That`s a Wrap! - John Burroughs School

JOHN BURROUGHS SCHOOL
R EPORTER
Augus t 2014
That’s a Wrap!
IN SIDE
The community celebrates the transformation of the Burroughs campus
and the completion of the campaign that made it possible.
2
A Night to
Remember
4
Scholarships and
Endowments
5
6
The enlarged Quadrangle and a new Haertter Hall and Commons at the heart of the campus provided a fitting venue for a celebration marking the completion
of the largest construction project in Burroughs’ history.
On Saturday, May 10, more than 1,200 alumni, parents,
grandparents, faculty, staff and friends gathered to celebrate
the transformation of 40 percent of the campus and to
dedicate the Haertter Performing Arts Center, the Taylor
Family Athletic Center and the Maritz Quadrangle.
The evening began with a reception, followed by a program
in Haertter Hall with remote feeds in the Quad and The
Commons for the above-capacity crowd. Julia Bullock ’05 and
Alex Prakken ’11, accompanied by Joe Dreyer ’73, opened
the program with a selection of songs from West Side Story.
Head of School Andy Abbott then recapped the project that
had begun in the early 2000s and included:
•
construction of the Jim Lemen Press Box and Bleachers
(2000),
•
renovation of the Deyo Leland Field (football/lacrosse)
and the Skippy Keefer Track (2005),
•
construction of the Clayton Road parking lot, hockey
field and additions to the dining room and field house
(2006 and 2007),
•
renovation of the Kerry S. Kuehner Fine Arts Building
and new art gallery (2008),
•
refurbishment of the Ray Beckman Field (soccer) and
resurfacing of the courts in the E. Desmond Lee and
Family Tennis Complex (2010),
•
He dedicated the new spaces and thanked the more than
1,300 members of the community who had stepped up
to participate in the Campaign for Burroughs. “These
numbers are unprecedented in Burroughs’ history and are
outstanding for a school as relatively small as ours,” he said.
Steve Maritz ’76, board president and chair of Phase Two of
the Campaign, recognized the volunteers and donors who
had given more than $30 million in Phase One and those
who had given more than $52 million in Phase-Two of the
campaign.
Maritz then presented the Alumni Association’s
Distinguished Service Award to Todd Schnuck ’77 and the
Outstanding Alumnus Award to Jon Hamm ’89.
The program concluded with the student cast of Hair
performing “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” and leading
the audience into the up-lit Quad for a final toast “To
Burroughs” followed by a fireworks display from the roofs of
buildings surrounding the Quad.
See pages 2 and 3 for photos of the event.
Published by John Burroughs School for Alumni, Parents and Friends
A String of
State Finishes
7
Science and
Technology
Superstars
8
Diversity
Initiatives
9
Keefer Retires
construction of the Taylor Family Athletic Center,
Haertter Performing Arts Center and The Commons
(2013) and
• expansion of the Maritz Quadrangle (2013).
Class of 2014:
Where Are They
Headed?
11
Port Leads
Curtis Cup
Team
Alum Doc
Doing CuttingEdge Research
Ca mpaign Wr ap-Up
ca mpaign Wr ap-Up
A Night to Remember
On May 10, more than 1,200 members of the community celebrated the transformation of the
Burroughs campus and honored good friends who had made it possible.
10
The
Campaign
for
Burroughs
1
That’s a
Wrap
14
6
1. From left are Mary and Frank Rassieur ’44.
$52+ million
2. From left are Alex McNett (2014-15 Parents Council president), Shelly Baizer (2013-14 Parents
Council president), Becky Irwin Meyer ’90 and Sally Irwin.
largest campaign
in Burroughs’
history
3. From left are Jane Heineman Molden ’64 Tom Heineman ’63, Sandy Heineman and Lori
Heineman Kilkelly ’90.
4. From left are Jason Torrey ’00 and Jason Carter-Salomon ’00.
1,300+
2
11
11
donors to the
Campaign for
Burroughs
5. The 2002 Outstanding Alumnus, Joe Edwards ’64, got a photo with the 2014 Outstanding
Alumnus, Jon Hamm ’89, to hang in his restaurant, Blueberry Hill.
6. From left are Jim Maritz ’69, Teddy Maritz ’08, Lauren Bull, Carole Lemen and Michele Maritz.
Jim and Michele Maritz chaired the campaign’s Phase One, which secured more than $30 million
for the school in the mid-2000s.
7. From left are Jim Holmes, Doug Pearson, Kris Samuels Holmes ’78 and Carolyn Pearson.
100+
volunteers
8. The children of Todd ’77 and Julie Schnuck came out in support of their dad’s being named
the Distinguished Service recipient. From left are Todd ’07, Liesel ’09, Todd, Julie, Margaret ’11
and Peter ’13. Todd received the award for his leadership and service to the school spanning three
decades. Most recently, he served as the Board’s president and as chair of the search committee that
recommended Andy Abbott as the sixth head of school, and he led a group of trustees to shape the
Campus Master Plan that is now a reality.
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More than
125,000
3
9. Several faculty members who are also parents of alumni attended the event. From left are Jim
Lemen (History; PE/Athletics, retired), Prue Gershman (Counseling and Wellness), David and
Dena Goran (Science), Ray (PE/Athletics) and Gwyn Thorpe.
square feet
in three new
buildings
10. From left are Amy McDonald Hudson ’86, Mary Beth McDonald and Meg McDonald ’88.
11. Keith Shahan ’62 was head of school during Phase One of the campaign. He and his wife,
Marcia Williamson Shahan ’62, were among the guests at the May 10 event.
400%
12. Julia Bullock ’05 and Alex Prakken ’11, accompanied by Joe Dreyer ’73, opened the program
with a selection of songs from West Side Story.
larger Quadrangle
3
8
additional
endowed
faculty chairs
4
12
29
14. Among the campaign leadership team on hand for the event were (from left) Head of School
Andy Abbott, Board vice president Sue McCollum, former Board president Valerie Bell, Jon Hamm
’89, Board member Clay Scharff, former Board member Susan Sherman, current Board president
and chair of the Campaign for Burroughs Steve Maritz ’76 and former Board president Todd
Schnuck ’77.
additional
scholarships
and special
gift funds
5
Burroughs
Reporter
22 || Bur
roughs R
eporter
13. The Alumni Association named actor Jon Hamm ’89 as the 2014 recipient of the Outstanding
Alumnus Award. Jon, who has received numerous awards as a star of both the big screen and
television, has remained a good friend to Burroughs. He served as alumni co-chair of the capital
campaign, hosted events in St. Louis and New York, and named the new black box theatre in honor
of retiring theatre chair Wayne Salomon. In his comments, Jon said, “The things that I learned here
were life lessons that some people wait their whole lives to figure out, and I learned them from the
ages of 13 to 18. I learned about family. I learned about the different definitions of family. I learned
about community. I learned about taking care of your community. I learned about giving back to
your community. I learned about history, and I learned about tradition.”
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13
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August 2014 | 3
Ca mpaign Wr ap-Up
On Giving
We Cannot Thank
You Enough!
From left are Steve Maritz ’76, chair of the
Campaign for Burroughs (Phase Two); Head
of School Andy Abbott; and Jon Hamm ’89,
alumni co-chair of the campaign.
“This campaign has been an
unprecedented success for
Burroughs,” declared Head of School
Andy Abbott at the May 10 campus
dedication and celebration, “and it’s
all because of you! You really came
through for us, and we cannot thank
you enough.”
The Campaign for Burroughs raised
more than $52 million in three
years to transform 40 percent of the
campus. More than 100 volunteers
committed countless hours to make it
happen, and upwards of 1,300 donors
— alumni, parents, grandparents,
parents of alumni, and friends —
gave generously to achieve our largest
campaign goal in school history.
As we look forward to our first full
school year with the new facilities
in place, it is clear that we have only
just begun to see the benefits of
this amazing new campus. Already,
we have been able to accommodate
the JBS-MICDS basketball game
and a graduation in the new
athletic center. The performing
arts center was an exciting venue
for the school’s first production of
Hair, and for the holiday program
it accommodated all performers —
singers, instrumentalists, readers and
members of the tableau — on stage.
Students have settled in comfortably
in the Commons, which provides
space for every grade, and on a pretty
day, the Quad is a flurry of activity.
It was terrific to see so many
members of our community on May
10. If you have not seen the campus
yet, please feel free to contact the
Development Office to arrange a tour.
All Campaign for Burroughs donors
at the $10,000 level and above will
be recognized as part of a permanent
donor wall installation in the new
facilities. If you would like your name
to be included, please contact Jim
Kemp ([email protected] or
314/993-4045, ext. 256).
Steve Maritz ’76
President, Board of Trustees
Chair, Campaign for Burroughs
4 | Burroughs Reporter
Class of 2014
Bricks and Mortar ... and
Scholarships and Endowments
Funds added during the campaign provide endowed support for
scholarships, faculty development and campus upkeep.
