Williston Northampton Bulletin Spring 2016

HAPPY MEMORIES

OF A VIBRANT NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL FOR GIRLS THE SECOND EDITION IN OUR THREEPART SERIES

A 1956 School Blazer P. 39

175TH ANNIVERSARY

SPECIAL EDITION

MISSISSIPPI MUD

Mississippi Mud (aka Mrs. Coolidge’s Pudding) has been called the queen of the NSFG desserts. Served by cook Anna Kowalski, the recipe was published in a 1967 cookbook to honor her after 40 years at the school.

Find the recipe at www.willistonblogs. com/archives/ mississippi-mud

CONTENTS | VOLUME 102, NUMBER 1

40

Cordelia Dietrich Zanger ’85 joined other Williston alumni at the holiday gala in New York.

FEATURES 12 | THE PEOPLE, THE PLACES, AND THEIR THINGS Ten alumnae recall their fun, educational, and enlightening years at Northampton School for Girls.

34 | UNCOMMON GROUND A look back at some well-loved places from the NSFG campus—and the traditions that have carried on today at Williston 38 | FROM THE ARCHIVES School uniforms, banners and badges, an issue of Pegasus, and other archival treasures from NSFG

CAMPUS NEWS 3 | IN BOX Your emails and letters. Plus: the results of the 175th Ice Cream Contest!

4 | THE WILLILIST A by-the-numbers look at on- and off-campus highlights from this fall, including sports, academics, and more

38

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A Northampton School for Girls bracelet charm and other treasures

6 | SNAPSHOTS An inspiring photo album of great Wildcat moments on the fields, on stage, and in the classrooms 8 | HAPPY TENTH The Writing Center celebrates a decade of success with the written word.

PEOPLE/PLACES 40 | HOLIDAY GALAS Alumni and friends of the school gathered in New York and Boston to fete the 175 years of Williston Northampton history.

41 | CLASS NOTES News from classmates and former faculty 79 | OBITUARIES Remembering those we have lost 81 | BACK PAGE Derrick Green ’10 shares his thoughts on his favorite teacher, his dorm room, and how his Williston experience affected the work he does today.

Nearly six years ago, when I first arrived as head of school, one of the first “field trips” I took was to Pomeroy Terrace in Northampton and the old grounds of the Northampton School for Girls.

Accompanied by two alumnae who shared stories of their years there, I heard firsthand accounts of floods, teachers, the Angelus, and of course the founders, Misses Whitaker and Bement.

Today, more than forty years after the merger of the two schools, the legends, names, and stories from NSFG are very much still present on our campus. The Angelus, which you can read more about on page 35, now resides on a permanent terrace behind the Head’s house, and its sound ceremoniously begins and ends the school year at our Convocation and Commencement exercises. The famed “White Blazer” garners greater attention than ever now that our graduation ceremony attracts roughly twelve hundred students and family members under the circussized tent that stretches across the main quad. Daily reminders of NSFG are hard to miss, as buildings bear names of significance from the school’s past—most prominent among them, the Middle School’s Whitaker-Bement building, known by its shorthand “WB.” Recently, a creative and industrious faculty member revived an NSFG tradition with her advisory group as they joined in the rituals of Phoenix Night the night before graduation—proving once again that good things rise from the ashes. You can see the original Phoenix Night fireplace on page 36 of this issue.

On behalf of everyone at the Williston Northampton School, I hope that as you leaf through the pages of the Bulletin you will recall fondly your memories of NSFG and rest assured that those stories and symbols live on.

HEAD OF SCHOOL Robert W. Hill III P’15, ’19 Chief Advancement Officer Eric Yates P’17, ’21 Director of Alumni Engagement Jeff Pilgrim ’81 Director of Communications Ann Hallock P’20 Design Director Aruna Goldstein Director of Online

Robert Hill speaking at the 175th NYC Gala event in December.

Communications Rachael Hanley Project Manager Dennis Crommett

Please send letters to the editor, class notes, obituaries, and changes of address to: The Williston Northampton School Alumni Office 19 Payson Avenue

The NSFG Angelus in its new home on the Williston campus.

ROBERT W. HILL III P’15, ’19

Easthampton, MA 01027 T: (413) 529-3300 F: (413) 529-3427

FOLLOW ROBERT HILL ON TWITTER AT @HILL3WILLISTON

email: info@williston.com Established in 1915, the Bulletin is published by the Advancement Office for the benefit of alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends.

STAY CONNECTED with Williston Northampton

WWW.WILLISTON.COM/BULLETIN to update contact information or write a class note WWW.WILLISTON.COM/ALUMNI to read current news and learn about events

cover photo

Chattman Photography

2 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

WWW.WILLISTON.COM/ALUMNI-APP to download Evertrue, Williston’s alumni directory app

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WILLISTONNORTHAMPTON WWW.TWITTER.COM/WILLISTONNS WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/WILLISTONNS WWW.FLICKR.COM/WILLISTONNORTHAMPTON WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WILLISTONNORTHAMPTON

i n b ox

Samuel Williston’s Dress Hat

THE EARLY YEARS WILLISTON ACADEMY

THE FIRST EDITION IN OUR THREE PART SERIES

175TH ANNIVERSARY

SPECIAL EDITION

WNS16ALM01_Bulletin_Cover_REV.indd 1

campus, I was thrilled and honored to be part of the new and exciting Williston Northampton school.

—Wendy Hicks Coerper, NSFG ’48

cational experience. The magazine with those bios and pictures of Babcock, Teller, Rouse, and especially Boardy…priceless!

—Alan H. “Laz” Lazarus ’54

Wow! The recent 175th Anniversary of the Bulletin triggered a trip down memory lane…a most fond one, I might add. I loved and still do think of Williston as my very favorite edu-

FYI, the note on pg 36 about the Language building has a slight error.

It didn’t come down in the 1970’s but in the fall of the 1981-1982 school year. The building was all roped off

for the demo, to keep us out, and after class one day Mr. Corkery picked up a rock in front of a group of us and threw it at one of the windows… then we all joined in. All windows were gone in about 10 minutes.

—Rex Solomon ’84 Editor’s Note: Please note that letters may be edited for length or clarity. To submit one, please email us at info@williston.com.

9/8/15 2:23 PM

THE WILLISTON ACADEMY ISSUE

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The Special Edition of the Bulletin was by far the best since I graduated: I read it cover to cover!

—Fred Ruder III ’68 I want you to know that the most recent Bulletin is one of the very best I have read from any school. I read a lot of these and have even written a few myself, and this one is exceptional. The issue made me proud of Williston. Thank you.

—Andrew Wooden ’73 Many thanks for the great 175th Anniversary Edition of the Bulletin. For me, it was a wonderful romp through the school’s history and my own memories. Three of the people you highlighted were particularly important to me. First, Howard Boardman (or Boardy, as we knew him), who was our drama coach for plays in 1947-1948. Second, Sarah Stevens, who helped me feel welcome at Williston when I served on the first united board of the newly-formed Williston Northampton School. And third, Bob and Janet Couch, who I remember with affection for the many years they fed and housed me on my visits to the campus for board meetings. Although I had some nostalgia for the old Northampton

THE 175TH ICE CREAM FLAVOR CONTEST

Williston’s Ice Cream Flavor Contest entries were judged on flavor combinations, creativity, and use of school spirit. The winning flavor made its scoop debut during Founders Day on February 22.

