The Webb School Summer 2012 Magazine

SUMMER 2012

Summer 2012

Science at Webb

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WEBB THE WEBB SCHOOL

SCIENCE AT WEBB

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When it is all said and done, A.J. Swafford, Monica Frazier and Julie Harris all come back to “family” – gathering for meals in the dining hall with faculty and students, impromptu play dates for their children, and experiences they might not have otherwise.

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John Morgan - The "Father of Science" at Webb When young John Morgan came to The Webb School in 1932, fresh from graduate work at the University of Tennessee, he found the school virtually unchanged since its founding in the American Civil War era. William R. “Son Will” Webb was operating the nationally known school in exactly the same manner as his father, “Old Sawney.”

Johnson '76 learned to love math, found potential as architect while at Webb

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A visit from Dr. Manish Sethi '96

Also inside: The Webb School Magazine

Webb is Family

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MAGAZINE

Nashville architect Bill Johnson ’76 traces his love of mathematics to Mr. John Morgan, retired Webb headmaster and his geometry teacher. “Geometry and architecture go hand in hand. I deal with geometry every single day, and I get to think of Mr. Morgan every day,” said Johnson. “In his very specific way, he was incredibly helpful in getting me to enjoy mathematics.”

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On March 1, 2010, Dr. Manish Sethi visited Bell Buckle to speak to Webb students about healthcare reform in Tennessee and related issues relevant to their futures as leaders in a global economy.

Buntin '81 satisfies his dreams, claims awards building his own airplane It was always David Buntin’s dream to be a career pilot and, at some point, build and fly his own airplane. The ’81 graduate has accomplished both.

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2012 Commencement

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Davis-Woosley Computer­—Science Center raised the bar

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Dr. Kaplan '54 found that the culture at Webb encouraged well-rounded development

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Da '12 co-authors research paper with Vanderbilt faculty

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Daughter remembered father's fondness of Webb

Graders, Tripp Mifflin and Heath Grubbs work on a water purification project at On the cover: 7th the pond on The Webb School campus.

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WEBB THE WEBB SCHOOL

MAGAZINE

A note from the Head of School Graduation has passed. Another year and another notch on Webb’s very long belt of history have been completed. In just eight years Webb will celebrate its 150th birthday!

Raymond S. Broadhead Head of School

I am delighted that this issue is focused on science at Webb. As most of you may know, it is a subject that is very dear to me. My own university training for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees was in Biology.

Joe Iorio Assistant Head of School and Business Manager

We are working hard to create a science program that will continue to serve the needs of our students for the 21st century. Science teaching continues to focus on inquiry-based learning. In fact, all of the required labs for AP Biology in 2012-2013 will be inquiry-based. Our students will be challenged even more to think carefully and creatively to produce experiments to test a hypothesis in question. This creativity and willingness to try various experiments is fundamental to the scientific method.

WEBB COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR: Rita Mitchell Director of Communications DESIGN & LAYOUT: Gayle McClanahan Graphic Designer Matt Anderson Director of Operations in Admissions /Marketing Claudia Hazelwood Director of Alumni & Development CONTRIBUTORS Alyce Allen Database Coordinator Meredith Crockett Director of Alumni and Parent Outreach Dorothy Elkins Alumni Research Assistant Sandi Jobe ‘95 Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving The Webb School Magazine is published biannually in the summer and winter by The Webb School, 319 Webb Road East, Bell Buckle, Tenn. The Webb School is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization: 62-0401875.

Our science curriculum has made a fundamental shift recently. In the middle school at Webb, students take two years of physical science and one year of life science. For the past two years, Webb has been transitioning to a “physics first” approach to science in the high school. Beginning next year, all ninth grade students will take physics. This will be algebra-based physics rather than calculus-based physics. In the tenth grade, students will take chemistry, and eleventh grade students will take either AP biology or regular biology.

Seniors can choose from AP classes in physics, chemistry, biology, and also environmental science (beginning in 2013) or an elective in anatomy and physiology.

Why this change from the traditional biology-first approach? First, physics is the fundamental science as its concepts lead readily to those of chemistry. Modern biology depends a great deal on a strong understanding of chemistry, especially in areas of molecular genetics, cellular respiration, and photosynthesis. Second, ninth grade students’ brains are better prepared to understand the mathematically-based concepts of mechanical physics, rather than the more intricate systems of biology with demands of a higher reading level and more analytical and critical thinking.

Regardless of the order of study, science is a fascinating subject, and its “hands-on” approach fits well with the learning style of most of our students. As we move forward in science at Webb, we are challenged by the constraints of the present Davis-Woosley Computer ‑ Science Center. The building was built in 1987 when Webb had a much smaller enrollment. The present lab space does not accommodate long-term experiments, and in some classes students must work in tight quarters.

We have goals to involve our students in science projects, robotics, and other fascinating science inquiries, which require more space. Currently, we have expansion plans for the Davis-Woosley building to house three more large labs, two teaching classrooms, additional faculty office space, and more storage for equipment. With this expansion, we will have the necessary space to teach science with an inquirybased, lab-oriented style. We want our students to learn science by doing science.

For me, this is the next Webb priority. As we continue to seek donors who are motivated by this exciting project, I hope that we can move forward very soon to build this dream for our students and for their future.

Raymond S. Broadhead Head of School

Summer 2012

The school complies with all applicable anti-discrimination laws and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin in the administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions processes, scholarship and loan programs, employment practices, athletic and other school administrative programs.

Our students have great opportunities to observe the biotic and abiotic world around them – both in the lab and in the field. Can you remember the thrill when you first looked at a drop of pond water teeming with microscopic plants and animals? What about your memorable first dissection? In today’s labs, probes can interface with computers to obtain measurements and a gene cycler used to run a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA. Gel electrophoresis can then be used to determine whether an individual carries a particular gene. The constant collaboration of new technology and science experimentation has produced incredible discoveries in recent years. Our students need the training to become these creative scientists.

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Dr. Branscomb '43

Urges Graduates to Solve our Planet's Problems

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ifty-six seniors received the traditional Bible and diploma at The Webb School on May 25 in the outdoor ceremony that began with baccalaureate. Commencement included an induction of select graduates into the Cum Laude Society, a presentation of academic book prizes and special awards.

A. 2012 Graduate Ryan Pryor and sister, Anna Pryor '14 B. Members of the Class of 2012 who have attended Webb since sixth grade

Ray Broadhead, head of school, congratulated the graduates and said, “Your doors at Webb are about to close on this phase of your life, and you, as a class, will scatter to open many different doors next year as you commence the next phase of your life.” He added, “You are well-prepared for that journey. You know what it means to be a tireless worker, to work effectively, and to be an accurate scholar. You know what it means to live with honor and character as the core of your existence. The faculty and I ask you to go forth into this world and ‘pedigree your ancestors.’”

Dr. Lewis Branscomb '43, commencement speaker, also congratulated the graduates and added, “Your generation can help solve the problems we face and once again put our planet on the course to peace, prosperity and sustainability.”

Branscomb, who received a degree in physics from Duke, Summa Cum Laude, and earned his master's degree and doctorate from Harvard University, spent a little time depicting the Webb of his day during World War II. He noted what he called a “very interesting set of rules,” but added that infractions still sent students to the honor council, much like the system in place today.

Branscomb reminded the graduates about what they gained at Webb. “As you leave Webb, you take with you a strong education in science, mathematics, the arts and social sciences. You have also been grounded in the attributes of character needed to face the extraordinary challenges of this century.” He added that selfdiscipline and the willingness to admit shortcomings are also valued lessons they learned.

“I am sure you are aware that our nation is a very important part of the global community,” he said and cited some of the problems everyone on the planet faces. “My generation is leaving this dreary picture for you and your generation to cope with. But the future does not have to be this dark,” Branscomb said.

The Webb School Magazine

It was the second time that Branscomb, has delivered the commencement address. He first spoke in 1980, the year he became

a member of The Webb School Board of Trustees. He was inducted into the Webb Distinguished Alumni Society in 1991.

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The speaker said that science has given humans the tools to create technologies that could, if wisely applied internationally, solve the environmental problems, cure the infectious diseases, reduce poverty and create new sources of renewable energy. “Science gives us choices; wisdom tells us how to choose.”

Branscomb closed his remarks saying, “For many decades our country set an example other nations sought to emulate. Your generation can restore our leadership role and help others to follow us,” he said. “We are counting on you to do better than we have done. I am very optimistic that with your skills and values the world’s future is indeed bright. Now it is your turn to go forward and help make this a better world.”

As part of the ceremony, Cameron Togrye, of Murfreesboro, received the highest academic honor in the class, The Anna Landis Hightower Award, which honors the student with the highest gradepoint average for four years at Webb, and the John Hardin Highest Scholastic Award for achieving the highest scholastic average in his senior year.

Will Huddleston, of Murfreesboro, received the John Lewis Morgan Award, which is presented annually to the student who has maintained a high standard of excellence in his or her academic work and who has demonstrated the highest qualities of good citizenship in the service of the school.

C. 2012 Senior Board D. 2012 Graduate Cameron Togrye and Linda Williams, Middle School Director

For a complete list of book and graduation award winners please visit: www.thewebbschool.com

Summer 2012

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SPRING RECAP...

Kudos & news

Windham in national group to help compile SSAT Test Questions

College Matriculation Class of 2012

Lea Anne Windham, math department chair, was selected to participate in an effort to compile test questions for the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT).

Windham traveled to Sarasota, Fla., in March and joined 74 other educational professionals from throughout the United States to work on the project during a two-day conference.

Abilene Christian University Auburn University Belmont University Berry College Birmingham-Southern College Brenau University Centre College Colorado School of Mines Emory University Fort Lewis College Franklin College, Switzerland Georgetown University Hendrix College Indiana University at Bloomington Kenyon College Lee University Louisiana State University Manhattan College Maryland Institute College of Art Middle Tennessee State University New York University Oglethorpe University Oxford College of Emory University Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University Queens University of Charlotte Sewanee: The University of the South Tennessee Technological University Transylvania University The College of Wooster The University of Alabama The University of Alabama in Huntsville University of California at Los Angeles University of Colorado at Boulder University of Illinois University of Mississippi University of South Florida, Tampa University of Tennessee, Chattanooga University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Wisconsin, Madison Wake Forest University Wesleyan University Western Kentucky University Wheaton College Vanderbilt University

The Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB), the creator and administrator of the test, is currently building a bank of questions to be

used in its exams for the coming test year. The organization issued a call for exemplary teachers in math and humanities to generate a short list of potential item writers, and Windham was selected from the nationwide search.