On a recent visit to campus, Catherine Spitzer Gidlow
’65, who — with her husband, Jerry — established the
Jim Stevens/Dora Tickner Scholarship, explained why she
chose to honor her former teachers with a named
scholarship. “Why was I so lucky to have teachers
like these, who really loved to teach?” she said. “They
knew they weren’t here to teach facts. They were here
to teach me how to learn so that I could learn the rest of
my life.”
Gidlow explained that Dora Tickner was her eighth grade
social studies teacher. “It never occurred to me that the
Missouri Constitution was boring,” she says. “It was in her
class that I decided to become a lawyer. That was in the
1960s, and there were only a handful of women practicing
law in St. Louis, but Mrs. Tickner encouraged me. It never
seemed odd to me that I wanted to be a lawyer.”
Gidlow relayed a similar experience when she was one of
only five girls in Jim Stevens’ chemistry class. “Mr. Stevens
always made puzzles you could solve. They weren’t too hard,
and they weren’t too easy. They were fun and interesting,
requiring creative thought. He also really cared about
girls advancing in unusual ways. Of the five girls in that
chemistry class, one became an astrophysicist, another
became a large-animal vet and another was a computer
systems analyst. I guess I let him down. I was just a lawyer.”
New Schol a rships a nd Speci a l Funds
The Campaign for Burroughs added 32 scholarships
and special funds to the Burroughs endowment. The
endowment, begun in the 1970s, has been an ongoing
and important source of support for the campus operating
budget. This campaign’s endowment gifts provide
significant funding to support three key areas:
•
•
•
Scholarship endowment for students from a wide
diversity of backgrounds
Professional development and endowed study funds
for faculty to ensure Burroughs teachers remain at the
forefront in their fields of expertise
Building endowment to support the operation,
maintenance and upkeep of new facilities
University of
Alabama
Grace Danforth
Senior Assembly
grinnell college
Francisco Sanchez-Conde
hamilton COLLEGE
Tate Bierut
HAVERFORD COLLEGE
Clara Abbott
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
Bloomington
Sam Held
barrett, the honors
college at arizona
state university
Rainey Horwitz
Raveena John
Ryan Keeney
Ethan Mathew
Nachi Santa Cruz
Neal Shulman
Catherine Spitzer Gidlow ’65
and her husband, Jerry, named a new
scholarship in honor of Jim Stevens (Chemistry,
retired) and the late Dora Tickner (English; History) ... and
all the other teachers at Burroughs who instilled in her a love of
learning. “My Burroughs teachers were the best teachers I ever had
by far.,” says Catherine.
Endowed Scholarships
Beisman Family Scholarship
Crancer Family Scholarship
Guyol Family Scholarship
Margaret Chamberlain Hamilton ’32 Memorial
Scholarship
Deborah Garner Hamm Memorial Scholarship
In reflecting on her Burroughs years, Gidlow started
thinking about other teachers she had not mentioned —
Susan Wendt Horner (Physical Education), Bill Vibert
(History), Jack Acker (English), James Alverson (History),
Joanna Collins ’47 (Fine Arts). “These teachers instilled in
me a level of curiosity that has never left me. I love learning,
and I never really felt unusual. The new facilities at the
school are wonderful, but it’s the teachers — it’s really the
teachers — who make Burroughs what it is. I was so lucky.”
Passages
The Class of 2014 will head to colleges from Santa Clara, California,
to Paris, France — and 63 points in between.
american university
Nicholas Kram Mendelsohn
Engelhardt Family Scholarship
“It’s the teachers — it’s really the teachers
— who make Burroughs what it is.”
Where Are They Headed?
J. Chris Jacobsen ’79 Memorial Scholarship
Kemper Family Scholarship
Mary Ann Lee ’43 Scholarship
Jim Lemen Scholarship
Marjorie McCarthy Robins ’32 Memorial Scholarship
Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte ’02 Memorial Scholarship
Marcia W. ’62 and Keith E. ’62 Shahan Scholarship
Shearburn Family Scholarship
Christy Shields ’68 Memorial Scholarship
Gautam Sundaram ’86 Memorial Scholarship
Buzz and Barbara Taylor ’50 Scholarships
The lawrenceville
school
Nick Duncan
University of
california, berkeley
Sasha Ashall
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY
CHICAGO
Lanie Haynes
Nathan Hicks
carnegie mellon
university
Joanne Hsueh
Kevin Steinhouse
case western reserve
university
McCoy Edmonds
University of chicago
Hanna Kime
Claire Pieper
colgate university
Brin Datema
Chris Wetzel
colorado college
Steph Kelly
columbia college
chicago
Connor Slaten
creighton university
Tessa Lach
Wayne B. Wright and Janie Mason Wright Memorial
Scholarship
davidson college
Kathleen Walsh
John and Ginny Acker Library Fund
Joanna Collins ’47 Humanities Fund
Endowed Faculty Chairs
E. Reuben and Gladys Flora Grant Faculty
Development Fund
Fred Dreher/Joanna Collins Chair in Fine Arts
Jack Orchard ’85 Fund
Holekamp Family Chair in Athletics
Thomas Peyton/Morrow Foundation Fund
Alice Snodgrass/Kemper Family Chair for Excellence
in Teaching
Roz Schulte ’02 Spirit Fund
Science Olympiad Fund
Duke university
Mackenzie Geisman
Emory UNIVERSITY
Zach Lamb
UNIVERSITY Of florida
Gregg Booker
GEORGETOWN
UNIVERSITY
Miranda Reid
Donald Soffer
The george
washington university
Remi Roberts
In his final role as senior class president, Sahil
Lele spoke at Senior Assembly.
Graduation 2014
Abby Baum ’14 celebrates.
UNIVERSITY OF
miami (florida)
Nikhil Das
Rachael Eickmeyer
Ben Feller
Stuart Fort
Blake Maune
Miami UNIVERSITY
(ohio)
Abby Baum
Kristina Murray
Amanda Zeigler
UNIVERSITY of
michigan
Daniel Wexler
UNIVERSITY OF
missouri-columbia
Scott Fischer
Jamie Goodman
New york University
Emmie Connor
Nathan Dee
Margaret Kogos
Northeastern
university
Elijah Brown
Sam Mulcahy
Endowed Special Funds
New faculty chairs, endowed scholarships and special funds
added in this campaign follow:
lafayette college
Sarah Botteron
berklee college
of music
J.C. LeResche
dartmouth college
Alex Jasiek
John ’49 and James Franciscus Visual Arts
Entrepreneurial Fund
knox COLLEGE
Sarah Lowe
lake forest college
Trevor Bain
Jim Stevens/Dora Tickner Scholarship
Ibby Danforth ’46 Academic Support Fund
Kenyon college
Catherine Von Holt
bates college
Jack Maritz
california polytechnic
state university,
San Luis Obispo
Molly Salomon
The Class of 2014 selected Maria Cohen
(Modern Languages) to speak at Senior
Assembly.
University of Kansas
Nick Bratkowski
William Sandiford
Pennsylvania state
UNIVERSITY
(University Park)
Peter Munger
university of
Pittsburgh
Joe Banton
Pitzer college
Daniel Diemer
princeton university
Gil Melnick
Anna Stillman
Adam Wang
university of
puget sound
Lilly Herman
purdue university
Jimmie Oglesby
UNIVERSITY OF
Richmond
Zoe Kolberg-Shuler
Kay Trulaske
James Wood
santa clara
university
Jackson Hoagland
scripps college
Madeline McDonnell
Northwestern
university
Mylan Henderson
Madison Rinder
sewanee: the
university of
the south
Audrey Kennedy
Drew Philpott
Oberlin college
Hannah Rodgers
skidmore college
Lucy Weilbacher
parsons, the new
school for design in
paris
Amanda Lewis
The UNIVERSITY OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Soo Min Cho
Henry Rogers
Ros Shinkle
southern methodist
university
Sloan Long
st. olaf college
Emily Butka
syracuse university
Grace Hildreth
Jordan Leonard
texas christian
university
Michael McNett
John Milner
trinity university
Inka Boehm
tufts university
Stephen McMillian
tulane university
Will McCallum
Andy Swicord
On Thursday, May 29, 104 students
in the Class of 2014 graduated,
constituting Burroughs’ 89th
graduating class. Steve Maritz ’76,
president of the Board of Trustees,
introduced the speakers: Michael Dee
’76 (English) delivered the invocation
and benediction; Nicholas Kram
Mendelsohn ’14 and Ros Shinkle ’14
spoke for and to their class; and Andy
Abbott, head of school, delivered
remarks and presented diplomas.
After the commencement and a
brief reception on the head’s lawn,
festivities for graduates and their
guests continued on campus with a
dinner in the Commons.
vanderbilt university
Olivia Lasala
University of virginia
Joe Renner
wabash college
Robbie Wunderlich
wake forest
UNIVERSITY
Ellison Dobbs
washington
university in st. louis
Haley Botteron
Margaret Min
Will Nickerson
Annalise Wagner
Cole Warner
Gil Melnick ’14 and Tate Bierut ’14 enter
Graduation Grove for the ceremony.
