Governor's, The Archon magazine Winter 2023

The Archon Magazine WINTER 2023

STEP INSIDE THE BILL ’67 AND PETER ’71 ALFOND COASTAL RESEARCH CENTER CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2023

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WINTER 2023

No Mere Feat Tyler Niven ’15 on sustainability, community, and eight million oysters Tyler Niven ’15 represents a new generation of business leaders as he works on his family’s oyster farm, Mere Point Oyster Company, in Brunswick, Maine.

24 Possibility Imagined Improving outcomes and raising the standard in education for all children A defining moment at Govs leads Paul Morrissey ’99 to build one of the fastest-growing public charter schools in Texas.

WITH TRUE COURAGE

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THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR'S

Alfond Coastal Research Center and Bass Institute dedication, the Bass Challenge impact, and the campaign nears its goal

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FOR OTHERS

Penney Hubbard establishes the Albert Hubbard, Jr. ’55 Endowed Scholarship Fund

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DEPARTMENTS

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Best-in-Class Learning

LETTER FROM DR. QUIMBY

PUBLISHER

Experiential and Place-Based Education at the Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center

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EDITORS

The Alfond Center opened its doors to a robust schedule of classes and activities on the first day of the school year, and the Bass Institute has officially launched. Here’s a look at the many ways students are learning, engaging, and connecting to their environment.

ONLY AT GOVS

In and around campus

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THE MILESTONE

New and newsworthy

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GENERATIONS

Governor’s, a family tradition

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CARDINAL RULES

Highlights from the field

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COMMENCEMENT

Congratulations, Class of 2023!

PROFILES

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TEACH AND LEAD

Meet Bill Quigley P’04,’10, teacher, editor, author, and coach Meet student council secretary Amy Rosales ’24

Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14 Head of School

Lindsay McPherson Batastini Director of Marketing & Communications Ola Russell P’21,’23 Associate Director of Marketing & Communications Caley S. Lynch Assistant Director of Communications DESIGN

Sadagursky/MCC ACADEMY ARCHIVIST

Sharon Slater P’16,’20,’24 PHOTOGRAPHERS

Porter Gifford Carly Gillis Andy Jiang ’24 Tom Kates Ellen Ohlenbusch P’23 David Oxton P’03,’08 Paul Rutherford Rebecca Stratton P’16 William Tangorra Miffy Wang ’24 DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

Leslie Dickey DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI & PARENT ENGAGEMENT

Samantha Howson P’17

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ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

Byfield and beyond

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CLASS NOTES

News from alumni In Memoriam

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

Governor’s, The Archon Magazine is published two times a year by The Governor’s Academy. Letters are welcome from alumni, parents, and friends of the Academy.

On the Cover: Govs science teacher Jen Storer P’20,’22 conducts field exercises with her students on the dock at the Alfond Coastal Research Center Cover photo by Tom Kates

Todd Santos ’24 from Govs Green Initiative demonstrates a water quality monitoring instrument to Dr. Quimby in the aquatic lab at the Alfond Center.

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Letter from Dr. Quimby

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n my traditional Chapel Talk at the opening the school year, I spoke to our students about “Govs Love,” and I closed by saying, “You are all surrounded

by Govs Love. Revel in it. Appreciate it. And most importantly, do your part to spread it.” Govs is the community that it is because of how we choose to live and learn together. It brings ever more talented students to our school each year, inspires our graduates to stay engaged, supports new initiatives, and helps us grow and realize ambitious goals. Govs Love is, I believe, the essence of what makes our school so extraordinary. It fosters confidence in our students that continues to grow beyond their years in Byfield.

One of the things I love about my job is the privilege of meeting talented and accomplished graduates around the world who are pursuing passions and enjoying success in ways they might not have imagined as young students. Time and again, I hear how instrumental their Governor’s experience was in giving them the courage to pursue their dreams. In this issue of Governor’s magazine, you will find inspiring stories: an innovative oyster farmer committed to sustainable practices that support local communities, an educator taking an entrepreneurial approach to providing a high-quality education to at-risk students, and a marketing expert who turned his love for the Nashville music scene into a thriving business while supporting emerging artists. A common thread in these remarkable stories is a drive to succeed and a desire to help others. They demonstrate that Govs Love is at work on campus and in the world beyond Byfield.

Govs Love was also evident on campus last June, during Reunion, when we hosted a culminating event to mark the end of our year-long celebration of 50 Years of Women at Govs. Women from those pioneering classes, alongside their male classmates, gathered to reflect on their experiences, share stories, and reconnect. Throughout the year, we learned from alumnae, through special events and interviews, about the incredible impact of coeducation on our school. I am profoundly grateful for all the Govs women who helped make this milestone exceptional, proving that connections formed at Govs extend far beyond the typical relationships that develop in a high school setting—relationships that, in many cases, will last a lifetime.

Govs is a community where people cherish being together and commit to building and rebuilding Govs Love through the small things that we do each day to create a community where caring for each other matters. I feel fortunate to be a part of this community.

Peter H. Quimby, PhD ’85, P’14 Head of School

Winter 2023

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Only at Govs

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1 Judy Wang ’23 achieved the remarkable distinction of receiving the two most prestigious academic awards at Commencement: the Morse Flag and the Thorndike Hilton Cup. 2 The Senior Class traditionally spends Unity Days in the outdoors, fostering lasting connections that carry them through their senior year and beyond. This year, they gathered at Camp Lincoln, NH for water sports, a ropes course, and relaxing by the campfire.

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The Govs community kicks off the school year by celebrating many traditions, including the donning of formal attire, and we wholeheartedly embrace our students’ sartorial flair!

4 This fall, Govs made history by hosting its first-ever nighttime football game on the Sager Bowl.

The Govs community cheered on the team against St. Sebastian’s School beneath the stars.

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5 Govs actors and theater technicians took to the stage, crafting, producing, and delivering the traditional (and uproarious) preseason play on the opening day of the school year.

6 Each spring, Govs seniors are invited to design an independent project and showcase their work at a symposium. Bear Brooks ’23 documented workers at Newburyport boat yards through portraiture in a hardcover book titled When the Dogwoods Bloom.

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Winter 2023

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THE MILESTONE

The Milestone Richard N. Leavitt Math Prize Long-serving faculty member Richard (Dick) Leavitt P’82,’84, Faculty Emeritus, was honored this spring with a new math prize in his name— the Richard N. Leavitt Award. The longest-tenured faculty member in the history of The Governor’s Academy at the time of his retirement, Leavitt served in many roles throughout his fifty years and was a mainstay in the mathematics department. He shared his genuine love of the subject and deep appreciation for the history and beauty of mathematics with generations of grateful students, and he mentored countless young and new faculty at the Academy.

Beyond mathematics, he was the Academic Dean and coach for many seasons and recognized the importance of interacting with students outside of the classroom.

The prize is awarded to a junior who best exemplifies a similar passion in the field through achievement and promise in the subject.

Right: Richard Leavitt P’82,’84, Faculty Emeritus, circa the 1980s

Bert McLain: A Passion for Science Govs biology teacher Roberta (Bert) McLain P’07, ’09 recently completed a master’s in science writing at Johns Hopkins University. Her students’ intellectual curiosity has always inspired McLain, and the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique opportunity. McLain started pulling more “layperson” books into the classroom and her students enjoyed them.

“While teaching honors science classes virtually in the spring of 2020, I strayed from any standard curriculum and taught about COVID-19—viruses, public health policy, immune systems, etc.,” said McLain. One student wrote, “Ms. McLain broke down what was happening so that we could understand…it made me feel safe and in control.”

“As a teacher, I can't ask for more than that!” says McLain. “Like my students, I tried to make sense of it all, and decided to become a science writer to improve science communication.”

Declan Siefkas Receives Grant

Terry “Big T” Williams at Red’s Lounge

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Director of Choral Music Declan Siefkas received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to attend a workshop,“The Most Southern Place on Earth: Music, History and Culture of the Mississippi Delta.” Siefkas traveled to Mississippi and took a deep dive into the fabled world of the Mississippi Delta that emphasized experiential learning. “This type of learning offers a stronger connection and better understanding of a topic—something I want to use with my own students,” said Siefkas.

“We went to the courthouse where Emmett Till’s murderers were tried and found not guilty, dined on catfish and hushpuppies, and visited the site on the Mississippi River where the levee broke in 1927,” said Siefkas. He fully immersed himself in the culture of the Mississippi Delta to gain a greater understandng of the origins of its music. He recalled a night at Red's Lounge: “I experienced a night of full-throated Delta blues by Terry ‘Big T’ Williams and his band—a night I will never forget.”

THE MILESTONE

Francesca DeMeo ’02, Trustee Emerita presenting her TEDx talk at Govs

TEDx Project Last spring, Andy Jiang ’24 and Cecilia Li ’24 spearheaded the Academy’s inaugural TEDx event at Govs. Jiang and Li curated a diverse group of accomplished Academy alumni representing various professions who shared their experiences around themes of critical thinking and innovative challenges to the status quo. According to Li and Jiang, “To usher in change, we must dare to imagine new horizons and courageously forge ahead.” In recent years, Jiang and Li have observed that many of their peers face a sense of confusion and uncertainty while navigating the rapidly shifting social and political landscape. “Despite these topics being frequently discussed in high school education, students often struggle to grasp the tangible impacts of these transformations and future implications,” said Jiang.

Guest speakers hailed from a range of professions, such as music technology, the food and beverage industry, astrophysics, entrepreneurship, book publishing, and teaching. Each panelist shared their personal journeys, embodying the spirit of envisioning new possibilities and embarking on bold journeys toward effecting positive change in the world. Many shared personal anecdotes that evoked both laughter and tears from the audience.

Miffy Wang ’24, Yiming Zhao ’24, and Sophia Mikelinich ’24 also played instrumental roles in orchestrating this remarkable event.

Cross country team running Plum Island beach

Preseason Cross Country Beach Run Govs cross country coaches uphold a preseason training tradition: a run and swim session along the pristine beaches of Plum Island in Newbury. Inspired by the iconic movie “Chariots of Fire,” legendary cross country coach David (Abu) Abusamra P’93, Faculty Emeritus, initiated the tradition. “I had been incorporating barefoot running into my own training regimen, believing in its benefits. Running along the ocean’s edge harnesses the water’s natural resistance,” said Abu. “It also serves as a well-deserved reward for our dedicated runners, who put in tremendous effort during the summer break.”

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THE MILESTONE

Spring Dance Show

Spring Arts Fest

The spring dance show, Pandora’s Box, featured a dynamic mix of dances based upon myths and mythology, many choreographed by student dancers. Marrying their individual styles, dancers Cecileah Wang ’26 and Renee Tse ’26 worked together to choreograph two different pieces, Coldblooded and Magnolia.

Govs artists collaborated to curate an arts festival showcasing the diversity of creative talents in the Govs student community.

The show featured original, student-composed pieces performed by student musicians, readings from the art and literary magazine The Spire, sculptures and pottery, photography and film, and fine art.

Leo Liu ’25, portrait of Mr. Soule

Above: Sophia Bochert ’23

Spring Drama Written and Directed by Govs Senior Nyati Misra ’23 of Newburyport, MA wrote and directed The End of the Beginning of a Work in Progress, an original one-act play centered around the theme of self-discovery, with its cast of eccentric characters exploring and acknowledging their own identities and existence through the essence of storytelling.

“The story culminates in a terrifying display of power that pushes each writer to do the unthinkable: recognize how grateful they are for life,” said Misra. “Ultimately, it is a meditation on how cyclical human nature is, finding an end or a beginning in what can only be described as a rough work in progress.”

Nyati Misra ’23

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THE MILESTONE

Spring Concert Director of Choral Music Declan Siefkas on the spring concert: “Cinematic in scope, the concert featured performances from choral and instrumental groups with music ranging from the dark whispers of Beethoven and the nervous triumph of Shostakovich to the reflective vulnerability of Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac). Other pieces included Gjeilo and the streetwise funk of Goodwin—all in combination with many pieces originally composed for the screen, tracing an intricate tangle of stories and perspectives that span broad landscapes and nooks of the mind.”

Abigail Keenan ’24 on cello

AP Art and Photo Exhibit The Remis Lobby Gallery in the Wilkie Center for the Performing Arts hosted a show displaying an astonishing variety of AP art students’ artistic talents in various mediums, including sculpture, illustration, oil painting, and ceramics.

The AP photo exhibit featured selections from the final portfolios of fourteen talented photography students, several of whom won Scholastic Art & Writing Awards last winter.

Lily Baumfeld ’23 Above: : Allison Kane ’24, Perfectionism · Below: Dominique Newell ’23, Mental Health Vessel · Right: Alex Li ’23

AP Ceramics Invites Us In

Maggie Delay ’25

The AP Ceramics class was tasked with a social art project using the prompt, “How can you engage your art directly with the campus community?” Students set up works around campus, some engaging viewers to participate in creating their final artwork.

Winter 2023

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THE MILESTONE

Welcome, New Board Members

Chandler Evans P’26

A.J. Enchill ’12

Moon-Sun Chung P’25

Chandler Evans initially practiced corporate law before dedicating her time to volunteering for nonprofit organizations. Her primary interests lie at the intersection of community, education, culture, and healthcare. Evans currently serves on the boards of her alma mater, Groton School, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, The Park School, and the Winsor Corporation. Her previous board service includes Stanford Health Care, Stanford Medicine Partners, and the Woodside School Foundation positions. Prior to this, Evans held the role of assistant general counsel at Oak Hill Capital Partners and worked as a corporate attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Evans earned her bachelor's degree in English and American Literature from Harvard College and a JD from Yale Law School. She and her husband, Oliver, are parents to three daughters: Elliot (’26), Caroline, and Alexandra.

Born to immigrants from Ghana, A.J. Enchill is a native of Pittsfield, MA. During his time at Govs, Enchill was a dorm proctor and lacrosse captain and went on to play lacrosse at Tufts University, where he earned a BA in American Studies. He performed constituent services and community outreach as the district aide for State Senator Adam G. Hinds. He has served on the boards of Berkshire Community Action Council and Community Health Programs, C4 Arts Initiative, and the Berkshire County Branch of the NAACP. Enchill is the founder and executive director of the Berkshire Black Economic Council (BBEC).

In 2022, he was named to the gubernatorial transition team for the Maura Healey administration, chairing a committee on jobs and the economy. In June 2022, Enchill was awarded The Governor’s Academy Alumni Council’s Non Sibi Sed Aliis Award during Reunion Weekend.

Moon-Sun Chung is the senior executive vice president of Hyundai BNG Steel and CEO of Hyundai BNG Steel USA, the leading stainless-steel manufacturer in South Korea. He is also the founder and president of Trinion America and Trinion Mexico, which are in the logistics business. Chung previously served as the CSO and senior executive vice president of Hyundai Translead US, a leading trailer manufacturer, and served as a sergeant in South Korea’s Defense Security Command. Committed to the cultural enrichment and economic success of Jeju Island, he also serves as director of the Bonte Museum and founded the Korea Food and Wine Festival and its signature event, the Jeju Food and Wine Festival. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, Chung and his wife Sun-Hee Kim have three daughters, including Katherine Chung ’25.

TRUSTEES OF THE GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY James M. Pierce ’72, P’08, President Paul Nardone ’86, P’19, Vice President Elizabeth Tuthill Farrell ’84, P’14,’17,’18,’22, Secretary Steven G. Shapiro ’74, P’09, Treasurer William L. Alfond ’67 William H. Brine, III ’80, P’09,’14 Moon-Sun Chung P’25 Frank Cousins, Jr. P’20 Colin Cross ’74 Robert C. DeLena, Esq. ’87, P’21 Jonathan J. Doyle P’08,’09,’19 A.J. Enchill ’12, Alumni Trustee Chandler Evans P’26 Christina Gentile P’25

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ALUMNI COUNCIL Phillip S. Gillespie P’22,’25 Lucy A. Henkes ’87, P’21,’23 Stephen G. Kasnet ’62, P’95 Leslie L. Lacy ’91 Mitzi Lawlor P’19,’21 Karen Ruth McAlmon, MD, FAAP P’13 Thomas M. Mercer, Jr. ’61 Molly Scharfe Prinn ’95, P’23,’25 Spencer L. Purinton ’75, P’13,’14,’20 Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14, ex officio James L. Rudolph ’68, P’05,’12 Archie Seale ’93 Evan M. Trent ’98 Saundra E. Watson ’93, Alumni Council President

Saundra E. Watson ’93, President John Heald ’64, Vice President Allison Williams ’89, Vice President George Freimarck ’72, Secretary Ariel Aggarwal ’09 Shawn Backus ’17 Namita Bhattacharya ’15 Jonathan Bird ’10 Rob Curran ’02 Eliza Dorsey ’14 Patrick Farrell ’14 Naomi Fink ’99 Daria Grayer ’00

Andy Ramirez ’98 Pam Toner ’74 Chris Webster ’09 Holly Zheng ’18 Ethan Stern ’22, Collegiate Representative Peter Reid ’23, Collegiate Representative

Generations We are proud of our Govs family. So often, they span generations, continuing a legacy of excellence. Here are Governor’s alumni and their children who joined the ranks of our alumni community in 2023.

Bill and Cat (Tuthill) Batchelder ’91, P’22,’23,’25 Callie Batchelder ’23

Eric Lacroix ’90, P’23

Molly (Scharfe) Prinn ’95, P’23,’25, Trustee Katie Prinn ’23

Max Lacroix ’23

Lucy (Armstrong) Henkes ’87, P’21,’23, Trustee

Regan (Jones) Thompson ’91, P’23 Hayle Thompson ’23

Colin Henkes ’23

Matt and Nicole (Abdulla) Prunier ’94, P’23 Tyler Prunier ’23

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NO MERE FEAT

TYLER NIVEN ’15 ON SUSTAINABLITY, COMMUNITY, AND EIGHT MILLION OYSTERS

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T

yler Niven ’15 is up at dawn, motoring out to the clear, deep waters of the Maquoit and Mere Point Bays to tend five to eight million oysters on his family’s floating forty-acre farm. On a summer’s day, the farm is a slice of picturesque coastal Maine life, the bays dotted with wildlife and fishing and pleasure boats. But oyster farming is a year-round job, and the off-season months are often punishing aboard their open twenty-five foot deck boat, affectionately called “the floating wheelbarrow”

by Niven and crew.

“Not every day is an ‘Instagram’ day—in January and February you really need to love what you are doing, and being a bit crazy helps too,” says Niven.

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Niven is the sales manager for his family’s aquaculture business, Mere Point Oyster Company in Brunswick, Maine, which requires days on dry land packing thousands of oysters, talking with wholesalers, or heading into Boston in the delivery truck.

“I go directly to some restaurants because chefs can be picky, and want to buy directly from us.

Wholesalers are easier—they say, ‘send me 30 bags’— done!” The company does business with wholesalers and restaurants from California to Florida, Toronto, Canada, and every major US city in between.

“Monday is the hardest day,” says Niven. “We harvest what we need for our Tuesday deliveries and clean, sort, and pack it all up for the weekly drive to

LEFT: TYLER NIVEN ’15 IN “THE FLOATING WHEELBARROW,” TENDING TO HIS FAMILY’S 40-ACRE OYSTER FARM, MERE POINT OYSTER COMPANY PREVIOUS PAGE: FARM HANDS HARVESTING OYSTERS IN MAQUOIT BAY

Boston, usually about 15,000 oysters.” They send around 1.3 million oysters to market per year, with a goal of increasing their capacity to 3 million.

Oyster farming is the darling of the aquaculture world: It’s highly sustainable and offers many environmental benefits to the marine ecosystem. Niven says a single adult oyster filters as much as fifty gallons of seawater a day, removing excess nitrogen, for example, making the water cleaner and clearer so other marine species can thrive. “Also, they don’t take up much space! You can grow around 10,000 oysters in just 400 square feet,” says Niven.

Oyster gear also provides an excellent habitat for numerous marine species, which is beneficial to

supporting a healthy ecosystem. Marine aquaculture operations also typically have a much smaller carbon footprint and require less land and freshwater than land-based farming. “In a busy waterfront area, it’s important to fit into the bigger picture and give back to the local community,” Niven says.

The staff work hard, but have a knack for making the hustle look seamless and genuinely fun. There’s an easygoing, familial camaraderie among the team— their Instagram account is a mosaic of mud-covered staff hauling heavy oyster bags under a scorching sun next to sunset shots of bachelorette parties and slick pop-up raw bars catering to customers eager for a new dining experience. The company recently posted on Instagram: “Well folks, we have our first wedding rehearsal dinner! Last year, we had a bachelorette party…Dare we do an actual wedding?” A follower replied: “I’ll get married just for the catered party!”

Mere Point Oyster Company’s processing facility is a meticulous operation, with continual improvements for better and more efficient equipment. “This is a volume game,” says Niven. “With five to eight million oysters on the farm, the fewer times we handle a single oyster, the better. We try to keep it to no more than sixteen touches before it leaves our facilities.”

Marine biologist and Farm Director Chris Hedberg understands the science of keeping the oysters healthy. “The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than any body of water on our planet,” he says. “There was a big clam die-off last summer due to the heat, and the mud flats became too hot. Then there’s rain—too Winter 2023 15

much at once affects the ocean chemistry and shifts in algae.” Hedberg takes detailed notes on each tank on the farm using an iPad and notebook.

Oyster farming comes with substantial, often hardto-predict risks, and raising seed oysters is a highly detailed process with many opportunities for failure.

“We buy the smallest seed oysters available because they are less expensive, but also more fragile—there’s a higher risk for mortality,” says Niven. Last year, a tank pump in the land facility broke and wiped out a million oysters because they require constant water circulation. “You’re not an oyster farmer until you’ve killed a million oysters,” jokes Niven. “Sometimes you have to learn the hard way.”

“WE ALL CARE ABOUT PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR LOCAL WAY OF LIFE.” –TYLER NIVEN ’15

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Despite the risks, Niven is optimistic about the future of the family business. “Change is coming, but it’s a matter of how you prepare and adapt,” he says.

“Our oysters are growing faster, we have a longer growing season, and people pay more for Maine oysters because they come from clean water and taste better.” Niven also credits the huge ten-foot tides that flow in and out of the bays twice daily, giving the oysters a constant nutrient-rich feast.

Niven says his time at Govs played a critical role in building his confidence to pursue new ventures and passions. “There is a real sense of community— dorm life was the best, and I loved Morning Meeting,” he says. “Everyone knew each other; when you saw

your teachers in the dining hall, it was normal to stop and chat about not only class but life. Govs taught me how to overcome adversity on the ice and in the classroom. If I struggled, I knew I had a support network of teachers and coaches who would help me succeed.”

Niven frequently returns to Byfield to visit faculty and drop off a complimentary bag of fresh oysters.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Niven landed a summer job as a fly fishing guide in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He never imagined himself as a professional oyster farmer, never mind working in the family business in his hometown of Brunswick; he always imagined himself living in a city after college. When his father approached him about working at Mere Point Oyster Company, Niven was circumspect: “Dad, this is a real business? I can actually make money?” Niven’s father, Doug, replied, “You’re smarter than you look!” Niven spent his first year watching and learning, focusing on the business side of the startup.

“I started out on sales while I learned the ropes of farming. Right now, we’re sold out for the next three years, and we’re not taking on new accounts. We need to keep our current customers happy,” says Niven, who has become a keen student of supply and demand.

“Demand is crazy. We can keep a higher price point because we’re open year-round—we ensure high quality, and we’re reliable. We’re also strategic about meeting increased demand around the holidays.”

