. The 107 new members joined a group of loyal friends of Thacher who have remembered Thacher in their estate planning. To join the group, please contact Karleanne Rogers at krogers@thacher.org or visit www.thacher.org/iwill.

FROM THE ARCHIVES 125... 100... 50... 25... YEARS AGO AT THACHER A Backward Glance Through the Pages of CdeP Publications

TWIN PEEKS

125 1889: When it began, no one knew even that it was to be a school, and as it has put on new growth each year no one could foretell what the full-grown institution was to be.

(A Brief History of the School, written longhand by Sherman Day Thacher in 1904 on the occasion of the School's quindecennial)

100 1914: ªI have often wondered what my life would have been if I had not gone to the School, for everything that has happened to me since seems to have flowed from that hour.º (A Schoolboy Remembers, Wilmarth S. Lewis CdeP 1914)

75 1939: ª The spirit of the anniversary was everywhere as the alumni reminisced of the `good old days' when Thacher boys were really a hardy lot of rough riders. We of the present School, although tried almost to the limit of our patience, tolerated these highly incorrect statements and let them pass unchallenged, realizing that in the years to come we will probably be saying much the same things to future generations of Thacher boys.º (Description of the School's 50th anniversary celebrations in The Thacher Notes, April 10, 1939)

50 1964: Established the year before by Mr. Ignon, the Impact Lecture Series brought important speakers to campus in 1964, including Dr. Margaret Meade, famed anthropologist and sociologist, and Dr. William Siri, the second-in-command of the recent American expedition which succeeded in scaling Mount Everest. ª This year's Impact series has been extremely successful in its purpose of enriching the ordinary academic fare with some new challenges and ideas.º (El Archivero, 1964)

25 1989: ª We are gathered to celebrate the School that has played such a strong part in so many lives, to celebrate the students, the faculty, the alumni, and the many others who have given the School shape and life over the years. Most of all, we are honoring the variety of ways in which Sherman Day Thacher's vision is being borne out today. The `honor, fairness, kindness and truth' of his Banquet Song are at the heart of a school busy in ways he could not have imagined. In fact, his spirit is alive in almost everything we do each day. The same academic intensity is here, the same concentration on horses and on the outdoors, the same commitment to service to others, the same focus on responsibility.º (From a speech by Headmaster Willard Wyman at Thacher's Centennial Celebration, El Archivero, 1989)

10 2004: The mission of the History Department is twofold: ªFirst, regardless of the content, we hope to teach the essential reading, analyzing, and writing skills needed for success in the study of history; and second, we aim to prepare our students to live happily and productively in the world they will inherit.º (Dr. David B. Johnston, The Thacher News, Winter 2004)

Paying homage to the photo above by noted architectural photographer Jules Shulman, Dave Lauridsen, whose photos are featured in this issue, captures the same perspective decades later. The Lamb Auditorium has been replaced by the Thacher Commons, but the pepper trees still hold their shapes, which is more than can be said for many of us.

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THE PERGOLA… BLURB & SQUIB FILMS Morgan Neville CdeP 1985 won the 2014 best documentary Oscar for the 2013 release Twenty Feet From Stardom, which he wrote and directed.

The movie takes a look at the heretofore anonymous backup singers and the lives they lead just outside the spotlight. Rolling Stone proclaimed: “Sheer perfection! Just watch Morgan Neville’s exhilarating documentary and try not to stand up and cheer.”

Thomas Beatty CdeP 1999 made a short film for his Senior Exhibition. Now, 15 years later, he has written and co-directed his first feature film The Big Ask. Released by TriBeCa Films, it is now available on iTunes and Amazon. It is a dark comedy about three couples who head to the desert to help their friend Andrew heal from the loss of his mother. The friends plan a week of laughter and rejuvenation. Andrew plans a therapeutic orgy.

The movie stars Jason Ritter, Gillian Jacobs, and David Krumholtz and has been described as a contemporary The Big Chill. You can watch the trailer at www.thebigaskmovie.com.

BOOKS Laurel Braitman CdeP 1995 recently authored Animal Madness: How Anxious Dogs, Compulsive Parrots and Elephants in Recovery Help Us Understand Ourselves. Published by Simon & Schuster in June 2014, the book was immediately named a “best book of the month” by Amazon. Publishers Weekly said: “In this illuminating contribution to the burgeoning field of animal studies, Braitman suggests that the key to understanding mental illness might lie in our pets.”

Casey Mulchay CdeP 2013 was a contributor to the recently published Boarding School Survival Guide, a book written for students by students.

Casey wrote “Standardized Testing: A (Somewhat Burdensome) Rite of Passage,” one of 27 chapters in this unique guide that’s designed to help students navigate life at boarding school by offering essential advice on campus visits, roommates, dorm life, social life, coping with homesickness, finding a mentor, and much more.

12 SPRING 2014

Top: 20 Feet From Stardom earned an Oscar for Morgan Neville CdeP 1985.

Bottom: Thomas Beatty CdeP 1999 knows how to put his characters into difficult situations in ways that will make you both laugh and squirm.

BLURB & SQUIB In March 2014, Mary Paredes Karnes CdeP 1978 published her first book, a mystery called Simply the Best. The plot follows Grace McKenna, a spunky, beautiful wedding planner in exclusive Santa Barbara. It was first published in eBook format and is available for Kindle.

THE THACHER HISTORY BOOKSHELF No Toad’s library would be complete without the following four works, listed in order of original publication.

Sherman Thacher and His School, by LeRoy McKim Makepeace CdeP 1932 Originally published in 1941, this engaging work tells the authoritive story of how Mr. Thacher came to Ojai and unexpectedly found himself establishing a school. This is a must read for anybody who is curious about the origins of Thacher and the life of our founder.

The Taft-Thacher Letters, Edited by W. G. Nicholson From two long-connected families, Sherman Day Thacher and Horace Dutton Taft attended Yale together and saw their friendship deepen as they went on to found the boarding schools that still bear their names. This edition of their correspondence illuminates their friendly rivalry as they experience struggles and triumphs as fledgling headmasters.

The Stamp of the School, by John S. “Jack” Huyler Subtitled “Reminiscences of The Thacher School 1949-1992,” this book by one of Thacher’s favorite historians offers an exhaustively detailed (and thoroughly indexed) record of School affairs during an important era in its evolution.

The Thacher School, by John Taylor CdeP 1965 Using more than 200 thoughtfully captioned archival photos, John captures the history and essence of Thacher and its progress into the 21st century. As Michael Mulligan notes in the foreward, “Like the aroma of the Los Padres sage and the Ojai orange blossoms, it will leave you both more at peace and better acquainted with what generations of students and teachers have experienced at The Thacher School.”

Top: Casey Mulchay CdeP 2013 contributed a chapter to The Boarding School Survival Guide. Left: We have all thought our pet should have its head examined; Laurel Braitman CdeP 1995 actually does it. Above: Required reading.

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ARMCHAIR WANDERING…

Letter from Northern Uganda Before you can solve the present, you have to understand the past.

by Alden Blair CdeP 2001

L

AST SEPTEMBER MY FIANCÉE,

Lisa, and I relocated to Northern Uganda near the town of Gulu to pursue our mutual interests in health care for underserved and marginalized communities and, more specifically for me, PhD research in the complex interweaving of post-conflict trauma, substance use, and HIV/ AIDS. Gulu is a long, bumpy, seven-hour drive from Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and—while the biggest city in the North—life there has a small-town feeling, with the majority of the population living in surrounding small villages and towns. A friend here compared Gulu to a cinematic depiction of the “Wild West” with a narrow urban band running straight through town, cut by a wide thoroughfare hosting the main shops, and then quickly petering out onto side roads.

Lisa and I live in a small apartment in the compound of St. Mary’s Lacor Hospital, 15 minutes outside Gulu, where she splits her time working as a midwife in the maternity ward and teaching in the nursing and midwifery schools while I pursue my doctoral research. After years of success in battling HIV, Uganda is now one of two countries in sub-Saharan Africa where the disease is again on the rise. Prevention and treatment programs in the North, which is still very much rebuilding after over two decades of civil war, are limited due to a lack of evidence underlyFALL 2012 1400SPRING 2014

ing most aid programs. Given the cyclical potential of trauma experienced in one generation to manifest in the next, we are trying to better understand the drivers of health inequities and, in doing so, offer culturally sensitive, evidence-based, and, most importantly, feasible solutions.

On a typical day, we rise around 6 a.m. to the sound of roosters, the sweeping of stoops, drawing of water, and a hospital already well into its day. I try to begin each morning with a run outside the hospital grounds to help ground myself. My route takes me through the bush, past small villages and the massive Romanesque-inspired St. Joseph’s Cathedral (once visited by Pope John Paul II). I follow the fractured Gulu-Juba road, the main highway lifeline for supplies to South Sudan.

In the last five months sightings of tanks, trucks full of soldiers, and UN World Food Program vehicles have become fairly common as South Sudan sadly slides back into conflict. Indeed, evidence of the complex history and future of the region are everywhere: There are the overgrown train tracks once laid by the British heading from the DRC to Nairobi, just ‘reopened’ in anticipation of helping transport newfound oil wealth in the region; there are new health centers financed with money from the World Bank, housing top-of-the-line equipment, yet hindered by a lack of reliable water and

power infrastructure; and there are new cell towers everywhere bringing 4G wifi and a world of information to areas that largely skipped landlines. Closer to home, around the corner from our apartment, are monuments and graves of the hospital’s Italian founders, its first Ugandan medical director, and the many staff and students who died after selflessly volunteering to treat the ill during one of the region’s worst Ebola outbreaks.

These days much of my work is dictated by the weather, and by which roads are impassable due to the downpours of the rainy season. Our research project works with more than 2,500 participants spread throughout three large rural districts of the North. We follow their lives through yearly socio-demographic questionnaires, take blood samples to track HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and screen for depression

C LO C K WI S E F RO M TO P L EF T: Blair and Lisa at the airport in Entebbe on a visit to Tanzania; a poster at the St. Mary's Lacor Hospital uses a local dialect to encourage breastfeeding; Blair's daily run took him through a dazzle of zebras.

and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), so that we can refer those in need of further care.

After conducting interviews, our research team likes to break in the midday for chai, a steaming brew of cow’s milk fresh from the udder, strong tea bags, and spoonfuls of sugar.

We are frequently approached by study participants who share their excitement at a negative HIV test, ask questions about referrals to care, and offer thanks ranging from handshakes to bags of fried and salted termites.

There are times when I question the merits of my work, the challenge of moving away from family and friends, and the ultimate impact of my efforts. Particularly difficult has been the recent passage, with much fanfare, of a series of laws in Uganda that outlaw homosexuality and pornography, including “corruptive” Western dress such as skirts above

the knee. This has seen the mass outing of LGTBQ individuals by the press and frequent reports of assaults against women. Further, the U.S.-funded Walter Reed Research Project, which has spent tens of millions of dollars fighting HIV/AIDS in Uganda since 1998, was recently raided by police officers and had staff arrested for “promoting the homosexual agenda” simply for engaging in research and HIV prevention programs with at-risk men who have sex with men. Amidst such institutional obstacles to human rights, gender equity, and public health, it can be difficult to feel optimistic about possibilities for change.

However, when I remember the enthusiasm of our participants and staff, their endurance of spirit in spite the hardships in the region’s history, I remain inspired to be here and to continue moving forward.

It is said that the days here pass slowly, but that the weeks fly by; I’ve certainly found this to be true as my time is wrapping up and I’ll be heading back to the United States in July.

Despite this fast-approaching deadline, I will always be connected to this place, and will be back many times in the coming years.

The ThAcheR SchooL 15

16 spring 2014

Understanding Backwards.

Living Forwards. b PRINICIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE LAURIDSEN

Why study history? Kierkegaard offers a hint: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” As Thacher marks a major milestone and peers into its next 125 years, we wanted to examine the topic of history and Thacher history in particular. So, we begin with The Future of History, which offers a glimpse into our History Department and the evolving ways in which it prepares students to understand and meet the demands of a complex world. We also take a photographic peek at changes in the idea of the classroom and how one ought to look. Next, we turn to some alumni involved in historical inquiry and learn from them about what they do with the past and why it could matter to our futures. Last, we introduce you to CdePedia, a new platform we’ve created to spark a community celebration of our School’s first 125 years. Through it all, we are reminded of the many ways that the past serves the present and informs the future.

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THE FUTURE OF HISTORY:

THACHER’S EVOLVING HISTORY CURRICULUM

T

HERE IS A SHIFT AFOOT in the way history is skills embedded in it. But I think the vast majority say, being taught in America. An article in the May ‘Copy this down, fill in the blank ’—that sort of thing.”

2014 issue of The Atlantic characterized this Thacher’s History Department is one such island. The shift as one away from “lecture, textbook, and coverchanges Lesh encourages are reflected in Thacher’s latest age” toward an approach that emphasizes skills over rote strategic plan, which recognizes the value of more active, knowledge. The article quotes Bruce Lesh, co-founder participatory learning and places renewed emphasis on of the Center for History Education at the University of teaching global perspectives and developing leadership Maryland, who advocates for an approach that introand other skills. “Deep learning,” the plan acknowledges, duces students to the tools historians use in their own “requires a complement of classroom instruction and firstresearch, rather than placing the emphasis on the mashand experience.” tery of facts and dates. “I think there are islands of innoSo how are these goals changing the way history is vation and people who are seeing history as a discipline taught at Thacher? Let us turn, as the historians do, to with a particular body of literacy skills and thinking primary sources.

FROM THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR

Mr. Carney preps his Af-Pak class for team presentations.