WILDCAT TRAX Chocolate ice cream with peanut butter chips and marshmallow swirl

WILDCAT CRUNCH Vanilla ice cream with pretzels, M&M’s, and a chocolate and caramel swirl

WILDCAT EXTREME Blue cotton candy ice cream with blue marshmallow swirl, chocolate chips, rainbow snow caps, and blue jimmies

WILLISTRAMA Vanilla ice cream, marshmallow pieces, caramel swirl, blue and green M&M’s

WILLY NILLY Chocolate ice cream with vanilla wafer pieces and chocolate chunks

WILLISTON WILDERNESS Pistachio ice cream, vanilla beans, blueberry swirl, and chocolate chunks

WILD WILLISTON RIPPLE Salted butter caramel with caramel and chocolate swirls WILLY SWIRL BLAST Cookies ’n’ cream ice cream with fudge chunks, caramel swirl, and cookie dough bites WILDKAT BIRTHDAY BASH Vanilla ice cream with Kit Kats broken up in it, swirled with caramel and fudge sauce

CHILLISTON Vanilla ice cream with cookie dough pieces, blue marshmallow swirls, fudge swirls, and brownie chunks

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 3

THE

WilliList

A by-the-numbers look at school highlights from this fall

25 480

Countries represented in the Williston student body, including Bermuda, China, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Kuwait, Russia, Senegal, and Vietnam.

Donuts served after assembly on the morning of Williston’s 175th Convocation. (That’s 40 dozen!)

1K

Cans, boxes, and bags of food donated to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts during the Community Service Club’s December Food Drive. That translated to a whopping 1,040 pounds of food, which fed 860 local families.

4 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

28,663 views (so far!) of video remix mastermind DJ Steve Porter ’97’s Bernie Sanders video “Bern It Up” on RollingStone.com.

75

Pounds of sticky rice consumed weekly in the Birch Dining Commons.

36

Williston students honored for academic distinction on AP or National Merit qualifying tests this fall.

14

Wins by varsity field hockey in their fall season. (A school record!) The team finished as NEPSAC Class B champions, led by goal-scoring seniors Delaney Belinskas, Lauren Helm, and Meg Szawlowski.

the willilist

2 500

Amazing alumni who have swum the English Channel: Jim Bayles ’70 and Arthur L. Coleman III ’71. That’s a swim of approximately 21 miles.

250

Milkshakes made in the newly-renovated Stu Bop. On Burger Day in the Dining Commons, 650 burgers are served.

And, as we all know, burgers + shakes = 1 perfect combo.

Pieces of artwork on display in the Reed Campus Center for the Fall Arts Walk. This fall’s edition featured live theater and slide shows of the trimester’s performances.

15:42

Time it took Rob Champigny ’18 to run Williston’s cross country course, putting him at #1 on the course Honor Roll.

8

Students participated in a fall Habitat for Humanity build.

561

Downloads of the alumni app, EverTrue.

7

Senior athletes signed to play Division I college sports this fall.

19

New banners hung around campus celebrating the school’s 175th anniversary.

24

School record touchdown passes thrown by Ian Ostberg ’17.

4

Writers’ Workshop visiting speakers.

11

Students in the fall play, Euripides’ The Trojan Women.

250+

Alumni attended 175th Anniversary galas in Boston and New York.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 5

SNAPSHOTS A lot happened on campus this fall. Here’s a peek at some of our favorite captured moments.

OCTOBER 31 Students SEPTEMBER 13 The Ninth Grade

Program began with an orientation trip to Camp Lenox, where canoeing, swimming, camp fires, and games helped students learn and bond.

struck a pose in front of the photobooth at the first Halloween Dance.

SEPTEMBER 27 Students helped put

the finishing touches on Habitat for Humanity’s Easthampton House.

DECEMBER 14 A tour

of the Easthampton Wastewater Treatment Plant gave students in AP Environmental Science a new appreciation for the importance of clean water.

OCTOBER 24 The boys cross country team enjoyed one of its finest seasons in recent history,

finishing with an outstanding 13-1 record.

6 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

campus snapshots

OCTOBER 11 “There are

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countless connections to current events,” The Willistonian wrote this fall of the play “The Trojan Women.”

SEPTEMBER 19 The varsity

field hockey team had a historic season. (See page 4 for more on the team.)

SEPTEMBER 18 “Each of us is part of something quite

a bit larger than any one of us,” senior class president Nate Gordon ’16 said in his Convocation address.

A visit by freelance documentary photographer David H. Wells included a master class for students.

NOVER 19

Browse more images of campus life at www.flickr.com/photos/willistonnorthampton NOVEMBER 6 The Dance Ensemble’s Fall

Concert, “Untamed,” was also Debra Vega’s debut as the director of dance.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 7

How do you get students excited about writing? Create a welcoming space with drop-in hours, to start. And offering sweet treats can’t hurt.

8 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

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The Williston Writing Center celebrates its first decade of helping students put their thoughts into words. —BY JONATHAN ADOLPH “Writing is easy,” journalist Gene Fowler famously quipped. “All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” Well-intentioned as that tip may be, Mr. Fowler’s technique would never work with today’s Williston Northampton students. For one thing, students do most of their writing on Surface Pro tablets, not paper.

And two, they have the Williston Writing Center.

Tucked in a cozy space on the second floor of the Clapp Memorial Library, the Writing Center is a welcoming haven. Encouraging quotations hang from the ceiling (“Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.”—Oscar Wilde), and a comfortable central conference table beckons like something out of an Internet coffee shop. On busy evenings, especially, the place hums with students at work, a creative community of writers and scholars. “It was one of my favorite places on campus,” recalls Cameron Hill ’15, now in her first year at Yale. “Ms. Sawyer is so encouraging and welcoming to anyone who wants to improve their writing.”

That would be Sarah Sawyer, the Writing Center’s founder, tireless advocate, and fun-loving brand ambassador. When she launched the center 10 years ago, she was newly hired from Amherst College, where, as a writing fellow, she had seen firsthand the benefits that a college writing center can bring to students. Today, joined by English Department Head Adrienne Mantegna ’94 and College Counseling Director Tim Cheney, she and her team of trained peer tutors offer students one-on-one guidance, instruction, and feedback on anything from English homework assignments to history research papers to that most formidable of tasks, the college essay. Each year, students visit the center more than a 1,000 times.

Mark Franczyk ’00

For 10 years, the Writing Center has been an example of “what Williston does best,” says English teacher Adrienne Mantegna ’94.

Writing centers are hardly unusual. What is exceptional about Williston’s, however, is its positive reputation on campus, an appeal that has been carefully cultivated over the last decade. “It doesn’t have the stigma of, ‘Oh you only go there if you are a struggler,’” explains English teacher Jennifer Gross. “It is a place where a whole range of writers can go.” Just how the Writing Center accomplished this is worth exploring, because it hints at something deeper about Williston. As Ms. Mantegna puts it, “The Writing Center is a perfect example of what Williston does best. It’s really special.”

“DO YOU LIKE cooking your family and pets?”

“Use commas,” suggests a recent Writing Center e-newsletter. “Don’t be a psycho.”

Fun, right?

Equally fun was the 10th-year birthday party the Writing Center threw for itself back in December.

“Come eat some cake and beat Ms. Sawyer at Bananagrams to win a prize,” read the invitation.

And let’s not overlook the little everyday things the center does to welcome students, notes tutor Teddy Wolfe ’16: “We always have free candy.”

Making writing fun is just one tactic in the center’s charm offensive. Offering a convenient schedule of daytime and evening drop-in hours for the one-on-one help is another. And providing a comfortable, chill space with reading couches and easy camaraderie is yet a third. Ms. Sawyer has “made the place really inviting,” notes Ms. Gross.

“Kids want to hang out there.”

10 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

No explanation would be complete, however, without a discussion of the peer tutors, generally juniors and seniors, who are nominated by their teachers and then selected through a competitive application process.