SSATB selected test writers based on their experience, education and subject matter expertise. Also selected, but unable to attend, was Stephanie Porter, Webb ESL teacher.

The SSAT is the premier test given to students applying for admission to independent schools across the country and around the world. It is a selective admission test, given to students applying to independent schools for grades 6 through 12.

The Webb School Magazine

Two receive full honors scholarships

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M’Kenzy Cannon, of Nashville, and Willow Dickey, of Lexington, Ky., have received full scholarships to The Webb School and will be freshmen in the fall.

Webb’s Honors Scholarship Program recognizes exceptional students who excel in academics, extracurricular activities and leadership and provides a four-year scholarship valued at more than $158,000.

Dickey, who conducted her own national search and decided to apply to Webb, said that she chose the school because of its “sense of community” and the “independent work environment.” Cannon, who is a home-schooled student, said she was attracted by Webb’s academic and creative opportunities and the chance to develop her independence. She also was drawn to Webb by the friendly environment.

Willow Dickey, Head of School Ray Broadhead and M’Kenzy Cannon

KUDOS & NEWS

Connor, Turner, Dodson complete leadership programs Junior Caitie Connor and senior Scout Turner, both of Murfreesboro, and junior Dillon Dodson, of Bell Buckle, recently were recognized for completing Leadership Rutherford and Leadership Bedford Youth, respectively, programs that support the development of current and future leaders in the counties. Participants attend sessions throughout the school year and study topics such as city and county governments, industrial and commercial development, education and health care as they relate to the counties.

If it's spring, it must be time for the Trebuchets!

The annual Projectile Competition is a middle school versus upper school competition in which the students research, design and build working trebuchets that can launch lacrosse balls as far as possible. The experience allows students to work together in a constructive, hands-on manner. This year, there was a machine launch of more than 1,000 feet.

Oscar-nominated animator gives presentation, workshops at Webb Oscar-nominated animator, Don Hertzfeldt, was on campus this spring to discuss his work and the independent film/animation industry. He gave a presentation as part of the school’s Follin Speaker Series and also conducted hands-on workshops in art classes.

Teams from The Webb School won first and second places in the 16th annual National Engineers Week Student Design Competition, Feb. 22, at the Hands-on Science Center in Tullahoma. A Webb team also claimed first place at the event last year.

Junior Tyler Burns, of Danville, Ky., and sophomore Haena Lee, of South Korea, won the top prize. Senior Tian Wang and junior Dongwon Choi, both of China, placed second.

The impromptu engineering design competition tested the students’ creative skills and their ability to work as a member of a team. Each team received the design challenge and identical materials for the project on the day of the event.

The challenge was to build a “space elevator” that could lift a payload of marbles at least 50 centimeters off of the ground.

Some of the materials included paper towel and toilet paper rolls, Popsicle sticks and string.

“The competition was a huge success for us. Both of their elevators performed spectacularly,” said Kyle Redrow, Webb physics teacher, who accompanied them to the competition.

Hertzfeldt discusses animation, filmmaking and his career with Webb seniors, Erin Aliquo, of Murfreesboro; Stefan Shelley, of Bell Buckle; and Emily Read, of Nashville.

The competition is sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the International Test and Evaluation Association.

Summer 2012

Hertzfeldt included Webb in his 30-city tour promoting his latest film, “It’s Such a Beautiful Day.” The 23-minute film is the third in a series that began with “Everything Will Be OK” in 2006.

He promoted the second part of the series, “I am so proud of you,” in 2008-2009. In addition to his Academy Award nomination in 2001 for “Rejected,” Hertzfeldt has received a Sundance Film Festival award and other honors.

Webb teams claim first and second in Engineering Week Competition

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Johnson was accepted to Mercer University's 2012 Great Books Program Mary Jo Johnson, an English teacher, was accepted to Mercer University’s 2012 Great Books Summer Seminar on Citizenship and the Culture of Freedom.

In a letter of acceptance to Johnson, Will Jordan, Mercer Great Books Program director, noted that the program is a “unique opportunity to read classic texts, learn about the Great Books method and meet teachers from around the country who share your interests.”

Chorpenning's adaption of Alice in Wonderland The Webb School Players presented Charlotte Chorpenning’s adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland” as the spring production. The version, for audiences of all ages, featured students from the seventh through the 12th grade in a colorful display on stage and in costume. Scout Turner, of Murfreesboro, was cast as Alice and Callie Kerbo, of Murfreesboro, was the Red Queen.

“This is a great opportunity to study philosophy and history and apply both to the reading of literature in the classroom,” said Johnson, who has taught at Webb since 1999. “It is important for students to understand the context in which literature is written to gain a better understanding of the purpose of the author for producing the work.”

A Novel Idea Vannie Bohlen, Bell Buckle eighth grader, and Anna McClure, Winchester sophomore, had their first novels published during the school year as part of the “A Novel Idea” program. Bohlen’s “Rebirth” is a 155-page tale about Elise, who was unaware that age 15 she would become a vampire. McClure’s “A Bridge to Burn” is a 218-page coming-of-age story.

The Webb School Magazine

Students help plant trees donated

by Duck River Electric on Webb Campus

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Sixth-grade students at The Webb School got an early start on Arbor Day, helping plant several trees on campus in March.

Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, which serves the area, donated Dogwood and Kwanzan Cherry Trees and provided a brief program for students.

Ethan Cocanougher, left, and Isaac Williams, both of Shelbyville, and Elizabeth Bigham, of Murfreesboro, work with Blake Gillespie, ACRT arborist, planting a tree donated by Duck River Electric Membership Corporation on the Webb School campus. Sixth graders participated in a brief program and then planted several trees.

Conducting the program were Jim Barnhart, Duck River right-of-way supervisor, and Blake Gillespie, Roy Harver and Chaun Hammell, arborists for ACRT, a consulting firm that assists utility companies with environmental and other services. They discussed the value of trees to the environment and the importance of planning and placement when planting to make sure trees do not outgrow their locations or interfere with power lines.

g n i r p S reak B

time for travel-study opportunities in Italy, France, Austria and Utah.

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he Canyonlands National Park in Moab, Utah, was the destination for a group led by Brian Wofford, science teacher and coordinator of the Outerlimits Program. The group had day hikes on historic trails from multiple base camp locations in the high desert at elevations ranging from 3,7007,200 ft. above sea level.

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usan Mullen, strings teacher, planned a music-themed trip tour of Austria. The group visited, among other sites, Mozart’s birth house, Hallein Salt Mines, Mauthausen Concentration Camp, the village of Mondsee, St. Stephens Cathedral, the State Opera House and Eisenstadt, where Joseph Haydn lived and worked.

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eddy Schaffer, math teacher, led a group to Italy, which included tours of Rome, Naples and Capri. On the itinerary were the Vatican, Colosseum, Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius and other points of interest.

Summer 2012

he trip to France was led by Moira Smith, French teacher.

The group spent time in Paris and Normandy. Participants visited Arromanches and Mont du Michel, Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre and other sights.

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WEBB

y l i m a F is

By Rita Mitchell

Director of Communications

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.J. Swafford may have captured it all when he described teaching at Webb and living in a faculty house on campus.

He has productive work time, quality family time and a short commute. In fact, his commute can almost be measured in seconds – if he walks really fast across the street.

Swafford ‘99, his wife, Sarah, and sons, Isaac and Caleb, along with two others families, Monica Frazier, her husband, Gabe, and daughter, Alisha, and Julie Harris ‘95, her husband, Michael, and daughter, Lily, are all part of the bigger Webb family. “Family atmosphere” isn’t just part of a marketing message, it’s life every day at Webb.

The Webb School Magazine

“Webb is a great environment to raise your children, and we enjoy living on campus,” said Swafford, a science teacher, soccer coach and dorm advisor. “We love how supportive Webb is of the family and would encourage someone to pursue the opportunity to live on campus.” Sarah is Webb director of residential life activities.

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“Convenience is the immediate plus that comes to mind when I think about living across the street from work,” said Frazier, a Spanish teacher and dorm head. Gabe is a dorm advisor and drives the buses some mornings and afternoons. Because he is also self-employed and can work at home, he is the couple’s primary caregiver for their daughter. “Faculty housing is provided as part of our compensation, which is a huge positive,” said Frazier. “It has hardwood floors and tons of storage which is great, especially as our family continues to grow.

“The campus faculty is like our second family,” Frazier said. “In the summer, we all get together for potluck dinners once a week, which is a great way to develop those relationships.” She added, “Living on campus takes my relationship with students to a whole

new level. The girls in Davis dorm often say they were really my first daughters.” Frazier said there is a sense of being comfortable with each other that she feels with all her students. “They know my family, my pets; there aren’t any secrets.”

Harris, director of admissions and a dorm advisor, thinks Bell Buckle is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. “I feel like the quality of life is better here. It’s safe and far removed from distractions and traffic.” Since she travels a great deal in her job, when she’s in town she can run home for lunch with her daughter.

And, when she is on duty as a dorm advisor, Michael, a state probation/parole officer, and Lily can join her in the dining hall for dinner.

“Living on campus comes with more responsibility, and you lose some of your personal time. However, I truly believe living on campus makes me a better director of admissions. I am able to get to know the students and to know what it’s really like to be a boarding student.” She added, “I have a steady pulse of what is going on in our residential program. That helps me tremendously when I am working with prospective families.” She also likes the fact that there is no rent, which helps the family’s budget.

All three families also agree that there is a lot to do on campus with Webb athletic games and matches throughout the year, plays, musical performances and other events. There is also an active residential life program, trips to a variety of venues and attractions in Nashville and the surrounding area and the Webb outdoor

experiences they might not have otherwise.

program with regularly scheduled overnight camping and hiking trips.

“One thing I love about living on campus is sharing my interests with the students,” said Harris. And for her, that includes three to four trips a year to Nashville Predators hockey games. “We took 40 students on the most recent trip, and we sat in the all-you-can-eat food zone. This has become a very popular weekend activity, and I have turned several students into hockey fans.”