UNIVERSITY of
southern california
Hannah Hiler
Sahil Lele
Jason Roodman
August 2014 | 5
at hletic s
ca mpus news
A String of State Finishes
Science and Technology Superstars
State champs in individual events, a second place for girls’ lacrosse and third place finishes for
water polo and tennis cap another outstanding year in JBS sports.
A basket-scoring robot takes third place in Worlds, Science Olympians
take third in State and a high-mileage car outruns the competition.
Fellowship
Back from
Bogliasco
Sculptor Anne Martin (Fine Arts
chair) spent six weeks in the spring
immersed in her art at the Liguria
Study Center for the Arts and
Humanities in Bogliasco, Italy.
Martin was the second recipient of
the Burroughs Bogliasco Fellowship,
created by Jim Harrison ’53 and
George “Jerry” Bitting ’53 as a tribute
to the teachers and the school that
shaped their lives. The fellowship
provides a JBS faculty member with
the opportunity to pursue a scholarly
or artistic work at the center.
2
The JBS robotics team was part of the three-team alliance that took third place in the world competition held at the Edward Jones Dome in April.
1
Robot ics Tea m
The robotics team’s little basket-scoring robot (4211, above)
was part of the three-team alliance that placed third in the
FIRST* Tech Challenge (FTC) World Championships held
at the Edward Jones Dome in April. Third place represents
the highest Missouri finish in the world competition since it
started in 2007.
• was captain of the alliance that claimed the Missouri
2. The girls’ lacrosse Bombers finished with a second-place finish in State
after an 11-7 loss to MICDS in the finals. Barrett Carlson ’16 was named
to the first team US Lacrosse All-American, first team All-Metro (St. Louis
Post-Dispatch) and Metro League Co-Player of the Year. Steph Kelly ’14
(shown with ball) was named All-Metro Player of the Year
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch) and a US Lacrosse All-American honorable
mention. Maddy Smith ’16 was named to the second team All-Metro (St.
Louis Post-Dispatch).
Fifteen Burroughs students (grades 8 through 11) designed
the robot, Lapis Lazuli, to compete in the challenge, which
changes from year to year. In this year’s competition, the
robot, working against the clock, scored points by loading
plastic blocks into goal baskets, raising a team flag, pulling
itself up on a bar and balancing a pendulum at the end of
the match. The robot operated in autonomous and drivercontrolled modes.
Science Oly mpi a d Tea m
The Science Olympiad team took third place in the state
competition. In existence for 30 years, Science Olympiad
provides opportunities for student teams to compete in
a range of science disciplines. This year’s 23 challenges
included
3. Kevin Steinhouse ’14 takes possession. The water polo team ended
the season with a third-place finish in the state tournament by knocking
off rival MICDS in the consolation bracket. Burroughs won 19 of its last
20 matches and defeated powerhouse DeSmet on its way to the state
tournament. Two players, Kevin Steinhouse ’14 and Daniel Diemer ’14,
were named to the second team All-Metro.
The robot’s 2014 competition season was paved by a
number of head-turning performances at the local, state and
regional levels. The Burroughs team
1. Tennis player Michael Peters ’15 stood at the top of the podium after
a 7-5, 6-0 win over MICDS in the finals of the Class 1 state individual
singles tournament. He was named All-Metro Player of the Year (St. Louis
Post-Dispatch) and Metro League Player of the Year. Zale Shah ’16 and
Ryan Thornton ’15 took fourth place in the doubles tournament. After
claiming the District title, the team advanced to the semifinals and took
third in State.
3
• ranked first in its division (36 teams) and was captain
of the team that won the North Super Region (72 teams
from 14 states) of FTC;
4. John Moten ’15, Metro League Athlete of the Year and second team AllMetro (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), smoked the competition in the 100m dash
to claim a first place-finish at the state meet while breaking the school
record and the Class 3 state record (the state record is not official due to
a wind reading 0.1 above the legal limit). He also placed third in State in
the 200m dash. The 4x100m relay team of Perry Julien ’15, Zavy Miller
’17, John Moten ’15 and Charlie Plax ’15 took second in State, shattering
the school record. The boys’ team claimed the District title for the third
consecutive year, claimed the Metro League championship and finished
eighth in State in a Class 3 division of more than 100 schools. In addition
to Moten and the 4x100m, Robbie Wunderlich ’14 broke the 1600m
school record.
• was one of only 98 U.S. teams and 30 international
teams (from a field of 3,600 teams worldwide) to
advance to the world championship and
5. On the girls’ side, Jordan McClendon ’15 took first in shot put and
second in discus at the State tournament. Annalise Wagner ’14 took
second in the 800m, and Lailah Elliott ’17 took fourth in State in the
100m hurdles. The 4x400m relay team of Elliott, Oona Gaffney ’17,
Gabrielle Ivy ’15 and Wagner took sixth in State. Overall, the girls’ team
finished sixth in State in a Class 3 division of more than 100 schools.
This season, school records were broken by McClendon in her two events,
Elliott in the triple jump while tying the high-jump record, Ruth Selipsky
’16 in the long jump and Wagner in the 800m.
*FIRST: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology
•
building a cantilevered wooden structure,
• applying principles of epidemiology to a published
report of a real-life health situation,
• designing and building a robot capable of performing
specified tasks on a prescribed playing field and
• identifying polymers, solids, fibers and other materials
in a crime scenario.
Super mileage V ehicle Club
The SuperMileage Vehicle Club built two vehicles — one
powered by gasoline, the other by biodiesel fuel — that
competed at the Missouri SuperMileage Challenge in
April. Completing four runs on a four-mile course, the JBS
vehicle claimed the highest fuel efficiency (127 miles per
gallon) in the biodiesel category. The JBS team also won the
Engineering Award, which included the presentation of a
Lincoln Electric Mig welder to the school, and the Pit Award
for the team’s ability to service the vehicle and get it back
onto the track in a timely manner.
“We lived in three villas, worked
during the days and convened
every evening for dinner together,
prompting lively and provocative
discussions that often lasted well into
the night. Our group was particularly
gregarious and friendly, and took
advantage of the many openings,
premieres (one by a former Bogliasco
fellow), two operas and avant-garde
theater in Genoa,” Martin says.
While there, Martin worked on a
series of small sculptures whose
inspiration was the landscape
around Bogliasco. The sculptures,
all made directly in wax, will be cast
in bronze. Martin plans to show and
talk about her work and the Bogliasco
experience sometime in 2015.
Anne Martin (Fine Arts)
4
6 | Burroughs Reporter
State Championship and set a world record for high
score without penalties (record later broken).
“The experience was amazing, and
the company was extraordinary,”
reports Martin, who returned to her
teaching responsibilities in early
April. The other fellow in visual arts
was New York realist painter Ellen
Altfest, winner of a Guggenheim
Fellowship and a participant in
the biennial art exhibition, Venice
Bienalle. There also were two British
fellows in literature, two fellows in
music composition (one from Israel,
the other from the Netherlands), an
Italian fellow in history, a Romanian
fellow in dance and a Croatian fellow
in theater.
5
The Burroughs car achieved the
highest fuel efficiency (127 mpg)
in the biodiesel category at the
Missouri SuperMileage Challenge.
August 2014 | 7
ca mpus news
Leadership
Summer Diversity
Institute for
Educators
Burroughs plans to host a summer
diversity institute for educators in
2015. The institute will prepare
experienced educators to more
effectively advance programs,
policies and practices that promote
an equitable, inclusive school
community.
As currently envisioned, the institute
will focus on the diversity, inclusivity
and cultural/global knowledge, skills
and abilities that produce optimal
teaching and learning environments.
Participants from independent,
private and public schools will
convene each day for research review,
case discussions, consultations and
lectures with scholars, practitioners
and leaders from business and
academia.
The institute will also include two
working panels — one with CEOs and
professional leaders, the other with
heads of school, administrators and
diversity practitioners — to discuss
how educators can best prepare
students for the demands of higher
education and the professional world.
A planning session from July 30
through August 1, 2014, brought
together 18 local, regional and
national diversity practitioners and
educators to support planning of the
2015 institute.
Please Keep Us Informed
ca mpus news
Diversity Initiatives Recognized
Keefer Retires ... a Second Time
Head of School Andy Abbott was honored by NCCJSTL for his
leadership around diversity.
Skippy Keefer officially retired in 2001, but she never really left.
The National Conference for Community and Justice of
Metropolitan St. Louis (NCCJSTL) honored Head of School
Andy Abbott at its 69th Brotherhood Sisterhood Award
Celebration.
Abbott received the award for his commitment to diversity,
inclusion, equity and justice at a respected local private
school, according to David John Martineau, NCCJSTL
executive director. Valerie Bell, a NCCJSTL board member
and former JBS Board president, introduced Abbott at the
June 2 event.
