Homecoming - Middlesex School

Middlesex
Fall 2013
Homecoming
The Mary Mae Village
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
i
From the Head of School
A Transformative Time
Middlesex
Fall 2013
Head of School
Kathleen Carroll Giles
Director of Development
Heather Parker
Director of Advancement
George Noble
Editor
Maria Lindberg
Design
NonprofitDesign.com
Photography
Joel Haskell, Tim Morse,
Robert D. Perachio,
Tony Rinaldo
Letters to the Editor Letters to the
editor are welcome and may be edited
for clarity and space. Please send your
letters to Editor, Middlesex Bulletin,
1400 Lowell Road, Concord, MA 01742,
or e-mail [email protected].
Alumni News We welcome news from
alumni, parents, and friends of Middlesex School. Please send your news and
labeled photographs to Alumni News,
Middlesex School, 1400 Lowell Road,
Concord, MA 01742, or e-mail alumni@
mxschool.edu.
Address Corrections Please notify
us of your change of address. Write to
Middlesex School, 1400 Lowell Road,
Concord, MA 01742 or e-mail alumni@
mxschool.edu.
Parents of Alumni If this magazine is
addressed to a son or daughter who no
longer maintains a permanent address
at your home, please advise us of his or
her new address. Thank you!
The bright, warm, western sunlight that
floods across campus in the late afternoon has
seemed especially golden around our nowdefunct steam plant chimney, as we have successfully converted the campus from reliance
on fuel oil to a much more efficient, much
more cost-effective, and much greener system
that functions on natural gas. Everyone who
knows our campus knows that steam plant—
and while we have grown accustomed to the
stack over the years, we have wanted to find
ways to improve campus energy efficiency
and move away from the volatile expense and
environmental impact that Number Six fuel
oil has entailed for these many years.
This change has already transformed us
in a number of ways, not the least of which
has been an immediate reallocation, within
our budget, from our utilities expense to the
resources available for financial aid, a gift to
ourselves endorsed by the Board that could
not be more timely in terms of making Middlesex more accessible to the hundreds of
great young students who will apply this year.
The retirement of those old boilers has also
freed up some incredibly valuable space, for
which we have exciting and, yes, transformative plans. Transformation is a strong word,
begging the questions of change, growth, tradition, and even spirit. But this transformation, akin to the process that students
undergo during their years with us here on
campus, is all about optimism, responsibility,
independence, efficiency, awareness, and, yes,
the “sustainability” word one hears so often
and in such a wide variety of contexts that it is easy to become jaded about what it really
means.
Transformation is indeed on our minds
this fall as we bring a strategic planning process to a close, prepare for the long-awaited
renovations of LeBaron Briggs House and
Robert Winsor House, and build the systems
and infrastructure that will keep Middlesex
strong for its next century—a century of work
with bright, optimistic, curious, energetic,
adventurous young people from around the
globe who bring their talents and lives to this
community to refresh and indeed, transform
it every year. For teachers who love not only
their disciplines but also their students, each
year brings a new group of first-time teenagers who want to do the work of learning
through their own experiences as well as
through the advice and counsel of parents
and teachers, who want and need to do the
work of individuation and growing into what
one senior in chapel recently described as
“the best version of myself.” That this lovely
campus has, for its first century, been home
not only to generations of students but also to version after version of this transformative
process is probably why, during these late
afternoons, the campus at times seems to me to have an energy of its own that fuels its beauty.
You will see in the following pages some
of the transformations that grace this place
every day and every year, and, I hope, you
will also see the energy that finds joy in each
new “best version” of our students and our
school. Happy reading!
Contents
Mission Statement
Middlesex School is an independent,
non-denominational, residential,
college-preparatory school that, for
over 100 years, has been committed
to excellence in the intellectual,
ethical, creative, and physical development of young people. We honor
the ideal, articulated by our founding
Head Master, of “finding the promise”
in every student, and we work
together in an atmosphere of mutual
trust and shared responsibility to
help students bring their talents to
fruition as knowledgeable, capable,
responsible, and moral citizens
of the world. As a community, we
respect the individual interests,
strengths, and needs of each student. We also value the rich diversity
of belief and experience each of
us brings to the School.
We expect that each student will
bring his or her best efforts to the
shared endeavor of learning and
that the School, through its faculty,
will engage and encourage each
student’s growth, happiness, and well-being. We aspire for all
Middlesex students to develop
personal integrity, intellectual
vitality and discipline, and respect
for themselves and for others. We expect each student to engage
energetically and cooperatively in
the life of the School, and we seek
to inspire in all students the desire
to seek understanding of themselves and the larger world, both
now and in their futures.
On the Cover
Middlesex’s newly finished Mary
Mae Village of faculty homes.
Photo by Joel Haskell.
Features
14 Fond Farewells
As four colleagues embarked on well-earned retirements, the School celebrated their dedicated Middlesex careers.
19 Gains in Sustainability
Having reduced the School’s carbon footprint by 25%, Middlesex finds that sustainability offers additional opportunities.
24 Homecoming: The Mary Mae Village
Thanks to the Mary Mae Foundation and other generous donors, five new faculty homes
are finished and fully occupied.
26 Alumni Weekend
Hundreds of alumni returned to campus to reconnect and relive old times with classmates
and former teachers.
30 Graduation
The class of 2013 looked ahead with joy and
hope to the next step in their journey.
Departments
2 Life 360
New Colleagues; Brooke Chair Established; Confronting Violence; Urinetown; A Reunion
Renovation; Upcoming Speakers; A Call to
International Service
8 Middlesex People
Graduation Speaker Kevin Systrom ’02; Distinguished Alumni: James Kugel ’63 and Jeffrey Smith ’63; New Trustees; Living Gifts
12 Team Highlights
One Golden Crew, Two Track Standouts
and Three Lacrosse All-Americans
33 Alumni Notes and News
Class Notes; In Memoriam
48 Back Story
Restoration
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
1
360° Life on the Circle
On hand for a group portrait of
new faculty and staff were (front
row, left to right) Anna Marchand
’07, Polly Peterson, Richard Torres,
Paige Graham, and Beth Hill;
(back row) Dan Barber, Juan
González, Tasheana Dukuly,
Walker Jones, Louisa Savage ’09,
Patty Shepard, Ruth Baldwin,
and Amanda Holcombe.
2
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
New Faces on
Campus
Following the cycle of academic life, the
School wished several colleagues well on
their next ventures last June—and, in
September, welcomed new faculty and staff
members to classrooms and offices across
campus.
The recipient of two instructional awards
while earning her Ph.D. at the University
of California, Berkeley, Ruth Baldwin has
transferred her skills to Middlesex’s English
classrooms and will help coach girls’ basketball this winter. Also joining the English
department is Tasheana Dukuly, who served
last year as a local organizer in AmeriCorps’
Youth Empowerment Corps program in
nearby Lowell. She will assist with coaching
field hockey, girls’ squash, and track.
The math department welcomed two
new members as well. Patty Shepard has
taught nearly all levels of math at several
schools, including Deerfield Academy, The
American School in Switzerland (Lugano),
The Rivers School, and St. Mark’s School;
she will assist with coaching field hockey and
girls’ crew. Richard Torres comes to Middlesex from Cushing Academy, where he taught
math, honors chemistry, and Spanish. He will
assist with coaching girls’ soccer and boys’
basketball.
Having spent last year earning her
M.A. in history at Brown, Kate Hession has
returned to the classics classroom and added
history to her teaching repertoire. She has
also resumed her roles as a dorm parent
and as head coach of girls’ varsity ice hockey.
With a doctorate in classics and nearly a
decade of experience teaching Greek and
Latin—most recently at Creighton University—Dan Barber adds his expertise to
the classics department and will assist with
coaching cross-country and wrestling.
Already familiar with Middlesex since
covering a sabbatical leave in 2011–12,
Amanda Holcombe has rejoined the Spanish
department. She will assist with the girls’
cross-country team and serve as head coach
of girls’ varsity tennis. New to the department is Juan González, who has taught
both Spanish and English as a Second Language since graduating from Universidad
Camilo José Cela in his hometown of Madrid.
He will assist with the boys’ soccer and
basketball programs.
The visual arts department now includes
Laya Steinberg, a versatile illustrator, graphic
designer, and potter who is teaching the
School’s ceramics elective.
In Middlesex’s Development Office,
Walker Jones has assumed responsibility
for directing the School’s Annual Fund,
which reached $3.1 million last year. For
the past decade, he has worked in Boston
College’s Advancement Office, managing
reunion gift campaigns and, initially, developing volunteer fundraising councils in the
Midwest. Walker will be an assistant coach
for girls’ tennis.
With the promotion of Kathy Smithwick ’08 to assistant director of admissions,
Louisa Savage ’09 has stepped in as an
assistant admissions officer.
A recent graduate of Hamilton College, she will assist
with coaching girls’ basketball and crew. Also returning
to her Middlesex home is
Anna Marchand ’07, who
serves as an admissions
interviewer and supports
the athletic program through
coaching soccer, hockey, and
lacrosse. The School’s recruitment and application process
will be further supported by
Paige Graham, who has ably
provided assistance in the
dean’s and business offices
over the last year; she has
now taken on the role of
admissions greeter and visit
coordinator. Working behind
the scenes is new Office
Assistant Polly Peterson,
who brings decades of experience in academia and educational publishing to the
tasks of managing the data of thousands of potential
Middlesex candidates.
Similarly, as an administrative assistant in the college
counseling office, Beth Hill
brings her years of experience
working in schools and corporations to the task of helping process the hundreds of
applications filed by Middlesex seniors each year. And in the athletic department,
Assistant Athletic Trainer
Kate Doherty is keeping students and adults on campus
healthy; previously, she served
as a trainer at Wilmington
High School. M
A Statement of Values
The Brooke Chair in Ethics and Spirituality
“While Middlesex is an academic institution,
it is far more than that for us,” reflected
Trustee John Brooke ’81, speaking on behalf
of his family at the September 12 dedication
of the Brooke Chair in Ethics and Spirituality.
Having grown up near the School—where
their father Peter served on the Board from
1976 to 1986 —John and his brothers, Sam
’76 and Peter ’79, developed for Middlesex “a
great deal of connection and affinity,” a sentiment that was revitalized through the recent
experience of John’s daughter Hadley ’12.
Their collective affirmation of Middlesex
and its mission resulted in the Brooke family’s
support of a new endowed chair that is “about
the whole person,” as John noted. “The School
talks about ‘finding the promise’ in everyone,
and at the core of that, to me, is spiritual and
ethical behavior because without it, accolades
become shallow and meaningless.”