Mere Point Oyster Company is the brainchild of Niven’s father, Doug Niven P’15, and his partner, Dan Devereaux; both have deep roots in Maine. “When you come from a fifth generation Maine family, you’re invested in your community,” said Doug. "We got into this business because we care deeply about Maine’s working waterfront communities and the health of the coastal resources they depend upon. We don’t just want to see those communities persist; we want to help them to thrive."

Tyler Niven represents a new generation of business leaders. He embraces emerging technologies to streamline operations while improving sustainability, networks with other farmers to share best practices, and seeks new opportunities to expand the business.

“I want to see other farmers succeed—it’s all about elevating the brand of Maine oysters,” says

Niven. “We all care about protecting the environment and our local way of life. There’s no playbook. We make mistakes and learn on the fly. We also have great camaraderie among the team. My dad came from a family business and taught us that everyone working at Mere Point Oyster Company is part of the family.

It’s hard work, and anything we can do to care for the family and our local community is a win.”

“WHEN YOU COME FROM A FIFTH GENERATION MAINE FAMILY, YOU’RE INVESTED IN YOUR COMMUNITY. WE GOT INTO THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT MAINE’S WORKING WATERFRONT COMMUNITIES AND THE HEALTH OF THE COASTAL RESOURCES THEY DEPEND UPON. WE DON’T JUST WANT TO SEE THOSE COMMUNITIES PERSIST; WE WANT TO HELP THEM TO THRIVE.” –DOUG NIVEN P’15

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BEST-IN-CLASS LEARNING Experiential and Place-Based Education at the Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center

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The new Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center opened its doors to a robust schedule of classes and activities on the first day of the school year.

Faculty and students have been enjoying the full experience of spacious, sunlit classrooms, from the aquatic lab and deck, down to the dock, river, and marsh, for a variety of classes and activities. Here’s a look at a typical day at the Alfond Center.

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THE DAY BEGINS, FIRST CLASS OF THE DAY 1-2 Govs faculty often “commute” to work via bicycle. Science teacher Jamie Brandt enjoys an early morning ride through the Great Marsh on his way to his first class of the day, Honors Environmental Science, in the Alfond Center workshop.

MORNING CLASSES 3 The Alfond Center was designed to fit seamlessly into the natural environment, with many rock features and native woodland plant species left intact during the construction of the building. Two rock formations form a natural entrance to the facility’s front doors.

4 Mike Lefebvre’s Honors Marine Studies class learns about the history of mapping ocean floors and bathymetric maps, which connect points of equal depth along the ocean floor.

Students conduct their own mapping project using 3D maps and Google Earth in the Fontaine “Doc” Bradley Seminar Room.

5 Bass Institute Director Erika Mitkus begins her biology class with a brief lecture before donning waders and heading into the Great Marsh to gather data as part of the Great Marsh Wikiproject, a multi-year project led by Govs students.

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MORNING CLASSES

AFTERNOON CLASSES

6-7 Louise Nelson’s P’26 biology class is a field introduction to the Great Marsh ecosystem on the banks of the Parker River. Along with safety protocols, students learn about the natural history of the area, practice observation skills, and start to investigate the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors in our ecosystem. Learning about species and their environment is foundational before research projects and data collection begins.

8 In Lisa Borgatti’s P’26 AP Environmental Science, students resume class on the deck of the Alfond Center after a quiz to review concepts, including parasitism, the difference between symbiotic and mutualistic relationships, and keystone species. They discuss the impact of climate change, including the interdependence of food production and pollinators, using Govs own apiary as an example.

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9 Students in Jen Storer’s P’20,’22 chemistry class test water off the dock of the Alfond Center. Testing temperature, pH, turbidity, total solids, and dissolved oxygen, they compare findings with data collected

by Govs partner, the Marine Biological Laboratory in Rowley, MA, to understand more about the health of the marsh. Storer created this lab with a grant from the Elaine White Endowed Fund for Innovative Teaching.

10 Mike Lefebvre’s Marine Science class learns about water monitoring techniques using the aquatic lab’s water tanks, several of which are now home to a variety of marine organisms.

Evergreen Initiative Miffy Wang’s ’24 vision for the “Govs Green Initiative” was sparked by her deep environmental passion and involvement in the campus sustainability garden during her sophomore year. “Our efforts often went unnoticed,” Wang recalled. Her fellow seniors Todd Santos and Sophia Mikelinich shared her concerns about the fleeting impact of many club activities and eagerly embraced Wang’s concept of the Govs Green Initiative.

“Traditional school clubs often see great ideas vanish with graduating seniors, leaving new leaders to start from scratch,” said Santos. “Our goal is to establish long-term objectives, foster collaboration, and hold ourselves accountable for the betterment of our community and the environment.” Santos also hopes to host a sustainability conference featuring environmental clubs and speakers at the Alfond Center later this year.

Govs Green Initiative has forged partnerships with the school’s leadership to continue learning and building upon successes to address the challenges ahead. “This club is more than just a club; it’s our shared dream,” said Mikelinich.

Wang recently embarked on a research project at the Alfond Center focusing on carbon sequestration in the Great Marsh. Her findings were published in the National High School Journal of Science this fall. Santos undertook an erosion project on the Northern Reservation Terrace on Plum Island in Newbury, MA, as an intern with the Alliance for Climate and Environmental Stewards. Meanwhile, Mikelinich, a dedicated beekeeper for six years, has witnessed firsthand the impact of environmental change on her bees. “My bees have often perished due to drastic weather shifts, but I hope for a greener future. Govs provides a platform to raise awareness about critical environmental issues within our community.”

“Creating a greener Earth requires more than just one school community. The potential impact we can have through collaborative efforts and sustainable practices could ultimately save our planet,” said Santos.

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Left to right: Miffy Wang ’24, Sophia Mikelinich ’24, Todd Santos ’24

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DAY’S END: AFTERNOON PROGRAMS 11 The cross country team practices on newly graded trails that run along the banks of the Parker River and stretch into acres of old growth forest behind the Alfond Center. Significant care was taken to minimize disruptions to the local ecosystem in siting the Center and regrading the trails.

12 The sounds of birdlife echoing through the forest creates a meditative atmosphere for the Life Fitness Afternoon Program, which practices yoga twice a week on the terraced deck of the Alfond Center.

Winter 2023 23

Possibilities PAUL MORRISSEY ’99 BUILDS ONE OF THE FASTESTGROWING PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS IN TEXAS

24 Governor’s

Imagined.

Winter 2023 25

Previous pages: Paul Morrissey '99 (left); Compass Rose graduate (right) Right: Current students and 2023 graduates from among Compass Rose’s seven campuses serving approximately 4,000 students throughout Texas

P

aul Morrissey ’99 vividly remembers his first day of music class at Govs. The fourteen-year-old was still trying to acclimate to his new school as he filed into the old auditorium (now the Bergmann Theater in the Wilkie Center for the Performing Arts) with his classmates. Morrissey didn’t know it, but within minutes music teacher Cindy McKeen would make an announcement that would change the course of his life—and later inspire him to open one of the fastest-growing public charter schools in the state of Texas.

“The first thing Ms. McKeen told us is that she needed to know what we could do, so we were going to be called up to sing,” Morrissey recalls. “I hoped she would somehow skip over my name, but she didn’t; so I went up on stage and sang. I was melting back into my seat when she looked at me and said, ‘That was great. You need to see me after class.’”

Morrissey was taken aback. Though he had previously developed an interest in music—teaching himself to sing harmony to his favorite cassette tape, The Best of the Beach Boys—his brothers would poke fun at him for singing along on car rides. So instead, he opted for the role of student-athlete, arriving at Govs with impressive ice hockey skills.

26 Governor’s

Things changed when Morrissey stayed after that first music class and listened as his teacher encouraged him to join the chorus.

“Ms. McKeen opened up this door that I never imagined would be possible for me,” Morrissey explains emotionally. “I joined the chorus and then the advanced chorus; I even acted on stage (not very well)—all because of this one moment where Ms. McKeen saw something in me that I didn’t see. She heard something in me that I didn't hear.

And she reached in, pulled it out, and showed it to me.”

RAISING THE BAR

For Morrissey, that “something” was more than just the ability to hit the right notes into a microphone. It was about developing the confidence to discover what can happen when you push yourself to take a chance, to bet on a dream.

“My best memories of Govs—some of them are on the football or baseball field or in the hockey rink; but a lot of them came from being on stage and getting to experience stuff that was not on my radar at all. And that’s something that happened to me again and again over those four years.”

After Govs, Morrissey joined the US Hockey League for two years, then completed a bachelor’s degree at the

University of Connecticut. He lived in Prague for a short time and then attended graduate school at Trinity College Dublin, earning a degree in popular literature.

“At Trinity I had the opportunity to work in a small cohort who really understood what I needed and were willing to push me and challenge me, but also support my efforts to be a better scholar,” Morrissey says.

The experience reminded him of poignant moments at Govs, and he started to consider a career in education. “I think every person who works in education has a story about the one or two teachers who really changed their lives; but for me it was this whole community of adults at Govs. I got full financial aid to attend and from day one I felt lucky to be there, placed in a community where, every day, I could tell that adults cared about me, about my future. They wanted me to succeed, and it was game-changing for me.”

Morrissey’s first role as an educator was at Basis Ed, a public charter school in Arizona. “The school had this big vision to improve education by challenging and supporting students in equal measure,” Morrissey explains.

“They believed that kids can do much more than we think, and that we need to raise the bar—but not without the safety

Winter 2023 27

“

I think every person who works in education has a story about the one or two teachers who really changed their lives; but for me it was this

whole community of adults at Govs...They wanted me to succeed, and it was game-changing for me.”

— PAUL MORRISSEY ’99

net of caring adults. That appealed to me because it was directly connected to what I had experienced at Govs.”

After teaching and college counseling, Morrissey served as assistant principal, then principal. “I started to understand the role that public education plays and how it impacts everything that matters in society.”

So when the opportunity came for him to open a new charter school in Washington, DC, he took it. As they recruited students from all across DC, Morrissey started to notice discrepancies in populations and performance measures. His growing interest in improving outcomes for economically disadvan­taged students led him back to the Boston-area for a fellowship at Lawrence Public Schools, which was in state receivership. In that role, he worked with—and eventually joined— Building Excellent Schools, a nonprofit organization that trains leaders to build and run high-achieving college preparatory urban charter schools.

TAKING CHANCES ON A DREAM

Morrissey’s next venture would prove to be among his greatest accomplishments: founding Compass Rose public charter school, and serving economically disadvantaged communities in San Antonio, Texas.

“When I was a fellow at Building Better Schools, I knew I wanted to open a new school, to create something that didn’t exist before,” Morrissey says.

“Through the program of study, I researched high-performing charter schools across the country and learned how to write a charter school application. That was instrumental in me launching Compass Rose.”

The process included a 500-page application to the Texas Board of Education. That year, Compass Rose was one of two groups approved to open a charter school. A board of directors was 28 Governor’s

formed, and the school opened in 2017 on a converted military base with one grade level (sixth), 90 students, and a staff of 10, including his wife Nicole.

“There’s so much that goes into building a school. But then you need to get students to come and show up,” Morrissey recalls, sharing his grassroots recruitment efforts. “There’s a Walmart across the street from our founding campus and I was out in the parking lot every day with fliers in my hand stopping families, letting parents know that we would do right by their kids. It felt like such a win that 90 families took a chance on us.”

Morrissey and his team followed through on their promise of a quality education, and the number of students doubled the following academic year.

By year three, they had reached an enrollment of 350 students. But things changed in March 2020, when U.S. public school systems shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Undeterred, Morrissey and his team were already brainstorming next steps.

“We recognized very early in the pandemic that there was going to be a nationwide problem bringing kids back to school, that they were going to get lost and fall behind,” says Morrissey. “One of the things that has been instrumental in our organization’s growth is the decision that no matter what was being said publicly, we were going to open up in the fall and make sure our kids were cared for during one of the greatest times of need in our public education history.”

Morrissey and his team spent that summer driving through neighborhoods, handing out fliers and ice pops, and talking with families. In August, the existing campus and a second new campus opened with 1,150 students enrolled. “It took incredible effort, all-boots-on-the-ground community engagement work,” Morrissey says.

Compass Rose CEO Paul Morrissey ’99 works to provide access to a worldclass education.

And that level of commitment has not wavered since. In what Morrissey calls “hockey stick-style growth over the past five years,” Compass Rose now has seven campuses serving Pre-K through grade 12. Its first class graduated in June 2023 and enrollment for fall 2023 is expected to be approximately 4,000 students, which Morrissey says makes Compass Rose “the fastest-growing public charter school entity in the state, and potentially the country.”

The curriculum includes STEM, aeronautics, entrepreneurship, computer science, agricultural science, nature-based learning, public health, and medicine. And Morrissey has made

sure that Compass Rose does not lose sight of why he founded the school in the first place: access to a world-class education and the ability to pursue and achieve dreams.

“It’s been a wild ride over the last five years, but it’s the most meaningful work I could ever imagine doing,” says Morrissey, who is the father of one son, Harlan, and two daughters, Noa and Sawyer. “And it all directly links back to my experience at Govs. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t know the power that an educator has to truly reach inside a child’s heart and pull out that beauty, that talent, that excellence that they don’t see in themselves.”

Winter 2023 29

CARDINAL RULES

Cardinal Rules

Girls Lacrosse Callie Batchelder ’23 (All League, All NEPSAC, Class B Player of the Year, USA Lacrosse Massachusetts Independent School High School All-American)—Most Valuable Player

Boys and Girls Lacrosse Are Runners-Up in ISL Championship As the fifth and third seeds in their respective tournaments, the 2023 boys and girls Varsity Lacrosse teams exceeded expectations as runners-up in their respective ISL Championship Tournaments.

Callie Batchelder ’23, led the girls team as co-captain, ending her Govs lacrosse career with 156 points in three years. Brock Geraci ’25 and co-captain Pearse MacDonald ’23, led the boys team’s offense. Geraci scored 27 goals and had 43 assists in his sophomore season.

30 Governor’s

Boys Lacrosse Brock Geraci ’25 (All League, All NEPSAC)— Most Valuable Player

CARDINAL RULES

Amina Cifric ’25 Wins ISL Pole Vault Title At the ISL Track & Field Championship at Thayer Academy on May 13, 2023, Amina Cifric ’25 won the pole vault at a height of 9’0”.

Cifric is the first Governor’s athlete to win the Girls ISL Pole Vault Title.

The following weekend, Cifric went on to win New England Division II Championship and was named All League at the end of the season and team MVP.

Outdoor Track & Field Head Coach Steve Suomi P’27 and Juriah Asberry Fluitt ’23 at Hayward Field.

Fluitt received The Charles I. Somerby Track Trophy (MVP)

Juriah Asberry Fluitt ’23 Runs at Nationals Juriah Asberry Fluitt ’23 competed at the Nike Outdoor High School Nationals in Eugene, Oregon at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.

He qualified for the meet by running the second fastest 100 meter time in Governor’s school history.

BOYS VARSITY LACROSSE Record: 9-8-0 Quarterfinals: #5 Governor’s vs. #4 Middlesex W 16-6

Semifinals: #5 Governor’s vs. #8 Tabor W 11-8

Finals: #5 Governor’s vs. #1 Nobles L 10-14

Boys Varsity Lacrosse team

GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE Record: 11-9-0 Quarterfinals: #3 Governor’s vs. #6 Brooks W 12-9

Semifinals: #3 Governor’s vs. #2 Middlesex W 12-10

Finals: #3 Governor’s vs. #1 Nobles L 4-19

Girls Varsity Lacrosse team

Winter 2023 31

CARDINAL RULES

Right top: Daniel Webster ’23— Louis Quinzio Coaches Award Right bottom: Sophia Colden '23 —Coach’s Award Below: Pearse MacDonald ’23 (All League, All NEPSAC)— Senior Lacrosse Trophy

Top: Ty Walsh ’23 (All League Honorable Mention)—1966 Baseball Trophy (Senior Award)

Andy Jiang ’24—Most Valuable Player

32 Governor’s

Right: Angelina Moroz ’26 (All League, All NEPSAC Honorable Mention)—Most Valuable Player

CARDINAL RULES

Athletic Hall of Fame In honor of the 50 Years of Women at Govs celebration, this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame class was all women. Linda Miller ’79, KK Richardson Scharfe ’00, Keara Thomas McGuire ’07, Becca Block ’09, Betsy Clark P’07, and Mary Ellen Karin P’08,’09,’12 were inducted on Saturday, June 10 during Reunion Weekend festivities. The Governor’s Academy Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to honor those individuals—players and coaches—who have made exceptional contributions to the quality and tradition of Governor’s athletics.

Eight Students Awarded Blankets At the Annual Awards Convocation on Tuesday, May 23, five members of the Class of 2023 and three members of the Class of 2024 were honored for their athletic accomplishments. These students received blankets in recognition of earning at least nine varsity letters during their time at the Academy.

Patrick Carroll ’23 ’23—Soccer, Alpine Skiing, Wrestling, Golf, Track & Field (Outdoor) Sadie Gearan ’23 ’23—Field Hockey, Hockey, Lacrosse Phoebe Ross ’23 ’23—Volleyball, Basketball, Lacrosse Tatum Stickney ’23 ’23—Field Hockey, Hockey, Lacrosse Benzo Zhou ’23 ’23—Cross Country, Basketball, Track & Field (Outdoor) Addy Jay ’24 ’24—Field Hockey, Hockey, Softball Hunter Kingsbury ’24 ’24—Football, Basketball, Track & Field (Indoor), Baseball Reese Pascucci ’24 ’24—Soccer, Hockey, Lacrosse Congratulations to these dedicated athletes!

Top: 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees with Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14 Bottom: 2023 inductee Keara Thomas McGuire ’07 with former Govs faculty and coach David Abusamra P’93, Faculty Emeritus

Scan here to learn more about the Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

Winter 2023 33

Teach and Lead Meet Bill Quigley P’04,’10 BILL is well known for being a great history teacher, writing teacher, and editor; a published author, and a superb volleyball and tennis coach, but here are a few lesser-known facts about the person students affectionately know as “Quigs.”

Bill really enjoys weight lifting, and in his “Hulk” days of bulking up, he bench-pressed 250 pounds—wow!

Along with being a superb coach, Bill is an equally superb athlete. He played some football at Middlebury and is an excellent tennis player; if you want a major challenge, invite Bill to play some ping pong with you in the Student Center or at Mansion House. He can also rip a mean slap shot, and is as much of a technician on the golf course as he is in the classroom.

Bill is a legend in the Boxford, MA softball league and coached varsity baseball at Govs.

On the slopes, Bill is an elegant skier, a la Jean Claude Killy. Bill

spent many years growing up in France, so he is also a Francophile, and if you say parlez-vous français to Bill, get ready for a lengthy discussion in French about liberté, égalité, fraternité!

Keeping with the French theme, not only is Bill a breaker of bread, but he is also a great baker of bread, especially baguettes.

Bill began his teaching career as a mustached young man at the Rivers School. When Bill isn’t on campus, you will likely find him on the coast of Maine in Cape Porpoise, where between tennis sets, writing, spending time with his family and dog, he tends to his beautiful, Giverny-like flower gardens. He is also very involved with the Museum of Old Newbury, where he is the co-president. And you might want to know that Quigs is also quite a writer and deliverer of rap. So the next time you see him, be inQuigsitive and ask him about his many and varied interests and talents that make him a Renaissance man in his own right.

HOW MANY YEARS AT THE ACADEMY This is my thirty-second year.

RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES I teach history and writing (currently, US civics & human rights and AP US History); coach girls varsity tennis (head) and varsity volleyball (assistant); direct the Academy’s Writing Center; advise our student delegations to Harvard Model Congress.

FAVORITE BOOKS In my boyhood, The Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and biographies of explorers and pioneers; in my adolescence, adventure stories; and, throughout my adulthood, investigative journalism, stories of justice and injustice, personal essays and works exploring our place on earth, good sports writing, books about the writing métier, biography, and history. At the top of my list now is Remodelista in Maine: A Design Lover’s Guide to Inspired, Down-toEarth Style by Annie Quigley ’10, my daughter.

FAVORITE MUSIC OR ARTIST Music of the sixties and seventies. And Jennifer Nettles—not an oldie, but a voice I can’t get over. Very top of the chart is my daughter Kelsey Quigley ’04 and her 2007 CD, “crystal & ash.”

ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS Spending time with friends and family, especially with my three grandchildren; flower gardening; volunteer work (co-president of the Museum of Old Newbury); tennis and skiing PASSIONS Teaching and learning; reading and writing (working now on a second book related to the American Civil War) EDUCATIONAL DEGREES BA in American Studies, Middlebury College ALM in history, Harvard University

34 Governor’s

TEACH & LEAD

Meet Amy Rosales ’24 WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO AS A MENTOR? Since the first day of Mrs. Stickney’s sophomore chemistry class, I knew she would be someone I could admire. She always has a positive attitude and says, “Today will be a wonderful day,” at some point whenever you talk to her. She is now my advisor and is always willing to be there for me, whether I’m having a great day or struggling. Her kindness and approachability resonated with me, and I will never forget her for that.

AMY was rehabbing an injury from soccer practice when we met, but you’d never know it. Her bright smile and exceptionally positive attitude shine through. This Massachusetts native keeps busy by serving as student council secretary, varsity soccer player, and proctor in Kaiser Visual Arts Center and in her dorm.

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT GOVS? Coming to Govs from another independent school was an easy transition. Academically, I was very well prepared, but I didn’t expect the relationships I would have with faculty members. I’ve been in my teachers’ houses, shared a meal with them at dinner, and played with their kids. If someone had told me before I came to Govs that the Head of School would eventually be one of my dorm parents, I would have told them they were crazy. Being close with faculty on campus has shaped my experience here in a great way.

WHAT CLASS HAS CHALLENGED YOU THE MOST? AP Ceramics challenged me mentally and forced me to get outside my comfort zone.

Creating ideas surrounding a theme and executing them with clay was harder than I had anticipated. I had taken Ceramics I and loved it, yet when I took AP Ceramics, it was definitely not as straightforward as my old class. It took me a while to settle into the rigor of the course, but it has been one of my favorite classes at Govs.

WHAT ARE YOUR PASSIONS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM? I play varsity soccer, manage the ski team, and play tennis for my afternoon programs.

I am a proctor in Peirce and a head proctor of Kaiser, our visual arts building. For the past two years, I have been class secretary, meaning that I am in charge of communications between the student council and the student body and keeping us organized.

Outside of school, I am involved in community service with the Merrimack Valley Dream Center. I volunteer and help my mom, the Director of Food Truck Ministry.

end of sophomore year, I knew I wanted to make a change. I was very involved in Student Council my junior year and ran for Academy President. Although I did not win, I knew the title would not define how far I could go with making an impact at Govs.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS TO SPEND YOUR FREE TIME? The Dining Hall or, as I usually call it, the “d-hall.” During our passing time in between classes or before Morning Meeting and convocation, I can stop by and grab a snack and also see my friends before we go to class.

Everyone just hangs out there, and it’s nice to see people talking and enjoying time together.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW STUDENTS? This might sound cliché, but just be yourself.

It takes courage to be authentic in a new environment, but it will truly be beneficial.

I have thrived at Govs by being involved in activities, classes, and extracurriculars that I am passionate about and genuinely enjoy.

“Being close with faculty on campus has shaped my experience here in a great way.”

WHAT WAS YOUR MOMENT OF COURAGE AT GOVS? Running for Academy President. I came to Govs as a new sophomore and did not have a true sense of Govs as compared to my peers here. I was intimidated because others were more knowledgeable and involved, but by the Winter 2023 35

Commencement Congratulations, Class of 2023!