When it is all said and done, Swafford, Frazier and Harris all come back to “family” – gathering for meals in the dining hall with faculty and students, impromptu play dates for their children, and

Frazier said she would tell prospective faculty and staff who plan to live on campus that “it isn’t always easy, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. The great thing about living and working on campus is that there is such a close-knit community and a wonderful support system. You always have people to talk to, have meals with and call on for the little and big emergencies.”

Swafford echoed the sense of belonging to a community. “People at Webb help each other. We like that our boys see generosity being displayed in the environment on campus.”

“Our daughter is only two years old so she has been raised at Webb,” said Harris. “Lily loves being on campus and going with me to dinner or visiting the dorms. I know she thinks the students are all her playmates. I look forward to watching her grow up with the students at Webb.”

Cooper Farris faculty residence addition attractive, spacious will also have a transitional study room connecting the faculty house to Cooper Farris dorm and a one-car garage. The project should be completed in four to five months and be ready for occupancy by the end of the year.

Broadhead, head of school. “We welcome this well-designed, spacious addition to our faculty and staff residential housing options. It will enable us to have a family with children in a house directly attached to a dormitory."

The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath residence will include living and dining rooms, kitchen and laundry room. It

“When current residential staff reviewed the drawings, they were very excited about the layout of the new house,” said Ray

Cooper Farris currently has one- and twobedroom faculty resident apartments.

Summer 2012

Construction is expected to begin during summer on the Cooper Farris Dorm faculty residence addition in an area that is also adjacent to Davis Dorm. The 2,400 square feet of living space will be complemented by 400 square feet of deck space.

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John Morgan –

The “Father of Science” at Webb

By Sandi Jobe

Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

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hen young John Morgan came to The Webb School in 1932, fresh from graduate work at the University of Tennessee, he found the school virtually unchanged since its founding in the American Civil War era. William R. “Son Will” Webb was operating the nationally known school in exactly the same manner as his father, “Old Sawney.”

The Webb School Magazine

Building onto a classical curriculum Webb’s classical curriculum emphasized Latin and Greek, with other courses in mathematics, English, French, and a very basic general science course. By necessity, Webb teachers have always been asked to play a number of roles, and for a few years Morgan taught French, in addition to the science classes that he favored.

The teaching of science in public school classes was a controversial subject during that era in the United States, particularly biology and related theories of evolution. Although Webb was independent, there was no chemistry or biology, and there were no dedicated science facilities.

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By the late 1930s, the school was losing students because of the lack of chemistry and a weak science program. Students were increasingly interested in science, and top college curricula increasingly demanded an understanding of the fundamentals of scientific inquiry. Change was needed to ensure the school’s survival.

Morgan jumped on the opportunity to devote himself to his passion for science and build a true program for Webb. He was named head of the Science Department in 1940. Morgan led the conversion of the lower story of the Old Library into a science department, complete with a physics lab and a chemistry bench. This laboratory was used until the modern Big Room was built in 1952.

A devoted teacher and leader During his 43-year career at Webb and for years afterwards, John Morgan inspired thousands of Webb students with his love for science. He estimated that he turned out 80 doctors during his teaching career, and continued to stay in contact with many students for decades after they left Webb.

“John Morgan was an icon,” said Dr. Ed Kaplan ’54, distinguished graduate of The Webb School. “He taught me chemistry and physics. His teaching style was more than making it interesting to learn...he was a person that you wanted to please. You were embarrassed if you didn’t know something.”

Morgan was principal for four years, from 1959-1963. Under his leadership, the size of the student body increased to 200, the highest level in many years. Additionally, Morgan and the Board of Trustees conducted a substantial capital funds drive, which resulted in significant improvements to the school’s physical plant. Morgan hired Kelton Tidwell to lead the science department. When Morgan returned to teaching, he chose to teach math instead of chemistry.

His explanation for this decision was simply, “He [Tidwell] was better than I was.”

Morgan’s legacy at Webb lives on through his role in the creation of Webb’s Science Department; through his leadership during the debt-free expansion of Webb’s buildings and grounds; and especially through the post-graduation contributions of each student who was inspired by his love for science and mathematics.

New center gave future doctors, nurses, others strong foundation

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hen The Board of Trustees began talking about the need for could take advantage of what the science center made possible. more space to accommodate science, computer and math “I learned the basics of biology, chemistry and physics in the new courses in the early 1980s, they had science center during my early high school to be practical and precise in their years from excellent teachers like Mrs. (Linda) “There is no question at all that this is a discussions and consider square footage, Williams, Mr. (Bill) Rice and Mr. (Gar) vitally needed facility if we are to be in a utilities, bricks and mortar. But all the position to offer a demanding program in Maunula,” said Sethi, an orthopedic spine while, they were envisioning something surgeon in Seattle, Wash. “This served as a the sciences. As we are all aware, this is measured in a very different way – an solid foundation for a career in medicine and a vital area of study, not only for us, but education in those disciplines that was surgery. I am grateful to The Webb School for our nation, as well.” second to none and prepared graduates providing this foundation and giving me the of The Webb School with the requisites basics that would later bolster my development – Jack Heffner’s Headmaster’s Report of the future. as a surgeon.” addressing the need for the new science building at the April 18, 1986, Board of The board continued to plan through Jerri Puckett Brown ’91, BSN, RN, Trustees meeting the mid-1980s for the new facility Investigator, agreed with Sethi about the that would provide increased space for science program advantages while she was at classrooms so more courses could be offered and additional labs so Webb. “The advanced technology of the science building prepared students could “do” science not just “study” it. me to easily transition into the laboratory and clinical settings of a rigorous collegiate nursing program.” Brown works for the State of Dr. Rajiv Sethi ’92 was a member of one of the first classes that Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards.

Davis-Woosley Computer – Science Center raised the bar The Austin Davis-W. Bryant Woosley, Sr. Computer – Science Center became the newest building on campus, in the summer of 1987, following a year of construction at a cost of approximately $900,000. It was dedicated in a ceremony on Oct. 16, 1987.

On dedication day, Paul Martin ’88 wrote an Oracle article that called the building “the first play of a long-range game plan.”

The modern facility provided for computer and math classrooms on the ground floor and science classrooms and laboratories on the second floor. A greenhouse and a two-story solarium were additional features of the new building.

In the same Oracle article, the late Jim Meadows, then chairman of the Board of Trustees long- range planning committee, said, “Everyone feels positive about Webb School.” Meadows echoed that the building was the first in the board’s plan that also included another classroom facility, a new library, student center and a new dormitory.

Austin Davis, of Tampa, who founded Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. with his father and three brothers, was senior executive vice president

W. Bryant Woosley, Sr., Shelbyville native, was a 1922 graduate of Webb. He organized the Woosley Knitting Mills in Shelbyville and was founder of the Dixie Home Corp. and National Pencil Co., serving as chairman and president, respectively, and served as vice president of Dixie Grain Co. He served on numerous boards, including The Webb School Board of Trustees, and was a director of Synercon Corp, a Nashville-based holding company at the time of his death in 1972. The Woosley family connection continues with Mr. Woosley’s grandson, H. Lee Woosley, III, serving on The Webb School Board of Trustees.

The W. Bryant Woosley, Sr. Chair of Private Enterprise, established in 1984 as the first of Webb’s Academic chairs, honored Woosley’s many years of dedicated service to the school. It later became the W. Bryant Woosley, Sr. Chair of Technology in 1996 to advance the school’s ability to use technology in all areas of operation, keep hardware and software current, train teachers and staff and partially fund the technology coordinator.

Summer 2012

The computer – science center bears the names of two men, the late Austin Davis and the late Bryant Woosley, Sr. Mr. Davis and the family of Bryant Woosley, Sr., gave significant gifts to help bring the project to fruition. They were joined by other donors, for whom the science center was also a focus. Mr. and Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Bryant Woosley, Sr. and their families attended the dedication.

for more than 50 years. He retired from the company’s board of directors in 1982. He died in 1992. One of Davis’ daughters, Sandra, is the wife of Charles P. “Pick” Stephens ’56, a member of The Webb School Board of Trustees. For more than 20 years, Davis was a constant and generous supporter of Webb. Webb documents at the time of his death noted that, “In addition to substantial contributions that helped build the school’s endowment, he and his wife gave a challenge gift in 1979 to build a girls’ dormitory.

This gift was matched by alumni and friends, and the Austin Davis Dormitory was completed in 1980.”

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Johnson '76 learned to love math, found potential as architect while at Webb

By Rita Mitchell

Director of Communications

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ashville architect Bill Johnson ’76 traces his love of mathematics to Mr. John Morgan, retired Webb headmaster and his geometry teacher. “Geometry and architecture go hand in hand. I deal with geometry every single day, and I get to think of Mr. Morgan every day,” said Johnson. “In his very specific way, he was incredibly helpful in getting me to enjoy mathematics.”

That’s just one of many good memories Johnson has of the Webb School, where he arrived as a “challenging student because no other school had yet unlocked my desire to learn.” He added, “Webb changed the course of my life. A rekindled love of learning, personal self-control and a desire to succeed in life all blossomed from my experience at Webb.”

Others who made an impact on him were Mrs. Joyce Fort, French and Spanish teacher, and Mr. Glenn Holliman, history teacher, who “in very different ways guided me through the good and tough times at Webb.”

Johnson has a few regrets about his time at Webb; one is not taking calculus taught by Mrs. Sandy Truitt or physics taught by Mr. Bruce Hansel.

Based on his experiences at Webb, Johnson would advise

students, especially sophomores and those younger, to take as many classes as they possibly can at Webb, especially the complicated subjects, for the strong content and individual instruction they will receive. When they get to college, he would urge them to search out the best (often toughest) professors for their required courses.

Johnson was introduced to architecture at a very early age by his Aunt Joan Boley, a sixth grade school teacher, and he always wanted to be an architect. After graduating at Webb, he received a Bachelor of Architecture at The University of Tennessee School of Architecture. Johnson completed an internship in Long Island, N.Y., and also worked for firms in Knoxville and Nashville before founding William C. Johnson Architect (WCJA) in 1985 with his wife, Cathy, who is a residential real estate agent.

He is a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, licensed to practice architecture in several states, and is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional.

In 2011, WCJA received the Metropolitan Historic Commission Preservation Award for Infill Construction in a Historic District for the design of a custom residence – Oakland Cottage in Nashville – a home where they also choose to live.

The Webb School Magazine

“Some architects never get to live in a space they have designed,” said Johnson. “We have now lived in three WCJA-designed homes. Each one is very different – a

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farmhouse in the woods, a townhouse in the city and now a tiny home/office – Oakland Cottage – in an urban neighborhood.”