Appointed the chair’s first holder, Director of Spiritual and Ethical Education Cabell
King is a Dartmouth graduate with an M.A.
in divinity from the University of Chicago.
Initially a religion teacher and assistant chaplain at St. George’s School, he returned to Chicago to earn a Ph.D. in theology and
served as a lecturer and the coordinator of an
undergraduate humanities major called “Fundamentals: Issues and Texts.” Cabell is also a
founding trustee of the School for Ethics and
Global Leadership in Washington, DC. At
Middlesex, he oversees the Chapel Program,
teaches religious studies and English, and
coaches boys’ cross-country.
In her remarks, Head of School Kathy
Giles appreciated that the new chair “establishes a permanent steward for our spirits…
a leader who can and will bring us together,
sit us down together, quiet us, comfort us, and
direct our attention beyond our wants to our
responsibilities, beyond our cares to those
questions that matter most.” Calling the Brooke
Chair a “gift of unusual magnitude and impact,” she added, “We could not be more
grateful to you all for helping us—indeed,
for making sure that we keep this important
part of our promise to our students.” M
In Memorial Chapel after the dedication
of the School’s
newest endowed
chair, John
Brooke ’81
(center) stands
with Director
of Spiritual and
Ethical Education
Cabell King and
Head of School
Kathy Giles.
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
3
360° Life on the Circle
director of stage and film, actor, and composer, Mr. Jones is also an educator who has worked with students from a variety of
schools to understand the roots of violence.
Describing violence as “a disease we are born
with,” and not merely a problem afflicting the
poor, Mr. Jones asserted, “The honest exploration of the fact that violence affects us all is the antidote to violence.”
An educator as well as a noted
writer, director, actor, and composer, Ozzie Jones talked at
length with students following his evening chapel address on
violence in our culture and in ourselves.
Confronting a
Culture of Violence
Examining the 2013
All-School Read
In a departure from the usual nonfiction
selection, this summer’s All-School Read was
a fast-paced, popular work of fiction written
for young adults: The Hunger Games by
Suzanne Collins. Set in Panem, a post-
apocalyptic, North American nation ruled by the oppressive “Capitol,” the novel centers
on an annual, televised fight to the death
involving 24 young “tributes,” two from each
of the country’s 12 districts. Narrated by
16-year-old Katniss Everdeen as she struggles
to survive the “games”—to kill or be killed—
the story raises questions about human
nature and aggression; about individual
responsibility; and about the authoritarian
abuse of political power.
A Basic Instinct
To inspire discussion of the issues introduced
by the 2013 assignment—perhaps “the only
shared academic experience of the year,” as
Director of Spiritual and Ethical Education
Cabell King noted—the community gathered
on September 20 to hear from a dynamic
speaker, Ozzie Jones. A respected writer,
4
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
Cultivating Character
That honest exploration, he continued, begins
with a hard look at one’s character, which he
defined as “what you do when no one is looking at you,” and “how you treat your enemies
—finding forgiveness and turning away from
notions of vengeance.” In a society that is
captivated by violence and readily consumes
it through television, movies, and video
games, Mr. Jones proposed that the development of a strong character is the best defense
against our natural, aggressive tendencies.
Regarding Middlesex students as future
leaders in the world and potential agents of
change, Mr. Jones advised, “Think of your
relation to the world. Think about what you
believe and envision because you are going to be in charge soon.”
A Case Study
In small groups the following morning, students and faculty talked about their own
relationship to violence, whether experienced
through fictional media or real events, and
about what influences the decision to choose
retaliation or restraint.
Subsequently, meeting in the Wood Theatre, the community listened to an outstanding faculty panel—which included Mr. Jones —as they responded to questions
regarding the Florida court case of George
Zimmerman, whose trial and acquittal after
having killed an unarmed teenager, Trayvon
Martin, received extensive media coverage.
The adults’ candid, considered answers were
both enlightening and thought-provoking,
providing much for the School to discuss at length throughout the year. M
Urinetown: The Musical
May 3–4, 2013
Music by Mark Hollmann
Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis
Book by Greg Kotis
Directed by Tom Kane
Technical Design & Direction by Ryan DuBray
Choreography by Barb Cadell
Costume Design by Georgia Lagadinos
Photography by Tim Morse
A bad title could “kill a show pretty good,” as the urchin Little Sally quips.
But this was definitely not the case with the School’s presentation of Urinetown,
the musical comedy that manages to satirize everything from politics to the
corporate world to the Broadway musical form itself. A demanding production for cast and crew alike, the performances last May showcased the depth
of Middlesex talent, featuring not only outstanding lead vocalists but also the hardest working choruses ever, who executed complex dance numbers
while wielding glittering toilet seats and ordinary plungers with flair.
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
5
360° Life on the Circle
A Reunion Renovation
In settling on the purpose of their 50th reunion gift, graduates of the class of 1963 agreed that they wanted to fund
a project that would have a significant and immediate impact on students—something that would be a benefit they
could appreciate and use right away.
Their decision might not seem glamorous, but it was certainly necessary and welcome: the complete renovation
of the School’s locker rooms. Last refurbished in the late 1980s, these facilities were in need of an update, which
began as soon as the school year ended in June. From sinks to showers to the lockers themselves, everything was
replaced and repainted, ready for opening day this fall.
A novel idea for decorating the home teams’ facilities resulted in the creation of Middlesex murals, made by
enlarging sports photos from recent decades. Appropriately, the first of these images can be viewed in the hallway
outside the locker rooms: the official photo of the team captains from 1962–63, the donors’ senior year.
The Middlesex Captains during 1962-63 were, from left to right: Doug Adams ’63 (hockey), Ty Prince ’63 (baseball), Larry Rhu ’63 (basketball),
Tom Garretson ’63 (football and basketball), Nick Paumgarten ’63 (crew), Bill Chick ‘64 (tennis), Tom Perkins ’63 (football), Mike Holden ’63
(squash), Hoby Warner ’63 (baseball), and Sam Newbury ’63 (crew).
6
MIDDLESEX FALL
FALL 2013
2013
MIDDLESEX
Upcoming
Speakers
The Middlesex community is fortunate to host noted scholars,
scientists, writers, and artists on
campus each year. In the coming
months, the School looks forward
to hearing from:
• Eyal Press: A writer based in New York, he is the author
of Beautiful Souls: Saying No,
Breaking Ranks, and Heeding
the Voice of Conscience in
Dark Times (2012). In connection with the School’s 2013 All-School Read selection,
The Hunger Games, Mr. Press
will talk about the ethics of
dissent.
• Tom Perrotta: The first Hub Lecturer of the year, Mr.
Perrotta is the author of six
previous works of fiction: Bad Haircut, The Wishbones,
Election, and the New York
Times bestselling Joe College,
Little Children, and The
Leftovers.
• Sangbae Kim: An assistant
professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, Professor Kim is the director of the Biomimetic Robotics Lab-
oratory and the second Hub
Lecturer this year. Working at the convergence of mechanical engineering, biology,
and material science, his
achievement on bio-inspired
robot development includes
the world’s first directional
adhesive, inspired from gecko
lizards, and a climbing robot,
Stickybot, that utilizes the
directional adhesives to climb smooth surfaces.
A Call to International Service
Mr. Painter discussed the
difficulty of finding “durable
solutions” for refugees.
“Many refugee camps are
going to remain for a long
time,” he confirmed.
Hoping to inspire Middlesex students to consider public service abroad, Andrew Painter
came to campus on the evening of October
10. As the senior protection officer with the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in Ethiopia,
Mr. Painter was in the Boston area to speak
with students at Harvard Law School and to visit with family, including his nephews,
Ben (’14) and Will (’15) Painter.
Initial Intentions
Mr. Painter began by providing a brief history
of UNHCR. Founded in 1950 after World
War II, the agency provided protection and
assistance to European refugees and was expected to exist for about five years. Instead, its
necessity only increased over time, and in 1967,
its coverage was made universal. Today, it serves
more than 30 million people worldwide.
From its inception, UNHCR has specifically defined who may or may not be classified
as refugees, what their rights are, and when
their refugee status is considered to have terminated. Also stipulated are the obligations of the host country, which agrees not to
return a refugee to persecution and consents
to help provide identity and travel documents,
education, and, if possible, employment.
Camp Management
Surrounded by Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan,
Ethiopia currently hosts 15 to 20 refugee
camps, overseen by UNHCR. Mr. Painter
focuses on protecting and sheltering refugees,
organizing camps, and coordinating with key
organizations, like the World Food Program,
to get basic provisions and services. Issues of health, child protection, and education are also his concern—as is trying to find permanent situations for refugees. This is
particularly challenging in Ethiopia, which
does not provide a path to citizenship and
remains encircled by volatile countries. Only one percent of the refugees resettle elsewhere, with most heading to the United States.
Helping Abroad or at Home
Describing his work as “intellectually interesting and satisfying,” Mr. Painter hoped that
students might contemplate pursuing similar
careers. While fielding numerous questions
afterwards, he suggested that students might
make a difference at home, too, by keeping
apprised of world politics, shaping policies by voting, and volunteering to help refugees
in their local areas. M
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
7
Middlesex People
Advice for the Decade Ahead
When the time came for this year’s guest
speaker to address the crowd at Graduation
on June 2, members of the class of 2013
were eager to hear from one of their own—
especially since that alumnus was Instagram
Co-founder Kevin Systrom ’02, whose wildly
popular photo-sharing app they enjoy on a
daily basis, along with over 100 million other
active users. His talk, delivered with his characteristic humility and dry humor, did not
disappoint them.
“I’ve spoken to many
audiences in the last couple
of years, but there is nothing
more intimidating than
speaking in front of your
English teacher.”
“I’ve spoken to many audiences in the
last couple of years,” he said at the outset,
“but there is nothing more intimidating than
speaking in front of your English teacher.”
Thinking back to his own Middlesex
graduation day 11 years ago, Kevin remembered one speaker noting that the event
would be the last time his classmates would
all be together in one place. Though he somehow doubted the truth of that statement at
the time, he has realized since that graduation
is indeed a special moment—and he has
wondered what he would have said to his
class back then, given the experience and perspective that he has today.
With that idea in mind, he offered the
class of 2013 a few pieces of advice, telling the
seniors to take life slowly and explore what
8
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
they love; to take risks (though not irresponsible ones) that will push and challenge
them, leading to real growth; and to make
the necessary effort to maintain their strong
friendships, for “life is a team sport” that
requires the support of great friends.