“When Andy was a candidate for the position he now holds
as head of John Burroughs School, he shared with those
of us in the search process a philosophy statement that
expressed his views about the critical components of an
outstanding educational environment.” Bell said. “In his
statement, he spoke of certain tribes in South Africa where,
when a person greets someone, he or she says ‘I see you.’
The other person responds, ‘I am here.’ Andy explained that
the significance of these exchanges lies in the fact that every
individual wants and needs to be recognized, appreciated,
embraced and validated for who he or she is — to be ‘seen.’
He indicated that if he were to become head of Burroughs,
he would strive to make it a place where each student —
indeed, every member of that community — would be
’seen.’ I am happy to share with all of you tonight that Andy
Abbott is definitely a man of his word!
“As the head of school, Andy has demonstrated his deep and
genuine personal commitment to making these values an
indispensable part of virtually every facet of the Burroughs
culture. He has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to
incorporate them into the curriculum; to diversify the
faculty and administration; to provide seminars, workshops
and speakers to raise awareness and enhance the cultural
competency of students, faculty, parents, staff and alumni;
to foster student participation in programs such as NCCJ’s
Anytown; and to ensure that the school’s strategic plan
accounts for diversity and inclusion in its vision for the
future. Through these and numerous other efforts, Andy
has demonstrated an unswerving commitment to keeping
his promise of fostering a school climate in which every
individual is ‘seen.’”
Moceri to Speak at Burroughs
Skippy Keefer came to Burroughs in 1972 as a physical
education teacher and coach. By the time she retired in
2001, she had been athletic director, interim principal,
director of the Health Club and director of Burr Oak Camp.
Not ready to cut all ties at retirement, Keefer continued
as the Health Club’s first and only director and as camp
director, a position she initially agreed to take for one year.
She recently concluded her 16th camp season. During that
time, she has seen the camp through major construction
projects on both the Burroughs and Community School
campuses, and she adapted the program to keep the campers
coming. “There are tons of sports camps around,” she says.
“Burr Oak is a place where kids come to have fun.”
For older campers she added electives from woodworking
to video-making to hip hop, and for little campers she
coordinated free-time activities including more playground
time, a science and nature program, and story-telling. She
also added a counselor-in-training (CIT) program to mentor
sixth grade campers to be counselors. This summer about
60 percent of her camp staff began as CITs.
Keefer will be missed, but she’s leaving her jobs in the
capable hands of William Feuerbacher ’06 (Health Club)
and school nurse Casie Tomlinson and her husband, Matt
(Burr Oak Camp). And Keefer will still come around, mainly
on weekends to take shifts as a pool lifeguard.
Skippy Keefer retired from teaching responsibiliteis in 2001 but stayed on as
director of the Health Club and Burr Oak Camp.
Summer Trips Enrich Learning
Former faculty member Ellen Moceri, a co-founder of Aim High St.
Louis, will return for a TEDx presentation.
Ellen Moceri, former JBS history teacher and co-founder of
the Aim High program, will reprise her TEDx presentation
titled “Private Schools with a Public Purpose” on October
2, 2014, in Haertter Hall. The talk will be part of a Gateway
Arch TEDx that will include additional speakers on the topic
of education, philanthropy and community development.
Port Leads
Curtis Cup Team
The pinnacle of the 2014 St. Louis
golf season was having hometown
golf legend Ellen Port (PE/Athletics)
as the U.S. Curtis Cup team’s captain
and playing the biennial tournament
at St. Louis Country Club in the club’s
centennial year. On Sunday, June
8, after a dominant three days for
the Americans, the U.S. reclaimed
the Curtis Cup with a 13-7 win over
Great Britain and Ireland (GBI).
Port, a six-time USGA champion and
two-time Curtis Cup team member,
says, “Representing not only the
United States but St. Louis as well
was a tremendous honor. Captaining
eight wonderful young women and
sharing in the Curtis Cup experience
with the GBI team was one of the best
experiences of my life. It goes without
saying that I would not have been
in this position without the support
of my family, and this includes my
friends at John Burroughs!”
Soon after the Curtis Cup win, Port
captured two of her own titles —
first, the Metropolitan Amateur
Golf Association Women’s Amateur
Championship at Forest Hills
Country Club. She has won the title
13 times in the tournament’s 22 years.
Port also broke her own record by
winning her ninth Missouri Women’s
Amateur, at Creekmoor Golf Course
in Raymore, Missouri.
The event will start at 6:30 pm with a reception to welcome
Moceri back to the Aim High and St. Louis communities.
(She recently retired as head of school at Ransom Everglades
School in Miami, Florida.) The presentations will take place
from 7 to 8 pm. Tickets are $25. To RSVP, contact Natalie
Ott (314-432-9500 or [email protected]).
John Burroughs School publishes
the Reporter for distribution to
alumni, current and past parents and
grandparents, faculty and staff, and
friends of the school.
Ellen Port (in center holding trophy) captained
the U.S. team that re-claimed the Curtis Cup.
June came and two groups — one of eighth grade science
students, the other of students of German — set out for
long-anticipated enrichment travel with their teachers.
Editor: Lynn Hoppe Phelps
Photographer: Andrew Newman ’87
Jim Lemen Named
Metro Legend
The first group — 49 eighth graders — headed to the
Grand Canyon in early June. The students hiked Havasu
Canyon (above) where they camped for two nights while
exploring the many waterfalls in the area. They stopped at
the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and viewed
Desert Tower. They trekked through the slot canyon, Little
Antelope, before rafting 16 miles on the Colorado River.
They spent the last full day running the sand dunes at Pink
Coral Sand Dunes State Park and hiking the water-filled
narrows at Zion National Park.
Director of Communications
and Community Relations:
Ellen Leschen Bremner ’67
Please keep us posted on job changes,
degrees, honors, marriages, births
and adoptions, deaths — any news
you may have. Please contact Nancy
Cusanelli at [email protected]
or 314/993-4040, ext. 264, to notify
the school of news.
Founded in 1991 by former Headmaster Keith Shahan ’62, former JBS
history teacher Ellen Moceri and English teacher Rick Sandler, Aim High St.
Louis welcomed about 150 middle school students, primarily from the
St. Louis Public and Normandy School districts, to its 23rd summer
enrichment session on the Burroughs campus. The five-week program,
aimed at helping students develop their academic and interpersonal skills,
8 | Burroughs Reporter
THE
ARTS
Faculty
included required classes in math, science, English and social studies,
as well as electives in ceramics, drama, yearbook and sports. New this
year was the introduction of an advisory period with a focus on character
development. Above, teaching assistants Jordan Roodman ’14 and Andre
Ransom, an Aim High graduate, help a student.
The second group — 11 students of German — spent three
weeks in Germany where they stayed with host families and
toured in and around Stuttgart, Prague, Berlin and Munich.
The biennial trip was moved to the summer this year to
accommodate student schedules.
Students participating in the German exchange visited the Zugspitze, the
highest peak in Germany. From left are Lilly Wurm ’16, Nick O’Brien ’16,
Myls Walker ’16, Noelle Kinsell-Baer ’16, Augie Kram Mendelsohn ’16, Ruth
Selipsky ’16, Olga Russell (Modern Languages), Liam Meier ’15, John Moley
’16, Adam McAllister ’15, Andrew Efimov ’15 and Lucas Schlaefli ’15.
The St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame has
named longtime JBS athletic director
and coach Jim Lemen (retired) as the
2014 winner of the Metro Legend
Award. He and 12 other St. Louis
sports legends will be recognized
at the St. Louis Renaissance Grand
Hotel on September 24. Among them
are Chris Carpenter, Orlando Cepeda,
Aeneas Williams, Bob Plager, Gus
Otto, Al Ferrari, Kristin Folkl, Taylor
Twellman, Gene Gieselmann, Jim
Kavanaugh, Brian Sutter and Michael
Spinks.
August 2014 | 9
alumni news and notes
alumni news and notes
Alumni News and Notes
Promising Cancer Treatment
The notes, marriages, births and condolences on these pages were received by July 21, 2014. If you
don’t see your submission, please check the next issue of the Reporter.
A team led by Dr. Christian Hinrichs ’90 reports success in using immune therapy in the
treatment of advanced cervical cancer.
1940s
Harriet Rodes Carter ’46 reports that she is doing well
in Mystic, Connecticut. She lives at Avalon Center at
Stone Ridge. “I love having my kids and grandkids
come to visit. Sending love and well wishes to my
classmates and all alums,” she writes.
John Franciscus ’49 invites Burroughs friends to visit
— Harbor Springs, Michigan (January, February, and
July through September); San Juan, Puerto Rico (March,
October, November and December); French Riviera
(April through June). He writes, “I loved every minute
of my time at Burroughs and all those in my class. No
matter where I go, I am from St. Louis, and I went to
Burroughs.”
Shelley Haertter Johnson ’49 reports that she has
two grandchildren who are students at Burroughs —
Charlie ’17 and Beecher ’19 Baldwin.
1950s
Dick Mesker ’51 reports that he and his wife continue to
mentor northern Thai friends.
Elizabeth Gentry Sayad ’51 and Susan Levy Uchitelle ’52
and her husband, Benjamin, received honorary degrees
from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in May.