18 spring 2014

IT’S AN EXCITING TIME to be a history student at Thacher, given some recent changes in the curriculum.

As we become less tied to the narrow demands of covering traditionally prescribed historical periods, we are able to offer electives and core courses that are richer, more engaging, and more relevant to our students. Such courses offer a double gain: The faculty is able to focus more time and attention on our discipline’s central skills of research, analysis, and argumentation, while students are able to have more of a say in the types of topics we cover. Now we even routinely poll students about what senior electives they’d like us to offer, something that was unheard of when I went to school. Similarly, our sophomores are able to choose from an enticing offering of nonwestern electives, such as the histories of Afghanistan-Pakistan, Africa, China, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim. With their strong ties to current events, these courses make for rich learning experiences as we grapple with the influences of the past on today’s headlines.

This curricular flexibility also allows us to explore interdisciplinary approaches. American Studies, for example, is an honors course for juniors that coordinates with concurrent work being done in the English classes; and, while Honors American History is more of a stand-alone course, there are plenty of moments when the two departments join forces on particular units, be it the Industrial Age or the Harlem Renaissance.

In many important ways, the “new” methods of teaching history we are hearing about have long been central to our department’s approach. When I arrived here 13 years ago, I was impressed by David Johnston’s emphasis on the development of critical thinking and analytical writing skills; the commitment to facilitating engaging, discussion-based classes; the emphasis on incorporating primary documents into one’s argument; and the dedication to working with students throughout the day and well into study hall.

Furthermore, Thacher’s intimate and deeply connected community provides us with a great opportunity. Given the positive student-teacher relationships, we’re able to ask more of the students. We can push them to achieve at levels they may not feel they’re capable of, and they’re willing to hear our constructive criticism when working on an essay, for example, because they trust us. They know that the feedback is well intentioned and comes from a good place, and so they want to go the extra mile. And, as a result, we as teachers are inspired by their effort and the quality of their work. Working closely with students in this reciprocal manner is the most rewarding aspect of our teaching.

Following are a few examples from around the department.

—Jason Carney, History Department Chair

THE POLITICAL USES OF VIOLENCE Bob St. George offers a class called The Political Uses of Violence, which explores topics including terrorism, genocide, revolutions, human rights violations, torture, and religious violence. Students begin by studying theories of why political violence exists and how it is justified by those who use it, and then they apply this theoretical understanding by analyzing particular cases from around the world. This sort of “authentic assessment” represents a departure from the largely memorybased history exams of yore.

“I’m much more interested in measuring student learning in terms of the essential 21st-century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity, and digital literacy,” explains Bob. His student Laura Kirkland ’15 said, “In this class I received a solid foundation for understanding the motivations behind political violence, as well as the historical context in which each situation must be viewed; it provided me with a lens through which I am now able to more fully understand current crises concerning political violence in today’s world.”

“AN APPROACH THAT INTRODUCES STUDENTS TO THE TOOLS HISTORIANS USE IN THEIR OWN RESEARCH, RATHER THAN PLACING THE EMPHASIS ON THE MASTERY OF FACTS AND DATES” —THE ATLANTIC

MR. THACHER’S CALIFORNIA To share their research, the students in Mike McGowan’s American Studies class constructed a website called Mr. Thacher’s California. Working in teams, they focused their research on a particular historical development in California at the time of the School’s founding, and many of them were able to find sources in the Thacher Archives that allow a vivid glimpse of what life was like at Casa de Piedra in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Juniors Orren Fox, Sarah Van Son, and Charlie Morgenstein reached the following nuanced conclusion in a paper called The Lives of Chinese Laborers at Thacher: The Thacher School was ahead of its time in how it treated its immigrant workers. Compared to other Chinese immigrants living in America, Lee Quong and his staff lived like kings. On the other hand, the lives of the Chinese at Thacher paled in comparison to the lives of the average middle class white American. Sherman Day Thacher and The Thacher School’s treatment of the Chinese is very much understandable, although slightly unsettling, when placed in the greater historical context.

Read more at: http://blogs.thacher.org/amstudsSDTcali/

HISTORY ON THE WING If it is useful to bring current world events into the classroom, how much more so to take the classroom out into the world? History teacher Sarah DelVecchio has partnered up with Thacher’s teacher of Mandarin, Eric Shi, to lead summer trips to China. “Our travels bring to life the class I teach on modern and ancient Chinese history and culture,” explained Sarah, “as well as reinforce the importance of diplomatic relations in the Asia Pacific region, the primary topic of a course I offer called Diplomacy in the Pacific Rim.” These trips offer students irreplaceable firsthand experiences that not only round out their study of China, but nurture the sense of global citizenship that is one of the goals of a Thacher education. As senior Alex Yeagle said, “It was an unforgettable cultural immersion with wonderful food and even better companions.”

Though Lee Quong and his Thacher kitchen staff were treated well by contemporaneous standards, they were isolated from the rest of the campus community.

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Some things change, some stay the same. For this issue, we asked photographer Dave Lauridsen to create an updated version of the image at right, a photo of Austen Pierpont's Lamb Auditorium by noted architectural photographer Jules Shulman. Below: Alice Hyde talks history with Dr. DelVecchio.

IMPRESSIONS OF A RECENT ARRIVAL

BORDER CROSSINGS: HISTORY IN LANGUAGE CLASS

An accomplished historian once wrote that studying history should always have a “humanizing effect”—that is to say it should enable us to expand our conception and understanding of what it means to be human. Since I arrived at Thacher seven months ago, I have observed that this is a goal that Thacher’s history faculty takes very seriously.

Ultimately, our students’ development is not to be found in lists of memorized facts, but in synthetic forms of thought, the ability to grasp cause and effect, their capacity to follow a sustained argument, and the power to evaluate. Our best measurement of success is not students’ selection of a right answer, but rather the nature of students’ reasoning, their ability to connect ideas, and the justifications they offer for their conclusions.

—Donald Okpalugo, History Department Faculty

Like events themselves, the instruction of history need not observe borders. Jeff Hooper, with “dual citizenship” in the History and Language Departments, moves freely across departmental lines. “In recent years I’ve used my Spanish VI class to explore historical materials and methods. I’ve offered classes on the Mexican Revolution and this year on the effects of drug trafficking on modern Mexico.”

The big advantage from a historical perspective, Jeff says, “is that students get access to primary sources that are either less revelatory or unavailable in translation.” In the case of Mexico, this is especially true of popular sources like songs and films. “By getting closer to primary sources in their original cultural context,” explains Jeff, “we understand the history better on its own terms.”

“DEEP LEARNING REQUIRES A COMPLEMENT OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE.” —THACHER STRATEGIC PLAN 2017

READ, DISCUSS, WRITE: THE JOHNSTON METHOD Dr. David Johnston, who taught history at Thacher from 1978 to 2007, exerted a strong and lasting influence on students and also left an indelible stamp on the department’s pedagogical approach. Below are excerpts from the way David would explain his approach to teaching history when addressing parents who visited his classroom on Family Weekends. You may find the full text online at www.thacher.org/magazine/spring2014.

You can not truly master the content if you have not developed your analytical skills, just as you can not master those skills without a body of content on which to focus them.

The two go hand in hand. In all of our academic courses, we develop our skills by working on particular bodies of content. In our history courses, the skills are easy to state—we read, we discuss, we write. But they are anything but easy to master!

WE READ...

One of my favorite exercises is to ask students to sit and think for a few minutes after reading an assignment and then have them reduce the assignment to a one-sentence statement of the central theme. If they can do that, I can hope that they have truly engaged the reading, whether it is from a secondary source, a primary source, or a historiographical essay.

WE DISCUSS...

We do have some time for formal debates and for research-based presentations, but on the vast majority of days, we simply talk about the material. My job is to find focused questions, to structure the discussion, and to guide students so as to help them deepen their understanding.

WE WRITE...

We learn, we analyze, and we communicate. With the luxury of small classes, l have no use for short-answer or multiple-choice questions. True, these require students to have learned factual knowledge, but they are essentially passive exercises. Writing essays, in contrast, requires active comprehension, analysis, and argumentation.

20 spring 2014

HOW IS THIS WORKING? ONE RECENT GRAD WEIGHS IN With inspiring dynamism and passion for what they do, the history faculty taught me how to think beyond the easy and to seek out more complex analyses of the past. Whether we were acting out a Supreme Court case or sifting through the maze of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, history at Thacher never failed to foster a love of learning for learning’s sake as well as an understanding of the relevance of the past to the present. That history at Thacher prepared me so tremendously to tackle college courses with a sense of confidence in my analytical abilities is a testament to the strength and rigor of the program, as well as the teachers who enact it.

—Alice Hyde CdeP 2012, Harvard Class of 2016

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CLASSROOM

The focus is clear: It's all about Mr. Thacher and the text from which he reads.

THE DESIGN OF LEARNING SPACES and the technology within those spaces reflect our understanding of how learning takes place, and reveal our priorities about what ought to be learned. Since Mr. Thacher’s day, the stand and deliver approach (or, in the case of the photo at right, the sit and listen approach) has given way to more collaborative, interactive teaching methods. Some of the most obvious changes in the design and furnishings of the typical classroom can be seen to the immediate right.

THE CLASSROOMS OF THE FUTURE will take cues from the Harkness table and the Smart Board (pictured right), which facilitate give and take, encourage student presentation of information, and provide immediate access to a wide range of media. And we will add versatile classrooms that borrow features from hands-on, collaborative, and project-oriented spaces such as the art studio, the woodshop, and the robotics lab (pictured on facing page).

22 spring 2014

The early interdisciplinary classroom: Texts for every subject on the desks and art on the walls.

Teacher sitting at the table, no longer the ª sage on the stage,º but a collaborator and coach.

Students use a Smart Board to present material, taking some leadership in their learning.

Hydration! H20, we now know, is critical for brain function. Let the kids drink.

Technology is ubiquitous, but books still rule the day.

PHOTO/ILLUSTRATION CREDIT HERE

The Next Classroom The classroom of the future looks to those classrooms of the past most focused on students doing rather than simply receiving—the art studio, the chemistry lab. In these spaces students can work individually or collaboratively, discovery is a dynamic and iterative process, and technology is a means to the ultimate end—enduring and effective learning.

Thacher’s strategic plan has set into motion the process of imagining, designing, and building these new spaces, and of continuing to support the faculty as they develop their own teaching practices to meet the demands of a complex and changing world.

What should these spaces look like?

Learning was a coat and tie occasion.

The Thacher School 01

DOING HISTORY:

ALUMNI SHARE PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD HISTORY’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE

By Steve Lewis CdeP 1985, history professor at CSU Chico IT MIGHT SEEM ODD that a financial aid kid from Oxnard would take his first steps toward becoming a professor of Latin American history at Thacher, but that’s exactly what happened.

At Thacher, I began to study Spanish and became thoroughly engrossed in history, especially after taking David Johnston’s European history class. I ended up taking every history class that Thacher offered. History opened my eyes to the world around me and got me to ask the big questions about where humanity has been and where it’s going. That was pretty heady stuff for a kid who had never been on an airplane before.

Since the mid-1990s, when I began researching my dissertation in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico has been an integral part of my professional and personal life. In 1998, I began teaching Latin American history at California State University, Chico. I also coordinate the major in Latin American Studies. Recently, I’ve been spending my summers trying to finish a book on the history of official Indian policy in Mexico. Starting in August 2014, I’ll become chair of Chico State’s History department.

To be honest, I can’t imagine a worse time to teach in California’s public university system! The California State University, which consists of 23 campuses and serves the state’s working- and middleclass families, has suffered possibly irreparable damage over the last dozen years. Student tuition and fees have quadrupled since 1998 as the system grapples with dwindling state support. My department is half the size that it was at the time of my hire, yet we still serve the same number of students. Perhaps most ominously, we only have about half the number of majors that we had in 2006. My challenge as chair will be to rebuild our major in a budget climate that is only now showing signs of improving.

Those of us who teach in the humanities today face strong headwinds. Nationwide, the number of students majoring in these fields has declined by roughly 20 percent since the Great Recession.

At Chico State, the decline is even steeper; almost all students now choose pre-vocational majors. And who can blame them? As tuition and fees rise, more students go into serious debt and work 20 to 40 hours a week while attending school full time. Still, I ask myself whether coursework in criminal justice (currently the fastest-grow-

ing major on campus) will broaden horizons and provide students with the skills and cultural preparation to function in our increasingly interconnected world.

Some claim that the solution to our budgetary woes is online education, but in the humanities the results have been dismal. Our disciplines are interpretative. They require the kind of face-to-face give-and-take that you get in a traditional classroom setting. Moreover, as I learned at Thacher, there is no substitute for reasonable student-faculty ratios, smaller classrooms, and faculty who know your name and show some interest in who you are.

In short, the challenge facing higher education in California today is to inspire and connect with students and prepare them for local and global citizenship with a greatly diminished resource base.

Forty percent of Chico State’s history majors become teachers in California’s junior high and high schools. Most of these students belong to the demographic that I grew up with in Oxnard. They, too, deserve excellent instruction and mentorship so that they can do their part to inspire the next generation to broaden their horizons and contemplate where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR REASONABLE STUDENT-FACULTY RATIOS, SMALLER CLASSROOMS, AND FACULTY WHO KNOW YOUR NAME AND SHOW SOME INTEREST IN WHO YOU ARE.