Top: Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14 and Trustee Frank Cousins P’20 applaud Commencement Speaker Shabana Basij-Rasikh · Above: Max Lacroix ’23 of Castle Pines, Colorado (Peter W. Bragdon Head of School Cup winner) delivers the Invocation · Right: Ray Long ’96, Director of Financial Aid and Associate Director of Admission, congratulates Academy President Juriah Ashbury Fluitt ’23.

36 Governor’s

On Sunday, May 28, under the shade of the trees on Mansion House lawn, The Governor's Academy held its 260th Commencement exercises. One hundred and three members of the Class of 2023 received their diplomas from Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14, and Board of Trustees President James M. Pierce ’72, P’08.

After receiving their diplomas, graduates followed Governor’s faculty to the Little Red Schoolhouse to say “goodbye for now” and then walked to Mansion House together to take a metaphoric leap into the next chapter of their lives.

Delivering the Commencement address this year was Afghan educator, humanitarian, and women’s rights champion Shabana Basij-Rasikh, who co-founded the School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA). SOLA opened its doors in Kabul to twenty-four girls in 2016 to create a safe environment where girls could learn from educated women and build the bonds of sisterhood. In August 2021, when the Taliban returned to power, SOLA’s school community, including its entire student body of over 100 students, evacuated Kabul and resumed their rigorous educational program in Rwanda. Ms. Basij-Rasikh has received worldwide recognition for her work, including being named National Geographic Society’s Explorer of the Year for 2023.

In her remarks, Ms. Basij-Rasikh connected her work to that of the Academy’s celebration of 50 Years of Women at Govs when she said, “You are the inheritors of fifty years of hope, fifty years of an unshakeable belief in human equality, just the same way that I am the inheritor of a spirit of hope and bravery that has been passed down through generations of Afghan women.”

COMMENCEMENT

Class of 2023 College Destinations Bentley University Boston College Boston University Bowdoin College Brandeis University Bryant University Bucknell University Carnegie Mellon University Clemson University Colby College College of the Holy Cross College of William and Mary Colorado School of Mines Columbia University Connecticut College Dartmouth College Duquesne University Emerson College Emory University Florida A&M University George Washington University Georgetown University Harvard University High Point University

Hobart and William Smith Colleges Indiana University Kenyon College Lehigh University Long Island University Post McGill University Middlebury College New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Ohio State University Providence College Purdue University Quinnipiac University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Roanoke College Savannah College of Art and Design Skidmore College Southern Methodist University Stonehill College

Texas Christian University Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University University of Alabama University of California, Berkeley University of California, Santa Barbara University of Colorado, Boulder University of Denver University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill University of Richmond University of Rochester University of Southern California University of Utah University of Wisconsin-Madison Vassar College Wellesley College Wheaton College (MA)

Top: Tyler Prunier ’23 of Hampton, New Hampshire receives his diploma from Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’95, P’14 · Middle: Lakshmi Bogelli ’23 of Andover, Massachusetts · Bottom: Graduates leap over the Mansion House wall in celebration. The jumping of the wall has been a tradition since the 1950s and continues to be a treasured and significant ritual for each graduating class.

Winter 2023 37

WITH TRUE COURAGE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

WITH TRUE COURAGE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

A New Era The opening of the Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center and the launch of the Bass Institute signifies a new era of place-based and experiential education in Byfield.

On October 6, the Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center and Bass Institute were officially dedicated in front of over one hundred community members.

The 6,800-square-foot building on the banks of the Parker River is a groundbreaking facility for environmental and marine science education on the secondary school level. Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14, President of the Board of Trustees Jim Pierce ’72, P’08, and Trustee Bill Alfond ’67 shared their gratitude and spoke of the building’s importance to the Academy’s curriculum—in the sciences and across all disciplines—and the cumulative effort that led from idea to construction.

In addition to trustees, donors, alumni, parents, and students, representatives from local and regional science organizations who have partnered with the Academy’s science department on the Alfond Center’s design and related curriculum were present.

These partnerships have already provided significant learning opportunities for students and faculty in the building’s first few weeks of use.

Following the remarks and ribbon cutting by Bill ’67 and Joan Alfond, attendees were invited to tour the facility and hear from students and faculty about the exciting work they are doing in their classes, and later enjoyed a celebratory dinner.

Top: Guests gathered before the Alfond Center for dedication remarks and the ribbon cutting.

Bottom: A full circle connection: Faculty Emerita Susan Oleszko-Szuts P’96,’96 and Bass Institute Director Erika Mitkus. Oleszko-Szuts was one of the visionaries behind a facility on the river to further placed-based learning at Govs.

38 Governor’s

WITH TRUE COURAGE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

Below: Student Ambassador Connor Huard ’24 discussing green crab studies being conducted in the aquatic lab tanks with Peter Dorsey ’69, P’08,’14

Bill Alfond ’67 with Faculty Emerita Elaine White P’16,’21

Ribbon cutting from left to right: Francine Tshimbalanga ’24, Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14, Joan Alfond, Bill Alfond ’67, Erika Mitkus, Board President Jim Pierce ’72, P’08, Isaac Stern ’24

Winter 2023 39

WITH TRUE COURAGE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

Legacy of Philanthropy Schumann Foundation Grant Reflects a Tradition of Environmental Awareness

Above: The Alfond Center’s workshop, a Robert F. Schumann Foundation gift Below: R. Ford Schumann Jr. ’66

The Schumann family legacy of philanthropy at Govs spans more than six decades, beginning in the early 1970s, when the Schumann Science Center was established through a gift from Mrs. Florence Schumann P’40 and the Florence and John Schumann Foundation.

In the mid-1990s, Mrs. Schumann’s son, Robert ’40, P’66,’74, an active environmentalist himself, led a transformative expansion of the building, which included state-of-theart science labs and dedicated math classrooms, transitioning it to the Schumann Math and Science Center of today. Both projects set the foundation for developing the best-in-class science and STEAM programs at the Academy today, paving the way for a future that would include the establishment of the Bass Institute and construction of the Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center.

Robert Schumann’s sons, David ’74 and Ford ’66, are advisors to the Robert F. 40 Governor’s

Schumann Foundation, which is “dedicated to improving the quality of life of both humans and animals by supporting environmental, educational, arts, and cultural organizations and agencies.” In this capacity, the Schumanns have advocated for multiple project-specific grants for the Academy’s science, sustainability, and engineering programs. These grants have helped provide new opportunities and expand existing programs. “This type of support is exactly what my father wanted to provide and what the Foundation is geared to support…Govs has done this perfectly,” says Ford of the grants awarded to the school in recent years.

With the construction of the Alfond Coastal Research Center, the Schumanns recognized a new opportunity to further support the place-based and experiential study of the surrounding Great Marsh by funding a portion of the construction costs for the facility. Learning about the project from his brother Ford, David says it

WITH TRUE COURAGE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

ONE DAY. YOUR GOVS.

02.28.23 “piqued my interest in what Govs was doing today. I love the salt marshes; the ecology surrounding the school brings so much opportunity for today’s students to learn and understand this environment.” David points out that the Foundation can also expand opportunities related to the program: “Connecting our network of grantees who are doing similar work is an additional way we can support the success of the organizations that we help fund.”

Ford, who has dedicated his life’s work to the environment and to sustainability in the recycling industry, credits his Govs biology teacher (and coach) Bob Anderson as the “inspiration for my love of science.”

David noted that the family has ties to the area that date back to the 1650s and recognizes that today’s contributions to exploring and researching the surrounding natural ecosystems through the Alfond Center and Bass Institute are “an amazing full circle” for the Schumanns.

SAVE THE DATE GOVS GIVING DAY—FEBRUARY 13, 2024 Mark your calendar for Govs Giving Day 2024 and join fellow alumni, families, and friends to champion your favorite team, cast, or crew and help make this year another winning year for Govs students. The Governor’s Fund is our engine of opportunity and supports nearly every area of school life. The Govs community continues to be strong and vibrant on every level, thanks to gifts made to The Governor’s Fund each year.

Every gift to The Governor’s Fund counts toward the success of the With True Courage campaign achievement.

Spring 2023 41

WITH TRUE COURAGE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

Campaign Update $100 million goal $96 million raised to date

With True Courage Is About Community THE POWER OF GOING FAR TOGETHER

NUMBER OF FAMILIES RECEIVING AID

By Income Range 2023–2024 Academic Year

Meeting our $100 million goal ensures we provide our students with a life-changing educational experience. Our community has responded generously, and together, we are creating the most dynamic and meaningful learning experiences possible.

$225,000+ $150,001–225,000 $75,001–150,000

FINANCIAL AID IS A CRITICAL PRIORITY

We aim to endow significantly more of our annual financial aid budget to ensure the Govs experience remains affordable and accessible. For the 2023–2024 school year, we awarded over $6 million in financial aid; 30% of the student body received assistance.

Since the start of the With True Courage campaign: • Donors have helped Governor’s raise over $20 million for endowed financial aid • For 76% of these donors, this was their first gift to endowed financial aid • Donors have established or bolstered forty life-changing scholarships

$0–75,000 0

10

20

30

40

50

WITH TRUE COURAGE ALLOCATION OF FUNDRAISING TO DATE Endowment Financial Aid: $21.4M Capital Projects: $21M Endowment Unrestricted: $20.1M Other: $4.3M Endowment Faculty: $9.6M

Inspired by our vision, Robert M. ’67 and Anne T. Bass GP’26, established a matching gift challenge that invites alumni, parents, and friends to invest in the future of the Academy.

The Bass Challenge matches $1 for every $2 contributed of all endowment and current-use leadership gifts in support of financial aid and all other campaign priorities.

42 Governor’s

The Governor’s Fund: $19.6M

WITH TRUE COURAGE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

For Others HUBBARD GIFTS FOR FINANCIAL AID

Albert (A.C.) ’55 and Penney Hubbard are pro-education and pro-Baltimore. How does that impact students in Byfield, 435 miles away?

It impacts them because A.C. so valued his time at Governor’s that he wanted to ensure others had the same opportunity.

“He really had a great experience there, and that influenced where he would want a scholarship,” said Penney Hubbard.

As a gift to A.C. earlier this year, Penney established the Albert (A.C.) Hubbard, Jr. ’55 Endowed Scholarship Fund. This will support students from the mid-Atlantic region, preferably the Baltimore area, with demonstrated financial need. Support will be awarded annually to the same recipient whenever possible so they can attend Governor’s throughout their entire secondary school career.

A.C. and Penney have years of involvement with nonprofits in the Baltimore area, and their work is always centered on a commitment to providing access to education for Baltimore’s underserved community.

Penney, an educator by profession, has served on multiple boards with missions rooted in advocating for Baltimore’s youth.

A.C. began his work in nonprofit development with T. Rowe Price, joining the board of their Associates Foundation in 1985 and

The Hubbards’ recent gift is life changing for its beneficiaries, providing academic opportunities recipients might not otherwise have had, and connecting them to the wonderful community at Governor’s.

becoming its president two years later. He led the foundation toward its mission of finding innovative solutions to improving outcomes for both youth and the community at large.

The special Byfield-to-Baltimore connection was first created in 2014, when A.C. and Penney committed to current-use gifts for financial aid at the Academy, supporting tuition for qualified, need-based financial aid students from the Baltimore area. Through their previous work with nonprofits, they understood the limitations of and stress on the school systems in their area. Exceptional students from this area sought another opportunity to seek an excellent education, and connecting them to Governor’s seemed like a good way to do just that.

Albert (A.C.) Hubbard, Jr. ’55 and his wife Penney

Winter 2023 43

Alumni Highlights

Cardinal & White Day The Govs community of alumni, family, and friends braved the elements in October for our annual homecoming event. Over 100 alumni from various decades gathered to support our athletes, enjoy delicious food, and share in the warmth of the Govs community—rain or shine!

44 Governor’s

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

Portland, ME

Top, left to right: Bob Scribner ’74, Sarah Ewell Smith ’72, Carol Salloway ’73 Left, left to right: Tyler Niven ’15, Samantha Boulais Howson P’17

Regional Events Alumni, families, and friends of Governor’s gathered for regional events to celebrate the gifts of friendship and community this fall.

New York City

Top left, left to right: Kate Anderson-Song ’15, Sydney MacDonald ’16, Akosua Opong-Wiredu ’15, Nina-Simone Avery ’16, Brandon Smith ’15, Joe Bobrowskas Above, left to right: Peter Brandli ’16, Tucker Marr ’15, Joe Bobrowskas Left, left to right: Katie Settelmeyer ’17, Kate Whittier ’17, Andrew Kabala, Alyson Gerber ’02, Samantha Boulais Howson P’17 Far left bottom, left to right: Champ Suksangium ’14, Kyler Ross ’14, Mike Fogarty ’14, Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14, Arjun Bhatnagar ’14

Winter 2023 45

CLASS NOTES

46 Governor’s

Joe Turner ’99 and his wife Mica Turner at Reunion 2019

CLASS NOTES

Class Notes ’46

Bill Silver billsilver@comcast.net These are the graduation photos of the two remaining members of the class of 1946. I am saddened to report that my remaining classmate, Bob Waugh, passed away July 29—leaving me as the last of the class! It is sad but that is what life is! Many memories remain with me and many others who knew him. The best part is still the children and grandchildren who will continue our legacy after we are gone! I just added great grandchild #5 and hope that they will make an even better world than we did!

’49 ’51

REUNION

George McGregor classnotes@govsacademy.org This past spring while reading a newspaper article, a journalist wrote: “People around the President of the United States are his pooh-bahs”. It immediately rang a bell: when we were here as students Tom Mercer claimed to be the pooh-bah of pushball; today it is known as volleyball. Pushball began on the campus in 1936 to occupy teenage boys between the fall and winter sports season. All the students and most of the faculty participated. We all squared off in two leagues of teams with titles such as Eames's Eagles and Sager's Sharks. The “real” Pooh-bah of pushball never actually appeared, but left matters in the hands of his alternate identity and emissary, “Uncle Tom Mercer” (as we students referred to Tom amongst ourselves).

We all remember Mr. Mercer's word of the day announced from the head of the oblong table in the

Noyes Library. He taught us what the joy of words and their meanings could bring to our lives. And so—here we go—I never thought pooh-bah was anything more than an imaginary word and character that Mr. Mercer had created for pushball for his and everyone else's pleasure. WRONG—the American Heritage Dictionary second college edition lists pooh-bah as a real word and the definition as a pompous and ostentatious official, especially one holding many offices fulfilling none of them.

Hooray for Tom Mercer. I learned his lessons well and still reach for my dictionary often. His command of the English language became part of a fun pushball activity.

Everyone won!

’54 ’55

REUNION

George Gardner george.gardner3@gmail.com Bowen Tucker wrote in May “I was very sorry to read that Phil Angell’s wife passed earlier this year. That is very hard to experience. My wife, Jan, and I still live in Chicago suburbs, but we are in the process of moving to a senior living facility.

Jan has had many health problems and the new facility will help her a lot. I ran my last marathon in 2017. Now I can ‘run’ at a walking pace. The new Governor’s brings back many memories and I am glad that the school provides equal opportunities for women. We still need to pass the equal rights amendment. I look forward to hearing more from other alums.”

Willy Friend ’82 shared the sad news of his father’s passing: “I’m writing to let you and GDA know that my father Bill Friend died on Tuesday May 2, 2023, from complications related to congestive

heart failure. He was at home and my three sisters and I were with him when he passed peacefully.

From my earliest years I learned of dad’s love of GDA, his time there and the friendships he made and carried with him throughout his life. He was a lifetime champion of all things GDA/Govs and was a particularly enthusiastic fan of Govs’ sports teams and as recently as last fall tried to attend at least one football game a year.”

George Gardner writes “Karen and I are well except for a few health scares and are still living in Mattapoisett, MA near the water on Buzzards Bay. After 45 years of sailing and countless races on my Shields, Good News, I decided it was time to sell her. It’s sad and like losing a favorite pet. I found that maintaining the boat and racing on windy days was getting too strenuous. Last winter we did not take any trips to major ski resorts. I think my skiing will be limited to small local ski areas. I hope you are all well and thriving.”

the air. Most modern trained pilots have heard of the antique airplanes but rarely get a chance to fly one.

Unfortunately, my neighbors do not like the smell of the paint but are interested in my restorations and wonder why a retired surgeon would want to take on such a task.

They will never understand. They think that such work should be done by a well-trained mechanic.

But the modern mechanic is not very interested in antique aircraft.

They need to be old like me to enjoy the effort.” Walt added that while “these restorations are very satisfying projects…I wish I could restore the worker to similar condition.”

Although Walt said that he may not do any more projects restoring antique airplanes, my guess is that by the time of the next issue of the alumni magazine, he will have started working on another project.

There is undoubtedly a correlation between being a skilled surgeon and a person skilled in restoring antique aircraft.

I tip my hat once again to Walt Cannon not only for his outstanding achievements as a glider pilot over the years, but also for his continuing devotion to restoring antique airplanes. He recently completed the restoration of a vintage 1945 Piper J-3 Cub airplane. He said that it is a “very satisfying effort to get an antique airplane back into

Steve Volpone wrote in: “This time of the year always brings up memories of my relationship with Roy Nash around fantasy football.

We were not close as classmates as we didn't share any classes or sports and I was a day student.

An email to classmates 8 or 9 years ago inquiring if there was any interest in starting or joining a fantasy football league met with a tepid response as only Roy and Fred Huntress showed any interest. When Fred opted out after several years, Roy and I continued a friendly competition by comparing our team's weekly scores, and

Bill Silver ’46

Bob Waugh ’46

’59

REUNION

Randy Light crlight23@gmail.com

Winter 2023 47

CLASS NOTES

all the discussions relating to our football personnel decisions. Had we not shared this fantasy football interest, we would never have developed a long distance friendship that, unfortunately, was cut short by Roy's passing. Although Roy could not participate in his fantasy league those final months, we still enjoyed discussing football and what was happening to our favorite teams: the Patriots and the Buccaneers. I now participate in a league run by one of my sons-inlaw, and I find myself asking, when confronted with a fantasy football question: what would Roy do?”

Bob Pouch mentioned that he had the opportunity to visit again with Erna Nash, Roy’s widow, recently and that she is still living in Naples, Florida. Bob reported that although Hurricane Ian did not cause “much damage” to his Little Hickory Island property in Florida, he and his wife still cannot occupy the property because “the utilities are a mess. ...We won’t be there until after Christmas. Or Easter 2024 if we face additional challenges [and] delays. ...For now, we are in Irvington NY with the Hudson River right outside our window.” He also said that although he is “slowing down a bit. [He is still] playing tennis and enjoying visits with kids/grandkids [as well as] enjoying naps.”

Brian Marsh and his wife “attended the North Norfolk Music Festival for four days...[and] were

surprised at how good and well organised it was.” For those of us from the Colonies, the North Norfolk Music Festival is held near Pipers Croft Friar’s Lane, England.

Fortunately for Brian and his wife, they did not attend the Burning Man Festival this year in Nevada.

Courtney Bird reported: “Sadly my wife of 60 years passed away in May 2022. There is no denying that has left a big hole in my life. But despite my 83 years, there can be no such thing as ‘retirement’. Life has to have meaning and purpose, and one has to be actively engaged. So I continue my 20 year service on the Town of Falmouth’s Conservation Commission as Vice-Chair and ‘Resident Curmudgeon.’ For some 35 years, I ran my own construction business, but stepped away from that more than 10 years ago. Then about 2 1/2 years ago, the owner of a house I built in 2000 twisted my arm excessively to undertake a small bathroom remodeling worth about $10k. In short order the scope of work and the amount of my time involved escalated rapidly. By a month ago with the end in sight, the project cost stood at $550k and counting! Finally, as if that wasn't enough, about four years ago I began spearheading a citizen's initiative to bring a locally controlled high-speed fiber optic broadband network to Falmouth to compete with Comcast. The result is that the town has created a Municipal Light Plant to build and

Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14, with Peter Stonebraker ’60 and his fiancée, Denise Axtell, visiting the Alfond Coastal Research Center

48 Governor’s

manage the network, governed by a 5-person elected Municipal Light Board, of which I am a member. We are still about 18 months away from breaking ground on the $55 million venture and there is a huge amount of work to be done to get there. But all this never ceases to be fun! For a change of pace, since 1996, I have had season tickets to the Patriots.

Tailgating with friends before and after the games in all manner of weather never ceases to be as enjoyable as the game itself!”

Alan Stone sent an email in which he addressed the difficulty of connecting with classmates and with the GDA students of today. He suggested that, as a first step, engaging in an artful dialogue on matters of mutual interests may well lead to an answer to the issue. He said: “I am in the curious and unhappy situation of ‘What am I to say to my classmates,’ none of whom I have seen except Peter Sherin a few years ago who gracefully tried to bring me into greater contact with GDA. So many subjects that interest me are off limits, to wit, politics, culture. I would love to start a discussion on these lines. I am what some might call a passionate advocate for keeping alive the culture—literary, artistic, and political—of European and American ideas of connecting ethics and activity to give meaning to daily activity. I once had the idea of asking to talk to GDA seniors about such things, but I would not have the slightest idea, if first, such conversations would be considered useful or interesting, or in the end just a forced connection/ conversation of old and young, surely polite, but well, soon to be forgotten. I confess that I have almost no idea whatever of what concerns a person about to enter University and thus another phase of life. As I write, I find myself very curious indeed about such thoughts on their parts. I am open to suggestions as to going further.” Alan then offered that “articulate communication is the beginning of all things.”

Let me know if you would like to follow up on Alan’s invitation and contact him.

Peter Sherin said: “I will be at my 60th college reunion and plan to be at our 65th (the number seems absurd!) next year hoping as many as possible make it!” No doubt all

of us can concur with Peter that the number 65 does indeed seem absurd; but nonetheless keep next year’s reunion in mind and plan to be in attendance if possible.

’60

John Elwell johnelwell@verizon.net Our Peter Stonebraker sure is keeping active and doing some active traveling. Kudos to Peter and Denise for their travels and connections in so many places!

Peter writes: John and Classmates: Regrets that I could not make this year's reunion; however, I typically like to use the reunion trips to visit family members as well.

Unfortunately, the family members were not available at reunion time.

However, Denise and I were able to make the trip in mid-July. We visited Bowdoin College, my alma mater, and saw a very interesting Arctic Museum there, which was based on the trips of Perry and MacMillan. We then visited Brother David ’66 and his wife, Mitzi, who took us to the Coastal Botanical Garden in Boothbay.

The Garden, a truly beautiful site, is generously supported by the Alfond Family. This was followed by dinner in a coastal restaurant, then a visit to brother Mike ’61 and his wife, Beth, at their camp on Lake Winnipesaukee. We had a wonderful cruise on the steamer, Mt. Washington, around the lake and a truly enjoyable cookout with three generations of both Mike's and David's family. Then a visit to the Govs for an opportunity to see the new Parker River Environmental Studies Center. It will start to be used this Fall and will be dedicated in October. Finally, we visited with Denise's oldest granddaughter, a recent graduate from the Yale Master of Biology program and an entering student at the UNH Ph.D. Marine Biology program. Overall, a phenomenal trip—one we both will remember for many years.

Projected travel plans include Jackson Hole, Maui, and Florida.

We are traveling while we can, recognizing that we may have a limited number of such ventures left. However, the 2024 reunion is definitively in our travel plans. Best to All —Pete and Denise.

CLASS NOTES

Great to hear from Charles Stewart.

Sure wish I still lived in the DC area so I could enjoy his wines!