The resulting campus cred of the tutors makes a strong statement about how much Williston values writing, notes Ms. Sawyer. “At this school there is a place for all kinds of kids,” she says. “Those who are more skilled at writing are celebrated and sought out because they have this skill, and they are willing to share it.” The process also results in very dedicated volunteers. “Students choose to be tutors only if it’s something that they genuinely want to do,” explains tutor Anna Wilinsky ’17. “They’re happy to be there. And that helps to create the relaxed, pleasant environment.”

Once the tutors are selected, Ms. Sawyer instructs them in what has become something of a lost art in this age of snarky digital commentary: how to give encouraging, genuine, and, yes, nice feedback. Her philosophy is codified in the center’s Tutor Guidelines, which offer counsel such as “Be welcoming,” “Listen actively to the student’s replies,” and “Keep the contents of the tutoring session private.” As for tutoring don’ts, the guidelines put the kibosh on writing or rewriting any part of a student’s paper, suggesting a grade for a paper, or making negative comments about a student’s teacher. Even when her own students ask her about a paper’s possible grade, Ms. Sawyer sticks to the guidelines. “But I might say, ‘If I were you, I’d keep working!’” she adds with a smile.

Center founder and director Sarah Sawyer “makes students feel excited and inspired,” says a recent grad.

She also plays a mean game of Bananagrams.

That blend of directness and kindness keeps students coming back, say Ms. Sawyer’s colleagues.

“They trust her because she is a straight shooter but she does it with such warmth,” notes Ms. Gross.

Students agree. “Ms. Sawyer’s enthusiasm about writing and learning makes students feel excited and inspired when they leave after a session with her,” notes Gia Parker ’13, now at Dartmouth.

For her part, Ms. Sawyer suggests that getting student buy-in to the often-demanding practice of writing is easier in a boarding school setting like Williston’s. “I might see a kid at the toaster at 7:30 in the morning and I’ll be able to say, ‘Oh, hey, how’d your paper turn out?’ They are then more likely to come back because they know I remember them and that I’m looking out for them. It’s not so scary if you’re the lady at the toaster.”

ON A RECENT morning, Brandon Harrison ’16

drops by the Writing Center, seeking out help with a common senior dilemma.

Ms. Sawyer, working at the central conference table, greets him. “Come on in. What are you up

ac a d e m i c s p o t l i g h t

IN THEIR OWN

WORDS We asked students and teachers what makes the Writing Center special. Here’s what they told us: “It’s a safe space.”

—FORMER TUTOR CAMERON HILL ’15

“ It provides students with a place to take their worries and turn them into wonderful finished products.”

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“ Kids want to hang out” at the center, notes teacher Jennifer Gross. The number of visits now numbers 1,000 per year.

to? What are you working on?”

Mr. Harrison explains that he is working on his college application essay, but is having trouble cutting it down to the required 650 words.

“Right now it’s 750,” he says.

The essay is about how he came to school in the United States from his home in Nigeria, Ms. Sawyer explains. The amusing twist is that his parents wouldn’t allow him to go off campus without their specific permission. He had traveled all the way to the United States, but couldn’t venture off campus.

Looking at Mr. Harrison’s tablet, Ms. Sawyer begins making notes and discussing options, offering suggestions about condensing the language.

“So there are a couple places where you could cut, and I think you actually have to add something at the end,” she says. They discuss a few specific sentences and ways he could tighten them.

Mr. Harrison watches closely as Ms. Sawyer suggests striking out words and phrases.

They then turn to the conclusion, which they had discussed at a previous session. It needs to return to the problem set up in the essay’s opening, she explains, so the essay has a rounded, finished feel.

“But it’s a good story,” she reassures him, “especially if it ends with, now, not

—FORMER TUTOR GIA PARKER ’13

only you, but your parents are able to see that you are able to take more responsibility. Make sense?”

Mr. Harrison says it does.

“Ok, you chop and bring it back,” she says. And, as Mr. Harrison leaves, she adds, “You can do it!”

Mr. Harrison’s visit reveals the editing tightrope often walked by the staff of the Writing Center, particularly regarding college essays. Their job is not to rewrite (see the Tutor Guidelines!), but often the best way to explain editing is through demonstration. That learn-by-example approach proved the key for Zach Bernstein ’16, a frequent visitor who credits the writing center with helping him get into Bates College. “The teachers don’t just make corrections,” he says. “They walk you through the mistakes and eventually you learn and can self correct.”

Which is exactly the goal, says Ms. Sawyer. “It’s training them to see, ‘This is the good part of what you wrote,’” she explains. “Or if a kid writes a really clunky sentence, I’ll say, ‘Well, what if you said it this way?’ And they go, ‘Oh, that’s so much better!’

And I say, ‘So in this clunky sentence, what might you do? I’m helping them dramatically improve the paper, but I’m also teaching them.”

It is the paradox of teaching writing: if you are successful, it will be because your students have learned to teach themselves. By that measure, say those who have used it, the Writing Center has had a very stellar first decade indeed.

“ Our ultimate goal is to make sure that the student leaves with a paper that is better than the one they came to us with. I can say with conviction that we meet that goal almost every time a student visits.”

—TUTOR TEDDY WOLFE ’16

“ It’s a confidence booster. Taking your paper there can reassure you about the work you’ve already done and give you tips on how to improve even more.”

—TUTOR ANNA WILINSKY ’17

“ It’s a resource that students of all abilities take advantage of.”

—ENGLISH TEACHER ADRIENNE MANTEGNA ’94

“ The best writers want to go to The Writing Center. They make that a part of their practice.

It’s such a good habit to get into before college, being collaborative and having different eyes on your work.

—ENGLISH TEACHER JENNIFER GROSS

“ The Writing Center welcomes anyone. Everyone is always smiling and eager to help.”

—ZACH BERNSTEIN ’16

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 11

Remembering the Northampton School for Girls

12 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

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THE PEOPLE, THE PLACES, AND THEIR THINGS

IN THIS SECOND OF THREE ISSUES CELEBRATING OUR 175TH ANNIVERSARY, THE

Bulletin takes a fond look at the Northampton School for Girls. Through interviews with alumnae, profiles of key figures, archival photography, and a visit to the old campus, we hope to capture the spirit of a place dear to all those who were lucky enough to know it.

Before merging with all-boys Williston Academy in 1971 to create the institution we love today, NFSG occupied its own leafy campus in a quiet corner of the City of Northampton.

Before that, it existed in the dreams of two remarkable women.

Sarah Whitaker was the motherly one, Dorothy Bement the formidable taskmaster. Both were distinguished teachers, and together they made a redoubtable duo. Veterans of the Capen School, a feeder for Smith College, Whitaker and Bement conceived Northampton School for Girls shortly after Smith subsumed the Capen campus in 1920. The new place would be built on a bedrock of teaching, it would be devoted to the girls, and—like its founders—it would operate with grace and pluck. The women set up a corporation, bought property on Pomeroy Terrace in Northampton, and in 1924 welcomed their first students.

By the 1930s, Northampton was offering joint dancing classes with nearby Williston, which had stopped admitting girls in 1864. Musical and theatrical collaborations followed, and the schools eventually shared academics as well—Northampton girls traveled to Williston for Physics and German, advanced Williston boys came to Northampton for top math classes.

When the coeducation movement radically reshaped the boarding school landscape in the 1970s (Loomis merged with Chaffee in 1970, Northfield with Mt. Hermon in ’71, Choate with Rosemary Hall in ’72), the two academies naturally looked to each other. The union was completed in 1971, and with it Williston came full circle, returning via Northampton to its roots as a co-educational institution.