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TEACHING ART HISTORY BY MAKING IT PERSONAL

By Lele Herron Galer CdeP 1979, art history educator and creator of Art in Action curriculum I WRITE AND TEACH an art history program called Art in Action for students and their parents in my local public school district in Pennsylvania. This program reaches 2,000 children and 200 parent volunteers every year. First, I teach the parent volunteers about the images, and then they teach the kids in the classroom with an interactive approach. This art history lesson is followed by a handson art installation project that allows the kids to take an element of what they learned intellectually and apply it artistically. It is a great learning device, and creates an incredible environment of gorgeous murals throughout all of the schools.

One of the most important art history lessons is to humanize the artist and the subject matter. When I was writing Art in Action, I was told by one of the art teachers that the one thing students are never allowed to say is whether or not they like something.

What if that is the first thing they are asked? In fact, as soon as the students are prompted with “Do you love it or hate it?” there is an avalanche of enthusiastic responses from every corner. Once they have personalized the work with an emotional response, it is a whole lot easier to talk about what the artist is trying to do in the image. Art becomes relevant. Art history suddenly becomes approachable and meaningful, not rarified and separate. Another way to connect the students and the parents is to ask them how something would look if this or that were changed—a red sky instead of blue, straight lines instead of curvy, etc., and as soon as the viewer is able intellectually to manipulate the imagery elements, the artist become humanized, the image becomes less frozen, and the viewer understands that this artwork was created by hundreds of choices. Anybody can memorize facts, but really understanding any element of history means that you have to get a sense of what it felt like to be there and make the choices that were made.

Thacher education allows us to understand the world in a broad view, and that makes the world a more fascinating place to live and learn. Most students and adults are not so lucky, so I use art history, really actively seeing art, as a great way to open up the world of ideas.

FROM THE THACHER SCHOOL TO THE VENETIAN REPUBLIC

By Lodovico Pizzati CdeP 1991 I LEFT OJAI after receiving the 1991 History Award, but instead of continuing with history, I specialized in economics with a PhD from Georgetown. However, I treasured the lessons learned at Thacher from Mr. Shagam’s Political Philosophy, Mr. Friborg’s Contemporary American History, Mr. Lamb’s U.S. History, and countless history conversations with Mr. Filippone.

At Thacher I was an exchange student coming from Italy, so I had the opportunity to compare different school systems. In Italian schools, history lessons barely made it to World War II, as there were so many ancient Roman and Medieval battles to memorize. Instead, at Thacher, there was so much emphasis on the contemporary. Of course, a complete curriculum takes care of all centuries, but the lesson I learned was that we are living history, we are making history. And when history is approached as a live and evolving subject, it gets intertwined with everything, especially politics and economics.

I realized this when, as a graduate student at Georgetown, I attended a lecture by Professor Alberto Alesina from Harvard University, who was presenting a paper that later became a book: The Size of Nations. His point was that political boundaries are not set in stone like geological boundaries. Borders are set by people, and, as anything determined by social interactions, they are eventually bound to change. For example, Alesina has studied the rapid increase in the number of countries in the world, from around 70 after World War II, to the current number approaching 200. He argues that a shift from protectionist policies toward freer trade has made it possible for smaller countries to survive and thrive. This trend is far from over, as Catalonia, Scotland, and the Flanders also have popular and institutional support to become independent states.

Surrounded by these current events, I came to think of a similar situation in my home land. I was born and raised in the Veneto region, whose capital, Venice, once had dominated half

The Thacher school 25

ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET, GO! In and out of the classroom, Thacher students balance the legacies of the past with the requirements of the future. Whether in the context of their individual life stories, Thacher traditions, or classroom discussions, a well-tuned historical skill set gives them the tools to understand backward and live forward.

the Mediterranean for several centuries. Perhaps, as the pendulum of time has been swinging away from protectionism, the Venetian Republic may also rise back from history’s vault. In fact, from just 12 percent of Venetians favoring independence in 2007, an early 2014 poll showed that 64 percent of Veneto citizens are now for independence.

I myself took an activist role in lobbying the Venetian institutions to hold a regional referendum on independence, just like Scotland will do on September 17, 2014. I was directly involved in promoting a March 16 referendum organized by a network of Venetian townships who, in order to cut costs, adopted an e-voting platform similar to those already in use in Estonia and Switzerland.

With over two million people participating, and a majority voting in favor of independence, the referendum was a success, and now its

validity is being verified as the participation rate was not deemed high enough.

Venice is where the word “ballot” comes from, as for centuries the Maggior Consiglio, Venice’s governing assembly, elected the Doge by casting secret votes using “balls” as part of an intricate system of checks and balances to avoid “imbroglio”, another Venetian word meaning side deals in the garden (“brolo”), as opposed to in the “lobby.” I was happy to see that, as with their ancestors, contemporary Venetians organized themselves to bring voting innovation by casting secure digital ballots as part of a cutting edge system never before seen in Italy.

Innovations are often a bottom-up process, and so is historical change.

A NEW KIND OF TEXTBOOK

By Erica Puccetti CdeP 2006, middle school teacher “I LIKED LEARNING ABOUT IT this way, rather than just reading a big textbook with lots of words that kind of scares me,” said one sixth grader after finishing a crosscurricular project. She had just read The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, which tells the fictional tale of a 12-year-old girl in a war-torn, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

In other classes, the students had simultaneously explored the history of conflict in Afghanistan, discussed issues related to fresh water that affect Afghanis and others around the globe, and examined the shapes and patterns in Islamic tiles before designing and creating their own.

In a world full of distractions competing for students’ attention, teachers constantly search for ways to bring their subjects to life for today’s youth. Often their solution is to collaborate with other departments so that students can interact with the material through different avenues. Our “Afghanistan Unit” was born from an initial desire to bring history and English together, though we also found connections to other subjects.

The relationship between history and literature is often an easy one to spot.

Simply put, history is a series of stories about real-life people and events. Literature, too, is a vast collection of stories. By

26 spring 2014

connecting topics in history with fictional characters, we are able to reach middle school students on their own terms, as they read about challenges that affect people their own age. Some of these challenges are timeless and universal—annoying siblings, first kisses, and overbearing parents—and some seem alien to today’s American student—hostile government takeovers, the stripping of people’s rights, and a lack of vital resources. Bringing together a relatable world and one that appears distant helps students connect with history on a more profound level, and understanding the issues of the time in which an author wrote or the social and political climate a character experiences helps the English student more deeply appreciate the literature they read.

While the parallels between history and literature may be easy to make, the connections between history and math and science sometimes require more creativity.

When students begin to think of a subject in an easily contained box, they lose some of their intellectual soul. Our challenge is to encourage curiosity. How do we get adolescents to care about, as one middle schooler said, “something that happened to people a long time ago that doesn’t affect us”? We can not send every student into

the world to experience different countries and cultures on their own. Instead we find connections in school not only between history and literature, but between all subjects, so that we can reach all types of learners and break down the boundaries separating subjects. Although middle schoolers may not yet appreciate the interconnectedness of the world around them, we try, with greater collaboration, to get them to see that history is not merely scary words in a textbook; it is, in fact, created every day and in every subject.

The Thacher School 01

PHOTO/ILLUSTRATION CREDIT HERE

INTRODUCING CdePEDIA

A VIRTUAL CELEBRATION OF THACHER’S FIRST 125 YEARS CdePedia (cdepedia.thacher.org) is an interactive website launched by The Thacher School on May 5, 2014—the 125th day of our 125th year. Intended to be a virtual celebration of Thacher’s history, the site comprises an interactive timeline, map, and A-to-Z glossary to create a digital experience designed to encourage alumni, family, faculty, and students to share and record our common history. The site was developed with the help of Prove (formerly Placements), a digital marketing firm headed by David Shor CdeP 1988.

Taking a crowdsourcing approach to exploring our history, the site announces that “This is your Thacher,” inviting users to upload media and written memories, and encourag-

ing them to comment on and add to the content they find there. The public site is the most visible aspect of a concerted effort to digitize the School’s rich archival holdings in order to better preserve them and enable new ways of sharing them with the Thacher community.

“We didn’t want to limit our recognition of this milestone to a single day under a large tent, where a relative few would gather and even fewer would speak for all,” explains Director of Alumni Relations Suzie Nixon. “Instead, we envisioned a yearlong celebration and many smaller gatherings and exchanges of impressions and images that capture the Thacher experience.”

EARLY ADOPTERS APPROVE This site is amazing. I love the timeline. I will add a memory this weekend. Ð Diana Lewis Callahan CdeP 1984 It's fantastic! Really fantastic. ÐJohn Carver CdeP 1953 I am enjoying going through the 125th anniversary website¼.my first tour left me wowed! Ð Bill Dawson CdeP 1972

28 spring 2014

Go online to read more submissions, explore CdePedia, and read about David Shor’s connection to Thacher and this project at www.thacher.or/magazine/spring2014.

HOW TWEET IT IS CELEBRATING THACHER IN 125 CHARACTERS (OR WORDS) We asked members of the Thacher community to celebrate Thacher and their favorite Thacher characters, including their horses, in either 125 characters or 125 words. We’ve included a few of their responses on this page.

You can find many more online at cdepedia.thacher.org.

...in 125 words (more or less)

... in 125 characters (give or take)

OTHER HORSES by Don Porter CdeP 1962

@ELENA McGAHEY CdeP 2013 Eating every single meal on the Pergola during my senior spring. #cdep

Some horses speak right at you, intentions given as if their spirits encouraged such clarity.

@MAGGIE MILLER CdeP 2011 Watching the sunrise from the ridge with a best friend and granola on an early morning hike before class.

Other horses say it through you; desires, no less clearly stated, acknowledge the two of you are one.

There are those few horses who, by reflection, show you what you are, what your moment brings.

If, by some grace, you are given all three, accept that smile of good fortune: providence is ahoof.

I AM FROM by Eve Stacey CdeP 1983 I am from Domine, salvum fac Voices united, closing each day Shagam’s geo game, Robbie’s philosophy debates Dinner a poor cousin to Thacher’s now buffet I am from the sweat, determination as Thacher’s first girl to climb Langley Weakest tennis player, watching Lamb’s pointy red felt hat Did history grade suffer from feeble court showing?

I am from the peace of the valley Soft-setting light married with smell of orange blossoms Prodding math-partner Derick out of procrastination at the SUB Erasing “P” on my books he changed from “T” in STACEY I am from medieval a capella madrigals With me in music that plays today I am connected and confident Honor, fairness, kindness & truth I am from Thacher

@JENSEN HODGE CdeP 2011 For all the wisdom, knowledge, and counsel that Marvin Shagam has bestowed on me and the rest of the Thacher community. @SARRA MAEVE WYNN CdeP 2010 In honor of Mr. Peter Robinson. The teacher who gave me the inspiration, advice, and wit whether solicited or not. @LESLEY SUN CdeP 2007 Hooves thundering down the lanes of the first race on Big Gymkhana Day. @PATRICK TEAGUE CdeP 2011 ª Patrick, have you ever seen an old man cry? Well it's not a pretty sight, but you'll see it if you don't pick up that silver dollar today.º - Uncle Jack, 2007 @KRISTEN FINDLEY CdeP 2009 I remember laughing to myself as Mr. Perry told me I was going to run a 5:05 min mile at the Ventura County Championships. And then I did it. @JULIANNA CHILDS CdeP 2013 Though I have many memories, what I remember most fondly are my relationships with Mr. Fagan, Dr. DelVecchio, Mr. Sohn, and Mrs. Mulligan. They were not my teachers but my temporary parents. They represent equally who I am and who I aspire to be. @GIOVANNA GRIGSBY-ROCCA CdeP 2012 AP Government with Mike McGowan must have been one of the most stimulating, relevant, and genuinely entertaining classes I have taken in my academic career. @MARGUERITE KISSEL CdeP 2005 The words ª Hope for the best, prepare for the worstº, written on the camping gear shed, continue to resonate with me as I choose how to approach difficult life choices and challenges. They haven't steered me wrong yet! @MAX PILLSBURY CdeP 2008 2 am wake up in the Sespe, riding through the night to escape the next day's sun. The moon set and we traveled in darkness, seeing only the sparks from hooves striking rocks along the trail. @LELAND FRANKLIN CdeP 2004 In celebration of the amazing Alice and Kurt Meyer. I miss you guys. @SARAH BONEYSTEELE CdeP 2010 One of my favorite Thacher memories is the long hot run into town, especially when it was a gauntlet of orange blossoms.

The Thacher school 29

HOW DO YOU PICTURE HISTORY? Strip out the color and it would be hard to say what century, let alone what year, this photo was taken. Apart from the telephone pole, it could easily have been taken in Thacher's earliest days instead of April 2014. The image on the facing page captures history from a different angle, in the accretion of years and the lists of names of those who have taken their turns and left their marks upon the Thacher experience.

00 FALL 2013

The Thacher School 01

GATHERINGS… 125 125 =Years =

=Years =

Established in 1889

The Thacher School

CELEBRATING OUR 125 Years FIRST 125 YEARS =

=

Established in 1889

125 =Years =

TELLING TALES OUT OF SCHOOL The Thacher School

by Derick Perry CdeP 1983

O

N APRIL 20, A COUPLE OF WEEKS before Cinco de Mayo—the 125th day of this 125th year—several retired and current long-time faculty members gathered to celebrate Thacher’s 125th by sharing memories about Thacher. The stories ranged from High Sierra travails to campus tales of student hijinks. David and Phyllis Johnston hosted the gathering at their lovely home in Ventura. Peals of laughter could be heard up and down the beach as each story led to further stories and good feelings about time shared at our special spot in the East End of Ojai.

