Rafael Carbonell ’93, Co-President of the Alumni Association, ex officio
Margarita O’Byrne Curtis
Anne Matlock Dinneen ’95
Patricia Barlerin Farman-Farmaian ’85, P’21,’24
Elizabeth J. Ford P’11,’13
Alex Hurst ’97
Ignacio Jayanti P’26
Martin Kelly P’24
John Khoury ’95
Julia Tingley Kivitz ’01, Co-President of the Alumni Association, ex officio
Annika Lescott-Martinez ’06
Nisa Leung Lin ’88
Cristina Mariani-May ’89, P’23,’25
Michael J. Mars ’86
Naveen Nataraj P’24,’26
Aaron Oberman ’92, P’24,’27, President, The Hotchkiss Fund, ex officio
Carlos Pérez ’81
Christopher R. Redlich Jr. ’68
Thomas R. Seidenstein ’91, P’24
Roger K. Smith ’78, P’08
Richard M. Weil ’81, P’23,’25
EMERITI
Howard C. Bissell ’55, P’82
John R. Chandler Jr. ’53, P’82,’85,’87, GP’10,’14,’16,’22,’27
Thomas J. Edelman ’69, P’06,’07
Lawrence Flinn Jr. ’53, GP’22
John Grube ’65, P’00
Dan W. Lufkin ’49, P’80,’82,’88,’23
Robert H. Mattoon Jr.
Robert A. Oden Jr. P’97
Kendra O’Donnell
Jean Weinberg Rose ’80, P’18
John L. Thornton ’72, P’10,’11,’16
Rebecca van der Bogert
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
AS OF MAY 1, 2025
Caroline Barlerin ’91
Rafael Carbonell ’93, Co-President of the Alumni Association
Julia Chen ’16
Ernesto Cruz III ’01, VP and Co-Chair, Admission and Engagement Committee
Danielle S. Ferguson ’97, VP and Co-Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Carlos Garcia ’77, VP and Co-Chair, Communications Committee
Whitney Gulden ’12, VP and Chair, Nominating Committee for Membership
Cameron Hough ’09, VP and Co-Chair, Nominating Committee for Awards
Julia Tingley Kivitz ’01, Co-President of the Alumni Association
Robert Kuhn ’75, VP and Co-Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Scott Meadow ’73, P’02
Keith Merrill ’02, VP and Co-Chair, Communications Committee
Daniel Pai ’19, Chair, Young Alumni Task Force
Colin Pennycooke ’89
Mark Pierce ’67, P’13, VP and Co-Chair, Admission and Engagement Committee
Gigi Brush Priebe ’77, P’06,’09
Sarah Thornton-Clifford ’76, P’07,’23
Alexandra Treyz ’04
Madison West ’05
Clara Rankin Williams ’89
Lisa Bjornson Wolf ’82
Whitney PakPour Zeta ’04, VP and Co-Chair, Nominating Committee for Awards
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Craig W. Bradley, Head of School
Robert R. Gould ’77, Co-President, Board of Trustees
Brooke Harlow ’92, P’28, Past Co-President, Alumni Association
Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, P’27, Co-President, Board of Trustees
Paul Mutter ’87, P’26, Past Co-President, Alumni Association
Aaron Oberman ’92, P’24,’27, President, The Hotchkiss Fund
ON THE COVER: Students enjoyed a sunrise hike during Eco Day. Photo by Missy Wolff.
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Craig W. Bradley
CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS
OFFICER
Hope Reisinger Cobera ’88, P’24
EDITOR
Darryl Gangloff
MAGAZINE DESIGNER
Julie Hammill
CONTRIBUTORS
Catherine Calamé, Robin Chandler ’87, Robert Chartener ’76, P’18, Anne Day, Agnes deSouza ’28, Thea Dunckel ’26, Katharine Ellis ’26, Jeremy Fang ’28, Eliott Grover, Anthony Hu ’25, Jeffrey Hinz, Roberta Jenckes, Aly Morrissey, Randy O’Rourke, Deven Patel ’27, Nurry Punnahitanon ’25, Erin Reid P’01,’05, Danielle Sinclair, Mia Tan ’28, Brian Wilcox
PLEASE SEND INQUIRIES AND COMMENTS TO:
The Hotchkiss School 11 Interlaken Road Lakeville, CT 06039-2141 Email: magazine@hotchkiss.org Phone: (860) 435-3122
The Hotchkiss School does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, religion, race, color, sexual orientation, or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, athletics, or other School-administered programs, or in the administration of its hiring and employment practices.
Hotchkiss Magazine is produced by the Office of Communications for alumni, parents, members of the faculty and staff, and friends of the School. Letters are welcome. Please keep under 400 words. We reserve the right to edit and publish letters.
7
Ever Forward
The campaign launches and renews the School’s commitment to
Enduring Gratitude
Peter Carnes ’57 helped create an award that endures at Hotchkiss
Women of Hotchkiss
The community gathers to celebrate 50 years of coeducation
A Season of Milestones
SPRING IS ALREADY FLYING BY in Lakeville as I put pen to paper. Daffodils and magnolias have opened in all their splendor, and radiant blue skies are interspersed with seasonal showers. I don’t know that there is anywhere more beautiful than Hotchkiss in the spring. This season has been a momentous one, even by the standards of this busy School. In April, we were very pleased to communicate the community phase of Ever Forward: The Hotchkiss Campaign. This focused fundraising effort has been underway since 2020. With profound thanks to all who have donated,
we have raised $234 million toward a goal of $250 million as of the writing of this letter. Donor gifts are already enhancing the student experience in myriad ways. In particular, we are reminded of your generosity each and every day as the new Dining Commons takes shape. This beautiful enhancement to the campus will open in December 2025. Please read more about the priorities of Ever Forward and the impact of your generosity in the pages that follow.
During the spring Trustee meeting in May, the Board of Trustees elected Tim
Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16 as the new Board president. Tim will follow in the footsteps of outgoing co-Presidents Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, P’27 and Robert R. Gould ’77, who have served as leaders of the Board since 2019. I speak for the School in saying we are immeasurably grateful to them for their service and equally excited to welcome Tim as president on July 1, 2025.
In addition to the regular cadence of learning, sports, arts, clubs, and dorm life, throughout the 2024-25 year we have been commemorating the 50th anniversary of women at Hotchkiss. In early May, we
Congratulations to the Class of 2025! Look for full coverage of their Commencement in the next issue of Hotchkiss Magazine.
“For me, there is now a certain poignancy to every moment at Hotchkiss. While I have a full year ahead to enjoy, I am savoring my time in this beautiful and magical place.”
— CRAIG W. BRADLEY
welcomed hundreds of alumni to campus for the culminating celebration weekend. Programming included presentations of student research, extensive archival displays, a show of alumnae art in Tremaine Art Gallery, a stunning performance by the Hotchkiss Philharmonic, student and alumnae panels, home games, and a celebratory dinner and dance at Fairfield Farm.
Among the highlights of the weekend was watching Women of Hotchkiss: The First 50 Years. This hour-long documentary chronicles a broad swath of Hotchkiss history, beginning with the School’s founding by Maria Bissell Hotchkiss and continuing through the experiences of current students. It was particularly meaningful to do so in the company of a number of the changemakers who helped the School on its path toward the intentional pluralism we experience today. In addition to many of the Pioneers, former faculty and staff who attended included Dean of Faculty Marilyn “Sam” Coughlin P’91,’93; Associate Dean of Students Dagny Soderburg St. John; Admissions Interviewer Mimi Estes P’82,’85,’87, GP’10,’14,’27; 10th Head of School, Director of Admissions, Director of Development, and Trustee Emeritus Rusty Chandler Jr. ’53, P’82,’85,’87, GP’10,’14,’16,’22,’27; Director of the Edsel
Ford Memorial Library Walter DeMelle Jr. ’76, P’94 and his wife Susan DeMelle P’94; Dean of Students John Virden III ’64, P’89,’91; Instructor in Art Charlie Noyes ’78, P’03,’07, and many others.
For those of you who weren’t able to attend the weekend, look for information on local and virtual screenings of the documentary coming soon.
For me, there is now a certain poignancy to every moment at Hotchkiss. As I announced in January, I will be retiring at the end of the 202526 academic year. While I have a full year ahead to enjoy, I am savoring my time in this beautiful and magical place. It is perhaps for this reason that I took particular delight in announcing a spring Head of School Holiday on May 15 in honor of faculty and staff who are retiring this year.
The search for Hotchkiss’s 16th Head of School is well underway. Under the leadership of incoming Board President Tim Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16, a search committee comprising trustees, faculty, and staff is working with executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to evaluate candidates. The process will continue in earnest throughout the summer, with the intention of naming Hotchkiss’s next head of school in the fall.
For now, our focus here at School is on the final days of 2024-25 and celebrating the great Class of 2025 on their Commencement. (Please look for full coverage of this wonderful day in the next issue of the Magazine.)
I hope you will enjoy the many stories of Hotchkiss students, faculty, and alumni that follow.
All good wishes,
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Coeducation
What an outstanding issue the fall/winter 2025 magazine is. There is so much in there for a former faculty member (1969-2005) to enjoy.
I have often been asked, “What’s the biggest and best thing to have happened at Hotchkiss during your time there?” No other answer is even close to it: “When we went co-ed.”
This issue is proving it beyond a doubt.
SHERM BARKER F ormer History Instructor
Craig W. Bradley
A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
BY ROBERT CHARTENER ’76, P’18
The Board of Trustees met virtually on Dec. 19, 2024 and in person in Lakeville on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2025. Here are some highlights from the meetings.
Accreditation – The School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) every 10 years, and this process is taking place in 2025. The chair of the re-accreditation committee is Temba Maqubela, who has been the head of school at Groton since 2013. Hotchkiss has prepared extensive self-evaluation information, and the accreditation committee visited campus in April and will return in October. The final report is expected in November.
Faculty Housing – Hotchkiss has a need for additional on-campus housing for faculty families. At present, 14 faculty families live off-campus in rented accommodation; this necessitates the payment of rent and the loss of the families’ on-campus presence. Though the project will take several years, steps are being taken to determine how to house faculty members at Hotchkiss, how to improve student-to-faculty ratios in the larger dormitories, and how to preserve the historic integrity of buildings and the campus. The new director of facilities, Mike Virzi, is leading the analysis.
Budget – The Board’s finance committee has undertaken extensive work to balance the budget during a time when, for example, temporary dining facilities during the renovation of the Dining Commons have added considerable costs. Additional expense items include improvements to the library and continuing dorm renovations, which have been underway for nearly 10 years. The Board decided to raise tuition by 6.5 percent in 2025-26 and increase the financial aid budget by 4.6 percent. Maria Kimsey, who spent 18 years as the associate head of school for finance and operations at Mercersburg Academy, has been appointed the interim chief financial and operating officer for Hotchkiss for the 2025-26 academic year.
Head of School Search – The trustees spent extensive time discussing the upcoming search for a new head of school. Hotchkiss has retained the firm of Isaacson, Miller to manage the search. Trustee Tim Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16 has been appointed chair of the search committee, and he will be joined by five trustees and five members of the faculty and staff. Isaacson, Miller has finalized the position description, and the firm began the search in April. The pool of candidates will be narrowed over the following months, and the goal is to announce a new head of school in the fall.
New Program in the History of Mathematics and Physics – Following the success of the School’s Hersey Scholars program at Harvard and its MacLeish Scholars program at Yale, a third program will begin at Cornell in the summer of 2025. It will draw heavily from Cornell’s superb archive of rare manuscripts related to mathematics and physics. Hotchkiss is working on two additional programs that are expected to begin in the summer of 2026: an art history course based at the Princeton University Art Museum and a forest ecology program at Yale’s Great Northern Forest in Norfolk, CT.
College Placement – A more detailed report will be provided in the next issue, but a notable statistic is that 95 percent of seniors submitted an early application, which is a record. As of the Board meeting, about 68 percent have at least one acceptance, which is consistent with prior years.
Highlights from the spring Board of Trustees meeting will be included in the next issue of Hotchkiss Magazine.
Board of Trustees Elects New President:
Tim Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16
THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL IS PLEASED
to announce that Timothy Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16 was unanimously elected president of the Board of Trustees during the spring Board meeting in Lakeville. His appointment will begin on July 1, 2025. He succeeds Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, P’27 and Robert R. Gould ’77, who have been co-presidents since 2019.
Head of School Craig W. Bradley said, “We are deeply fortunate to welcome Tim Sullivan as president of the Board. As vice president of the Board since 2024, Tim has made invaluable strategic contributions that draw on his experience as an alumnus, a parent, and a business leader. He is not only deeply respected; he is very well-liked. I look forward to working with him, and I am excited to see what the School will accomplish under his leadership.”
Sullivan has served as a trustee since 2018. He joined the Executive Committee in 2024 when he was elected vice president of the Board. He has served on the Community Life, Admission & Financial Aid, and Audit & Risk Committees. In addition, he chairs the Head of School Search Committee, which will be responsible for recommending the next head of school (to begin in the summer of 2026) to the Board of Trustees.
Sullivan was president and chief executive officer of Ancestry.com from 2005 to 2017, chairman until December 2020, and remains on the board. Sullivan’s career prior to Ancestry included time as CEO of Match.com and seven years with the Walt Disney Company, most of that time living in Hong Kong. Sullivan holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a MoreheadCain Scholar and graduated with honors. He serves as chairman of the board of trustees of the Morehead-Cain Foundation in Chapel Hill. He also sits on the board
of AllTrails, a mobile app and website that allows users to find, plan, and track outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and climbing. Sullivan and his wife, Jane, live in Park City, UT, and have two children, Lindsey ’13 and Thomas ’16.
Sullivan said, “I feel a deep sense of gratitude to Liz Hines and Bob Gould for the tremendous work they have done as co-presidents over the past six years, and I am truly honored to step into this position. This is a pivotal moment for Hotchkiss. In the final year of the Ever Forward campaign, in the final year of Craig Bradley’s outstanding tenure, and with a head of school search process underway, we are exceptionally wellpositioned for Hotchkiss’s next chapter. I am excited to be able to continue working with our fantastic Board of Trustees.”
Hines and Gould have served as co-presidents of the Board since 2019.
As Board leaders, they have guided the School through complex times, including ongoing reckoning with historical sexual misconduct (which began in 2016 under the Board leadership of Jeannie Weinberg Rose ’80, P’18) and the pandemic.
During their tenure, the endowment has experienced significant growth, and since 2020, Hotchkiss has raised more than $234 million for the Ever Forward campaign. This has allowed numerous projects to be completed, including adding 27 new student scholarships; the full renovation of Memorial Hall; the creation of The Class of 2021 Fitness and Wellness Center in the Mars Athletic Center (MAC); and raising full funding for the new Dining Commons—an exceptional enhancement to the campus that is set to open in December 2025.
Bradley said, “My time at Hotchkiss has been deeply and positively influenced by Liz Hines and Bob Gould. I am grateful for their steadfast leadership, their unwavering commitment to the School, and a remarkable partnership they forged as co-presidents from which the School has benefited tremendously. Liz and Bob are outstanding examples of a truth I hold dear: the excellence of Hotchkiss is the excellence of the people.”
More about the legacy of Hines and Gould will be published in the next issue of Hotchkiss Magazine
From left, Head of School Craig W. Bradley, incoming Board of Trustees President Timothy Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16, and outgoing Co-Presidents Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, P’27 and Robert R. Gould ’77.
A Life of Purpose
Alissa Keny-Guyer ’77 Reflects on Service, Justice, and Community
ALISSA KENY-GUYER ’77 received the Alumni Award, The Hotchkiss School’s highest honor, during a ceremony in Katherine M. Elfers Hall this winter. She spoke about her decades working in the nonprofit, philanthropic, and political realms to improve lives at home and overseas during a fireside chat with Caroline KennyBurchfield ’77, P’08,’10,’18, director of community partnerships.
“Congratulations, Alyssa, from your proud 1977 classmates, as well as the pioneers from the first class of girls at Hotchkiss,” KennyBurchfield said. “There’s no better reason to welcome you back to Lakeville.”
Keny-Guyer was exposed to injustices through her mother’s work on civil rights in the U.S. and her father’s humanitarian work overseas. She knew early on that she wanted to make a difference in the lives of people who didn’t have the opportunities she had by birth and education.
She says that pivotal experiences during her time at Hotchkiss were serving as chair of the Current Events Club and working with her roommate, Carolyn Eaton ’77, at
Boys Harbor camp on Long Island, where children from the city enjoyed summers in a different environment. “Some of my closest friendships came out of Hotchkiss,” Keny-Guyer said. She noted that she was honored to participate as a member of Hotchkiss Alumni for Reconciliation and Healing (HAFRAH), alongside Eaton, Margaret Simpson ’77, Martha Bryan ’77, and others, providing recommendations to the School on its reckoning with historical sexual misconduct.
While at Stanford, Keny-Guyer worked at an agricultural research center on the island of Java. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in human biology, she returned to Indonesia for nearly two years to focus on community development with Oxfam, a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. “I was based in West Timor with a war for independence on the eastern side of the island. I was reminded of the advantages I had, compared to people struggling for water, sanitation, health care, and a secure future,” she said.
She earned a master’s in public health at the University of Hawaii. After working for several years with community groups and the Hawaii legislature on issues of poverty, human services, and the environment, she decided to focus on these issues domestically.
In 1990, Keny-Guyer and her husband, Neal, moved to California, where she became executive director of Volunteers in Asia. They moved to Portland, OR, and she founded the Saturday Academy outreach program for kids underrepresented in math, science, and engineering fields. She later became the director of the Hanna Andersson Children’s Foundation and consulted for the Nike Foundation.
Having served on several city, county, and state commissions, Keny-Guyer entered politics. She served as an Oregon State Representative from 2011-21, representing parts of southeast and northeast Portland. She chaired the Human Services and Housing Committee when Oregon passed some of the nation’s most groundbreaking housing legislation and served on the Health Care, Early Childhood and Family Support, Consumer Affairs, Energy and Environment, and Revenue committees.
In 2021, Keny-Guyer served as senior advisor to the director of the Oregon Department of Human Services until she moved with her husband to Santa Fe, NM. Since then, she has served on the New Mexico Housing Trust Fund Advisory Board, the Santa Fe Community Development Commission, the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Executive Committee, and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. While she wishes the Alumni Award could be given to all the teams with whom she has worked, she feels enormously honored to receive it. “This is a great opportunity to share lessons learned along the way with students who have the opportunity to make an enormous impact in their lives,” she said.
Alumni Award recipient Alissa Keny-Guyer ’77, center, celebrates with Head of School Craig W. Bradley, left, and Caroline Kenny-Burchfield ’77, P’08,’10,’18, director of community partnerships.
CEREMONY
“This campaign is not just about raising funds; it is about investing in our people and in the strength of Hotchkiss. Now is the time.”
—Chief Advancement Officer Ninette Enrique
The Hotchkiss Campaign Launches and Renews the School’s Commitment to Excellence
By Catherine Calamé
The Hotchkiss School has embarked on a historic campaign with the goal of propelling the School into its next phase of growth and excellence.
Called Ever Forward, the campaign has three key priorities:
Growing the endowment to provide a stable, perpetual income stream that ensures Hotchkiss’s continued excellence;
Expanding financial aid to enable Hotchkiss to enroll the most qualified students, enhancing learning outcomes for all;
Supporting The Hotchkiss Fund to provide essential, immediate-use resources that strengthen the overall Hotchkiss experience for every student.
In announcing the community phase of Ever Forward, Head of School Craig W. Bradley said that to remain excellent, the School must continue to evolve. “We must have the resources to equip young people with a world-class education, one that develops their analytical, leadership, and social skills together with their capacity for lifelong learning. These are skills they will need as they enter an increasingly integrated world that faces deep and complex issues.”
To date, $234 million of the $250 million goal has been raised.
According to Ninette Enrique, chief advancement officer, Ever Forward is about more than simply raising money. “We are excited to share this campaign with the broader Hotchkiss community. We have achieved good momentum and feel confident that Hotchkiss alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends will respond to this historic opportunity. This campaign is not just about raising funds; it is about investing in our people and in the strength of Hotchkiss. Now is the time. We invite the entire community to join together to raise the remaining $16 million by the end of 2026.”
“We must have the resources to equip young people with a worldclass education, one that develops their analytical, leadership, and social skills together with their capacity for lifelong learning.”
—Head of School Craig W. Bradley
Ever Forward will help elevate the teaching experience at Hotchkiss.