Charles writes: Hi John, Mary and I are in France for seven weeks collecting wines. Any classmates in the DC area are welcome to join us for a glass when we return. We recently had a delightful visit with Steve Rzewski and his wife. —Charles Stewart Greetings to Dick Henry! Thanks MUCH for the notes. And I will forgive you this time, but the next time you are in the area you MUST come by 266 High Street. Would love to connect with you and show you the area.

Dick writes: Hi John, I have a confession to make! On our way home from Maine this summer we drove into Newburyport to have lunch. Ate at the Tuscan Sea Grill and Bar. Good lunch! It's amazing to me how beautiful your town is on the water. After all those years coming to church in Newburyport, I had never been on the water! And the water part of the town must have changed a lot in the last 60+ years! Sorry we failed to stop by!

We then drove down to TGA and onto the campus, but there was something going on under a big tent in the center of campus, so we didn't drive in there. I am looking forward to the start of the college field hockey season, as one of the Captains of the Princeton team is a Govie! Sam Davidson ’19 is her name. She's from North Andover!

—Dick Henry, 30 Spring Island Drive, Callawassie Island, SC 29909 Don Alexander and his wife Barbara are so active. It’s always exciting to hear of their accomplishments and events. Kudos to both of them! They are a model and inspiration for all of us!

Don writes: John: Greetings to you and all of our '60 Classmates, but with one pause. We are much closer to 2060 than to 1960. And remember, when we were in college, we were part of the “Don't trust anyone over 30” generation.

How does that look in the rear-view mirror? For updates, Barbara and I are loving the downsized house we moved into in Hallowell, ME, in November 2022. Some of my

professional activity in the next year will be working with others to add extensive Uniform Law Commission proposed amendments to the Maine Uniform Commercial Code. Sounds dull but is very important to add laws recognizing and addressing digital currency, digital assets, and digital contracts generally to our laws governing commercial and business transactions and relationships.

In September, Barbara and I are going to a reunion in New Mexico of the original organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970. Barbara was the only woman among the seven young organizers of that transformative event. We will then visit our daughter’s family in Montana before returning to Maine. Also of note, in mid-June, Katherine Tierney ’96, was sworn in as a Judge of the Maine District Court. I had known Kate since she joined the District Attorney's office in Portland in 2003 or 2004, after graduating from law school, and attended her confirmation hearing.

She will be an excellent judge for the State of Maine.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful Fall. —Don Mal Flint and his wife Surrey are very active and traveling much also.

In fact, we are meeting Mal and Surrey for dinner in Newburyport on their way back from Maine.

Look forward to reconnecting and reminiscing.

Mal writes: John, I couldn’t let your plea for happenings go unanswered so here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to: Our family consists of 3 children and 5 grandchildren. Our 2 daughters and their families live near us and we see them regularly but our son and his family are in the San Francisco area. We try to get 2 trips to the West Coast each year to see them and we were there this Spring and have another visit planned for the Fall. For our 5 grandchildren, two are in college, one is a high school senior, one a high school junior and the youngest started 6th grade—a reminder of how old we’re getting.

Fortunately, Surrey and I are still able to do some traveling and starting two years ago we did a trip to Peru and Machu Picchu for

Surrey’s 80th birthday and last year went to Tahiti for my 80th birthday.

Both trips were great once we were there but the getting there and back was challenging for these aging bodies. This year we had a planned 12-day trip to Whistler and the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The Whistler part went ok but we had to abort the Vancouver Island portion due to a wildfire closing the only road across Vancouver Island for an extended period. We also have been spending a week or so in Maine each year during the fall (even during the pandemic) and hope to do the same this year—need to fill up on lobster. On the way up to Maine, we went via South Byfield a few times to see the many changes that have taken place in the 63 years since we were there. —Cheers, Mal Great to hear from Wally (Walcott Hamilton), also…and his meal description sounds absolutely delicious. Yes we are getting older, but in some ways we are acting younger which is good!

Wally writes: John—They say that with every decade we become a different person. And so it seems. Boy, this 80’s stuff takes a little getting used to. It’s like driving an old car.

I’m never too sure what’s going to quit running next and require yet another trip into the shop to get it fixed. A few years ago, it was “getting older.” Now it’s “got there.”

People here are very nice about giving up their seats on the bus or subway to those who seem like they need it. So, it became a sign of the times when the pretty girls started standing up and offering me their seat. It’s then you know for sure your day is done and gone. We eat pretty well down here, but some things are missing for the most part. Next month we’re taking a trip “nawth” to Atlanta and first stop will be an IHOP or a Waffle House.

Gonna get me some of them hash browns and grits and redeye gravy and crisp bacon on the side and eggs and a waffle and some pancakes with a big mess of fake syrup and pepperoni pizza and Tex-Mex enchiladas and bbq ribs and buffalo wangs. Yum. Well, maybe not all at once.

May y’all get good seats on the bus

for years to come. Bye now.

—Walcott Hamilton PS: Take pictures and send them around.

Wow…Larry Ross says not a lot of exciting news and then shares about a trip coming up to Iceland.

To me that is VERY exciting news.

Have a great and memorable trip.

Hope we can get together when you get back.

Larry writes: Hi John, I really don’t have a lot of exciting news. We have had a busy summer between home in Marblehead as well as some time at our other home in northern Maine. Got to spend a little time with my son and his wife in Maine as they were down from their home in Ottawa. My wife and I are also getting ready for a trip to Iceland in October where we will spend 8 days. Trip was supposed to be 3 years ago but was canceled because of Covid. Looking forward to that trip. Otherwise, we stay busy with 3 grandsons here in Mass. Best to you. —Larry Ross Well…that’s the latest news from our classmates. The new Governor’s Alfond Coastal Research Center that Peter references in his notes is a very impressive and important learning center for the students, especially given the issues in today’s world with the environment. I have had the good occasion to visit it three times and come away each time more impressed. I will be involved in an area function there in October.

Yours truly is very busy on the Farm—don’t ever retire and become a Farmer—you lose holidays, weekends, and vacations.

Know that if you are in the area the porch light on the 1793 house is always on for you at 266 High Street. Would love to give you a Farm tour also. —John Elwell

’62

Tom Tobey Peter Butler Bob MacLaughlin Back in April, tech wizard Ham Agnew set up a Zoom call he dubbed, “GDA ’62 Virtual Reunion.” Peter Butler emceed, Winter 2023 49

CLASS NOTES

and 15 other other classmates joined in, plus very special guest Betsy Pyne.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Music, Entrepreneurship, and a Little Alchemy Jeremy Gold’s ’11 love of music led him to Nashville, but it was the business behind the music that became his claim to fame.

The 2011 Govs graduate—a fixture in the Music and Arts Department, playing in pit bands and taking the stage at Friday Morning Meetings—pursued music at Belmont University.

“After a few years of playing in bands and meeting local musicians, I realized I was going to have a more satisfying, productive career if I switched to the business side,” Jeremy said. He shifted his focus to music business and entrepreneurship, which led to digital marketing and artist management jobs at Warner Brothers Records and Starstruck Entertainment, where he worked with Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, and a roster of developing artists.

“While there, I made some of my favorite relationships in Nashville,” he said. “Working on Kelly Clarkson’s first album with Atlantic Records and Blake Shelton’s campaign when he joined The Voice were really great experiences.”

After five years at Starstruck, Jeremy struck out on his own. He joined forces with an old colleague, and started Alchemy Artist Services, an agency providing curated digital marketing for record labels, managers, and independent artists.

Jeremy’s advise to budding musicians: “If you’re a musician or an artist, it’s possible to create an audience for yourself that you can build into a career. You don’t need someone to tell you to start. Just start.”

Betsy was Charlie Pyne’s date and, as she puts it, “main squeeze” for our junior and senior proms.

Shortly after Charlie died on 12/21/21, Betsy moved south.

“Charles never wanted to live in Florida,” she said with chuckle, “and he told me many times, ‘As soon as I’m gone, you can move to Florida.’ I wonder every day what Charles would think of my Florida house.” Charlie was the most notorious of the tech wizards in our class, having once figured out how to make AT&T long-distance calls from GDA for free. So, it wouldn’t be that surprising if he’s figured out how to tap into us now.

Also on the call were Peter Buck, Doug Coupe, John Davagian, Mac Donaldson, Jim Gordon, Bob James, Dave Lorenson, Steve Kasnet, Peter Machinist, Bob MacLaughlin, Tim McNally, Bob Snyder, Tom Tobey, Rick Tongberg, and Tay Vaughan.

Peter B. Machinist (aka Peter B) was very excited to have just become a grandfather for the first time. “Even at our age,” Peter said, “it’s possible to be surprised.” What was not surprising was the retired Harvard professor’s answer to a question about the whereabouts of his books. He said his wife, Alice, had just catalogued 27,000 (twenty-seven thousand) of them, so the garage was still loaded as was much of the house. Peter was headed to England to speak at Oxford where a former doctoral student of his now teaches.

One of the other Peter B’s, Peter Buck (aka Buck Pete), moved to Polly’s Island in South Carolina in 2020. He has been surprised by how many people down there are from Massachusetts and know of GDA. Peter’s plan for the future: “To find my golf game.”

Living near Buck Pete is Doug Coupe, who moved to the Hilton Head area 21 years ago. When the Zoom call conversation turned to some of the teachers from our old days, he remembered a certain math teacher who was blind in one eye. Doug, unsure of his own

50 Governor’s

math aptitude, would sit in the front row on the teacher’s blind side: “It worked great because he never called on me.” Though Doug left GDA after his sophomore year, he later returned to South Byfield as a teacher himself. He’s been on the board of Springfield College for more than two decades.

Bob James also spends a lot of time in the south and has been dealing with the impact of Hurricane Ian on his Naples, Florida home. “We had about three feet of water in our house,” he reported, pointing out that many other people had it much worse and that he and his wife have a place in Boston to which they can retreat whenever they need or want to.

Bob Snyder and his wife had returned to Maine for the summer after wintering once again in St. Martin’s. Although they sold their island home several years ago, the Snyders now rent when they go there. “Other than the beaches and casinos,” Bob told us, “there’s not a whole lot to do other than great restaurants. They call it the Capital of Eating. You can put on a lot of weight if you’re not careful.”

At the time of the Zoom meeting, perpetual travelers Peter and Marie Butler were training for yet another adventure, this time on Spain’s Camino de Santiago. They were intending to hike part of the 500-mile spiritual trail, then head to Portugal and France for another couple weeks. Peter has participated in a fitness class in Marlboro, MA for years, and he was the oldest runner to complete the 5K Pie Race at the 2022 Academy reunion.

During the call, Mac Donaldson and several others of us remembered hauling pipes to what became the first mechanically frozen hockey rink at the Academy.

One of the pipe haulers was John Davagian, who ended up playing goalie on that rink when it was finished. Davage went on to a career involving much larger construction projects, and he still practices construction law in Massachusetts.

In fact, he tried a case in the Newburyport Courthouse in March and discovered it was one of the oldest active courthouses in the US (1805). “I was stunned,” he said.

CLASS NOTES

Mac, too, has stayed in the state.

After 28 years of working in hi-tech, he spent 18 more building boats.

He retired as general manger of Manchester Marine in 2015 and continues to volunteer in the industry, promoting education for young people to fill the need for servicing boats.

One of Mac’s customers at the boatyard was Steve Kasnet (aka Kas), who has been on the Academy’s Board of Trustees since the early 1990s. Steve also serves on several committees, co-chairing the Campaign Steering Committee and chairing Legal Affairs & Risk Management. His son Archie, who graduated in 1995, “shares my affection for and involvement with Govs.” Kas brought us up to date on the school’s remarkable progress while also divulging some of his more mischievous pursuits from our student days.

Tim McNally (aka Trees), whose stepson Charlie Nicholson graduated in 2007, also has witnessed and been amazed by the school’s changes. Tim joined the call from Pomfret, CT where he was almost retired. After practicing “whatevercomes-in-the-door” law for a dozen years, he bought a company from one of his clients, eventually selling it and staying on part-time until later this year. Trees is still involved in various causes, committees and organizations while wielding brush-cutters and chainsaws to bring law and order to his 140 overgrowing acres. His collection of motorized toys includes a 1990 Harley FXLR, ’85 Ford F350 farm truck, ’79 customized Caddy and 2006 Mustang daily driver.

Back to hockey, ’62 soccer goalie Rick Tongberg recalled one warm winter during GDA’s pre-rink era when the ice on the pond was often soft or non-existent. “The hockey team went to Harvard and other places to practice,” Rick remembers, “and they had more games than practices that year.” He has lived in Kentucky for four decades, having moved there to work in marketing for the makers of Jack Daniels, and is now in a book club called…wait for it…Bourbon & Books. Really. Rick tries to play golf twice a week and has served as a poll-worker for many elections.

He and his wife have been married for 56 years and have two great-grandkids.

One of GDA’s most outstanding hockey players was our classmate Dave Lorenson, who came to GDA from Ontario, Canada. On the call, Dave reported that despite two artificial hips, a total shoulder reverse replacement and no less than eight surgeries, he is more than able to enjoy his six grandchildren.

At one point during the April Zoom call, a discussion about Latin broke out. The banter reached its climax when Tay Vaughan and Peter Machinist pondered the correct pronunciation of Latin words beginning with the letter C. Hard C? Or soft C? “Depends on the dialect,” Peter finally concluded. Tay is living in Maryland where he continues to work in his shop and “play” on his computer. Over the years, he has built and renovated houses, boats and all manner of other things, including a website for the class of ’62. He is still receiving checks from McGraw-Hill for a college textbook he wrote in 1992. “I remain deeply grateful to GDA,” Tay said in May, “for the four years of learning that formed my base, and to those companions who tolerated me during that growing-up time.”

Back to Ham Agnew, who has made our Zoom gatherings possible.

Among his many accomplishments, Ham started a company called Ethx (pronounced ethics) in 2002 to provide internet access to large homeowner associations. He had a thousand customers when he sold Ethx and retired. While visiting Tim McNally in Connecticut several years ago, he discovered the home of a late uncle who, as it turns out, was a pioneer in radio. When last heard from, Ham was putting together a presentation about the uncle to deliver to the American Radio Relay League, whose mission is to connect hams through the country. How perfect. He was also busy serving as treasurer and webmaster of a bonsai club in Fort Meyers, FL as well as being very active in a local ham radio club.

Back to Latin, Jim Gordon shared on the call how a certain GDA teacher had referred to him as a little (unprintable) during

parents’ weekend. “My mother held a grudge against him for the rest of her life,” Jim told us as we rolled with laughter, “and I still do.” After the teacher died, Jim’s grade jumped from an F to an A, propelling him toward a very successful 40-year career as a financial adviser. (E pluribus unum.) He retired in 2020 and continues to serve in rotary and on church committees in Woodland, WA. He also hunts, plays with his two grandkids and hopes for the day when the bursitis in his hips lets up enough for him to start running again.

The award for wearing the most captivating attire on the April Zoom call went to Tom Tobey, whose snappy teeshirt was lettered, “In my defense, I was left unsupervised.” Tom, who is surely one of the world’s great networkers, has served as class secretary since we graduated in 1962. (That’s SIXTYONE years!) The number of times he has picked up the phone to keep us connected to Govs and to each other is beyond calculation. Tom acknowledged during the call that his health limitations, including the effects of two recent strokes, make it difficult to gather

and write up our class notes for the Archon. Peter Butler and Bob MacLaughlin have agreed help out so he can concentrate on riding his stationary recumbent bike 10+ miles three times a week and take walks with his physical therapist.

Thank you, Tom, for ALL you have done for us!

As for Bob Mac (aka GlaughGlaugh), the new hip he got after breaking his old one while chipping ice out of his Maine driveway in 2022 is working well. This spring Bob limped through the Sugarloaf 15K (9.3 miles), making the podium for the 75-79 age group. “Being ancient has its benefits,” the former GDA three-sport benchwarmer said afterward. “Very few runners my age show up.” Bob’s toughest challenge will be to match his wife, Rene (Ree-nee) Collins, who did a marathon to celebrate her 80th birthday. Lotsa luck, Glaugh.

News from others not on the April Zoom call…Ted Moore continues to roam the mountains, trails and ocean currents of Alaska.

Ted and Ginny live most of the time in the Anchorage home they call “Elfinwood,” which they

Top: The GDA ’62 “virtual reunion” via Zoom: 1st row, left to right: Peter Butler, Ham Agnew, Betsy Pyne, Tom Tobey, Bob James; 2nd row: Dave Lorenson, Bob MacLaughlin, Rick Tongberg, Bob Snyder, Peter Buck; 3rd row: Mac Donaldson, John Davagian, Steve Kasnet, Doug Coupe, Peter Machinist. 4th row: Tay Vaughan, Jim Gordon, Tim McNally · Bottom Left: Betsy Pyne was the special guest of GDA ’62 on its April Zoom call. Betsy was Charlie Pyne’s prom date and “main squeeze” in our junior and senior years. Charlie passed in 2021 · Bottom right: Tom Tobey, secretary for the Class of ’62 for 61 years!

Winter 2023 51

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built on land bordering 500,000acre Chugach State Park. It’s not unusual for moose to sleep in the yard and cavort in the small pond next to the house, and encounters with bears are not uncommon.

Ted maintains a section of park trail as well as the bridges he has engineered and built across Rabbit Creek. The Moores also have a house and a sailboat in seaside Seldovia where they have done genealogical research and mapping of local cemeteries to identify unmarked gravesites. As a result, Kodiak Island has hired them to do similar work. Their son, daughter and all three grandchildren also live in Alaska.

Darrell Hamric has retired from the postal service in Austin, Texas, where he continues to walk three times a week for three miles.

Ray Bird and his wife, Joan, also walk regularly near the house in Winchester, MA they bought 54 years ago. Ray still works as a risk manager with Bank of America, doing business remotely from home. Come summer, the Birds migrate north for a few weeks to the family farm in Maine, not all that far from Bowdoin College, where Ray once roomed with our late classmate John Tarbell. In the farm’s barn is an old but unused tombstone bearing an inscription Ray can’t decipher. He’s considered sending a picture of it to Peter B, our aforementioned master of languages, for a translation.

Red Culver and his wife, Mary, also have lived in the Massachusetts house they bought almost 54 years ago. Red worked in the financial world for years after starting out as a computer programmer. The Culvers have a second home on Sanibel Island in Florida, and they were packing their bags to head south when Hurricane Ian hit. Their piece of paradise was damaged so severely that it had to be stripped to the studs before rebuilding could begin. Red and Mary were able to return for awhile this spring just as repairs were being finished. Red is still anxiously awaiting resurrection of the Sanibel softball field so he can start running the bases again.

Red has played softball for 49 years in Sanibel and Burlington, despite knee replacements, shoulder 52 Governor’s

surgeries and natural disasters.

Class Website: About that brilliant website built by Tay back at the turn of the century: Ham has figured out how we can make changes to our profiles. So, if your residence has changed, or you’re now in witness protection, or not married to the same person, or would like to alter any other info, simply go to gda62. org and follow the directions.

Thanks, Tay and Ham!

’64

REUNION

Larry Henchey lhenchey@verizon.net Jane and I spent an enjoyable afternoon and evening on campus in June at Reunion 2023. While turnout for our class was sparse due to various other commitments (yes, we are still an active group!), we toured the new Alfond Coastal Research Center on the Parker River with Ralph Johnson and Carol Yunker. The Center is spectacular and well worth a visit. Look for the formal dedication this Fall.

Dinner in the library was fun as we were joined by several members of the Advancement staff. Paul Freedberg was unable to to join us in June because the date coincided with his latest links journey, a golf buddy trip to Oregon: “Bandon Dunes, which, despite its relative youth, is currently the golf Mecca in USA, has 5 of the highest ranked courses in the country, all attempting to mimic the style of courses in coastal Scotland. Difficult to get to, but worth the trip. There were 12 of us. First 2 days, we played in 30-50 MPH winds. Despite the use of caddies, upon return, I’ve paid the price of having walked 5 days in a row, but it was memorable.”

Richard Noyes forwarded a recent update: “I’m a refugee from MA, now living in Kennebunk, ME with Nancy, my college sweetheart. We reunited in 2002, after my first wife died in 2001. I retired last year after a 10 yr PT CFO consulting career, preceded by finance positions in defense, pharma and R&D firms for 50 years. I learned to work hard at GDA!” Hopefully, we shall see Richard at one of our future class gatherings. In recent years, several classmates have wondered how David Martin has been spending his time in his post-politics career.

So far, we only have limited information, but there is a Wikipedia page that describes him as a “farmer, barrister and former employee of the family caravans and motorhomes sales business Martin’s Caravans Company Ltd. His political career included a decade from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the British Parliament. For those interested in degrees of separation, he is the father of fiction writer Cesca Major (née Martin) and the paternal uncle of Coldplay’s lead vocalist, Chris Martin.

Encounter with Mr. Peabody, his boy Sherman and the WABAK Machine: Recently, I stumbled across a copy of The Governor student newspaper from the Fall of our senior year. It contained several items of interest. The Glee Club, led by president Terry Golden, was selected to sing at the New York World’s Fair. In a thought piece, Dodge Fielding becomes a time traveler and ponders about what sort of life “Mr. Joe Prep” may have led in the early years of the academy. Hint: it wasn’t pretty. Arthur Ellis, Literary Editor, penned a column exploring what it means to be “educated”. He suggests that discovering new ideas and ways of looking at and applying new knowledge are keys to forgoing conformity and allowing one to dare to be different. He quotes John Stuart Mill, who said that this requires a combination of “genius, mental vigor, and moral courage.”

On the international front, Andres Echevarria laments the troubled economies of Latin America that have fostered great political instability, leading people to lose faith in their government. Bad economic policies encourage people to take money out of the country and put it in safer places. This also discourages foreign investment needed to foster economic progress. In sports, the football team was dealt another blow during a 14-2 victory over Moses Brown as Tom Maier suffered a fractured right arm, causing him to join halfback Terry Golden on the injured list. Finally, Jeff Karelis, Editor-in-Chief, contributed an editorial previewing the 1964 election, less than a year away. There was little doubt that President Kennedy would have any trouble “defending his title” and his campaign strategists were

already “well on their way”. On the Republican side, the presumptive nominee, Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, faced long odds to prevail in the general election.

Regardless of his chances of success, Jeff asserts that Goldwater would make a terrible President due to his own indecisiveness, President Kennedy’s popularity, and most of all his stand on states’ rights. This would allow men like Alabama Gov. George Wallace to initiate further segregation movements in the South. Jeff boldly suggests the following epitaph on Goldwater’s political tombstone: Goldwater in ’64, Hot water in ’65, Bread and water in ’66. By the way, did I mention the date the newspaper was published? November 9, 1963! Two weeks later, events in Dallas would forever change our lives.

Returning to the present, plans are taking shape for our 60th Class Reunion in June. Your thoughts and suggestions are of course welcome.

You will be hearing from us as we make progress. If you are not on our e-mail list, please forward your information to me so we can keep you in the loop. We are always happy to hear any news you may have of goings-on in your lives and most of all hope that you can join us for what should be a fun time at the 60th. Needless to say, if the June dates don’t work for you and you plan to be in the New England area, please let us know. We have been known to put together a gathering on short notice. In the meantime, best to all.

’66

Jim Connolly jim@connolly.legal Jay Keeler was up from Florida with his wife Regina for a few days for his family’s annual clambake, and we enjoyed Rum Buckets at the Deck with Len Johnson and his wife, Christine. Jay and his wife “moved into our new home in Naples on Dec. 31, 2022, and have been enjoying an active outdoor lifestyle in the sun and warmth ever since." Len and Christine have been taking trips to islands in Maine to make up for trips cancelled by Covid. I am attaching a photo from the Deck with Newburyport in the background.