Most of the retired faculty who attended arrived at Thacher in the 1970s and played important roles in the transformations that have made Thacher the place we experience today, touching the lives of countless students along the way. Faculty attendees included Terry and Cricket Twichell, Don and Sue Reed, Geoff and Mike Bird, Chris Yates, Marvin Shagam, Fred Coleman, Bo and Julie Manson, Jake Jacobsen, Elizabeth Bowman, Joy Sawyer Mulligan and Michael Mulligan, Cecilia Ortiz, Derick CdeP 1983 and Molly Perry CdeP 1985, Bert and Liz Mahoney CdeP 1988, Jeff and Kara Hooper, Karleanne Rogers, and Jane McCarthy. Alumna Janie Richardson CdeP 1983 also joined the gathering while Tyler Manson CdeP 2001 and Lauren Cerré CdeP 2001 recorded stories for the archives.

While most of the stories centered on students, some dealt with first encounters with Thacher and its customs. From arrivals on 32 SPRING 2014

Faculty storytelling party generously hosted by Phyllis and David Johnston at their lovely beach home. Geoff and Mike Bird came to Thacher in 1973 ª to escape the Massachusetts cold for a bit.º The Birds remained at Thacher from 1973 to 1991.

campus to first forays into the wilderness, the faculty remembered scorpions, rattlesnakes, and bears—and that was just on campus! Of course, many of the stories involved the enigmatic and inimitable Chuck Warren. Chuck, who passed away last fall, taught many of the faculty about the outdoors in his own unique style. Cecilia Ortiz shared her first experience with Chuck in the Golden Trout Wilderness, saying, “After a day exploring the area around

camp, we settled in to learn about Thacher— expectations about teaching, advising, and other duties. We did this over a tasty mountain meal. I asked Chuck where to wash my dishes, and he took my cup, scooped up some dirt,and spit into it. He then took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it all out. He smiled, handed me the cup, and said, ‘Now you are ready for some coffee.’ As you can imagine, that was the beginning of the end for me and camping.”

Janie Richardson CdeP 1983, Molly Perry CdeP 1985, Cecelia Ortiz, Jane McCarthy, Terry Twichell, and more enjoy Don Reed's story. Don and Sue Reed arrived the year after the Twichells to ªscout for a permanent place to raise their children and bathe in California sunshineº for at least a year. They worked at Thacher from 1969 to 2002 and are now retired in Ojai.

Everyone had camping stories, as well as sports stories, performing arts stories, and teaching stories to share, each tale peeling back the years and exposing the venerable Thacher we all love—a place where honor, fairness, kindness, and truth shape lives and characters.

Of course, all of the memories revealed the character of these Thacher mentors and cemented the special place all of our educators hold at Thacher, luring alumni back to campus

year after year—to catch a glimpse of a teacher, to share coffee with a former advisor, to reveal new experiences to a trusted friend and counselor. In the end, the stories told that day are at the core of a community of individuals who, as Sherman Day Thacher envisioned, “…do the best work in the world that they can, ’til the best they can do is all done.” We have profound appreciation for every faculty member who has served our community over the past 125 years.

Terry Twichell shares a story at the faculty celebration at the Johnstons' Ventura home.

Terry and Cricket Twichell came to Thacher in 1969 ª just until the kids were old enough to dress themselves in the New England winterº to which they assumed they would return in 3-4 years. Instead, they stayed from 1970 to 1985, and retired in the Ojai Valley.

The ThacheR School 33

GATHERINGS‌ 125 125 =Years =

=Years =

Established in 1889

The Thacher School

CELEBRATING OUR 125 Years FIRST 125 YEARS =

=

Established in 1889

125 =Years =

The Thacher School

34 SPRING 2014

Front row (L-R): Madeleine Ignon CdeP 2005, Charlie Bennett CdeP 2005, Jennie Tucker CdeP 2004, Back row (L-R): Kelly Percival CdeP 2004, Elizabeth Craver Carlitz CdeP 2004, Kaitlin Walter CdeP 2005

Clockwise from top left: Clarke and Alice Thacher, parents of Sara CdeP 2000, toast with Thacher wine; Marco Hernandez CdeP 2011 and Katie Taylor CdeP 2011; Curtis Woodman CdeP 1978, Scott LeFevre CdeP 1975, Tom Lloyd-Butler CdeP 1978, and Susan Toland; Olivia de Polo '18 and her mother and aunts, Marian Huntington Schinske CdeP 1982, Julie Huntington de Polo CdeP 1986, and Liz Huntington CdeP 1984 in the Carmel Valley on May 2; Four CdeP 1978 grads celebrated at Perch in downtown LA: (L-R) Brad Hanson, Raul Villa, Mike Newkirk, and Reza Zafari; Lee Wittlinger CdeP 2001 wedding party in Massachusetts on May 2.

PARTIES AT LARGE ALUMNI, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY are celebrating Thacher’s Quasquicentennial all around the world. The fun will continue through the end of 2014, so you still have time to join in. All it takes is one or more Toads, some Thacher gear, and a camera; the rest is up to you. Share and view photos online by visiting CdePedia.thacher.org.

The ThacheR School 35

CLASS NOTES…

* 1948

INDICATES REUNION YEAR

^

CORRESPONDING PHOTO ABOVE

JOHN BISSELL says, ªI regret missing our 65th reunion.

SAM WRIGHT and I have talked about trying to set up another date for us all to meet at the School before our 70thÐno progress so far. It has been 100 years since my father graduated from Thacher, then rode horseback to Cimarron, N.M., for his first job at the Abrujo Ranch. Fun to look at old pics and notes about his experiences. Meanwhile, I have been impressed by the list of class of 2014 senior projects. What an intelligent group of young men and women! Casa de Piedra, rah-rah!º CHRIS BOYLE shares, ªI'm blessed with excellent health and work out vigorously twice a week in a class with friends. I am the principle caregiver for my wife, who has Parkinson's disease, and that takes a good bit of my time.

I'm an avid fan of University of Arizona sports and serve on two neighborhood boards of directors. None of our four children and nine grandchildren lives in Arizona, but phone or email regularly and visit at least once a year. I'm fully retired after teaching, counseling, and coaching for 50 plus years.

I consider myself a lucky guy indeed.º CHARLTON LEWIS informs, ªHaving retired from teaching Chinese history, I have become interested in China's water crisis. Last November, I published an online article on hydropower in China at Yale Environment 360 (Google `China's Great Dam Boom').

I'm getting more worried about the future of green power.º SANDY WALKER writes, ªafloat and trying architecture still. See SAM WRIGHT, ELLIOT HAYNE, and BILL BUCKLIN often, and enjoy grandchildren. Two at Stanford, one playing ice hockey, one in pre-med at USC, one doing Keenan wine with his father, and a stepdaughter who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction a year ago. I am amazed; it must have been those bonehead English classes with J.B. Close.º

`great.' Still looking for other things to be `great' at.º JOHN VAN NORTWICK reports, ªLast night in Los Angeles, ERA Sellers Buyers & Associates won the Gene Francis Award for 2013. This real estate company is owned by my family and me, and has offices in El Paso, Texas; Las Cruces, N.M.; and Albuquerque, N.M. The Gene Francis Award recognizes the best overall company in the ERA franchise system worldwide. Thanks to Thacher for helping me find my work ethic so many years agoÐsemper fi.º

*1954 1955

^

1951

1952

36 SPRING 2014

DICK WILSON, with three classmates, constituted the oldest class delegation at the celebration of 100 years of Dartmouth soccer. Dick's class was recognized by the master of ceremonies, stood to a great round of cheers, and was said to be the only undefeated team in the 100-year history of soccer at Dartmouth. At the conclusion of the event, the current team came to Dick and his teammates to shake hands, pay homage, and say hello and give best wishes.

Dick's teammate exclaimed, ªYou know, they just wanted to meet us. After 60 years I guess they just could not believe it!º CHUCK THORNE writes, ªStill enjoying good health in retirement, and living in Kenosha, Wis., overlooking the harbor and Lake MichiganÐwhich is full of boats in the summer and ice in the winter. Expecting our first great-grandchild in September, and trying to recover from the shock of being a

1956

1957

RIC LAURENCE shares, ªSpent nine days exploring San Antonio, Texas, during the first week of March. Saw all the sights: the Alamo, the River Walk, numerous great restaurants, and side trips to Gruene (old German settlement) and Fredricksburg (Nimitz Museum). The weather was `iffy' but the people were great and it was a wonderful time.º DAVID LAYLIN details, ªI just returned from a scientific symposium in Iran, focused on the tragic status of Lake Urmieh and the Helmand Hamouns (very large shallow wetlands formerly fed by the Helmand river). Due largely to mismanagement, both are almost completely dry.

This has caused huge humanitarian, economic, and environmental stress. Hospitals are full of patients suffering from cardiopulmonary diseases due to dust storms. I went to the Hamouns and was able to talk with local people.

Due to 60 mph dust storms, people sleep with a wet rag over their face, or risk not waking up. Thousands have migrated to northern Iran.º JOHN KING shares, ªWife Lea and I live on a Bay Area lagoon which has striped bass in residence. We had our granddaughter, Lily, for an overnight. Went fishing with her off our float and I hooked a 26-inch striper. `Here, Lily, you reel it in.' Her eyes actually sparkled as the fish got closerÐ and bigger; then almost popped out when we netted it. Goes to prove there is way more to fishing than catching fish! ...

Since retiring many years ago, I have contributed very little to societyÐand enjoyed every minute of it....º ROGER COATES reports, ªCharlotte has its share of predatory payday lenders, so the no-interest employee loan fund I began with a Charlotte nonprofit five years ago has generated some interest. A recent adopter is helping me establish a low-interest version in the local Goodwill affiliate and the pilot proves that employers can provide lower-wage employees with a feasible alternative to high-interest payday lenders. Our 50th reunion kid/daughter is now a freshwoman at UNC-Chapel Hill. Jessica's doing well there, but she still occasionally wonders what it would have been like to attend Thacher. Best to all Toads.º

Photos (L-R): Charlton Lewis '48; Casey Escher's '61 1-yearold granddaughter reading; Ted Rhodes `65 & Will Wyman `78 at Americana Music Circle in Carpinteria; John Busterud's '72 son graduated from West Point; Don Dennis '74; Standish Penton '76 with his wife, Christine, in front of York House Inn.

MILESTONES

*1959

1961

1962

1963

ENGAGEMENTS ROB GALLAWAY writes early in the year, ªI had great fun duck hunting this year with two of my Thacher pals, FREEMAN FORD and JOHN WHEATON '56. I still play tennis three times a week, hunt ducks, and fly-fish. We are taking our oldest granddaughter, Brooke, to look at Thacher this April. I hope to see you all at our 55th Reunion, particularly Lynn White. See you all in June.º PERRY GATES reports, ªMy involvement in the Passamaquoddy Indian tribe maple syrup project is underway. Three and a half years in the making, we were finally funded last fall by the Administration for Native Americans. The tribe enjoys a huge opportunity to become the largest producer of maple syrup in Maine in addition to being one of the only tribes in North America that makes maple syrup on a commercial basis. Hard to imagine having any more fun!º

1

MARRIAGES

^

CASEY ESCHER shares, ªson, Christopher, getting married in the fall. Cassandra and Jeff's daughter celebrated her first birthday and reading. Still happy with LindaÐhope she's happy with me.º CHRIS FERRER writes, ªLiving in New Jersey. Learned how to shovel the mountains of eastern snow while in Thacher corrals. From a Columbia MBA in finance to a career in Fortune 500-1000 management consulting, I now manage foreign-trade transactions for my own business. Two great sons, two great grandchildren.

All avid skiers or snowboarders, including our youngest 2-year-old grandson. We also enjoy whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and occasional camping. Not quite the same as packing mules into the Sespe, past the condors, and placing hemp ropes around our sleeping bags at night.º JAY McREYNOLDS shares, ªAfter 40 years of being paid to read, talk, and write about all the things I loveÐand with the realization that there is much more of life behind me than in front of meÐ I will be retiring from university teaching at the end of this semester. With one door closing, I look forward to opening all the doors in front of me.º

LAURA McHALE ’88 shares, “On the countdown to my wedding in Hong Kong on April 19 to Paul Allen. I met him last year when Jaime Araujo ’88 was visiting Hong Kong and suggested that we go for a glass of champagne after dinner—that’s where I met Paul, so it’s all her fault! In addition to Jaime, Thacher classmates Elizabeth Graham Tanji ’88 and Francis Kendrick ‘88 are coming to Hong Kong for the big day.” (photo 1)

2

ROSS “CHIP” ANDERSON ’69 and Patricia Teague (mother of ANNA TEAGUE ’07 and PATRICK TEAGUE ’11) were calmly hitched on March 12 at the Santa Barbara Courthouse and then trotted off to Big Sur. “Celebrations to follow!” (photo 2) STEVEN ZIEL ’75 married Chase Langford July 18, 2013, after 20 years of domestic partnership. “Honoring our relationship as a married couple with respect by those we love, and the community, made this day one of the best memories of our lives.” (photo 3)

3

ARNIE MOORE reports, ªI have retired from teaching.

I spent 30 years in show biz (musician/actor) before becoming a substitute teacher for the last 17 years. I now enjoy sleeping past 5 a.m., letting my hair (what's left of it) grow a bit, and getting my musical abilities back in shape. It's nice to be able to take advantage of the SundayThursday hotel discounts and we've already had two jaunts.

We're at the Hollywood Bowl every Tuesday and Thursday (classical nights) throughout the summer. I'm so proud to have my Thacher cap with a big old 50 in the front!

BILL ARNOLD ’77 and Tamara Hull got married on January 1 in Sausalito, Calif.