Johnson said the 2,175-square-foot Oakland Cottage in the Belmont Historic District, reflects the “empty nest” phase of their lives. He noted that as an architecture student in the late 70s, at the time of the oil embargo, students were taught that sustainability and environmental concerns would become major factors in the future. “Thirty years (and millions of SUVs) later, we’re back to the same place,” he said.

“I wanted to design a building that cuts through the green hype and performs as efficiently as possible with a very low environmental impact.” Oakland is a LEEDplatinum certified construction. The WCJA website calls renovating existing houses “the ultimate green solution in residential construction.”

Recently, Johnson has been involved in a wide range of residential building types. “Our core business is the custom residence designed for rather affluent clientele. These are very memorable and challenging architecturally; but I also enjoy designing small homes and vacation cottages. It appears that, economically and socially, society is shifting to more modest lifestyle choices.” He also works with a large national client who provides assisted-care living facilities. “Obviously, this building type doesn’t have the glamour of a custom beach house; but it’s important for a residential architect to be involved in all spectrums of housing. Everybody deserves good design.”

It was probably Johnson’s entrepreneurial spirit that led him to succeed as the owner of an architectural firm. “I never was a great employee. I was always geared to have my own business.” Johnson said that when a person is self-employed, he or she has “to wear numerous different hats. You can’t just be a good architect.”

He added that the small-business owner must manage the business, market the work to generate projects and, depending on the economy (and fluctuating number of people the company can afford to employ), do any number of other tasks. “A Type A personality is required.”

In addition to his architectural work, Johnson taught for several years at O'More School of Design in Franklin, Tenn. His instruction included courses in design theory and presentation rendering.

KAPLIN

Over the years, Johnson has helped with several projects on the Webb campus. “The design of the Woosley Entrance Gates and the Laura Woosley Poston Plaza, Big Room renovations and tower, and John M. Webb Library stabilization are projects in which I’ve been involved,” said Johnson. “I also designed the HaunRagland Gymnasium renovation and the new Lundin Fine Arts Center along with fellow Webb alumnus, Trent Sullivan ‘87 of IDS in Nashville.” He has also participated in the Alumni Board and as a Career Day speaker for several years.

Johnson and his wife love to travel, cook, and enjoy time with their daughter, Kristen, and grandson, Corbitt. The Webb alum is an avid outdoorsman with interests in fly-fishing, hunting, hiking and camping.

One of his favorite activities for the past 10 years has been hiking different segments of the Appalachian Trail with several friends and clients, two of whom are also Webb graduates – Bob Davies ‘76, of Nashville, and Ray Singer ‘76, of Murfreesboro. “We try to start at the highest elevation and walk downhill.” Johnson has therefore dubbed them “Old Man Hikes.”

Summer 2012

As with many professions, those who can anticipate new trends and market changes will fare the best. “Architects

must be able to judge the direction that society will swing in order to influence trends,” said Johnson.

“Designing quality spaces, regardless of size or budget, is an excellent way to shape the public’s perception of ‘good design.’ As an industry, architects must realize that construction is responsible for an incredible amount of the environmental challenges we face as a society.”

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Kaplan '54 found that the culture at Webb encouraged well-rounded development

By Sandi Jobe

Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

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hen he accepted his Webb Bible in 1954, Ed Kaplan’s Webb classmates knew him as “Eddie,” a cheerful and talkative boy from the Mississippi Delta who enjoyed debating and sports. He was president of the Dorm Council, graduated Cum Laude, and was selected as an Outstanding Senior.

Today, his students and colleagues know him as “Dr. Kaplan,” Professor of Pediatrics in the divisions of Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Infectious Disease at the University of Minnesota Medical School, and Adjunct Professor in the Division of Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

America, including assistance with starting and upgrading laboratory facilities in other countries.

“Good things beget good things.”

“When I went to medical school at Washington University, it was very interesting that what my classmates had studied in their undergraduate work seemed geographically influenced,” said Kaplan. “The people from the south and west had mostly majored in sciences, and the classmates from the eastern United States had focused more on the humanities and liberal arts. I think it made a difference in the way they approached medicine.”

Kaplan has been a member of the faculty at the University of Minnesota Medical School since 1970. He is a recipient of numerous national and international honors and awards for his research on streptococci, rheumatic fever, and related conditions. He has written several hundred publications and edited several books. In 1992, the City of Minneapolis honored him with the designation of “International Citizen of the Year” and in 2002, The Webb School inducted him into the Distinguished Alumni Society.

The Webb School Magazine

“I’ve worked on various advisory committees, and have recently had the honor of serving on a Department of Defense board that examines military health, from broken toes to pandemic influenza.”

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Kaplan regards his career progression as a natural evolution of interests, education, and professional pursuits. “Good things beget good things,” he said. “The important thing is getting the background to be able to recognize those opportunities. You pave the way through your background.”

International reach

Kaplan’s laboratory at the University of Minnesota Medical School has been one of only five World Health Organization Collaborating Centers for Reference and Research on Streptococci in the world.

Group A streptococcal infection can lead to rheumatic fever, and is widespread around the globe. Kaplan’s laboratory and clinical work seek to understand and delineate the recent resurgence of serious streptococcal infections. The laboratory collaborates with laboratories in countries in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and South

Kaplan’s research has led to improvements in clinical management of patients with streptococcal infections and cost-effective laboratory techniques for clinicians and epidemiologists. It has also aided in the understanding of clinically significant changes in Group A streptococci from around the world. A program to delineate the potential for genetic predisposition to rheumatic fever was also carried out in collaboration with an institute in India. Kaplan also has had the opportunity to study and conduct biomedical research abroad during two sabbatical leaves; one for a year spent in Switzerland and a second for six months in 2004 in Germany.

Not just a scientist

While at medical school at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and afterwards, Kaplan thought that his balanced education gave him a greater sense of context.

Kaplan finds the ability to see practical relevance to be a critical factor in medicine. “You must know the process of inquiry. In medicine, you make an observation at the bedside or in the clinic and you seek to understand ‘what’ and then ask ‘why.’ Take the ‘what questions’ that have practical relevance and take them into the laboratory and answer the ‘why.’”

The importance of a balanced education

Kaplan found that the culture at Webb encouraged well-rounded development. “Mr. Follin’s third-year Latin class and Mr. Morgan’s chemistry and physics classes were necessary hurdles for me,” said Kaplan. “Therefore, the academic rigor I learned at Webb has been important to me all though my career.”

“When I went to the University of Rochester (Rochester, N.Y.) for my undergraduate education, my advisor told me, ‘if you get into medical school,’ and the emphasis was on the ‘if,’ ‘you will be doing science all your life. You’d better get an education first.’ So I was a history major. It was some of the best advice I have ever had.”

A visit from

MANISH SETHI

By Sandi Jobe

Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

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n March 1, 2010, Dr. Manish Sethi visited Bell Buckle to speak to Webb students about healthcare reform in Tennessee and related issues relevant to their futures as leaders in a global economy.

“I’m one of you guys,” Sethi said to the students. “I sat in every [section of chapel], seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade; I’ve been all around this place, as was my brother. I know [being a Webb student is] a daily grind…but I want you to embrace what you’re going through right now in life, because Webb School is a place that really wants to develop your strengths, but also your weaknesses.”

“Be proud of who you are and where you come from, because it matters,” Sethi told students. “The one thing that I will never let anyone take away from me is my time at Webb School, because I love this place, and the teachers here, they really care.”

Dr. Manish Sethi graduated from Webb in 1996. He currently serves as an orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Vanderbilt University, as co-director of the Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Institute Center for Health Policy, and holds a faculty appointment as assistant professor at Vanderbilt University.

in Tunisia, where he studied muscular dystrophy in children.

As a leading researcher on the topic of defensive medicine, Dr. Sethi has lectured and published extensively. He completed his general surgery internship at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass., and was a resident in the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Surgery Program.

In 2009, Dr. Sethi was selected as a national finalist for the White House Fellowship.

His clinical interests center around the utilization of evidence-based medicine in the treatment of the orthopaedic trauma patient. He also maintains a deep interest in health policy, and has been a writer for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality as well as a Health Policy Fellow for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery.

He has served as the National Chairman of the American Medical Association Resident and Fellow Section and also as a member of the Committee on Publications of the New England Journal of Medicine of the Massachusetts Medical Society.

Sethi is a Webb “Ancient Guard” who attended Webb for six years. He served as Honor Council president during his senior year, and his classmates voted him as the senior “most likely to succeed.” Sethi credits his parents’ support and his experience at Webb with instilling a sense of dedication and commitment to making a difference in the community where he grew up. “My parents were from India. They came from

the streets of Delhi. Even when I was sitting in that corner [7th grade section of chapel], I said ‘listen, I don’t know what I’m going to do or how I’m going to do it, but part of it is going to entail me coming back to Tennessee to try to make a difference.’”

“My parents came from India so that my brother and I could have a better life,” said Sethi. “I came to Webb School because… there weren’t schools that were affording the opportunities that Webb can afford to you, and so I got to come here and was very fortunate, as was my elder brother.”

Sethi’s older brother, Rajiv Sethi ’92, also attended Webb for six years, served on the Honor Council, and followed a similar path at Brown University and Harvard Medical School.

Videos of his chapel talk and an interview with Dr. Sethi are available on the Webb Alumni Channel on YouTube.

Sethi explained how his youthful dreams and goals are still relevant to his current life’s work. “You guys all have dreams. You have goals. There are things that you want to do with your life. A lot of the things that you want to do with your life now, will be the things that you still want to do when you’re at my stage.”

“Here at Webb, the teachers and faculty really care about you, and they want to develop you. And the things that you develop, and the way that you develop at this school, will carry you forward for a lifetime,” said Sethi.

Summer 2012

Dr. Sethi earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies from Brown University, and an MD from Harvard Medical School. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Sethi was a Fulbright Scholar

‘96

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BUNTIN '81

satisfies his dreams, claims awards building his own

By Rita Mitchell

Director of Communications

I The Webb School Magazine

t was always David Buntin’s dream to be a career pilot and, at some point, build and fly his own airplane.