Illustrating each of his recommendations
with details from his own path, Kevin noted
that some of his favorite Middlesex memories
involve learning photography with Steve
Butera, programming games for friends to
play in Paul Roeder’s computer science classroom, and expanding his aesthetic appreciation in Malcolm Russell’s art history classes.
With the skills he acquired as a management
science and engineering major at Stanford—
and the experience he gained working at Odeo
(later, Twitter) and Google—he blended his
established interests together in developing
Instagram with the help of his good friend
Mike Krieger.
At the time, it was certainly a risk to quit
his job and start his own company. “When
you tell people that you are going to make an app for a living, and it takes pictures, and
makes them square, and changes the colors,
and that’s how you are going to make your
living, it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence,”
2013 Distinguished Alumni
Henry Cabot Lodge ’20 Award Winners
he acknowledged. “It worked
out OK,” he deadpanned.
Steadily attracting millions of users in 2010–11,
Instagram was sold to Facebook in 2012 for the astonishing sum of one billion dollars. Though he and Mike
have created a visual way for friends to keep in touch
through sharing their photographs on an internal social
network, Kevin nonetheless
stressed the importance of
making more personal connections to maintain great
friendships. “Keeping them
strong takes effort,” he said.
“It’s about remembering
birthdays. It’s about taking
surprise trips to say hello. It’s about picking up the
phone and reaching out just because.”
In closing, Kevin reiterated, “So, as we sit here
together today, likely the last
time together as one single
group, soak it in. Remember
the next 10 years of your life
are some of the most exciting
years to come. You’ll learn so much about yourself by
navigating the world around
you, so take it slowly. You’ll
surprise yourself by how far
you can go and how happy
you can be, so take the risks
to get there. And none of what
I said will be possible without the love and the friendship of the people sitting with
you today, so stay in touch.” M
James Kugel ’63
On his Middlesex Yearbook page, Jim’s classmates noted that he had “made an undeniably
significant start toward a career in journalism” as editor-in-chief of The Anvil. As Jim is now the author of 16 books, perhaps they
were on to something! At Yale, Jim wrote for
the Yale Daily News and earned a degree in
English. By 1971, he had written his first book,
The Technique of Strangeness, about modern
poetry. Following stints as a junior fellow at
Harvard, the poetry editor of Harper’s magazine, a faculty fellow at the City University of
New York, and an assistant professor at Yale,
Jim was named the first Harry Starr Professor
of Classical and Modern Jewish and Hebrew
Literature at Harvard in 1982.
In 1992, Jim began to alternate semesters
between Harvard and Bar-Ilan University in
Israel, where he remains the chair of the Institute for the History of the Jewish Bible. A leading Biblical scholar, he has written
extensively on the subject. His 2001 book, The Bible As It Was, won the Grawemeyer
Award in religion for “promoting understanding between human beings and the divine,”
and in 2007, How to Read the Bible received
the Everett Family Foundation Jewish Book
of the Year Award. M
Jeffrey M. Smith ’63
Described by his Middlesex classmates as “a possessor of electric vitality,” Jeff has since
directed that energy and drive toward a long
and successful career in public service. A
graduate of the University of Pennsylvania
and the Georgetown University Law Center,
Jeff entered the political arena at the highest
levels of the nation’s government. Over the
course of nearly two decades, he served as a
senior aide or chief of staff to several major
national leaders, including Senator Robert F.
Kennedy, Senator George McGovern, Senator
Edward M. Kennedy, and fellow Middlesex
graduate Bill Richardson ’66, back in his
Congressional days.
In recent years, Jeff has also served in
senior executive positions with two Cabinet
secretaries and with the director of the Los
Alamos National Laboratory. For six years,
he worked at the White House under President
Clinton as the senior counselor to the President’s science advisor. Today, he continues to
work in the White House as the senior advisor
to President Obama’s assistant for science and
technology, strengthening America’s scientific
enterprise by helping to steer innovative policy
developments in energy, education, national
security, the environment, and the economy. M
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
9
Middlesex People
Chivas Chi-Wah Lam P’10,’14
Since 2009, Chivas has been a venture partner
with Qiming Ventures, focusing in investing
in early stage, high-potential, high-growth
technology companies in cleantech and
industrial sectors. Chivas founded the China
operation for LanzaTech and currently serves
as board observer for PowerGenix. Prior to
joining Qiming, Chivas had over 25 years of
senior executive experience with several major
companies. He holds a first class honor
bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering
from the University of Hong Kong and a
master’s degree in engineering from Sydney
University. He and his wife Jasmin have two sons, Clarence ’10 and Laurence ’14.
Chivas Lam, Julia French
Veghte ’86, Hunter Moorman
’60, and Scott Conant ’63 are
among the School’s new trustees (not pictured: Beau Coash).
New Trustees
As the newest Middlesex trustees, three
alumni and two current parents attended
their first official meetings in September,
bringing new perspectives and experience to the Board.
F. Scott Conant ’63
After his graduation from the University of
Virginia, Scott’s business career encompassed
sales and marketing positions at several Fortune 500 companies in New York City. Following a heart attack in 1998, Scott joined the
faculty of King School in Stamford, Connecticut, where he taught history and coached
ice hockey and softball. Beginning in 2004,
he devoted his energies at Hilton Head Preparatory School in South Carolina to longterm substitute teaching, tutoring, mentoring
new teachers, and serving with the Board. In addition to creating the Conant Family
Scholarship for Middlesex, Scott has been a
class agent for 22 years and served for seven
years on the Alumni Association Board’s
Executive Committee. He and his wife Lynn
have three children and six grandchildren.
10
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
Julia French Veghte ’86
A Harvard graduate, Julia worked for an
environmental think tank in Seattle, Washington, before earning a master’s in public
policy at the University of California, Berkeley. She then spent over 15 years working for
Seattle on public utility rates and financing
and policy-related issues. Now settled in
California with her husband Bill, Julia enjoys
coaching lacrosse and volunteering at the
schools of her sons, Ben and Ethan. Inducted
into Middlesex’s Athletic Hall of Fame in
2001, Julia was an All-League and AllAmerican lacrosse player who captained girls’ varsity ice hockey and was an All-League
field hockey player on the 1985 undefeated
team. A lacrosse All-American at Harvard,
she captained the 1990 NCAA Championship Team and played on the 1993 World
Champion U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Team.
Hunter N. Moorman ’60
Hunter joins the Board in a pro-tem capacity
as the president of the Middlesex Alumni
Association. He is retired from the U.S.
Department of Education, where for 26 years
he directed national education research and
development programs and school leadership and improvement programs. Hunter
then spent six years directing the Education
Policy Fellowship Program at the Institute
for Educational Leadership
and three years working on school leadership at the
Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development. Currently, he chairs
the Board of the Foxfire
Fund, Inc. and the West Tisbury Library Foundation,
Inc. He earned a certificate
in organization development
from Georgetown University,
an M.P.A. from The George
Washington University, and
a B.A. from Harvard. Hunter
and his wife, Leslie Gray,
have two children and two
grandchildren. Beau Coash P’11, ’14
Beau joins the Board on a
pro-tem basis as the president of the Middlesex Parents’ Committee. With more
than 20 years of experience
in financial investment and
management, he has spent
the past eight years with
Fidelity Management and
Research Company in Boston,
serving as global head of
syndicate and primary trading. Previously, Beau was a senior vice president in
corporate sales at Lehman
Brothers for 12 years after
having earned his M.B.A. at Harvard Business School.
As a Middlebury undergraduate, Beau played for
two ECAC Championship
lacrosse teams and captained
the 1982 football team. With
his wife Jennifer—who will
lead the Parents’ Committee
with him—Beau has two
children, Cassie ’11 and
Drew ’14. M
Living Gifts
In Support of Sustainability
United in person—and in purpose—the class of 1978 assembled for a group portrait during the
well-attended 35th reunion dinner at the Concord Museum last May.
Since focusing on and stepping up the
School’s sustainability efforts over the past
two years, Middlesex has received great support on a number of its established initiatives
—and on newly suggested projects as well.
By thinking about the term “sustainability”
in a variety of ways, members of the Middlesex family have come up with novel ways to contribute to a cleaner, greener campus.
Proven Pioneers
As the first Middlesex seniors to graduate
after four full years of coeducation, members
of the class of 1978 may have always been
trailblazers and agents of change. Gearing up for their 35th reunion last spring, several
classmates met to discuss ideas for a meaningful gift to the School and decided that
sustainability would be the goal of their fundraising. Thanks to the ingenuity and industry of expert marketer Jay Bolling ’78, the
“green4green” campaign was soon launched,
complete with a professional pamphlet calling on the class to make “an investment in
Middlesex, in sustainability, and in the
future.”
Leaving a Legacy
Drawing interest with the declaration that
1978 could be “the first class to make a collective statement about the importance of
protecting the environment,” the campaign
was a resounding success and has already
produced tangible results, with more to come.
To date, the class gift has purchased compact,
individual bins for every dorm room to
improve recycling efforts in the School’s nine
residences. Additionally, the gift has funded
the planting of a white oak tree in front of
LeBaron Briggs House, replacing a diseased
tree badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy.
The School hopes to mill useable portions of
the old tree, recycling it for a future project.
A Trustee Tribute
The desire to choose a sustainable tribute for retiring Trustee Mary Ann Tynan also led
to the planting of a new tree: a copper beech,
standing at the intersection of Bryant-Paine
House and Hallowell House. Having joined
the Board when her daughter Emily ’97
attended Middlesex, Mary Ann recently
completed 19 years of trustee service, a tenure now marked with a living gift that may
inspire others to leave similar legacies. M
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
11
Team Highlights
For more sports news visit
http://athletics.mxschool.edu
Girls’ Crew
First Boat Gold: On Worcester’s Lake Quinsigamond
last May 25, Middlesex’s first boat (seeded eighth)
blew away the competition, finishing second in the
morning heat and qualifying for the grand finals at
the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association
(NEIRA) Championships. In the ultimate race, Groton
took an early lead off the start, while Greenwich
Academy, Winsor, and Middlesex battled for second
place. At the 750-meter mark, Middlesex pulled up even with Groton and, stroke by stroke, rowed
through to cross the finish line in the lead by a deck
—the first time since 1978 that Middlesex has won
the girls’ first boat event. As a team, Middlesex
placed fourth in New England, with the first boat
also earning an invitation to the US Rowing Youth
Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. There, on June
9, the girls’ gritty performance placed them ninth
among the top crews in the country.
(photo: Erika Ferlins Mills ’99)
Baseball
Co-captain Nick Widen ’13 throws a
pitch during the 9–7 win over Nobles,
an opponent Middlesex had not defeated in several years.