ALUMNAE PROFILES BY MEGAN TADY | “UNCOMMON GROUND” BY KEVIN MARKEY P’20 “FROM THE ARCHIVES,” NOTABLES, TIMELINE, AND CAPTIONS BY RICK TELLER ’70

The brass nameplate from Montgomery House (see page 35). Northampton School’s main building was named for a branch of Dorothy Bement’s family. Facing page: Chains of daisies were part of Northampton’s Commencement tradition.

THE PEOPLE

Priscilla Ruder Lucier ’50 From a fresh start at NSFG to a happy career and home at Williston How would you describe Ms. Whitaker?

Why did you attend NSFG?

My parents got divorced and the family moved in with my grandparents. We saw that it just wasn’t right. My aunt and uncle were over in Amherst, and we thought that’s the place we ought to go. My grades were failing, and I didn’t know what I was doing and where I was going to go. So they decided I should go to NSFG. My mother and I went over and we talked to Ms. Whitaker and she accepted me. And I loved it. It was the best time of my life in the school. It came at a wonderful time when I really needed help.

Ms. Whitaker was something else. I’ve never met a woman like her. She was so lovely with us all.

She treated us so well. We could do no wrong. She had a lot of messages about going out into the world and so forth. She was a very gentle soul. Ms. Bement was the opposite.

But obviously they worked well together.

What was your role working at Williston Northampton?

Bob Ward was the headmaster.

When he called Joe, to see if he would come to be director of development, he said, ‘There’ll be something for Priscilla to do. Don’t worry. She’ll be my hostess for parties and so forth. We’ll keep her busy.’ So I went up there not knowing what I was going to do, but I saw quickly that I was going to be Joe’s secretary and business manager. We were a great team, and I learned a lot from Joe. It wasn’t easy because there were a lot of changes that had to be made. I think both of us made that happen and we’re very proud of that.

Did you work side-by-side with your husband every day?

Yes! We had the old Victorian house down by the library. We had ninth grade girls on our third floor. So we had a dormitory and a beautiful house to live in. We ate our meals down in the dining hall. We were treated like faculty, which was a wonderful thing for them to do. Our dog, Sadie, slept at the top of the stairs of the office, and she would go down to the admissions office to get a few pats and a piece of candy. The thing I miss most is the kids. They were just wonderful and fun. I miss them to this day. It was a great experience. It was a lifesaver for all of us. And our children went to school for free, and that was a great gift. I’m almost in tears here.

What’s one of the biggest changes you made together?

The school had no money. They weren’t getting any money in. Joe pulled it together. There were moments that he had to really fight to do what needed to be done. He’s got every award that’s ever been given

by Williston. Thankfully they recognized that what he did was very important. I’m proud of what he did and I’m proud that I helped him.

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At NSFG, Priscilla Lucier ’50 dated only Amherst College “boys,” but she ended up marrying a Williston graduate: Joe Lucier ’50. Together, the couple returned to Williston in 1977 to work in the development office and to revitalize the school’s fundraising efforts, creating a partnership that would prove a boon for them and the school. All four of their children also attended Williston. Ms. Lucier says her time at both NSFG and Williston were “highlights in my life.”

Mid-1930s | Miss Whitaker on skis

Mid-1940s | Essential dress: a green school blazer and white pleated skirt

Mid-1940s | Hathaway House and the “Sacred Lawn”

1940s | A music class in Scott Hall SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 15

Northampton School for Girls Notables

Sarah B. Whitaker

Dorothy M. Bement

1924-1962

1924-1962

A founding co-principal, Sarah Whitaker taught religion and much more to NSFG girls. She is still fondly remembered for her special resources of warmth and empathy, and her indomitable spirit.

As NSFG’s other founder and co-principal, Dorothy Bement taught French and was known for her exacting standards.

Like her lifelong colleague, Sarah Whitaker, she was also an indefatigable advocate for the school.

Alice Logan

Helen Wallis

1924-1953

1924-1949

Bookkeeper, secretary, and irrepressible provider of perspective, Alice Logan was the principals’ confidante, administrator-without-portfolio, and trusted friend.

The very first teacher to join the faculty, “Wally” headed Hathaway House and advised seniors.

According to Sarah Whitaker, Wally epitomized “good manners, hard work, and fair play”

16 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

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How to choose? Though we could not include all the ’Hamp heroes (Ruth Dunham, Beryl Wilbur, Angelo Tonet, Lorainne Teller, to name a few!), here’s our short list of school luminaries.

Maria Burgee Dwight LeVesconte ’52 A gerontologist reflects on “one of the best times of my life” What was the fashion trend of the day?

What teacher had the most impact on you?

Maria “Mimi” Dwight Vesconte ’52 was on the cheerleading squad in her public school, but when her parents decided to send her to NSFG, the small school barely had enough students to fill the sports teams—let alone cheer from the side. The change was instrumental; Maria says it was “one of the best times of my life.” Now 80 years old, she is a gerontologist working as a consultant in the Redwoods of California in a house she designed. Her social research on the elderly has taken her around the world, including China, India and Singapore.

I was dyslexic, and nobody knew that in those days. I loved English, which was easy because I spoke it.

I started on third base. But I had a fabulous teacher in Ada Judd Green.

She pushed me to do creative writing. She took a personal interest in us as human beings. I think certainly Mrs. Green was an inspiration to a lot of us. She was down to earth. And would have us into her home and personal life.

What sort of student were you at NSFG?

We sincerely believed that putting raisins and cider into the back of our closets would turn them into alcohol and we could get drunk.

All we did was get sick. There used to be jugs of cider exploding in the dorms. I loved learning. It really turned me on to learning and exploring ideas. I really loved boys and I was boy crazy. Somewhere my kids found an old report card that said, “Mimi is a good student but she seems inordinately interested in boys.” In fact, in biology—we all had to take it—we were all waiting to get to the human reproductive system. We never did. We got to frogs. And then the class ended.

Looking back, we probably looked like hell but we thought we looked quite glamorous. We had skirts down to our ankles practically, and heavy white socks and sneakers wrapped up in white bandage tape.

And cardigan sweaters that we wore backwards. If you showed that you had breasts, you somehow managed to hide that by wearing a slip, a blouse, and a sweater. You were asexual looking. We could not wear trousers, only on Saturday afternoons and never downtown.

We couldn’t smoke and we couldn’t chew gum in public. You couldn’t wear makeup. No one was a priss about getting all dolled up. I still don’t wear makeup, which is kind of too bad because I could use it now.

What did you do when you went into Northampton?

You had to go to church every Sunday. We went to the movies on Saturdays. That was a big deal. We’d go to the Academy of Music or the Calvin. We went to a lot of classical concerts at Smith. We got $2 a week allowance, so we couldn’t go shopping that much. Movies cost a quarter, and you had to put at least a quarter in the church bucket. It didn’t leave you a lot of money. One or two of us went to Joe’s Pizza, and you could buy beer and bring it back. We’d have enough money for three beers, and there would be 12 of us. It was very daring.

How did you meet boys?

Williston was sort of the last choice.

You usually wanted to go to Deerfield. We wrote a lot of letters. We had mixers and we had dancing school my freshman year.

I went to meet the boys. I didn’t care about much else. We could have dates and sit in the parlor at Montgomery. We could go to the gym, and there were no chaperones, so that was the place to go.

Or we could walk on the dike with boys. Eventually we got the student council to agree that we could sit down with boys on the dike, but we couldn’t put our elbows on the grass, which meant you had to be upright. It wasn’t just one elbow, you couldn’t have any elbows.

You helped start the Angelus tradition. What was the inspiration?