Supporting All Corners of the School
FINANCIAL AID will transform lives and strengthen the community. By supporting financial aid, Hotchkiss can help ensure it can support and enroll the most capable students. “Our students are thinkers and problem solvers: talented academics, artists, musicians, athletes, and future leaders in scores of disciplines,” said Bradley. “They are young people who have the potential to make meaningful contributions to society.”
FACULTY SUPPORT will help elevate the teaching experience at Hotchkiss. “The best teachers not only educate but also advise, inspire, and transform generations of students,” said Bradley, adding that Ever Forward will enable the School to recruit, develop, and retain exceptional faculty who are experts in their fields. “They teach, mentor, guide, coach, and live 24/7 in community with our students. It is a special breed of educators who do this work.”
Ever Forward will also help Hotchkiss continue to support PROGRAM EXCELLENCE , leading the way in creating and enhancing academic experiences, continuing excellence in athletics, and offering a broad array of co-curricular offerings as well as a robust residential life program that is the hallmark of the School.
To learn more about Ever Forward, visit hotchkiss.org/ever-forward-2025 or email Ninette Enrique, chief advancement officer, at nenrique@hotchkiss.org.
Ever Forward has already impacted and improved today’s campus. Thanks to generous donor investments, students and campus adults are enjoying enhanced facilities—with more to come! Completed projects include: updating and refurbishing the student dormitory Memorial Hall with four faculty apartments and a new common room, and creating a multi-faceted Performance and Fitness Center on the upper level of the Mars Athletic Center (MAC), which features advanced training facilities, strength, and fitness equipment. Renovation of the Dining Commons is currently well underway. The stunning new facility is set to open in December 2025.
Bradley thanked the Hotchkiss community for helping to support the School in such an impactful manner. “Since I joined the School in the fall of 2016, I have come to know Hotchkiss as a community of excellence, one that balances intellect, empathy, curiosity, and joy. Perhaps more than ever, our ability to provide the best possible education to young people who have the potential to make a positive impact on society matters.”
The Board of Trustees toured the renovation of the Dining Commons, which is currently underway. The stunning new facility is set to open in December 2025.
Paying Forward a Life-Changing Gift
Meet
Town Hill Society Member Jasen Adams ’90:
“Hotchkiss taught me the art of the possible.”
BY CATHERINE CALAMÉ
Jasen Adams ’90 grew up in Salt Lake City with dreams of playing in the NHL. As a passionate goalie, he set his sights on elite boarding schools that could further his hockey ambitions. But when the top-tier option proved financially out of reach, fate—and his own determination—steered him toward a life-changing path. The youngest of seven children and the first in his family to attend boarding school, college, and law school, Adams’s journey to Hotchkiss started with a chance discovery and a courageous phone call. What followed was an experience that shaped not only his future but also that of his children. We sat down with him to hear his story.
How did you end up at Hotchkiss?
I was living on welfare with my mom and was recruited by a top hockey school, but we couldn’t afford the tuition. Then I saw a poster at the library and applied to five New England schools. I got into four with no aid and didn’t hear from Hotchkiss. When I called, they said I’d been rejected. I got emotional, explained my situation, and they had me speak to the admissions director. The next day, Hotchkiss offered me a 10th-grade spot with full aid. I saw Hotchkiss for the first time when I arrived on campus that fall.
What did you learn from that experience? It pays to speak up. I believed in myself enough to make the call, and that changed my life. The independence and grit my mom instilled in me carried me forward.
JOIN THE TOWN HILL SOCIETY
What stands out about your time at Hotchkiss?
The academics were tough, and hockey didn’t go the way I hoped. But the faculty cared deeply. My well-being mattered to them, and that was powerful.
What did you do after graduating?
I went to Cornell. From there, I earned my law degree at George Mason University in Virginia.
How has Hotchkiss shaped your life?
Hotchkiss taught me the art of the possible. It gave me access to a world I didn’t even know existed and helped me believe I belonged in it. That belief changed my life and gave me the foundation to inspire my own children. My son is now at Yale. My daughter is choosing between Yale and Harvard. That kind of vision started with Hotchkiss.
Members of The Town Hill Society have named Hotchkiss as the beneficiary of bequests, gifts from retirement accounts, gifts of life insurance, and life-income gifts such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder unitrusts. These gifts, no matter the size, provide Hotchkiss with critical and lasting support.
How do you stay connected to Hotchkiss?
I’m a class agent and have been a reunion volunteer for years. It’s meaningful to stay involved with the place that gave me so much.
Why did you include a bequest to Hotchkiss in your estate plan?
Right now, I’ve designated a portion of a life insurance policy with the hope it will grow over time and become significant enough to help future students through financial aid. It’s my way of paying forward the life-changing gift I received.
The Town Hill Society is a great way to show your love for Hotchkiss, and it is a way for us to shape philanthropic habits for future generations in tangible, personal ways.
What excites you most about Hotchkiss today?
Hotchkiss is well-positioned to offer opportunities to even more students. That excites me. It means more kids will get access to the kind of transformative experience I had. That’s what inspires me—and what I hope my legacy can help make possible.
Read the full Q&A go.hotchkiss.org/jasenadams
We would be honored to discuss with you how your own Town Hill gift can allow you to bridge your current financial situation with the gift you dream of making to Hotchkiss. Contact Director of Gift Planning Brent Alderman Sterste at giftplanning@hotchkiss.org or (860) 435-3263, or visit hotchkiss.giftplans.org to learn more.
The Circumstance of Opportunity
BY ELIOTT GROVER
Following in his father’s footsteps, Peter Carnes ’57 walked his own path and created an award that endures at Hotchkiss.
AFTER HIS FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE,
Peter Carnes ’57 worked at a summer camp. At the start of the session, the director set the tone with a simple philosophy. “I want the counselors to have fun,” he said. “Because if the counselors have fun, the kids will have fun.”
To Carnes, that same spirit defines the Hotchkiss faculty. “They all value and attach a considerable degree of importance to the role they’re playing,” he says. “And I think most of them have fun doing it, which is even more important.”
Carnes’s path to Hotchkiss was forged by both circumstance and opportunity. Born in Englewood, NJ, shortly before the start of World War II, he grew up in a household shaped by frequent transitions. His father worked in manufacturing, and his mother was a homemaker. “My father had a bunch of jobs and then got involved in the war, so we really were slightly nomadic,” Carnes says.
After the war, the family settled in Connecticut, where Carnes started at Fairfield Country Day School. Midway through third grade, he was moved into the fourth-grade classroom. “I think that was the platform from which I eventually got into Hotchkiss,” he says. The adjustment meant learning alongside older, more mature students, an experience that would influence his academic journey.
When Carnes was in middle school, another job change took the family to Scranton, PA. He attended public school and found joy in playing baseball with other neighborhood kids. “It was kind of a typical sandlot team,” Carnes says. “That was a fun outlet for all of us boys.”
After a year in Scranton, his father’s job moved the family back to Fairfield, where
“In our class, he was often known as ‘Mr. Hotchkiss.’”
— GEORGE LONGSTRETH ’57, P’82,’85,’96, GP’22
they planned for Carnes to remain in the public school system, at least through ninth grade. The idea was for him to then apply to prep schools, where, if accepted, he could repeat a year and rejoin peers his own age.
Four Years in Lakeville
“Prep school wasn’t a foreign idea for me at all,” Carnes says. “I knew my parents had enjoyed their prep school experiences tremendously.” His father, a member of the Hotchkiss Class of 1933, had excelled both academically and socially, forming lifelong friendships.
Growing up, Carnes would flip through his father’s editions of The Mischianza, learning about the classmates and traditions that made his experience so impactful.
Despite that familiarity, Carnes approached his own transition to Hotchkiss with some natural nervousness. “It was a change,” he says. “I didn’t view it as a necessary change at the time. But in hindsight, that’s what it was. And a welcome one.” Fortunately, he wasn’t entirely alone. Several of his friends from Fairfield were also enrolling, and together they persuaded their parents to coordinate carpools for the school year.
Financial aid played a critical role in making Hotchkiss a reality for Carnes. “I’m not sure if I was aware that a scholarship was imperative for going, but I subsequently learned that it was,” he says. Over his four years, he was the recipient of several scholarships, including the Class of 1898 Scholarship, the Trustees Scholarship, and the Walter H. Buell Scholarship.
Though he adjusted quickly to boarding school life—thanks in part to his earlier experiences at sleepaway camp—Carnes still faced hurdles. Having skipped a grade, he was younger and less socially mature than most of his classmates. Repeating his prep year helped him find his footing. Academically, the workload was challenging, and no teacher was more demanding than Carle Parsons, the legendary prep English instructor who had also taught Carnes’s father.
“Of all the teachers I had, he probably had the greatest influence on me and my educational abilities in terms of learning how to write correctly and speak
“I’m not sure if I was aware that a scholarship was imperative for going [to Hotchkiss], but I subsequently learned that it was.”
— PETER CARNES ’57
correctly,” Carnes says. Parsons had a rare gift for engaging students on an individual level, tailoring his approach to bring out their best work.
Years later, Carnes came to a realization about what made great teachers stand out. “Good teachers are two things,” he says. “They’re actors, and they’re coaches. They don’t have to have ‘Ph.D.’ after their name or things like that. To me, that was true of almost all the Hotchkiss faculty that I encountered. There were clearly some who were intellectually brilliant and imparted that wisdom in their own way. But the most effective ones were those who were really good coaches. A good coach will teach you discipline and fundamentals and how to remember them. And that was clearly what Parsons and a lot of other faculty accomplished.”
If Parsons was the consummate coach, then George Stone, Carnes’s math teacher and dormitory corridor master, was one of the School’s most dynamic performers. Famous for his classroom antics, Stone had a knack for keeping students engaged—sometimes with the help of a well-aimed flying eraser. Outside the classroom, Carnes and Stone shared a unique connection: Stone’s brother and Carnes’s father had been best friends at Yale. “He was friendly and showed an interest in me,” Carnes says. “It was an easy way to get to know your corridor master.”
After a quiet prep year, Carnes became more involved in campus life. Baseball remained his primary sport, but he also played soccer and took on leadership roles
with The Record, The Mischianza, and the Student Council. When it came time to apply to college, he set his sights on Yale, where Hotchkiss had a strong pipeline thanks to family legacies and a record of accomplished graduates. Roughly 20 classmates joined Carnes in New Haven the next fall. “And that was not a high number for the time,” he says.
A Career at 30,000 Feet
At Yale, Carnes majored in business. Upon graduating, he spent six months in the Army as a reservist. He went on to Stanford Graduate School of Business before returning east and taking a job in the planning department of American Airlines, a small group dedicated to mapping the company’s future. Carnes thrived in the intellectually stimulating environment, staying for five years before yielding to the gravitational pull of Wall Street.
He joined Smith Barney as an airline security analyst, a natural extension of his experience in the industry. The work was engaging, but he soon realized something was missing. “After a couple of years, I discovered that when you’re a security analyst, you’re the third person in a twoparty transaction,” he says. Seeking a more direct impact, he returned to American Airlines, where he quickly ascended the ranks. At just 32 years old, he became the company’s treasurer, a key leadership position that put him at the center of financial decision-making.
Peter Carnes ’57 served on the Student Council (above) and was a member of the baseball team (below).
Despite his success, Carnes remained open to new challenges. After a series of leadership changes at American Airlines, he decided to give finance another shot—this time on his own terms. A brief stint at Chemical Bank (now J.P. Morgan) led him to a Boston-based startup pioneering the use of collateralized loan obligations, an innovative financial instrument at the time.
“It was fun,” Carnes says. “We were doing something new and different. You had to be creative. You had to be responsive. It kept your juices moving.” That sense of energy and intellectual engagement had always been a driving force in his career. “I like to make a good buck,” he says, “but I’d rather keep my mind challenged.”
Supporting Dear Old Blue
When Carnes retired in the early 2000s, he found himself with more time to dedicate to Hotchkiss. Though he had always been an engaged alumnus— giving faithfully to The Hotchkiss Fund and helping establish the Class of 1957 Scholarship for his 50th reunion—his involvement deepened. His commitment did not go unnoticed.
“In our class, he was often known as ‘Mr. Hotchkiss,’” says George Longstreth ’57, P’82,’85,’96, GP’22. “Other classes have had class agents and fundraisers by the
“A lot of the people we reviewed for the Community Service Award had been on scholarship, and their hard work ethic came through in that process.”
— PETER CARNES ’57
dozens, but I’m guessing there are few as faithful to the ‘Dear Old Blue’ as Peter.”
Beyond his philanthropy, Carnes served the School for many years on the Board of Governors. He enjoyed assisting with admissions efforts and recruiting fellow alumni to volunteer as regional ambassadors. One of his proudest accomplishments was helping to create the Community Service Award, which he sees as a meaningful way to recognize the breadth of talent and impact among Hotchkiss graduates.
“It’s another advertisement as to how significantly we have populated the world of accomplished people,” he says. “A lot of the people we reviewed for the Community Service Award had been on scholarship, and their hard work ethic came through in that process.”
Within his own family, Carnes helped foster a deep love for Hotchkiss. “There are a few apostrophe dates after the names if you’re a purist about it,” he says. His family tree includes several alumni, including his senior-year roommate-turned-brother-inlaw, Dusty Reeder ’57, P’89, whom Carnes introduced to his sister. “Depending on the day, he either gives me credit or blames me for that,” Carnes quips.
Although his time in Lakeville lasted four years, Carnes views his Hotchkiss experience as the foundation for everything that followed. “As a human being, I think the ages of 14 to 18 are probably the most formative in terms of your mental and physical development,” Carnes says. “For me, most of it happened there. And it happened well. I have no regrets and am eternally grateful.”
Peter Carnes ’57 and his wife, Deborah, in Sydney.
Revamped Eco Day Lets Students Choose Their Own Environmental Adventure
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
THE WEATHER WAS GORGEOUS
for Hotchkiss’s annual Eco Day on April 24 as students, faculty, and staff embraced the ideas of “reduce, recycle, reuse, and repurpose” through dozens of communityled workshops and service opportunities.
Eco Day has been a School tradition for decades, but this is the second year that the Student Environmental Action (SEA) club has revamped it with “choose your own adventure” offerings such as a sunrise hike, gardening, rock climbing, printmaking, a tour of the School’s Biomass facility, learning about chickens at Fairfield Farm, discussing how rockets are used to observe Earth, and much more.
William Yee ’25 led a workshop on making upcycled terrariums with local materials. He started the hobby two years ago and wanted to share his passion with the School community.
“You can design your terrarium however you want. It’s really cool to hold this physical thing in your hand that is a miniature world you’ve created,” he said.
Community service is still an important part of Eco Day, ranging from mulching to trash cleanup. A group of students traveled off-campus to volunteer at the Millerton Food Pantry, where they built raised beds for the summer fruit and vegetable gardens the pantry will harvest throughout the growing season.
“It was so nice seeing the spirit everyone has for the environment and for making changes in both our community and the world,” said Sofia Rasic ’26, who co-heads SEA with Olivia Zhang ’25 and Tessie Connell ’25.
Between all of the workshops, Main Circle transformed into a concert venue for the first-ever Rally for the Planet.
The Blue & White club energized the crowd with cheers and games, followed by performances from the Dance Team, the Tsunami Step Team, and a cappella groups Blue Notes and Calliope. The Lorax, played by Souleman Toure ’19, also made a surprise appearance for a dramatic reading. All students then signed the Eco Day pledge: “I endeavor to be a steward of my spaces.”
“The Rally for the Planet was a great success because it got people on their feet in the beautiful
sun to embrace the environment and hear passionate voices from our student body and talented performers,” Tessie said.
Olivia emphasized that the new structure for Eco Day lets students focus on their interests. “Our community is so passionate about different things, and so many parts of our identities are connected with the environment,” she said. “Eco Day is a great way for us to come together.”
VIEW PHOTOS
Student Debaters Shine at Worlds in Malaysia
Isaiah Stephens ’25 Finishes Second Overall in Persuasive Speaking
BY THEA DUNCKEL ’26
FOUR MEMBERS OF THE SPEECH and debate team traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to compete at the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championships from March 30 to April 6.
Isaiah Stephens ’25, Maadhavan Prasanna ’25, Vannessa Guerra ’25, and Shaye Lee ’26 represented Hotchkiss. Maadhavan and Isaiah both competed at Worlds last year in Canberra, Australia.
The competition brings together top debaters from private high schools around the world. This year, 16 countries were represented. Students competed in four categories: parliamentary debate, impromptu speaking, interpretive reading, and prepared speech.
Impromptu speaking gives students two minutes to prepare a speech on one of three randomly assigned topics. In interpretive reading, participants read aloud a piece of prose or poetry. In prepared speech, they deliver an after-dinner speech (which focuses on light-hearted, humorous topics) or a persuasive speech (given on a serious current events issue).
Parliamentary debate uses a two-ontwo format, and pairs are pitted against one another. Since Hotchkiss team members usually debate with partners of their choice, this arrangement was a new challenge. “It tested our ability to interact with somebody who had a different set of beliefs and context when it comes to the world and creating arguments,” Isaiah said.
The four teammates prepared for months leading up to the competition, practicing twice a week and honing their skills at competitions across the Northeast. In the two weeks before the competition, the debaters met every night.
All four debaters qualified for the semifinal round in at least one category. Maadhavan made it to the final round of impromptu speaking, and Isaiah reached the grand finals in the persuasive speaking category, ultimately finishing second overall with his speech on the use of prisoners as frontline workers. “The opportunity to not only advocate for those firefighters but to look into the eyes of all kinds of students and deliver this message
Architectural rendering
that I am passionate about, for me, it was the cherry on top of my debating career,” Isaiah said.
Head Coach David Conti P’18,’22 has been coaching the team since he began teaching at Hotchkiss in 2012. “I enjoy talking to kids about complicated issues that we don’t often get to talk about,” he said. “If you can listen to the other side, if you know enough about what’s going on in the world, and if you can create both a logical case and logical refutations, you’ll be a great debater.”
Despite competing and placing individually, the debaters are still a team and support one another. Isaiah recalled the support of team alumnus Meilan Antonucci ’24, a finalist at last year’s conference. “He’s been a very big support system for many of us, even after he graduated. Calling him and being able to talk to him really helped me throughout the tournament,” Isaiah said.
This article originally appeared in The Hotchkiss Record.
From left, Vannessa Guerra ’25, Shaye Lee ’26, Head Coach David Conti P’18,’22, Isaiah Stephens ’25, and Maadhavan Prasanna ’25 represented Hotchkiss at Worlds.
Driven by Curiosity and Creativity
Henry Shattuck ’25 Builds Electric Car from Scratch
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
THE CLASS OF 2017 ENGINEERING, Fabrication, and Exploration (EFX) Lab is “home” to Henry Shattuck ’25. It’s the place where he found inspiration to build an electric car from the ground up—not for a grade, but simply because he thought to himself, “I wonder if I could?”
His hard work reached its apex in April when he proudly raced his creation around the track at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville.
Henry’s journey began during a long winter weekend of his lower-mid year. “I was driving in the car with my parents and wondered how hard it could be to make something like that?” Inspired by a previous student’s proposed senior project, Henry opened a CAD program and started sketching. Back on campus, he found immediate support in the EFX Lab, which was led at the time by former faculty member Mike Boone. “He taught me how to weld,” Henry explains, pointing to the foundation of his car. “You can see the welds here are not the prettiest on this back square. I learned over time.”
His passion project became a methodical, piece-by-piece endeavor. “I started with mounting the seat and built outwards from
there,” he said. He spent a summer working with the Cooper Union Formula SAE team, a pivotal experience that led him to upgrade his initial motor plans. “They really pushed me to keep going with this project,” he said.
The EFX Lab, under the current direction of Bill Fenton P’26,’26, who is also director of the observatory and an instructor in physics and astronomy, provided tools and mentorship. “This has been my home at Hotchkiss,” Henry emphasized. “It’s a fantastically supportive space.”
Fenton echoes this sentiment. “It’s a dream as a teacher to have students working on things that they really care about.” He marvels at Henry’s tenacity, noting, “Henry vaulted over every barrier I could think of.”
Throughout, Henry encountered some challenges. “The brakes I broke, I rebuilt, I broke, I rebuilt.” Yet each struggle became a learning opportunity. “That has been the name of the game for this whole project. Lots of learning, coming up with ideas, and testing them.”