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AIRPLANE

The ’81 graduate has accomplished both. He has logged more than 10,000 hours of flight time in a 20-year career piloting for UPS and during 10 years in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserves. He’s flown trainers/fighter/attack/reconnaissance aircraft in the military, and narrow-body passenger and wide-body cargo transport aircraft in the civilian sector. And, after six years of nearly constant work during time off, he not only completed a kit-built RV-8 airplane, but flew it to a national competition and took home two top awards.

plane’s canopy from allowing air to seep into the cockpit. His award-winning innovation could benefit kit aircraft builders for years to come. He has received calls from other kit-built enthusiasts about the innovation since his airplane was featured in the April 2012 issue of “EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Sport Aviation” magazine.

Buntin entered the Kit-Built category of the 2011 Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Airshow in Wisconsin in August 2011, claiming the Grand Champion Gold Lindy, in a field of more than 900 entries. Possibly even more exciting, he also won the Stan Dzik Memorial Award for Outstanding Design Contribution.

Buntin developed a seal from a bicycle pump that prevents the

Buntin, whose father, Edward Buntin ’53, is a retired commercial airline pilot, received his private pilot’s license at 16, while a student at Webb. After graduating from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force. He subsequently trained and flew an extensive list of military aircraft while stationed at Air Force

bases throughout the country. He also had a stint as a T-37 jet trainer instructor.

Later, as a reservist, Buntin had the opportunity to continue to fly in the Air Force (A-10 Warthog pilot) and get a commercial airline job at the same time. “I was hired by UPS in 1992 and am still with them. I am currently a captain on the MD-11.” Buntin has also served as captain on three other aircraft models during his UPS career.

Several years ago, Buntin began pursuing his second dream and could be found in his garage, constructing his award-winning aircraft. “It is a high-performance plane (fully acrobatic) and is a great airplane to fly,” he said. “I made several non-structural modifications to the kit that were a bit of a challenge. It took almost six years to build.” He added, “I like building things, and the RV-8 is one of the most popular kits on the market. I have helped others on their homebuilt airplane projects, so I kind of knew what I was getting into.”

Buntin’s plane is strictly for pleasure, and, cruising at about 200 mph, he would be completely comfortable taking it on a crosscountry trip. To attend the Wisconsin airshow, he flew at 11,500 feet over Chicago with no problems. To his delight, it can also be made to flip and roll with ease. “It’s like a wild rollercoaster ride.”

He has about 100 hours flying it solo and piloting family members and friends. One of his first passengers was his father, who lives in Florida. Buntin, who lives in Jeffersonville, Ind., met his father in Nashville and the two flew over the Portland (Tenn.) farm, where his father was reared. “He thought it was pretty neat.” Buntin’s friend, Will Coble ’82, of Nashville, also has enjoyed a flight.

Buntin’s sons, Chris, (who has his pilot’s license) and Colin, both

Purdue University students, and the youngest, Connor (who wants a pilot’s license) have all been up, but his wife, Kelly, who does not enjoy flying, has passed on the opportunity.

Buntin said that Webb helped him reach his potential that allowed him to have the career and pastime of his dreams. “Webb was the foundation for good study habits and getting a good handle on how to get prepared for college and the real world. Webb has always had a great reputation as a college prep school.”

It was that reputation and the experiences of his father as a Webb student that led Buntin to enroll at Webb. “My dad asked me if I wanted to try summer school. I said I did and liked it so much that I wanted to come back during the regular school year. My brother, Miles ‘80, was given the regular school year opportunity also, and he jumped on it.”

Buntin said numerous faculty and staff members were mentors in many different ways and cited Mrs. Joyce Fort, Mr. Imre Lagler, Mr. Tim Graham, Mr. Wilson Sims, Mr. Bill Abernathy, Mr. Lee Gillis and Mr. and Mrs. Lane Abernathy among them. “Mr. L.R. Smith and Mrs. (Dorothy) Elkins were motivational, and the list goes on with very fond memories.” He also remembers Outer Limits as “a great program where there was lots of fun.” He added, “I have some excellent memories with the friends at Webb, and still keep in touch with many of them.”

Buntin thinks the greatest challenge for Webb students in their continued education and a global job market will be the competition, and he has some advice for them. “There will be lots of competitors out there who want the same job you do. So be better prepared, more well-rounded and hungry for perfection in whatever you pursue.”

Summer 2012

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Da co-authors research paper with Vanderbilt faculty

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ebb senior Jennifer Da, of Murfreesboro, was among co-authors of an article on Smith-LemliOpitz Syndrome that was published in Neurobiology of Disease, (Vol. 45, Issue 3, March 2012). Other co-authors were Vanderbilt University faculty members, Dr. Libin Xu, Dr. Wei Liu and Dr. Ned Porter, Department of Chemistry and Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Dr. Karoly Mirnics and Dr. Zeljka Korade, Department of Psychiatry and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development; and Dr. Aaron Bowman, Department of Neurology and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development.

Students in the AP Photosynthesis lab, Mars Sampaio, of Brazil, and Matthew Dilworth, of Jamaica, and Dr. Leone Broadhead, chemistry and AP biology teacher, are going over the lab results. The students are taking data from four different experimental groups. They are looking at the percentage of transmission of light using colorimeters to determine which experimental groups chemically broke the most water molecules by testing the transmission of light through the chloroplast solution.

Bryant, Wells Selected for Vanderbilt Summer Internships

T The Webb School Magazine

wo juniors at The Webb School have been selected for The Research Experience for High School Students at Vanderbilt University. Students are accepted through a competitive application process.

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Carson Bryant, of Rockvale, and Benjamin Wells, of Smyrna, will participate in the six-week intense scientific research internship. They will be working on a project that relates to dissertation research of Chase Spurlock, a 2005 Webb graduate who is in the Vanderbilt pathology doctoral program.

The major goal of the research is to better understand the cause and development of rheumatoid arthritis, a common inflammatory autoimmune disease. The laboratory’s principal investigator is Dr. Thomas M. Aune. Aune is a professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology and immunology within Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

The Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation website notes that “SLOS is a metabolic disorder caused by a mutation in the DHCR7 (7-dehydrocholesterol reductase) gene on chromosome 11. This gene codes for an enzyme that is involved in the production of cholesterol.

Cholesterol is an essential component of the cell membrane and tissues of the brain. A person who can't make enough cholesterol will therefore experience poor growth, developmental delays, and mental retardation. People with this disorder may also have a range of physical malformations (such as extra fingers or toes) and problems with internal organs (such as the heart or kidney).”

The research paper has several key components, and the segment Da was part of studied the effects of oxysterol DHCEO on neurons. “When cholesterol is made, it goes through a domino effect of chemical reactions.

In patients with SLOS, the last chemical reaction doesn't always happen,” said Da. “Because of this, 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) the compound that's supposed to be converted into cholesterol, accumulates in excess amounts in the brain. 7-DHC is highly oxidizable and gets converted into oxysterols. One of these oxysterols, DHCEO, also builds up in the brain.”

Da participated in research that studied the effects of the accumulation of DHCEO and

SCIENCE at Webb

found that it caused the neurons in the cell cultures to grow / develop abnormally quickly.”

The Webb senior said the research is important because when neurons develop too quickly, they don't mature correctly. “This leads to them not being able to make the correct connections and transmit the correct signals to other parts of the body to keep it functioning properly.” She added, “I compared neurons treated with DHCEO and normal neurons. I used a specific computer software program to extract data from photographs taken of the neurons on a microscope and then analyzed the data using Excel.”

Juniors and seniors in the Anatomy and Physiology class dissected sheep brains as they were studying the nervous system in the human. Sheep are also mammals and have similar brain structures to humans. Pam Sexton, Science Department chair, watches Jessica York, of Normandy, and John Russell, of Tullahoma, as they complete their dissection.

Da said that after hearing Jonah Lehrer as a Follin Speaker at Webb in 2010, she was interested in learning more about medical research - specifically, neuroscience. During her junior year, she emailed a number of Vanderbilt researchers involved with neuroscience research. One of those who replied was Dr. Korade, with whom she interned last summer.

Brian Wofford’s seventh grade environmental science students took advantage of Webb’s pond for a class period that re-emphasized the steps of water purification.

The students reviewed sedimentation, screening, filtration, aeration and sterilization – all using what Wofford terms a “kitchen lab.” They were given pots, pans, cups, coffee filters, iodine and other common household products, simulating how water could be purified in emergency situations. Wofford works with Austin Cooper, of Holliday, Texas, Tripp Mifflin, of Murfreesboro, and Heath Grubbs, of Wartrace, as they complete the class assignment.

Summer 2012

Da plans to continue pursuing scientific research in college.

“I think by already being exposed to the world of medical research, I'll be more prepared in college to get involved and start at an earlier time,” Da said. She will be attending Georgetown University in the fall of 2012. “I plan to pursue my interests in neuroscience and international studies, but I don't know where that will ultimately lead me.”

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SPRING into webb reunion

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A. John Chambliss '57, George '68 and Claude Pine B. Fleet Johnston'52 C. Mandy Akin Hayes '92, David Crabtree ’90 and Beth Hubbard Crabtree ’92 share pictures D. 2012 Reunion favors E. Caramel oatmeal cake from Bell Buckle Cafe F. Veronika Onuskova '07 , L.R. Smith, Samantha Myers '07, Jeanne Hanna '06 G. John Hester '47, Head of School Ray Broadhead, James Hester '47 H. The Tent I. Class of 1992 J. Class of 1972 with Dorothy Elkins K. Bill Rice talking with Manish Sethi '96

Huddleston Receives Hardin Service Award

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eigh Huddleston, of Murfreesboro, recently received the John B. Hardin Service Award.

“I thank everyone. It’s been a pleasure,” said Huddleston as she accepted the award. “When I looked at the list of the recipients who have preceded me, it’s very much an honor.”

Huddleston has been a leader among parents in her volunteer activities at Webb. As parent of triplets, seniors Grace, Candler and Will, Huddleston has chaired, sponsored and worked numerous events and fund-raisers for Webb for seven years. She is a past president of Parents of Athletes at Webb School (PAWS), she is current president of the Webb School Parents’ Association (WSPA), and she was

instrumental in the coordination of the WSPA Auction each year. She chaired the Webb Fund Parent Committee in 2010-2011, and she has also sponsored the Webb Fund generously and consistently each year.