In attendance were TONY ARNOLD ’46, GEORGE ARNOLD ’74, TIM BOWMAN ’77, PETER DOWNEY ’77, KENT ARNOLD ’78, NICK HARVEY ’79, SAM ORRICK ’79, and LIZ ARNOLD MURRAY ’81.

ANNIE NYBORG ’00 married Matt Brunetti in the fall, overlooking the beautiful Ojai Valley. “It was amazing having all my closest friends and family together in my favorite place in the world: Ojai! My sister, Shauna ’99, Jake Braitman ’00, Jamil Abou-Samra ’99, and Brendan Bechtel ’99 were there to celebrate.” (photo 4)

Read and submit class notes online at blogs.thacher.org/classnotes 4

The ThacheR School 37

CLASS NOTES…

*1964 1965

1966

1967

38 SPRING 2014

RICHARD LIVERMORE notes, ªEnjoyed skiing with fellow CdeP 1964 classmate PETER JANSS in February. We are looking forward to our class reunion number 50 and CdeP's 125th this coming June.º

^

TED RHODES writes, ªI helped spearhead the fundraising to reopen the first two miles of the historic Franklin Trail here in Carpinteria, with generous help from many in the community, including CAROLYN CHANDLER '81, ARCHIE LOOK '64, DOUG WHITE `65, RICHARD RHODES '59, and alumni parents Doug Campbell, and Meredith and Duncan Abbott. Cricket Twichell was seen hiking the trail.

I also convene a weekly Americana music circle every Friday afternoon at a local coffee shop in Carpinteria (i.e., the Lucky Llama), where five to ten musicians gather to play originals and cover songs of great Americana folk, blues, rock, country, and bluegrass tunes.º COULTER HUYLER shares, ªThree years ago, I completed the traditional Tibetan Buddhist three-year retreat at Kagyu Thubten Choling in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. Since emerging from retreat, I have been struck by the ever-accelerating stress and violence of modern life. Far too many unhappy faces... too much anger, too much fear. Fortunately, I have met many people aspiring to lead meaningful lives, to be of service, to alleviate suffering. I have been living in Catonsville, Md., where I teach meditation and practice acupuncture. I will be moving to Philadelphia this spring, where I will continue my practice. Best wishes to all.º ART SPAULDING shares, ªMy wife, Kit, and I have uprooted ourselves after living in Laguna Beach for nearly 30 years.

We've moved to San Francisco. Kit lived here in the city before so she's come `home' and I am living in a real city for the first time ever and loving every minute! My law firm has an office here and I am excited at the challenge of integrating into S.F. No retirement for me in the near future.

We are living in Pacific Heights with easy access to parks for our young Labrador retriever. What a great change!º REID DENNIS JR. announces, ªI have three songs (two as The Mark Reid Band, one as Reid Dennis), in the top 100 at one of Neil Young's websites. As a songwriter, I am very proud of this, as well as other anti-war activity.º D. ANDREW KILLE shares, ªGreat fun to take part in the musical Toad Fest in FebruaryÐperforming again on a Thacher stage after 47 years. It was an added pleasure to find classmate DENEYS PURCELL in the audience.º

1968

*1969

1971

1972

CHUCK EVANS reports, ªJust got back from BerlinaleÐtwo VIP lounges. Went to Chamonix working on a documentary, then back to my horse ranch in Santa Clarita, then back to Paris working on a feature, then to Cannes Film FestivalÐ two VIP pavilions, then back to Los Angeles in mid June.º STEVE HUYLER has departed from his usual focus on the arts and cultures of India to curate an exhibition at Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, entitled, A Golden Age of Marketing: Huyler's Pure Delicious Chocolate, 1874-1925. Huyler's Candy, founded by Steve's paternal greatgrandfather in New York City, rose to be the most prominent confectioner in North America in the early 20th century.

Based upon Steve's own extensive collection of chocolate memorabilia, the show will remain on view until August 19.

KRISTIAN MEISLING shares, ªGinger von Wening and I are settled in Palo Alto, Calif., playing lots of music, hiking, traveling, and enjoying life. I am now a consulting professor at Stanford, mentoring several PhD students, and doing research on regional geologic evolution of the Arctic (one of the big remaining plate tectonic puzzles). My daughter Sarah was married last year to Jeremy Estrada, a truly wonderful guy, and they are living in Tucson.º BYRON BROWN announces, ªCelebrated my 38th year in law enforcement. I have spent the last five years as a parole/ probation officer for Multnomah County Department of Community Justice in Portland, Ore.º JOHN BUSTERUD reports, ªLast spring marked a changing of the guard for the Busteruds as we celebrated our son Tommy's graduation from West Point (USMA 2013). Tommy was commissioned a lieutenant of infantry and is now in Ranger School. I was fortunate to have just returned from a nine-month deployment to East Africa in support of the combined joint task force, Horn of Africa, and will retire as a colonel in the Army Reserve this fall. I have since returned to my corporate and environmental law practice at PG&E in San Francisco.º CURTIS SCOTT says, ªI hope my wife and two daughters never tire of hearing my happy reminiscences about Thacher.

I'm so sorry about the recent passing of classmate RICHARD STRONG, a great guy! I send best wishes to TOM THACHER, HUGHES RYAN, BILL DAWSON, GRANT HARMON, and the rest of the motley crew of '72!º

^

1973

DENNIS DUFAU continues to be busy with the Gemological Institute of America Alumni Association, Indonesia.

Photos (L to R): Grant Fletcher's '78 daughter, Katie, in Hawaii; Dan Miller '78 with his family during their visit to Cottonwood Lakes; In Aspen, ª Five Toads Take the Bowlº: Mark Leydecker '79, Criss Leydecker Troast '81, Grace Callander '16, Margaret Troast '16, Arianna Finger '15; Brian Kopperl '82 and his wife, Leslie Talmadge, at the ribbon cutting for the solar energy farm at Bolton Orchards, Mass., in November; John Schaffner '82; Big Hanky, by Peter Cole '83; Jake Cunningham's '83 Chatham Brewing is expanding.

MILESTONES

*1974

GEORGE ARNOLD reports, ªStill down in New Zealand, working on ways to lift the pace of innovation in our health system. I'm interested in hearing from anyone who is involved in similar endeavors around the world. We love visitors, so if you find yourself down in this part of the world, please let me know.º DON DENNIS notes, ªI was at Thacher only during my sophomore year in 1972. I now live on a small island in Scotland and make flower essences with tropical orchids, which we send out globally. I have four children, and graduated from Marlboro College in Vermont some time ago. We've lived in the U.K. since 1983.º RYAN WOOD writes, ªWorking hard as the founder/CEO of Frontline Aerospace (cleantech and defense markets or, more specifically, gas turbine efficiency and drones).

I have 7-year-old twins and a 10-year-old daughter now.

She starts sex education after spring break... Yikes!º

^

1976

PHOTO/ILLUSTRATION CREDIT HERE

1978

BIRTHS

1

2

3

^

THOMAS BEATTY ’99 and his wife, Rebecca, welcomed son August David Beatty to the world February 17.

KATIE ISAACSON HAMES ’99 and Wil Hames welcomed their daughter, Helen Belle Rose Hames, into the world on August 23, 2013. Katie has been doing farm-to-table work at Midland School, and now little Helen Belle goes to work on the farm, too! (photo 4)

4

^

GRANT FLETCHER shares, ªBusy year for commercial real estate management, keeping up with two kids in college (UCLA and Yale) and my youngest, who is a freshman in high school. Still managing local beach safety and spending the rest of the time in Hawaii or Mexico. No complaints.

Aloha classmates and all the best... Grant and family.º DAN MILLER writes, ªWe're still living in Berkeley (ªweº now being wife Jennie and son Ben, with daughter Sarah off at college). I'm the editor of Macworld (website and magazine), while Ben is braving the wilds of Berkeley High School and Jen continues to work in educational publishing.

We managed a backpacking trip last summer to Cottonwood Lakes; got to visit with the Thacher crew at Golden Trout and bored my kids with stories about the summer I worked there. I've missed most of our reunions but do think fondly

ISABEL BLANK ’98 shares, “On March 5, 2014, our daughter Marie Anna Isabel was born. We appreciate this great gift and cherish every moment with her.” (photo 2) KIM TURNER ’98 and her husband, Mike, were thrilled to expand their little family to three with the addition of baby Adelaide on March 2, 2014. “She should be ready for ‘moose laps’ in no time!” (photo 3)

^

STANDISH PENTON reports, ªA lot to write about! In the last year we traveled the world for a new experience, flirting with living in Cuenca, Ecuador, for a whileÐit reminded me of Ojai! But ultimately, we decamped from the equestrian business in Littleton, Colo., and moved to Georgia where we own York House Inn. It is Georgia's oldest bed and breakfast, operating since 1896. It is a great area for foods and, on the Georgia Wine Highway, it is a new and exciting business lifestyle. We are trying to learn to be Southern! Y'all come visit North Georgia now.º JOSH ROSENBLATT writes, ªAs we begin thawing out after a long winter, Kate (EWS '76) and I still love New England. Our daughter, Sarah (EWS '05), is loving her work with preserving St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue in New York and Ali is working for Habitat for Humanity in Guatemala. Kate is in her second year as museum shop manager at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield and I am still working for IBM from home, writing marketing copy, and managing an online software catalog.º

JENNIFER KRITZ ’94, her husband, Sam, and their 4-year-old son, Noah, have welcomed a new member to their family!

Max Oliver Ditzion was born on January 1, 2014, and was the best New Year’s present ever. Max was the first baby born at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in 2014! (photo 1)

5

LUCINDA BROWN REVELL ’00 announces, “My husband and I welcomed twin boys, Ian and Grant, into our family in January 2014. They were born, 8 pounds each, in Bangkok and now the whole family is back in Cambodia.”

ANTHEA TJUANAKIS COX ’01 and Ian welcomed their son Victor Ioannis Cox Tjuanakis on November 2, 2013. (photo 5) ARIELLE FLAM MITTON ’03 and her husband welcomed their son, Emmett, to the world on October 4, 2013! (photo 6)

6

CLASS NOTES…

and often of the Ojai and our time there. Perhaps the 40th?º MARY PAREDES KARNES writes, ªI am finally (and happily) able to announce the debut of my cozy mystery, Simply the Best, in March, 2014. It is my first book to be published and it is about, what else? A wedding planner! Her murdered assistant happens to be the maid of honor in her latest wedding and her best friend is accused of the murder. It will be published in eBook format only at this time. As a footnote to my California and New England friends: Ojai, Redlands, and the Northeast appear in the book!º

*1979 TOADS CONVERGE TO MOVE LOOT! Jenny Morrill CdeP 2006 shares this news: In February 2013, I was ready for a career change and was weighing my options. I had worked for a marketing agency in San Francisco for two years, and liked my job, but knew it wasn’t how I wanted to spend my life. Around that time, my friend Bill moved to the city and we started talking about how painful the current system was for buying and selling furniture. We decided to build a solution that would make dealing with used furniture easier for everyone. (I know Bill through Conor Farese CdeP 2006, and Bill, Conor, and Ryan Smith, also CdeP 2006, were all living together at the time. Ryan joined us as the technical co-founder of our company, and another friend, Shruti, rounded out our team of four.

We launched an online used furniture marketplace, Move Loot, in October, to carry out our vision of helping people buy and sell used furniture. We pick up, store, and deliver the furniture that goes through our system, offering a truly full-service option for our customers.

We pick up as soon as the next day, so if someone needs furniture to be gone or arrive on a particular day, that can happen. Plus, we have inventory up to 80 percent off retail prices, making us an extremely affordable option for furnishing a home.

In January, another Thacher alum, Casey Collins CdeP 2009, joined us. I was Casey’s freshman prefect, and we had kept in touch over the past eight years. When Move Loot was ready to hire someone to help with photography, Casey was the perfect fit!

Based in San Francisco, we are proud to say that many Thacher grads have bought and sold through us since we launched. Many more have supported us in other ways—modeling for our website (thanks, Sophia Ouyang CdeP 2006!), spreading the word, coming to events, and giving us pep talks when the entrepreneurial lifestyle gets really stressful.

During the remainder of 2014, we will be launching in three more cities while expanding our Bay Area operation, which is no small task! We welcome all Toads to track our progress at www.moveloot.com.

40 SPRING 2014

1981

1982

NICK AULT says, ªEnjoying building community in the Colorado Rockies, peddling cinnamon rolls 'n' espresso through our soon-to-open fourth Duffeyroll Cafe in downtown Denver.º ERIC LYNGE writes, ªAll good here in Singapore with my wife, Lucia, and two daughters, Amelia and Adela. This is year 12 here out of 27 years in Asia, with two years in China and 13 years in Hong Kong. It is still a fascinating part of the world. We would love to come back for the 35-year reunion but June is full of kids' activities and it is a long way. So, shooting for the 40-year reunion! Classmates and alumni, please give us a ring if you are in Singapore.º

^

CRISS LEYDECKER TROAST notes, ªWe just returned from a great visit in Aspen and wanted to share a photo from our hike up the Highlands Bowl. The trip is a 40-minute hike, in ski boots, with skis strapped to your back, to the summit at 12,392 feet. MARK `79 always builds us a bench to sit and rest upon (complete with strawberries and bubbly), and then we drop into the phenomenal bowl for a fresh powder ski down.º JEFF ª TRIPPº JONES announces, ªI'm super excited and proud to tell you that my debut album, Here I Am!, is now up on iTunes! I wrote my first song four years ago and a lot has happened since then. The album has four songs and I'm very proud of how it turned out. It sounds amazing! Lots of great talent showed up on this record, including LA artists Justin Dzuban (producer), Heath Francis, Danny Sandock, Christina Lyon, Adam Holt, and Tim Banas. On cloud nine here....º BRIAN KOPPERL, managing partner of Renewable Energy Massachusetts, has developed one of the three largest solar energy projects in Massachusetts: a six megawatt, 21,000 solar-panel facility on a former gravel pit in Bolton, Mass. ª The facility went online in December 2013 after a two-year purchase contract development process. Between local government agencies and utilities, you couldn't ask for a more deliberate round of counterparties. Solar isn't for the faint of heart, but taking the fossil fuel equivalent of 590,000 gallons of gasoline off the road every year for 30 years is a good outcome in the end.º

^

Photos (L-R): Alexandra Mendez's '83 grandson, Alexander; Cal Wheaton '88 with wife, Aimee, at her 1980sthemed birthday party; Shireen Rahnema '89 and her family moved to Minnesota; Gideon Davis '90 teaching his son to surf; Laura-Rose Russell '93 with husband, Paul, and daughter, River; Justin Stephens's '94 daughter, Parker CdeP 2025?