12
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
Boys’ Lacrosse
Girls’ Tennis
Captain Emma Satterthwaite Muresianu ’13
returns a backhand in a match with Rivers.
Middlesex’s 12–3 victory was one of several
decisive wins in the varsity’s 11–5 season.
Tallying 28 goals and nine assists during the season,
Michael Howe ’14 earned himself an All-League
Honorable Mention.
A Season of Successes
From the girls’ first boat gold at the NEIRA Championships (see page 12) to League and
All-American honors in track and lacrosse respectively, the spring of 2013 was filled with
noteworthy achievements.
All-American AJ Lucchese ’13 adds another point
toward his Middlesex career total of 200.
Lacrosse Leaders
In his 26th season as Middlesex’s
head lacrosse coach, Ned Herter
’73 modestly marked his 300th
win with a 13-8 victory over
Groton on May 4. Calling the
milestone “a team effort,” he was
characteristically more proud of
his players’ performances and
of his current assistant coaches,
Doug Worthen ’96 and Geoff
Cohane ’96, both All-Americans
at Middlesex.
Joining the ranks of these
All-Americans is Captain AJ
Lucchese ’13, the highest scorer
in the ISL for a second consecutive year and the second all-time
leading scorer for Middlesex.
Supporting James Randon ’13 at the “Dream Mile”
was ISL MVP Garrett O’Toole ’14, who served as
the pacer rabbit for the first half of the race.
Before moving on to Brown,
AJ played in the All-American
Senior Showcase last July and
scored the tying goal with one
second left in the finals—giving
his team the chance to clinch
the win.
And on June 17, when US
Lacrosse announced the 2013
Girls’ High School All-American
team, the distinguished list of
names included Middlesex Cocaptains Jeanie Dwinell ’13 and
Clare Lyne ’13, who helped lead
the varsity to a second-place
finish in the ISL. While Jeanie
has taken her talents to Princeton,
Clare is playing for Trinity College.
Three of their teammates were
also named to the Academic AllAmerican team. For maintaining
an impressive cumulative GPA,
Rowena Schenck ’14, Dakota
Foster ’14, and Sarah Tabeek ’14
were recognized on a national
scale for their outstanding
contributions in the classroom as well as on the field.
On the Fast Track
Named New England’s Athlete
of the Month for May 2013 by
USA Track & Field, Co-captain
James Randon ran 4:09.39 in
the prestigious “Dream Mile” at
the Adidas Grand Prix at Icahn
Stadium in New York City on May
All-Americans in action: Jeanie
Dwinell ’13 (top) and Clare Lyne ’13.
(photos: Olivia Winslow)
23. This was the eighth all-time
fastest Massachusetts scholastic
outdoor mile—one of many
career high points for James,
who now competes for Yale.
Fellow standout Garrett
O’Toole ’14 was named a Boston
Globe All-Scholastic in track as a
dominant middle-distance runner.
A two-time All-League and AllNew England selection, Garrett
won the 800-meter and 1500meter races at the ISL meet and
was part of the 4x400 team that
won the New England title. He is a captain of both cross-country
and track this year.
MIDDLESEX
MIDDLESEX Fall
FALL 2013
2013
13
Fond
Farewells
to Retiring Faculty and Staff
After years of service at Middlesex in different areas of
the School—from the College Office to the classroom to the Health Center—
four colleagues retired this past year and were affectionately celebrated at both
the annual farewell chapel service and at the final faculty/staff dinner in June.
Their care of and concern for those in the Middlesex community will be
greatly missed as they begin new ventures in retirement.
Diane Proctor
W
riting an eloquent retirement tribute about Diane
Proctor is a daunting task
—one that would undoubtedly have been made easier after a year
in her sophomore Literature and Composition class or, even better, a semester
in her Essay Writing elective. There, in
the stimulating, supportive atmosphere
of her classroom, any student could not help but gain a greater appreciation
for the world of words and ideas, all the while learning to become a more
discerning reader and expressive writer.
“It was astonishing the extent to
which going into her classroom was
like stepping into another world,” as
English Department Head John Hirsch
characterizes it. “The magic of literature
and life really came across through
Diane. It seemed to be associated with
the room—as if the room itself were
magical—but it was obviously Diane.
14
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
She was a powerful influence on a lot
of students.”
When she first arrived at Middlesex in 1996 to lead the college counseling office, Diane was already a seasoned
educator and administrator who had
taught history and directed admissions
“The magic of literature
and life really came
across through Diane. It
seemed to be associated
with the room—as if
the room itself were
magical—but it was
obviously Diane.”
at Milton Academy, held positions as
dean of faculty and associate head at
Hotchkiss School, and served as a consultant to the admissions office at MIT.
Throughout this remarkable career, one
common thread was her love of reading
and writing, which happily became her
primary occupation when she joined
the Middlesex English Department full time in 2002.
From the beginning, John notes,
“Diane was very good at nurturing
sophomores and making them feel connected to literature. It was a very transformative experience having her for
sophomore English.”
Kate Enright ’11 would likely agree,
having first met Diane in one such sophomore English section. “When you came
into class, sometimes she would be very
quiet—thinking about something deep
and meaningful that she wanted to talk
about right away—and sometimes, she would be super animated,” Kate
remembers. “She always made these
beautiful word maps of concepts that
were drawn together and connected
with arrows; I still think of those word
maps. She really cared about making
sure that every student knew what she
was saying, and she held lots of extra
help sessions.”
That concern and commitment
was evident to John as well. “When I
would pass her classroom,” he recalls,
“there would be Diane, working
one-on-one with yet another student. She had so much energy and
was always figuring out the best
way to work with them. She never
stopped trying to improve her
teaching and never stopped learning more about the books.”
Diane took the same approach
with her ever-popular electives that
centered on favorite topics she quickly
became known for: Jane Austen,
the Booker Prize, and Essay Writing. She particularly enjoyed The
Delights of the Booker Prize course
for the simple reason that it would
“take us out of the traditional canon
and expose us to writers who are fresh
and new, to literature we wouldn’t
otherwise know.”
As John adds, “It was important to Diane that students know
contemporary writers and enjoy them
—but not mindlessly praise them. Her
great strength is a discriminating love
of literature. She turned students into
knowledgeable and discriminating
enthusiasts.” Also conscious of keeping
the elective fresh and relevant, she
would change the course syllabus as
often as every other year and—with this
and other classes—make every effort to bring students to events where they
could hear distinguished authors speak.
As for the complexity of teaching
Essay Writing, Diane professes, “I absolutely loved it and used The New Yorker
as a primer, along with myriad other
sources.” Her passion is echoed by
many, including Cordelia Zars ’11,
who observes, “That was a transformative class for me. I learned so much
about writing and reading essays. She
helped me develop my own style of
writing and taught me about how editing is done.” Even after the class was
finished, Cordelia would meet with
Diane to share essays written for other
classes or articles she had read. “We
became great friends,” Cordelia reflects.
“We could talk about anything, and she
always had good thoughts and sound
advice that I still think about today.”
Though Diane was not her official advisor, Cordelia regards her as “a second
advisor – a mother advisor.”
Since that experience, Cordelia
finds that she has retained “an exponentially greater appreciation for writing
and reading critically,” thanks to Diane.
“The difference in the way I’m able to
read and understand other writing is
profound. I will be a writing tutor at
Bowdoin this year, and I don’t think I would have gotten that position without her training.”
For Kate, who asked Diane to be
her faculty advisor after that memorable year in sophomore English, their
close relationship remains a highlight
of her time at Middlesex. “We had a meeting time every week, and we
would have tea and little ginger cookies
while we talked,” Kate fondly
recalls. “Sometimes, we would
play Bananagrams. It was so great
to be heard by an adult in that
way; she was one of the people
who knew me best, and she did
that for a lot of people.”
Dean of Students Carmen Beaton seconds that assessment.
“Diane was a wonderful advisor,
spending lots of time with students and engaging their hopes
and dreams. She really got to
know them well.” Also greatly
appreciated were the extracurricular activities that Diane initiated
and advised, such as the Short
Story Society and the TED Club.
Whether Diane was introducing
students to literary gems or talking about inspiring lectures, Carmen affirms, “I think she elevated the level of discourse at the School. These were really
inspiring endeavors for a school
environment.”
Clearly an active, lifelong learner,
Diane shows no signs of taking things
slowly in “retirement.” Continuing the
piano lessons she began last January,
she is also taking up Chinese to better
communicate with the family of her
new daughter-in-law. And she is, of
course, avidly and joyfully reading—
though being without a classroom full of students will be an adjustment.
“I’ll miss the kids and the intellectual
discourse, their humor, and the pleasure we gain from sharing the ideas that are part of literature,” she wistfully
predicted in June. “There is nothing like
the astonishment that students bring to
their fresh understandings, and I will
miss that dearly.” M
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
15
Fond Farewells
Alan Proctor
F
teaching us not to learn history but to
ive years ago, when invited by
we were learning exciting and relevant
be historians.”
the class of 2008 to give the Bacto our lives.”
To encourage that independent
calaureate address on the eve Fellow history teacher Ken Whitthinking, Alan made his classroom a
ning before graduation, Alan
lock was similarly impressed. “He had Proctor spoke to the seniors of “roads friendly and invigorating place where
a great rapport with his students,” Ken
taken and those not taken,” paraobserves. “I sat in on a couple of
phrasing Robert Frost’s famous
his classes, and he was good at
words. As a high school student,
drawing kids out in discussions
Alan related, his own future had
without standing there and domseemed clear: the path would lead
inating for 40 minutes. He didn’t
him to careers in music and hisjust lecture; he tried to let them
tory, and he would be both an
take the lead and come to
operatic tenor and a historian.
conclusions.”