The culmination of Henry’s two-year project was taking his electric car to Lime Rock Park. “Lime Rock was really the first time I’ve gotten to fully open it up and
see what it could do.” He reached a top speed of 36.6 miles per hour on the track, and he boosted it to 43.5 miles per hour after more tests. For Fenton, witnessing this moment was equally rewarding. “I don’t know who was happier, me or him,” he said, adding that the Lime Rock staff members were also “elated to see it.”
Beyond the thrill of the track, Henry’s experience in the EFX Lab has ignited a passion for teaching and sharing his love for STEM. He’s been involved in Hotchkiss clubs like the Maker’s Club and Astronomy Club, and he even took his selfdesigned STEM lessons to his hometown of Litchfield, CT, to share with local children. Looking ahead, Henry plans to study mechanical engineering in college, with a potential focus on aerospace.
Fenton says that Henry’s project exemplifies the mission of the EFX Lab. “Ultimately, this lab serves as a resource for the things that students really want to do and are excited about.”
The front of Henry’s electric car is emblazoned with a large “25” for the Class of 2025. It’s a symbol that his home at Hotchkiss will stay with him long past graduation.
Henry enjoys racing his car at Lime Rock Park.
Henry Shattuck ’25 built an electric car in the EFX Lab.
ILLUMINATING THE LEGACY OF COEDUCATION Through History and Art
F OUR NEW EXHIBITS celebrating the 50th anniversary of coeducation were unveiled for all to enjoy this spring in the Rotunda and Main Hallway. Dedicated students curated and preserved the School’s history through their work in archival co-curriculars. Their collective efforts, along with the support and guidance from Archivist Rosemary Davis, brought these stories to life. The displays showcase the journey of coeducation at Hotchkiss, highlighting significant moments, achievements, and the voices of those who helped pave the way for future generations. The year-long celebration was managed by Robin Chandler ’87.
DAUGHTERS OF HOTCHKISS
As of fall 2024, 87 daughters of alumnae have come through Main Gate. Research was compiled by Izzie Harper ’28, Ella Goldsmith ’26, and Ella Armstrong ’26.
FEMALE FIRSTS
Women and girls at Hotchkiss have broken down barriers and played a pivotal role in shaping the School’s future. Research was compiled by Chloe Elkareh ’26, Charlotte Cundey ’26, and Isis Fenner ’27 (not pictured).
A THEATRICAL TRIBUTE
The Hotchkiss Dramatic Association’s production of True Love Never Hides featured a variety of plays directed by Serena Salfiti ’25, Danielle Attoh ’25, and Lucy Hall ’25. The production examined romantic, platonic, and maternal love in commemoration of 50 years of coeducation at Hotchkiss.
WOMEN IN ART
This heartfelt tribute honors the alumnae and current students whose creativity has enriched the arts at Hotchkiss. Research was compiled by Maddie Sada ’26, Lucy Hall ’25, Aaliyah Wang ’25, Phoenix Feng ’25 (all pictured above), Pahal Bhasin ’26, Grace Qi ’24, and Sophia Rivera ’26.
HOTCHKISS LOVE CONNECTIONS
This display showcases how friendships turned into lifelong partnerships. Research was compiled by Anthony Hu ’25 (pictured), Amy Deme ’26, Katharine Ellis ’26, and Gabrielle Kosoy ’26, who were supported by Catherine Calamé, marketing and communications strategist. (Read more on p. 30.)
THE FIRST 50 YEARS Celebrating Women’s Impact at Hotchkiss
Alumni, Students, and Faculty Gather for a Reflective Weekend of Film, Art, and Friendship
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
HOTCHKISS COMMEMORATED the 50th anniversary of coeducation from May 2-4 with a celebratory weekend that cheered all those who have left their mark on the School since 1974.
The festivities began on Friday evening with an opening reception at the Tremaine Art Gallery, featuring the exhibition Perspective Narrative. It includes works by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) alumnae artists Megan Lee ’13, Dear Liu ’19, and Wan Lin Qin ’17 and explores themes of identity, culture, and belonging. “As a student, it was my dream to have my artwork exhibited in the gallery. It felt unreachable, and now I’m here in front of all of you,” Lee said. Her installation, Remember to Forget, features thousands of folded paper cranes displayed on a huge mirror on the gallery’s floor.
The evening continued with the
premiere of the documentary Women of Hotchkiss: The First 50 Years. It traces the history of coeducation at Hotchkiss, which started as a controversial idea and quickly grew to fundamentally alter the School for the better. The film begins with the founding of the School by Maria Bissell Hotchkiss and touches on how the School thrived under Headmaster George Van Santvoord, Class of 1908. It then delves into the roles that former Headmaster Bill Olsen ’39 and his wife, Jean Olsen, played in bringing girls to Hotchkiss. The film is narrated by Allison Janney ’77, and the voices of current students are woven throughout. The School is grateful to the generous donors who made the documentary possible. (Information on local and virtual screenings of the documentary will be shared soon.)
Attendees then headed to the Student Center for an alumnae panel hosted by Bluestockings. Club Co-Heads Anna Ruiz ’25 and Audrey Helling ’25 moderated the panel, which featured Tina Test ’76, Deirdre Lord ’85, P’27, Grace Hazelton ’19, Dana Brisbane ’08, and Sameena Shahid Groves ’97, P’29. They shared their distinct Hotchkiss experiences, highlighting how the School has evolved over the past 50 years to reflect the shifting social and educational landscapes.
Serena Nam ’26, a member of Bluestockings, said, “The panel allowed members of the community to learn about women’s experiences, understand what challenges remain constant for female students, and see how the community has grown thanks to the inclusion and treatment of women over the past few decades.”
Engaging Events, Performances, and History Lessons
Throughout the weekend, attendees participated in various activities that celebrated the contributions of women to the Hotchkiss community.
Students provided insights into current School life as well as Hotchkiss history through a variety of presentations. Sarinda Parsons Wilson P’14,’17, who is the longest-serving female faculty member and holds the titles of Bigelow Chair for Advanced French, Lufkin Prize recipient, French program coordinator, and instructor in French, moderated a panel with Eleanor Helm ’25, Charlotte Wood ’25, Zayda Gordon ’25, and Marisin McLain ’25. They provided insight into student experiences, academic life, extracurriculars, and more.
Alumni cheered on Bearcats at athletic events, and a cappella groups Calliope and Blue Notes performed, as did student band
MB140. On Saturday afternoon, a stunning performance by the Hotchkiss Philharmonic demonstrated the tremendous capabilities of both Hotchkiss and regional musicians. It featured pianist Olga Kern, who is a Van Cliburn gold medalist, and guest conductor Oliver Weder.
Visitors also had the opportunity to join Amy Wheeler, executive director of Learning Courage, for a facilitated conversation on the multifaceted experience of being a woman at Hotchkiss and beyond.
On Saturday evening, all guests celebrated with dinner and dancing at Hotchkiss’s beautiful Fairfield Farm.
A Homecoming for Alumni
The weekend served as a reunion for many classmates, including many of the Pioneers, as well as former members of faculty and staff. A large group from the Class of 1977 enjoyed reconnecting on campus. “The details of the year came
“The 50th anniversary of coeducation wasn’t just a milestone—it was a homecoming for so many of us.”
— ROBIN CHANDLER ’87
together to create a wonderfully memorable weekend of activities and fellowship for us, and it highlighted a thriving Hotchkiss for those who haven’t been back often,” said Cindy Schmidt Softy ’77, P’07,’09.
Robin Chandler ’87, project manager for the 50th anniversary commemoration, said the weekend was unforgettable. “The 50th anniversary of coeducation wasn’t just a milestone—it was a homecoming for so many of us,” she said. “Having been a part of this community for nearly my entire life, I had a front-row seat to witness the courage of the pioneering female students who paved the way for all the girls who followed. As a student, I learned from many of the groundbreaking female faculty members, and I am deeply grateful for the unique opportunity to have worked alongside them for so many years once I joined the faculty. I have watched generations grow, challenge norms, and redefine what inclusion truly means. This celebration honors every step we’ve taken together and the promising future I know Hotchkiss will continue to build.”
The Hotchkiss Record contributed to this article.
The Power of Stability to Drive Success
Author Rob Henderson Explains the Concept of ‘Luxury Beliefs’
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
FROM A TURBULENT CHILDHOOD in foster care to serving in the U.S. Air Force and eventually earning degrees from Yale and Cambridge, Rob Henderson shared his journey with students during a recent All-School Meeting as part of Hotchkiss’s Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking (CGUIT). The bestselling author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class also introduced his theory of “luxury beliefs”—ideas and opinions that “confer status on the upper class while often inflicting costs on the less fortunate.”
Libby Abelow ’25, Bea Yorke ’26, and Rick Hazelton P’19,’22, CGUIT director and dean of summer programs, joined Henderson on the stage in Katherine M. Elfers Hall. His visit was made possible through the generosity of Hotchkiss alumni, and he continued the conversation throughout the day with students and faculty members.
Henderson is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor for the City Journal. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe, and his Substack newsletter is sent each week to
more than 60,000 subscribers.
He described his difficult childhood that led to his placement in the foster care system when he was 3 years old, and he shared stories of adoption and family challenges. He started to flourish during brief periods of stability. He cited developmental psychology research. “Poor children in stable families were much more likely to be successful and less likely to have issues with substance abuse, emotional difficulties, and so on compared to the children in wealthy but unstable families,” he said.
“Eventually, I joined the military at the age of 17,” he said. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and attended Yale University using the GI Bill. He earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Henderson then discussed his concept of luxury beliefs. “A core feature of a luxury belief is that the believer is sheltered from the consequences of his or her belief,” he explained. He then connected the concept to historical analyses of social status. “Today, luxury beliefs are the latest expression of cultural capital. It’s an indicator of an expensive education, of getting your information from the right resources or the
right news sources, and being around other people who are equally fortunate.”
Hazelton asked for a specific example of luxury beliefs, and Henderson cited the “defund the police” movement. “Americans overall were always against the defund the police movement, but when researchers parsed the data by income, they found that the highest-income Americans were consistently the most in favor of defunding the police, and the lowest-income Americans were the least in support of this. If you live in a safe and gated community where there is not a lot of crime, then you don’t really need to have police.”
Bea asked Henderson about the phrase “trickle-down meritocracy,” which he uses in his book. “It’s kind of a variation on this idea of trickle-down economics, which is also a luxury belief,” Henderson said. “This idea that if you just let highearners keep all their money, somehow those resources will magically trickle down to everyone else and benefit them. There’s some misleading logic behind it—if we can just ensure that these valued positions in elite institutions and firms and so on are meritocratic, and if we can ensure that they accurately reflect the demographics of the U.S. as a whole, then somehow we have magically achieved some vision of equity or social justice.”
During the question-and-answer portion of the talk, a student asked how Hotchkiss students should question their own beliefs. “One way would be to find ways to communicate more with different kinds of people from very different backgrounds, lives, and social classes from yourself,” Henderson said. “If that’s not an available option, seek out articles and essays from people who are very different from yourself.”
Author Rob Henderson, center, spoke with students during an All-School Meeting, including a Q&A with Bea Yorke ’26, left, and Libby Abelow ’25.
Preston Lecturers
Discuss Free Expression
BY JEREMY FANG ’28 FOR THE HOTCHKISS RECORD
CARLETON COLLEGE PROFESSORS Amna Khalid and Jeff Snyder delivered the annual Preston Lecture to students enrolled in humanities and social sciences courses in April. Their talk was titled, Speak Up! Why Free Expression is Essential for Diversity, Democracy, and Education
Khalid is an associate professor in the Department of History at Carleton who specializes in modern South Asian history, the history of medicine, and the global history of free expression. Snyder is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Carleton and a historian of education whose work examines questions about race, national identity, and the purpose of public education in a diverse, democratic society.
They have authored multiple books, host a podcast together called Banished, and speak regularly about academic freedom, free speech, and campus politics at colleges and universities across the country.
During their talk, they offered a history of free speech and censorship in the U.S., stressing the importance of free speech to a functioning democracy and describing ways in which they believe that freedom and other civil liberties are currently under threat.
“This topic came naturally, considering the geopolitical context and the shift in November with the U.S. government,” said Phil Hodosy, head of the humanities and social sciences department, who organized the lecture. “I hope that each of the individuals sitting in Walker had some kind of meaningful, relatable takeaway that’s relevant and applicable to their conversations with their peers.”
The Edward B. Preston ’79 History Speakers Fund was established in 1986 by Ted Preston’s family following his death. In 1991, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Preston Jr. P’75,’79 and their son and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Preston III ’75, added additional funds. This endowed fund has been used to bring practicing historians to campus to give lectures and participate in classroom discussions.
Poet Margaret Ray inspired students in the art and practice of writing as this year’s Nalen Lecturer.
Taking Walks with the Muse: Nalen Lecturer Shares Writing Advice
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
“YOU ARE ALL ABOUT TO EMBARK ON a big writing journey,” poet Margaret Ray told a large audience of lower mids in the Student Center to kick off the annual Daily Themes essay unit in English 250. “Being in a room with people who write—writers like each and every one of you—gives me hope for the future.”
Ray was this year’s guest speaker of the Nalen Writing Program, which was established by Skip Nalen ’48, P’79, GP’13,’15 as a gift to the School in appreciation of the writing instruction generations of graduates have received at Hotchkiss. Visiting writers like Ray inspire students and instructors in the art and practice of writing through classroom visits and a lecture.
She is the author of Good Grief, the Ground, which won the A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize, and the chapbook Superstitions of the MidAtlantic, selected by Jericho Brown for the 2020 Poetry Society of America Chapbook Fellowship Prize. She won the Third Coast Poetry Prize and was shortlisted for the Montreal International Poetry Prize. She teaches English at The Lawrenceville School and spent the winter term teaching creative writing at Middlebury College.
Ray weaved between reading poems from her book and sharing three key pieces of advice with the lower mids.
1 READ “I can’t write anything if I’m not reading at the same time. Reading things that you like will help train your ears to write things. It’s how we expand our ideas about what’s possible.”
2 PAY ATTENTION “I think of my attention as a bit like a big butterfly net ready to catch thoughts and language as I move through the world. I keep an eye on phrases and images. It could be a poem—go write it down.”
3 BE BORED “If you can find 20 minutes a day to take a break from language coming into your head, it will help you have ideas. Go for a short walk or a big sprawling one without music or friends. My classes do this sometimes, and we call it ‘taking walks with the muse.’”
Carleton College professors Amna Khalid, left, and Jeff Snyder emphasized the importance of free speech for democracy as this year’s Preston Lecturers.
Making Waves with Heart
Coach Keith Moon Honored for Dedication to
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
KEITH MOON P’13,’16, who is the E. Carleton Granbery Teaching Chair, a Lufkin Prize recipient, an instructor in English, history, and Russian language, and head coach of boys varsity and JV swimming, won two major awards tied to his passions for swimming and the Special Olympics.
Special Olympics CT Hall of Fame
Moon, who served on the Special Olympics Connecticut board for nine years, was inducted into the Special Olympics Connecticut Hall of Fame on March 25. He received the Eunice Murtha Award, which is presented to the individual or family who, through philanthropic means, has made a significant impact on the organization.
Swimming and Special Olympics
Moon founded the Hotchkiss Swimathon 30 years ago, and the event has raised more than $300,000 for Special Olympics Connecticut since its inception. The event was held in Hixon Pool for years and is now a two-mile trek across Lake Wononscopomuc. Thanks to Moon’s dedication, the Swimathon was instrumental in the launch of the Dream Day Care Center in Slovakia, which cares for Ukrainian refugee children born with intellectual disabilities. The Swimathon has continued to raise funds for the center in partnership with Special Olympics Connecticut and Special Olympics Slovakia.
Hotchkiss Special Olympics Club Heads Brayden Kavanagh ’25, Drew Froehlich ’25, and Ella Johnson ’25 joined Moon at the Hall of Fame ceremony. The club is instrumental in making the Swimathon a success.
Actor Matt Damon, Moon’s old friend, sent
a video message applauding all of the Hall of Fame inductees at the Special Olympics event. “Congratulations on this incredible honor. Enjoy your night. Have fun. You deserve it. You have fans all over the world!”
Distinguished Service Award for Swimming and Diving Moon, who is the head coach of boys varsity and JV swimming, also received NEPSAC’s Distinguished Service Award on March 9 during the Division 1 championships at Hotchkiss’s Hixon Pool. It is awarded from time to time to individuals for their outstanding contribution to New England prep school swimming and diving. Moon was the 21st recipient since 1992. (Coach W. David “The Rock” Coughlin P’91,’93 was the first-ever recipient.)
Hillary Kavanagh P’25, head coach of Adover girls swimming and diving, presented the award to Moon in front
of all of the visiting teams at Hixon Pool. “Coach Moon continues to encourage swimmers of all backgrounds and abilities to be the best versions of themselves, promoting good sportsmanship and strength in character among his swimmers,” she said. Michelle Repass, head coach of Hotchkiss girls varsity and JV swimming and board member of Special Olympics Connecticut, said, “While Keith makes clear his love for the sport, swimming is also a means to a bigger and more important purpose: helping others be brave and daring in imagining all they can accomplish as individual athletes and members of a team that is bigger than themselves.”
Moon says he is deeply thankful to be recognized by these two organizations. “I can imagine no greater personal or professional gratitude for these awards. Being inducted into the Special Olympics Connecticut Hall of Fame will always stand as a signature moment in my life and something that has moved me greatly. I hope it has always been obvious how much I love being the Hotchkiss boys swimming coach. I stand in constant pride and awe of the swimmers and divers who have given so much of themselves to this program and our School. In addition, as the long-time vice president of NEPSSA, I’ve helped to guide a league that I swam in myself many years ago and which has been an essential part of my life at Hotchkiss.”
Hotchkiss instructor Keith Moon P’13,’16, second from right, holds his Special Olympics Connecticut Hall of Fame award. He is joined by, from left, Hotchkiss Special Olympics Club Heads Drew Froehlich ’25, Ella Johnson ’25, and Brayden Kavanagh ’25.
FEBRUARY 19,
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MILESTONE MAKERS
Kaila Richards ’25 and Morgan Jenkins ’25 Join the 1,000-Point Club
BY DEVEN PATEL ’27 AND MIA TAN ’28
Kaila and Morgan each scored 1,000 points during their Hotchkiss girls basketball careers this season, becoming the second and third female players (after Faimie Kingsley ’09) to reach this milestone at the School. The co-captains were also both named All-Stars by the NEPSAC Girls Basketball Association.
Kaila Richards ’25 Reflects on Her Journey and Looks Ahead to Bucknell
KAILA SANK HER 1,000TH POINT against Miss Porter’s on Dec. 11. She didn’t think much about the milestone until her dad called her to tell her she only needed one more point. “When I scored the free throw, everyone started cheering for me,” Kaila said. “The journey was great with the thousands of reps I put in leading up to that one point.”
Despite first playing basketball in first grade, Kaila didn’t start taking it seriously until the end of seventh grade. “I didn’t really like basketball that much until I went to my older brother’s games. Seeing how close he was with his teammates got me into basketball,” she said.
Kaila was recruited to play at Hotchkiss before her prep year, and this season marked
her second year as co-captain. Head Coach Langston Ross said, “Kaila is a lead-byexample captain. I see the underclass students looking up to her because she’s putting in so much work.”
Kaila has had the opportunity to watch the team’s evolution from year to year. “On the court, I learned that I could be uplifted by my teammates, that the team is supposed to be a safe and fun space, and that my teammates will always be there for me.
Off the court, I’ve learned how to adapt to different team cultures, as the culture has changed each year,” she said.
Her favorite memory was their playoff run in her lower-mid season. “We made it to
the first NEPSAC Class A championship in program history. We beat Sacred Heart and Thayer in the initial rounds, but unfortunately lost to Loomis in the championship. We were never expected to get as far as we did. However, the battle that my team and I had throughout that entire stretch was a really amazing experience.”
She was named a McDonald’s All-American East Nominee this season, which is an honor given to around 150 female players from the East and 150 from the West each year. Coach Ross said, “Being nominated for this honor signifies the work she has put in.”
Kaila is committed to playing Division 1 basketball at Bucknell University. “The moment I stepped foot on Bucknell’s campus, I felt it was the school for me. I really love the coaching staff and the way they already had a vision for me,” she said.
As Kaila looks ahead to her time at Bucknell, she has goals both on and off the court. “In college, I plan on majoring in neuroscience. In basketball, my goal is to be an impact player and help my team win the conference championship. I also want to be the starting point guard as a freshman, which I know won’t be easy. Even if it’s not my career, I plan on sticking to basketball. Maybe I’ll come back to Hotchkiss and run a clinic or train kids from home.”