^

JOHN SCHAFFNER shares, ª The start-up company I work for just launched a new website. We are hoping it makes a big splash on Wall Street. My 8-year-old daughter, Katrina, is learning to ride horses. She just got moved up to the `gifted' class so I think she is a possible future Thacher candidate. My son, Seth, is now 21 and trying to break into the film industry in Hollywood. We're building a geodesic dome extension on the house. Going slow but we're having fun. Also, I'm pursuing spiritual enlightenment and involved in human rights activities.

I'll let you know how that goes in a couple years.º

1983

1985

^

PETER COLE writes, ªI am pleased to be currently in residence at the Museum of Arts and Design in Manhattan.

Each Friday, through May, I will be in the artist studio with pieces I have been working on while chatting with the many intelligent visitors. One piece, Big Hanky, holds my entire collection of handkerchiefs from years of estate sales.

The residency for me has taken the form of an extended meditation on themes of collection and excess, and I will be pleased to update you further as sculptures get made.º JAKE CUNNINGHAM reports, ªChatham Brewing is in the final stages of a massive expansion and relocation. Our new brewery will be making its inaugural batch before the end of March. We expect to be expanding our reach into Western Massachusetts and New York City! Look for and ask for Chatham Brewing at all the establishments you frequent!º ALEXANDRA MENDEZ reports, ªIt's been a while, but here goes: You'll find me in Burbank, Calif., working the service center for Logix Federal Credit Union, assisting with the development of our loan and service call center. I am a proud grandmother of 2-year-old Alexander Reardon, son of my eldest, Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Reardon. I just came back from a fantastic backpacking trip at the Grand Canyon! Getting in some local hikes to keep in shape for an Alaskan backpacking trip to Chugach State Park.

Would love to hear from any of you who made the trip.º

1988

^

THATCHER BROWN notes, ªMy family is enjoying our third year living in Genoa, Italy, where I currently work. My Italian is progressing, as is my cooking! If you are in the Ligurian neighborhood, look us up for a warm welcome and plenty of focaccia al formaggio!º HARRY PALLENBERG writes, ªOther than normal life with the two kids, my wife, our house, and dog, I've been working away on various documentary films. (Getting to drive around Los Angeles in 100-year-old racecars for Where They Raced was a blast!) For my next film, Chasing 200, I might see some crazy speeds at the Bonneville Salt Flats this August.º ANNIE WALLACE shares, ªStill teaching in Park City, Utah: French teacher, ESL, and instructional coach for teachers. Never a dull moment! Our twin boys are ski racing now and enjoyed having a couple of Olympians as neighbors. Hoping for more snow before summer comes!º JAIME ARAUJO says, ªJust managed to run my first (and probably only!) half-marathon here in Paris before flying out to celebrate the end of LAURA McHALE'S single life in Shanghai! So lovely to see her and can't wait to fly out to Hong Kong for her wedding next month! ELIZABETH GRAHAM TANJI and I will be rooming togetherÐjust like old times!º CAL WHEATON shares, ªMy wife, Aimee, and I decided to showcase our loss of brain cells (caused by raising three girls) by competing back-to-back in a halfmarathon and full marathon. Despite injuries and the flu, we both finished and can definitely say, `we don't need to do that again.' Recently returned from a Utah ski trip where we were seated at restaurant next to CHRIS STACEY and her fiancé. Writing this update from a horse show in Virginia where our three daughtersÐSerena (10), Isabel (7), and Denison (5)Ðare boning up on their equestrian skills, hopefully to catch LIZ REYNOLDS MAHONEY'S eye.º

^

^

*1989 1990

^

SHIREEN RAHNEMA reports, ªWe moved to Saint Paul, Minn., and made it through our first winter, polar vortex included. It is very green and lush here in the summer.

No drought and no wild fires. I am really disappointed I can't make it to the reunion this year. Please send me pictures.º STACEY BAE writes, ªHi! I am currently living in San Diego, teaching healthcare courses in Escondido, and working in real estate. My son, John, started high school this year, and I'm hoping to plan some camping trips for the summer.

I would love to hear from any Toads!º WINSLOW BURLESON says, ªHi everyone. I'm moving from Arizona (ASU) to N.Y.C. (NYU) where I will be an associate professor, connecting across the university and beyond to advance health technologies, personalized education, informatics, and innovation. If you're ever in N.Y.C. drop me The ThacheR School 41

CLASS NOTES… Photos (L-R): Left to right, top row: Robert Grether '99, Ryan Meyer '98, Brady Johnstone '99; bottom row: Victoria Grether, Mollie Gardner Hector '99 with daughter Harriet (6 months), Eliza Gregory Meyer '99 with daughter Ainsley (2 years), and Brooke MacDonald Moorhead '99 with Robert & Victoria's son, Jack Grether (3 months); Caitlin Caldwell Myers '99 and her husband, George, ski machines; Eliza Gregory '99 reports that her daughter's first Spanish word was ª mocus.º

a noteÐwould be great to see you. Cheers and best to all!”

GIDEON DAVIS writes, ªHi Toads. I recently moved back with my family to the beach in Ventura. Absolutely loving re-discovering the Southern California life and teaching my Texas boysÐ Levi, age 10, and Z, age 5Ðto surf. No more excuses not to visit Thacher! If anyone needs some beach time, please come visit.º DAVID VAN SLYKE notes, ªI've been busy writing essays, recipes, and games for my website, davidvs.net, such as, Enjoy Gluten-Free Hamantaschen, The Truth About Social Norms, and Nine Intriguing Fantasy Monsters!º

^

1993

*1994

^

LAURA-ROSE RUSSELL shares, ªI will be moving to the Santa Barbara area in June with my husband, Paul Shepherd, my daughter, River, and a small menagerie.º

1995

*1999

RIKA HOWE TOLL writes, ªNATE TOLL and I are loving life down under. In fact, we have dug some roots by buying Morning Star Farm where we live in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. Our girls (Adelaide, 7 years, and Josephine, 6 years) are growing and thriving. Nate is the director of Braemar Iron and I teach part time.º JUSTIN STEPHENS says, ªThings are still busy with the winery project. I had promised Seana we would be in the construction clear for at least eight years after 2011. However, we are about to dig a new cave for additional barrel storage. Our kidsÐ Parker, Preston, and BeckettÐare a joy if not very tiring.

It has been an immense pleasure to see them develop. We are excited to return to Thacher with the whole family for reunion in June. I hope to see many of my classmates there. Until then, be well!

^

ANNIE RIDDELL announces in March, ªMy husband, Travis, and I are expecting a baby boy any moment now (due April 2)! Life is about to change radically; we're bracing ourselves!

Couldn't be more thrilled to transition into parenthood.º SEUMAS SARGENT reports, ªGreetings from Berlin!

Wrapped the lead role in a Swedish/Iranian/Canadian coproduced feature film last summer called The Philosopher King and the footage is bouncing between New York and Stockholm for final edits. Feel free to check it out at www. thephilosopherking.net. Love and light to all of you.º THOMAS BEATTY and his wife, Rebecca, welcomed son August David Beatty to the world February 17. This June, TriBeCa Films will be releasing their first feature film, The Big Ask (formerly Teddy Bears) in theaters and on demand.

They ask that you please watch it for the sake of their son. CAITLIN CALDWELL MYERS' coaching career at Teton Valley Curves is coming to a close this summer. She and George are looking forward to another season of riding in the mountains, and might even take the ponies out to old Casa de Piedra and Patton's Cabin for reunion, before a fall trip to Italy. ªAs usual, life is good!º ELIZA GREGORY shares, ªRyan, Ainsley, and I are doing great!

I will hopefully receive my MFA in art plus social practice, this June, from Portland State UniversityÐ but being a grad student with a toddler involves a lot of uncertainty. Ryan is still working at the California Ocean Science Trust and really loving it. This year he's also been helping out on SARA THACHER'S '00 project Future Coast, an interactive online game about climate futures. Ainsley is in a Spanish immersion daycare, and her first Spanish word was

^

^

TOADS CONVERGE TO CAMPAIGN! THREE THACHER GRADS WHO DIDN’T overlap at Thacher—Clay Pell CdeP 2000, Meredith Dworkin CdeP 2008, and Silvina Hernandez CdeP 2013—have connected via Clay’s campaign for governor of Rhode Island. Silvina, a Brown University student, connected to Clay through Derick Perry CdeP 1983 right after Clay’s announcement, and was one of the campaign’s first volunteers.

“This opportunity has made me value my Thacher experience so much more,” Silvina said. “I am so happy to be working alongside 42 SPRING 2014

co-Toads and realizing Thacher doesn’t end when we graduate; it gets bigger, because all the alumni further strengthen our community, a community that continues to be welcoming and rewarding beyond measure.”

Meredith learned about Clay’s campaign through faculty member Katherine Halsey. A few weeks later she left a corporate job in New York and moved to Providence to join Clay’s team. She shares Silvina’s perspective, saying, “The Thacher network and the bonds we share as Toads are amazing. In a day where politics

is often a dirty word, I am thrilled to work to elect someone who has the Thacher values of honor, fairness, kindness, and truth guiding him and his campaign.”

Photos (L-R): Julia Romano '00 leading a yoga retreat in Thailand; James Everett '02 and wife, Sara, just south of Ryan Mountain in Joshua Tree National Park; Sam Meyer '10, Seth (a Cornell friend), Georgi de Rham '10, and Emily Combs '10 at the de Rham's for Thanksgiving; Leo Turpan '13 backpacking through South America.

ªmocusºÐa lot of runny noses in our household.º BROOKE MacDONALD MOORHEAD notes, ªA get-together at my sister Whitney's apartment in San Francisco, in March, was a good first visit for Thacher hopefuls: class of 2030 and 2031.º KELSEY McCARTY writes, ªI'm living in Boston and working in operations management at Massachusetts General Hospital. Getting ready to run the Boston Marathon this April and wishing I could have spent the long, cold winter training in Ojai instead!º

^

2000

2002

2003

2008

HOW TO SUBMIT DIGITAL PHOTOS: • Shoot using your camera’s best photo setting.

• Files should be 200k or larger.

• Save photos as JPEG files.

• Identify every person in the photo, state time and place, and suggest a caption.

^

JULIA ROMANO shares, ªJust returned from a second extended retreat in India where I completed my 500hour training in yoga teaching. I'm a full-time yoga and meditation teacher in Washington, D.C. I lead retreats for mind/body and soul around the world and would love it if some Thacher folks joined me some time! The first seeds of my deep love for nature, and meditation, and movement in the wild, were certainly sown in the hills above Thacher!

I remember stealing away for long walks, feeling lost in the meditation of present-moment curiosity, exploration, acceptance, and joyfulness.º MATTHEW SCHUMAN was called to the bar as a solicitor and a barrister by the Law Society of Upper Canada on January 24, 2014. He continues to be an active member of the Bar in the State of California.

^

JAMES EVERETT writes, ªMy wife, Sara, and I have been living in the Twentynine Palms/Joshua Tree area for the past eight months. I've been working as a joint terminal attack controller with 1st Tank Battalion while she's been volunteering with the Joshua Tree National Park Association and the Desert Institute. It's been a great year! We'll be moving back down to San Diego in August.º KATIE KUHL reports, ªI'll be parting ways with San Francisco this summer to head to Seattle for one more round of grad school. In the fall, I will be starting a doctoral program in early childhood education policy and leadership at the University of Washington. Bittersweet to leave S.F., but looking forward to exploring a new city!º WILL STURGEON shares, ªFor the past year, I've been touring the U.S. with another independent songwriter I met online. We play in people's living rooms and eat a lot of cookies and meet a lot of dogs. I just recently finished recording the tracks for my first full-length album (under the moniker of Brightener) and am excited to release it in the summer of 2014!º Go to blogs.thaher.org/classnotes to hear Will's song.

We can accept good old-fashioned prints as well.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept photocopies or images from magazines or newspapers.

TWO WAYS TO SUBMIT PHOTOS: 1. Email digital files as attachments to alumni@thacher.org.

2. Mail prints or digital discs to: The Thacher School Alumni Office 5025 Thacher Road, Ojai, CA 93023

2010

2011

2013

^

GEORGI DE RHAM'S family hosted their fifth Thanksgiving weekend in coastal Rhode Island with Thacher friends SAM MEYER and EMILY COMBS joining them, along with Cornell friend, Seth! CORY DOLPHIN notes, ªThis past month, I signed on full time to work at Twitter, working on their mobile platform team as a software engineer at the new Boston campus.º CYNTHIA SANTOS says, ªHello! I'm finishing up my bachelor's degree in animation at the California College of the Arts right now! I've been living in the S.F. Bay Area for almost three years, and I'm loving every minute of it.