Born and raised in Columbia, Huddleston graduated from Battle Ground Academy in Franklin. After high school, she attended Vanderbilt University, where she received a B.A. in communication and an M.B.A. in marketing. She also volunteers and is involved with Charity Circle of Murfreesboro, The YMCA of Rutherford County, First United Methodist Church and the Domestic Violence Center of Rutherford County.

Shoaf '68 Receives Distinguished Alumni Award

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orrest Shoaf ‘68 was inducted into the Distinguished Alumni Society during the school’s annual reunion.

“We were taught here to be truthful,” Shoaf said after receiving the award. “So when I tell you today that this is the most significant honor ever bestowed on me, you can take it to the bank.” In addition to thanking the alumni association for the honor, Shoaf also expressed appreciation to the Webb faculty for “not only teaching me how to be a good student, but how to be a good man.”

Shoaf related that he began writing his congressman in fifth grade about a possible appointment to West Point when he graduated from high school. The congressman advised Shoaf ’s mother that if that was his goal, to enroll him in a good prep school. She sent him to Webb as a scholarship student. When Shoaf asked his mother why she chose Webb over other prep schools, she told him it was because the leading citizen in their town, a judge, well known for his integrity and knowledge of the law, was a Webb alumnus. “My mother told me, ‘I knew that if you could be like him, you’d have a fighting chance at West Point.’”

Shoaf said he never forgot that and told those attending the ceremony, “Whether you know it or not, people are watching not only what you are doing but how you are doing it. You represent this school.” He closed encouraging the alumni to uphold the values that were instilled at Webb.

Shoaf was born and reared in rural West Tennessee. After graduation from West Point, he served 12 years active duty with the 101st Airborne Division and the 2nd Infantry Division and as a member of the West Point English Department faculty. He practiced law in Nashville, as a member of Bass, Berry & Sims. Later, he was a managing director in the J.C. Bradford Corporate Finance Department. He recently resigned as the chief legal officer and chief financial officer of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® restaurant chain.

Shoaf is an Airborne Ranger and a graduate of the Army General Staff College and the Air Force War College. He also holds an M.A. in literature from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He and his wife, Melissa, reside in Lebanon.

Top picture: Head of School Ray Broadhead and Leigh Huddleston Bottom picture: Faculty Emeritus Dr. Lucas Boyd, Forrest Shoaf '68, and Faculty Emeritus Cory Hartbarger A video of Shoaf's remarks is available on the Alumni Website.

Summer 2012

Later in life, Shoaf encountered someone else who had formed an opinion about The Webb School based on the life of a well-respected citizen in her Alabama community. Speaking of Shoaf ’s higher education, she told him that the other schools “taught you how to make a living, but Webb taught

you how to live,” and that they “made you what you are, but Webb made you who you are.”

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Daughter remembered

By Rita Mitchell

FATHER'S FONDNESS OF WEBB

Director of Communications

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ne man’s strong feelings about The Webb School, where he graduated nearly 120 years ago, has translated into gifts to the school’s endowment from his daughter that now have a market value of $4 million. The most recent check for $642,000 was received in February.

Charles Chester Huff was reared in Bell Buckle, the son of the Rev. William Huff and Mrs. Martha E. Huff. He graduated from Webb in 1893 and attended Vanderbilt University before moving to Taylor, Texas, in 1896. Several years later, he moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, to study law under his brother, attorney R.E. Huff. He went on to become one of the most prominent lawyers in the Southwest and died in 1949 in Dallas, Texas.

The Webb School Magazine

Remembering how fond her father was of Webb and “Old Sawney,” Pinta Huff Harris, only child of Huff and his wife, Mary Encell Mendel Huff, made the school a beneficiary in her will in the early 1980s.

And at that point, she also made two gifts totaling $160,000 – all in memory of her father.

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McDonnell said he, Webb Follin Jr. and Lane Abernathy, then Director of Alumni Relations and Planned Giving, along with several other board members “called on her (Pinta Huff Harris) and her attorneys and had a very nice meeting. She related how fondly her father spoke of The Webb School and the memorable educational experiences he had at Webb.”

They were told that Webb was named as the recipient of half of her residual estate – interests in several trusts – but at the time, the Webb group did not know the size of the trusts. (Harris also had named other educational institutions and organizations among her beneficiaries.)

Harris died several years later after a short illness in the fall of 1984 at age 81, and the school was notified. Her obituary in “We were puzzled the Dallas Morning News by it,” said Jim noted that she was born McDonnell, a member May 18, 1903, and was of the Board of a longtime resident of Trustees and former Dallas. She attended The chairman. “We wanted University of Texas, The to respond to the Hockaday School and gifts, but our records was a longtime member from 1893-96 were of the Church of the so incomplete that Incarnation in Dallas. we had very little According to a 1958 art information about exhibit pamphlet, she was The "Big Room" in the 1890s him. We confirmed a trustee of the Dallas that he had attended Museum of Fine Arts. She school, but we had no current information about him.” McDonnell was buried in Taylor City Cemetery next to her parents. added, “Since this gift promised to be the largest gift we had ever received, we felt we needed to respond appropriately.”

As explained by Abernathy in a September 1985 letter to a Webb board member, Harris had mineral and real estate interests. He Research about Charles Huff led Webb officials to his background anticipated the Webb share would be $1.5 million. He added, “You in Texas, where he was a prominent attorney in private practice and are probably familiar with the Mendel land in West Texas. The story later for a number of railroad companies that were cutting wide is that Mr. Charles Huff loaned the money to Mr. Hood Mendel, rights-of-way across Texas through the Midland, Texas, region. He his brother-in-law, to buy the tracts at $1 an acre. Mrs. Pinta Huff was also a Federal Reserve Bank attorney.

Harris inherited a one-sixth interest in the Hood Mendel holdings

and a one-sixtieth interest in the Myrtle Mendel holdings.” Myrtle Mendel was Hood Mendel’s wife, Pinta Huff Harris’s aunt.

Computer – Science Building in 1987, in addition to numerous other projects.

Webb received $1,076,250 on Sept. 30, 1985, and then began receiving monthly checks for mineral, gas and oil royalties, land lease proceeds and investment interest.

“It’s significant that a student’s experience at Webb will generate a memorial of this magnitude,” said McDonnell.

This has proven to be one of the largest gifts Webb has ever received.

Proceeds from the Pinta Huff Harris gifts were used as part of a match for the second and third years of a $900,000 Kenan Trust matching grant and toward the construction of the Davis-Woosley

g Dallas Mornin

News, March

(Income from Webb's endowment allows gifts to continue giving in perpetuity, providing scholarships, salaries, and supplemental income to support the school year.)

29, 1943

Summer 2012

Scottish second degree the in ember w la m a , ad re on as Rite M lls, where he Fa f. uf H . l Bar .E ra R her, Huff, gene of the American State office of his brot at r Charles Chester sba as sa e ex an th T K to n, riMissou Associatio He was admitted ay, 1898, and solicitor of the one of the best s Bar la al D e M th in d lls d Bar an Wichita Fa t, ty Texas Lines, an rved on es ci se d hw e te ut H ec el s in the So Association. shortly after was he was elected various known attorney m. at a local of s ee itt , m 00 3 a. civic com rney. In 19 to at lls Fa ta Falls died Sunday at ta hi hi ic ic at W brief illness. kinds in both W county attorney s election hospital after a hi s. r and shortly afte y Encell Mendel and Dalla Mar s for twentyla iss al M D d of rie t ar en m er A resid director f started his care Mr. Huff was a , of the of Taylor. eight years, Huf ey in 1908 at em st sy y rn of the Kat ey as a railroad atto the Wichita and of as county attorn d ith ne w Texas Katy lines iaries, sig lls re Fa e ta H hi of s Wic es . id pr ad e bs th lro su ai e of estern R several Katy in 1905 becaus Falls & Northw 06 hita Falls 19 ic in W d e an th g e, includin ivate practic l, pr el K & p e Texas th em , e K torney for unsel for th & Northwestern eade & He served as co erve Bank from became at g what was known M r, ve ea Res Central, B then buildin , l Dallas Federal hita Falls ta Falls Railway general counse hi d ic an W Inglewood, Wic and the e 25 th 19 as to y. at K 1914 e th ny 0. pa by 93 om ired 1925-1 afterward acqu torney of the line Railway C ouston and for the bank from ,H l at on ra st ne ve al ge G as w e l H l for severa el ld K he , and a director d an on be rs p ill de w em Hen built by K Funeral services . at Sparkmanrn Drug hw the Sout este ustee of a.m of s. ar ye Tuesday at 10 dy d a tr Home. His bo Corporation an . in Brand Funeral aylor, his former s la ol al D ho to T Hockaday Sc Mr. Huff moved position of will be taken to train for burial. e th on 1914 to accept y Lines home, on a no ce is at 4201 his pastor, rney of the Kat ey L.N.D. Wells, to en r. at l sid D ra re f ne uf ge H The e funeral rved as attorn will conduct th in Texas. He se ral Reserve Lakeside. de Fe . s services for the Dalla being Life ting when it was ar or st do k, ut an O B ed ov L and by his wife, a outdoor sports He is survived nized. ga or Mr. Huff loved s er Roger Harris, best quail hunt daughter, Mrs. was one of the f Pinta Huff; s ol iss rd G hunted bi e former M en as Plays th ck ri St as in the state. He d r, Mary Jane of Texas w ought they coul a granddaughte rs. Robert When the Katy wherever he th d to fish and as w M he 1923, ve Harris; a sister, reorganized in in d an be found. He lo the Koon Kreek r ro, Ala.; ito bo lic ts so l ot of Skelton, Sc inted genera po r ap ito lic . was a member so as l ewton Huff, genera s, in East Tex two brothers, N Will Huff, 1931 was named .

Klub near Athen tation among d an , lines pu Wichita Falls of all the Katy He enjoyed a re r, nieces, Mrs. le e el re yt th or a; st s as a Oklahom ay rd his many friend oor life. tu M Sa d rs. Gus ricken td Jack Hyman an Mr. Huff was st aying golf at particularly of ou and Mrs. Elm tin n while pl odges, Aus , H oo rn te af l of el B b, phew Curran ly 29, 1875, in ollow Golf Clu e was Coon, and a ne ng, Ga. He was born Ju e son of the Rev. Brook H H ni r. en be mem th Brown, Fort B which he was a allas Country Buckle, Tenn., Mrs. Martha D e d president of th 1927.

William Huff an ed Webb and nd 26 te 19 at in e b H lu f.