It was during the Korean War. A lot of people I knew were in the service. It was very sobering among all this frivolity. We had our own little world. I just thought that we should connect to the broader world. I went to an Episcopal retreat, and they had an Angelus bell. And you just stopped what you were doing and were quiet. It was very moving.

The silence took you to someplace else. I loved it. Stop everything and what you’re doing is very superficial and stop and look at the greater picture. That’s where it started, and we managed to pull it off at NSFG. SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 17

Patricia Howard Ambrose ’55

Pat Ambrose attended Northampton School for Girls for only one year, but she found it to be an experience that changed her life.

She attributes the confidence she gained while at NSFG to leading her to travel all over the world and complete her college degree at the age of 43. Ms. Ambrose studied English history and notes that one of her favorite trips was to visit historic battle sites from the 1400s and 1500s in England. Ms. Ambrose lives in rural New Hampshire, is the recording secretary for three school boards, and reads “as much as I can fit in.”

PHOTOGR A PHS: T IM MACKAY

Confidence gained at NSFG paves the way for world travel and studies in history

Who had a big impact on you at NSFG?

I was homesick. It took me a little while to get used to being at NSFG. There was one person that helped me. Mrs. Duncan. I’m not sure what her role was at the school, but I remember that we dedicated our senior yearbook to her. There was just something about her. She was always very reassuring. She was calm. Just seeing her around campus made me think everything was going to be ok. I can’t explain it, really. In our yearbook, we said, ‘She made our stay at NSFG a bit of our lives that will always be outstanding in our memories.’ So apparently a lot of people felt the same way I did about her.

What was your favorite spot on campus?

What was the biggest impact of NSFG on your life?

My room. My roommate and I had a very small room. It was almost claustrophobic, with two small twin beds and our desks side by side.

Anne Babcock was my roommate, and she was quite a character. Anne was the opposite of me. I was very quiet and very studious. When we roomed together, everyone was waiting for fireworks to begin. But we got along fine. She was very funny. She would make up little silly poems and she’d write them in my notebook when I wasn’t there.

Then I’d open it up to study and there would be a funny poem or picture. She was always making me laugh. She was a very unique kind of person.

The most important things that NSFG provided to me were stability, security, and support. I needed those most at that point in my life.

That’s what gave me the basis for trying new things, even if you’re intimidated by them. At least try them and try your best. That was a crossroads year. Your whole future life depended on what you did.

That’s how I felt about it. It was just the right time for me. I don’t know what I would have done without it.

Later on in my 40s, this confidence pushed me to get my college degree.

I felt so bad that I hadn’t gotten it, and it was bothering me. My kids were in school or some of them had graduated, and I had the time.

I dedicated two years to it. I just loved it. I had good teachers, and I loved it.

What were you like back then?

I was studious and very quiet. Looking through my yearbook, I can see why a lot of people wrote about how I had this concerned look on my face all the time. When I first got to Northampton School for Girls, I was

awed by the place. I was intimidated by it. And yet, one of the first things that happened was that my fellow students elected me president of Hathaway House. I was amazed by that. Between that and having Anne Babcock as my roommate, it helped my self-confidence.

What were some of NSFG’s rules?

They were very strict about the rules at NSFG. For example, we couldn’t chew gum. We were supposed to dress up nicely for dinner. We couldn’t wear pants. There could not be any swearing, smoking, or drinking. I believe we had to go to church or some kind of religious service every Sunday. If we went anywhere at all off campus, we had to check in and out with somebody.

1924

1926

1929

1935

NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL FOR GIRLS TIMELINE

Sarah B. Whitaker and Dorothy M. Bement, seeking to fill a need left by the closing of Northampton’s Capen School, found the Northampton School for Girls on Pomeroy Terrace, with a program emphasizing academic excellence and social simplicity.

A devastating spring flood inundates the NSFG campus, leaving much of the campus underwater (which happens again in 1936 and 1938). Undaunted each time, the school shovels out the mud, and begins a tradition of celebrating the worst flood’s anniversary with a picnic on the riverbank.

The stock market crash plunges the country into the worst economic Depression in history. Sarah Whitaker quietly waives tuition for an unknown, but substantial number of students.

For some years she and Dorothy Bement accept no salary.

Coordinated activity begins between Northampton School and Williston, with dances and open houses at the Galbraiths’. By the end of the decade, combined theater and music performances are an established part of the culture.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 19

Sandra Bashore Mesics ’55

Leaving a small hometown wasn’t easy, but it helped her discover music—and herself

Can you describe your transition to NSFG?

I found it difficult. They had to sneak me in as a third person in a room in Hathaway House. I remember enjoying the round tables in the

What did you try at NSFG that was new for you?

I enjoyed singing with the Hampsters. I had never done anything like that before. I had taken voice

lessons. I went out for the lead of “The Pirates of Penzance.” I lost out. She was a better singer. In the Hampsters, I’m pretty sure we sang “Blue Moon.” We sang for events at Williston and NSFG. We had two different directors who were our classmates. It was current and familiar songs. We had a lot of fun, and I think all of us enjoyed that. It’s one of my really good memories.

What teacher had a strong impact on you?

One of the things that I hadn’t learned to do was really write and compose an article or a piece of English literature. I didn’t have any experience with poetry. I was scared to death about that. I remember

1940

1961

1962

1964

NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL FOR GIRLS TIMELINE

During the years 1940-1945, several British girls, refugees from the Blitz, enroll at Northampton. Northampton students provide relief to town of Montcel, France, and volunteer for local agricultural work.

Construction begins on the WhitakerBement Building, NSFG’s only new building, which contains a brand-new gymnasium, spacious science laboratories, and recreational facilities.

Sarah Whitaker and Dorothy Bement retire to Sarasota, Florida, where they would remain together for the rest of their lives. They are succeeded by Doris N. Anderson, who is Headmistress until 1964.

Alan B. McMillen serves as NSFG Headmaster until 1968, followed

by Nathan A. Fuller, who becomes Headmaster from 1968 to 1971 (and then Associate Head at Williston Northampton, 1971-1972).

20 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

PHOTOGR A PHS: MI CHA EL PER SI CO

Sandi Mesics attended NSFG sight unseen. Just a few weeks before school started, she decided to join her best friend in Northampton, moving from her hometown in Lebanon, PA. At NSFG, Sandi flourished, singing in the Hampsters choral group and editing the school newspaper. After graduation, she

attended Simmons College before marrying her husband, Joe, who was in the Navy. When Joe was sent to the Mediterranean during the Suez Crisis, Sandi joined him, living in France and touring Europe with other military wives. She had two children and worked in retail after the couple returned stateside. She now lives in Cornwall, PA, where she’s an avid gardener and often visits her six grandchildren.

dining room and getting to know people. I felt at that time that some of the girls—when it came to the boys at Williston— were very immature. I think some of those girls had no brothers and had been sent away at a young age. I think it was very helpful for me to get out of my roots. My father lived in Lebanon all of his life. My mother and father met there. I hadn’t really known people that were from other places.

It was very enlightening for me.

vividly when Mrs. Dunham said, ‘Close your eyes and open your hands.’

She gave each of us an acorn. We were to write something about the acorn.

I just about fell off of my chair. I had never done anything like that.

What other memories stand out about NSFG?

At dinner, there was plenty of food but for some reason I wasn’t getting filled up. I thought maybe a second glass of milk would be good, though I had to get permission. I called my family and had them call our doctor so he would write me a note to get a second glass of milk.

How did NSFG impact your life?

1971

It helped me to broaden my perspective coming from a small town. Everybody knew my family, and I always felt like I was under a microscope. It gave me a little more substance and helped me become the person that I am. It helped me to mature and not to depend on my family. I was there and I was alone. I think all of that is important.