Elizabeth was recognized for her role in preserving the
region’s French history and culture. The Uchitelles
were recognized for their service to education and their
civic contributions to their community and region for
40 years.
Bob Minton ’52 writes, “Congratulations to JBS for
giving me a great start in education, culture and sports.
I frequently visit Beverly Hills from Newport Beach,
California. I enjoy contacts in entertainment, art and
education. My Burroughs background helped me mesh
with those people in LA.”
Mari Garesché ’54 reports that she now lives in
the building where she spent her initial years as a
Franciscan Missionary of Mary nun. “I’m in the assisted
living program and live among mostly retired sisters. I
have a lot of energy at times and go outside for walks
when it’s possible,” she writes.
Joy Schmitt Klein-Abeyta ’55 reports that she keeps in
touch with classmates Elaine Palmer Busby, Betty Lou
Albrecht Vaughn and Sally Freund Saltzstein, and lately
has corresponded with Alberta Rist Heil ’56.
Katherine Wells Wheeler ’57 writes that she and her
husband, Doug, marked their 50th wedding anniversary
with a visit from classmate Nancy Birge-Osborne.
Kathy Calkins Thoresen ’58 has two grandsons —
Liam (age 4) and Finn (age 1) — in Brooklyn and one
granddaughter — Ella (4 months) — in Chicago.
1960s
Bob Cranston ’61 enjoys his six grandchildren and
following another great Cardinals team.
David Clark ’62 writes, “Can’t imagine retiring — can’t
even seem to cut back ... and MIT seems agreeable.”
daughter, Hope ’95, was featured in the August issue
of St. Louis Magazine. Hope, a graphic designer, works
alongside her dad. The sign she designed for their
latest project, a 24-hour restaurant located in new lofts
for Washington University students, was prominently
featured in the article. The restaurant, Peacock Loop
Diner, is scheduled to open in late September.
Bud Carlson ’66 is general manager of The Philadelphia
Shakespeare Theatre. “Looking forward to retirement
party in 2029, when Phoebe graduates from college!”
1970s
David Busse ’74 became a grandparent in August
2013. He has been with ABC-TV in Los Angeles for 34
years. “As retirement looms, I have given up helicopter
flying and coverage of wars, insurrection and Academy
Awards,” he writes.
Joan Levis Challman ’77 writes, “The last year has been
crazy. Chloe Chrysikopoulos, my youngest child, has
had major health problems, which have taken us all over
the country. In fact, classmate Dr. Kimberli Gilmore
McCallum’s treatment center in Webster Groves saved
her life! Thank you, Kim! Chloe also struggled with
inflammatory bowel disease. Please send prayers our way!”
1980s
Denise Shashek Phillips ’82 lives with her family on
the San Mateo County coast just south of San Francisco.
Her 15-year-old twins are sophomores at Crystal Springs
Uplands School, an institution “uncannily similar to
JBS. It is the closest thing we could find to Burroughs
on the West Coast,” says Denise.
Cliff Birge ’84 writes, “I am living in Princeton, New
Jersey, and working as an assistant general counsel
for Johnson & Johnson, responsible for mergers and
acquisitions. My four kids — Heather (age 13), Anna
(age 12), Carl (age 10) and Tommy (age 8) — are
growing up fast!”
Lavanda Caldwell Wagenheim ’85 is the International
Baccalaureate (IB) coordinator for Tuscaloosa Magnet
Middle School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “Our school
recently became authorized as an IB World School,” she
reports.
Heather Daniel ’87 writes, “I took a five-month leave of
absence from the Chicago Police Department to work
for the Illinois General Assembly last winter/spring as
assistant counsel to the speaker. I got to see government
from the inside, drafting legislation and helping to
develop policy. And living in Springfield was a nice
change of pace!”
10 | Burroughs Reporter
Nine women with advanced cervical cancer participated
in the pilot study at the National Cancer Institute
(National Institutes of Health). The study involved
isolating special immune system cells (T cells) that
were naturally attacking the tumors in the women,
multiplying those cells in the lab, and then returning
many more of the cancer-fighting cells into the women’s
bodies in a one-time infusion.
“Drama of the Gifted Grownup,” a one-woman show
featuring the music, art and writings of Rosalinde Block
’70, premiered on June 18 at Manhattan Movement
Theater in New York City.
The collaboration between Joe Edwards ’64 and his
50 th Reunion: Thirty-three members of the Class of 1964 celebrated their 50th reunion and the dedication of recent campus improvements
during the weekend of May 10. From left are (row 1) Margaret Latzer Whitehead, Helen Ross, Scott Molden, Bernie Klippel, David Williams and
Bob Smith; (row 2) Gloria Mills Messey, Ann Cunliff Polster, Jane Johnson Hoeltzel, Jane Heineman Molden, Barbara Max Lavender, Susan
Aronson Bronson and Joycee Portnoy; (row 3) Judy Oliver Lovelace, Jim Lashley, Bob Schoening, Rob Huette and Steve Lowy; (row 4) Byron
Charles, Ron Auerbacher, Tim Holekamp, Jim Wiegand, Richard Hart, Frances Wells, Mike Sniffen, Lucy Ross Natkiel and Peter Horner; and (row
5) Don Gale, Joe Edwards, Cindy Jones Todorovich, Jacqueline Burst Golemon, Rick Schwartz and Joe Wotka.
At the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting
in June, a research team led by medical oncologist/
immunologist Christian Hinrichs ’90 reported
promising results in using immune therapy in the
treatment of cervical cancer, a disease caused by the
human papillomavirus (HPV). The story was carried by
CBS News and NBC news, the AP and AFP wires, and
other media outlets.
Mark Moody ’89 is working on a master’s degree at the
Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. “Looking
forward to the 25th reunion this fall!” he writes.
1990s
Shaun Donegan ’90 writes, “After 20 years away from
home, I moved back to St. Louis and joined Mercy
Clinic Cancer Care as its newest medical oncologist. In
tow, my wife, Melissa, and three children — Reagan
(age 5), Preston (age 3) and Brandon (age 4 months),
who are being spoiled by their grandmother daily.
Looking forward to catching up with my Burroughs
classmates!”
Though the study was small, and only a third of the
patients were helped, the results were nonethetless
encouraging given that all of the women had cancers
that had not responded to standard treatments, and
that their expected survival was only a few months.
Following a single infusion of cells, the tumors of two
of the nine women completely disappeared. A third
woman had tumor shrinkage that lasted three months.
The other six women did not respond to treatment, and
Hinrichs and his team are trying to determine why.
Moving forward, Hinrichs and other doctors will try the
treatment on several dozen more women with advanced
cervical cancer. They are also looking at the application
of similar immune therapies against throat, anal and
other cancers that are caused by viruses. As with most
experimental treatments, it will be years before immune
therapy in the treatment of advanced cervical cancer can
be tried on large numbers of patients.
virtual world for children ages 7 to 13. After testing
the game in the United Kingdom, Zach and his
business partner/sister, Julie McWilliams, launched
“Lightgliders” in the U.S. in late July.
Several alums and their families caught up recently
over dinner in Washington, D.C. From left are
Corey Stranghoener Reuwee ’97, Virginia Reuwee,
Brian Reuwee, Marlissa Hudson ’95, Hudson Eaton,
Jenny Mendillo Keller ’95, Ryan Keller, Susan Rossi
Murchison ’95, Mike Pozsgay ’95, Austin Pozsgay and
Lisa Pozsgay.
Katy Ward Leeder ’94 opened APERTIVO, a wine and
cheese shop, in the new Downtown Market in Grand
Rapids, Michigan. “In addition to our 20-foot cheese
and charcuterie counter, the store features a bar, where
we showcase everything we sell on the retail side. I
couldn’t do it without Bill, my husband of 15 years!” she
writes.
Zach Fay ’96, a former management consultant and
youth pastor, has spent five years developing an online
Hoots Memorial Scholarship Golf Tour nament
Friends of the late Jim Hoots — who coached, primarily wrestling and football,
for more than 30 years at Burroughs — have organized the Jim Hoots Memorial
Scholarship Golf Tournament, to be held at Forest Park Golf Course on
Saturday, October 11, 2014. The tournament will help fund a college scholarship
for a deserving Affton High School graduate. For more information, visit
jimhootsmemorialscholarship.org or contact [email protected].
Dr. Christian Hinrichs ’90 is an assistant clinical investigator at the
National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Maryland.
Tennis player Michael Laycob ’99 was inducted into the
Saint Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
2000s
Ellie Abrams Forman ’01 was recently featured in
Crain’s Chicago Business as one of the top five power
players in Chicago corporate philanthropy. As the
corporate community relations manager at Mesirow
Financial Holdings Inc., Ellie stewards millions of
dollars earmarked for corporate giving.
Meredith Horner McCall ’01 moved to Indianapolis,
Indiana. She had her third child in July.