Morgan Jenkins ’25 Leads with Purpose
MORGAN IS A 6'2" POWER FORWARD and co-captain of the girls varsity basketball team. She reached the milestone of 1,000 points in her high school career on Feb. 1 when she scored the first point in a 60-25 victory against Deerfield. This achievement made her the second player, after Kaila Richards ’25, to reach 1,000 points this year.
Assistant Coach Maggie Crain, who has coached Jenkins for three years, said, “Morgan is putting in the minutes and constantly adjusting game after game, not resting on the fact that she’s a really, really good athlete. The other kids see that.”
Morgan plans to take a postgraduate year after graduating this spring.
How did you get into basketball? My dad played Division I basketball at the University of Rhode Island, so it was in my family from a very young age. Both of my older brothers have played their whole lives and went on to play basketball in college. I started playing basketball in fifth grade on my town team, but didn’t get serious about it until my prep year.
What has it been like playing at Hotchkiss? It has been great to play with the team over these four amazing years. I think we have had different strengths every year, but our growth from the start to the end of the season is always amazing to see.
How does it feel to reach 1,000 points? It feels great to finally make it to a goal that I have been working so hard for. I am very appreciative of the support of my teammates and coaches on this whole journey. I am also very honored to join Kaila, who reached 1,000 earlier in the season, and become the second and third players for women’s basketball (after Faimie Kingsley ’09) to hit 1,000 at Hotchkiss.
What has been one of your favorite experiences with the team? In my lower-mid year, we made it to the finals for Class A. Beating Thayer in the semifinals was one of the best feelings ever with the team.
What are some lessons you’ve learned here, both on and off court? I’ve learned that it’s OK to make mistakes. Not to sound cliché, but no one is perfect. Living with the people you go to school with, play sports with, and are friends with is hard to adjust to. It is OK to make some mistakes along the way, and I have learned that the hard way. It is what you do after the mistakes that will determine the outcome of the game.
A version of this article originally appeared in The Hotchkiss Record.
Head Coach Langston Ross, left, and Assistant Coach Maggie Crain, right, celebrate Kaila Richard ’25 for scoring her 1,000th point.
The girls varsity basketball team joins Morgan Jenkins ’25 following her 1,000th point.
Squash Teams Soar
Boys and Girls Earn Historic Silver at Nationals
BY AGNES DESOUZA ’28
BOYS AND GIRLS VARSITY SQUASH traveled to the Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center and the Penn Squash Center in Philadelphia to compete in the National High School Division I Squash Championships from Feb. 21-23. Last year, the boys came in fourth place and the girls placed third. This year, both teams earned second place—the best finishes in the School’s history.
The Bearcats then competed at New Englands, with the girls earning second place and the boys earning third place.
The national competition uses a teamscoring format with the top seven players from each team facing off. To advance to the next round, a team needed to win a minimum of four out of seven matches.
Girls Play with ‘Intelligence and Heart’ Girls varsity squash entered nationals seeded second—the team’s highest-ever seeding. The team had only one loss in the regular season against Greenwich Academy. Olivia Choo ’26 said, “When we played them the last time, we had several tight five-game matches.”
Tabor Academy, against whom the girls won 4-3 early in the season, was also expected to be one of the team’s biggest competitors.
The girls won their first match against #16 Penn Williams Charter School, 5-2. Next, the team played #5 Andover during the quarterfinals, winning 6-1, and went on to face #7 Tabor in the semifinals.
Girls Varsity Squash Head Coach Maja Clark said, “As expected, Tabor had a really strong lineup, especially the top four players.”
Co-captain Virginia Wood ’25, co-captain Ellis Chung ’25, and Charlotte McAfee ’28 won their matches as seeds four through seven. University of Virginia commit Makeda Moshi ’26 won a fivegame match to clinch a 4-3 victory and a spot in the finals. Coach Clark said, “Makeda’s match was one of the most exciting sporting events at any level that I
Squash Player Jude Cha ’28 wins National Title
have ever attended or been a part of. She showed herself to be an elite athlete.”
The girls faced #1 Greenwich Academy in the finals. Though there were close matches played by Olivia, Virginia, Makeda, and Pippa Clark ’28, the girls lost 0-7. “Although we lost to GA, we were definitely knocking on their door,” Coach Clark said. “Success to me is going out on the court and playing your best squash. I’m so proud of all of the girls, who played with real intelligence and heart.”
Jude Cha ’28 made Hotchkiss history at the Junior National Championships in Philadelphia in March when he secured the BU15 national title with an 11-9, 11-1, 5-11, 5-11, 11-8 victory.
This championship win was especially meaningful for Jude, who finished as the runner-up in the same tournament in 2023. With this triumph, he becomes the first Bearcat to win a Junior National Championship while at Hotchkiss.
Ten Bearcats performed well at the Junior National Championships, including Oscar Okonkwo ’25, who earned third place in the BU19 division, and Makeda Moshi ’25, who placed sixth in the GU17 division.
Boys Inspire Their Teammates
Boys varsity squash entered the tournament seeded third out of 16 teams. Co-captain and Bowdoin College commit Liam Waldron ’25 said, “We had a strong regular season overall, but also many hard losses due to injuries, sickness, and poor attendance, which affected our seeding. Our biggest competitors at nationals were Brunswick and Taft, with eight and six seniors on their rosters, respectively.”
The boys played their first match
against #15 Mercersburg, winning 6-1. The team went against #5 Deerfield in the quarterfinals and won all seven matches, with Parth Khera ’26, co-captain and University of Virginia commit Oscar Okonkwo ’25, Rohan Gupta ’26, Jude Cha ’28, Arvaan Motwane ’26, David Martoma ’28, and Knox Vitrano ’28 all winning their matches.
In the semifinals, the team faced secondseed Taft, winning 6-1. Oscar, Rohan, Parth, Liam, David, and Knox won their matches.
The boys faced #1 Brunswick in the finals. Parth played with a partially broken toe against Brunswick’s senior captain, winning a five-game match. Squash Program Director Bobby Burns ’08 said, “His toughness was on another level, which was absolutely inspiring for his coaches and his teammates.” The matches were tight against Brunswick, but the boys lost 2-5.
This article originally appeared in The Hotchkiss Record.
Brandon Dunn ’25 Throws New Discus Record
Brandon Dunn ’25 broke a Hotchkiss discus record that had stood for nearly 40 years. First he beat the School record with a throw of 162' 2" at the track and field home meet on April 16. He then beat his own new record at an away meet the following weekend with a throw of 163' 8". The School’s previous record of 158' 6" was set by Jeff Williamson ’87 in 1987.
Jude Cha ’28, left, and Oscar Okonkwo ’25 earned first and third place at the Junior National Championships.
Honoring the Architects of Change
Hotchkiss Spotlights Women of the Movement on MLK Day
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
HOTCHKISS COMMEMORATED Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a full day of activities under the theme “Women of the Movement.” Programming illuminated the critical roles of women in shaping the Civil Rights Movement and advancing social justice today.
New York Times bestselling author Anna Malaika Tubbs, Ph.D. kicked off the festivities with an All-School keynote address about her book, The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation.
Daymyen Tyler Layne, outgoing director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, welcomed students to Walker Auditorium for the keynote and talked about unsung heroes.
“To speak of women of the movement is to speak of the architects—those who shaped and built and bore the weight of the struggle while rarely being afforded the recognition of leadership,” he said. “Today, let us listen, let us reflect, but more than that, afterward, let us act. Because to honor these women is not simply to remember them, but it is to continue their fight.”
Head of School Craig W. Bradley then told the crowd that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is important for many reasons. “It is a day during which we study the past, contemplate the present, and consider opportunities to change the future,” he said. “And this year, as we commemorate 50 years of coeducation at Hotchkiss, it is
a day during which we will pay particular attention to the roles women have played historically and will play in the future as our nation and the world continue on an imperfect path toward genuine equity and inclusion for all.”
Bradley introduced Tubbs, who discussed the research process for her book. “With every piece of information I found, it became obvious that these three men followed in the footsteps of their mothers— Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little,” she said.
Tubbs said she is often told that her idea to write The Three Mothers was “so creative.” However, she disagrees with that statement. “I truly believe someone else should have
Bearcats hosted various workshops, including sports clinics, with local residents.
thought to write this book long before me, and it saddens me that this wasn’t the case because the erasure of mothers and Black women is so common.”
She told students that their unique experiences and voices matter. “If there is a story you believe needs to be told, please know you can be the one to tell it,” she said. “You each have the ability to actively participate in shaping our collective knowledge by simply asking who is being forgotten, why we are being told a certain story and not another one, and how do we each play a role in disrupting the status quo and creating more inclusivity?”
Students participated in a variety of workshops led by faculty members, ranging from writing poetry to learning about African food, history, and culture. Bearcats also hosted community service programs for children and adults from surrounding towns, including sports clinics, a STEM project for girls, a lantern-building activity, a dance class, and a powerful letter-writing campaign for Ukrainian prisoners of war led by Hotchkiss students from Ukraine.
“Many of the people held by Russians are oppressed on a daily basis. The letters we wrote are meant to provide them with a glimpse of hope,” said Ukrainian student Oleh Shtunder ’25. “I believe in the crucial impact those letters have on the lives of many POWs. Personally, writing to those poor people was much harder than anything else I have written in my life. It was really inspiring to see so many members of the local community join us.”
In the afternoon, students enjoyed lunch with their advisory groups and attended an afternoon film festival featuring movies like Selma and Hidden Figures. The day ended with Hotchkiss students sharing their experiences together.
Speakers Highlight Heritage and Identity Through Powerful Voices and Shared Stories
In celebration of WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH and 50 years of coeducation at Hotchkiss, students gathered for a presentation of strength and resilience by Chrishaunda Lee Perez, author of We Come as Girls, We Leave as Women. She continued the conversation and answered questions from students, who received signed copies of her book.
Brown spoke about “The Journey to the Bench” at an AllSchool Meeting. She presides over cases in the Manhattan Criminal Court. She was elected to the Kings County Civil Court in November 2023. Prior to taking the bench, she worked as a public defender for more than 17 years.
For AAPI HERITAGE MONTH , guest speaker Liza Talusan, Ph.D., helped students engage in conversations about identity consciousness and Asian-American experiences. She shared three main lessons that she connected to her black belt in karate: aim high, follow through, and use your head. She is an educator, facilitator, and author of The Identity Conscious Educator: Building Habits and Skills for a More Inclusive School
New York Times bestselling author Anna Malaika Tubbs, Ph.D. kicked off the festivities with an All-School keynote address.
VIEW PHOTOS
HotchkiHearts
How Boarding School Friendships Blossomed Into Love
BY KATHARINE ELLIS ’26 AND ANTHONY HU ’25
In honor of 50 years of coeducation at Hotchkiss, students in the winter archives co-curricular take us back to early love connections on campus. Anthony Hu ’25 and Katharine Ellis ’26 spoke to couples about their favorite memories together while attending Hotchkiss. Additional research was provided by Amy Deme ’26 and Gabrielle Kosoy ’26.
Enjoy these stories of friendship, love, and enduring connections to their alma mater.
Read more love stories that were part of the Hotchkiss Love
Connections exhibit:
Kadeem Rodgers ’09 + Rachel Schroeder Rodgers ’09
Alex Tonelli ’02 + Tscharner Hunter ’02
Brian Infante ’09 + Lily Downing Infante ’09
Tyler Haywood ’17 + Miley Xiao ’17
Cameron Hyzer ’93, P’26 + Jen Feeley Hyzer ’93, P’26
Tom Trethaway ’75, P’06,’09 + Julia Wu Trethaway P’06’09
HeartsHotchki
Emily Bohan Hyland ’02 + John Hyland ’01
School Spirit Brought Them Together
Meet Emily Bohan Hyland ’02 and John Hyland ’01, one of many couples who found their match within the bounds of the Scoville Gates. Now married with three daughters and living in Bedford Hills, NY, the couple credits Hotchkiss with forming their original bond, despite only making a love connection when in college.
What brought you to Hotchkiss?
John: I went to the local public schools through 10th grade. My parents thought boarding school would be a great opportunity for me, and while my parents encouraged me throughout the process, they did not put loads of pressure on me. I particularly fell in love with Hotchkiss. If I had gone straight to 11th grade, I think I would have been behind the ball in terms of academics and athletics. Plus, I was young for my grade. For all these reasons, I decided to repeat 10th grade to help with the overall transition to Hotchkiss.
Emily: I’m from Manhattan and went to an all-girls school, so I initially didn’t think I would leave because my school had a high school, and my parents wanted me to stay home. However, I got a little itchy, and I wanted to explore the bigger world and gain new experiences outside of the place I had known for my whole life. In the end, I was deciding between Phillips Academy and Hotchkiss. I just loved the smaller feel and tight-knit community at Hotchkiss. I started as a prep, and I loved sharing the experience of being new with all of those around me.
Did you arrive in the same year?
Emily: We came in the same year, and even though we were in different grades, our friend groups quickly merged. John’s group of guy friends and my girlfriends were always super friendly, so even though we were in different grades, we were definitely in the same social orbit.
Can you describe how you first met?
What were your first impressions of each other?
Emily: During our first year on campus, I think we were aware of each other but our friendship didn’t form until my lower-mid year (John’s upper-mid year). Funny enough, I
actually don’t remember being at Hotchkiss and not knowing him.
John: I was initially pretty overwhelmed by Hotchkiss. It was so different from anything else I had ever experienced. I quickly found my peers, who are still some of my closest friends to this day. Emily is spot-on as by our second year, we realized that there was a lot of fun between my guy group and Emily’s girl group the year below us.
How did your relationship develop at Hotchkiss and beyond?
Emily: The first common activity we shared at Hotchkiss was the paddle tennis club. John has a very wide athletic résumé, while I do not. But John and his friends quickly discovered the paddle courts when looking for a sport to play as their winter cocurricular. When getting approval for their new team, the coaches instructed the boys that they needed a female team as well. Not long after, I found myself on the paddle courts alongside my friends. Sometimes we would play mixed doubles, but John and I were never partners because my athletic abilities did not match John’s competitive drive to win. This hasn’t changed much to this day!
John and I were also really involved in the spirit group of the School. From running for student government or getting the student body excited for Taft Day, we were both people who truly loved the spirit and life of the School. You could often find John and me with blue painted faces banging garbage cans on the sidelines of a hockey game in Dwyer Rink! This was another shared interest that brought us together on campus.
Who asked whom out first?
Emily: John asked me out! That’s the story that we’re going to go with, right, John?
John: Perfect!
Emily: We started dating the summer after my freshman year of college. We were always super close friends, and then found our way back to each other after I went to Georgetown and John went to Washington & Lee. We were both working in New York City when we reconnected.
John: It was then easy to stay connected after going back to our respective schools, as they are only a couple of hours away from each other.
What are some of your favorite memories together?
Emily: John and I got married on the young side. I was 25 and John was 27. At that time, however, we had already known each other for over a decade! At our wedding, the photographer took pictures of various groups of people, one being all the Hotchkiss alumni in attendance. That memory from one of the most important moments of our lives really highlights how deep our Bearcat connections go.
We also have such fond memories with the Burchfields. English instructor Chris Burchfield P’08,’10,’18 was my advisor and John’s lacrosse coach, and English was definitely one of my favorite classes throughout my time here. He pushed me academically and cared for us both a great deal. We are so grateful to have maintained a connection with him.
“Funny enough, I actually don’t remember being at Hotchkiss and not knowing him.” –Emily
Gigi Brush Priebe ’77, P’06,’09 + David Priebe ’77, P’06,’09
Making History in English Class
Gigi and David Priebe ’77, P’06,’09 first met during their upper-mid English course and since then, the rest has been history. The Priebes share their favorite memories together while attending Hotchkiss.
Why did the two of you decide to come to Hotchkiss?
David: I grew up in Lake Forest, IL. Most students who attended my grade school went off to boarding school or a private school in the Chicago area after eighth or ninth grade. I always had it in my mind that I would go away to a boarding school. My dad and brother also went to Hotchkiss, so I already had a connection. I started as a lower mid and loved every minute of my three years at the School.
Gigi: Initially, I attended an all-girls school in the south and was incredibly miserable. The school had a very different atmosphere and culture than what I was accustomed to, and it also did not offer the sports that I enjoyed. To my surprise, my parents told me I was free to leave, so I did not return after the winter vacation and instead finished my freshman year at the local high school in New Cannan, CT. Then I ended up joining Hotchkiss as an upper mid during
the second year of coeducation. Also—let me add for my father’s sake—he went to Taft, just like my grandfather; but in reality, he really wanted to attend Hotchkiss. His father would not let him, so at least someone in the family ended up here!
When did you two first meet at Hotchkiss?
David: We first met each other during our upper-mid English class. Gigi saw how brilliant I was at English and took pity on me!
Gigi: You know, dating was not on my radar, but I looked at David and I thought, “Boy, he’s cute…and dumb!” I think classes started on a Wednesday, and by that weekend, David and I were dating. Things happened pretty quickly back then!
David: One funny story is that when Gigi was looking at Hotchkiss, she looked through the Names & Faces book and came across my picture, and she just thought that I was so cute!
Gigi: He’s kidding because actually the opposite was true. Little did I know until I got back to the dorm after my first kiss with this virtual stranger and I went into the Names & Faces book and thought to myself, ‘Oh my gosh it’s him!’
Did you have any common clubs, sports, or mutual friends during your time here?
David: We had a lot of common friends. It was a really nice, tight-knit group, and we spent a lot of time together during school hours and weekends. I played football, hockey, and baseball, so sports were a key part of Hotchkiss for me. Gigi also played
field hockey before injuring her ankle.
Gigi: I knew girls who came to Hotchkiss for the first year of coeducation. It was really nice to have that immediate connection, and they helped introduce me to a lot of people here. I also knew a lot of guys from my area who went to the School. Overall, the Hotchkiss community felt very familiar to me from the moment I stepped on campus. David and I shared a lot in common. In particular, back in those days, sports were a really big part of life at the School. Everyone would go out and cheer on teams, whether it was a girls team or a boys team. This definitely was a connection for David and me.
What were some of your favorite or most meaningful moments together at Hotchkiss and beyond?
David: Driving up toward Hotchkiss, you can see big fields across the lake. I vividly remember during a winter Head of School Holiday hiking over there and having a wonderful time together. So holidays, weekends, things of that nature, are very memorable for me. We also had some freezing cold winters where the lake would freeze over and my buddies and I would go out and skate for miles.
Gigi: Back then, there was a lot more freedom on weekends. The drinking age was 18; we could go to New York, and we could stay at friends’ houses. So we spent a lot of time off campus together. One memorable moment was when David gave me my first “walk back.” I remember sitting in the library hoping that I would see him, and he would offer to walk me back to my dorm.
How did your relationship evolve after Hotchkiss?
David: We broke up for a while and went on our separate paths. But throughout this time, we still kept in touch. After college, Gigi
was working in D.C., and I was in New York. Gigi’s sister lived really close to me in the city, so we reconnected when Gigi came to visit her.
Gigi: I cried and listened to a lot of James Taylor during the summer after David dumped me. So the last thing I wanted to do so many years later was to fall back in love and get my heart broken again. But I vividly remember roller skating with him in Central Park, and that was what did it for me!
As you think about your time after Hotchkiss, what is something about the School that has had a lasting impact on you or your relationship together?
David: First off, the people at Hotchkiss and the strength of the community is impactful and binding for a lifetime. It’s also amazing how at Hotchkiss you may have a small circle of close friends, but as time goes on after you graduate, the diameter of that circle expands greatly as this small school in Lakeville, CT, will be an immediate connection for you down the road.
Gigi: We have also had such great experiences at our various reunions. It is so fun to see your classmates all grown up and at such a different stage in their lives than when you were all students together. During reunions, I always end up talking to someone I didn’t know well during my time here. I totally agree with David when he says that the people at Hotchkiss have impacted my life, definitely for the better, and I am so grateful for the opportunities to go back for class gatherings every five or 10 years. Besides the social connections, we both learned how to work hard and prioritize, and those skills have served us well.
Sally McLaughlin + Bill Massengale
The First Faculty Members to Marry
When Sally McLaughlin graduated from Yale in 1976 as a studio art major, a family friend brought to her attention that several boarding schools were looking for new teachers in the area. Captivated by the campus during her initial visit, McLaughlin joined The Hotchkiss School later that year and then spent the next five years serving as an instructor in art and coach of girls varsity hockey, club ice hockey, and club softball.