Though he did not ultimately
Of course, Middlesex was pursue a path to the Metropolitan
fortunate to reap the benefit of
Opera, his fascination with hisAlan’s extensive experience when
tory did guide him to a rewarding
he became the assistant head of
career in independent schools—
school for academic affairs in
and to new, less traveled roads
1997. Having already completed
that he could not have foreseen,
his Ph.D. in history, two Fulbright
such as the one that led him to
fellowships, and a year as a
begin studying the Middle East in
research fellow at Harvard’s the early 1980s. As he advised at
Center for Middle East History,
Baccalaureate, “I hope that, even
Alan had just spent five years as you begin your own journeys
as the founding director of the
this summer and next fall, you
Middle East Study Center at the
remain open to the possibility of
Hotchkiss School. Prior to that,
other roads—perhaps alternative
he had taught history at Milton
paths, perhaps complementary
Academy for 20 years, 16 of
paths—that may beckon to you
which were spent as department
“I
loved
his
teaching
style,”
says
years into the future, and I hope
head. Gradually transitioning
that you have the confidence to Tabby Sabky ’12. “He was very
from assistant head to dean follow those less traveled ways.”
of academic affairs during his
His remarks were written for engaging and passionate about
Middlesex tenure, he returned that special occasion, yet the
teaching history full time in
what he was teaching, and he was to
essence of his message might
2005, covering everything from
sound familiar to former students very funny. He made what we were the Middle East to American and
and advisees: know your subject
Modern European History to,
well and take a considered stance, learning exciting and relevant.”
more recently, AP U.S. Governwhile still keeping an open mind.
ment and Politics—another
As Willy Goldsmith ’06 characfavorite subject.
terizes his experience in Alan’s History
Whatever the historical topic ideas could be offered and debated,
of the Middle East elective, “He wasn’t
at hand, Alan finds the challenge of
always with a sense of humor. “I loved
indoctrinating us but opening the floor
“getting a grasp on something of sighis teaching style,” says Tabby Sabky
for discussion, showing us that as much
nificance” to be energizing, which ’12, who enjoyed both Modern Euroas history is planted in facts and knowlhas long been evident to students and
pean History and Persian Gulf History
edge, it is the study of people. He never
colleagues alike. “Alan embraces new
with Alan. “He was very engaging and
made anyone afraid to be wrong.” In
ideas,” Ken says. “He was always interpassionate about what he was teaching,
retrospect, Willy realizes, “He was
ested in assessing our curriculum and
and he was very funny. He made what
16
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
finding the right texts. He was never
satisfied.”
His searching, scholarly approach
—combined with “his wry sense of
humor and his avuncular kindness,” as English teacher Jim Beaton aptly
describes it—made him an adept advisor, too. “He was very thoughtful,”
Tabby recalls. “He waited for you to finish what you were saying and then
would sit there a minute and think
about it. Then he would come back
with something very wise. He knew
what to say and when to say it.”
This was invaluable during senior
year, when her college future seemed to loom before her. “He helped me at a time when I was deciding what I
wanted to do—what to study and
whether or not to play field hockey in
college,” she continues. “He made me
think about what I wanted to do, not
what everyone else wanted me to do.
He was very patient.” Now a sophomore
at Dartmouth, Tabby is studying history and art history—and playing field
hockey for her second season.
Alan remains a supportive mentor for Willy, a four-year advisee who
remembers having “a rocky start” at
Middlesex. “Alan was extremely sensitive to the issues I was having and really
cared,” Willy reflects. “He was somebody you could go to as a friend and an
authority who would point you in the
right direction. That support throughout was important to my stay at
Middlesex.”
A history concentrator at Harvard,
Willy found that his courses there on
Egypt, the Arab world, and the Middle
East “teased out in detail what Alan had
introduced me to.” Alan has since been
instrumental in helping him realize that
he could combine seemingly disparate
passions—fishing and history—to forge
his own path. “Fishery people are also
writers,” Willy explains. “You don’t need
to fit into a mold; you can make your
own way. Alan made me more aware of what was available to me and
encouraged me to go for it.” This fall,
Willy began his master’s degree in fisheries science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary. His background in history, he believes, will ultimately
make him better able to understand the interrelation of politics and policies.
“There should be a mention of
Alan’s voracious passion for thirds basketball,” Willy adds, recalling how
Coach Proctor would yell, “You’ve got
to execute!” while pounding on the
floor. “I think he may have been more
serious about thirds basketball than
Middle East history.”
Alan may be leaving his coaching
career behind, but as for the rest of his retirement plans, he says, “You
never really leave behind what you love: music and history.” Six years ago,
he found a path back to music with the
Concord Chorus, and he will continue
singing with this accomplished group.
He also hopes to revive his Arabic language skills, spend some time in
Eastern Europe, and undertake a few
writing projects—after he finishes one
last Middlesex assignment. “I’m very
excited about the rising seniors,” Alan
smiles. “I’m writing 18 letters of recommendation for them!” M
Pat Boyd
O
ver the course of her 21 years
as an administrative assistant
in the college counseling office,
Pat Boyd has amassed some
impressive statistics. As Jérémy Bergeron ’14 recounted for the School at
the annual farewell chapel in late May,
Pat sent materials to colleges for more
than 16,000 applications filed by Middlesex students—and that’s just the beginning. For those applications,
she processed over 48,000 transcripts,
secondary school forms, and recommendations, also creating and updating
approximately 1800 student activity
sheets and tracking nearly 1500 visits
by college admissions officers.
To manage so many forms and
details without error took stamina,
attentiveness, and care, qualities that
College Counseling Director Matt
DeGreeff has appreciated in Pat since
he arrived on campus 11 years ago. “Pat is a calm, supportive, and friendly
person who made my transition to
Middlesex smooth and easy,” he says.
“She has a wealth of knowledge about
the college process, and she’s very dedicated to doing right by the students. Pat knew that when her work was done
well, it helped the kids, and she was
always very patient and generous and
kind to them.”
This was not lost on many of those
students—like Jérémy, who was particularly thankful for Pat’s friendliness,
humor, and reassurance during his early
days as a new junior last fall. Recognizing the even broader extent of her
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
17
Fond Farewells
Noella Maria
influence, he elaborated, “She has introduced the juniors to the ways of the college office; she has helped seniors deal
with the nerve-wracking forms, deadlines, and demands of the college process; she has offered big hugs to seniors
who have received exciting college news;
and she has offered a shoulder to cry on
to seniors who have not been so lucky.”
Pat considered getting
to know students from
different parts of the
country and the world to
be one of the best aspects
of her job. At the end of
each college admission
season, saying goodbye
to the seniors was the
more difficult part.
For her part, Pat considered getting
to know students from different parts of
the country and the world to be one of
the best aspects of her job; conversely,
at the end of each college admission
season, saying goodbye to the seniors
was the more difficult part. “There were
always a few students you had bonded
with,” she reflects, likening it to the
raising of her own children.
Pat will likewise miss the close bond
she has enjoyed with her office colleagues
—Matt, Associate Director Sam Bigelow,
and longtime Assistant to the Director
Susan Murphy. At the same time, she
looks forward to traveling more with
her husband David and to devoting her
time and energy to volunteer projects
that are close to her heart. M
18
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
When Noella Maria began working
as the administrative assistant to then
Head Nurse Marcella Shepherd back in
February of 1992, School Ties was being
filmed on campus, and the Health
Center still occupied the old Newman
Infirmary, located behind Ware Hall.
Though she liked Newman’s large windows and general layout, she recalls,
“Everything was so primitive at Middlesex then. The equipment and furniture
in the treatment room was from the
1920s.” Whenever notes or letters
needed to be written, Noella would have
to pull out an old portable Royal typewriter—donated by Middlesex Athletic
Trainer Laura Darby McNally ’80—
and sit on one of the beds to get the typing done.
Yet, within a few years, much had
changed. Having previously worked as
an office assistant at Digital and a law
firm, Noella could knowledgeably help
Marcella make the transition to computerization. Even better, the complete
renovation of Ware Hall in 1994
included a brand new Health Center on the bottom floor—an entirely new
facility named soon after in memory of
Cesar Cruz ’91. “I like change,” Noella
says. “It was a good thing for a new
century.”
Throughout all the changes of the
past two decades, one constant has been
Noella, the “face of the Health Center,”
as current Director Meg McLaughlin
says. “Thank goodness she was here to
show me the ropes,” Meg adds. “Noella
made sure that we were organized, communicated with parents and doctors,
and kept the flow of student traffic moving. She will be missed.”
Veteran Sunday night nurse Dee
Russo has long appreciated Noella’s
warmth, support, and attention to detail.
“She was always a ray of sunshine coming through the door on Monday morning, which could be a very busy time.
She really helped to set the tone for the
Health Center. No matter who you
were, she treated everyone with dignity
and respect, and after talking with her,
you always felt better. Noella was very
nurturing; some students don’t need
that, but those far from home often do.”
This was Noella’s favorite part of the
job, too, and is likely what she will miss
most in her retirement. “I loved the students, and I always loved to take care of them—especially when they
needed TLC and comfort,” she affirms.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to work anyplace else on campus.” M
“Noella made sure that we were organized,
communicated with
parents and doctors, and
kept the flow of student
traffic moving. She will be missed.”
Gains in
Sustainability
Nearly two years have elapsed since a formal report, “Sustainability at Middlesex,”
was compiled, which included a set of recommendations to improve energy conservation
on campus and reduce the School’s carbon footprint by at least 20 percent. Today, that
goal has already been surpassed, and progress has been made on many fronts—
with additional, unanticipated benefits for the School and its programs.
S
ince its seemingly modest beginning in the spring of 2011, Middlesex’s sustainability
initiative has firmly taken root, resulting in numerous changes and successful conservation measures across campus. Back in the early stages, the School’s efforts started
with a gift from a committed and generous alumna, who provided funding for several
energy-saving projects, such as the installation of high-efficiency T5 lighting in the
Cage. At the same time, a Sustainability Task Force was established that included trustees, alumni,
faculty, staff, and interested students, and the School joined the Green Schools Alliance in order to
benefit from the information and experience of this nonprofit, global network of nearly 3000 schools.
In adopting one of the Alliance’s suggested goals—to reduce a school’s carbon footprint by 20
to 30 percent—Middlesex took a decisive step toward making significant changes in energy use on
campus to reach this objective. Attention soon centered on reducing demand for the two largest
contributors to the School’s carbon footprint: electricity and fuel oil.
Adjacent to the Clay Centennial Center, the current Facilities building
(at left) is reimagined as a center for music as well as academics.
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
19
Plans for the renovation
include a 150-seat concert
hall, which neatly fills the
old boiler room.
By mid-September,
32 boilers had been
installed and the
central steam plant
decommissioned,
making Middlesex
ready for its first
decentralized
heating season using natural gas
since 1916.
Lightening the Load
Once the old lighting in the Cage had been
replaced—an exchange projected to save
$5,000 to $10,000 in energy costs annually—
it made sense to make similar modifications
in the School’s other sizeable facilities, beginning in the summer of 2012. Participating
in a rebate program offered by the Concord
Municipal Light Department, Middlesex
replaced the lighting in the Atkins Athletic
Center with high-efficiency fluorescent fixtures using one-third less energy. Saving over
$6000 per year in lighting costs alone, this
upgrade also emits less heat, reducing the
electricity needed to keep the rink ice cold in the winter and the tennis courts cool in the summer.