JBS alums at the January 25, 2014, wedding of
Jacqueline Mendillo ’01 and Jonathan Gaebe Jr. included
Jennifer Mendillo Keller ’95, Chris Gaebe ’68, Jonathan
Gaebe ’73, Lindsay Gaebe Keller ’76, Melissa Gaebe
Baldwin ’75, Meredith Horner McCall ’01, Stephanie
Mendillo Dobson ’97, Mary Stranghoener ’01, Lauren
Fee ’01, Allison Laycob ’02, Joe Dreyer ’73 and Rick
Pershall ’73.
Jenny Lowe Cook ’02 writes, “I’m now the mother of
three beautiful children — Ruby, Max and Ben — and
am taking a break from teaching to be home with them.
We live in Oregon but the kids and I spent time in St.
Louis, where I was proud to witness the graduation
of my sister, Sarah Lowe ’14. It’s the end of an era for
Burroughs ... no more Lowe children!”
Grant Gelner ’02 is manager of sales and account
management at Object Technology Solutions, Inc. in
Chesterfield, Missouri.
Brittany Packnett ’02, executive director of Teach for
America-St. Louis, was honored at the Annual Salute
to Women in Leadership Gala, hosted by The Urban
League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
Benjamin Hal Kline ’03 was named to the St. Louis
Business Journal’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2014.
August 2014 | 11
alumni news and notes
alumni news and notes
Marriages
Flat John Gets Ar ound
Edward J. Carroll III and Julie Edison ’71 on October 26,
2013.
Flat John’s enthusiasm for
Grant Gelner ’02 and Sarita de Silva on March 2, 2013.
Timothy Kaufman and Jeanne Hosler ’05 on November
30, 2013.
Karl Nussbaum ’77 and Jenny Lynn McNutt on July 28,
2012.
travel knows no bounds. John
recently joined some
Wes Perkins ’05 and Colleen Brennan on June 14, 2014.
John Long ’89 and Michele Booth on March 1, 2012.
Bomber alumni at a
Andrew Fehlman and Jenny Albus ’06 on June 7, 2014.
Brian Swift ’95 and Charlene Blake on May 17, 2014.
Cards/Dodgers game
Isaac Wouk and Alex Davis ’06 on June 29, 2013.
Josh Knight and Anna Lena Schmidt ’98 on May 25,
2014.
in LA. (That’s him
with Jon Hamm ’89
Stephen Strake and Jessica Malzahn ’06 on May 24,
2014.
Theo Hill and Lauren Phillips ’00 on May 25, 2014.
in the photo at right.) He had
Tushin Parthiv Shah and Clarissa Polk ’06 on June 15,
2014.
Jonathan Gaebe Jr and Jacqueline Mendillo 01’ on
January 25, 2014
a great time, and he’d love to
get out more. Let Lisa Yost
Jonathan and Jacqueline Mendillo Gaebe ’01
([email protected]) know
when you plan to get together
Alex Haskins and Nicole Davis ’07 on August 10, 2013.
Michael Gras and Allison Walsh ’01 on September 28,
2013.
with other alumni. She’ll
send John to join the fun, and
Births and Adoptions
hopefully you’ll send her a
photo from the gathering.
David Busse ’74 organized a gathering of Bombers to attend the Cards vs. Dodgers game in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 28. A highlight was
meeting Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Slyke ’05 on the field before the game. From left are (kneeling) Emme Geissal ’05, Michael Eisenstein ’07, Jon
Hamm ’89, David Busse ’74, Jeff Gaskin ’99 and Christy Denes ’92; and (standing) Laura Hess ’95, John Guenther ’93, Scott Van Slyke ’05, Jim Kohn
’81, Frank Gladney ’53, Devin McGaughey ’99 and Andrew Volpe ’98. Photo by Mary McCormick/MBI Media.
Bhi Bhiman ’00 and Katie Ross on the birth of a
daughter, Bennie Bhiman, on April 25, 2014.
The school extends congratulations to:
Charles ’72 and Jennifer Clark on the birth of twin
daughters, Caroline Elizabeth and Julia Anne Clark, on
September 28, 2013.
Arthur ’00 and Weilyn Wood on the birth of a daughter,
Yulin Wood, on March 15, 2014.
Zac and Kirsten Charnond Ravage ’94 on the birth of a
son, Joshua Elliot Ravage, on May 2, 2014.
Ian English ’04 graduated from the Stritch School of
Medicine at Loyola University Chicago and began his
residency in orthopedic surgery at the Medical College
of Wisconsin in July. He writes, “I am frequently
reminded of the educational foundation JBS gave me
and how it has been instrumental in helping me with
every aspect of my life.”
budget analyst in the Wisconsin Department of Health
Services Office of Policy Initiatives and Budget.
Julia Heard ’04 earned a master’s degree in sacred
theology from The General Seminary of the Episcopal
Church. Her concentration was in medieval history,
specifically the effects of the bubonic plague on the
church in the mid-1300s. In 2013, Julia completed a
master’s degree in church history. She will continue
her graduate studies in medieval history at Emory
University in the fall.
Cory Rothschild ’04, a member of Harvard Business
School’s MBA Class of 2014, was one of four recipients
of the Dean’s Award, which recognizes contributions
to the sense of community essential to the HBS
experience. Cory, an active member of the Student
Association, helped develop events that brought the
student body together, including one that kicked off
the school year.
Diana Sternberg ’05 has taken a job as a marketing
associate with Butcher Joseph Hayes, an investment
bank headquartered in St. Louis.
Danny Matlock ’06 graduated from Valparaiso Law
School on May 18, 2014.
John Meehan ’06 passed the Missouri Bar and opened a
private practice in St. Louis City with his father,
J. Justin Meehan.
Brett Gall ’07 completed a master’s degree in public
and social policy at the London School of Economics
and accepted an appointment as advanced policy and
12 | Burroughs Reporter
Nicole Davis Haskins ’07 reports that classmates (from
left) Anne Kerth, Helen Bailey, Molly Goldstein, Lori
Murphy, and Michael Laderman attended her August
2013 wedding.
Erica Barnell ’09 entered the MD/PhD program at
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Christy Phelps ’09 completed a master’s degree in
architecture at Kansas State University and has taken
a job with Charles Hilton Architects in Greenwich,
Connecticut.
2010s
Supriya Hobbs ’10 and her business partner, Janna
Eaves, (who she met through the engineering program
at the University of Illinois) have developed the “Miss
Possible” line of dolls. With role model dolls like the
childhood version of Marie Curie (the Nobel Prize-
winning chemist and physicist whose research led
to breakthroughs on radioactivity), Bessie Coleman
(the first African-American female aviator and first
American to hold an international pilot’s license), and
Ada Lovelace (known as the world’s first computer
programmer), the entrepreneurs hope to inspire
little girls to do big things. Each doll will come with a
smartphone app with a set of experiments and activities
the child can do in the spirit of the doll’s namesake.
Supriya and her business partner are launching their
line of dolls through the indiegogo.com website.
Mary Ivancic ’10 was selected as Dartmouth’s recipient
of the President’s Leadership Award, granted through
Campus Compact of New Hampshire. Mary was
recognized for her work with Conversations That Matter,
SIBS, SEAD and Language in Motion. Mary graduated
with a degree in neuroscience and Arabic language in
June.
Henry Schmidt ’10, a May 2014 Williams graduate
with a double major in history of art and English, was
awarded the Dr. Herchel Smith Fellowship for graduate
study at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University. At
Williams, Henry was co-captain of the cycling team and
a member of the Outing Club board. He also taught
telemark skiing and worked for Hopkins Memorial
Forest. At Cambridge, Henry plans to complete master’s
degrees in early modern history and in the history of art.
Lea Johnson ’11 was one of 53 student-athletes selected
for the 2014 All-ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Academic Team for indoor track and field. Lea is the
reigning ACC indoor champion in the weight throw.
It was her third time to be selected for the All-ACC
Academic Team.
Sydney Philpott ’11 was awarded the 2014-15 Robert P.
Davis Memorial Scholarship for Leadership at Sewanee:
The University of the South.
James ’01 and Jenni Feuerbacher on the birth of a
daughter, Caroline Elizabeth Feuerbacher, on May 29,
2014.
Josh LeFrancois and Sarah Peterson ’97 on the birth of a
daughter, Maya Pearl LeFrancois, on January 28, 2014.
Jonathan and Catherine Brown Waldron ’98 on the birth
of a daughter, Grace Amery Waldron, on June 12, 2014.
Christopher and Kristen Schonwald-Vila ’99 on the
birth of a daughter, Hope Lillian Vila, on January 17,
2014.
Ryan and Meredith Horner McCall ’01 on the birth of a
son, Richard August McCall, on July 29, 2014.
Grant ’02 and Sarita Gelner on the birth of a daughter,
Beatrice Gelner, on January 31, 2014.
Charles Clark ’72 with daughters Caroline (on left) and Julia.