CLASS NOTES

Ford Schumann writes: “Marilee and I celebrated our 54th anniversary although we almost forgot. I closed down my recycling operation this year so I have more time for my farm, grandkids, guitar and golf. I shot my age a couple of weeks ago.

Life on the farm is great especially with my daughter (Brook), her husband and two kids living on the farm just about a mile away.”

Tim Keeney is currently the elected First Selectman of Somers, CT. He took a family vacation in Carolla, NC Outer Banks and sent along the attached picture of he and his wife, Mary, as well as a group shot of 4 of his 5 children plus spouses and grandchildren.

Larry Hilliard writes: “I took the trip of a lifetime this year to Italy. It was scheduled in 2020, but Covid got in the way. For a history lover or an art lover there is no better destination than Italy. A nine hour flight from Atlanta to Rome was delayed two hours. The pilot said it was a mechanical problem. I didn’t care if there was a ten hour delay. Get it fixed. Don’t want a mechanical problem over the Atlantic. A scare when I arrived at the airport in Rome. My suitcase with everything was not on the carousel. I faced the prospect of wearing the same clothes for nine days or spending the money I brought for additional expenses for a new wardrobe.

A very nice young American noticed that I was panicking and I described the suitcase. While I was standing in line to report the loss he found the suitcase. Someone had taken it off the carousel. I was part of a tour group with 44 from all over the United States. The first full day was a walking tour of Rome’s historic district—the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, even Julius Caesar’s tomb.

Then it was on to Venice with canal cruises, Florence, Pisa for the Leaning Tower and Assisi, the home of St. Francis. Michelangelo’s David is the main attraction at the Florence Museum, but there are many other fabulous statues.

Back to Rome, the last day was the Vatican—St. Peters, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo’s incredible artwork.” Larry sent along a picture of him holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, along with a shot of him

in St. Mark’s Square, or Piazza San Marco, in Venezia.

As for me, all my children came home for Yankee Homecoming in Newburyport. Although they have left again, my daughter Camila (Governor’s class of 2008), who works in the legal department of NBC Universal, sent me a video of her watching television with an accompanying note: “See Dad, I really can get paid to watch TV.” And for those of us who are not traveling anywhere, let us rejoice in the beauty of Autumn.

’67

Ben Beach benhbeach@gmail.com “You can plan all you want, but life happens,” Joe Schwarzer observed.

“Just before we planned to move to Greenville, N.C., Melanie was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer. For the past year, she has had chemo, surgery, radiation, immunology and meds. Happily, she is now cancer-free but will continue meds and immunology for the foreseeable future. We will be moving to Greenville in the next couple of months, and I continue to oversee the revamping of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, which now should be completed around the first of the year, and our museums in Beaufort and Southport. It has been eventful.”

“Yesterday,” Dan Morgan wrote in late August, “I was going by the school so dropped in and received a tour of the Alfond Coastal Research Center and Bass Institute. There were some final touch-ups being accomplished, and it is ready for students to use.

It is magnificent in concept and design. The dedication is to take place on 6 October. I am sure a few classmates will attend, but there is something I want to share with all of you. There is a terrace outside a classroom—a quiet space with Adirondack chairs overlooking the Parker River and marshes beyond.

I secured naming rights to this terrace. A plaque will be placed there that reads: ‘The Great Class of 1967 Terrace: Given by Daniel Morgan

in recognition and appreciation of his '67 Classmates.’ I cannot recall anything but positive interactions with each of you during our time at GDA. Some of you are my closest friends in life. All of you are friends forever. Thanks.”

Another Moody Boy, Mac Barnes, reported: “We had a wonderful trip to Bora Bora. It really is lovely.

We are still living our year as a 50th-anniversary couple. As I write this, I am sitting in a castle in Burgundy, with a moat around it.

And lots of old fancy furniture and decorations.”

John Butler wrote from Mt. Desert Island that he is enjoying retirement. “I get to use the boat more now in the summer. Both girls have girls, and Jane and I are enjoying life despite old-age pains etc!”

“I am thinking of retiring after this academic year and the next,” reported Fred Burchsted, a veteran at Harvard’s Widener Library.

“We are thinking of having a cupola

built on our house, where we can sit and drink tea and gaze into the middle distance, the only distance our neighborhood affords.”

Wil Poon has spent months renovating his house in Glendale, California. “What started out as a small water pipe leaking led to repiping the entire house, replacing the roof and flooring, and a new kitchen. I can’t wait till everything is finished. Between that and work, I’m really feeling my age.”

Our other Glendale resident, Alan Rothfeld, wrote: “I tried my hand at retirement again. This time it lasted four days, double the last try two years ago. I’m back to three part-time jobs, all working around people in their 20s so I can pretend that I’m not really old. My last single child, Jeffrey, got married in October so I am settling comfortably into grandfatherhood.” He and Ruth are headed for Waco in April to view the total solar eclipse.

Stanley Greenberg is headed for

Top left: Tim Keeney ’66 with his wife, Mary, with 4 of his 5 children plus spouses and grandchildren. · Bottom left: Jay Keeler ’66 and Len Johnson ’66 enjoying The Deck · Bottom right: Larry Hilliard ’66 holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Winter 2023 53

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the Lone Star State in April, too.

He wrote: “Classmates, if you like English words, I heartily recommend Amor Towles’ novel A Gentleman in Moscow. See you in Kerrville, Texas, for Eclipse Day. Vote Cornel West for president.”

Jay Marsh sold his last condo on the Florida Gulf Coast in August.

“Tropical depressions that explode into major hurricanes in a just few days when passing over 100-degree water, and property insurance rates that explode faster than hurricanes have made Florida a bit too risky for us retirees,” he explained. “Now back in Little Rock near daughter and twin grandkids. But also spending summer time in Ellijay at our vacation rental, where northwestern Georgia mountains are cooler than Midwest heat waves.

Nothing like changing climate to enhance the bottom line of moving companies.”

Chuck Davis reported: “Our son Tyler and his son Nolan are living with us. To see a three-year-old and watch the wonder of his everyday discoveries is invigorating and inspiring to Marna and me!”

“I’m finally having my foot surgery today in Bangkok,” Scott Cameron emailed as September dawned. “I also had dental surgery here last week. The hospitals here reduce the American ones to a primitive, apathetic, rip-off, disorganized joke.

Still travelin.”

Out in the Rockies, Phil Congdon confirmed in August that he was “still alive and climbing peaklets.

I'm definitely not feeling as strong as I was last year,” he said. Classmates at the June reunion had a chance to admire the library’s window display of the many hiking books Phil has donated to the school.

Also staying in motion is Ray Huard, who emailed in late summer: “Playing in Phoenix in October in a national father/son baseball tournament with 45-year-old Spencer. To win the tournament, we’ll have to win a doubleheader each of the four days.” Ray was also planning to take part in four other fall baseball tournaments: a second one in Phoenix, two in Florida, and a mini-tournament at the Field of Dreams in Iowa. Ray will pitch and 54 Governor’s

play shortstop.

Our other resident of the Land of Lincoln, Ted Dix, reported: “Things are good in Illinois now that we have had a chance to settle in. We appear to have left Austin at just the right time. The summer in Texas has been brutal. It’s quite wonderful to be living close to our daughter for the first time, who, fate would have it, is now a psychology professor at Lake Forest College, where I got my undergraduate degree. Be well, Class of ’67.”

“I've been doing a lot of thinking about the dysfunction we see every day in American life,” said Jeff Wood, “and here are some ruminating questions I have, probably most not easily answerable, in typical Andy Rooney style (Boy, do I miss him!): 1) Once found guilty, why can't drug dealers selling Fentanyl simply be executed?

2) Why can't we have a national federal gun law that applies to all 50 states, superseding any state statutes? 3) Why can’t we have a candidate for president whose beliefs mirror those of the middle, espousing neither left nor right agendas? 4) Why can’t the Supreme Court become the rule of law instead of operating on the basis of political theater? 5) Why can’t I shoot anyone who says the Golden Years are the best time of your life?

6) Most importantly of all, why am I assaulted with 10 TV ads in a row, ramped up on volume, before the network decides to switch back to the main event, forcing me to recollect where the main event left off?

“You all probably think I have too much time on my hands. Not so; still working full-time, fly fishing when I can, still heavily engaged in daily routine. Just tired of the repetitiveness of talking heads who represent networks with transparent agendas. Yes, I'm getting older and crankier. Anyone else feel the same way?”

“Have not been doing much this summer,” Wayne Noel wrote in August. “I visit Ward a couple times a week and try to mow between the rain.”

As the record-breaking summer weather continued into September, Bob Bass wrote, “I have (so far)

avoided the oppressive Texas heat and the pandemic by extended residence in our summer home in Maine. With the pandemic, most everyone I deal with in investing has converted to online mode, so it’s pretty much business as usual, just without physical presence.”

“Still working a few days a week and playing golf a few days a week,” reported Rusty Bolles, longtime owner of the Ipswich Bottle Shop.

“I was sorry to hear about Buddha.

I remember the time he and I got caught throwing firecrackers out the chapel window. I think it was Mr. Leavitt who caught us.”

From Motown, Don Gay reported: “After nearly seven months of searching, answering questions, and learning a new foreign American language, Emily and I are finally in our new home. The issues with getting a new house kept us from attending the reunion last June, but, with a final breakthrough, we finally got it done over that weekend. There is still more work to be done, but at least I can now say, ‘We are home.’”

“Last winter it was clear that it was time to do something about my increasingly arthritic knees,” Edwin Beatty emailed from Albuquerque.

“My orthopedist recommended knee replacement surgery for the right one and said the left wasn’t far behind. I had done some research and decided to go for stem cell injections. My doctor was supportive. I was able to find a local provider with years of experience with the procedure. Not covered by insurance but less invasive than surgery. It was a success. Not total or perfect recovery, but more than sufficient to allow me to return to easy walks in the hills. I continue to work with a great trainer/physical therapist and hope I might be able to do some skiing this winter. In the spring, I got a new dog, a young Norwich Terrier-mix rescue. He’s a wild teenager but a great companion on my morning excursions.”

Speaking of knees, Roger Block, who’s now been a Mainer for three years, wrote: “All is good. Getting a new knee in a month or so to accompany my new right hip.

Sailing and gardening were a little more difficult this summer. I’ve got

a feeling I’ll soon be moving to my left side for some new parts as well.

Hope all is well with everyone.”

Last May, Bill Alfond commemorated a significant birthday with a trip to Liverpool with his two sons to watch the soccer team win and to play two British Open golf courses. He then spent the summer in Belgrade Lakes, Maine, with Joni, enjoying boating, water bicycling, paddle board, golf, tennis, pickleball, and hiking with his three kids/ spouses and seven grandkids.

Bill’s Ould Newbury teammate Carter Evans enjoys playing Bridge, following current events and reading mystery novels at Selleck’s Woods, the retirement community he has joined in Darien, Connecticut.

As a record-setting GDA pole vaulter, Sid Bird once sprained his left ankle. Half-a-century later, at last summer’s National Senior Games in Pittsburgh, he sprained that ankle again halfway through the racquetball competition. Even so, after taping it, Sid was able to win the silver medal. Wife Mary had her best times in the 20K and 40K bike races. Their fitness may have benefitted from their summer child care routine. “We had our seven-year-old grandson three days a week all summer instead of the usual two days a month,” Sid reported.

A few years ago, Anne-Marie Laverty built a diorama of a logging skidder for a local history museum.

But she needed a hand building a genuine steam boiler to replace the electric motor she had been using to power it. Then, last summer, the Tashme Tigers arrived to play the local baseball team, and the second baseman turned out to be a former boiler inspector who was willing to provide guidance. As of September, Anne-Marie was expecting to complete the work “sometime in the present incarnation.” Meanwhile, thanks to significant rain in her part of B.C., the wildfires that have menaced so many places in the province have not threatened her home.

She delivered hot meals from her church's kitchen to the men on the fire lines at Kookipi Creek.

Joe Story spent most of his 2023

CLASS NOTES

renovating a house he owns in Newbury. During Reunion Weekend, Paul Hemmerich and Ben Beach stopped by to inspect the work and were “mighty impressed” by Joe's energy and craftsmanship. He remains a partowner of the Cask and Flagon. In August Joe attended his niece’s (Galaxie Story) dissertation defense at UMass-Amherst, after which she was awarded a PhD. “She was Govs Class of 2012, and her field is food science/gut bacteria. So proud to call her doctor.”

Gardner Sisk has been rehabbing some nerve damage and believes he is making progress. His grandchildren roster now numbers three, and the youngest, Saoirse, will blow out two candles in July. “Looking forward to the hot weather in Florida this winter and to seeing you all at reunion.”

“Much as I enjoy pickleball,” Jeff Harris said in September, “for the second time in my short twoyear career, I found myself on the sidelines with a pulled calf and re-injured perennial problem knee. Perhaps I am aging out of these athletic endeavors, or maybe I just need to be less competitive.

Enjoyed visiting my nephew and new grand-niece (Juliette) in my old Denver stomping grounds and had an opportunity for a couple quick forays into the Colorado wilds with my granddaughter Lily.

Also, spent a week with much of the family in Williamsburg, Virginia, with Busch Gardens as the big hit, along with hanging in the Colonial and historic attractions. I’m resting in preparation for a trip to the Balkans in the fall.”

Tom Taylor’s fall schedule included overseeing renovations to his home in Little Compton, RI, and a December cruise down the Amazon River with Caroline.

Bill Dougherty’s granddaughter Catalina began to play the cello when she was nine. “Blessed with great talent and perfect pitch,” Bill wrote, “she applied to five music conservatories and was accepted by all, including Eastman School of Music and Juilliard.” She chose Eastman (which awarded her a large merit scholarship), and Bill was a bit startled to be attending

a “freshman orientation” for a grandchild. Another granddaughter, Renee, is studying percussion in Eastman’s high school program. “I am in awe of these two musicians.”

Last May Lew Rumford headed to George Washington Hospital for what he thought was just a precautionary investigation. As he was wheeled into the operating room for a heart catheterization, he hoped they would be using some of Doug Curtis’ products.

The procedure was very successful.

“Amazingly,” Lew reported, “they found my left anterior artery was 99 percent blocked! That problem is now repaired with a stent. I was glad to get diagnosed without some associated crisis. I dodged a bullet.”

Jeff Forte gets around. “Spending time between home in Mount Dora, Florida, but also Key West in spring for tarpon, Aspen in winters for skiing, and Harbor Springs, Michigan, for cooling off in summer,” he reported in September. “Still saltwater fly fishing. Remember: ‘There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as messing about in boats…Simply messing’ (Wind in the Willows). So on I go…’Onward through the fog’ (Warren Briggs).”

In July, Bart and Paul Hemmerich were “back in the saddle,” pedaling from Wurzburg, Germany, to Locarno, Switzerland. The first half of the trip followed Germany's Romantic Road south through beautifully preserved medieval towns like Rothenburg and Dinkelsbuhl. “From the tops of the gated towers,” Paul wrote, “you could see the stone walls that encircled the old settlements and walk along under their pitched roofs like night watchmen. And despite the damage of the war, the town squares, churches, shops, and town halls were almost museum pieces. It was like stepping back in time: half-timbered structures with murals on their crooked stucco walls that led you along winding alleyways paved with cobblestones until you came to a huge wooden gate-door made in the 1300s. The second half of the ride brought us from Konstanz on the Bodensee to the Swiss Alps, following the upper Rhine River. After hugging the sides of gorges carved by water

Recognizing Our Loyal Donors Named in honor of former Academy President James Duncan Phillips, the Phillips Society recognizes the enduring support of alumni, families, and friends who are dedicated to giving to The Governor’s Academy year after year.

Members of the Phillips Society gain entry by donating for two or more consecutive years. Alumni donors maintain membership by continuing to give each fiscal year. Annual gifts of every size are necessary at Govs and help create the most dynamic and meaningful learning experiences possible.

Winter 2023 55

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

The Stars Aligned To Stephen Basden ’13, the Special Olympics was just another sports team he enjoyed playing on while growing up in Lynn, Massachusetts.

That’s because Stephen, in support of his older brother, Ptah Williams, started playing youth sports in the organization at a young age. Ptah, who has Klinefelter syndrome and is on the Autism spectrum, was nonverbal until he was 11 years old.

The boys’ mother, Dalene Basden, always saw sports as a catalyst. She became a lead volunteer in the organization (and was recently inducted into the Special Olympics Massachusetts Hall of Fame).

“My mom saw a lack of programming for her child and took action,” said Stephen.

“Special Olympics was a place to play that was more inclusive with other kids who may have developmental differences, but also neurotypical kids from the community.”

Even as Stephen got older and began to compete on more elite sports teams, he stuck with Special Olympics—and said “the stars aligned” when he got to Govs and learned the school hosts the annual Special Olympics state soccer tournament. Stephen jumped at the opportunity to volunteer and get more student-athletes involved.

Beyond the Special Olympics, Basden is co-founder of the nonprofit Metafold, which supports Black and Brown communities around Boston, and is also a founding member of Govs BIPOC Alumni Collective, working to ensure the positive experience of Govs students of color and indigenous students.

“Diversity of experience opens you up to so many opportunities, whether they’re immediate or down the road,” said Stephen. “Try a new sport, a new activity, a new group of friends, a new place to eat. Something you try at 15 can end up being your dream job at 30.”

and rock slides, and puffing up a lot of switchbacks, we crossed from the German-speaking side to the Italian-speaking side over a 6,400-foot pass. Twenty kilometers up in two and a half hours and 40 kilometers down in an hour and a half, white-knuckled all the way. It was a very bicycle-friendly experience with dedicated (mostly) paved paths that follow the highways or rivers between towns, and drivers who are courteous when you do have to use the roads. Almost all the European cyclists we saw were on e-bikes and supported by an extensive charging-station infrastructure.

I am sure this country will get there sooner or later.”

Bill Barnes has been visiting family in California and Massachusetts.

“Still quasi-retired,” Mick Doolittle emailed. “Enjoyed three weeks with the family and watching the four grandchildren at Fripp Island, South Carolina. Hoping for the Bills to get over the hump and hoping that change in ownership rejuvenates the Commanders.”

The guy Mick was planning to room with sophomore year, Reid Pugh, wrote: “Summer was busy in St. Augustine with lots of visits from my family members and perfect weather for beach and pool activities with my grandchildren. I continue to try to stay in shape by biking on the beach and swimming laps daily. Still going back to West Virginia every couple of months.

The passing of Jimmy Buffet has reminded me how much I love doing music, so I am back to playing my guitar more often. Maybe I’ll be ready to do some music at reunion next June.”

Dave Marsh continues to oil paint landscapes in the red Southwest (mainly) and the green Northeast.

He, wife, kids, and grandkids all seem to be flourishing. “The passing of classmates is jolting,” Dave wrote, “yet gives meaning to our days.” He figures he’s won the lottery twice: (1) the place and time of his birth and (2) draft lottery number 363 in 1969.

Ben Beach is now a card-carrying member of the UK-based Apostrophe Protection Society.

“I’m indebted to John Ogden and

56 Governor’s

CLASS NOTES

others at GDA who taught me to treat the apostrophe with the utmost respect.”

’68

Ted Nahil tednahil@gmail.com It’s been almost nine months since I did our last submission and there is a lot to catch up on. We’ve celebrated many birthdays, but Chuck Johnson summed up what I think we’ve all managed to say about getting older when he wrote back in early February: “I remember as a kid, especially during the tween years, listening to my elders at the dinner table, a party or other adult gathering, and telling myself when I reached their age I would never let my conversations be dominated by discussions of all the aging ailments. Well, I’ve not only reached their age but surpassed it. However, I will simply say I am doing well so tack så mycket (thank you very much) to everyone for the birthday wishes.” On Pi day, Harry Kangis’s and Bill Degen’s birthday, Harry wrote: “I could not be more honored than to share the same Pi-Day birthday with you.

I only wish you could be here to share the real thing with me after dinner tonight, courtesy of Julia’s baking skills. And thanks to all my classmates for the well wishes—as George Burns famously said, ‘at this point, every birthday is a victory vs. my enemies.’" Unfortunately, as you know, Billy D passed away on July 30 after a long illness. I know I speak for all of us when I say thank you to Marc Tucker, who kept us updated throughout his ordeal, passing along everything from Mary and her son, Will. He will surely be missed.

Dan Ogg commented on our recognizing his birthday in late March: “What a treat to open e-mail this morning and see all the best of wishes from you all.

Especially Ted, C. Page, R. Lord, Robbie, Marc, Bowie, P. Barkin and Jon Williams. Looks to be a sunny day here with temps in the high thirties and variable winds.

Hope you all are healthy and stay that way.” Dan sent a picture of his view from his rocking chair for us to enjoy. Veas commented

and included a shameless plug: “Happy Birthday to the namesake of our academy’s nickname, Red Dogs, and a lead (and heroic) character in my latest book. Have a great celebration Danny and please come back to this reunion or our next—after you've caught your last sockeye.” We missed you at the reunion, Dan, sorry you couldn’t make it back. I know that the “birthday wishes” emails are sometimes a little overbearing, but I continue because they sometimes elicit a response from some of us who don’t normally jump into our continual emails. Such was the case with Robert Stewart, who wrote: “Thank all of you for your birthday wishes!” Right to the point! Great to hear from you, Robert! The same holds for thank-yous from Harold Levine, Roger Smith, Winsor White, Steve Cox, Hale Smith, Jon Schaefer, and Evan Leviss. As we headed into reunion weekend and Rob Lord’s birthday, we were able to toast Rob in person. Paul Gares, who couldn’t make it to Byfield, wrote, “Happy Birthday to Rob and all who have recently celebrated 72nd or 73rd anniversaries!

Unfortunately, I shall miss congratulating everyone personally today and tomorrow. You all will be on my mind this weekend. I am sure

you will enjoy your time together, catching up on recent accomplishments and activities, and of course remembering those good old days.

Enjoy!” As the month ended, Ben Brewster, who also was unable to make it to the reunion, wrote in: “Thanks all for the birthday wishes.

Tuck, my grandmother always maintained that belated greetings just stretched out the occasion.

Art, the fairytale just continues.

We celebrated my parents’ 75th anniversary 2 weeks ago. My father (also Ben, GDA ’43 if I remember correctly), was a classmate or at least schoolmate of your father.

I’m relying on good genetics rather than clean living to keep up this birthday stuff.” And in reference to a poem Elliott O’Reilly sent on his birthday, Ben continued: “And Elliot, that is one of my very favorite poems. When I first heard it as only an aspiring six-year-old, I decided that it seemed like a good idea, so for sixty-eight years now I have been trying to live up to its inspiration. Again, thank you all!” We missed you all at the reunion, hope you can make the next one!

Ahead of the reunion itself, other notable happenings, in no specific order from before and after our June get together, follow. Veas

wrote: “Susan and I had a delightful visit with Susie and Bob Parsons at their summer home about a week after reunion. It was great to catch up and fill him in on our classmates who attended our 55th. As this photo will attest Bob has somehow stayed looking as young as the day we first met. Ponce de Leon must be lurking near Fishers.” He included a photo of him and Bob, looking relaxed in south Florida!