Subsequently, high-efficiency lighting has also been installed in the Wood Theatre
and, this past summer, in the Terry Room
during the restoration of that favorite, central
space. With each successive project, the
School has been reducing electricity usage,
lowering related energy costs, and making
progress toward decreasing carbon emissions on campus.
Switching to Natural Gas
As detailed in the spring 2012 issue of the
Alumni Bulletin, meticulous research and calculations completed by Middlesex math
20
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
teacher Mike Pandolfini and Chief Operating Officer Matt Crozier demonstrated that
switching the School’s central heating system
from oil to natural gas would not only reduce
the School’s carbon footprint by at least 20
percent but would also be a cost effective
move. As Matt was pleased to report, “It’s the marriage of good stewardship practices
with strong economic rationale.”
The question remained, however,
whether or not the School should keep its
centralized steam plant in transitioning to
natural gas. One alternative involved creating
several heating zones on campus in which a large boiler would heat several adjacent
buildings; still another option was to install
individual gas-fired boilers in each building.
Further study—and still more calculations—
led the Board to choose the latter option,
given the inefficiency of the School’s aging
heating lines and the higher cost of creating
zones. The 95 percent efficiency rating of the
latest gas-fired boilers was another important
incentive in the decision-making process.
In coordination with National Grid,
which connected the campus with adequate
gas lines, the installation of new boilers
began last March and continued into the fall. By mid-September, 32 boilers had been
installed and the central steam plant decommissioned, making Middlesex ready for its
first decentralized heating season using natural gas since 1916. The savings in fuel
costs is projected to pay for this transition
within three to five years.
A Garden Victory
Another of the Sustainability Task Force’s
proposals was to create an on-campus garden
as an experiment in producing food locally,
saving the energy expended elsewhere to grow
and deliver produce to Middlesex. Thanks to
the leadership of accomplished gardener and
French teacher Carrie Bolster—and the assistance of a few faculty members and students
—the garden had a successful first season.
Those still on campus in the summer were
the beneficiaries of a bountiful tomato crop
and a steady supply of lettuce, onions, peppers, carrots, beans, herbs, and even flowers,
some of which were blooming in time to decorate the registration tables when students
returned in September. And in the first two
months of the school year, the garden provided the dining hall with batches of fresh
tomatoes and carrots for the community to enjoy.
In the first two
months of the school
year, the garden
provided the dining
hall with batches
of fresh tomatoes
and carrots for the
community to enjoy.
French teacher Carrie Bolster
at work in the garden.
Photo: Rob Houghton
Green Gifts
Encouraged by Middlesex’s progress in its
sustainability efforts, the class of 1978 decided
to direct its 2013 reunion gift to several green
initiatives (see page 11). Thus far, the graduates’ generosity has funded the purchase of
individual recycling bins, one for each dorm
room, to make it as easy to recycle items in
boarders’ residences as it has been in academic buildings for many years. Additionally,
the 35th reunion gift paid for the planting of a new white oak tree in front of LeBaron
Briggs House, replacing a storm-damaged
and diseased tree that had to be removed last
spring. (Sections of the old tree have been
saved, however, in hopes that it might be
milled and used for another purpose.)
Funded by another source, the intersection
of Bryant-Paine House and Hallowell House
is now marked by a new copper beech tree,
which was planted in honor of recently retired
Trustee Mary Ann Tynan (mother of Emily
’97), who just completed 19 productive years
of service on the Middlesex Board.
Extended Benefits
Supportive, thoughtful contributions like this are among the unforeseen benefits of the School’s sustainability plans, which have
also created an unexpected opportunity for Middlesex’s music program.
For decades, Middlesex leaders have
been trying to find a more suitable home for the music department, which has long
made the best of its small rooms and practice
studios on the Warburg Library’s lower level.
Meanwhile, student interest in studying and
performing music has steadily increased.
When Music Department Co-head Mark
Kross took over the scheduling of private
music lessons in 2002, the job involved about
12 percent of all enrolled students. Today,
one-third of the School’s students take lessons,
with voice, piano, and guitar among the most popular choices.
With more students playing in the Jazz
Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble, too, the
number of performance opportunities has
been expanded proportionally. “We used to have a spring event that was primarily a
Signs of the School’s evolution:
Soon to be repurposed, the central
steam plant was constructed in
1916 and rebuilt in 1968.
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
21
With its perfect
dimensions and
concrete walls, the
old boiler room is
an ideal acoustical
structure for a
concert hall.
“The cost of
repurposing this
structure for music,
as opposed to
building an entirely
new music facility
from the ground up,
saves 30 to 35 percent
on the cost of the
project,” COO Matt
Crozier estimates.
22
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
choral concert,” Mark recalls. “Now, we have the choral concert in mid-April and an
ensemble concert in the beginning of May—
and these are separate from our spring recitals, which are for the students who are taking lessons.”
In his six years at Middlesex, Music
Department Co-head Pierson Wetzel has
seen the size of his Chapel Chorus double
from approximately 45 students to 90. Pierson also directs the audition-only Small Chorus, Bateman’s Bullfrogs (for boys), and
Mxolydia (for girls), and adds, “There was so much interest in a cappella that we had to create a second girls’ group a couple of
years ago. We have seen our numbers rising and rising.”
From Boilers to Berlioz
Hoping to address the issue of the School’s
music facilities—while also taking a critical
look at the older spaces occupied by theatre
and visual arts—these departments have been
analyzing their programs’ needs for some
time now. “This has been a really deliberate
process,” says Head of the Arts Division Tom
Kane. “We have spent about five years looking at other schools and discussing what kind of structures would best support our programs.”
With the central steam plant becoming
obsolete after the oil-to-gas conversion, a
closer look was taken at putting the Facilities
building to a different use, particularly given
its proximity to the School’s other academic
centers. “I think one of the best surprises is
that what we need for music matches what
we have in the Facilities building,” says Tom.
“The architect said that if you were going to build a recital hall, you would build a
structure that pretty much matches the boiler room—and that is the size hall we are looking for. We’re excited about an older,
industrial building becoming a new place for making music.”
Reusing square footage instead of building anew is one tenet of sustainability—and a sound fiscal move as well, as Matt explains.
“The cost of repurposing this structure for
music, as opposed to building an entirely
new music facility from the ground up, saves
30 to 35 percent on the cost of the project,”
he estimates. Because the plan also entails
relocating the still necessary office and workshop areas of the current Facilities building,
locations for these functions are being
scouted on campus, with a final decision to be made at an upcoming Board meeting.
Renderings for the renovation of the
Facilities building include great spaces for
music and areas to share with other academic
departments, too. “There will be two classrooms for our two full-time music teachers,”
Head of School Kathy Giles details, “and
there will be two more full-size academic
classrooms, plus a seminar room, for other
disciplines to use.” Eight practice rooms, a
music library, and a large ensemble room Finding a suitable
home for the Middlesex
Music Department has long been a goal,
particularly given the ever-increasing
number of enthusiastic
singers and instrumentalists.
for bands and the jazz orchestra are also in
the plans, along with a 150-seat performance
hall—fashioned from the old boiler room.
Attending to the Arts
A substantial lead gift from Middlesex parents has already been secured toward the $8
million cost of the project. “If we could open
school in September 2015 with this renovation finished, that would be our dream,” says
Kathy, who views the undertaking in an even
broader light. “When people talk about creativity and innovation and problem solving in
the lives of teenagers—who are still learning
basic vocabularies of science, mathematics,
and humanities—the arts are a natural site for
the kind of innovation and problem solving
that is fair to ask a teenager to engage in,” she
elaborates. “That’s why the integration of the
arts is so powerful in our students’ intellectual lives.”
Clearly speaking not only of music but
also of Middlesex’s vibrant theatre and visual
arts programs, Kathy adds that the School is
in the process of drafting plans to renovate
these facilities in the near future, as the Wood
Theatre Arts building enters its fifth decade of use.
“There has been a burgeoning life in all
of these areas, for which there is not enough
space,” she continues. “When one thinks
about it in those terms, we are just trying to find homes for thriving programs that are
threatening to come up between the bricks.”
Working with faculty and architects in
the meantime, Kathy hopes that the School
will have renderings of updated theatre and
visual arts facilities by next September. “This
is the beginning of a really exciting and ambitious transformation of our arts facilities,”
Tom affirms.
A Sustainable Future
As Middlesex moves forward with its plans
for the music building and other arts renovations, sustainability ideals and goals will
continue to figure largely in the execution of all projects like these. While exploring
energy systems for the music building, for
example, the School is considering the feasibility of solar and geothermal options, in
addition to natural gas. Potentially, it is hoped
that Middlesex might help generate some of its own electricity, perhaps by placing solar panels on the roof of the Pratt Rink.
Ultimately, school leaders will have to decide
what the most cost-effective, sustainable
choices may be after judiciously weighing all of the alternatives.
The goal, as Kathy states, will be to find
solutions that are both sustainable and pragmatic. “We want to renovate and reuse space
and responsibly develop great facilities for
the School that, in perpetuity, Middlesex will find affordable in terms of energy use
and maintenance.”
As Middlesex moves
forward with its
plans for the music
building and other
arts renovations,
sustainability ideals
and goals will continue
to figure largely in
the execution of all
projects like these.
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
23
Homecoming
the Mary Mae Village
The five new homes
are evenly spaced around
a semicircular drive.
Just two years and two months
have passed since Middlesex was
invited to apply for a $500,000 grant
from the Mary Mae Foundation, a
nonprofit with a mission to foster
academic excellence at select independent schools by helping to fund
the construction of faculty homes.
In August—thanks to the foundation’s grant and to several Middlesex families who generously gave
significant gifts in support of the project—the Mary May Village was
finished and ready for occupancy.
Situated across Lowell Road from
the School’s main entrance, the
gleaming new residences are now
home to five faculty members and
their families, who celebrated their
new neighborhood together soon
after the summer moves were
completed.
24
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
Thoughtfully designed to be both efficient and
comfortable, the homes have an open floor plan
in kitchen, dining, and living room areas.
Both the living room and
kitchen (below) provide ample
space for faculty families.
The hallway off the living room leads to
three bedrooms and two full bathrooms.
Downstairs is another large, carpeted
room that can serve multiple purposes.
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
25
Alumni Weekend
Marking 50 years since
their graduation from Middlesex, members of the
class of 1963 assembled at
the Head’s House on Friday
for dinner and an official
portrait. In the front row,
from left to right: Jeff
Smith, Jonathan Parke,
Dan Bacon, Van Wolbach,
Skip McCann, Bob Hyde,
David Fey, Sam Newbury,
Bill Mason, and Victor Atkins. Back Row: Doug
Adams, David Poor, Dick
Seamans, Allen Model, Tom
Rowe, Fred Dabney, Scott
Conant, Nick Paumgarten
(behind Scott), Tom
Garretson, Mike Holden,
Alessandro Vitelli, Larry
Rhu, and Perry Pickert.