An Invitation to Artists and Art Lovers
With the renovation of the Kuehner
the group builds community among
artist is invited to exhibit at Burroughs
Fine Arts Building and addition of the
those who share an interest and love
as part of Alumni Weekend (October
Kuehner Gallery in 2008, the school
for the arts; strengthens our permanent
16-19 this year). This year’s artist is
created a Fine Arts Group of more than
collection through gifts, acquisitions and
photographer Susan Hockaday Jones ’56.
80 alumni, parents and friends who are
loans; identifies potential visiting artists;
Sculptor Bob Walker (Fine Arts, retired)
artists, sculptors, curators, collectors,
and helps support the arts program by
will also exhibit his work during Alumni
gallery owners, art historians, docents and
procurring financial resources beyond the
Weekend.
art lovers. This group is invited to special
school’s budget.
openings and events in the Kuehner
Gallery and the Bonsack Gallery and to
other art-related events sponsored by the
school.
On Saturday, November 15, the committee
In recent years, the committee helped
will host Art for Breakfast at 10 am, which
coordinate a gallery show and talk with
includes tours of the JBS collection, local
artist Tom Friedman ’83, secured the loan
guest artists, and family-friendly activities.
of one of Friedman’s major works for the
In addition, a 10-member Fine Arts
opening of the Haertter Performing Arts
Advisory Committee was formed to work
Center, arranged the loan of two Ernest
with our fine arts faculty and help expand
Trova pieces, brought in visiting artists,
our permanent collection of nearly 300
and added more than 50 pieces to the
works. Chaired by William Shearburn ’79,
school’s collection. Annually, an alumni
Jim Kemp
Director of Advancement
314/993-4040, ext. 256
[email protected]
August 2014 | 13
alumni news and notes
memor ial and tr ibute gif ts
Condolences
The school offers condolences to:
Judson Calkins ’59 on the death of his son, Tucker Ross
Calkins, on June 30, 2014.
Christy Wider Proost ’60 on the death of her mother,
Elizabeth Wider, on May 21, 2014.
Llewellyn Sale III ’60 and Kathie Sale Bartlett ’62 on the
death of their father, Llewellyn Sale Jr., on May 5, 2014.
Helen Vollmar Diepenbrock ’64 and Jane Vollmar
Saunders ’66 on the death of their mother, Helen
Deppe Vollmar, on May 5, 2014.
Mimi Bearman Rusk ’68, Rob Bearman ’71, Lee
Bearman ’76, Alex Bearman ’09 and Leo Bearman ’12
on the death of their father and grandfather, Morton R.
Bearman, on June 20, 2014.
Memorial and Tribute Gifts
Bill Willcockson ’70 on the death of his mother, Sarah
Glasgow Willcockson, on June 16, 2014.
and step-sister, Camilla Haradon Thayer, on June 29,
2014.
Ann Lemp ’71, Bill Lemp ’75, Kate Keefe ’02, Danny
Keefe ’04 and Kevin Keefe ’07 on the death of their
father and grandfather, Frank “Mark” Lemp, on May 9,
2014.
Janet Pfaff Garesche ’74 on the death of her father,
Laurence Charles Pfaff Jr., on June 28, 2014.
Nancy Berg ’72 on the death of her mother, Gerry
Saltman Berg, on June 25, 2014.
Jane Williamson Boon ’72 on the death of her father,
Kenneth Donovan Williamson, on April 7, 2014.
Katy Meyers ’73 on the death of her mother, Jane Watell
Meyers, on December 31, 2013.
Holly Thayer Eggert ’74, John Shapleigh ’67, Katharine
Shapleigh Kolowich ’68, Barbara Shapleigh Murphy ’70
and Louise D. Shapleigh ’71 on the death of their sister
Kate Grace Thome ’74, Valeri Grace Ricordi ’77, Warren
Grace ’79, Ted Grace ’13 and William Grace ’20 on the
death of their mother and grandmother, Adele Mary
Junge Grace, on June 19, 2014.
William Shearburn ’79 and Emma Shearburn ’20 on
the death of their father and grandfather, Everett Brice
Shearburn Jr., on July 11, 2014.
Nevin Millan ’95 on the death of his father, Raj B.
Panjwani, on October 7, 2013.
Carly Langlois ’10 on the death of her mother, Julie
Diane Langlois, on April 26, 2014.
Sincere thanks to the members of the Burroughs community who have honored friends and loved
ones through memorial and tribute gifts. The following gifts were received between April 16 and
July 21, 2014.
In Honor of
In Memory of
Andy Abbott
The Deceased Members of
Michael Laycob ’99
In Memory of
John A. Acker Jr.
Joy Gebhardt
In Memory of
Jane Aitken ’58
Kathleen Calkins Thoresen ’58
In Memory of
Mary Ann Altvater
Richard K. Sherman ’79
In Honor of
Dr. Michael R. Banton ’77
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
In Memory of
George Barhorst
Bob and Mary Jo Sortland
Obituaries
In Honor of
The Reporter includes death notices for alumni, former faculty/staff and trustees as soon as possible after notification has
been received. Survivors and friends of the deceased can help by sending information to Nancy Cusanelli, John Burroughs
School, 755 South Price Road, St. Louis, MO 63124 or to [email protected].
1940s
Mary Augustine ’40 died on May 13, 2014.
Ms. Augustine graduated from Wells College in 1944.
She worked at the Office of Strategic Services as a
research analyst, then at Life Magazine and then at
Radio Free Europe in the post-war era.
Ms. Augustine returned to the St. Louis area in the mid1950s. She worked at Blue Cross of Missouri, serving
as director of communications. She lived in Labadie,
Missouri, where she raised sheep, rode her horse and
hosted memorable parties for friends and family on her
beloved Fiddle Hill.
The school offers condolences to Ms. Augustine’s family.
1950s
William Stroud ’50 died on July 11, 2014. No further
details are available.
The school offers condolences to Mr. Stroud’s family
including his sisters, Betty Stroud Driemeyer ’47 and
Barbara Stroud-Borth ’58; and brother, Bob Stroud ’48
Another brother, Brad Stroud ’54, preceded him in
death.
George Gerlach ’51 died on April 18, 2012.
Mr. Gerlach earned his master’s degree in geophysics
from Washington University and worked in that field for
more than 40 years. He spent his adult life in the Dallas
and Houston areas.
14 | Burroughs Reporter
The school offers condolences to Mr. Gerlach’s family
including his wife of 26 years, Jerry Pate Gerlach;
daughter; son; and brother, John Gerlach ’56.
Peter Stuyvesant Hockaday ’54 died on May 9, 2014.
Mr. Hockaday, a fellow of the American Institute of
Architects, graduated from Yale in 1958 and the Yale
Architecture School in 1960. He joined McCue Boone
Tomsick Architects in San Francisco in the 1960s and
became a principal in 1979, remaining with the firm for
four decades. Mr. Hockaday served on the board of The
Foundation for San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage
and was an avid fisherman and watercolor artist.
The school offers condolences to his wife of 47 years,
Joan Hockaday; daughter; son; two grandchildren; and
sister, Susan Hockaday Jones ’56.
Linda Dubinsky Skrainka ’57 died on June 2, 2014.
Kathleen A. Dyer
Danielle Hart
Chris Jacobsen
David Jick
John Koman
Jenny Ostertag
Dan Young
Carol Fleming Marks ’79
Sally Wallace Shinkle ’79
In Honor of
Michael Dee ’76
Anonymous
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
In Memory of
John O. Felker ’37
Sally Shreeves and Norm B.
Champ III ’81
John H. Stevenson III
Philip Barnes
In Honor of
Anonymous
The Fine Arts Faculty
In Memory of
Pam Seymour Bliss ’82
Morton Bearman
In Memory of
Mary Shifrin Bloch ’71
Ellen Shifrin Kearns ’68
Richard and Lisa Greenman
Kraner ’71
Bill and Barbi Macon
Julie and Steve Mathes ’74
Jim Dille and Laura Placio
Dan Shifrin ’71
Julia H. Foote ’58
Mrs. Skrainka was an artist, gardener and athlete.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in art history from
Wellesley College with a focus on modern art and
architecture, she worked for Alfred Barr at the Museum
of Modern Art in New York City. She returned to St.
Louis where she earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts
from Washington University.
In Memory of
Throughout her life, Mrs. Skrainka worked
enthusiastically and creatively for art, music and social
justice. Agencies benefiting from her talents included
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Art St. Louis, COCA,
Central Reform Congregation, the Jewish Community
Relations Council and the Scholarship Foundation of
St. Louis.
Kathy and Dick Burst ’68
Jean Parry Clayton ’42
Donald E. Lasater
The school offers condolences to her family including
her husband of 52 years, Stephen Skrainka; son, Ben
Skrainka ’85; daughters, Sarah Skrainka ’86 and Kate
Skrainka ’90; and brothers, Bob Dubinsky ’53 and John
Dubinsky ’61.