I've also started to work as a freelance illustrator recently, which has been very rewarding.º

^

LEO TURPAN details, ªIn late February, I returned from a five-and-a-half-month backpacking trip throughout the west coast of South America. I traveled with my brother for the first three months through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

We explored colonial towns and markets, summited our first mountain (Cotopaxi at 19,347 feet), explored the Amazon via dugout canoe, and trekked in the high mountains of Peru.

Then I flew to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, and hitchhiked from town to town, searching for new treks.

For the final three weeks, I volunteered on the Conservacion Patagonica in southern Chile.º The ThacheR School 43

FACULTY, STAFF & FRIENDS…

Susannah and Mike McGowan shared parting words at Senior Vespers by invitation of CdeP 2014. Below, Chuck Evans all smiles. Retirement will do that.

AFTER MANY YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE, Director of Buildings and Grounds CHUCK EVANS has retired. Chuck was instrumental in transforming the Thacher campus, overseeing some of the most ambitious construction projects in the School's history. ª There is no place like Thacher,º says Chuck. ªI shall always be grateful and never forget the incredible opportunity to be a part of Thacher and to have known such an amazing group of people.º A photographer, writer, and fisherman, he yearns for some time to savor life and enjoy his family. But it's not completely over and out for Chuck, who will continue as the license trustee for KTOADS, the Thacher Amateur Radio Club.

Beating Chuck into retirement by a couple of weeks was RAFAEL PINEDA, who worked in Maintenance for 30 years. Known for his ready laugh and dependably upbeat demeanor, Rafael was honored at an all-School Assembly with cake and applause for his decades of contribution to Thacher.

MIKE and SUSANNA McGOWAN along with their children Javi and Rory will head across the pond, where Mike has accepted a position at the American School of London. Susannah has completed her doctorate and she has some outstanding leadership opportunities while Mike will chair the history department there. During their seven years at Thacher, Mike served in the history department (three years as chair), coached, and camped; Susannah supported the School's academic computing needs. This year they served as co-directors of the Senior Exhibition Program. They are true community teachers and servants whose departure represents a real loss for Thacher, but we celebrate their contributions and send them off to other challenges with best wishes.

In 2013, JAKE JACOBSEN's summer sabbatical travels took him first to South Africa, where he spent nearly a month teaching at the African Leadership Academy, strengthening the bonds between that institution and Thacher. After some further travel in South Africa, he headed to Nairobi, Kenya, where he visited a number of schools and enjoyed the hospitality of Cheryl and Were 44 SPRING 2014

Richardson-Omamo, parents of Theo CdeP 2013. This summer he'll head first to Ecuador, where he'll visit with Maggie Reniers CdeP 1992 and family members of Ana Urgiles CdeP 2013. He'll follow those visits with a literary tour of England.

LIZ MAHONEY CdeP 1988 will depart for a well-deserved sabbatical during the 2014-15 school year. She'll be based in Southern California and divide her time between pursuing her own studio art and photography, visiting peers at area schools, and riding English at a show barn in Los Angeles. TIM SULLIVAN, who works in Admission and coaches boys lacrosse, and COURTNEY SULLIVAN welcomed their first child, Cooper Handley Sullivan on February 9.

Following Bill Wyman's memorial service, DAVID and PHYLLIS JOHNSTON hosted a gathering at their beach house to share some memories. Faculty members past and present, swapped tales from days gone by, many a bit too colorful to publish in these pages. See more in Gatherings on page 32.

LO T O S AY H E L

W ELC O M

ED BY

R EN TS PR O U D PA

U RT N TI M & C O

AN EY SU LL IV

IN MEMORIAM…

CHAUNCEY S. GOODRICH JR. CdeP 1936 On November 14, 2013, Chauncey Goodrich Jr. died peacefully at the age of 93. Born in San Francisco, Chauncey was raised in Saratoga when the Santa Clara Valley was famous for its fruit orchards. At Thacher, he was known for his extraordinary ability with the violoncello, and as an adept in the culinary arts, winning the hearts and bellies of both music lovers and foodies. He also edited School publications, captained the soccer team, and was an “A” camper. After graduating Yale University, Chauncey learned Japanese for the war effort, and served in Tokyo. While in training at Fort Snelling, Minn., he met and married Dorris West, his wife of 68 years.

After the war, the couple earned their doctorates at UC Berkeley. From there, Chauncey served as professor at Cambridge University and then UC Santa Barbara in the Department of German and Russian, where the foundation was laid for the modern department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies.

He was an active member of the American Oriental Society and was honored to serve as its president in 1998. Chauncy was a scholar and a musician, a quiet man who was thought of as a gentleman of the old school. He valued the feelings of those around him and worried over the human condition.

Chauncey’s children recall him filling the house with Bach while practicing the cello suites. Later in life, he sang with the Santa Barbara Master Chorale.

Chauncey is survived by his wife, Dorris, sons David CdeP 1967, Christopher, and Jonathan CdeP 1972, and many loved ones. His uncle, Lloyd Blanding CdeP 1897, was a member of the first decade of Thacher graduates, and five cousins and five nephews also commenced from Casa de Piedra.

MOWRY SMITH JR. CdeP 1936 ➤ Mowry Smith Jr. of Neenah, Wis., passed away August 14, 2013, at age 95. Mowry came to Thacher in 1932, following in the footsteps of cousin Kimberly Stuart CdeP 1913.

El Archivero reports that, on March 17, 1935, “M. Smith ignominiously returns home on foot while [classmate] Cheek’s horse remains on the loose.” Mowry was a “B” camper, played on the first soccer team, and left his junior year to finish his preparatory school work at Exeter.

He was known as a very generous man. Survivors include Mowry’s three children: Mowry III, Curtis, and Onnie; three nieces and three grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary.

WILLIAM J. “BEEDY” BARTON CdeP 1942 (photo: 1st soccer team, front row, far left) William Barton was born January 24, 1924, in South San Francisco, Calif., and passed away peacefully on January 9, 2014.

The following comment was found in El Archivero about Barton: “The very fact that he is the chairman of the School and holder of about every school office is a testimonial to Beedy’s popularity.” Beedy was also considered one the School’s best highhurdlers and campers, and was president of Pack and Saddle. After five years at Thacher, he went on to Stanford and UC Berkeley. Bill served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War, and retired after 32 years with General Electric Company. Bill is survived by wife, Nancy; sons, William Jr. and Steve; a granddaughter; and brother Thomas Varley Barton, Jr. CdeP 1945 and his wife, Gloria.

GEORGE H. PFAU JR. CdeP 1942 George Pfau, 89, of San Francisco, Calif., passed away in his sleep on November 2, 2013. Born in Milwaukee, Wis., in 1924, he graduated from Thacher in 1942. Though at the School for only his senior year, George quickly took the lead in his class in athletics, scholarship, and official capacities. El Archivero says George’s “escapades with his spirited charger, Sabre, have been a great cause of amusement to everyone except himself; at the beginning of the year he suffered many bruised portions of anatomy before he got the little gray fellow under control.” After Thacher, George had a colorful journey of military service, which included joining the American Field Service in 1945. He graduated from Yale in 1948, as the war ended, and returned to Thacher for a year to teach chemistry and physics—and would later serve as a trustee during the 1970s. Until his retirement in 2010, George had a long career as a well-respected investment banker and financial advisor with White Weld, Merrill Lynch, Paine Webber, UBS, and Morgan Stanley in his beloved “city by the bay,” where he cultivated meaningful and varied connections and interests across six remarkable decades. He was a dedicated member of the Bohemian Club, never tiring of wonderful speakers and endless games of dominoes with his Hillbilly campmates. George was active in family planning advocacy as well as cancer patient support, having lost his second wife to cancer. Before his 2005 marriage to Susan Colomb Herpel, George was married to Elizabeth Spencer from 1951-1972 and to Anne Mayhew from 1974 until her death in 2000.

Surviving George are his wife, Susan; his sister, Elisabeth Pfau Wright; his four children: Molly, Peter CdeP 1973, Elizabeth, and George; and many extended family members.

The ThacheR School 45

IN MEMORIAM… JOHN J. “JACK” MILLER III CdeP 1951 Dr. John Miller passed away December 11, 2013. Born in 1934 to Dr. John J. Miller Jr. CdeP 1921 and Florence Ratzell Miller in San Francisco, Jack was educated at Town School, The Thacher School, Wesleyan University, and University of Rochester. At Thacher, Jack was president of the Pack and Saddle, chairman of the Masquers, editor of El Archivero, and considered the best camp cook and one of the best “A” campers. He was also on the Outdoor and Indoor Committees, the Committee of X, and a school prefect.

El Archivero states that Jack’s unique personality “has become such a part of the School that it will be a long time until the hole his departure leaves can be smoothed over; it certainly cannot be filled.” After completing his PhD at the University of Melbourne, Dr. Miller began a 35-year career at Stanford Children’s Hospital and Stanford Medical School, where he researched childhood autoimmune diseases and created a center for children with arthritis and related diseases. Jack was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and hiking in the Sierras. He was a longtime patron of the San Francisco Opera and Symphony, a devoted theatergoer, and a dedicated world traveler. Jack is survived by his sons John CdeP 1977, Daniel CdeP 1978, Andrew, and Erich; grandchildren; former wife Anne Miller; longtime companion Mayo Marsh; and siblings Sara Wages and Dr. William Miller CdeP 1953.

ROBERT E. “BOBBY” ACQUISTAPACE CdeP 1968

TANJI DEWBERRY CdeP 1994 Tanji Dewberry passed away on April 13, 2014, with her son, Evan Soler, age 8, at home in Orange, N.J., as a result of a house fire. Born on June 26, 1976, in Dayton, Ohio, Tanji shared her generous wit, athleticism, and leadership through a myriad of activities at Thacher, including tennis, basketball, lacrosse, track, Community Council, United Cultures of Thacher, the Spanish Club, community service, The Notes, and Pegasus.

She also served as the Upper School head prefect her senior year. At her memorial service, classmate Dermond Thomas CdeP 1994 remarked, “Tanji was there for so many other people and she championed many causes that she felt passionate about. She seemed to be truly living her best life, and therefore providing the best life for Evan.” As an A Better Chance alum, Tanji organized fundraisers to raise money for kids like her— kids leaving home to pursue excellence at private, independent schools.”

After Thacher, Tanji went on to study communications at Northwestern University, where she was a member of the Theta Alpha Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. After Evan was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in 2011, Tanji took a medical leave from her job as a vice president of investor relations on Wall Street. Soon after, her father passed away. Ever resilient and compassionate, Tanji wrote Fiddlesticks!, a picture book for caretakers and children to read aloud together to help navigate strong emotions in a fun way. Tanji and Evan are survived by Tanji’s mother, Cynthia Robinson; brother, Jajuan Sylvan; sister Canjah Dewberry; Evan’s father, Virgilio Soler; and a host of grieving relatives and friends.

FRIENDS OF THACHER ➤

Bobby Acquistapace died of a heart attack on December 3, 2013. Bobby was a skilled horseman and camper at Thacher, also the alma mater of his brothers, Leo CdeP 1959 and James CdeP 1961, and his three children, Bob CdeP 1996, Abby CdeP 1999, and Christy CdeP 2001. While at Thacher, he broke School gymkhana records in the stake race and speed barrels, and received the George Beckwith Gymkhana Trophy to the Captain.

After graduating from UC Davis, Bobby was a captain in the U.S. Reserves and took over his father’s agency, founded in 1932, overseeing its growth into one of the largest privately held insurance agencies in the state. Bobby will be most remembered in the Santa Maria community for his involvement in numerous organizations over the years, including Rotary Club, Santa Maria Elks, Vaqueros de Los Ranchos, and United Way. His most revered passion was horse packing into the backcountry with friends. Survived by his brothers, children, nieces, grandson, and his wife of 40 years, Wanda 46 00 SPRING Fall 2013 2014

Alexander Acquistapace, Bobby’s charity, boisterous laugh, and infectious personality will be missed by many.

SAMUEL ROGER EDWARDS, M.D., F.A.C.P “Dr. Sam,” husband to past Thacher science teacher and director of studies Marcia Edwards, died at his home in Santa Paula on January 25, 2014. He was an inspirational leader, revered mentor, renaissance thinker, and a gentleman who devoted his life to his family, community, and country. Born in 1937 in Santa Barbara, Sam grew up in Santa Paula and Marysville before heading east for school at 14. He earned his BA in biology from Harvard, where he also met his future wife.

After receiving his MD, Sam served in the Navy from 1966-1968. Following his naval duty, he continued his medical training in San Francisco until 1971, when he and Marcia and their two

sons returned to Santa Paula, the community where his great-grandfather had been a pioneer and the location of the family farming business. With his expanding practice of internal medicine, Sam fulfilled his goal of bringing high-quality medicine to Santa Paula. Over the years, he served in numerous medical positions, provided leadership for his family’s farming business, served on the boards of several local organizations, and helped reopen the Santa Paula Hospital. Sam enjoyed fishing, tennis, bridge, watching his sons play soccer, playing musical instruments, ensemble music, singing, symphony concerts, exploring historical sites, and collecting fossils. He was proud of his family and appreciated their diverse talents, interests, and personalities. Sam is survived by Marcia, his wife of 52 years, two sons, six grandchildren, a sister, two brothers, brother-in-law Blair Edwards CdeP 1957, and extended family and friends.