C uf E. H atory School Brothers Prepar Vanderbilt r of the East and e was a membe rch, a thirtyH at Bell Buckle r lo ay n Chu moved to T Dallas Christia University. He went to Wichita r te la d in 1896, an

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SPRING ATHLETICS

The Webb School Magazine

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A. Girls' Varsity Lacrosse B. Boys' Varsity Tennis C. Softball D. Baseball E

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E. Boys' Varsity Soccer F. Girls' Varsity Tennis G. Boys' Varsity Lacrosse 2012 ITD State Champions

Varsity Boys' Lacrosse Coach, Jamison Fee, Tennessee Scholastic Lacrosse Association Coach of the Year!

For more pictures, team rosters and to keep up with scores please visit http://www.thewebbschool.com/athletics/index.aspx

Barton Extending Family Legacy of

By Rita Mitchell

Director of Communications

Leadership and Giving

S

omething the late Frank Barton, Jr. ‘50 told his son, Keith Barton ‘75, has stayed with him throughout his life.

“He said, ‘If you’re blessed with time, talents or treasures, you’ve really got an obligation to share them. If you don’t share, there’s really not much else for you to do.” That family philosophy and the sense of honor and integrity that Keith Barton said was reinforced at The Webb School have provided the framework for his personal and professional life.

Barton, of Memphis, spent his career in the family’s Barton Equipment Co. and in the property/casualty insurance industry. He and wife, Julie, have a son, John. “Retired,” he now has time to return to the family’s farming interests. He also finds it rewarding to serve on the Synergy Treatment Centers’ Board of Directors, the Monteagle Assembly Endowment Board of Trustees, and he is active in “The 100 Club of Memphis,” which is a support group for the families of Memphis policemen and firefighters who are tragically lost in the line of duty.

It’s his service to Webb that has claimed an increasing amount of his time, talent and treasures in recent years. He joined the Board of Trustees in 2006, but his leadership at Webb dates to his senior year, when he was named to the Prefect Council and was senior class secretary/treasurer. Through the years, he’s been an alumni board member, a class agent, Building and Grounds Committee chair and a Campaign Cabinet member.

He is also the newest member of the Burkhead Society, which recognizes the generosity of alumni, parents and friends who have made provisions for Webb in their estate plans.

“I don’t know if I’m a good leader,” Barton said. “But, I’m a good listener. You can’t be an effective leader without being a good listener. Webb taught me that in several ways.” Barton said through the years he has been able to reason with people, another Webb legacy, “whether I agreed with them or not.”

And, as long as he showed respect for others and a degree of patience, challenges could be met and differences resolved.

Barton has seen many of Webb’s successes through the years and has vivid memories of his family’s strong ties to the

Just as Frank Barton, Jr. had a strong sense of what Webb could be in the future, Barton has his own ideas.

“I believe in what the school is doing. This is an exciting time.” He pointed to all the positives – a “talented and engaged board of trustees, diverse and capable student body, dedicated faculty and staff, great leadership under Ray Broadhead, engaged parents’ association, active alumni and current and future capital improvements projects.”

He added, “We’ve got challenges, but we’re making progress.”

That positive vision led Barton to join the Burkhead Society and plan to benefit Webb through his estate. He noted that the last few years have been pretty tough, and the Webb community has not been immune to it. “But through planned giving and estate planning, a person can make a big impact. It’s pretty exciting.”

"Webb School has done a lot for me and my family. My father, brother (Frank G. Barton, III '74) and I got very sound educations built on honor and integrity. I've been blessed in many, many ways." He added "It's an honor and privilege to serve Webb."

Summer 2012

For current students, Barton thinks Webb’s values are as important as ever. “The motto says it all -- if you don’t do anything on the sly, things just seem to work out. There’ll always be ups and downs, personally and professionally, but … if they’ll embrace the motto, it will serve them very well.”

school. One of the most touching was the dedication of the Frank G. Barton, Jr. Gymnasium in 2002. “It was one of the proudest moments of his life to see that facility completed,” Barton said about his father, a former member of the Board of Trustees. “To realize that facility would serve the needs of students for a long time … that was very rewarding for me. That was something special for the whole family.” Keith's mother, Jane, continues to be a strong supporter of Webb.

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Strategic Plan goals identified;

tactical elements for implementation next step S

ix broad goals have been identified by Webb’s Strategic Planning Committee moving forward in a process that began last summer. The goals were endorsed by the Board of Trustees at the April 27 meeting, with approval of the final plan slated for July and a public launch as the 201213 school year begins.

“We are nearing completion of the first phase of the plan -- identification of the key goals for our next five years and development of strategies to achieve those goals,” said Vance Berry, committee chair. “We are also reviewing the school's mission and articulating a new 10-year vision for the school.”

The planning committee created a subcommittee for each goal to develop strategies to achieve each goal and to help create a tactical plan to implement each strategy.

The first draft of the plan was largely a compilation of the initial reports from the subcommittees. The plan will be developed and refined during the next several weeks.

The planning committee hopes to develop a public plan that will highlight Webb’s goals and strategies and an internal plan that will include the tactical elements for implementing the plan.

Following are the six goals identified: Goal 1:

Examine the current mission of the school to ensure that it reflects the philosophy of the founder and the belief that a dynamic educational institution must remain true to its core values while responsible to ever-changing needs;

Goal 2:

Through the implementation of this strategic plan, develop a governance structure that provides oversight of the school’s fulfillment of mission and attainment of strategic goals;

Goal 3:

embrace the core values of Webb;

Goal 4:

Develop an Enrollment Management System which attracts, enrolls and retains a diverse group of day and boarding students who have the ability and ambition to maximize their college opportunities;

Goal 5:

Promote and enhance The Webb School’s distinct position in the marketplace; and

Goal 6:

Ensure that the school can attract, develop and retain the highest caliber of diverse faculty and staff who are experts in their discipline, recognize the value and expectations of a rural boarding school, and

Strengthen the philanthropic culture surrounding The Webb School so that all constituencies are informed about the case for giving and are encouraged through ‘best practices” to give generously.

Alumni Connections The Webb School Magazine

1930s

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Davis Henderson ’31, Hawthorne, Fla., writes: "It does not seem like I graduated from Webb 80 years ago! I promise to write a letter next January reliving some times at Webb during my four years there. I also remember that Ms. Follin asked me in class if I had studied the lesson for that day. I replied that I had intended to. Then she said, 'Henderson, always remember that the highway to hell is paved with good intentions!'"

1940s Walter Redden ’49, Jackson, Miss., writes: "I had a few birthday cards and several

phone calls to wish me a happy birthday. I thank The Webb School for my foundation in my school years. I retired in 1989 from Scott-Foreman & Co. (Chicago, Ill.).

Enjoy my volunteer activities and especially writing a fun article for the local community paper, The Northside Sun."

1950s Charlie “Chuck” Leach ’52, Farmington, Conn., writes, “Sixty-two years later .........

Charlie and Joan Leach flew to tornadothreatened Nashville on March 2nd, then drove our rented car under lowering skies to Fall Creek Falls in Pikeville for an American College of Physicians Literary Retreat.

There we encountered Paul '52 and Mary Stumb and did some catching up after 62 years. [Paul and I had in fact run across each other briefly at an airport several years ago.] Great fun to reminisce! Tales of Son Will, Bob Webb [and "Princess"], Mr. Morgan, Dr. Tucker, Dear Mrs. Rosenberg and many others. As we all introduced ourselves at the first session of the retreat, I mentioned that I had attended Webb - and found that many others in the room had Webb connections as well. I left Webb in June 1950 to finish secondary school closer to my Vermont home, but the Webb experience had made a profound impact. I have sent my 1948-1950 photo album to the school for the archives, and hope others will find it of interest.”

1960s Frank Schleicher ’62, Austin, Texas, writes: “Currently working in Arizona with Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold as Mgr. Project Controls for North America.

Home is Austin, Texas, where our three sons, Andrew, James, and Paul, also reside.

Andrew is married to Roxanne and has a 3-year-old daughter, Alice. James is the publisher of “Horns Illustrated,” and Paul is working on an Electrical Engineering Degree at UT. Our daughter, Virginia, lives in Huntsville, Ala., with her husband Scott and their five children, Isabelle, Ima, Henry, Eleanor, and William. In my spare time, I have taken up jewelry making.”

1970s Wilson Sims, Jr. ’72, Asheville, N.C. writes: “Following Webb - isn't that where life really begins - my trail took me to Chapel Hill, N.C., Winston-Salem, Columbia, S.C., before relocating with my bride and two kids to Asheville, N.C. in 1994. Since then, my business (www. simsandsteele.com), family (including parents and sisters) and outside activities have kept me busy. Serving on Webb's Alumni Board has been a blast - encourage everyone to consider a term. Otherwise I'm working on a Greenway along the French Broad River, involved in a program to encourage 'youth in philanthropy,' and the Annual Fund chair for Carolina Day School.

However my main activity is with Mrs. Ann and our daughters. Both girls are collegiate volleyball players and so on weekends Ann and I are road warriors! What about you.... tell me what you are up to?

Jeff Whorley ’79, Indianapolis, Ind. The Webb School alumnus John F. “Jeff” Whorley (1979), president of Student Aid Services, Inc., recently announced significant business growth with 678 college and post-secondary school campuses selecting his company’s advanced calculator technology to reliably generate accurate and personalized aid eligibility and cost estimates for prospective students. Market leader Student Aid Services’ advanced technology and services recently were featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, CBS MoneyWatch, the Chronicle of Higher Education, University Business,

and top professional financial aid and enrollment publications. An expert in college affordability, Whorley has grown Student Aid Services in two years from a team of three in Indianapolis to 65 people nationally. Previous to leading Student Aid Services, Whorley was an executive vice president of Sallie Mae Corp., where he led the corporation’s debt management operations division for seven years. He joined Sallie Mae in 2000 when it acquired USA Group, the nation’s largest student loan guarantor, where he served as a senior vice president and oversaw a similar operation. Whorley earned a bachelor’s degree from Sewanee: The University of The South in 1983 and a MBA from The University of Indianapolis in 2000. He serves on three university-related boards. http://www.studentaidservices.com James “Ben” Bentkowski ’72, Lawrenceville, Ga., writes: “I work as a hydrogeologist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cleaning up groundwater contamination in the Southeast. As a hobby, I am slowly but surely doing a frame off restoration of a 1959 Triumph TR3A. My youngest son, Matt, has graduated college with a degree in exercise science and is working in the spinal rehab field. He loves to work out; definitely not a trait passed on by genetics. We recently learned our son, Chris and his wife are expecting their first child, our first grandchild! Kathy and I have now lived in Lawrenceville longer than either of us has lived anywhere else, and life is just fine.”