William “Willie” Fitzhugh Massengale was born in Austin, TX, and raised in Chapel Hill, NC. Similar to McLaughlin, he joined the Hotchkiss faculty soon following his graduation from Williams College in 1971. After serving as a history instructor for one year, Massengale traveled through Africa and around the globe before returning to Hotchkiss in 1976. During the next five years, he continued teaching history, led the Southern Alliance, and coached club soccer and club softball.
HotchkiHearts
We sat down with Sally to learn more about her relationship with her husband and Hotchkiss. Sadly, Bill passed away in December 2022.
How did you first meet Bill?
There was a faculty picnic and softball game before school started in late August. During one inning, I happened to be playing second base, and as Bill would tell the story, somebody hit a line drive to second, and I just held my glove out and caught it. This got his attention!
What was your first impression of Bill?
I think I must have met him jogging with David Sermersheim, who was the chair of the Music Department. Bill was wearing gray sweats that he had checked out from the cage of the Athletic Department.
At that time, he had a girlfriend who was also from Chapel Hill but lived in New York City, and she would come up to Lakeville to visit on the weekends. During the week, however, we were together at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the Dining Hall. If you’re teaching at a boarding school, you get to know someone by sharing the most routine experiences. We became good friends. He was great fun. He was just original And Willie had a brilliant mind and memory. He had a deep knowledge and love of history.
And he had that wonderful and important possession (which he accused me of marrying him for): a little old car. He would be going places, and he would call and say, “Do you want to ride to Lakeville or to Salisbury?” My answer was always, “Sure!” There was always something interesting to do and see, and I was always up for the ride. Willie especially enjoyed browsing at Mike McCabe’s bookshop.
Over time, how did your relationship develop at Hotchkiss?
Will’s girlfriend stopped coming up! We both went to New York City for Thanksgiving, and we were supposed to meet up on Sunday to ride the train back to Amenia NY, and from there he’d drive us back. When I got to his friend’s apartment and knocked on the door, he opened it—and I just realized, oh my gosh, I’m totally in love with this guy. It was like a ton of bricks falling. And I mean that! That effect was just like, boom!
We got engaged at the beginning of December and spent the next 45 years together.
What are some of your most cherished memories together at or after Hotchkiss?
HotchkiHearts
By June of 1978, we were married. We got out as soon as the school year ended and went to Michigan, where I was raised. Then, we got in that little car and drove to a honeymoon in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Afterwards, we returned to Hotchkiss for another three years as a married couple.
Being on club softball together as the coaches was great fun. Willie would wear this batik shirt that he picked up on his travels through Africa. We would warm up with yoga poses for calisthenics. As you can imagine, the kids just ate it up. Willie would teach them things like the lion pose, the down dog, or another one where you were to roll your eyes up to the top of your head and stick your tongue out as far as it could go to reach for your nose. He would demonstrate, and it was preposterous looking. And that was the kind of person he was. So much fun.
At Hotchkiss, we had a great time with the kids in Alumni Dorm (now Tinker Hall). They called Bill “Cousin Willie” because he was a Southerner and had that sweet, soft accent. I remember how we had dinner with the boys in the corridor where we lived. Word got out that the boys thought that my food sounded boring, so I picked up a little 1956 cookbook at the thrift shop in Sharon with recipes from the United Nations. It’s still one of my treasures. There I found the most exotic thing, bobotie from the Union of South Africa—it had a lot of stuff in it, and so we made that. It was so fun having those boys around in the corridor.
I shared so many fond memories with him of just being on that beautiful campus and with those wonderful students. He took such great delight in the vagaries of life as a dorm parent and a teacher.
How did Hotchkiss shape you or Bill as individuals and as a couple?
When we got married, I was 24 and he was 28. We were really young—it didn’t seem that way to us, and I’ve never felt a certain age, but looking back, we were young and fearless! I was only a few years older than you students when I moved into a dorm and cracked the whip in the corridor.
There were kind and generous adults on campus, both faculty and staff. They took an interest in the new, younger faculty, and they were eager for us to succeed.
I think we were shaped by some wonderful people at Hotchkiss. Both Hotchkiss and the local community had interesting people of different life experiences who chose to live in that beautiful corner of the world, the foothills of the Berkshires. And then in summer, we’d return to an equally unique and opposite experience in the northwest corner of North Carolina, in the Appalachian Mountains.
It was a life of service, teaching such an interesting age of students—this wonderfully creative group of teenagers.
If there’s one thing you could say to Bill right now, one sentence, what would it be?
Oh, sweetie! “I love you.” And I would also say, “Thank you.”
Hotchkiss was the setting where it all began. Our new life together, one of many happy memories. And I think the other members of the faculty were amused and charmed by our stories as the first faculty members to meet, fall in love, and get married there. It was a special place to meet such a special person.
Oh, and one final thing about Willie: He couldn’t ice skate. I will never forget the sight of him skating with me once—he had a long overcoat on and a little knitted cap, and his ankles were just collapsing under him. He was just shuffling along and hanging onto the rail and boards for dear life. He would have been on his hands and knees if he could have! But he kept going.
Yes, he was game!
THE BLOSSOMING TOWER
A stunning new skyscraper is redefining what the modern workplace can be. A Hotchkiss alumna and her family’s company are behind the ambitious project.
By Eliott Grover
ON A CLEAR MORNING IN Hong Kong’s Central district, sunlight skips across Victoria Harbor and splashes against the curved glass façade of The Henderson, the city’s newest skyscraper. Rising from the ground once occupied by British military barracks, the 36-story tower stands out in a skyline defined by its iconic architecture. The Henderson’s shimmering form signals not only design brilliance but a bold vision for the future of Hong Kong.
Land, led the project from concept to completion. “We wanted to build something that would be really innovative and also responsive to the future,” says Li, who oversees leasing for the building as Henderson Land’s General Manager of Portfolio Leasing.
BY CHELSEA EDGAR
Helping to shape that vision is Kristine Li ’06, whose family company, Henderson
After an extensive search, the company selected Zaha Hadid Architects to design the building. “They’re known for their very curvaceous, very bold style,” says Li. The design draws inspiration from the bauhinia bud, Hong Kong’s official symbol. “It’s a bud about to bloom, so it
symbolizes our hope that Hong Kong will continue to flourish,” says Li.
The curved glass was the project’s most complex and critical design challenge. More than 4,000 uniquely shaped, double-curved glass panels were required. The architects used Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to create a full digital twin of The Henderson, which allowed them to generate precise digital models for each panel to be fabricated. “This kind of technology would not have been possible 10 years ago,” Li
says. “We were at the forefront of this construction technology.”
A custom 3D-molding glass printer was developed to produce the panels, and installing them required exceptional craftsmanship. Henderson Land enlisted Seele, a German glass manufacturer renowned for tackling difficult, highstakes projects with precision and beauty—including Apple’s retail stores. Seele’s reputation for delivering both structurally demanding and aesthetically striking solutions made them a natural fit for a building of The Henderson’s ambition. “In Hong Kong we have monsoons, typhoons, and then with
the increase in temperature due to climate change, we had to make sure the glass would meet all of these variables for the future,” says Li. “Assembling it was like building a 3D puzzle in the air.”
Beyond the expected challenges for a project of this scale, a number of unforeseen issues arose. Construction began in 2018, just before the onset of the COVID19 pandemic. With many materials sourced from abroad, global supply chain disruptions quickly introduced delays. In 2020, a domestic lockdown in China complicated matters. Rolling energy shortages in Europe the following year limited the production of heat-intensive
materials, making the delivery of the custom glass even more difficult.
Still, the team pushed through, finishing the tower in 2024. For Li and her family, the building’s completion carried deep personal significance. It marked the realization of a long-held dream for her grandfather, Lee Shau Kee GP’06,’09,’11,’14, who was the founder of Henderson Land, one of Hong Kong’s most admired businessmen and philanthropists, and a generous benefactor of Hotchkiss. Lee passed away in March at the age of 97. (Read more on the next page.)
One of his aspirations had always been for Henderson Land to own an iconic skyscraper in the heart of Central. The company co-owns the visually
“ASSEMBLING [THE HENDERSON] WAS LIKE BUILDING A 3D PUZZLE IN THE AIR.”
“WE’RE BUILDING HOSPITALITY INTO THE WORKPLACE,” LI SAYS. “WE HAVE HOTEL-LIKE AMENITIES FOR THE WHOLE BUILDING.”
commanding International Finance Centre (IFC), where its headquarters are located, but Lee dreamed of creating a signature building—one that bore the company’s imprint from foundation to finish.
“He was an extremely wise man,” Li says. “He read markets and trends so well. I remember having weekly management meetings with him, and he was still the sharpest person in the room in his 80s. He could do math in his head like an abacus. And most of all, he was a very generous person. He spent a lot of time thinking about how to give back.”
Li joined her grandfather’s company in 2012 after starting her career in investment banking. Tasked with overseeing the leasing of The Henderson, she was responsible for marketing the property and finding tenants. “In the early phase, a lot of it was about coming up with a product that would speak to our users,” Li says.
Her team found success positioning The Henderson as the office of the future. “We’re building hospitality into the workplace,” Li says. “We have hotellike amenities for the whole building.” Exceptional service, wellness-focused spaces, and elegant venues helped attract high-profile tenants, including Christie’s, the British auction house.
Among the building’s distinctive features are five floors of underground parking, all with EV charging, a bespoke app that lets tenants customize their environment, next-generation security systems, and a host of sustainability innovations. A restaurant and bar are set to open in September. A rooftop ballroom with panoramic views offers an immersive setting beneath a luminous glass ceiling. “On a cloudy day, it’s misty and romantic,” says Li. “On a clear night, you can see the stars.”
In the wake of the tower’s success, Henderson Land is not slowing down. The company is now developing Site 3, a massive mixed-use project along the waterfront near the IFC. When it is completed, Henderson Land will surpass a British-owned company to become the largest landlord in Central.
“It’s quite significant for Henderson Land, being a homegrown company, to have major influence over the core business district of Hong Kong,” says Li, who finds meaning in creating spaces that shape lives. “A really great space makes you feel at ease and inspired.” This belief was on full display last fall when a reception for newly admitted Hotchkiss students and their families was held in The Henderson’s Sky Garden, a covered oasis on the 22nd floor.
Maintaining close ties to Hotchkiss has been important for Li and her family. Her father, Ning Li ’76, and her three siblings––Vickie Li ’09, Jackie Li ’11, and Christopher Li ’14––are all proud alumni. Li credits the School with bringing her out of her comfort zone and giving her the foundation to lead with confidence and vision. “I discovered a lot about myself in an environment that nurtured me and gave me a lot of attention,” Li says. “Hotchkiss brought out the best in me.”
The reflection touches on a simple truth about the spaces that shape us. When we encounter them at just the right moment, certain places can open our eyes, reveal our strengths, and spark the confidence to meet the future headon. We move through them without always knowing their impact. But with time and distance, we see how they’ve changed us and how they leave us blooming. Blooming like a flower––or a skyscraper.
Lee Shau Kee GP’06,’09,’11,’14
Generous Supporter of Hotchkiss
Hotchkiss mourns the passing of Lee Shau Kee GP’06,’09,’11,’14, a devoted family man, visionary philanthropist, and generous benefactor of the School. Mr. Lee passed away on March 17, 2025, at the age of 97, leaving behind a legacy of generosity and commitment to Hotchkiss that will continue to benefit students for many years to come. Mr. Lee was widely recognized as one of Hong Kong’s most influential figures in real estate and finance, yet his greatest passion lay in supporting education and fostering opportunities for others. His connection to Hotchkiss was deeply personal. Ning Li ’76, his daughter Margaret Lee’s husband, and all four of their children (Kristine Li ’06; Vickie Li ’09; Jackie Li ’11; Christopher Li ’14) also attended Hotchkiss. Inspired by their experiences, he became a steadfast supporter of the School’s mission and of ensuring students’ exposure to Chinese language, heritage, and culture.
His generosity was notably reflected in his substantial contributions to the School. His gifts enabled the expansion of programs that celebrate and deepen students’ understanding of Chinese heritage, enriching the curriculum in meaningful ways. His philanthropic spirit also extended to ensuring access to the School. His scholarship fund has provided essential financial assistance to students, allowing them to benefit from a Hotchkiss education regardless of financial circumstances. Beyond his professional achievements, Mr. Lee was known for his kindness, humility, and dedication to giving back. His presence in the Hotchkiss community will be deeply missed, but his impact will endure through the many lives he touched.
The Hotchkiss Community Celebrates Alumni Award Honoree
Cameron Hough ’09, co-chair of the nominating committee for awards, represented the Alumni Association and its Board of Governors at the presentation of the Alumni Award honoring Alissa Keny-Guyer ’77 (see p. 6). She shared the following message at the ceremony.
“IAM THRILLED TO BE HERE TODAY representing the Board of Governors of the Alumni Association. It is an honor to be here celebrating Alissa Keny-Guyer ’77. I want to thank the nominating committee, the Board of Trustees, the wonderful team in the Alumni Office, and the extended Hotchkiss community for their engagement and insights in selecting this year’s Alumni Award recipient.
“The Alumni Award is the highest award given to a member of our alumni body. We look to honor a Hotchkiss alumnus or alumna who has made a significant and lasting contribution in their field, earned the recognition of their peers on a global scale, and is an inspiration to you, the students.
“Since 1931, we have recognized 92 alumni for their exemplary work and achievements. In honor of the
GIVING BACK TOGETHER:
Volunteers Unite for Day of Service
Community service has been part of the fabric of Hotchkiss since our founding in 1891. We thank the alumni and parents who volunteered in Day of Service events this spring.
indelible mark they have left on the world, we inscribe each of their names on the wall of the Lt. Col. James Lindsay Luke Foyer. The foyer is, of course, closed right now due to construction, but it will return once the Dining Commons is complete.
“The Alumni Award recipients should inspire in each of us the opportunity to make an impact on the world, and they are in many ways the embodiment of our school’s motto: ‘Guided by each other, let us seek better paths.’ Alissa, your extraordinary work in nonprofit, philanthropic, and political realms, improving lives at home and overseas, exemplifies the School’s motto and the spirit of the Alumni Award.”
For security reasons, your previous Hotchkiss alumni database credentials have not been
Below, from left: Beth Kelley Adams ’92, Nian Lee Wilder ’86, P’17,’20, and Mike Gillis ’75 and his wife, Julie, volunteer at the crudem.org Packathon in Needham, MA.
Above, from left: Steve Spott and Sierra Curtis ’99, Gery from the Essex Land Trust, Mark Pierce ’67, P’13, Kristin Coombs P’13, and Mark from the Essex Land Trust clear invasive plants and restore a meadow in Essex, CT.
LOWER MIDS CLASS OF 1977
44 GIRLS, 104 BOYS
SENIORS CLASS OF 1975
13 GIRLS, 118 BOYS
Honoring the Pioneers
PREPS CLASS OF 1978
6 GIRLS, 37 BOYS
UPPER MIDS CLASS OF 1976
26 GIRLS, 110 BOYS
Fifty years ago their story began. The pioneers, the trailblazers, the boundary pushers. Through their grit and perseverance, they etched their names in the history books and paved the way for generations of Hotchkiss women to come.
December 2024 Alum of the Month:
The Rev. Canon Lance Beizer ’56 ’56
THE REV. CANON LANCE BEIZER ’56 has devoted his life to serving others through his work as a district attorney and his focus on helping children. He has also supported many organizations, including Hotchkiss, where he serves as chair of the Town Hill Society.
Though neither of his parents had the opportunity to attend college, they believed strongly in education. His father, at the time a Connecticut State Police sergeant, was stationed in Canaan, so they were familiar with Hotchkiss. “I had a keen interest in academics. My parents determined that if I was intellectually competent to do so, I would attend school at Hotchkiss, for which I was most grateful.”
Allan Hoey, instructor of classics, confirmed Beizer’s belief that the concerns of people in the ancient world and today’s world were not so different. “He was deeply influential, and I credit him with my lasting love of learning. Another strong influence was Carle Parsons, who instilled in me a lifelong determination to punctuate properly and generally to monitor grammar, both my own and that of others. Finally, Headmaster Thomas Chappell prompted me to incorporate in my life the mysteries of religious understanding and expression.”
Beizer received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brandeis University. He then spent a year at Stanford studying law, followed by four years as a Navy officer. After receiving a master’s degree in English and spending time in a Ph.D. program at the University of California, San Diego, he became the coordinator of selective service affairs for the University of California system.
“This re-engaged me in legal issues. I returned to law school at the University of San Diego while continuing to work at UCSD, where I became a counselor to students who were thinking of declaring
themselves conscientious objectors. I discovered that I had an affinity for oneon-one discussions about law, morality, and methods for self-expression.”
He spent 25 years as a deputy district attorney in the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office where he prosecuted a number of different crimes.
“A focus at one point on prosecuting sexual abuse cases (often now referred to as being done within a special victims unit) led to a number of years in a small unit in the office that represented abused and neglected children.”
In 2002, Beizer retired to attend the Church Divinity School of the Pacific at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and was ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in 2005. He subsequently served as a non-stipendiary canon-vicar at Trinity Cathedral in San Jose.
Beizer is an indefatigable volunteer, and he has served on many boards. His volunteerism continued when he returned to Connecticut’s Northwest Corner in 2008. He has worked as a priest at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury, celebrating the Eucharist and presiding at baptisms, weddings, burials, and memorial services. For a number of years, he led services at the Noble Horizons and Geer Village senior communities.
Beizer and his wife, Ann, received the Housatonic Youth Service Bureau’s Donald T. Warner Award for their commitment to children and families in the seven towns that comprise the Region One School District. Sadly, Ann passed away on Nov. 13, 2024.
When he was asked to join the Hotchkiss Board of Governors, he quickly accepted the opportunity. “This led to regular contact with the School I loved,” he said. Beizer has led several reunion memorial services, noting, “Taking some
time to remember deceased classmates and faculty members is powerful and touching. That service was particularly meaningful to me because Chapel services while I was a student were themselves quite meaningful.” As alumni chair of the Town Hill Society, Beizer also serves as an ex officio member of the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees. “I established a $1 million charitable remainder annuity trust for Hotchkiss. When asked to serve as chair, it seemed a natural fit, since I had already done what the Town Hill Society was set up to do.”
Beizer shares his thoughts on Hotchkiss: “Hotchkiss had a profound influence on my education and on my world view. I find its goals in today’s world not any different, but I also cherish the changes that the School has made. It is now coed and emphasizes the importance of a cooperative learning environment. I can only wish it was coeducational when I was a student. Hotchkiss is now a microcosm of the world, helping students to learn healthier ways of experiencing relationships.”
November 2024 Alum of the Month:
Jessica Parker ’95 ’95
CAPTAIN JESSICA PARKER ’95 has traveled all over the world as a naval officer and aviator. She recently became the commanding officer of the Naval ROTC Unit for Rutgers and Princeton and the professor of naval science at Rutgers. Parker has been recognized for her distinguished 24 years of military service with numerous medals, and she credits Hotchkiss with instilling “a desire to serve something bigger than myself and the confidence to lead.”
While attending public school in St. Louis, MO, Parker went to a recruiting event and became intrigued by the possibilities at Hotchkiss. “I wanted to explore the world,” she recalled. “I loved sports, and Hotchkiss had so many girls’ teams. The brochure pictured a beautiful campus, and I thought I would thrive in a smaller school. I applied and received a scholarship, and my mom said that even with the expense of travel and clothes, we could probably make our family budget work so that I could attend.”
She says that Charlie Bell, her crosscountry coach and math teacher, made classes interesting and explained “concepts with zeal in ways students could understand.” Parker still jogs, often with the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipmen—college students at Rutgers and Princeton who are working toward a commission in the Navy or Marine Corps. She also enjoyed creative writing class and art with Brad Faus P’10. She spent a year abroad in Barcelona, Spain, with the support of Keith Moon P’13,’16, E. Carleton Granbery Teaching Chair, instructor in English, history, and Russian language, and Lufkin Prize recipient. Parker decided to go into the military during her lower-mid year. “I liked the idea of being challenged mentally and physically,” she explains. “I really wanted
to fly in the Navy, where my grandfather and both of my uncles had served. I wanted to experience flying aircraft onto ships and never seriously considered any other military branch. I now joke that it was a combination of patriotism and poverty. My family was on a tight budget, and I knew the Naval Academy didn’t charge tuition, and it even provided a small stipend.”