JOHN SEYS “JACK” HUYLER III

➤

Jack Huyler died peacefully in his campus home on January 2, 2014, following six decades of life at Thacher.

Jack was born in Greenwich, Conn., on April 18, 1920. In 1925, Jack’s father, Coulter, purchased a ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyo., to raise horses and cattle. Jack spent his childhood winters in Connecticut attending Greenwich Country Day School, followed

by Kent Preparatory School and Princeton University. But it was his summers on the ranch in Wyoming that truly formed Jack into the man who influenced many. To young Jack, Jackson Hole in the 1920s and ’30s was still very much the Old West, full of cowboys and gunslingers. He became a fine horseman and wrangler, perfecting his skills further when his parents converted part of their property into a dude ranch in the early 1930s.

It was on the “Bear Paw” in the summer of 1938 that he met the single love of his life.

Margaret Appenzeller, born and raised the daughter of pioneer missionaries in Korea, had come to the ranch to work for the summer. Jack was immediately smitten and their marriage lasted 63 happy, adventurous years until Margaret predeceased him in 2005.

While Jack was at Princeton, World War II broke out and he enlisted in an army officer-training program, graduating as an army captain. The U.S. was then allied with Chiang Kai Shek, and Jack volunteered for a program designed to prepare officers to lead American troops into China. After becoming fluent in Mandarin, he was assigned as an officer in the signal corps in 1944, spending 14 months in Mainland China. His respect and rapport with the Chinese resulted in the rare honor of being sequestered into the National Chinese Army as a colonel! Following his release from service, Jack taught English at Westminster Preparatory School in Connecticut before transferring to Thacher in 1949, where he started as a teacher of English grammar and literature and a riding instructor.

Almost two decades of Thacher alumni remember Mr. Huyler’s strict rules of grammar and still talk about “Black Jack’s” ruthless patrolling for “comma blunders.” His demands for fine riding equaled those of fine writing. During the week, he coached his students and his three children in gymkhana, while weekends were often spent leading students on twonight pack trips in the Sespe. During the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, Mr. Huyler assiduously perfected his own riding skills. Riding five different horses

(Kim, Sheriff, Jeep, El Paso Gap, and Humdinger), he competed in 135 different gymkhana horse shows, winning over 1,000 ribbons and 79 high-point trophies.

In 1967, Mr. Huyler stopped teaching English and began the first of 16 years as an administrator, serving in a variety of jobs from college advisor to assistant headmaster and as interim school head. While Mr. Huyler taught in the classroom and on the trails and the Gymkhana Field, Margaret was an unpaid “mother,” caring for and helping to raise generations of Thacher students.

Upon retirement, Jack and Margaret fulfilled their dream of traveling throughout the world, visiting 69 countries. They made friends everywhere, looking up Thacher alumni wherever they went. During these years, Jack wrote and published five books: The Stamp of the School, an exploration of his four decades under four different administrations; two compendiums of Jackson Hole stories; a family history; and, just months before he died, instructions on horsemanship entitled Whoa: Training the Well-Schooled Horse and Rider.

Shortly after retirement, Thacher gave Jack and Margaret the honor of building their own home on campus, for which the Huylers made the commitment to spend six months of each school year in regular interaction with the students. Jack continued to attend Assembly and coach gymkhana until a few weeks before he died. “Uncle Jack’s” close relationship with successive classes of Thacher students, as he aged and grew increasingly incapacitated, was an invaluable lesson in an era when elderly citizens are so often discarded.

Uncle Jack’s family is deeply grateful to Thacher for its ongoing, nurturing support.

Jack is survived by his three children: John S. Huyler Jr. CdeP 1963, Ruth Huyler Glass CdeP 1966 (Honorary), and Stephen P. Huyler CdeP 1969; their spouses; and three granddaughters: Hillary Brooks Glass, Allison Glass Henry CdeP 1993, and Jesse Huyler.

A memorial service, held at the Outdoor Chapel on January 18, was attended by more than 350 guests, many of them Mr. Huyler’s students.

Those who couldn’t make it to campus are welcome to join a second service in Jackson Hole on August 9, 2014.

CHUCK WARREN Charles R. Warren—devoted Thacher emeritus science and math teacher, advisor, coach, horseman, climber, kayaker, craftsman, musician, humorist, and legendary outdoorsman—passed away October 31, 2013, at his home in Enfield, N.H., his battle with cancer over. A Thacher legend in his own time, he leaves behind many great friends and former students, almost all of whom can relate tremendous stories of their adventures with Chuck in the classroom and on rivers, rock faces, mountain trails, backcountry powder slopes, and, of course, the Gymkhana Field.

“Chuckles,” as some affectionately knew him, was a devoted family man, an engaging teacher, and an accomplished outdoorsman who shared his love of adventure and helped others to develop capabilities that would expand their horizons. In the mountains, Chuck would treat his companions with instructive meditations on the deliberate action of the “good mountaineer.”

IN MEMORIAM… Chuck Warren

These were peppered with wry observations, which he would deliver with a deadpan expression before revealing his thoroughly self-amused grin.

For Thacher, the great legacy Chuck leaves is a fundamentally expanded Outdoor Program. He was an accomplished horseman who led many horse camping trips in the Sespe. He also introduced some to the basics of rock climbing and ski mountaineering, eventually teaching students how to camp in the winter conditions of the High Sierra.

Peter Matthews CdeP 1976 shares, “I was fortunate to be part of a rogue band of enthusiasts, known as the Thacher Mountaineering, Epicurean & Philosophical Society (in that order), who shared a marvelous kindred spirit among classes. Despite our sophomoric pretensions, Chuck kept our focus on safety and clear, deliberate action—a critical tenet imparted to us with our motto, which, in ancient Greek, meant ‘the power to cease oneself.’ As a climber intent on overcoming my fear of heights, I was exhilarated when completing a 1,400-foot climb up Taquitz Dome with two other climbers, a feat that paled in comparison to my classmate Gary Robbie’s numerous 3,000-plus-foot sheer face ascents of El Capitan. Regardless of our abilities and ambitions, Chuck quietly created a culture of personal empowerment.”

Chuck is survived by his wife, Carol, and daughters Marielle CdeP 1989 and Michelle CdeP 1985, grandsons Ezra and Quinn, and many loved ones and admirers.

WILLARD G. “BILL” WYMAN II, PH.D. ➤ Bill Wyman died peacefully on February 25, 2014, at Stanford Hospital. At 83 years, his death was caused by lung cancer.

Born in China as the son of a career officer in the U.S. Army, Bill grew up on a series of cavalry posts in Virginia, Kansas, Texas, Washington state, and the nation’s capital.

He attended high school at St. Paul’s in Baltimore, Md., where he was a star athlete.

In 1956, he graduated from Colby College with a BA in English.

With undergraduate school completed, Bill began his career as an educator in 1958, teaching English and coaching football and swimming at Menlo School. In 1962, he enrolled as a graduate student at Stanford, receiving his doctoral degree in 1969 while, at the same time, serving as associate dean of 48 SPRING 2014

students and, later, as special assistant to then President Richard W. Lyman during the academic year 1969-70. Bill’s special gifts as a calm negotiator during the years of protests about the war in Vietnam earned him the respect of both student activists and his academic and administrative colleagues.

From 1971 to 1975, he was dean of students and associate professor of English at his alma mater, Colby College.

In 1975, Bill returned to California to become Thacher’s headmaster until his retirement in 1992. Under his leadership, the School had its doors opened to young women, its Camping and Horse Programs invigorated, its precarious fiscal situation reversed, its endowment increased twenty-fold to $20 million, its campus strengthened by a constellation of new buildings, and its academic stature returned to a national prominence that it had not enjoyed since its early years. During these years, Bill developed a strong following of students, alumni, and personal friends on eclectic and enjoyable pack trips into the High Sierra—trips for which he would become a legend.

In the mid-’90s, Bill started a new career, one he had perhaps envisioned during all the years of his youth. He became a novelist. Bill returned in memory to the summer he spent as a teenager on a ranch owned by his sister Patty and her husband, in the Rosebud Mountains of Montana. While there, he learned about horses and cattle, about packing, about the joys of reading by lantern light, and, from the native people, about a different way of seeing the land. Patty, who predeceased him, taught him about music; and his memory of her, and of the music she loved, echoed throughout his life.

That early time in Montana never left Bill. It was with him at 17, when he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was appointed as a cadet in the United States Military Academy at West Point, completing one year there and lettering in three sports, playing football briefly for backfield coach Vince Lombardi. And it was with him when he entered Colby College in 1952 where, as he later wrote, he “found, in an academic community, a place where my love of literature could take root and where I could realize the possibilities for thought and decency and understanding.”

In 2005, Bill’s first novel, High Country, was published and earned two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America—for best first novel and best novel of the West. In 2011, his second novel, Blue Heaven, appeared.

In this novel, he returned to the lives of two strongly imagined characters, Ty Hardin and Fenton Pardee—one young, the other old, who, in both books, experience the dangers and the splendors of an American wilderness that is changing around them. In many ways these two stories were Bill’s story.

Stated Michael Mulligan, current head of school: “We have lost an inimitable leader and headmaster, a gifted teacher, a man of letters, an accomplished and award-winning novelist, an outdoorsman and wilderness trip leader of the first rank, and not the least, a tough-minded coach who, on the one hand, would not suffer fools gladly, and on the other, helped legions of students, faculty, and friends advance their lives and reach for their dreams.”

Bill is survived by his two sons, Jedidiah CdeP 1992 and Willard III CdeP 1978, and Willard’s wife Michelle; three grandchildren, Caitlin CdeP 2006, Casey CdeP 2010, and Molly CdeP 2012; former wife Jane Fowler Wyman; numerous nieces and nephews; and

by Barbara Saxon, his partner for many years.

THE BEST WE CAN DO… TOM MAY CdeP 1952 Alumnus, former faculty member, and current grandparent, Tom is a loyal guardian and quiet supporter of Thacher history and culture.

…

Tom made possible the publication and distribution of Jack Huyler’s book, The Stamp of the School, and recently helped the Thacher Archives digitize key assets, including much of the content on CdePedia, Thacher’s new archival site. He is currently helping the School identify the location of the original Casa de Piedra building.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THACHER? A series of events in the summer of 1948 when I was mentally preparing to go to Andover in the fall. Our parents were going to do a European tour with all four of us boys. We were to sail in early July from New York. In late June, the Berlin Air Lift started. My father threw the tickets away; he did not want to be in World War III Europe. The plan had been to be totally out of our house for three weeks while major repairs were being made inside and outside. So, what do we do? We had a family conference. The decision was to do an automobile trip in the seven western states focused on national parks. Returning from that trip, my father, unbeknownst to me, decided that perhaps I should go to a school that provided tennis and Spanish, which immediately put his thinking for schools between Texas and California. Because he went to the National Association of Independent Schools meeting in Philadelphia after our trip, he inquired of such schools. Thacher was at the top of every interviewee’s list. A phone call was made and we were instructed to “please send transcript.” Within 10 days, I was accepted because of a student dropping out due to illness.

WHERE DID YOU LIVE AS A STUDENT AND THEN AS A YOUNG FACULTY MEMBER? First, I lived in the Lower School, which is now Olympus. As a middle schooler, I lived upstairs at the end of the hall with a window facing the valley and a window facing the Middle Barn (now the new Lower School). Lower upper year, I lived on the third floor of the Upper School with the same geographic exposure of windows toward the valley and toward Twin Peaks. As an upper upper

Tom, pictured below during commencement weekend with wife Martha and granddaughters (L-R) Annie '17, Hannah CdeP 2014, and Hailey CdeP 2012. Left: the original Casa de Piedra, or House of Stone.

prefect in the fall, I lived in the corner room on the floor which faces the Coniferous Bosque and lawn in front of Dodge Annex. Winter term I lived downstairs in the Middle School and in the spring I lived in the original new Lower School in prefect quarters I shared with another prefect, Dennis King.

As a faculty member, I started by living in a funny little house known as “Jimmy’s Shack,” which was reputed to have been placed on the foundation of the original House of Stone. I lived there two years. Then I moved to the Upper School, living upstairs in the Dodge Annex for three years, with Marvin Shagam as a roommate.

WHY THE INTEREST IN OUR HISTORY? There is much enjoyment by people of all ages in reminiscing and looking at material from the past. We live in an age when photographic records are copious and pictures are worth a thousand words. l was acutely aware of the material Thacher has with no names or dates on the photographs. One day I helped Thacher’s librarian by identifying a number of pictures taken in the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was so easy for me to recognize individuals and locations.

HOW DOES YOUR THACHER EXPERIENCE COMPARE TO THAT OF YOUR GRANDDAUGHTERS? I came to a boarding school far away with a totally different climate, geography, and history. It

was three and a half days by train home. The only green in the Ojai was what was massively watered. My granddaughters are only hours from home in a landscape much like where they live. I had a totally male-oriented environment, the only females being wives of faculty and an occasional neighbor. If we wished to go anywhere, we did it on horseback, including going to Ojai on the half day of school on Wednesday.

Everybody, including faculty, owned horses, and we went three times a day to the barns: morning for feeding and cleaning, noon to take the horse out to the horse trough to give it water, afternoon horse exercise and feeding. Now there is less emphasis on horses and Thacher is a coed institution.

The spirit and philosophical thinking is very much there presently. There is a beauty and tranquility of the location which goes quite deeply into peoples’ experiences. Because the teenage years are filled with so many experiences, introductions, and changes, the School easily imprints itself on everybody.

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