An agreement to merge the two schools is signed in April. The following September, the Williston Northampton School opens as a fully coeducational single entity.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 21

Faith Barrington ’61 A devotee of music and travel creates opportunities for Williston students to share her passions

How was your transition to NSFG?

At the beginning I was miserable.

I can’t say I was happy all the time.

But I think that you hear that a lot.

Going away to school for the first time is hard. It just took time, but I got more involved in singing and music. Over the years I loved being part of singing, Glee Club, and the operettas. Those things made me happy.

22 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

What inspired you to support the Experiment in International Living scholarship program at Williston?

I was an experimenter during my college year in Italy in 1964. Traveling and intercultural exchange I think are very important and a great experience for students. It’s a very worthwhile program and I wanted to encourage other students to have the experience. I always wanted to share that opportunity with others.

What’s most rewarding about supporting this program?

Talking with the students and hearing about their experiences after they come back. I’ve been able to read their essays. I love hearing how it’s affected them and, in some cases, it’s going to affect what they’re going to study or aims them in certain directions.

How did you decorate your dorm room?

Why did you start the Faith Wilcox Barrington Music Enrichment Fund?

I don’t think we were allowed anything on the walls. But I always enjoyed the weekends when we could have our record players in the rooms. I was a big fan of Johnny Mathis. On Saturday nights, I would put a record on and I would fall asleep to Johnny Mathis.

I’ve always been a singer. If you sing and like music, as you grow older, there are always groups out there that you can join, even if you’re not a professional. I like reinforcing the availability of music programs that will be a part of your life forever.

And hopefully will.

PHOTOGR A PHS: CH ATT MA N PH OTOG RA PHY

Faith Barrington ’61 found her voice at NSFG, joining the Glee Club and singing in operettas. Now a member of a women’s barbershop chorus near New Haven, CT, she was inspired by her love of music to start the Faith Wilcox Barrington Music Enrichment Fund at Williston, which supports the music and theater departments. Ms. Barrington, a travel agent for 45 years, also supports a scholarship program that helps students go abroad.

Northampton School for Girls Notables

Ivan Gorokhoff 1925-1947

A retired Smith professor, Ivan Gorokhoff established a choral singing tradition that lasted throughout NSFG’s history, carried on by luminaries such as Mildred Bidwell, Ann Coon, Ruth Duncan, and Jean Diekoff.

Anna Kowalski 1927-1969

1940s to 1950s | Caroling on the stairs was a fond NSFG tradition

Anna Kowalski was a chef extraordinaire, as well as motherconfessor to generations of girls. Her simple meals—and oh, those wonderful desserts!

— remain memorable to many.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 23

Margaret Griggs Anderson ’61

An early love of books and other cultures inspires a life spent learning and living abroad

Who at Williston had a strong impact on you?

Mrs. Cantarella, who was legendary.

She scared the daylights out of all of us. She was about 4’11” and she had this huge voice. She always called us by our last names. And she would read us the Riot Act if we didn’t do something. She wasn’t afraid to tell us the writers that she hated, like Hemingway. Bottom line, we did a lot of reading and writing and she exposed us to a lot of good literature. Some that I still groan at, like Moby Dick. We spent so much time chasing a whale that year.

What are you up to now?

How did NSFG impact you?

Here was this very, very small school. It was tiny. But there were girls from all over. There were girls from Japan. Girls from the Clarke School for the Deaf. There were girls from South America. Girls from different parts of the country, and then local girls. I felt like, in a funny way, I was exposed to people I wouldn’t have been exposed to if I had been at the public high school.

Considering I spent so much time in Asia, it was interesting to think how it opened me in ways I didn’t know until hindsight. I think there was an acceptance of all people, and that’s what I picked up from Miss Whitaker. That people are people and they’re interesting because they come from different backgrounds.

How did you spend your social time at NSFG?

We dated guys from Williston. We had mixers. Oh, geez. You’d sign up on a list and the girls would always be 5’10” and the guys would be 5’2”,

24 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

and hopefully you’d get matched up with somebody your size. They were painful. You’d ride on a bus and get matched up with someone you had nothing in common with.

How have you maintained some of your friendships from NSFG?

Once a year in the summer we just get together and we have lunch together. It’s very nice to reconnect with these women whom I knew when I was 14, 15, 16 years old. And we see where our lives have taken us, all in very different directions.

They’re all the same people underneath it all. It’s really lovely, and it’s very rare. We laugh at how weird we were and how awkward.

I’m involved in a Japanese-American group in New York and we organize small events. The idea is that there are Japanese women who travel here who might not have an opportunity to meet American women. We want to extend our friendship to them. It’s important to me because when I was in Japan, a friend introduced me to a women’s group. They welcomed me and helped me to understand what was so special and unique to Japan, and I felt like I wanted to give that back.

It was such an important part of my life. There’s a commonality to the women who live overseas. You look at the world a little bit differently.

PHOTOGR A PHS: CH ATT MA N PH OTOG RA PHY

As a day student at NSFG, Margi Anderson fell in love with books and other cultures. No wonder, then, that she would live her life by the same themes: living abroad for many years with her husband, exploring communities in Asia, and reading every book she could. After NSFG, Margi earned her political science degree from the University of Wisconsin and then a master’s degree in social work from Fordham.

She now splits her time between New Canaan, CT, and a farmhouse in New Hampshire. She’s involved in several Japanese-American book clubs, volunteers on a domestic abuse council, and participates in an academic lecture series.

Long Live Class of ’31

A fond look back from two of the school’s earliest alums

MARGARET GIBSON

YEARS OLD

Margaret Gibson’s father, a minister in Northampton, helped Misses Whitaker and Bement get NSFG off the ground, so naturally, just a few years later, Margaret ’31 enrolled as a student. She recalls that many of the 5th-year students, bent on passing college boards, were “very serious.” While she was dedicated to her studies too, she also fondly remembers “sneaking into the kitchen for cookies after Sunday night suppers.”

ELIZABETH GORER

YEARS OLD

Hailing from Bar Harbor, Maine, Elizabeth Gorer ’31 attended NSFG for a postgraduate year before heading to Radcliffe College. Some of her favorite memories include walking to Northampton center, hiking in the hills, and attending concerts at Smith College. Her biggest NSFG lesson was learning how to live with others, which she says prepared her for college. “It was a very good school, and I look back with fondness,” she says.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 25

Phyllis Lockwood Geiger ’65

For this prankster, taking risks paid off with a sweet career At NSFG, Phyllis Geiger found a home away from home, and a new sisterhood. She adored her social life and was a spirited prankster around campus. Under her photo in her senior yearbook was a prophetic line about her life: “Everything is sweetened by risk.” In 1983, she started Peterbrooke Chocolatier, which now has many franchises in Florida and beyond, and ships all over the country. Though Geiger is now retired, she still has a sweet tooth.

Which teacher had the most impact on you?

Mrs. Cantarella. She was the senior English teacher. She was very forebidding. Everybody really feared that they would get her, and of course they got her. When you were in her English class, you did pay attention and you did listen. The ground rumbled when she walked into the room. She would call on people.

One day she pointed at me and she said, ‘Lockwood.’ The question was about Moby Dick or something. And I didn’t have the right answer. And she yelled at me, I’ll never forget, ‘Lockwood, you are withering on the branch of knowledge.’ That stuck with me for the rest of my life.

In order to have a social life, you wanted to do stuff with Williston. I joined Mask and Wig and the Glee Club. I helped make costumes and I loved the performances. The performance I remember the most was “The Mikado.” I did some costumes for that. The whole performance was cool because there were some great voices involved.

What did you enjoy studying?