Jim Rudolph sent in a great update: “Classmates who attended our Reunion may have heard from Jay Worthen that he has finally retired from the practice of law— despite my urging (in fact, begging) him not to do so, each year for the past three years. I hired Jay shortly after I saw him at our 35th class reunion. He was then practicing law in Keene, NH, and was commuting every weekend from Keene to Marblehead to be with his wife, Cindy. Jay has been a very competent business and transactional attorney, well respected and highly regarded by all who worked with him. I often introduced Jay to my clients to handle legal matters for me; my clients always felt better when I told them he was number one in our class at Governor Dummer Academy. In addition to practicing law, Jay advised our law

Top left: Dan Ogg ’68 enjoying the view · Top center: Bob Parsons ’68 and Art Veasey ’68 in Florida · Top right: Jon ’68 and Mary Williams celebrating 35 years of marriage · Bottom left: Chris Page ’68 (second from left) skiing Les Trois Vallees France with friends · Bottom right: Chris Page ’68 and his wife, Joanne, and granddaughters Kaiya and Addison Olson, in Paris

Winter 2023 57

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Veasey, John Wannop and Jay Worthen. Wayne Barbaro was planning to join us as well, but unfortunately had a personal issue prevent him from being part of the fun.

Top left: Class of 1968 dinner in the Pescosolido Library · Top right: Class of 1968 at Michael’s Harborside: Jay Worthen, Steve Robinson, Wayne Barbaro, Art Veasey, Chris Page, and Marc Tucker · Bottom left: Jay Worthen ’68 and Ted Brooks ’68 catching up at Reunion · Bottom center: Simon McCulloch ’68 reminiscing in front of Eames Dormitory during Reunion Weekend · Bottom right: Bubba ’68 and his new granddaughter

firm on cyber security and technology matters. I still like the action and have no plans to retire soon, although I have cut back on some of my Managing Partner responsibilities. I have transitioned some of those responsibilities and some clients to my son, Bobby ’05, who is a partner and has been with the firm for 11 years. Rudolph Friedmann LLP has 20 attorneys, and we are quite busy. We are primarily a business law firm; my practice is mostly buying and selling businesses and handling business disputes between owners. As senior partner, having practiced law now for 47 years, I enjoy mentoring some of the young lawyers. Until recently, I was on eight boards, but I have cut back to six. I am still active with the Anti-Defamation League, and I remain on the board of the Governor’s Academy, and two trade (construction and restaurant) boards. I am also on the Board of Eastern Bank and the Eastern Bank Foundation, which last year gave away over 1,000 grants totaling over $10 million.” Chris Page had hinted at some upcoming trips he was going to make in our last edition and filled in the blanks quite nicely: “It was great seeing you and many of our other classmates at the reunion. It was so much fun that 58 Governor’s

I'm already looking forward to our 60th! I didn't get in all the ski trips I had planned but got in a very good one to France (Les Trois Vallees) in January. Then in April Joanne and I took our two granddaughters to Paris to celebrate Kaiya’s (the older one) 16th birthday. We had a wonderful time. We have no trips planned at the current time while we wait for Joanne’s cataract surgery to be scheduled.

Medical issues always seem to be present these days but no complaints.” Hope the surgery was a success, Chris!

Jon Williams was sorry he couldn’t make it to Byfield but sent in a great picture of him and Mary, and a short update as well: “Mary and I celebrated 35 years of marital bliss July3rd. That year, 1988, was the last ’68 Reunion I attended. I missed this year as time and distance issues overwhelmed my desire. Any classmates traveling to Denver are welcome to stop in for a visit, as we are 20 minutes from DIA. I’m staying busy supporting several home rebuilds in the Marshall Fire area of Boulder County. I’m also engaged in a company building several upscale homes in the Denver area. We are following our grandkids and their parents’ trip to

South Africa. We get daily videos of encounters with all sorts of wildlife.

I hope all is well in Port St Lucie.”

Thanks, Jon. Things are well! And August brought a lunch at Michael’s Harborside in Newburyport.

Attendees were Jay Worthen, Steve Robinson, Wayne Barbaro, Veas, Chris Page and Tuck, all looking dapper as ever!

Although initial reunion planning started in the fall of 2022, serious planning began in February and March, coordinated at the Academy by Daryl Robicsek, Associate Director of Annual Giving, and headed up by Art Veasey and Tuck, with a group that grew to include C.F. Spang, Dan Look, Rob Lord, Josh Burns, Harry Kangis, John Emerson, and yours truly. Ultimately, our reunion group included Peter Barkin, Ted Brooks, Josh Burns, John Emerson, who also acted as emcee for our Saturday night dinner, Don Hayes, Charles Johnson, Harry Kangis, Rick Kaye-Schiess, Dan Look, Rob Lord, Simon McCulloch, myself, Elliott O’Reilly, Chris Page, Steve Robinson, Jim Rudolph, John Sowles, who came down for dinner on Saturday evening, C.F. Spang, Wil Sullivan, Marc Tucker, Art

There were gatherings Friday afternoon for lunch—see the picture that Simon McCulloch took.

There were tours of the Alfond Center in the afternoon, an art and literary show reception in late afternoon, and an outdoor dinner in front of Phillips Friday night.

Saturday began with the annual pie race and class parade to the Wilkie Center for Dr. Quimby’s annual report. Tuck had organized a kayak outing for Friday afternoon that was moved to Saturday because of thunderstorms. Unfortunately, even the Saturday afternoon try had to be cancelled due to the weather.

Tuck, Veas and CF worked diligently on the agenda for our Saturday night dinner that followed an outdoor cocktail reception in front of Phillips. Harry did an incredible job of putting together some presentations, PDF compilations and stills that we used during our dinner Saturday evening in the Frost Library’s Great Room. John Emerson acted as emcee and welcomed Mike Kinnealey, Assistant Head of School, and Sharon Slater, Manager of Archives, both of whom gave wonderful presentations.

Harry’s slide show of our deceased classmates was very touching.

During dinner, another of Harry’s excellent slide shows ran in the background, a collage of photos from our yearbooks that included individual shots, team shots and our class picture in front of the gym.

On behalf of the entire reunion committee, and the attendees, I just want to thank him for his hard work on both fronts. What a wonderful treat we had watching his slide shows during dinner!

The presentation by Mike was a humorous look at the Academy then and now, absolutely fantastic! Thanks, Mike, for that! And Sharon’s presentation covered many lesser known but important graduates of the Academy, very informative and entertaining.

Thanks, Sharon, for your time and effort as well!

CLASS NOTES

We wrapped on Sunday morning with breakfast in the Alfond Family Dining Hall. Those of us who had stayed at Peirce for the weekend said our goodbyes and headed out by noon. It was a wonderful weekend despite the weather interfering with some of the scheduled outdoor activities! As he’s done in the past, Elliott departed in search of the perfect lobsta roll, while visiting his sister in Maine: “I enjoyed 4 lobster rolls, 3 whole lobsters, 2 pints of fried clams, a lobster flatbread, baked stuffed haddock, mussels in a Thai sauce and a dozen raw Maine oysters! Now I’m back in the land of beef & pork. I’m doing great but I think I forgot and left my brain in Maine! It was great seeing you all at the reunion!” Harry reflected on the weekend, and the fact that Don Hayes brought some memorabilia along with him: “I hope you are all spending this Father’s Day just the way you want to. For me that includes watching the U.S. Open and having my son cook me dinner tonight! I want to thank you again for involving me in the Reunion planning 5 years ago, which was the gift of bringing me a number of new 50-year GDA friends after years of having a somewhat ambivalent relationship with the Academy. You returned the favor this year by reaching out again, and there a number of things about this Reunion that had even greater emotional benefits. Heck, you even got me drinking bourbon before lights out both nights—who knew!!

“Of course, there was also a lot of humor. Don Hayes opening his wallet and pulling out 3 fake IDs was certainly a highlight. Here they are for your Father’s Day amusement. Seeing Bill Madden’s signature on the first one as an Ontario DMV registrar is a great reminder we need to lean in and find some of these missing classmates before next year’s reunion.

Warm regards to all.” Rob Lord replied: “Harry, your contributions were superlative again this year.

The bourbon nights in Pierce have added pages to our ’68 history book.” CF echoed Rob’s sentiments: “Great to see you last weekend!

And Thank You for your terrific contributions to our 50th and 55th.

A lot of hard work and very much appreciated by everyone. These last two reunions were particularly

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

A History of Success As a kid growing up in Andover, Massachusetts, Lily Shannon ’22 loved attending the annual Beanpot ice hockey tournament, played among the four major college teams: Boston University, Boston College, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.

Little did she know that one day she would take home the tournament trophy herself.

“I started playing hockey at seven to be like my older brother, and it quickly became my passion,” she said. At Govs, Lily played varsity hockey, as well as soccer and lacrosse, and joined the prestigious Northeastern women’s hockey team upon graduation.

“It’s honestly such an honor to play hockey at Northeastern,” Lily said. “My dream was always to play Division I hockey, but I never imagined playing on a team that had such a deep history of success.”

It didn’t take long for Lily to make a name for herself amongst the talented team. She was named a Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team member and was on the National Rookie of the Year watch list. One of her proudest achievements came off the ice, when she received the All-American Scholar Award, given to college athletes for both academic and athletic achievement.

Of course, Lily also helped Northeastern win the 2023 Beanpot championship. “Being able to play in that tournament gave me the chills. And when we won...

I can’t even describe the feeling,” she said.

Right now, her eyes are on the national title. “We all really want that championship, and we’re working toward it,” she said. “We keep building on what we have, and we’re ready to make it happen.”

Winter 2023 59

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special to me as well. Those IDs certainly brought back memories…. and some amazement on my part that anyone would think they were legit. But I am now remembering that my first driver’s license (Mass) was a piece of sturdy cardboard with no picture. A real Ontario driver’s license might have been printed on birch bark back then.

Hope your Father’s Day dinner was festive. Nothing better than having a meal prepared by an offspring!

Even if a bit of Pepto Bismol (or bourbon) is needed afterwards.”

Simon sent a photo of him standing in front of Eames with these comments: “Revisiting Eames West where I lived in 1967 & 1968. Mr. Bill Sperry, in charge of us residents 55 years ago, never had a boat parked outside. Carl Spang and John Wannop lived in the double room at the top of stairs on the left side on the second floor. In 1968 a pay phone in the entrance lobby was our only way to connect to the world beyond the GDA campus.”

I would also like to thank Daryl Robicsek and Dionne Kelly for their help in organizing a great weekend reunion. As I write this, it’s the start of another football season. How quickly the time passes. One of my highlights of the weekend, in addition to seeing everyone who attended, was talking with Ben Beach ’67 at the cookout Friday night and, as our conversation went back to the “Nobody Special” days, his giving me Reid Pugh’s cell phone, allowing me to get back in touch with Reid after all these years. What a treat! Reid, we will have to get together the next time I’m in Saint Augustine! It was wonderful to spend time with old friends! Thanks for letting me continue to be part of your lives!

I’m working on scaling back my workload a bit at this point, looking forward to enjoying a little more time off. Terry and I enjoy our families and friends and I look forward to continuing to be a conduit for our class. Harry’s hard work is available for anyone who would like to see it, just send an email and I will send the files. Remember, we’re “Old Guard” now, as Daryl has pointed out, which means that we can attend any reunion for free! That’s always a good word, so I hope that we can meet again in Byfield sooner than in five years.

60 Governor’s

In the meantime, please keep the updates coming, take care, and stay safe!

’69

REUNION

Billy Clyde coachbclyde@gmail.com I had a great catch-up call with Peter Dorsey. He remains active in his home community as well as getting to the Govs campus as often as possible. Peter says that the campus has never looked better and urges everyone to make plans for our 55th next June.

Speaking of reunions, Ned Lattime writes with incredulity: “Are we REALLY Old Guard now? Was that a misprint?!” Yes, we are, Ned. And, we get all the respect that comes with it! We earned it, right?! Ned, too, is looking forward to June 2024.

Jon Williams is hunkered down in Denver. Wife Mary has her gallery in Boulder and Jon oversees his structural concrete business.

Grandchildren mean trips to watch soccer, horseback riding, swimming lessons and trying to keep up with grands on the ski slopes!

Good luck with that! Florida beckoned this spring where Jon met Henry Eaton ’70 for a get-together.

Jon is close to Denver and welcomes visitors!

Sheldon Sacks reports that he has officially retired from dentistry after 44 years! He and his wife built a home in Palm Beach Gardens.

Sheldon has four grandchildren spread out in Chicago, Denver and Red Hook, NY.....and still hits the golf links as often as he can. He also keeps busy by volunteering each week, serving dental patients who are disadvantaged and/or uninsured. Nice. This September, a safari in South Africa is planned.

He is looking forward to next June.

Josh Miner is keeping plenty busy visiting family in New Mexico and fitting in a bit of golf. He makes time to visit campus...which he says “looks great!” He and his wife are in the process of downsizing to one-floor living. (been there...done that...no regrets!) Josh’s son celebrates his 25th reunion this year.... and Josh plans to be in S Byfield in 2024 for the 55th.

Rick French is happy to report that his health is now good! After a terrifying episode of cardiac arrest, chest compressions and a defibrillator, Rick was brought back to life.

He now has a pacemaker implanted and feels fine. As Rick says, “I know what it’s like to be dead. There was nothing. No white lights. It was like a videotape with a gap in it.” Well... we are glad you are still with us!

Rick got to check something off his bucket list. He got to fly, including performing aerobatics, a P-51D. This is a two-seater version of the WWII fighter plane. This has been a long time, hoped for experience.

Glad you got to do it. I am happy to watch from the ground!

This summer will be busy on for Jeff Gordon and his wife, Jan. They will be hosting five grandchildren in Newport along with a new Springer Spaniel puppy. You can never have enough canine company! As a reward for all the extra parenting this summer, Jeff and Jan will head to Scotland on the Hebridean Princess, touring the Hebrides and other western waters. This is the same ship that took Her Majesty the Queen to Balmoral for her summer cruises! Bon voyage, you two!

Had a wonderful e-mail exchange with Brian Pfeiffer. He says: “I continue to fail at retiring!” Brian obviously enjoys his craft...preserving historical structures in Paris and its environs. We both expressed our hopes that Notre Dame Cathedral will be returning to its past beauty and elegance...especially with Paris hosting the 2024

Olympics. Brian assures me that the iconic structure is in “extraordinary hands!” That is good news for all who treasure this landmark.

Keep up this important work, Brian.

It is appreciated by many!

While on campus, we met Tracey MacCormack ’81, Carson Meehan’s sister! Carson says he will try to make it back to campus next June 2024! Here’s hoping!

Jack Connelly stopped by our Wooster home for a brief visit on his way to the Connecticut Shore.

His time is filled with family and volunteering. No surprise there!

My wife and I recently visited GDA over the summer. Everyone we met was welcoming and helpful. We toured the Alfond Coastal Research Center and Bass Institute. Pictures and words cannot accurately describe the potential of this facility. The entire community will learn and apply real-world applications of their knowledge gained by the study of this unique ecosystem. Be sure to visit if you have the opportunity. Thank you, Erika, for your time and helpful suggestions.

In June, my wife and I made our way to Paris to meet up with Doug Macdonald and part of his family.

We drove to the Normandy Beach area. Folks were preparing for the 79th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Re-enactors and restored relics from the war were everywhere. The commemorations were extraordinarily meaningful. The French continue to express their

Billy Clyde ’69 and Doug Macdonald ’69 in Normandy, France for the D-Day Commemoration, June 2023

CLASS NOTES

gratitude to the Americans who committed and sacrificed in the name of freedom. Doug’s father flew for the Army Air Corps and my dad served in the 10th Mountain Division during WW ll. The evening flag-lowering ceremony at the American Cemetery was both solemn and emotional. When taps was played, there were audible gasps throughout the crowd...very poignant. I am guessing that many of us had parents/relatives who served. This was, in my humble opinion, the greatest generation.

From here, we travelled to St. Mer Eglise, the first village liberated by the Allies. We made a quick trip to Mt. St. Michel for oysters (meh) and other local cuisine before heading back to Paris. Driving down the Champs Elysees should be on everyone’s bucket list! Next, it was on to wine country. It was a great couple of weeks.

brethren, peace be with you,” as our intrepid class secretary says. I am enjoying the fruits of my labors in glorious retirement here in a Connecticut Sound-side hamlet living with a wonderful partner and a rambunctious chocolate lab.

Great to see the photos of all who made it to our 51st reunion. Wish I could have made it to South Byfield to walk the grounds and enjoy your collective company once again. Just wanted to send my best wishes for good health and happiness to all of you. I remember our time together fondly. —Jack. (P.S. If you are ever traveling through southwestern Connecticut and need a breather, please feel free to stop by, share a meal and spend the night. We have a charming guest apartment and a curious lab just waiting for you.)

James Fleming jamesfleming817@gmail.com

Andrew Nelson is back to travelling since the end of the pandemic.

One week he may be in London and the next week in Brazil. But he keeps in touch. He writes “I had a nice overnight visit from Ellis and Jennifer Withington (in Maine) a few weeks ago (in April).

It was great to catch up with them.

Also, in February I had a nice dinner in Palm Beach with Ted and MaryPat Northrup.” Way to keep moving, Andrew.

Jack Stanyon sends these welcoming words: “My good and righteous

Michael J. Reid announces the birth of his granddaughter,

Make plans—you Olde Guard—for reunion 2024. Hope to see many of you. Until then, peace be with you. —Billy

’71

Above: Stephen Connelly ’71 and his dogs · Top right: Russ Ethridge ’71 and his wife, Deb Wright · Bottom right: Stephen Connelly ’71 and his fiancée, Katja

Persephone. He will be travelling to England for a month and then back to Thailand.

From Eagan, Minnesota, Jed Lee sends in this report: “Ann ( nee Schirmer) and I are just finishing our first major retirement vacation. A Viking river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. We are in Vienna today, Budapest tomorrow.

As expected, too little time at each stop. But a wonderful experience!

Vienna definitely rates a return trip—though the list of other ‘want to do’ is so long too. Ann and I both had the major portions of our working careers in IT. Plus, extra education: MBA for Ann, M Ed. for me. No children in our 47 years of marriage. We met at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisc. My first job was in Minneapolis for a bank and a component of the job was repossessing cars. I interviewed with Mike Fish’s brother Irv for that job. BTW, luckily for me, Ann was nearby and we married in ’76. Have never been able to connect with Warren Ross in Winter Harbor, Maine but I am occasionally nearby in Sorrento, Maine. Too, I discovered that a friend of mine knows Warren. Small world.”

Bob Veasey sends in this important report from Chicago: “I have long been a supporter of a Chicago organization called SkyART. They provide a safe place and a safe environment for disadvantaged kids in Chicago to explore their creativity and themselves. In neighborhoods known more for poverty, neglect and gangs, SkyART uses art to give kids the opportunity to find out who they are and explore their dreams. I was so impressed by SkyART and their work, I decided to partner with them and establish the SkyART Bob Veasey Scholarship.

We are currently going through applications for the very first recipient. I want to provide hope and opportunity in neighborhoods where both can be difficult to find.

My thanks to Bill Alfond ’67 for his advice on establishing scholarship funds.” Way to go, Bob. We all remember you throwing in the first pitch at the Chicago Cubs game honoring SkyArt last year and we are proud of you and your efforts.

David Lampert checks in from Colorado: “Hello dear James. I have

been boycotting the request for class notes since you stopped coming to visit in Colorado. I am over that now. I was sorry to miss the reunion. My refusing to retire has left me beholden to some work-related requirements that were unfortunately in the ‘can’t miss’ category. I did have the pleasure of spending some time with Andrew Nelson in Maine, reminiscing about times past. We continue to spend our time in Colorado in the winter and then shift to Massachusetts for a summer ocean fix. Summers also include a visit to my wife’s family in Norway. We have son Thomas ’08 in Boston, and our other son Henrik lives in Denver, so it works quite conveniently for visits. Sending my best to all GDA classmates and hoping I will run into some of you this year.”

From the Motor City, Russ Ethridge reports: “Since closing my practice a year and a half ago, I am just judging in the district courts around Detroit now and then as a coverage judge and completing my term as the judge in Grosse Pointe.

I can't run again (aged out!!) but I can still do coverage work indefinitely. Deb Wright, MD, my brilliant and beautiful wife, went half-time at her hospital-based high-risk OB practice, so we hit the gas on travel before we can’t. The last 12 months took us to Iceland, the Galapagos, Istanbul, India, and, a great road trip to visit her family through the Nebraska Sand Hill and bluffs, Wyoming’s high prairie, and the beautiful Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota. Egypt looms for November. In between, I’m skiing, working on a golf game, messing around in boats, and playing and collecting some wonderful guitars.

I have not been bored!! Our kids are all happy, off the payroll, and living interesting lives, so it don't get much better than this.”

Gig Barton has advised that his daughter Spencer had a baby boy in June and son George has an 18-month-old daughter. Way to go, Gig! From California, that most excellent of righteous brethren, Stephen Connelly, has sent in this most excellent report: “It’s convenient living where obsolete Nike sites have been decommissioned. Fort Winter 2023 61

CLASS NOTES

Funston, in the southwest corner of San Francisco, has become the place to go for a walk. My fiancée, Katja, and I often go for walks along the cliffs and beach of this wonderful bit of nature. It is also a canine friendly wonderland where dogs are off leash and getting to know other dogs in the area. Our dogs Momo (terrier mix), Athena (Doberman), and newly adopted Ziggy (Silver Lab), often join us for walks at the Fort. It's great to see the canine members of the family running down the beach chasing after sticks or finding something new to chew on. Geological layers are visible in the cliffside telling the story of the uplifting of the crust along the San Andreas fault. We live in San Bruno, seven miles south of Ft. Funston, located right next door to Sweeney Ridge GGRA (Golden Gate National Recreation Area).

Up on the ridge are the memorial to the Ohlone and 1769 Discovery Monument of where DePortola first saw the coast and the bay. Brilliant views of the Pacific and the Farallon Islands always amaze us as the weather shifts and changes. Not far from the site is the command and control station used to coordinate launches of the ICBMs from Ft Funston. We are very lucky to have the GGRA as a neighbor with wonderful views of the ridge and the fog as it wisps in from the Pacific, just over the ridge. Come visit for a hike up the ridge! And bring your dog!”

’72

George Freimarck gfreimarck@gmail.com

his teams to beat both the Phillips academies (Exeter and Andover) in the same year. Read it and weep, oh you classes who preceded us!

Pete Follansbee wrote in late April: “Some highlights from my year and recent life. This spring (2 days left on the job!) I retired from teaching English after 29 years at The Collegiate school (here in Richmond, VA); 10 years at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, MA; and, I think, 2 years as a TA in The University of Iowa Rhetoric program. I taught American Literature to 10th graders, and then Poetry Workshop, American Pastoral (Baseball Literature), Science Nature Spirit Soul, and Literature of the Apocalypse to 11th and 12th Graders. My eyeballs are ready to fall out from 41 years of reading student writing, but the teaching (and coaching) career was definitely a fulfilling one! And also fulfilling is having a wonderful family with my wife, Marita. We have two daughters, Adriaan and Emma, and both are now married (to Erick Gomez and Pete Burgess, respectively), with each couple having two daughters, for a total of four granddaughters: Julieta ("Lili") and Sofia ("Sofi"), and also Jane and Madeleine (who was just born this past March 14th). Grandkids are kind of unbelievable things, very primal in how they expand the notion of family and in how my wife and I want to protect everyone and make them safe forever. Grandkids are also a lot of fun, especially for grandparents! Lastly, it was great to

Dear Class of 1972: Think about it, 50 years from our first college years, our gap year, or whatever form of self-discovery we were bent on making at the tender age of 18 or19. Well, some things we figured out and so eventually made something with our lives. We will always have our years together at GDA to thank for it. I know you think the same, else you would not be reading this now!