1980s Charles E. Goodman, III ’87, Greenville, N.C., and his wife Tatjana, have two children, ages 15 and 11. They continue to teach physics and German, respectively, at Pitt Community College and East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. Gerald Flouhouse, ’88, Charlotte, N.C., writes: "My family, Katherine, Harrison (12), Will (9), and I recently moved to Charlotte. I accepted the position of CEO with Carolina Digestive Health Associates.

While visiting schools with my sons, we ran into Ed Fox at The Charlotte Latin School."

Summer 2012

Walter W. Manley II ’64, Tallahassee, Fla. Professor Walter Manley II, a member of The Webb School Board of Trustees, is once again chairman of the TQC Foundation, which sponsors the Biletnikoff Award, presented to the nation's outstanding college football receiver. Walter, with three other trustees, founded the award in 1994.

The Foundation spends $200K annually on scholarships for students who have overcome significant barriers to achieve at the highest academic and extra-curricular levels. Boy Scout extraordinaire (Eagle at 12, youngest in American history at 16 to earn all 121 merit badges, the national Hornaday Award for Conservation recipient, 15 palms earned) son, Ben, was recruited to play tennis at a number of schools and decided to attend Duke, where he is a freshman. A member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America, Ben tried to sharpen the techniques of all family members in Utah in March. The only one who could ski with him, for instance on the 2002 men's Olympic downhill run at Snowbasin, was his sister, Marjorie. Walter is working on book number six --- about a small school in Florida that had an inordinate influence on the development of Florida. He continues to serve as the only Life Trustee of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society, for which he wrote the two-volume court history and, as a result of which, was the sole subject of the only proclamation, titled A Proclamation of Praise and Appreciation, in the Florida Supreme Court's history.

Walter recently completed his ninth year as chairman of the statutory-created Great Floridians Nominating Committee; 64 persons have been selected since 1980, with

the 2012 designees including Governor Jeb Bush, General James Gavin, and Spanish General Bernardo de Galvez. Last, he completed his 15th year as co-chairman of the Duke admissions advisory committee for north Florida and his eighth year in a similar capacity on the Harvard committee.

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1990s John Goodman ’90, Lascassas, Tenn., is a partner and vice president of Red Realty in Murfreesboro. He and wife, Heather, have four children, ages 2 to 11. They are active supporters of Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Erin Craig Henrick ’94, Franklin, Tenn., writes “Josh and I are living in Franklin, Tenn., and have three kiddos, so we are right in the middle of baby-raising extravaganza. Josh is a landscape architect and owns his own business, Greenspace Design, www.greenspace-design.com. If you live in Tennessee and have a project that requires a landscape architect - call Josh!! I work at Vandy as a project manager of a research project examining large-scale middle school math reform. Life is full.”

Lee Spangler ’97, Pittsburgh, Pa. After serving as chief resident, Lee finished his residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in June 2011. He celebrated graduation with a two-week adventure in the jungles of Malaysian Borneo with his partner of eight years, Jonathan Daniel.

This year he will complete a fellowship in Abdominal and Women's Imaging and will present original research at the American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver. He plans to join the academic faculty practice at Magee-Women’s Hospital of UPMC, where he will specialize in breast and gynecologic oncology imaging.

The Webb School Magazine

Nora Goodman Walsh ’99, Evansville, Ind., and her Irish husband, Ken, have a 2 1/2 year old son, Liam. They teach chemistry at Reitz High School and the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. They are expecting their second child in June.

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2000s Hunter Womack ’00, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and wife, Miranda, welcomed daughter, Helen Paige Womack, on Oct. 4, 2011.

Chu Feng Huang ’01, Falls Church, Va., writes, “I currently live in Tysons Corner area in Virginia. I am working on the project, Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

(extension of current metrorail system to airport.) Now, at the same time, I am pursuing my PhD in Information Security Assurance at George Mason University.”

Nick Spangler ‘01 and Rachael Layman Spangler ’01 welcomed son, Owen Willis Spangler, on Dec. 9, 2011. Owen weighed 10 lbs., 3 oz. and was 22” long.

The Spangler family resides in Nashville, where Nick is an assistant attorney general for Tennessee. Rachael is an architect at Johnson Johnson Crabtree Architects, but is currently enjoying a few months off with Baby Owen. The Spanglers enjoyed seeing all their classmates at last year's alumni weekend!

Ted Goodman ’02 and his wife, Kelly, are living in Milton, Tenn. Ted recently joined the firm of Murfree and Murfree, PLLC, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Don Alexander ’03, Spokane, Wash. writes, “I'm still in the Air Force flying KC-135s out of Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

Currently I'm deployed in support of OEF and will be gone through the beginning of next year. I got married in September to Callie (Stockwell) Alexander from Post Falls, Idaho. We met in '09, just after I moved up to Washington. Between the AF and my new wife I manage to stay pretty busy.

Callie and I have made it back to Tennessee a couple of times, and I made a point to take her by Webb. I just didn't think she would understand much of my upbringing without setting eyes on the campus. Not so sure I can talk her into reading The Schoolmaker, though.

I really do appreciate the Alumni Office making an effort to contact the alumni without fiscal goals in mind. It’s always entertaining to read up on the news from Webb, and I can't help but feel a sense of

pride when I hear what the students are accomplishing. The school has undoubtedly improved in all aspects since my graduation.

However, I understand Webb couldn't afford to continue to provide its students with those great opportunities without the help of the alumni, and I'm glad to do my part. I'll continue to give as long as I'm able.

Sometimes we just need a little reminder!”

Willis McKee ’05, Montgomery, Ala., writes: “I’m in my first year of law school at The Jones School of Law at Faulkner University in Montgomery.”

Carolyn Goodman ’06, Milton, Tenn., graduated in May 2012 with a Master’s Degree at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Memphis as a registered nurse and a clinical nurse leader. She is president of the Student Nurse Association at UT Memphis.

Spencer Musick ’06, Budapest, Hungary, is completing a Master’s Degree (with specializations in Russian and Hungarian) in Eastern European History at Central European University, Budapest. He received a full academic scholarship, Soros service award and The Academic Pro-Rector's Excellence Award.

Lauren D. Wright ’08, Nashville, Tenn., writes: “I currently work as a recruiting and retention specialist for the Army National Guard as well as finishing my B.S. degrees at MTSU.” Erin McMahon ’09, Worcester, Mass. writes, “I'm a junior at the College of the Holy Cross, studying in Palma for the year at the University of the Balearic Islands.

Following are annotated obituaries of alumni who have passed away. To view the announcements in their entirety, visit www.thewebbschool.com/alumni/alumni-home. The Webb School publishes obituaries as they are received from family and friends of alumni. Please submit notices to a_dwebb@webbschool.com.

Trustee

Faculty Emeritus

Longtime trustee, James R. ”Jim” Meadows, Jr. ’52, of Nashville, Tenn., died suddenly April 30, at Dixie Graphics in Nashville. He was 77. Funeral services were May 4 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville with Interment at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

William S. Miller, Colonel USAF (Retired), a native of Rutherford County, passed away Jan. 20, 2012. The memorial service was at the First Presbyterian Church in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Feb. 5. He taught math and physics at The Webb School, where he was known as Colonel Miller. (The Daily News Journal)

A native of Nashville, he was born Jan. 7, 1935, son of the late James R. Meadows and Constance O'Brien Meadows. He is survived by his loving wife, Patricia C. Meadows; loyal friends, Cara Mae and Abby Jewel; stepson, Matt Williams (Jean) of Nashville; cousin, C. H. O'Brien (Jo) of Clarksville, Tenn.; as well as numerous family members, lifelong friends, current and former employees.

Mr. Meadows attended Parmer School in Nashville and was a graduate of The Webb School. He graduated from Yale University, '56 and Cambridge University's Jesus College in England, '59, lettering in varsity crew at both universities. Mr. Meadows served his country in the U.S. Army before joining Container Corporation of America, where he was a sales executive for 17 years. He returned to Nashville in 1977 and joined Dixie Graphics Inc., where he became president and owner in the mid-1980s and where his vision and passion fostered the reputation and success the company has today.

Dr. John M. Flexner ’44, Nashville, Tenn., professor of Medicine Emeritus at Vanderbilt University, died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Dec. 27, 2011, after a brief illness. He was 85.

The Burial Office was said at Christ Church Cathedral in Nashville on Dec. 30. (The Tennessean)

1960s Frank Jackson Huffman, Jr. ’62, a resident of Memphis, passed away Dec. 19, 2011. The funeral was held at Second Baptist Church on Dec. 22, with burial in Elmwood Cemetery. (The Commercial Appeal) Johnson Bryan Couch ’62, age 67, of Virginia Beach, Va., and longtime resident of Dayton, Tenn., passed away following an extended illness.

1990s Jessica Fayissa ’98, age 31, of Murfreesboro, passed away April 22, 2012. The funeral was April 29 at First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro and interment at Evergreen Cemetery. (The Daily News Journal)

Summer 2012

He was elected to the Webb Board of Trustees in 1982 and served as chairman from 1988-1994. During this time, he led the successful Tradition and Vision Campaign that began in 1991 and had a goal of $6 million. Completion of the Bond Library, the Student Center and increased endowment were some of the campaign accomplishments. He also served as chair of Webb’s Investment Committee. Previously, he served Webb as president of the Alumni Association. A lover and student of golf, he will be missed by many of the game's most noted instructors. (The Tennessean and The Webb School)

1940s

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The Webb School BELL BUCKLE

Post Office Box 488 Bell Buckle, TN 37020 Address Service Requested

Please help the Webb School Archives put a description with this photo.

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Please send information to gmcclanahan@webbschool.com

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last issue photo identified In the latest Webb magazine the back photo is of Dad’s class. He is second from the right on the front row (to the left of the young man with the v-necked sweater). I believe that Lane Abernathy is to the right of the fellow with the v-necked sweater, and Willard Blue is next to Lane. Mother loved helping figure this out after we pointed out Dad to her. Here’s to a great 2012!

Mary Follin Simonsen