I enjoyed Latin the most, of all weird things. I’m not particularly good at languages. Somehow I clicked into the language. Latin has been a wonderful thing throughout my life as far as helping my vocabu26 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

PHOTOGR A PHS: CH ATT MA N PH OTOG RA PHY

What activities did you join?

lary. I would recommend taking Latin to anybody. I hope that schools still carry it. I can’t really translate much, but still when something comes up, I try to translate it. It’s a good part of our education.

Northampton School for Girls Notables

Who were you as a student and teenager?

I liked to play pranks with anyone that would have a prank with me.

One time we undid all the screws on the doorknobs in the house, so when the housemother came in to any room, the doorknobs fell off in her hands. Under my senior picture in my yearbook, it says, ‘Everything in life is sweetened by risk.’ And that’s so prophetic of my life. I went into the confectionary business. I risked everything I had and started a chocolate business, and now it’s all over the place. That’s why it’s prophetic. Isn’t that amazing?

Grace Carlson

Nelly Buker

Viola Hussey

1953-1971

1955-1966

By all accounts formidable in her approach, Grace Carlson taught English and was an Academic and Senior Class Dean.

Of all her many skills, she is best known for her extraordinary ability as a classroom teacher.

Nelly Buker brought rigor to NSFG’s science and advanced mathematics curriculum. Contrary to the cliché of the times concerning women and science, her chemistry and physics students often came away with a love for the subjects.

“With Miss Hussey, learning how to write one paragraph took months of practice over and over and over and over,” says Holly Alderman ’67. While she was tough, many alumnae credit her with truly teaching them to write well.

Marianne Brauch Kehrli

Margaret Emerson

Hélène Cantarella

Teaching both mathematics and Latin, Margaret Emerson was known by her students as an instructor of infinite patience. To her, there was no such thing as a girl “who couldn’t do math.”

Intense and demanding, Hélène Cantarella set seemingly impossible standards. Inspired (and a little terrified), her students rose to them. “I never felt so alive as in her classes,” wrote Polly Eskenasy ’65.

1956-1969

What were some of the rules at NSFG?

Lights out at 10. And of course we hid in the closets and talked to each other. But after a while we realized we couldn’t hear each other very well through the walls. So we made a little hole there so we could talk.

We’d talk about everything and anything.

What inspired you to start a chocolate company?

Peterbrooke Chocolatier is named after my children, Peter and Brooke.

I always wanted to have my own business. When I apprenticed to a chocolatier, the lights went on for me. I was trained in the European method. And I thought, ‘Wow, we don’t have an American translation for this.’ So that’s what I did. I translated the European way of making chocolate into an American thing.

1956-1967

As a teacher of art and French, Marianne Kehrli was utterly committed to both subjects and to the craft of instructing students. Her love of the arts inspired a number of students to pursue them professionally.

1957-1968

1958-1969

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 27

Jackee Mosher ’70 After learning to fly in Northampton, she took off for a groundbreaking career in aviation Date unknown | Tennis on the courts behind Scott Hall

When Jackee Mosher ’70 broke into the macho world of commercial aviation in 1975, she was Ozark Air Lines’ only female pilot—and would remain so for eight more years. From there she went on to become the first woman captain at TWA and leader of the company’s first all-female flight crew. In all, she racked up some 18,000 flying hours during her 39 years at the helm for four different carriers, bucking sexist headwinds wherever she met them. Retired now in Florida, Mosher finds thrills playing softball, swimming, and flying a drone.

1940s | An NSFG chemistry class

28 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

We had a program at NSFG that was called 5-5-5. For five weeks, you put in five hours over five days at whatever interested you the most. So I worked at the airport in Northampton for my 5-5-5. I was washing airplanes and fueling airplanes, and it was great. I loved it. I was the only female doing that.

I knew I wanted to be a pilot or a doctor, and I didn’t study enough to be a doctor!

What did you love the most about NSFG?

Living with other girls. I always went to summer camp and lived with campers, so I was used to it.

Having friends and living with them was the best part of boarding school, especially because my parents were so strict. I came to school and had all these friends. It was awesome.

PHOTOGR A PHS: CH ATT MA N PH OTOG RA PHY

What inspired you to be a pilot?

What kind of student were you?

Not a very good one! Studying was hard for me. I believe if any kind of mechanical classes had been available to women I really would have excelled in those. I had my best grades in Mrs. Beekman’s class. I also loved sports and did really well.

What was the fashion of the day?

We had bell-bottoms and hip huggers and all that. I did whatever the crowd did. So then after that I have always had tailored clothing. Tailored all the way. I don’t care what anybody thinks.

What will you miss about being a pilot?

Traveling. I spent most of my time in Paris or Madrid or Barcelona. I’m going to miss Paris the most. I used to bring food back—cheese and butter and olive oil. The food is so fantastic. That’s why the people are so skinny. The food is so pure and they walk everywhere.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 29

Ann Futter Lomeli ’73

Before becoming a legal eagle, she soared in the classroom and on the playing fields

What were you like as a student?

I think of myself as starting out as shy, but I don’t know that I really was. I remember a girl from Brazil entering school in the middle of one year. I saw her standing all by herself, so I introduced myself and we became very good friends. If I really had been shy, I probably wouldn’t have done that. I was friendly with people. I tried to get along with everyone. That’s what you have to do.

I think being involved with sports boosted my confidence.

What sports did you play?

I played soccer, basketball, and softball. Eleven varsity letters. I have those somewhere. One stand-out moment was a soccer game against Stoneleigh Burnham. Northampton had not beaten Stoneleigh for several years. I got the ball and as I ran toward the goal I heard someone behind me calling, “Kick it, kick it in!” but I kept going until I could see the whites of the goalie’s eyes.

She looked terrified. And I went, wham! And in it went! We won by a

PHOTOGR A PHS: CH ATT MA N PH OTOG RA PHY

In a ground-breaking career, attorney Ann Futter Lomeli ’73 was the first female Corporate Secretary (think Secretary of State, not administrative assistant) for two major American companies—Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance and MassMutual. After the enterprises merged in 1995 (“What is it about me and mergers!” wonders Futter, who was a student during NSFG’s

merger with Williston), she went on to become co-General Counsel at MassMutual—the first woman ever to hold that position in the Fortune 500 company’s 165-year history.

Through it all, she has maintained close school ties, keeping up friendships with classmates and twice serving on the board of trustees.

score of 1-0 and my teammates carried me off the field. It sticks in my mind even though it was 46 years ago in 1969. Forty-seven years ago!

Oh, my gosh.

Did you participate in other activities?

I was with the school newspaper, Pegasus, from the start. My senior year, after Northampton merged with Williston, I became co-Editorin-Chief of The Willistonian with a boy named Geoff Van Anda ’73. I was a tutor and I was in the chess club. Newspaper and sports stand out, because I put in so much time.

One of the things about the paper was that I did a series of articles about the merger while it was being planned, so I knew more details than many students. I interviewed Nate Fuller, the headmaster. I was a sophomore and that was exciting and intimidating, going up to his office to interview him.

1971 | Commencement—at that time, graduating girls wore crowns of daisies

What Impact did NSFG have on you after graduation?

I think it gave me a lot of confidence. Not to mention a good education. I went to Yale and I was fully prepared. I loved NSFG, I loved meeting all the kids, loved the opportunity to do things that interested me. I was able to take three languages, Latin, French and Spanish. Also, I would say the whole merger thing translated to Yale, which had just gone coed. I ended up co-chairing the Yale Undergraduate Women’s Caucus.

Do you have any advice for current students?

Take advantage of whatever opportunities you have. Try new things.

Enjoy the experience. The experience is what you remember.