Leading off our notes is Arthur “Pete” Follansbee, who is retired after 40+ years in the education ranks. Pete was part of a lively email chain earlier in the spring, regarding the fabled 1972 Varsity Lax team, which, as Heb Evans told Brian Lenane, was the first of 62 Governor’s

Richard Hackel ’72 and his “grand-baby” Jack

hear from New Millenium Writings that a poem of mine ("The Heron Returns from Winter") was a finalist back in their 2020 Poetry Awards and that it will be forthcoming in an anthology sometime relatively soon. In retirement I look forward to writing more and to sending poems out, so I can update my quaint little website of published poems (petefollansbee.com). My best to you, George, and to all our classmates, with special consideration and a shout-out to the 1972 lacrosse team; we were really good, even if we did get crushed by Tabor in our last game of the year. Such things eventually get processed, so we can all move on with our lives.”

Thank you Pete and all best wishes with the next chapter of grandkids and poetry.

Geoff Durham writes that while in Pittsburgh, volunteering for the Big Ten Women’s Golf Championship in April (where Geoff’s alma mater, Northwestern, finished second, he got a chance to meet up with Sarah Ewell Smith, who was visiting her son and new grandson. “Other than the weather, it was a great weekend.

We saw four seasons in four days!”

David Rogers and I threatened to get together in London in early May, but last minute business meetings and a show at the Barbican got in the way. We will try for next time, on either shore!

Global climate issues keep arising, and our class constituency is no stranger to these events.

Kevin Kearney, advised that his second home in Homosassa Springs, Florida had a near miss from the storm surge of Hurricane Idalia. Not to be outdone on near misses from climate disasters, Gus Selke writes from Lakewood, Washington: “I had a brush with wildfire the very week that Maui was devastated…I live next to a 360 acre park with woods behind my house. If the conditions had been similar to Maui, this would instead be my obituary. Even standing on my roof with hose in hand, I discovered it’s often impossible to know how close and how fast a fire is coming. Fortunately for me, helicopters were called in to scoop water from the lake inside the park.

Now, only a few hundred yards

from my house is a black moonscape.” Thanks goodness all ok, but for gosh sake Gus, stay off that roof!

In spirit not for self, but for others, Jim Tikellis writes: “Lou Ann and I made plans to go to West Maui many months ago. We have many friends on the island and we are going to keep our plans to go right after Thanksgiving to show our support for the people of Maui. We will plan to do some volunteer work while we are on island. Aloha!”

And in the spirit of the late, great Jimmy Buffet, Cameron “Tunk” Hosmer recommends you chill in the decidedly agrarian setting of upstate New York: “If any of you Govs get in the New York Finger Lakes swing by Hosmer Winery and say hi.”

Richard Hackel sent in the photo of his “grand-baby” Jack and advised all is fine on the isle of Chebeague, ME with lots of family visiting. His step-daughter and her husband Jack were with them for five weeks.

And finally, I dropped into the reunion this past June to see what I could see. Of the class of 1973, some remembered me, and those who did were probably being polite. Omnia mutantur!

It did give me a chance to be part of a large, enthusiastic audience for a roundtable or “fishbowl” discussion among 6 of the pioneering 24 women back in the fall of 1971 who ended the unisex tradition of the school. The distinguished participants included our own Sarah Ewell Smith (who entered with ’73 but got additional credits to allow earlier graduation) and representatives from the Class of 1973, namely Carol Salloway, Ginny George Garland, Dorcie Barry Storms, and Class of 1975 representatives Pam Blanchard Post and Anne MacKay-Smith. Those women were pioneers, suffering indignities we (males) weren’t even thinking about, and the faculty and admin had not contemplated, while doing their best to make a success of it, which they did in fine order.

And finally, on October 6 I hope many of you attended the dedication of the Alfond Research Center

CLASS NOTES

Top left: 50th Reunion at our class dinner at Whiston-Bragdon Arena · Top center: The great class of 1973! · Top right: Mark Hoffman, Jon Gilman, Walter Rivera, Glen Winkel, Jim Fox, Mike McDowell, and Bob Phillips · Bottom left: Mark Hoffman ’73 with Mike Moonves’s daughter, Gus Henley-Cheshire ’82, and granddaughter · Bottom center left: Glen and Tony finally getting over that wall after 50 years · Bottom center right: Our own Carol Salloway ’73 receiving the well-deserved Alumnus of the Year award from Head of School Peter Quimby · Bottom right: Walter Rivera ’73, Dick Leavitt P’82, Faculty Emeritus Larry Coles ’73, and Mike Hyman ’74

& Bass Institute, including the lab in honor of our own James “Ace” Pierce, to which so many of us generously donated. It will be a joyous day.

Non Sibi Sed Aliis

’73

Glen Winkel drwink@me.com It’s been 6 months since our 50th reunion and I can only say, “Wow,” the class of 1973 really stepped up and hit a home run! I want to thank all those who made the journey back to Byfield to celebrate with our class. There were so many people I have not seen in over 50 years and many, many memorable moments as well. A great big thank-you to the 50th reunion committee, who did a fine job of fine-tuning our class gift and helping to make memorable moments that special weekend in June.

Carol Salloway, Walter Rivera, Anthony Hall, Larry Coles, Jay Martus and myself. These fine folks coupled with Daryl Robicsek in the Advancement Office and all the

fine support staff at the Academy truly bent over backwards to make our 50th a special event.

I know for me attending our 50th was a “must do”, especially being a member of the reunion committee, although I had to break some of my visa requirements and leave the country. Let’s just say Korean immigrations was not happy when I returned to get my visa reinstated and I received a stern Korean warning… “Do not do that again!!” It was worth it breaking the rules, I mean how often do get to attend your 50th high school reunion?

With that said, so many things happened at our 50th reunion that it’s hard to summarize it all.

Most importantly, our class was the first to usher in women to the campus 50 years ago. This was truly the highlight of the weekend, as the Academy celebrated the accomplishments of the women on campus, especially at the all-women athletic hall of fame induction awards presentation.

Wow! Who would have known that the humble and trying beginnings of the first women at the Academy

would have become something so momentous and grand?

With that in mind, the reunion committee pondered what would be a memorable class gift that would also honor the achievements of our pioneering women 50 years ago.

We came up with a scholarship fund for women. However, for a scholarship to be active it must raise over $100,000 in donations. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our own Jay Martus and the generous donations from our class members and Bass Challenge match dollars, we achieved and surpassed this goal reaching $150,000. The first women to receive a scholarship from this fund will be in the fall of 2024!

Congratulations to the class of 1973 for this special class gift! Including the scholarship fund as well as Governor’s Fund and planned gifts, the class’s total reunion gift totaled a record $435,318!

In addition, Carol Salloway received the Alumnus of the Year award from Head of School Peter Quimby and it was a well-deserved award for all her hard work in

organizing the 50 years of women at the Academy. Looking back 50 years, we all owe a hearty thank-you to all the pioneering women who braved the odds to witness all that has happened as a result of their humble beginnings. Truly amazing!

Doug Pope said it well, “the 50th Reunion was a wonderful success.

It was so great to connect with classmates over our common experience at GDA, which I think we all feel has shaped our lives. It was nice to have the time to talk. I am happy that Carol and the first women to attend GDA were recognized. While I did not think much about it at the time, I am sure Carol, Maria, Dorcie, Lois, Ginny, and my sister Deb and all the first couple classes of women at GDA, probably thought it was a challenging transition.”

Mark Hoffman writes in: “What a wonderful 50th Reunion! Thanks to Glen, Carol and the Reunion Committee for creating the most enjoyable gathering of our class! 50 years of Women at GDA, incredible! The women in our class were certainly courageous pioneers!

Winter 2023 63

CLASS NOTES

Congrats to Carol for the recognition of all her wonderful work and leadership.

I had time to hang out and talk with so many of my very cool classmates.

Everyone looks so great. Tony’s Zoom session worked like a charm.

The new lab down by the river is just amazing. Where’s Room C? I have included a picture of Mike Moonves’s lovely daughter and granddaughter wearing Guy & the Greasers T-shirts at the Saturday evening get-together under the tent. Mike was dorm master for many of us in Perkins and we all love him so much! It was great to see him. Also, great to see Dick Leavitt and David Abusamra, such wonderful teachers. And thanks to the students, staff, Head of School (and fleet of golf carts that whisked us around campus) and everyone who worked so hard to make our 50th such great fun.”

Walter Rivera reflects on the reunion experience: “Being back on campus among my classmates brought back so many memories.

While there have been significant improvements on campus, in many ways it felt the same. I enjoyed reminiscing with my classmates and hearing about their respective trajectories over the past 50 years. The historical importance of our class having the first group of women to graduate from the academy was not lost on any of us. Carol Salloway received a well-deserved award for her many contributions and a group of women were inducted into the academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

“A few highlights for me included seeing Tony Hall and Glen Winkel jump over the wall and cheering them on as they did so. The memorial service for those classmates and other alumni who are no longer with us was very moving and I am sure that they were smiling down on us. Seeing Dick Leavitt and Mike Moonves was another highlight. But seeing and interacting with those classmates who made it to campus and those who joined the Zoom call was the most enjoyable part of reunion weekend. I will treasure our exchanges for years to come and look forward to remaining in contact through future Zoom meetings and at future reunions. We are now officially part of the Old Guard!

64 Governor’s

“Our fearless Head of School Peter Quimby and his team deserve much credit for shepherding our school to new heights. In short, I left reunion weekend feeling as proud as ever to have been able to attend GDA through the A Better Chance Program and to share this special weekend with my classmates.”

You have been amazing with your gentle proddings and your energized commitment to keeping us connected. The 50th was a huge success and we owe so much of that to you! And thank you for coming from South Korea—WOW! And it was so great to see those who came and it is crazy to think that we are now Old Guard!”

Oh, yes, the wall. Somehow when I was a student at GDA it wasn’t a wall, but that evening when Tony grabbed me by the arm and said, “It’s time!” (I was secretly hoping he’d forgotten about the “wall”), but the two of us jumped, stumbled, or fell over that wall. Ya, know at 68, that’s quite the accomplishment! For those that remember, I was on crutches at graduation, having crashed my high school hang glider project, my first attempt at hang gliding, and Tony was no longer a student at the Academy, so this was a special moment for the two of us.

Bruce Sheldon, who couldn’t attend due to the birth of a grandchild, writes in: “Sounds like the 50th reunion was a success! You should get an award for your 10 years as a great class secretary and for the number of miles you traveled to attend the reunion.

Unfortunately I could not make it to Byfield that weekend…my daughter had her second child so I had priorities. Couldn’t miss that.” And he closes with the tagline “...from the great class of ’73!”

Larry Coles writes in: “I had such a wonderful time at the class reunion. It was great being back at GDA, seeing folks we have not seen in 50 years, reminiscing of the old days and our shared experiences.

Thanks to my fellow planning committee members and GDA staff for putting together such a rich and expansive program. The school facility looks great. I’m still wrapping my arms around being part of GDA’s Old Guard! On the way home from reunion I stopped in a store and saw this tee shirt which should have been our reunion theme tee shirt!—‘It’s weird being the same age as old people.’

Yes, indeed I second and repeat that, “the great class of 1973”.

Thanks again to our class for being such a great class and I am proud to be your class secretary. However, I must admit, since my primary goal since taking on this role has been promoting the 50th reunion, now that the reunion is over and we are part of the “Old Guard”, I am feeling a bit “lost”!

Larry, are we “old”? As I reflect back upon about 12 years ago when I took over the reins of class secretary from Ian Chisholm and he told me it’s a “thank-less” task…

After the past few years, I must say, far from being thankless, the benefits from being able to stay in touch with classmates from 50 years ago is priceless, as is closing the loop of life as we become “older”, not old!

So, help me out a little here. As I send out requests for class notes in the future, if you are planning to attend the academy for a reunion as a member of the Old Guard, perhaps we can put some events together as a class so that we have some class members to hang out with. I know that as our class numbers dwindle over time, I will do my best to keep us all in touch and connected since our time in Byfield will always be our common bond.

I hope all of you reading this are as proud of our class as many of us are. Many thanks to the pioneering women from those early days, to the teachers and support staff at the Academy and especially to the great leadership from our Head of School, Peter Quimby. With leadership like this, the Governor’s Academy will continue to thrive in the future.

Carol Salloway was very thankful, “Thank you, Glen, for being our Class Secretary extraordinaire!

—Your International Class Secretary in South Korea, Glen Winkel

“Have a wonderful summer! Let’s keep in touch. See you next time!”

’74 ’75

REUNION

Pam Pandapas pamrobfine@msn.com All is well in my and Rob’s household. Rob continues to work hard. But despite his demanding schedule we have managed to enjoy going to the New England Revolution games and to the beaches in Rhode Island. We had a great sail on a schooner around Narragansett Bay, we have gone to concerts, and just generally have enjoyed summer things. At this writing we have the Eagles and Billy Joel/Stevie Nicks to look forward to in September. I had the pleasure of visiting with Mike McDowell ’73 while he was on the East Coast.

(He and my brothers attended the Lawrenceville School together before he came to GDA. He was here for L’Ville’s 50th reunion as well as that at the Gov’s so we all got together!) My gardening went well this year as I devised a DIY fencing that kept the critters out and by planting every deterrent plant advised by all the gardening sites. I am soon to be on a 3-day sail to P’Town and then we’ll be winding down and getting ready for the fall and winter. I want to give a shout-out to my classmates who generously and graciously give their time to write in with their news. It’s greatly appreciated and we all love reading about each other so, Thanks, Y’all!

Mike Sapuppo: I completed the trek to Everest Base Camp last October. Fantastic experience, fascinating country and incredibly hospitable people. I also had the opportunity to chat via zoom with Greg Pope and Barry Miller recently. Greg’s got a new and interesting business venture.

Mike Ponce: We’re in full honey production at Orchard Cottage.

I have nine hives and am learning the trade! I will pull honey in early July! On the family front, the Ponces are great! Annie spent June in the south of France and Venice as she finishes up at SCAD for her last year studying art history. Her thesis is Woman in Medieval Art. Lindsay is a junior at Tyler School

CLASS NOTES

for Art at Temple and is working at Dottie Donuts. She is a physical artist so she is blowing glass and bending metal. She is majoring in jewelry making. I left the health benefits business and took off 6 months, during which I lost 30 lbs.

I helped Jen build her business and will be joining a real estate concern in September. Jen shifted from packing up the elderly to move them into retirement community to interior design and has picked up business benefitted by word of mouth. Update: Orchard Cottage harvested 15 gallons of honey, which I am bottling right now! We head to MDI for a quick Maine visit at the end of August when Annie will join us, but Linds is in school so she can't go. Hope is we connect with classmates, but still no word yet from Andy Woodcock.

Jamie White: Last summer, Spencer Purinton chartered the schooner When & If for his birthday (age indeterminate). He invited family and friends along, including an old contingent from Mason Cottage. Seen in this photo: Rob Kaplan and me with Spencer.

This photo was taken after a rather benign mutiny to take the ship from the crew and allow us to sail it ourselves to more adventurous waters.

Andy Woodcock: Grandchild #2 expected in August, full retirement by year's end, and my mother, still witty and wise, turned 100.

Keith Esthimer: Happy to report a brilliant granddaughter born to our daughter and her husband. Everyone is residing in Cumberland, RI. Greg Pope: Elizabeth and I have moved out of Anacortes, Washington where our grandchildren were located and will be residing back in West Newbury for summers and snow-birding to Wilmington, NC from October on.

My “Chalkless®” venture has really taken off and I am delighted to have fellow Alumni Barry Miller and Mike Sapuppo as investors in this Grip Technology. We looked at Grip from a science perspective and professional sports players are incorporating Chalkless® into their play. So, it’s an exciting time, indeed. I hope all GDA fellows and ladies are doing well.

and love to see new sights and eat new foods. Things take longer to do and there are more aches and pains than before. Such is life. All is good and hope the same is true for all of you!

Dave Bohman: So, my bit of good news is winning a Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists Award for “Best Reporting on Environmental Issues.” Our story showed how outdated septic systems are the primary cause of water pollution leading to the death of Manatees and other wildlife in and around Vero Beach, Florida.

Rob Kaplan: There is no big news to report. I’m hoping to do some

biking and playing some pickle-ball this summer. Listening to Kissinger & Schmidt’s book about AI, and it’s frankly somewhat terrifying.

Peter Richardson: Life in retirement is great. Beth joined me in retirement on 7/1 so we are footloose. In May we finally made it to France, after postponing a trip planned for June of 2020. We spent 10 days in Provence and 4 in Lyon.

Beautiful sites, great food and wine.

Otherwise, we’re getting in as much grandparent time as we can. After a wet June in Maine (3 days without rain), we’re finally seeing some sun to help the gardens and bees. And to play Pickleball. Yes, that bug has bitten us too. Best to all.

Lisa Johnson: All is well in the Johnson household. We are keeping things afloat as best as we can.

Juggling jobs, children, retirement, and animals takes all the time we have. We get in an occasional trip

Images from Mike Sapuppo’s ’75 trek to Everest Base Camp

Top left: Annie and Lindsay, children of Mike Ponce ’75 · Top right: Just a bit of the honey harvest of Mike Ponce ’75 · Middle left: 75’ers sailing for Spencer Purinton’s birthday · Middle right: Dave Bohman ’75, winner of a Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists Award · Bottom left: Rich O’Leary ’75 and Barry Miller ’75 · Bottom right: MaryAnne (Myers) Polich ’75 and her husband Bob

Winter 2023 65

CLASS NOTES

Rich O’Leary: I have run into Barry Miller this summer and hope to play golf with him in a few weeks. Update: Barry Miller and I ran into each other recently through a mutual friend here in CT, where Barry and his wife are spending the summer. We followed up with an attempt to play golf but got foiled by the rain, so we settled for lunch instead. We had a great time catching up; no topic was left untouched! Cheers to all of our classmates; we are looking forward to our big 50th in ’25!!

Pam Post: I really enjoyed participating in the 50 years of Women at Gov’s event during reunion weekend. It was great to be back on campus, and to reflect on all of the changes since freshman year in 1971, as one of the first 25 young women to attend during the initial year of coeducation. It was great to see Ann McKay-Smith, Lisa Johnson, Audrey Cesario Grant, Terry Williams and her mother, Connie Williams, and other pioneering women from that year. I left feeling grateful for the education, the opportunities that followed, and the lifelong friendships and memories made.

Ethan Stone: After years of silence, I’ve decided to reenter the world of class notes. I have to admit that I do enjoy finding out what is going on with my classmates so I decided that it was a little unfair that I didn’t contribute myself. First of all, thanks to Pam for reminding us about contributing. I’ve been retired for some time now after starting a business in the late ’80s and eventually selling it in 2006.

I filled the time void of my early retirement mainly with volunteer activities and auto racing. I’m taking a bit of a break from both right now although I did just join the Lime Rock Drivers Club in Connecticut and am thinking about ideas related to the next volunteer activity. Hilary and I just celebrated our 40th anniversary in July which is kind of crazy. We have lived in Santa Barbara, California for over 25 years and have twins, Erin and Jeremy. Erin is on the radio as the climate emergency reporter for Southern California’s biggest NPR station, Laist.com. Jeremy decided recently to go back to school and pursue a Master’s in Engineering 66 Governor’s

at BU. He had an undergraduate English major so it’s a pretty big transition but he’s doing well. We had four dogs until recently now we are down to three as my big buddy Alfred passed over the Rainbow Bridge about a year ago. They are all shelter mutts. One of my volunteering activities was at the local county animal shelter, which resulted in a big increase in our dog family. Once we ended up with four dogs, I found I barely had time for anything but dogs so I had to move on from my work at the shelter. My mom moved from Byfield quite a while ago to be closer to me in her older years. She was never happy about leaving Byfield. She passed away in 2017 and much to my surprise Spencer Purinton and Rob Kaplan showed up at the funeral in Rowley. I’m looking forward to connecting with them both for a beer the next time we are back east.

During COVID, Hilary and I bought a place in the South End in one of the old 1800s buildings a short walk from Copley. It’s been fun to be in the city and to be able to walk almost everywhere. Jeremy is there so it’s great to have him over for dinner. Hilary has two sisters in the area so we have a great time getting together with the family when we visit. We are planning to be back in late September through mid- October. We have reservations at a cool place in Burke, VT during the foliage time. I’m also going to be spending a couple of days on the track at Lime Rock which should be a blast. I’m still running although I do find there are places that hurt that I never noticed before. I did a 10 mile Run with the Burros out in the Eastern Sierras in April. Hilary and Erin walked the course together. It was really fun. I didn’t have a burro but there were about 30 or more burros in the race I think. The idea for those with burros is to get so in sync with your burro that you get it to run with you and you win the race. The thing is that burros are super stubborn so unless you are a burro whisperer this can be very difficult. Many burros simply stopped. Some turned around and went back to the starting line.

Others took off and they can run four-minute miles so you just better let go of them if that happens. There were a number of well-trained ones though and they were a credit to

their co-runners. The race benefits the local burro rescue. There are over 80,000 burros roaming around in the desert who are descendants from the burros miners left in the 1800s. We camped in our trailer for about 5 days for the event in Red Rock Canyon State Park during the wildflower bloom, which was really nice this year. Well, to avoid being an ass, (you have to throw in an ass joke when you talk about burros) I’ll stop here. I’d love to connect with some classmates when we are back in the fall!

Starr Gilmartin: I have time to write this because day 1 of the last multi-day Maine Bicycle Coalition bike event is pouring rain with high winds expected later. I’m o.k. with sitting this one out, literally, and waiting for brighter days ahead. I am also o.k. to continue with my 11 speed non-motorized Specialized bike while all my biking friends sit atop their electric bikes. Sad to say good-bye to an event that was a highlight of the end of summer since their maiden event in 2013, but as George Harrison’s 3rd studio album was titled, “All Things Must Pass.” I am not, however, one to miss this longer than usual wet summer in New England, but I am looking forward to brighter days ahead for fun adventures somewhere. Another future event on which I hope no rain falls is my son’s wedding on September 16th.

I hope all of you have managed to walk between the raindrops and may all of us strive to be that little ray of sunshine in our daily lives.

Leslie Abbott Haas: I’m still working but have enjoyed a lot of vacation time. My husband and I went to San Diego in May to visit our West Coast family. Our two grandsons, now two and four, are growing like weeds. We enjoyed a trip to the SD Zoo, and we got to see a couple t-ball games as well. Celebrating our 39th year of marriage, we took a long weekend to Quebec City. We hadn’t been there for many years. We did a lot of eating and walking. We took a long weekend to Portsmouth with my daughter, her husband and my little granddaughter. How fun to have her right there when we wake up.

She turned one in April and she just started walking this past month.

It’s wonderful to see all these little

firsts. Our oldest son is getting married to a wonderful girl the third week of September, so the whole family will be together. We are so blessed with all of our fabulous children! It doesn’t get any better than that!

Judy Abbott Tamposi: Leslie writes on Judy’s behalf: Judy and her husband just celebrated 35 years of marriage in July. It has been a busy year for her as her oldest daughter and her husband, and the two youngest grandchildren have been living with them in Hollis while their home in Wilton is being renovated. The Great room looks like a kindergarten, but Judy loves it!

She spends quite a bit of time at her summer home in Maine where they also have a Boston Whaler that they take out and enjoy with their family. The grandchildren love the ocean and playing in the sand! Judy also has a wonderful English Setter who loves the waves! All of her children live fairly local, so they see each other all the time. Life is good!