The Class of ’79
Bosey and Tad Foote ’55
Kathleen Calkins Thoresen ’58
In Memory of
George S. Gerlach ’51
John Louis Gerlach II ’56
In Memory of
Hannelore Gerlach
Ray Beckman
John Louis Gerlach II ’56
To the Ray Beckman Soccer Field
Kevin Geckeler ’85
In Memory of
In Honor of
Barbara Olin Taylor ’50
Steve Biggs ’65
In Memory of
Carol and Mark Vittert ’65
In Memory of
Vance P. Braxton Jr. ’42
In Memory of
David Gottlieb ’50
Elizabeth Rogers Hayes ’59
To the Ebet Rogers Hayes Faculty
Study Grant
Julie and Dick Rogers ’62
Carol Rogers Withers ’65
In Honor of
Robert L. Henningsen
In Memory of
James G. Hoots
Paul Munger
To the Jason K. Lohr Memorial
Scholarship
Connie Lohr
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
Ellinder C. Murray
In Memory of
In Memory of
Anonymous
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
Jo Ann James Smith ’46
John W. Minton Jr. ’46
In Memory of
In Honor of
Douglass Horner ’65
Meredith Horner McCall ’01
In Memory of
Eve and Dick Horner ’32
Fred McConnell ’66
In Memory of
Richard W. Horner ’32
In Honor of
Henry O. Johnston ’54
Matt D. Renner
Nancy Willis Thompson ’54
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
In Memory of
In Honor of
Jonathan M. Kayes ’75
Wayne Salomon
To the Jonathan Kayes Library Fund
Matthew M. Kayes ’77
Anonymous
Michael Apted
Ernie and Carolyn Clarke
Sarah Peterson ’97
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
To the Jim Lemen Scholarship
Nancy Schleicher Janney ’39
In Memory of
F. Marcus Lemp
Jeff Dreyer ’71
In Honor of
Mont S. Levy ’69
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
In Memory of
Stephen McKee Lewis ’76
To the Stephen McKee Lewis
Library Fund
James E. Lewis ’69
In Memory of
Mr. Richard McDonnell
In Memory of
In Memory of
Guy and Kitty Greve Darst ’56
Dena and Lewis Carp
In Honor of
Ahn-Chun Min
The History Faculty
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
To the Jason K. Lohr Memorial
Scholarship
Connie Lohr
In Honor of
In Memory of
Will Bliss ’11
Edward W. Cissel Jr. ’74
In Memory of
Sharion Mines
Peter S. Hockaday ’54
Anonymous
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
Hewes Agnew ’54
Nancy Willis Thompson ’54
To the Gautam Sundaram Scholarship
Carter Walker Saeteren ’89
In Memory of
Jim Lemen
In Honor of
Alice Snodgrass
In Memory of
Nan Simril Spencer ’66
In Honor of
Chic and Moonie Pitzman Early ’57
Caroline Byars Morisseau ’57
Damon P. Goode ’91
Kim and Joe Blomker
Rosemary Watts-Dreyer and
Joe Dreyer ’73
Michael L. Israel ’66
Linda Dubinsky Skrainka ’57
To the Charles and Marian Oldham
Fund
Lisa Oldham ’87
In Memory of
Meredith Horner McCall ’01
Kathleen Ryan Woolsey ’01
To the Edward W. Cissel Jr. Memorial
Scholarship
John Cissel ’73
Charles and Marian Oldham
S. Truman Olin Jr. ’49
Carlisle Vose Brigham ’01
Terry Balaban Capsay ’74
In Honor of
James Drew Barnes
Ellen Leschen Bremner ’67
Yuko Iwamoto Franklin ’67
Meredith Horner McCall ’01
Damon P. Goode ’91
Elmer F. Hirth
In Memory of
In Memory of
Barbara Olin Taylor ’50
In Honor of
Benjamin F. Rassieur III ’72
In Honor of
The Science Faculty
Maggie Bliss ’12
In Memory of
Roslyn Schulte ’02
To the Roz Schulte Spirit Fund
Barbara Ballinger
Joanna Buchholz ’00
Ellen and Henry Dubinsky ’59
Susan and Steve Felker ’70
Lynne and Scott Johnson ’65
Steve, Jasper and Lucy Buchholz
Leibowitz ’02
Joseph Silverman
Bud and Susie Wilson
In Honor of
Keith ’62 and Marcia Williamson
Shahan ’62
In Memory of
Gautam Sundaram ’86
In Honor of
Jerry Taylor
Anonymous
In Honor of
Katie Taylor ’04
Anonymous
In Honor of
Kathy Tucker
Anonymous
In Memory of
Helen Deppe Vollmar
Gladys Myles
Marjorie Myles Ivey ’63
In Memory of
George Weber III ’55
Mary Weber Oglesby
Allen and Mary Beth Soffer
In Honor of
Bruce D. Westling
Nan Simril Spencer ’66
In Memory of
Timothy R. Wnuk ’00
To the Wnuk Music Fund
Joe Ackerman ’00
In Memory of
Timothy R. Wnuk ’00
To the Tim Wnuk Fund
Anonymous
Faraz Ahmad ’00
Sara Ann Jones ’00
Emily Scott ’00
Kristin Thanavaro ’00
To the Marcia W. and Keith E. Shahan
Scholarship
Shari Mines
In Memory of
Christy Shields ’68
To the Christy Shields Memorial
Scholarship
David B. and Edward C. Goodstein
Foundation
Carl A. Beisbarth ’55 died on June 19, 2014.
Mr. Beisbarth was a graduate of the University of
Colorado School of Architecture. He was a retired
member of the American Institute of Architects and
when practicing, specialized in the design of hospitals.
Mr. Beisbarth served in the U.S. Army and Army
reserves. An avid golfer, fly fisherman and skier, he
loved the outdoors and had a keen interest in the history
of the American West.
The school offers condolences to Mr. Beisbarth’s family
including a sister.
1970s
Melissa Morrissey Eldredge ’77 died on June 26, 2014.
Mrs. Eldredge graduated from Stanford University and
earned an MBA from Loyola Marymount University.
Mrs. Eldredge was an accomplished athlete throughout
her life. During her youth, she was a competitive
swimmer and diver. She played field hockey in college
and enjoyed tennis, golf and cycling later in life.
The school offers condolences to her family including
her husband of 29 years, Charlie Eldredge; three sons;
brother; and sister, Becky Morrissey Miller ’81. Another
brother, Joe Morrissey ’74, preceded her in death.
Remember Burroughs
Your gift through a will, trust, life income plan or other planned gift will make a profound difference for
the next generation of Burroughs students. For more information, please contact Jim Kemp at 314-9934040, ext. 256, or [email protected].
Bequest language: I give to John Burroughs School, a non-profit educational institution located at 755 South Price Road, St. Louis,
Missouri, 63124 and incorporated under the laws of the State of Missouri, the sum of $______ (or the following described property or a
designated percentage of my estate), to be used for its general educational purposes.
August 2014 | 15
755 South Price Road, St. Louis, MO 63124
CHANGE SERVICE R EQUESTED
Fall Events on Campus
Bonsack Gallery Exhibit
“John and Teenuh Foster: A Lifetime of Art Collecting”
August 21 through October 15
Reception from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, September 5
Blue and Gold Weekend
September 26, and 27
For a complete list of games against MICDS, visit the athletic
pages on the Burroughs website (jburroughs.org).
Fun Run from JBS to MICDS: 8 am, September 27
Bonsack and Kuehner Gallery Exhibits
Drawings and Photography by Susan Hockaday ’56
in the Bonsack Gallery
Sculptures by Bob Walker (Fine Arts, retired)
in the Kuehner Gallery
October 16, 2014, through January 7, 2015
Alumni Reunion Weekend
Alumni Wine and Cheese Reception and Art Exhibit:
5:30 to 7:30 pm, October 16, Brauer Building
Featuring drawings and photography by Susan Hockaday Jones
’56 in the Bonsack Gallery and sculptures by Bob Walker (Fine
Arts, retired) in the Kuehner Gallery
Alumni Reunion Weekend Continued
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
ST. LOUIS, MO
PERMIT NO. 672
DATED M AT TER
Alumni Cocktail Party: 5:30 to 7:30 pm, October 17,
The Commons
Alumni Family Picnic: 11 am to 1 pm, October 18,
The Quad
Entertainment provided by Larry McMahon ’69 and his band
Varsity football game vs. Christian High School-O’Fallon at
1 pm (Spirit Tent at game time, Haertter Hall overlook)
Fall Play: Middletown
8 pm, October 24 and 25, Haertter Hall
Grades 7-12 Choral Concert
7:30 pm, November 11, Haertter Hall
Grades 7–12 Band Concert
7:30 pm, November 12, Haertter Hall
Grades 7–12 Orchestra Concert
7:30 pm, November 13, Haertter Hall
Theatrical production: No Exit
8 pm, December 5 and 6, Black Box Theatre
Holiday Program
5:30 and 7:30 pm, December 18, Haertter Hall
Winterlude reception, 6:30 pm, The Commons
j o h n b u r r o u ghs s c h o o l
It’s a Wrap!
The Quad opens, and the
community celebrates.
A u g u st 2 0 1 4