Newly inducted into the Athletic Hall
of Fame, Jessica
Tuck ’81 introduced
her husband and
daughter to her first Middlesex dorm
parents, Bridget and Jim Saltonstall.
Performing at a Saturday evening
reception at the Head’s House, the Middlesex Jazz Orchestra
was joined by faculty member Ned
Herter ’73, who gamely delivered
his rendition of “Every Day I Got
the Blues.” (Ned has reportedly
decided to keep his day job.)
Sarah and Jason Robart ’83
caught up with Walter Kondon ’83
(on right) at the clambake.
26
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
2013
Members of the class of 1988 who were on hand for an afternoon photo
included (front row, left to right) Peter Russell, Mindy Berman, Kim Retzlaff,
Sarah Leary, George Brewster, and Colin Brandt. Back row: Sarah Perkins
Thomas, Ginny Simonds Ramos, Allison Brown Moriarty, and Hollister Bundy.
True to form, the close-knit class of 1978 drew a large crowd at its
30th reunion dinner, held Friday night at the Concord Museum. Perusing
the Yearbook were, from left to right, Susan Elliot Holmes ’78, Anne Parson
Dentino ’78, Chris Howard, Henry Fisher ’79, and Beezie Bickford ’78.
In the Curtis Lounge of the Orr Gymnasium, Eliza Burnes
Brown ’98 and her son visited
the Athletic Hall of Fame, where
the inducted members include
her father, Andrew P. Burnes
’68; her grandfathers, John M. Winsor ’44 and the late Richard
M. “Bunny” Burnes ’35; and her late uncle, John M. Winsor, Jr. ’68.
More than 600 alumni and guests returned to Middlesex
for Alumni Weekend on May 10–11, 2013. The celebration
kicked off on Friday night with individual class parties in and around Concord and Boston. While graduates
from the classes of 1940 through 1962 attended the “Old Guard Dinner” in Ware Hall, members of the class of 1963 marked their 50th reunion with a special dinner at
the Head’s House. Prior to these on-campus gatherings, Music Department Co-head Pierson Wetzel conducted an impressive performance of Middlesex’s Chamber
Ensemble, whose repertoire included Shostakovich, Vivaldi, and even the theme from “Downton Abbey.”
On Saturday morning, the Alumni Memorial Service paid tribute to all those in reunion classes who
have died. The Reverend Melissa Watt Tustin ’93 and
Director of Spiritual and Ethical Education Cabell King
thoughtfully led the Chapel ceremony, which was followed
by an update on the state of the School, given by Head of
School Kathy Giles and Board President Pete Olney ’66 in the Wood Theatre.
Given the rainy forecast, everyone remained inside
while incoming Alumni Association President Hunter
Moorman ’60 presented Henry Cabot Lodge ’20 Distinguished Alumni Awards to two classmates: Biblical scholar
Jim Kugel ’63 (whose son Levi accepted the award on his behalf) and White House Advisor Jeff Smith ’63 (see
page 9). Next on the agenda was the Athletic Hall of Fame
induction ceremony, presided over by Hall of Famer Curt
Curtis ’62, chair of the nominating committee. This year,
veteran Middlesex coach and educator Brad Kingman, Dan Southard ’61, Eric Eberhart ’73, Jessica Tuck ’81, and Joe Lang, Jr. ’99 were formally recognized for their outstanding achievements.
After lunch, the afternoon was filled with ISL athletic
events and the Alumni Art Show, curated by Adji Gadson
’90 with assistance from retired faculty member David
Lang. The exhibit, entitled “Structures,” featured the creative and varied work of Doug Adams ’63, Kyle Bajakian
’78, and Whitmore Boogaerts ’83. Later, attendees at the
Head’s evening reception were serenaded by Middlesex’s
Jazz Orchestra, led by Music Department Co-head Mark
Kross. Finally gathering under the reunion tent, alumni
and faculty enjoyed catching up while feasting at the traditional clambake provided by Woodman’s of Essex.
Set aside May 16–17, 2014, as plans for the next
Alumni Weekend are already underway!
MIDDLESEX
MIDDLESEX FALL
FALL 2013
2013
27
Alumni Weekend
The class of 2003 enjoyed an impressive turnout for its 10th
reunion. Front row: Casey Littlefield, Hadley Cotter, Mackenzie
Ferguson, Laine Tunnell, Duncan Kopp, Genevieve Leslie, Caitlin
Ranson, and Nora Tarr. Middle row: Noelle Lawrence, Lucy Kent,
Ashley Martin, Erin Bergen, Holly Daddario, Annie Mears, Nick
Tapert, Tim Brown, Paul Burke, and Ryan Tomberg. Back row:
Rachel Banay, Caroline Hill Ortiz, Sam Powers, Hunter Marston,
Mike Shields, Vic Lokenauth, Chris Holcombe, Nate Donaldson,
Jonathan Baek, Matt Gregory, and Andrew Glenn.
Among those who returned for the Old Guard Dinner—held in Ware Hall on Friday night for alumni who have already celebrated a 50th reunion—
were (from left to right): Jon Simonds ’48 and his wife Marcia, John Pratt
’48, Tom Wilson ’48, and Wally Trumbull ’42 and his wife Lenkie.
A number of 1973 classmates gathered for a 40th reunion lunch together on Saturday. Seated, from left to right, are Middlesex faculty
member Nancy Herter (wife of Ned ’73), Dexter Freeman, Scott Herzog,
Peter Davis, and Nick Gess. Standing: Bill Meahl, George Newson, and Andrew Brown.
28
MIDDLESEX
MIDDLESEX FALL
FALL 2013
2013
In this year’s alumni artists
exhibit—called “Structures”
—sculptural pieces by
Whitmore Boogaerts ’83
were displayed both inside
the Wood Gallery and outside in the Bancroft
Courtyard. Images by photographer Kyle Bajakian
’78 further explored the
show’s theme, as did the
models, renderings, and
pictures of the designs of
architect Doug Adams ’63.
Athletic Hall of Fame
2013 Inductees
Present for the 2013 induction ceremony
were, from left to right: former Assistant Athletic
Director Chris Kingman (accepting on behalf of her late husband Brad); Joe Lang ’99, Bob
Eberhart ’71 (accepting on behalf of his late
brother Eric ’73); Dan Southard ’61; Jessica
Tuck ’81; and Hall of Famer Curt Curtis ’62, the new chair of the nomination committee.
The Middlesex Athletic Hall of Fame
Nominating Committee welcomes your
nominations of classmates, teammates,
and coaches. If you have someone
you’d like to see considered for
induction, please contact Director
of Alumni Relations John Morrissey
at [email protected].
Bradford S.
Kingman
Daniel B.
Southard, Jr. ’61
Eric B.
Eberhart ’73
Jessica I.
Tuck ’81
Joseph W.
Lang ’99
On the faculty from
1960–99, Brad served as
head football coach from
1966–70 and head golf
coach from 1986–99. He
was also assistant football
coach from 1960–65 and
1971–96 and coached basketball and baseball
during his tenure. The
Kingman Sportsmanship
Award is presented annually in his honor to a varsity football player,
while the Kingman Bowl is
presented to the top golfer
in the ISL each spring.
Dan won nine letters—
four in football, three in baseball, and two in
basketball—during his
Middlesex career. As captain of the 1960 football team, he was named
Second Team All-New
England; subsequently, he earned the Wendell P. Raymond Bowl as the
top offensive player for
varsity baseball. Dan
played freshman football
at Dartmouth before a
knee injury ended his career.
With three letters in hockey, two in football,
and two in baseball, Eric also lettered once in
lacrosse, just as the sport
returned to Middlesex. A
leading scorer on the 1971
and 1972 hockey teams,
which won consecutive
league championships,
Eric was captain-elect of
the football and hockey
teams before his death in
a hiking accident before
his senior year. The ISL’s
Eberhart Division in boys’
hockey is named in his
memory.
The first female to earn
12-letters at Middlesex,
Jessica won four in crosscountry running, four in
cross-country skiing, and
four in lacrosse. Captain
of the cross-country running and skiing teams as a
senior, she won individual
league titles in running in
1978, 1979, and 1980,
mirroring her team’s
league titles. Jessica was
named All-League in
cross-country in 1979 and
1980 and went on to letter
in cross-country and track
at Yale.
Joe won three letters
each in football, basketball, and tennis at Middlesex. Named All-League
twice in football and tennis, he also earned an All-League Honorable
Mention in basketball.
While serving as captain
of football, his team won
the 1998 New England
Championship, and Joe was named All-New
England. He played varsity tennis for the University of Connecticut
and captained the team
as a senior.
MIDDLESEX FALL
FALL 2013
2013
MIDDLESEX
29
Graduation 2013
Joseph Paine ’13, Jordan Pace ’13, and Saejal Chatter ’13 cross the Circle, unaware that Jordan’s senior chapel talk will be referenced in one
of the morning’s speeches. Reading the first words of the same e.e. cummings poem that Jordan shared with the School in February, Mrs. Giles
repeated, “I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart).” She encouraged the seniors to strengthen their own hearts in the years ahead by
taking on difficult issues and challenges, giving more to others than they take, and living with integrity. “Wishing you lives full of that wonder,
we will carry you in our hearts, today and going forward,” she concluded.
Emily Powers ’13 makes her way through the receiving
line of Middlesex faculty and staff.
School President Alex Sadie ’13 gets a well-deserved congratulatory hug.
30
MIDDLESEX FALL
FALL 2013
2013
MIDDLESEX
Instagram
Co-founder Kevin
Systrom ’02, Head
of School Kathy
Giles, and Board
President Pete
Olney ’66 wait in
the Terry Room
before the
ceremony.
Valedictorian Nick Kafker ’13 shared several lessons
he has learned at Middlesex: to seek wisdom in
unexpected places; to build relationships with
adults in the community; to find ways to unwind;
and—as guest speaker Kevin Systrom ’02 also
suggested—to take smart risks, for “even those
that don’t pay off will teach you more about yourself than you would learn by playing it safe.”
Derek Williams ’13, Chris Jellison ’13,
Isabella Lichauco ’13, and AJ Lucchese ’13.
Lucy Hale ’13,
Bess Butler ’13,
Sophie Robart ’13,
Jessy Perkins ’13,
and Drew ThorneStewart ’13.