After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, Parker received an M.S. in operations management from the University of Arkansas and was designated a naval aviator in 2002. Her operational assignments included serving as catapult and arresting gear officer aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, where in 2015 she led an all-female Catapult Team consisting of 14 female sailors assigned to launch aircraft support of Operation Enduring Freedom. “It is hard work to launch and recover aircraft on a carrier, and there were skeptics that thought it couldn’t be accomplished by only women. It takes folks with many different perspectives to have the best
chances at success, and in the case of the U.S. military, the best combat effectiveness. Whenever we try to pare down the talent pool based on something other than character and competence, we make ourselves less combat effective.”
Since that time, Parker had another tour flying the MH-60S Seahawk with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron SIX, deploying on the USS Nimitz. “I was also the executive officer and then the commanding officer of Helicopter Training Squadron EIGHT (HT-8), instructing in the TH-57 Sea Ranger.” She accumulated more than 2,700 hours in the MH-60S Seahawk and TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters, and also deployed in 2020 as the air officer on the USS Bataan.
She has received the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. Parker recommends a military career for anyone who wants to be challenged and who wants to do their part to preserve the freedoms enshrined by the U.S. Constitution. “I also recommend it for anyone who wants to have an adventure. I’ve traveled and deployed all over the world. There is no other career where you can get so much leadership experience so quickly. Whether you serve five years or 35 years, there is nothing like the camaraderie built among members of the Armed Forces.”
She adds, “Hotchkiss is a fantastic place to begin a life of service and adventure. It gave me the initial tools and practice I needed to be a leader, from that first flight as an aircraft commander to commanding a helicopter squadron to providing frank assessments for four-star generals and admirals.”
February 2025 Alum of the Month:
Dr. Joseph “Welles” Henderson IV ’96 ’96
DR. JOSEPH “WELLES” HENDERSON IV ’96 says Hotchkiss was fundamental in his decision to pursue a medical career, and he still finds inspiration in the School’s motto: “Guided by each other, let us seek better paths.” He is now an obstetrician/ gynecologist and serves as a clinical instructor of female pelvic medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Ohio.
As an eighth-grader, Henderson felt that the secondary educational options in Washington, D.C. were too limited, so he persuaded his parents to look at boarding schools.
“When I visited Hotchkiss, I was drawn to the established coeducation curriculum and the structure that I subconsciously knew I needed to succeed. Parny Hagerman P’88,’95, who was director of admission at the time, welcomed me and was instrumental in making me feel at home.”
The Hotchkiss Science Department proved to be truly motivating, and Henderson’s teachers played important roles in developing his enthusiasm for the sciences and medicine. “Their passion for biology was infectious,” he said. “I became fascinated by the ‘human machine’ thanks to them. They offered an incredible diversity of experience, from collecting insects for a lower-mid project on a beautiful New England fall evening to going out on ambulance calls as a member of the Salisbury EMS my senior year after becoming certified at Hotchkiss.” Henderson also credits Hotchkiss with his love of Thoreau and literature.
Henderson was passionate about soccer, ice hockey, and golf, but he regrets that Hotchkiss did not have a rowing team during his time in Lakeville. “I discovered this passion in college with my good friend from Hotchkiss, Ben Stapleton ’96. I’m thrilled to see Bearcats getting out on the water with oars in hand!”
Matriculating at Harvard where he earned
a bachelor of arts, Henderson began medical school at Thomas Jefferson University in a quest to become a surgeon. He soon discovered the incredible variety of practice within the OB/GYN field. “This path allows you to care for an individual through the entire course of her life. From imaging to endocrinology to some of the most complex surgeries, this field has it all.”
He completed his residency at the University of Utah and became a generalist for a year before completing three additional years in the field of urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical School in Cleveland, OH. Henderson finds teaching at a major academic hospital most rewarding. “I am now an adjunct professor at University Hospitals, teaching medical students, residents, and fellows. I couldn’t be happier with my decision.”
As an authority in urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery, Henderson explains that this subspecialty of OB/GYN and urology specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of non-cancerous urologic, defecatory, functional, and reconstructive pelvic disease in women. “This can include pelvic pain, fibroids, urinary and fecal incontinence, prolapse, and birth injuries. Urinary incontinence is one of the most common diseases in women over 40. We have readily available therapies developed over the last 20 years that improve urge incontinence symptoms by greater than 50 percent in nearly 90 percent of women. It’s an amazing feeling when so many of your patients return happier and healthier than when they were first evaluated.”
As Hotchkiss celebrates 50 years of women at the School, he notes the incredible increase in women in medicine—specifically in urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery—and points to clear data that show improved
patient outcomes and improved working conditions. “I am honored to work with an extraordinary group of two men and three women at University Hospitals and am reminded daily of how important my own experience with coeducation is to my relationships with my peers and patients. Coeducation at Hotchkiss certainly helped to foster in me an interest in the sciences and women’s health. Hotchkiss taught me to challenge myself and persevere, and made me realize that I could often do better and should not be afraid to ask questions. Hotchkiss helped inspire in me a curiosity which continues to this day—a truly special place that allowed me to aspire to those ‘better paths.’”
Henderson is currently on sabbatical in the South Pacific. “From January to December 2025 my wife and I are sailing our 46-foot catamaran ‘Optimystic’ from Puerto Rico to Australia with our three children: Zeph, 15, Charlotte, 13, and Max, 11.” He invites the extended Hotchkiss community to follow their adventures at sailingoptimystic.com.
March 2025 Alum of the Month:
Emily Pressman ’98 ’98
EMILY PRESSMAN ’98 found her passion for history at Hotchkiss, and it has guided her career in education. “Tom Drake’s modern European history classes taught me how to think and write like a historian and to frame the kind of analytical questions that uncover the complexity of the past,” she said. Pressman currently serves as dean of teaching and learning at St. Andrew’s School in Delaware, and she is the recent chair of the school’s History Department.
Pressman grew up on Hotchkiss’s campus as a “fac brat,” she says. “It was quite evident to me how lucky I would be if I had the opportunity to attend. Hotchkiss was full of incredible people from all over the world who were excited to build an intentional community together.”
She made the most of her time as a student. Her career choice was heavily influenced by her parents—Lou Pressman P’98 and Kathy Pressman P’98, who were both “brilliant” teachers—as well as many Hotchkiss faculty members. “Without Pat Jones and Tom Drake as teachers and mentors, I absolutely wouldn’t be who I am.”
Being the daughter of two teachers initially made Pressman reluctant to teach. “I was envisioning law school as a possible future path, but a few months into my senior year at Hotchkiss, Mr. Drake offered me the opportunity to pursue an independent study and serve as a teaching assistant for his modern European history class. I felt inspired in my work with history in an entirely new way, and I vividly remember a particular discussion in that class when I thought to myself, ‘Now I understand why people do this for their whole lives.’”
Other teachers in the History Department and beyond inspired her as well. “Bryan Smith’s U.S. history class called me to focus on fundamental
questions of race, class, and power in Southern history and, more broadly, American history. My father’s course on the Holocaust embodied the power of deep interdisciplinary thinking, bringing multiple and varied scholarly lenses to the most challenging and troubling history— something that I work to introduce students to in my own teaching.”
Pressman was also passionate about theatre. “I joined the Hotchkiss Dramatic Association, and my work on stage in Walker Auditorium and in the Black Box led me to discover things about myself and the human experience, as well as other ways of looking at the world. I could take risks in the context of theatre that I wasn’t ready to take in life.”
She went on to Yale, graduating in 2002 summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with distinction in history. She focused on American history, particularly Southern history, and issues of race and slavery. She spent a summer working as a research assistant for a Yale historian followed by a Richter Fellowship, where she pursued her own research at UNC-Chapel Hill.
She taught for a year at Phillips Academy
in Andover, MA, followed by a fellowship to the Klingenstein Summer Institute through Columbia Teachers College. Additionally, she pursued studies in England, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, including a program focused on educational leadership at Oxford.
Returning to Yale in 2008 for a master’s degree in history, Pressman furthered her work in 19th-century American history and Southern history. Her studies also encompassed 20th-century American conservatism, comparative genocide studies, and issues in historical memory. Her graduate research brought her back to Delaware to the state archives, as part of her examination of massive resistance to school desegregation in Milford, DE, in 1954.
She was appointed to the faculty of the Klingenstein Summer Institute in 2021, where she is a lead teacher in history and mentors early-career teachers from around the country and the world. She is also a co-founder of the St. Andrew’s Summer Institute, which engages faculty in new thinking, research, collaboration, and reflection.
“As educators, we foster in our students independent thinking and habits of mind and heart that will allow them to engage critically, thoughtfully, and empathetically as citizens,” Pressman said. “But it only does that if we maintain our responsibility as historians and educators—and, more broadly, citizens—to seek and tell the truth about the past. With efforts to restrict student learning in public schools and to influence and limit what can be taught on college campuses, we may be looking at a moment when independent schools have a critical role to play in keeping the republic and maintaining the independence to prepare students to engage in the complexities of the world we live in.”
January 2025 Alum of the Month:
Faimie Kingsley ’09 ’09
FAIMIE KINGSLEY ’09 credits Hotchkiss for serving as the inspiration for her career. “Hotchkiss shaped me as a student and athlete,” said Kingsley, associate director of admissions and a volleyball coach at The Bishop’s School in San Diego, CA.
Kingsley says the impact of Hotchkiss was long-lasting, particularly in seeing how “multi-hyphenated adults” (such as teacher-coach-advisor) influence the lives of students during their formative years. “This motivated me to pursue a career in independent school admissions, where I can be that multi-hyphenated adult for students who might need a little guidance or a leap of faith.”
She learned about boarding schools from her eighth-grade basketball coach. “My coach saw qualities in me—independence, confidence, curiosity—that she believed would help me thrive in a boarding school,” she said. “But affordability seemed impossible without financial assistance, and my parents responded with an immediate ‘no.’ Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t change their minds. Reluctantly, I put my dream aside and enrolled in an all-girls private school in Brooklyn.”
The topic resurfaced when another basketball coach, Mark Cheong, reignited her interest. “His son attended a boarding school, and he arranged panels featuring both boarding school students and, on a separate occasion, admissions staff to speak to our team and interested families.” One of the speakers was Pat Redd Johnson, a former associate director of admissions at Hotchkiss. “When Pat spoke, her infectious energy and passion for the School stood out. I left thinking, ‘I want to go wherever Pat Redd Johnson is!’”
With Cheong’s guidance, Kingsley began the application process. “Once we visited Hotchkiss, everything clicked. From the warmth of the community to
the academic rigor and extracurricular opportunities, I could see myself there. The School’s commitment to balance— excelling academically while pursuing passions like basketball—felt like the perfect match for me.”
Kingsley arrived on the Hotchkiss campus in September 2006 as a repeat lower mid, and she was inspired by many faculty members. “Fred Benjamin taught me to think critically about personal growth. Amanda Bohnsack ’98 in admissions guided my transition to Hotchkiss. Jennifer Craig was a mentor from the lab to the court and beyond. Amy Vendetta instilled in me the process of finding fun in discipline and teamwork. David Bolmer ’73 and Christie Gurney Rawlings ’85, P’12,’14,’19 were constant sources of encouragement in volleyball. Robin Chandler ’87 exemplified leadership and dedication in athletics. French instructors Abdoulaye Fall and Sarinda Wilson P’14,’17 deepened my appreciation for language, culture, and global perspectives. Richard Kirby P’08,’09,’14,’15 and Nate Seidenberg motivated me to set ambitious goals and push beyond my limits in track and field.”
Experienced at basketball, Kingsley was a beginner in volleyball, and track and field was entirely new to her. “For the first time, I had access to top-tier facilities just a short walk from my dorm. That accessibility, paired with the encouragement and support of amazing teammates, coaches, and athletic trainers, completely transformed my relationship with athletics,” she said. “These experiences, on and off the court, sparked my passion, shaping me into an athlete and leader.”
As an admissions professional, Kingsley enjoys connecting with potential candidates about their passions. “I draw from my own experience applying to Hotchkiss in my current work. The admissions staff immediately put me at ease; they truly
wanted to get to know me beyond my achievements in sports and academics.”
Kingsley studied business, marketing, and communications at the University of Denver as a foundation for a career in admissions. “Simultaneously, I pursued Division I volleyball, and later, professional volleyball.” She went on to earn a master’s degree in sports management from the University of Florida because of its emphasis on athlete development.
Kingsley is the recipient of the John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship issued by the National Association of College Directors of Athletics and the John McLendon Foundation, as well as the NCAA Division I Sportswomen of Colorado Perseverance Award. She serves on the board of Inspiring Young Minds, an organization that supports students applying to boarding schools. Coach Cheong, who guided Kingsley in her Hotchkiss application process, is the nonprofit’s co-founder.
As Hotchkiss commemorates the 50th anniversary of women, Kingsley reflects: “It’s an indescribable feeling to benefit from the efforts of all the women who paved the way for me, allowing me to be the best student-athlete I could be. I feel honored to have contributed to this history for future generations of student-athletes.”
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WORTHINGTON LEHURAY “WORTH”
SMITH died peacefully at home on Jan. 18, 2025, with family present on Bainbridge Island, WA, just shy of his 100th birthday. Worth grew up in Portland, OR, and Missoula and Billings, MT, before coming to Hotchkiss. Following his 1943 graduation, he enlisted in the Army and joined the 7th Army campaigns through southern France and southwest Germany, during which he received a Bronze Star for heroism in combat. Returning to the States in 1946, he enrolled at Yale, where he played baseball and graduated with a degree in political science in 1950. While there, he met Elizabeth Getzoff from Glen Ridge, NJ, a student at Wellesley College, and they married after graduation. Worth was recalled into the Army and stationed in Europe in 1951, then returned home the following year to pursue a master’s degree in American history at the University of Minnesota. With a child on the way in 1953, Worth followed family railroad tradition and joined the Great Northern Railroad, working his way up through management ranks and moving with his family many times between the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. In 1972, he was recruited by the Milwaukee Road to become their president; he served until their merger with the Soo Line/ Canadian Pacific in 1986, when he retired. Worth and Elizabeth remained for several years in Winnetka, IL, but traveled extensively across the country and around the world. He taught at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and was a regular volunteer at the Field Museum of Natural History. They moved to Santa Fe, NM, and then to Bainbridge Island, WA, for a while before building a house in Bozeman, MT, where they lived, starting in 2004. In 2014 they moved back to Bainbridge Island. He is remembered for his devotion to Elizabeth, his love of family and interest in each child and grandchild, his enjoyment of good stories, jazz, and classical music, and seeing new places, and his sense of duty and doing what’s right. He is survived by Elizabeth, his wife of 75 years; their son, Rob, and daughter, Nancy, and their respective spouses. He was predeceased by his son, Scott. He is also survived by four grandchildren.
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JOHN LOWRY JR. died peacefully at home on Jan. 27, 2025, at age 98. Born in New York City, he grew up in Mount Vernon, NY. As a child he spent his summers on Cape Cod, where he developed a love of the sea. After
graduating from Hotchkiss in 1944, he joined the Navy and served aboard the USS Belleau Wood. He returned to civilian life in 1946 and attended Princeton University. After college, he joined the family construction business, which built many of New York City’s landmarks, including Radio City Music Hall, the Museum of Modern Art, and the International Building at Rockefeller Center. He spent 36 years at John Lowry Inc. before the company became a casualty of the economic recession in the early 1980s. He spent the balance of his career with Walsh Construction and Beth Israel Hospital, where he served as an in-house construction consultant. He was a life member of the University Club and served as the chair of its House Committee. He also served on the board of New York’s Sloane House YMCA and was once named its Man of the Year. As newlyweds in the early 1950s, John and his wife, Mary, moved to New Canaan, CT, to raise a family. John was an engaged member of the community for seven decades. He served on many local boards, including The Nature Center and the New Canaan Library, lending his expertise on construction projects and other affairs. An accomplished golfer, he served as the vice president of the New Canaan Country Club. He was also a founding member of the First Presbyterian Church and the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The Ambulance Corps had special significance to him as his eldest daughter, Meg, died at age 5 while suffering an asthma attack. John treated others with respect and lived a life driven by his faith and values. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a youthfulness that he retained until the very end. He is survived by his beloved wife of 18 years, Virginia Celaya, and was predeceased by Mary, to whom he had been married for 55 years and had three children. He is also survived by a daughter and son, two grandsons, and Virginia’s three children.
CLINTON “CLINT” NEWBOLD ELY , formerly of Merion Station, PA, passed away on Feb. 9, 2025, at Foulkeways Gwynedd Retirement Home in Gwynedd, PA. He was 98. Son of the late William Newbold Ely Jr. and Elisabeth Taylor Ely, Clint was born in Chestnut Hill, PA, on Jan. 24, 1927, and grew up in Spring House, PA, on the family property, now the Gwynedd Mercy University campus. Clint was the beloved husband of the late Meryweather Strong Ely and devoted father of Tony, Peter, Timothy, Ann Ely Norris, and the late Ethelwyn Ely Erdmann. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and
seven great-grandchildren. He was devoted to young people and animals. Known for his keen intellectual prowess, he wrote an unpublished novel, Wishbones and Wakes, composed poetry, was a hospital clown (as alter ego Dr. Jolly Bean), collected arrowheads in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, and was an animal lover from an early age, later adopting beloved rescue dogs and cats. At the Penn Charter School and at Hotchkiss, Clint was a noted and honored scholar-athlete. At the young age of 17, he graduated early from Hotchkiss and enrolled in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he fought in combat on Okinawa during World War II. After the war, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Yale University and master’s degrees in English and Russian from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a distinguished and much-revered teacher at Hotchkiss, Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, FL, Friends’ Central School in Wynnewood, PA, and the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA. He traveled to the former Soviet Union many times, leading school trips, studying at Moscow University, and taking part in a teacher exchange program.
ALBERT “AL” BONNER JR. of Potomac, MD, died Nov. 15, 2024, from cancer. Born in Chicago, IL, on April 21, 1929, he was educated at Hotchkiss and Cornell University. He had a long career in government, serving tours abroad in Turkey, Germany, Yugoslavia, and Russia. Later, he served as director of Intelligence for U.S. Customs. He married Faye Hyson Bonner in May 1955, and they had four daughters. He also had eight grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. His family, golf, and his dogs were his passions in life.
GOUVERNEUR “BO” HALSTEAD NIXON JR. P’70 died in his sleep at home on Sept. 27, 2024, at age 96. He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word—an interesting mix of his Northern upbringing and his time in the South. He was born Feb. 15, 1928, in Flushing, NY, and graduated from Hotchkiss in 1946. According to his son, Ted ’70, Hotchkiss made a big impact on his life, as Bo’s father passed away when he was a lower mid. He played ice hockey at Hotchkiss, which he passed on to his great-grandson, James, who is active on a travel team at age 11. After graduating from Princeton in 1950, Bo married Dorothy Ward Peacock (Dotsie); they settled in Louisville, where they raised their family, and he began his career in the family business, D. D. Williamson Company. Under his leadership, the company became the number-one producer of caramel color in the
world. In addition to growing the company, he loved to golf and play tennis, fish, paint, and work with wood; he was also a crossword puzzle fanatic. Bo was a partner in Starlight Racing and had the thrill of a lifetime to be in the Winner’s Circle at Churchill Downs when “Justify” won the Kentucky Derby in 2018 and at the Belmont Stakes, when he won the Triple Crown. His passions in life were his family, Norton Hospital, and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. He served on the boards of Brinly-Hardy Company, Liberty National Bank, and Norton Healthcare. He was generous with his time and money but with few exceptions liked to give anonymously. He had many lifelong friends, both personally and professionally. He had 50 glorious years with Dotsie before she died and was fortunate to find love again and spend the last 22 years with his current wife, Edith McFerran Courtnay (Edie), and gain a second family. He is survived by Edie; his five children, Anne Nixon Hampton, Ted Nixon ’70, Sally Nixon Vail, Edie Nixon, and Sandy Nixon; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; as well as four stepchildren and their 10 children and one grandchild.