Date unknown | A painting class in the basement of Hathaway House SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 31

Sheila Fisher ’72

This English professor and Chaucer expert got her start with first place in an essay contest Barbara Carlin and Lorraine Teller, who did more for my interpretive abilities and writing than anyone else. They were really demanding.

I would overwrite and my prose would get purple, and they would

Most young kids weren’t as driven as you. What motivated you?

If I could do it in a way that would not impede my family’s finances, then I really owed it to myself to get the best secondary school education I could get. My parents were both brilliant, but they didn’t have circumstances to go to college.

My parents looked at this a little askance because they were worried about financing college. It took a little bit of persuasion on my part and the generosity of the school to pull it off.

What subjects were you most drawn to?

My two favorite subjects, which would become the subjects I majored in in college, were English and Latin. The English faculty was really extraordinary. My most important teachers there were 32 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

have none of it. They made me much more disciplined as a writer.

Was there a book that blew your mind?

Virgil’s Aeneid, which I read my

senior year in Latin 4 with Lorraine Teller. I think for somebody in high school to make her way through The Aeneid over the course of the year with a gifted teacher is usually something you do in college. That was an extraordinary experience.

What did you value about a women’s education?

I liked the fact that there was no way that girls were second-class citizens. These were institutions that were geared toward teaching women. I was there right at the time when second-wave feminism was taking hold. I had a consciousness that it was a privilege to be in a place that was dedicated to women’s empowerment. If there was going to be a head of the student body, it was going to be a girl. If there was an editor of the school newspaper, it was going to be a girl. Leadership positions were filled entirely for girls in ways that gave women a whole lot more practice.

What are you working on now?

I just completed a sabbatical and I’m back to full-time teaching.

Having finished my translation of The Canterbury Tales, I’m working on a brand new project of medieval women mystics. I’m hoping it might take the shape of a historical novel.

Find more great stories at www.willistonblogs.com/bulletin

PHOTOGR A PHS: PAU L S CHN AIT TACHER

Sheila Fisher ’72, as an intellectually ambitious 13-year-old, was determined to attend NSFG, even though her family lacked the funds to pay the full tuition. She won first place in an essay contest and was awarded a nearly full ride to NSFG for four years. Decades later, she’s still writing, now as a professor of English at Trinity College. She’s a medievalist who specializes in Chaucer, late 14th-century English literature, and medieval women writers. In 2011, W.W. Norton published her book, The Selected Canterbury Tales: A New Verse Translation.

1943-45 | During World War II, when there was a shortage of agricultural workers, students volunteered on local farms

1940s | Students in the library atop Scott Hall

Mid-1940s | A room in Hathaway House, the senior dorm

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THE PLACES

Uncommon

Ground

As far as Sarah Whitaker was concerned, Northampton School for Girls commanded the perfect location. “A mile from Smith College with Main Street in between,” she wrote, “…it was near enough so that we could enjoy the advantages the college offered, but far enough away so that we could have a definite life of our own.” A life of its own, indeed. Typical Whitaker understatement. For nearly half a century the school founded by Miss Whitaker and Dorothy Bement operated with tremendous verve, indelibly stamping the lives of the generations of young women who passed through its doors and across its elegant lawns. The mark it left on its leafy old neighborhood remains almost as strong.

PHOTOGR A PHS : CHAT T M AN PHOTO GR AP HY

Set amid shade trees on Pomeroy Terrace in Northampton, the original Whitaker-Bement today is home to the city’s College Church. The lounge remains a tranquil sanctuary. After beginning life as a girls-only student center, the Easthampton counterpart has, for many years, housed Williston’s Middle School.

34 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

Dedicated in 1962 to commemorate the retirements of founders Sarah Whitaker and Dorothy Bement, Northampton’s Whitaker-Bement building contained science labs, a photography darkroom, an airy gym, and a light-filled lounge (left). When the school joined with Williston Academy 10 years later, a new Whitaker-Bement building was erected on the Easthampton campus, its ski lodge-chic architectural style evocative of the original.

The daily ringing of Northampton’s Angelus reminded girls to take time from their busy days for reflection. Inscribed “For Quiet Thought,” the bell now resides on the Angelus Terrace on the lawn of 194 Main, where it summons students to Convocation and other all-school events. Its clear peals link past and present.

A converted private home, Montgomery House on Pomeroy Terrace in Northampton served as the school’s main administrative building. Dining rooms and kitchen occupied the first floor, while the second contained the school office, dorm rooms, and an infirmary. The building today lodges the Cutchins Programs for Children and Families, a treatment provider for children and families experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties. Curiously, Montgomery House was designed by William Fenno Pratt, a Savannah, Georgia, architect who also drew up the plans for 37 Park Street, the Williston Northampton School’s headmaster’s residence. Long before they merged, the two schools were linked.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 35

Long before Title IX leveled the playing field for girls, Northampton fielded teams in softball, basketball, and field hockey, among other sports.

Home games were contested on manicured grounds rolling down toward the Connecticut River in an area known today as the Meadows. “I can still see the look on the StoneleighBurnham goalie’s face as I kicked the ball past her,” remembers Ann Futter Lomeli ’73 of the heroic shot that ended one soccer game.

36 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

PHOTOGR A PHS: CH ATT MA N PH OTOG RA PHY

On the eve of Commencement, Northampton girls gathered at a magnificent stone fireplace to celebrate a ritual called Phoenix Night. Onto the leaping flames they tossed mementoes of past disappointments—a poor grade, a cracked field hockey stick—in hopes that better things would spring from the ashes. The fireplace still stands at the edge of the woods behind the old campus, poignant reminder of a thousand youthful aspirations.

Looking south from Montgomery House, a quintessential Connecticut River Valley view of the Holyoke Range hasn’t much changed since Northampton School for Girls welcomed its first students in 1924. The meadows and woodlands to the left of the dike were once the site of extensive school gardens and hockey fields. The dike itself was completed in 1941 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, after successive floods devastated downtown Northampton in 1926, 1936, and 1938. “There were 12 feet of water in Scott Hall,” wrote Miss Whitaker after one inundation. “The piano was floating.” The dike put an end to all that and became a popular place for girls to stroll.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 37

THE THINGS

FROM THE

ARCHIVES IN PRINT Pegasus was the Northampton School newspaper. It first appeared in 1936. The other major student publication was a poetry magazine, Venturer’s Field, which was also the 18th-century name of the farmland behind the campus.

THE HYMNAL The hymnal was used in weekly prayers; it is open to one of Miss Whitaker’s favorites, “On Our Way Rejoicing.”

PINS AND RINGS Clockwise from the top: a ski team badge, ca. 1970; a 1961 class ring; and a Northampton School bracelet charm, date unknown.

SCHOOL UNIFORM It wasn’t really a uniform; wearing it was not a requirement. But at least through the mid-’60s, many girls wore a green school blazer, often accessorized with class and athletic insignia.

Consensus was that it looked best with a white pleated skirt (see page 15). Above right, a Class of ’56 freshman beanie.

BADGES AND BANNERS Along with a banner in the school’s colors, a blazer patch from the Massachusetts Farm Volunteers, in which many students participated during World War II (see page 33).

Nearly all the objects here, and many of the photographs on the preceding pages, were alumnae gifts to the Williston Northampton Archives. If you have thoughts, documents, or artifacts to share, please contact Rick Teller ’70, Archivist, the Williston Northampton School, rteller@williston.com; (413) 529-3288.

SPRING 2016 BULLETIN 39

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19 Payson Avenue, Easthampton, ma 01027 www.williston.com

mailing address by contacting us at alumni@williston.com or (800) 469-4559. Thank you.

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