Sam Gilliland: All’s well with our family down here in CT. I was thinking fondly of my GDA days recently (Monday, 8/28) as my eldest daughter Anne and I were hiking the Franconia Ridge Trail in the White Mountains. The last time I’d taken that four-summit adventure was during the late fall of our sophomore year while on one of the school’s outings led by the wonderful Mr. Harrington. This time we rounded out a virtuous climbing day by having cocktails on the lovely Bretton Woods porch.

Middle daughter, Leigh, just took a post summer internship job offer from the consulting firm LEK in NYC, for whom she’ll start working next summer, once she’s done with her MBA at NYU. Our youngest, Charlotte, has been traveling a lot for her new job at Hollyport Capital, having just returned from a 6-week indoctrination in London, where she’ll be returning again this fall. My lovely wife, Beth, is doing well. She has been very busy with her agency and walking many miles every day. She and I have been living through a house renovation that started in March, and will hopefully be done by Thanksgiving. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again sometime soon!

CLASS NOTES

Top left: Class of ’78 cool dudes James, Greg, and Druks enjoying a beautiful Sunday morning after Reunion · Top center: Get together with Scott Pope ’78 at Hampton Beach · Far right: Andy Stephenson’s ’78 boat, Pintail · Bottom left: Tom Driscoll ’78 received the Essex County Bar Association’s Jurisprudence Award · Bottom center: Class of ’78 Parade of Classes at Reunion

Paula Sekora McNutt: Hidey-Ho from sunny Florida! All is well here in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Life on the island doesn’t rush too fast, just chillin’. I speak with Stephanie Eames Farrar regularly, hoping she’ll move to FL someday. We are planning to visit NYC this October as our son, Judd, is marrying his best friend and a wonderful girl from Philly that he met in NYC. The wedding is in Manhattan (the kids live there already). This country mouse is excited about visiting NYC! MaryAnne (Myers) Polich: Bob and I have been busy selling our house and getting ready to move to Denver, CO. After each of us lost a parent (unexpectedly) last September just 5 days apart, we decided it was time to move near our family. We are flying out on September 6th with our 2 cats. We have loved our 15 years here in Boston (West Roxbury) and will miss our New England life very much. Until we meet again!

’78

M. Phil Graham chanter53@gmail.com Hello, classmates and all—I enjoyed our 45th reunion in June as much as everyone else appeared

to. We had a solid turnout with celebrity appearances from people like Paul Cook and Ike Suggs.

Fun guys to be around. The local faithful like Brad Clark stopped in to grace us with his smile and encouraging ways. Tom Diehl and his wife trekked all the way from FERMI Lab in Illinois, and Jamie Purinton and Tad Higgins livened up the occasion as well. Dave Drukker, James Goodhart and the eminent Dr. Greg Rose all the way from Colorado brought some camaraderie I have sorely missed.

Andy Robinson and his sweetheart brought warm conversation and some class up from the middle Atlantic states, and Greg Kaknes lifted everyone’s spirits with principled perceptions and a smile it’s hard to miss. Chuck McDowell stayed both nights over with some of us in Peirce Hall and kept me up late with some great conversation.

Rick Neville came and regaled us at dinner on Saturday night—thank you, Rick! Tina Fisher was fun as always and kept us on point for our place in the parade of classes pictured. If I left anyone out that came to Byfield to join us, please pardon, and make sure to show up for the 50th! That will be in June 2028—not far around the corner, friends.

Perhaps since we enjoyed reunion so much, and because we had

missed Popey, 6 or 8 of us got together at Scott Pope’s bungalow in Hampton. Thanks, Scott! Enjoyed it greatly. Perfect day at our age to sit under an umbrella and enjoy the sun and surf. And, I will observe, if Scott Pope isn’t the coolest manof-the-world in our circle, I haven’t met them! Thank you, Leslie, for taking the photo.

On May 24, Tom Driscoll received the Essex County Bar Association’s Ronan Jurisprudence Award. Nice going, Tom! Not the best quality photo— I did my best taking it off of Instagram. Tom also joined us in Hampton at Scott Pope’s. It was great to see you, Tom. Look forward to your presence at the immense 50th coming up.

Peter Feith confirms he is living in Budapest, retired and traveling before he no longer wants to do that. Peter says he missed our 45th for very good reason: He was staying on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia —where he called me from, so I can vouch it’s true—for 40 days. We’re sure you enjoyed it Peter, and we look forward to seeing you at the 50th! Per our BIG reunion coming up, Peter reminds us all: Let’s try to find our missing classmates before the 50th Reunion.” We all second that one, Peter.

On a closing note, an update will be coming out before too long reporting on the status of our current live contacts and a group effort being talked about to try and get in contact with as many classmates as possible this coming year—in anticipation of 2028. Be well, Everyone! —M Phil

Many of us followed Andy Stephenson during August as he set off in his boat the Pintail to travel down toward Long Island.

While Andy’s journey was shortened of necessity, he brought a sense of adventure and cool purpose to many of us who followed his story on FB. Thanks, Andy!

Good luck to you next time!!

’79 ’80

REUNION

Helen Mazarakis hmazarakis@yahoo.com Hello, Class of 1980! Reading the coverage of the 50th anniversary of co-education at the school I can’t stop referring to as GDA, it struck me that we entered just 5 years later. I have to admit I didn’t really notice at the time—even though my older sister Anne ’75 had been in that first class. I always felt it Winter 2023 67

CLASS NOTES

was our school too, just as I felt day students had as much claim as boarders. Wondering if others had differing views?

Here’s an update from me: two family weddings this year: my son George and Maggie Kennedy in July in Greece, and my daughter Anna and Ben Jagt in NYC in October. We are thrilled with our new daughter and son! I’m serving on a couple of non-profit boards in Newark, and continue to run a collaborative giving organization. My husband Thanassis and I moved from our home of 25 years—in the middle of the pandemic isolation—still in Montclair, with occasional glimpses of the city skyline.

Chris Stafford writes: Hi class of ’80, I hope everyone is doing well!

My wife Nancy and I are still living in Danville with our two dogs, Kya and Burlington. My oldest daughter Sarah married Matt Velazquez last September and my son Ben ’13 will marry Anjali Mehta in October with best man Tom Bailly ’13 and groomsman Stephen Basden ’13.

My youngest, Olivia ’15 is enjoying Boston and working as a social media coordinator for a skin care company. Best to all.

’83

Danielle Jacobs dljacobs@aol.com It was great to see everyone who showed up for the reunion. It’s hard to believe it has been 40 years. The school was also honoring 50 years of women on campus. A female alum was asked to paint the first ever portrait of a female staff, Mrs. Guy. It’s a beautiful piece and hanging in the Phillips building.

The campus has a different feel for me, with all the new and remodeled buildings. However, being with classmates from long ago felt like yesterday. I really hope more classmates make it to the 45th.

I mentioned this on Facebook, I have really enjoyed getting to know classmates who I barely knew back in the day. I regret being a bit of an introvert back then but appreciate the opportunity to continue connecting.

Sarah Bradshaw gets the award for traveling the farthest to attend, coming from Los Angeles. Teresa Russo Cramphorn brought her granddaughter and welcomed a second granddaughter the next

month. Our honorary class couple has become Karen Gronberg Phelps and Jay Phelps ’84. I love a woman who can rob the cradle! I guess I am officially adding Jay to the class.

Besties Jim Bernier, Dan McLaughlin, Rick Stram and Greg Menyhart rented a house on Plum Island. You know we’ve matured when those four are not throwing an after-party!

Rick Stram informed me that the park in my town where I brought my kids all the time, Stramski’s Park, was named after his grandfather. Who knew?!

Lastly, Will Adams stole the show that evening with his on stage singing debut with the band. I had left by then but received the videos. Thanks for keeping us young Will!

I hope everyone enjoys the fall. If you are in the area and want to get a group together, reach out and I will try to help coordinate. Hope to see you ALL at the 45th!

’84

REUNION

’87

Carla English carla_english@yahoo.com Happy to hear from Amy Forsthoffer, “Nothing much to report from the DC area, except kids growing up too fast, as we all know. Finley is a rising senior and Mae is a rising sophomore, so Mark and I are buckling up for everything this year will bring. I am STILL at Oracle, which continues to be a great challenge and a great fit for home-tennis-work balance, so I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity for so long. Reunion last summer seems like it just happened—looking forward to the next one!”

Bill Bronson reports, “I’m still in New Jersey teaching fourth grade and coaching MS tennis and HS hockey at Montclair Kimberley Academy. On vacation in Maine at the moment, Bar Harbor (where my brother lives and is a golf pro up here.) I still root for the Bruins but when they were knocked out this year, I had the rare chance to root for the Devils in the playoffs in person! Still play the odd gig here and there and will perform at a record

Top left and top center: Class of 1983 enjoying their 40th reunion · Top right: Rob DeLena ’87 and his son Ryan promoting their memoir Without Restraint · Bottom left: Jeff Leggette ’90 with his family · Bottom center left: Adam Shelley ’01 · Bottom center right: Daughters of Megan Saia ’01, Cecelia and Addie · Bottom right: Caitlin Haire ’01 with her husband, youngest son, and Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon at the Board of Registrars swearing-in

68 Governor’s

CLASS NOTES

store in Chinatown (NYC) this July.

The boys are great, Miles will start his sophomore year at Choate and James is heading to Austria for an international hockey tournament in July.” (Wish we could hear you play, Bill.)

Rob Delena and his son Ryan are busy promoting their incredible memoir Without Restraint, which was released on March 1st of this year. Soon, Rob and Ryan will be featured speakers at the Snowbound Expo in Boston, Nov. 3–5. Congratulations Rob! A short but sweet note from Cris Dobrosielski: “Wishing each of you the absolute best.” Sending that thought back to you Cris Dobrosielski, and to everyone!

’89 ’90

REUNION

classnotes@govsacademy.org Jeff Leggette shares: I have not written in for a very long time, but when I opened the magazine recently I was driven to write in.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at GDA, as it was called when I attended. I am now a business owner who is based in Los Angeles.

Hope to see some notes from fellow classmates in the future!

’94 ’99 ’01

REUNION

REUNION

Caitlin Haire caitlin.haire@outlook.com Umm, where has the time gone?

Months are flying by and here we are again!

In our most adventuresome update, Adam Shelley shares, “I was recently elected a member of The Explorers Club and also as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. This summer I have been introducing my family to camping at altitude in the French Alps. Now we are looking forward to winter in the mountains!”

Jessie Kendrick (perhaps more

far-flung and exotic?) writes, “We are currently living on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. My husband and I very much enjoy the island and our 2-year-old little girl loves life here. Much different pace of life than the East Coast so have been learning to slow down a bit and take advantage of the outdoor lifestyle we are so lucky to be a part of. We were able to come home to the Boston area for two months this summer to visit family and do all the New England things we miss.

Hope everyone is well!”

Megan (Rothwell) Saia definitely has the cutest update: Cecelia, her second daughter, was born last November!

In more geographically pedestrian news, I was recently confirmed to the Board of Registrars here in Newburyport. I’m really looking forward to getting more involved with the city and becoming an active participant in our local government.

Just a reminder to everyone that your participation matters, no matter what shape or form.

Thinking of you guys often! Hope to see you soon!

’02

Rachel Grossman rmanikian@gmail.com In April, I brought my family back to my hometown of Atkinson, NH and we had such a fun dinner with Angela Martone and her family. I also enjoyed a great visit catching up with Lauren O’Brien down in DC in March. We didn’t take any pictures because I was too busy fawning over her newborn daughter! Way back in October 2022, my family and Jyllian Schwarz’s family spent the day on campus for Cardinal and White Day. If you have never gone to this event, you really should this Fall!!!

’04

REUNION

Lesley Clunie lesley.clunie@gmail.com Laine Vargas writes: “The last year has been a big one for us. We relocated from Chicago to Fairfax, VA in an effort to get closer to family. Thankfully I was able to keep my job in Chicago and work fully remote. We also completed our family with the birth of our third

Top left: Angela Martone ’02 and Rachel Grossman ’02 at the Atkinson Country Club with all of their children · Top center: Jyllian Schwarz ’02 and Rachel Grossman ’02 with their children at Cardinal and White Day 2022 · Bottom left: Annie Walsh’s ’08 son Calvin, Emily ’08 and David Doggett’s ’08 daughters Caroline and Eliza, and Whitney ’08 and Tim Langmaid’s ’07 children Will and Elle at Eliza’s 3rd birthday party · Bottom center left: Children of Whitney ’08 and Tim Langmaid’s ’07: Elle and William · Bottom center right: Anna Smith ’08, Leslie Fothergill ’08, Piper Fothergill · Far right: Laine Vargas ’04 and her family

Winter 2023 69

CLASS NOTES

child, Silvio, in February. Alonso and Isabel are thrilled to have a new baby brother and can't wait until he can join them in all of their shenanigans! I can't wait to see folks and reconnect at Reunion next year.”

Jessica Long writes: “I graduated from fellowship in June and moved to Chicago to start work here in September!”

Hope all is well with the rest of the Class of 2004!

’08

Abby Shaffo abigail.shaffo@gmail.com Greetings from O’ahu! My family and I are officially islanders again, and we hope the Navy allows us to “live the Aloha” for a few years. If anybody makes a trip out to Hawaii, give me a shout!

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! CLASS NOTES DEADLINE Please send your news and updates for each issue before the deadlines below to either your class secretary or classnotes@govsacademy.org.

Fall issue: June 15, 2024 Spring issue: January 15, 2025

CLASS NOTES GUIDELINES Governor’s, The Archon magazine, may edit class notes for clarity and brevity, and to match the magazine’s editorial style. Class secretaries may also choose to edit submissions. To respect the privacy of our alumni, we do not publish engagement or pregnancy announcements. Wedding and birth announcements will continue to be featured in class notes and photos. These notes are intended for The Governor’s Academy and are not to be used elsewhere.

70 Governor’s

Steph Lyons reports, “I moved from Boston to NYC late last year to join JP Morgan private bank as a vice president. I’d love to reconnect with others from our class who are in NYC!” Whitney Langmaid shares, “Tim ’07 and I welcomed a baby boy, William, in April and Elle is loving her new role as big sister!”

Cheers to a great fall, Govs friends!

I still can’t believe it’s been 15 years since we graduated!

’09 ’10

REUNION

Emily Harrold Magrosky emilycharrold@gmail.com It’s been an exciting year for the class of 2010!

Jeff Lamson writes: “My wife Anna and I live at the Millbrook School in Millbrook, NY with our three dogs and our daughter, Edie (born in April '22). Small world—Anna works in the Dean of Students office with none other than JJ Morissey ’02. After teaching at boarding schools in CT and then CO, I started a PhD in history when we moved back east and hope to be done with that in 2025.”

Jack Harris is a busy guy! He shares: “Hello everyone, it has been a good year in the life of Jack!

I was skiing in Europe and Japan, spending time with my nephew and sister in Hawaii, bonding with my little sister who moved to San Diego, and I’m finishing up my tour in the Navy instructing new pilots how to fly the MH-60 Romeo. My next job I’ll be in charge of the air department on this ship called an LHA (USS Tripoli) and then switching back to flying planes or going to get my masters and back to the world of academia. Oh, and I teach yoga now. I am now officially off the market as well; my girlfriend's name is Kasey and we’re going to get married and have lots of children and travel the world.”

Remington Pope and Franklin Reis recently flew in from the west coast and participated in a triathlon with fellow alum Chris Barrand '08.

Top left: Jeff Lamson ’10 and his daughter Edie · Top right: Hanna Bird ’10 with her fiancée, Lauren · Center: Maggie Morrissey ’10, Christine Goglia ’10, Hanna Bird ’10, Sam (Doherty) O’Rourke ’10, and Katie Wolfe ’10 · Bottom: The many adventures of Jack Harris ’10

Hanna Bird will be getting married next August! She writes: “I met my future wife shortly before the pandemic along with her cat and dog.

What may have seemed like a simple start to a relationship suddenly turned into an epic adventure of her meeting my family for the first time, all of us living together for 4 months, managing to keep our spirits high in the wake of layoffs, life changes etc. and when things started to settled we very firmly realized, if we can get through that together, we can do just about anything. She proposed in November and we'll be celebrating on August 10th in Vail, CO. Our little family of 4, myself, Lauren, Chowder (our cat) and Mingo (our dog) now live together in Rockaway Beach, NY. We're lucky to enjoy an ocean breeze while still taking advantage of all the excitement and Govs connections Manhattan has to offer. Speaking of which, I

had an amazing time this summer celebrating and reconnecting with some fellow 2010 grads at Kate Healy’s wedding.”

As for me, I’ve taken a new job as Senior Director of Compliance at SLC Management, the institutional investment arm of Sun Life Financial. Earlier this year, I began pursuing a Master’s degree in Legal Studies from Northeastern University and plan to graduate in early 2024. I’m living in Newburyport, MA with my husband and our two children, Harry (3) and Frances (1), who have enjoyed playing on the Govs playground over the summer!

’14 ’19

REUNION

REUNION

TRIBUTE

George Scharfe P’95’95’00, GP’23,’25, TRUSTEE EMERITUS

George S. Scharfe passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on July 24, 2023, at his home in Manchester, MA. He had spent the weekend doing what he loved most: competing on the golf course and enjoying a few Rolling Rocks surrounded by his friends and family. He was a larger-than-life presence in the lives of all who knew him, and all the communities he was a part of will feel his absence acutely.

Born on April 18, 1950, in Mineola, NY, to Charles L. and Helen M. Scharfe, George played football and basketball at Babylon High School and graduated from Clarkson College of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management. He would forever be an optimistic and enthusiastic supporter of the Clarkson hockey team. George started his career in electrical engineering—spanning over 50 years—by accepting a position with the Comstock Group in New York as a project engineer, where he worked with his father and grandfather. George quickly climbed the ranks at Comstock, earning the project manager position and starting the Boston office, covering the entire New England region.

Eventually, George was named president of Comstock Group, where he successfully executed an IPO of the company.

After departing Comstock, George became a partner at the John A. Penney Company, taking on the role of President and Chief Financial Officer. George was responsible for cultivating many of the partnerships that remain today. With the help of his partners, including his brother Alan, George grew John A. Penney into one of Boston’s premier electrical engineering and contracting companies.

George loved to build things—his company, lasting friendships and, most importantly, a wonderful family. George met his wife, Coreen, when they were in 8th grade. After spending time sailing and dating by boat, George and Coreen were married on July 8, 1972, spending their early years sailing, skiing, attending craft fairs, and enjoying time together. They hosted epic parties at the family’s farm and

continued to race sailboats together and make music. Coreen often sang as George strummed his guitar, a hobby he continued throughout his life. They expanded their family, welcoming the birth of surprise twin daughters, Molly and Gretchen, in 1977 and another daughter, Kirsten, in 1981. As their family grew, their children joined them in all of their activities and added some of their own, which suited George’s active lifestyle.

Most important to George were family, friends, and faith. George’s three girls were a source of great pride, and he often could be found on the sidelines of their field hockey or lacrosse games, cheering emphatically while smoking his trademark pipe (dismissing the No Smoking sign as a suggestion only). No field was too far away, even traveling to Australia to watch his youngest daughter earn a gold medal in the U19 World Cup Lacrosse Competition.

Years later, Opa (as he was now called) was equally thrilled to watch his granddaughters compete in anything, whether at a high school field hockey or lacrosse game at The Governor’s Academy or a weekend town basketball game in Manchester.

Sports and competition were always a part of George’s life. He skied beautifully, played hockey at the club level into his 40s, never missed an opening day of hunting season, and fished frequently. Still, most of his time was spent on the golf course or the water. George served as Commodore of the Manchester Yacht Club and was a very successful sailor, competing most recently in the Crocker Race with his childhood friend, Peter Tarr, finishing third in their class. On the golf course, George won a number of tournaments at Essex County Club, including the 2009 Four Ball with his partner, Doc McGarr, and two Club Championships. For over a decade, he played in the MA State Father-Daughter Tournament, partnering with each twin on alternating years, which proved to be a true test of skill and patience that his daughters will now remember fondly.

George was a leader, not just in his work life or in competitions and races, which

he often won, but also in giving back to the community through his volunteer work.

“Scharfes build churches and schools,” he told his girls. George contributed his time to the Manchester School Building Committee, was a trustee at The Governor’s Academy, and volunteered on the Building and Grounds committee at the Glen Urquhart School, where his eldest daughter is Head of School. George was also very involved in and dedicated to fundraising at Beverly Hospital. Perhaps most significantly, George participated actively in his church, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Lanesville, where he was a devoted parishioner for nearly 50 years.

George is survived by his wife, Coreen Wallace Scharfe, and daughters, Gretchen Forsyth, Molly Prinn, and Kirsten Richardson. He also leaves three sonsin-law whom he was proud to have “chosen” for his daughters and treated as the sons he never had: Steve Prinn, Kirk Forsyth, and Jesse Richardson. George was adored by five granddaughters, Katherine, Emily, Anne, Elizabeth, and Charlotte, and one special grandson, Benjamin. He is survived by his sister, Marie Jerge, and her husband, James; and by his brother, Alan, and his wife, Leigh; as well as their children, Christopher, Rebekah, and Henry. George was predeceased by a number of golden retrievers, each of whom he falsely claimed to be “well-trained.” He will be sorely missed by his family of friends he created at the Manchester Yacht Club, Essex County Club, and Cala’s in Manchester.

Winter 2023 71

In Memoriam

1945

1954

1959

1971

Paul Withington

Thomas H. Larsen

Ferguson Jansen

John Etnier

P’71 March 18, 2023

September 1, 2023

May 31, 2023

July 30, 2023

Jonathan K. Wise M.D.

Charles “Chuck” Samaras

1946

1955 June 27, 2023

Robert W. Waugh July 29, 2023

William S. Friend Sr. P’82, GP’18 May 2, 2023

1949 John Palmer

February 20, 2023

1963

Cameron Barr August 30, 2021

March 16, 2023

Manson Hall June 7, 2023

1957

1950 Edmund C. Beebe, Jr.

1967

March 13, 2023

Arthur Withington II February 19, 2023

72 Governor’s

Sarah Bodge P’87 June 21, 2023

Trustee Emeritus Charles M. Murphy, Jr. August 9, 2023

July 22, 2023

David Alven

Faculty/Staff

1968

William Degen July 30, 2023

George Scharfe P’95,’95,’00, GP’23,’25 July 23, 2023

Mysteries from the Archives!

As the Govs archivist, one of my missions is to chronicle our rich history and ignite curiosity about what came before us. Consequently, for over ten years, I have been emailing “History Mysteries” several times a month to all students and employees. While lots of people just send in their guesses, others do intensive research. So, here is your chance to test your skills by looking at one of the questions answered by students through the years. See how well you know school history!

—Sharon Slater P’16,’20,’24, Archivist and History Teacher

Question: Prior to the admission of girls, dances at Governor Dummer Academy were full weekend events. Beginning with the Friday arrival of girls, the weekend included boys moving out of their dorms to make way for their female guests, casual events on Friday night, athletic contests on Saturday and, finally, a formal dinner dance in Phillips on Saturday night. This photo includes a group of dance attendees dressed in their Saturday evening finest. Can you guess the year and location of this photo?

Answer: Mansion House 1954

THE GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY 1 ELM STREET BYFIELD, MA 01922

2024

Save the date to celebrate!

June 7–9, 2024

Celebrating the Academy’s graduating classes ending in 4 and 9.

Reunite with classmates, faculty, staff, and friends during a weekend filled with activities for alumni and families of all ages.

Stay in the know

Scan here to learn more.

Or visit: thegovernorsacademy.org/alumni/reunion