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LAURENCE E. “LARRY” CARPENTER , 96, a respected Wall Street executive, Army veteran, and beloved “family man,” died on Feb. 20, 2025. Born in Mountain Lakes, NJ, he spent most of his life in South Orange, Short Hills, and Morristown, NJ. He had a distinguished 42-year career on Wall Street, spending three decades with Lehman Brothers/Kuhn Loeb before retiring in 1999 from Tucker Anthony & Co. in Morristown. A gifted athlete, he excelled in multiple sports at Hotchkiss and received the Outstanding Athlete Award. His son, Scott, recalls that Larry always reflected on his days at Hotchkiss and the lifelong friendships he made there. He continued his athletic achievements at Lehigh University, pitching for the baseball team and serving as captain of the golf team. During the Korean War, he served for three years in the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC), spending much of his service in Europe. A passionate and accomplished golfer throughout his life, Larry competed in numerous amateur events, including the British and French Amateurs, and was the first alternate for the 1959 U.S. Open. Over the years, he had the privilege of playing golf with many of the game’s legends, including Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Billy Casper, and Sam Snead. A longtime member of Baltusrol Golf Club, he won eight club championships across four decades and served on the Board of Governors for nine years. He was also a member of Sankaty Head Golf Club, where he
won the club championship and served on the board. He was an avid sailor and member of the Nantucket Yacht Club. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Alvene, and their four children: Leslie Donworth, Laurence Carpenter, Scott Carpenter, and Gail Palmer. He also leaves behind nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was the son of Mildred and Laurence E. Carpenter, founder of the L.E. Carpenter Company in Wharton, NJ. Larry’s legacy of integrity, kindness, and passion for life will be remembered by all who knew him.
JOHN WHITIN LASELL JR. , age 95, died on Oct. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA. Born on Nov. 6, 1928, in Worcester, MA, to Frances Sumner Lasell and John Whitin Lasell, John was notable for his acting career, a passion for the arts, and his love of family and friends. He attended the Fessenden School, Hotchkiss, Williams College, and graduate school at Boston University. His acting career started at the Brattle Theatre and the Charles Theater in Cambridge, MA, and he taught drama at the Putney School in Putney, VT. He acted on stage and screen, in numerous television shows such as Wagon Train, The F.B.I., Lassie, The Fugitive, and Perry Mason, and portrayed Dr. Peter Guthrie across 25 episodes of Dark Shadows. His film work included a role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Topaz. Theatre work included the long-running national tour of Mary, Mary and a play he was particularly proud of, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine. At the time of his passing, he was still receiving fan mail for his work on The Twilight Zone Beyond his professional achievements, he was a great raconteur. His love of Shakespeare never waned, and he was an avid reader of history and biography. He enjoyed visiting art museums in L.A. and games of all kinds, with a particular fondness for chess, Scrabble, and backgammon, which he played with his sons, daughter, and grandchildren. John was preceded in death by his three sisters, as well as his beloved wife, Patricia Smith Lasell, whom he met as his co-star in Mary, Mary. He leaves behind a family that includes his first wife, Elinor Hegemann Lasell of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; sons John Lasell of Enosburgh, VT; Michael Lasell of Newton, MA; Joseph Lasell of Studio City, CA; Peter Lasell of Altadena, CA; daughter Holly Green of Hunt, TX; three grandsons and a granddaughter; and a great-granddaughter. John’s legacy is not only in the performances he gave but also in the personal connections he made throughout his life. His story is one of creativity and enduring family bonds. In
writing to Hotchkiss to inform the School of Mr. Lasell’s passing, his son, John, noted, “His long life was enriched by the education he got at the School, and we as his family were enriched by his knowledge and manners.”
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JOHN MATTHEWS “BRITT” BRITTINGHAM died peacefully on Dec. 9, 2024, at his home in Pagosa Springs, CO. He was 94. Born in Cleveland, OH, on April 16, 1930, to Lucile Matthews Brittingham and Harold Hixon Brittingham, he grew up in Fort Worth, TX, where his mother moved to be near her family after his father died in 1937. John spent his summers at Lambshead, his family’s ranch near Albany, TX, and decided he wanted to be a cattle rancher like his uncle, Watt Matthews. Educated at Hotchkiss and Yale, John was on the swimming team at Yale and served in the Marine Corps, stationed in Korea as part of the peacekeeping force after the Armistice. Returning from Korea, he began his ranching career. He ranched around Albany, TX, but soon bought a ranch in Ramah, CO, and ranched there for 27 years. In 1983, he traded that ranch and, along with his family, bought the Park Springs Ranch in Anton Chico, NM. He lived on and worked that cattle ranch for 29 years, along with his wife, Jean, until retiring to Pagosa Springs in 2012. A director for Region 9 of the Soaring Society of America, John was team captain for the World Soaring Championships in France in 1978 and Germany in 1981. He held seven State of Colorado Soaring Records from 1964 to 1970, most of them flown out of the Black Forest Glider port in Colorado Springs. He was inducted into the Soaring Hall of Fame in 1985. He was also a private pilot and owned several airplanes throughout his life. After retiring to Pagosa Springs, he enjoyed playing bridge, working out at the PLPOA Rec Center, and walking with his dog, Pearl. He is survived by his beloved wife, Jean; his children, John Clark Brittingham and Nel Brittingham McGrath; granddaughter Whitney Zane Brittingham; and many nieces and nephews, along with their children and grandchildren, and many cousins and friends. John died a happy man, grateful for a long and interesting life and for the love he received during his life.
ROLLIN MILES WARNER JR. , a longtime teacher at San Francisco’s Town School for Boys, died on Sept. 4, 2024, at age 93. He was born on Dec. 25, 1930, in Illinois to Rollin and Julia Warner. He attended North Shore Country Day School and New Trier High School. At Hotchkiss, he excelled as an All-America prep
swimmer. In 1948, he attended Oundle School in England, where he was honored as the school’s best all-around swimmer. He continued his education at Yale, earning a B.A. in history in 1953, with an emphasis on Chinese, Japanese, and African history. He later pursued studies at Harvard Law School and earned an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1960. A man of many talents and interests, he began collecting ship models and electric trains at a young age and developed a lifelong interest in book collecting while at Yale, where he was secretary of the Jared Eliots, the undergraduate fellows of the university library. In 1953, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, where he served as a lieutenant during his active duty. His service took him to Hawaii, Japan, and Vietnam, where he served with the French Foreign Legion. Professionally, he worked with Matson Shipping and Navigation Company and later as assistant director of development at Stanford University. His passion for teaching led him to a long career at Town School, where he taught history, math, and economics for over six decades. In addition, during his tenure there he served as principal of the Boys School at Branson, developing and teaching electives until his retirement in 2023. He also pursued successful side careers in real estate, financial planning, and investments. His hobbies reflected his intellectual curiosity and love for craftsmanship. Whether building ship models, collecting electric trains, or curating his beloved book collection, he found joy in lifelong learning and creativity. He also served as a Boy Scout and Sea Scout leader and remained involved with his local church. He is remembered for his sharp intellect, dedication to his students, and unwavering integrity. His presence, wisdom, and influence will be missed. His graveside service in October was conducted by his nephew, the Rev. Scotty McLennan ’66.
L. F. BOKER DOYLE died at home on Dec. 30, 2024, at the age of 93, in New York City, where he was born on April 23, 1931. His parents moved to Locust Valley, LI, and then to High Farms, Glen Head, where Boker spent most of his childhood and developed a deep love of nature. He learned taxidermy, collected butterflies, and became a devoted birder and a serious trout and salmon flyfisherman. Boker attended the Greenvale
School, Hotchkiss, and Yale, graduating with a B.A. degree in 1953. After a peaceful stint as a Marine lieutenant in occupied Japan, he joined Smith, Barney & Co., becoming a director in 1970. He joined the Fiduciary Trust Co. in 1974, becoming president and chairing the executive committee before retiring in 1996. He served on the board of the American Museum of Natural History, where he won acclaim for conducting the museum’s first auction. He also served on the boards of the Frick Collection, the New School, and the Nature Conservancy; as a director of the Hudson River Foundation and the Taconic Foundation; as chairman of the Cultural Institution Retirement System, and as president of the Anglers Club and the Century Association. He had the great good fortune to marry Susanna Stone in 1959 and to be together with her for 64 years until her death. With friends and neighbors from the Upper West Side, Boker and Susanna co-founded the West Side Montessori School in 1963. They loved the Metropolitan Opera, traveling, birdwatching, and the city of New York. They lived in Manhattan; Katonah, NY; and Fishers Island, NY. He is survived by their four daughters: Katharine Temple Lapsley, Nancy McCormick, Victoria Jane, and Jessica Delius; three sons-in-law, Tim Weiner, Gerard Schmidt, and Joshua Starbuck; and six grandchildren.
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JAMES (“JIM”) W. M. MONDE of Northford, CT, 93, beloved husband of Nancy Roseman Monde, passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Born in New Haven on May 17, 1931, the son of Emil and Maizie (Moss) Monde, Jim grew up in the Spring Glen section of Hamden. He attended Choate, was a 1950 graduate of Hotchkiss, and a 1954 graduate of Yale. He sang with several a cappella groups while at Yale, including the Eight Flats, Augmented Seven, and the Alley Cats, as well as the Glee Club, and later became a member of the Class of 1954 Whiffenpoofs. Postgraduation, he remained active with Yale and his class. He was his class delegate for the Association of Yale Alumni, served on his Class Council for many years, and was chairman of his class’s 30th reunion. Those friendships born at Yale lasted a lifetime. Jim served in the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, OK, following graduation from Yale. Upon
returning to the New Haven area, he began working for the CPA firm of Seward & Monde, and later was owner and president of the American Specialty Company, a manufacturing company specializing in contract springs, mostly for machinery and automobiles. He was a lifelong ham radio operator as well as a philatelist. He enjoyed boating and was a former member of the Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club, Branford. An avid baseball fan, after his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers left New York for California, he became a diehard Boston Red Sox fan, even getting Nan to cheer them on, too. A longtime member and later chairman of the Branford Board of Education, he was inducted into Branford’s Education Hall of Fame in 2000. Jim and Nan loved to travel and visited many places in the U.S., the Caribbean, South America and Europe, often enjoying river cruises. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Scott (Sara) Monde of Northford; his daughter, Dawn (Kristopher) Brooks of North Haven; and sons Peter and Jamie Monde. He also leaves his four cherished grandchildren.
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DUNCAN HUME CAMERON of Washington, D.C., passed away peacefully on Jan. 4, 2025, at age 90. A beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Duncan had a steady, gentle manner that put people at ease and a twinkle in his eye that revealed a true delight in life. A founding partner of the law firm Cameron & Hornbostel LLP, Duncan held a B.A. from Harvard College (’56) and a J.D. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. He lectured for more than 20 years at Georgetown University Law Center and the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He also taught at the INCAE Business School at the school’s Costa Rica and Nicaragua campuses. Duncan served for many years as president of the Board of Trustees at Zamorano University, the Pan-American Agricultural School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In his retirement, Duncan worked as an arbitrator and mediator and co-founded Global InterMediation PLLC, a mediation company. He is survived by his wife, Caroline; his two daughters, Sarah Cameron and Anne Cameron; his siblings, Airlie Lennon and Stuart Cameron; and four grandchildren. He was predeceased by his beloved brother, Jamie Cameron.
Francis T. “Fay” Vincent Jr. ’56, P’85
Former President of the Board, Eloquent Chronicler of Hotchkiss Life, and Former Baseball Commissioner
A FORMER CEO, former commissioner of Major League Baseball, and author of several books, Francis T. “Fay” Vincent Jr. ’56, P’85 died on Feb. 1, 2025, at age 86. In coming to Hotchkiss, Vincent, who attended on scholarship, followed in the footsteps of his father, Francis T. Vincent, Class of 1927. He loved Hotchkiss and cared deeply about its continued distinction.
Vincent appreciated the enduring values instilled during his four years at Hotchkiss and greatly respected the late George Van Santvoord, Class of 1908 (“the Duke,” as the students dubbed him), headmaster from 1926-1955. In 2012, with the help of his classmate, the late John Barrett ’56, Vincent published The Gift of His Example: George Van Santvoord of Hotchkiss. In the preface, he wrote of the legendary headmaster: “He provided direction, inspiration, and wisdom to boys at a time in their lives when he could have maximum impact.”
“The Duke had the greatest influence on me of anyone besides my family,” Vincent
said of Van Santvoord. “He stood for the life of the mind, for excellence and civility. I once asked [former Supreme Court Justice] Potter Stewart ’33 who, besides his family, had the greatest influence on him, and he said it was the Duke.”
Vincent’s career accomplishments speak to the range of his interests and talents: lawyer specializing in corporate banking; former CEO of Columbia Pictures Industries and executive vice president of Coca-Cola; commissioner of Major League Baseball, 1989-92; owner of Vincent Enterprises; and president and chairman of the board of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. But Vincent shone especially as a writer. In his essays and columns in The Wall Street Journal, and in his books on baseball and other topics, he conveyed a warmth and depth of feeling that expressed his essence. Although he enjoyed following sports in general, baseball remained a lifelong interest and source of unending delight. In
three volumes of the Baseball Oral History Project published between 2007 and 2010, he recorded the memories of some of the 20th century’s best-known men of baseball, holding a special respect for the players of the old Negro Leagues. Ever respectful of history, he wanted to share all the stories he had heard or observed firsthand with younger generations.
In a Wall Street Journal column titled “Life as the Ninth Inning Nears,” published on Feb. 24, 2016, he wrote of the sloweddown patterns and habits of his life in his 70s. He said, in part: “I write, but with acute knowledge that my values and opinions are outdated. I still think duty, honor, and country should be the national mantra. I know better.”
Vincent enrolled at Hotchkiss in 1952. He played tackle on the football team and was the team’s captain, showed talent as a track and field competitor, and also played basketball and baseball.
He did well in the classroom, earning a place on the honor roll each year. He showed a special ability in language, studying French, Latin, and German. He was a member of Dramatics and served on the board of the yearbook. On campus, he became known as an all-around good citizen.
After graduating cum laude, he enrolled at Williams College on a full academic scholarship. As captain of the undefeated freshman football team, he learned from coach Frank Navarro, who became known as the inventor of the “monster defense.”
Then, an accident in the dormitory changed his athletic career. When friends pulled a prank that involved locking him in his dorm room, he climbed out of a window to a ledge, where he slipped and fell four floors. Halfway down, he hit a balcony railing. The accident damaged his spine, and
his legs were paralyzed. There were fears he would never walk again, but a talented surgeon repaired the damage. Vincent was able to walk unassisted until about age 50, when he began the use of a cane, and years later, a wheelchair.
He completed four years of the Williams curriculum in three years, graduating cum laude in 1960. He then earned his L.L.B. degree from Yale in 1963 and began his professional career practicing law at the firm of Whitman and Ransom. He became a partner at Caplin & Drysdale in Washington, D.C., a law firm specializing in corporate banking and securities. He left the practice of law for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he was associate director of the division of corporate finance. In 1978, he was selected to become president of Columbia Pictures Industries, and in 1982, when Columbia was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company, he was appointed chairman and CEO of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. He also served as executive VP of CocaCola and president of the entertainment division. During his decade-long tenure at Columbia, he led the company out of severely difficult times and saw the production of movie successes like Tootsie, which Vincent said was perhaps “the best picture Hollywood ever made.”
In 1988, he rejoined Caplin & Drysdale as a practicing lawyer in New York City.
Then, several months later, he was asked by A. Bartlett Giamatti, commissioner of Major League Baseball, to become the deputy commissioner. When Giamatti died suddenly several months later, Vincent was elected by baseball owners to a four-and-a-half-year term as Major League Baseball’s eighth Commissioner. His tenure began in September 1989.
Almost immediately, Vincent faced a major crisis: in October a massive earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay area, where the World Series was taking place. After meetings with city officials, he announced that the Series would resume. This early crisis foreshadowed the difficulties that followed; there were multiple labor disputes and negotiations between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. During his tenure, he gained admiration from baseball people for his leadership; he resigned as Commissioner in 1992. He then returned to practicing law with Caplin & Drysdale.
Among his business distinctions, Vincent was a former director of AOL/ Time Warner Inc., Culbro Corp., Carson Pirie Scott, Coca-Cola Enterprises, TriStar Pictures, and the Motion Picture Association. He served as a trustee of Carleton College and Williams College and received an honorary degree from Williams in 1990. Inducted into the Connecticut
Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, he received a gold key from the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance in 1999.
An active Hotchkiss alumnus, he served as a class agent and won election as an alumni trustee in 1976. He became a term trustee in 1982 and served until 1989 on the Board, including as president from 1985 to 1987. He formed the long-range planning committee, worked on the drafting of a new mission statement for the School, and served as head of the search committee that selected Robert Oden as headmaster in 1989. With Dan Lufkin ’49, he created the Lufkin-Vincent Travel Fellowship Program, a fund that made it possible each year for a Hotchkiss language teacher to travel and experience firsthand the life, culture, and language of another country. He also established the Francis T. Vincent ’27 Scholarship, in memory of his father. He received the Alumni Award, the School’s highest honor, in 1991.
He is survived by his cherished wife, Christine Clarke Vincent; daughter Anne Vincent ’85; twin sons William and Edward; three stepchildren, Jake, Ned, and Nilla Watkins; his sisters, Dr. Joanna Vincent and Barbara Vincent; and several grandchildren.
Photos of Vincent from the 1956 Mischianza
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JOHN KENNEDY “KEN” SNYDER died peacefully at home in Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia, on Dec. 13, 2024, at age 90. Born to Catherine (McKeon) and John Snyder on Aug. 17, 1934, in Brooklyn, NY, Ken spent his boyhood and youth in Sharon, CT, delighting in the woodlands and forests of the area. His experience of the woods shaped his thought and sensibility, congruent with his reading of Emerson, Thoreau, and Wordsworth. A gifted student, he won a scholarship to Hotchkiss, graduating in 1953. He studied English literature at Brown University (A.B. 1961). His poetry and prose writing were featured in Brunonia and the Brown Review. While in Providence, in 1960 Ken met and married his wife, Mary (then earning her B.A. at the Rhode Island School of Design). After his first daughter, Ursula, was born, he began graduate studies at Brown (A.M. 1965). While writing his thesis, Ken taught variously at the Rhode Island School of Design and Wayne State University. He began a Ph.D. program at the University of Michigan but instead turned to his own creative writing. In 1968 he began a teaching position in the English Department at Saint Mary’s University. He and his family moved to Nova Scotia that summer and found a home outside the city in the fishing village of Ketch Harbour. The beauty of Ketch’s coastline and seascape colors several of his poems. During his 30 years of teaching at Saint Mary’s University, Ken served as chair of the English Department and member of the University Review Committee. He retired from SMU in 1999. Ken was an exacting, challenging, generous, and well-respected teacher, colleague, and critic. A fierce integrity and commitment to poetry were the compass of his life. In 198384 he taught English literature as a visiting scholar at the Shandong Teachers’ University in Jinan, China. The very special year he spent in China was commemorated in five beautiful poems, three of which were published in The Antigonish Review. In the summer of 1986, he was a member and participant in the School of Criticism and Theory at Dartmouth College. Ken is survived by his wife, Mary; daughters Ursula and Alisa; and sister, Christine Lathrop.
DAVID LATOURETTE BIRCH , eminent academic and entrepreneur, died on Oct. 23, 2024. He was born in May 1937 in White Plains, NY. He lived in Chappaqua, NY, and graduated from Hotchkiss in 1955.
He then graduated from Harvard College in 1959 and from the Harvard Business School in 1962. He and Louisa Lehmann were married in Emanuel Church in Dublin, NH, in June 1962. They moved to La Jolla, CA, where David worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In 1963 they returned to Cambridge, MA, where David started work on his doctorate in business administration at the Harvard Business School (awarded in 1966). He taught at Harvard Business School for six years. He then went to work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he directed the program on jobs, enterprise, and markets. While still working at MIT, David founded Cognetics Inc. in Cambridge, MA, which he ran for 30 years. During this period he gained worldwide recognition for his innovative research demonstrating for the first time the disproportionate role of small businesses in creating jobs, as detailed in his 1979 book, The Job Generation Process, and his 1987 volume, Job Creation in America: How Our Smallest Companies Put the Most People to Work. His research employed artificial intelligence algorithms and “big data” analysis that was far ahead of its time. He is known for having developed the Birch Index, an economic indicator of employment, and he invented the term “gazelles” to describe rapidly growing small businesses. In 1996 he was awarded the inaugural International Award for Entrepreneurship and Small Business by the Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering and Sciences. After retirement, David and Louisa spent their time in Dublin, NH, and Seabrook Island, SC. In 2014, they moved to Peterborough, NH. David is survived by his wife, Louisa; his daughter, Sarah, and son, Christopher; his sister, Melissa Birch; and his grandchildren, David Birch and Heidi Birch.
EDWARD JOHN “JACK” BURNELL III died in Jacksonville, FL, on Feb. 16, 2025, following complications from abdominal surgery. He was born on July 1, 1938. Jack was the eldest of four children of Edward and Barbara Burnell. He grew up in Winnetka, IL, attending New Trier High School before arriving at Hotchkiss as a lower mid. At Hotchkiss, Jack was an honor roll student, active in club football, basketball, and track. Jack graduated from Amherst College in 1960 with honors in history and fine arts. He earned a master’s degree in architecture at MIT and went on to a successful career in real estate development, culminating in
the construction of the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. He was CEO of Burnell Development LLC in Jacksonville, actively consulting on community and local projects until shortly before he died. Jack was married to Devin Berry for 26 years. They had three children: Matthew, Dana, and David. In 1996, Jack married Diane Fraser, an accomplished fine artist. He is survived by his wife, three children, seven grandchildren, and three siblings. A dedicated family man, Jack was a lifetime trustee of his children’s North Shore Country Day School and enjoyed boat and fishing excursions on Florida’s inland waterways. Following his 50th Hotchkiss reunion, Jack wrote: “New buildings and upgraded facilities abound. And you should see the 250-acre Fairfield Farm a couple of miles down Sharon Road. Livestock, crops, and vegetable gardens galore—providing 30 percent of the food for the Hotchkiss Dining Hall, including produce, dairy products, chicken, turkey, and pork. There is a waiting list of kids wanting to join the ‘farm team’—an activity in addition to rather than a substitute for required athletic participation. Astounding!” In September 2008 he made the arduous journey from Jacksonville to Lakeville to celebrate the Alumni Award to his roommate John Ziegler ’56, delivering a generous encomium to an AllSchool gathering. That was Jack: kind, caring, and thoughtful. His fondness for Hotchkiss and his long friendship with many classmates endured for his lifetime.
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EUGENE KISTLER “GENE” LAWSON, 85, an expert in U.S. foreign policy and the founding president of the U.S.-Russia Business Council, died on Dec. 28, 2024, in Washington, D.C., of complications resulting from a fall. An Oklahoma native who moved to Washington to pursue a career in public service, Gene never lost his folksy roots. He was charming, outgoing, and generous. He shared 39 years of enduring love and friendship in his marriage to Stephanie Green Lawson. They were inseparable, traveling the globe, sharing books, discussing history and politics, and fostering a close circle of family and friends. Stephanie preceded him in death in February 2024. Gene, who attended Hotchkiss from 1954 until his 1957 graduation, was known for his skill at building and maintaining lifelong friendships and his zeal for helping others reach their full potential. He generously supported D.C. Prep Public Charter Schools and the Washington English Center, as well
as other causes. Asked how he was doing, he would invariably answer: “I’m in good shape for the shape I’m in.” He could often be found reading a book on Russian or Chinese foreign policy and expounding upon world affairs. Born in Tulsa, OK, Gene, his brother, and his sister were proud descendants of Chief Charles Journeycake, the last principal chief of the Delaware Nation. Gene enjoyed his stays at Lawson River Ranch in Claremore, OK, where he spent hours riding horses, roaming, canoeing, and watching wildlife. Passionate about public service and politics, Gene held top positions in the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations. Under Reagan, he served as U.S. ambassador to the International Labor Organization and as a deputy assistant secretary in the Commerce Department. For the senior Bush, he was vice chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, where he worked to expand trade links to Russia and newly independent European states. An honors graduate of Princeton, he also received an M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University and served in the U.S. Navy. During his 15 years as president of the U.S.-Russia Business Council, he dedicated himself to making the world more secure and prosperous. He was recognized for his outstanding efforts to build stronger political and commercial ties between the U.S. and Russia with the Nunn-Lugar medal in 2003 and the Order of Friendship in 2007. Gene’s first marriage to Joanne Wilson ended in divorce. He is survived by his son, Chappell; daughters Emily, Sarah, and Alice; step-sister Elizabeth Willett; and six grandchildren.
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THOMAS VESEY NEWTON , 85, of Hopkinton, MA, passed away on March 5, 2025, at Golden Pond Assisted Living in Hopkinton. Born in New York, NY, he was the son of the late Mary (Barrow) and Carl Elbridge Newton. Tom is survived by his wife, Andrea (Hendrix) Newton of Wilmington, MA. He attended Hotchkiss from 1954 until his 1958 graduation. He was active in several organizations, including The Misch and The Hotchkiss Record, where he was the business manager. He later attended Yale College and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Tom especially enjoyed the years he spent in Salem, NH, where he served on the local conservation commission and enjoyed life outdoors.
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ROBERT E. “BOB” DINEEN JR. of Kent, CT (previously of New York City and Sherman, CT), died at age 84 on Oct. 12, 2024, after a brief illness. He was born in Syracuse, NY, on Sept. 21, 1940, to the late Robert Emmet Dineen and Carolyn Bareham Dineen. After spending his childhood in Syracuse, NY, and Milwaukee, WI, he graduated from Hotchkiss in 1959, followed by Brown University, and Syracuse University School of Law. After more than 40 years of practice in domestic and international financial transactions, he retired as a partner from the New York firm of Shearman & Sterling LLP in 2009. Over the years, he spent significant time in the firm’s offices in Algeria, Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris, Toronto, and Washington. During the 1980s and 1990s, he led the sovereign debt restructurings of several Latin American countries and Vietnam. In addition to his many leadership roles at the firm, he served on the boards of publicly traded companies and numerous institutions, including Syracuse University. Focusing his career on public finance transactions, he was also a specialist in U.S. and international private banking and financial transactions, including equipment and project financing. While at Shearman & Sterling, he led several of the firm’s corporate groups, including those responsible for Latin America and Asia as well as its global project finance work. Particularly dear to him was Dineen Hall at Syracuse Law School, named in honor of his parents, both of whom were graduates of the law school. Because of the opportunities and education that the College of Law provided to their parents, Bob and his siblings provided the $15 million lead gift to build Dineen Hall. A generous donor, he gave especially to causes supporting education, veterans, animal rescue, and children with cancer and special needs. Fiercely loyal, Bob never shied from supporting his friends and colleagues without regard for himself. He will be forever remembered for his keen intellect, extraordinary judgment, and integrity. He is survived by his devoted wife, Jeanne C. Olivier, and his adoring sister, the Hon. Carolyn Dineen King, judge and former chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He was predeceased by his sister, Kathryn Dineen Wriston, and brother, Laurence. He is also survived by many admiring nieces and nephews and other family members.
GEORGE W. HAMLIN IV , the former CEO and president of Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, passed away peacefully at his home on Oct. 23, 2024, surrounded by his family. He was 83. He led the financial institution for 45 years, overseeing a period of significant growth that expanded the bank’s assets from $85 million to nearly $5 billion by 2023. His son, Frank Hamlin III, who currently serves as the bank’s president and CEO, described his father as a true Renaissance man with a deep commitment to the bank and its employees. Banking is a people business, not a money business, Frank Hamlin said, emphasizing a philosophy that guided his father’s leadership. After graduating from Hotchkiss and Yale, he became a decorated Air Force pilot who served in Vietnam. His passion for aviation extended beyond his military career. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and later supported the development of the Canandaigua Airport. In his post-military life, he graduated from the University of Virginia Law School and practiced law in Rochester before transitioning to banking. Throughout his life, he remained a committed community leader. He supported local arts, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Bristol Valley Theater, and played a key role in saving Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion as a state park. Sue Stewart, a longtime friend and board member of Canandaigua National Corporation, called him a patriot and praised his dedication to the community.
PETER S. “KEPP” KEPPELMAN passed away on Oct. 14, 2023, at his home in Concord, MA. He was born in Buffalo, NY, on June 15, 1941, to Jean Tripp Keppelman and Richard Keppelman. He leaves his wife of 44 years, Eva Keppelman, and his three children: Courtney Devine, Daniel Keppelman, and Jennifer Korhonen; and two grandchildren. 60
MARK AUSTIN WIGHTMAN , beloved husband and father, passed away on Nov. 9, 2024, at the age of 82. Mark was born in New York, NY, on Feb. 12, 1942, to Kent and Ruth Wightman. He grew up in the rural community of Weston, CT, where his favorite pastime was riding his bike to outcroppings, looking for minerals and fossils. He attended Hotchkiss, followed by four years at Yale University, majoring in psychology. After graduation, he switched gears, pursuing a Ph.D. in geology at Yale, where he met his wife, Mary Ann. Another swerve led him to medicine and the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia in New York, where he graduated in
1970. Following an internship in Cooperstown, NY, he served as a commissioned officer with the U.S. Public Health Service in Dulce, NM, and then in Santa Fe. He was hooked on the Southwest! Two years of internship in anesthesiology at Columbia, followed by a year’s fellowship in Tucson, AZ, and he was back in Santa Fe. Mark’s greatest devotion was to his family and raising his two boys, Reeve and Scott. As a family, they loved to camp and travel and had a shared interest in photography and jewelry-making. Mark’s deep empathy and compassion were the cornerstone of his work in medicine. He dedicated his professional life to Christus St. Vincent Hospital, first as an anesthesiologist and then, after retirement in 2000, as director of physician relations. He was devoted to the hospital and its community, his career rooted deeply in the goal of providing the best care possible to the people of Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico. Mark was preceded in death by his beloved son, Scott, and by his younger siblings, Sharon (Wightman) Frey and Daryl Kraine (formerly Scott Cornelius Wightman). He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann, and his son Reeve.
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DARWIN LATHROP GILLETT IV , better known as “Dar” by family and friends, was born on March 17, 1943, in Mineola, NY, to Grace Marie Gillett and Darwin Lathrop Gillett III. He died peacefully on Jan. 19, 2025, at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire. He was 81. Darwin was a lover of music; he served as manager of the Yale Glee Club World Tour in the summer of 1965 after his graduation and remained involved in singing throughout his life. He was a member of the New Haven Chorale, the Greenwich Choral Society, the Hartford Chorale, the Oratorio Chorale, and sang in church choirs. He toured with the Yale Alumni Chorus in 2001 to Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Wales, and St Paul’s Cathedral with the London Philharmonic. After Yale, Darwin went on to earn an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business in 1966 and pursued a career in business and management that included stints at Union Carbide and Hubbell. He worked in strategic planning in several companies, including as director of corporate planning for a Fortune 500 electrical manufacturer and as a management consultant serving senior executives of major companies. He was also president of a furniture company called Formatron. A consultant to many companies, he authored The Noble Enterprise, a book about the surprising turnaround of a major Canadian
company that used effective strategies to inspire its workforce towards shared purpose and values, and thus better productivity and product. Most recently he co-authored The Noble Enterprise – Noble Leadership in the Emergent Reality: Uplifting People, Planet, and Prosperity, featuring inspiring stories and insights from leaders worldwide. A loving husband of 58 years, Darwin and his surviving wife, Barbara (also known as “Ara”), moved from New Canaan to Avon, CT, in 1979 and began living in Phippsburg and Bath, ME, in the late 1990s. They loved spending the winter months in Englewood, FL, where they built a strong network of friends together through their involvement with the Venice Unity Church. A lover of the outdoors, Darwin introduced his children to camping, hiking, and boating. Although hampered with numerous health problems through the last decade and a half of his life, Darwin never lost his positive spirit and earned the affection of everyone he met. He is survived by his wife, Ara; his four children, Darwin (Kristin), Thomas (Tammy), Timothy, and Mary; his four grandchildren; and his sister, Marie. His grandfather, Darwin Gillett, Class of 1910, was a Hotchkiss alumnus, and it was said that the bricks used to build several of the buildings on campus were from his grandfather’s brickyard.
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DR. RICHARD BECK LAZAR , 70, passed away on Dec. 27, 2024, while vacationing in Thailand. He was a proud resident of Lakeside, MI. Born on Oct. 9, 1954, to parents Molly Kailen Beck and Dr. Harold P. Lazar, Richard grew up in Middletown, NY. He was a proud graduate of Hotchkiss (’72), Harvard College (’76), and Northwestern University Medical School (’79), where his father was an associate professor of internal medicine. Richard was a leader in the neurological rehabilitation medical community in Chicago, practicing at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, and later as department leader at Mt. Sinai Hospital and Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital, where he practiced until his death. Richard sat on numerous prestigious medical boards and societies (The American Academy of Neurology and The American Society of Neurorehabilitation, among others). He also authored the medical textbook, Principles of Neurologic Rehabilitation. Richard was a passionate tennis and squash player and a cyclist. More than anything, he was a dedicated father to four sons: Spencer, Winston, Graham, and John Peter Lazar. He was a famously great
mimic and a comically fair-weather sports fan. He is survived by his mother, Molly Lazar; sisters Flora and Emily Lazar; his four sons and their mothers, Susan Berman and Jessica Tampas; and two granddaughters, Sadie and Maddie Lazar. His son, Spencer, wrote to the School to inform the community of his father’s passing. “Richard was an immensely proud graduate of Hotchkiss and member of the alumni community,” he wrote. “Hotchkiss was an important place for him; he often regaled us with stories from his days there and was an active participant in reunions over the years.”
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MAEVE KENNY SOLBERG , a former news producer, died due to complications from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at her home in Santa Monica, CA, on Jan. 12, 2025. The beloved mother, wife, sister, and friend was 67. Over a 22-year career, she amassed an impressive body of work. For ABC News, she was a producer for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, World News Weekend, ABC News’ Midwest bureau in St. Louis, and Prime Time Live; at CBS News for the coverage of the Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France (1992) and Lillehammer, Norway (1994), and Street Stories with Ed Bradley. Additionally, she was a producer for CNN NewsStand, the television collaboration between CNN and the magazines of Time, Inc. Former colleague Suzanne Smith, a producer and director for CBS Sports, said of Maeve, “I met Maeve in Chicago. We were both doing pieces on Walter Payton, and we were the only two women there. She was highly regarded, worked her tail off, had integrity, and she was a true journalist. In addition to her talent, her features were good because she was kind, thoughtful, and generous. Those qualities came across in her work and in life. I also know she paved the way for other women in a male-dominated business.” She retired from news in 2002 to focus on raising her three sons. It was the joy of her life; she rarely missed any football, baseball, or basketball games, though her primary focus was on their education. Born in Mineola, NY, she lived in Brooklyn and moved to Naples, Italy, where her father Jack, a Naval Aviator, was stationed. The family returned to Brooklyn Heights in 1964, where she grew up. Maeve attended the Marymount School and was among the 13 Hotchkiss “pioneers”—the first class of 13 girls to graduate when the School became coeducational in 1974-75. She received a B.A. in English and French literature from Georgetown University and studied at
the Sorbonne in Paris and Trinity College in Dublin. Maeve loved to travel, spending summers of her youth on Long Island, Cape Cod, and in Europe, and as an adult traveling with her family. She was smart, fun, funny, adventurous, caring, and always kind. She was a gift to all who knew her. She was predeceased by her parents, Margaret and John Kenny. She is survived by her husband of 32 years, John Solberg; sons Owen Solberg (Annie), Thomas Solberg, and Nicholas Solberg; and siblings Christopher Kenny, Justin Kenny (Peggy), and Deirdre Kenny. She was committed to supporting organizations that served underprivileged youth, education scholarship funds, the arts, and Alzheimer’s research.
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FREDERICK L. “FRED” CADMAN II died on May 5, 2023, at Hartford Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. Born May 30, 1959, in New Rochelle, NY, he was the son of the late Carolyn (Fisher) Cadman and Samuel Cadman II. Fred grew up in Pelham, NY. He earned his A.B. from the University of Connecticut in 1981, his J.D. from Suffolk Law in 1984, and his MLT from Georgetown Law in 1985. After working briefly for a taxation and accounting firm in Boston, he returned to Connecticut in 1989 and started his own law practice in Hartford. Later he moved his office to West Hartford. He ran a general law practice for 33 years, specializing in taxation, workers’ compensation and personal injury, estate planning and administration, real estate, and business formation. Fred believed in the importance of making legal services accessible and being kind to others. This was reflected in his advocacy on behalf of a wide range of clients throughout the greater Hartford area and in the Northwest Corner. Fred took great pride in his family. He and his wife, Mary, met at UConn and had triplets, Sam, Emily, and Frank, whom they raised in Lakeville, CT. They share many fond memories, including time spent swimming at the Grove in Lakeville, fishing, playing basketball and baseball, and watching the NY Mets. He was an avid reader, plant enthusiast, and dog lover. His constant love, support, and sense of humor will be missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Mary H. Cadman; his children, Samuel, Emily, and Francis; a son-inlaw and daughter-in-law; his brother, Anthony, and his wife; a brother-in-law; a nephew, William Evans, and his family; his brothers and sisters-in-law; and many more nieces, nephews, and friends, in whose lives he enjoyed sharing.
He is predeceased by his parents and his beloved sister, Cheryl Cadman Evans.
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KELSEY SIMON LIBNER passed away on December 16, 2024, in New York City. He was 52. After earning a master’s degree in information science, Kelsey conducted research that laid the groundwork for the surge in artificial intelligence technology. He was also the creator and editor of Finasteride Watch, a website that provides information on the potential dangers of finasteride, a drug prescribed for male-pattern hair loss and other conditions. Kelsey was born on Jan. 13, 1972, the youngest of three children, in Westport, CT. In 1988, 16-year-old Kelsey signed up as a volunteer counselor at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, CT, where he helped children with serious illnesses spend joy-filled summers with family members. In 1990, he graduated from Hotchkiss, where, according to a former English teacher, he grew into an excellent writer who never backed down while defending his work. He then earned a B.A. in English from Yale University and two postgraduate degrees: an M.S. in cognitive psychology from the University of Oregon and an M.S. in information science from the University of Michigan. It was in library and information science (LIS) that he first left his professional mark. His early 21st-century research in this field helped lay the groundwork for the recent boom in artificial intelligence technology used to power apps like ChatGPT and Copilot. In 2002, he was among the team that published a study in the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology titled, “Getting Answers to Natural Language Questions on the Web,” which investigated the use of natural-language questions in eight popular search engines. Over the next four years, that research was cited by many fellow LIS gurus in studies including “Priming the Query Specification Process” and “Query Modulation for Web-Based Question Answering.” Kelsey also applied his digital-analytic skills to the corporate world, working for media conglomerate Hearst Communications and for hedge fund Two Sigma Investments, both based in New York. A full tribute to Kelsey was posted by the Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation in January 2025.
FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF
GERALD WHEELER , 88, a dedicated employee of Hotchkiss for 46 years, died peacefully on Oct. 18, 2024, at Sharon Hospital in Sharon, CT. He retired as the supervisor of housekeeping at Hotchkiss, where he was loved and respected by the faculty, staff, and students. Born July 21, 1936, in Sharon, CT, he was a graduate of Webutuck High School in Amenia, NY. He married the love of his life, Augusta Lee Hoyt, on March 11, 1956, in Millerton, NY. They shared more than 59 years of marriage; she died in January 2015. An avid hunter and fisherman, he also enjoyed driving in the stock car races at Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, NY, and in the drag races at the Dover Drag Strip in Wingdale, NY, for many years. In his spare time, he liked gardening and tending to lawn work at home with his beloved wife. He is survived by two sons, five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and many friends. In addition to his parents and wife, he was predeceased by his son, Gerald Wheeler, and his grandson, Andrew Wheeler, and three siblings. Many members of the Wheeler family have provided decades of dedicated service to Hotchkiss, including, most recently, Gerald’s son, John.
Making the Climb Together
Bearcats trained at high altitudes in Arizona during March break. They enjoyed hikes around the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend, and they also volunteered at the Flagstaff Family Food Center. Pictured at Horseshoe Bend, from left, are Aidan Song ’27, Margaret Marcum ’28, Rubi Calderon ’28, Mark Zhu ’26, and Caleigh Lane ’27. Photo by Nurry Punnahitanon ’25.
We can’t wait to welcome you back to campus!
JUNE 13-15, 2025
CLASSES ENDING IN 0 AND 5
SEPT. 26-28, 2025
CLASSES OF 1960 AND 1975
LEARN MORE AT hotchkiss.org/alumni/events-reunions
For more information, please contact Caroline Sallee Reilly ’87, director of alumni engagement, at (860) 435-3892 or creilly@hotchkiss.org.