MIDDLESEX FALL
FALL2013
2013
MIDDLESEX
31
31
Graduation 2013
Roses in hand, Charlotte
Cabot ’13 and Class President
Gabby Edzie ’13 (on right) are
ready for the official 2013
class picture of all 101 seniors.
Soon to share alumni status with his father
Peter (’78), Hunt Harvey ’13 is next in the
diploma line, with Madison Hetzner ’13 and
Derin Hotamisligil ’13 not far behind him.
To combat the heat and humidity, the seniors’
benches were stocked with bottles of water.
The lemons, meanwhile, were to be given to Mrs.
Giles in exchange for a diploma. As the last person
in line, Rob Zawada ’13 stepped up to the microphone to announce, “I just want to say one thing:
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This
year, we outlasted a blizzard; we embraced the
prom that was different than expected [relocated
because of the Boston Marathon bombing]; and
we survived the plague that wiped out nearly a
third of the school. But today, we are alive, happy,
and together, and let’s all give ourselves a round
of applause.”
32
MIDDLESEX FALL
FALL 2013
2013
MIDDLESEX
The ceremony begins as seniors make their
way from the Chapel to Eliot Hall.
Alumni Notes & News
’35
“I am rehabbing from a broken
pelvis, but at 96, it is a slow process,” reports Henry Thompson.
“Glad to keep the class of 1935 at
100% in gifting,” he quips.
’47
Class Secretary: Henry Woodbridge, [email protected]
Rich Allen, who retired last year,
seems to manage to stay ahead of
the docs and maintains an active
tennis game. He plays singles
(amazing), and his objective is to
be fit enough to compete in the
85-and-over national tennis tournaments. Otherwise, such mundane
activities as wrestling with the
stock market and following professional sports teams help to
keep him occupied (the same can
be said for us all). I was pleased
to see that the Boston Red Sox are
included in his favorites. Rich
also commented on the death of
Henry Stone ’34, with whom he
had played and won an over-70s
tennis tournament when Henry
was in his late 80s at the time.
Henry was a very strong and
longtime supporter of Middlesex.
My father had the good fortune
to serve on the Middlesex Board
with Henry for some time.
John Burbank and wife Pat
seem to be taking the years reasonably well. John can still shoot
what I consider to be an excellent
golf game (I only broke 100 once).
He has recently recovered from
one of those health issues which
seem to affect almost all of us old
males, myself included. Pat walks
two miles per day, and they have
continued their mentoring activities in the local community.
“I am pleased with the temperate climate in South Carolina and
the charm of the people of this
place,” notes Tony Devereux.
Harold Tittmann reports seemingly good health from his home
in Brussels, Belgium. He also
maintains property in Luberon in Provence and North Haven,
Maine. Harold extends an invitation to any traveling classmates to visit any one of these beautiful
locations. “If the schedule works
out, Phyllis and I are planning a
quick visit in early September to
North Haven,” Harold wrote last
summer.
Our class wordsmith and
scribe, John Jessup, sent me the
panegyric below on the “Legacy of Lamb.” My first reaction was to find out exactly the meaning of
panegyric: “a form of writing or
speech delivered in high praise of
a person or thing in a studied and
discriminating way.” You may all
recall that our class was the first
graduating class from Middlesex
to dedicate its yearbook to Arthur
Motter Lamb. John’s comments
are well worth the read. They
bring back many fond memories
and include a recommendation
for future editions of the Bulletin.
It is clear that John’s mind and wit
have not been negatively affected
by all these years. Thank you, John.
Panegyric for Arthur Motter Lamb:
I’ve read and read over and over
again “The Legacy of Lamb” article in the Spring 2011 Alumni Bulletin. I well remember climbing
numerous steep steps to Mr. Lamb’s
aerie over the gym, to be evaluated
for a role in a Gilbert and Sullivan
opera or for rehearsals of plays.
From a dainty (size 13 shoes) fairy
in Iolanthe, I ended up as manly
Colonel Fairfax in Yeomen of the
Guard. My quick change of costume from prisoner to bridegroom
was a thing to behold.
Then there were Chapel and
concert appearances. Most important for my development of musical appreciation was a trip in his
“Batmobile” to Boston’s Symphony
Hall to hear Koussevitzky conduct
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Missing from the 2011 article
was mention of the frequent
appearance in the orchestra of Mr.
Lamb’s brother Hubert playing
the flute.
I would love to see similar
profiles of masters such as Bourquin, Briggs, Bisbee, Pratt, and
Locke (Tony Devereux and I played
bridge with the Lockes, and fondly
recall her comment when one of
us exposed our hand: “Chest your
cards, dearie.”). Rusty Kettell ’10
has recently had his story told.
Perhaps something about our
Heads of School?
’51
Class Secretary: Renny Little,
[email protected]
John Amory is the senior vice
president in the Phoenix office of
CBRE (CB Richard Ellis Brokerage)
in Arizona. He is in his 53rd year
with the firm that he started with
in Phoenix. “Marcie and I have
been married 49 years,” he adds.
“One daughter is married with
children in La Jolla, CA. Another
is married with two children in
the Santa Barbara area. A son is
married with two children in Lexington, KY. Life has been good;
I can’t complain. Recreation is
horseback riding on the trails in the area around Wickenburg,
AZ, or boating in San Diego. I am looking forward to our 65th
reunion in 2016.”
“We traveled in Wyoming
recently, spending time with our
three daughters, five grandchildren,
and two sons-in-law,” writes Andy
Anderson. “Jody and I are fine but
like most of our class, operating at
a slower pace. We spend the summers near Santa Fe, NM, and our
winters in Wickenburg, AZ.”
Tom Bisbee reports, “No news
other than of children and grandchildren, whom I admire greatly.
Still healthy for 79. Andy Anderson
and I were at Nelson Lee’s funeral
last fall and then at a memorial
dinner this spring. Andy planted a
beautiful maple for Nelson at Ethan Bisbee ’46 (on right) sent along this great image, taken once
upon a time in North Fayston, VT,
where the Bisbees lived during their
summers away from the Middlesex
campus. With him is his classmate,
John Lunt ’46. “Judging from my
sweater,” Ethan notes, “this was taken
when we were both students at Fenn.”
Nelson’s farm. I drive through
Dorset, VT, from time to time;
one of those times, maybe I’ll have
lunch with Jerry Dole and Chris
Harris, who live down there
somewhere. Best to you all from
God’s Country.”
Chris Harris has a greatgrandson and wonders whether
anyone else in the class has a
great-grandchild.
George Buehler’s daughter
Shoshana graduated from New
Hampton School last spring, as
did Renny Little’s granddaughter
Elaina.
Dick Shriver writes, “Barb and
I have really settled into our life
here along the Connecticut River,
at the far end of which are Bisbee,
Harris, and Dole. But a long way,
nonetheless. I started a gym/wellness center a couple of years ago:
personal training, spin-erg, yoga,
and even biophoton light therapy.
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
33
In Memoriam
Jeremiah A. Farrington,
Jr. ’37
Arthur A. MacConochie
’41
Jeremiah Arthur Farrington, Jr.
died on August 24, 2013, after a
short illness.
Born on September 3, 1919,
Jere graduated from Meadville
High School in Pennsylvania at
the age of 15 and then came to
Middlesex, which he credited with
introducing him to many of his
lifelong passions. He was one of
the School’s first six Prize Scholars,
a new and impressive achievement in 1935. After earning his
Middlesex diploma, he continued
on to Princeton, earning a degree
in chemical engineering in 1941.
Jere worked for the Freeport Sulfur Company in Louisiana and
Texas before answering the Navy’s
call to direct a project at the Naval
Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, where he received an
officer’s commission. Upon discharge, he set up a development
laboratory with the Cold Springs
Bleachery in Yardley, PA. In 1952,
Jere returned to Princeton to
begin his 35-year career there in
various posts, culminating with
roles as assistant dean of engineering and assistant to the president.
Having lived in Princeton for over
40 years, he moved to Hendersonville, NC, in 1996.
Among his many accomp-
lishments, Jere was a nationally
renowned philatelist. His other
interests included ancient Chinese
ceramics, rare coins, gemstones,
and American antiques. His wit,
wisdom, and sense of humor never
left him, and he will be remembered as a special, talented, and
brilliant man who encouraged
people to learn as much as they
could about as much as they could in order to live a colorful
life…not a grey one.
Preceded in death by his
beloved wife Joanne only eight
months earlier, Jere is survived by his children, Pam Farrington
Boettcher, Steven Farrington, and
Jeremiah A. Farrington III, and
three grandchildren.
Arthur Alastair MacConochie
died at home on May 3, 2013, after
a long life well lived.
Born on June 29, 1923, in Huddersfield, England, Arthur was
the son of the late Agnes Oliphant
and Arthur F. MacConochie. As
an infant, he came to the U.S. with
his parents and grew up in Charlottesville, VA; in 1936, he joined
the fifth class at Middlesex. During WWII, Arthur served with the U.S. Army Air Corps in North
Africa, India, and the South Pacific.
Following three years overseas at
war, he came home and earned a
B.A. and M.A. in English at the
University of Virginia. From 1950
until 1990, Arthur taught English
at Norfolk Academy, where he is
remembered for quiet service,
kindness shared by leaving harsh
words unspoken, the power of
well-chosen words in making a
better world, and lifelong insistence
on finding the best in everyone he met. Believing that all students
should have a chance to achieve
and demonstrate excellence, he
established and nurtured an
Advanced Placement testing program and contributed time and
talent to AP programs at the state
and national levels. After retiring
in 1990, Arthur lived in Colonial
Place, Norfolk, where he was active
in the civic league, and cheerfully
cared for his many friends and
family.
Predeceased by his wife, Jane
Barr MacConochie, Arthur is survived by two daughters, Stuart
Murphy and Margaret Bright; his
son, Frank; his sister, Sheila Ragsdale; two brothers, Ian and Frank;
and five grandchildren.
44
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
Henry S. Stone ’34
Longtime Trustee and
former Board President
Henry Sawyer Stone died
on May 15, 2013, at the
age of 97.
Born on February 21,
1916, Henry was the son
of Katharine Brooke and
Senator Edward C. Stone.
Following his Middlesex
graduation, he earned his
undergraduate degree
at Harvard and later served as a Naval officer, pilot, and
flight instructor during World War II. An innovative insurance executive, Henry rose to the position of New England
department head and then CEO of Commercial Union.
A multifaceted man, Henry was a dedicated husband,
supportive father, and patriarch of the extended Stone
family, the Richmond family, and the five sons of his best
friend, Richard M. “Bunny” Burnes ’35. With a strong
sense of duty, he was generous with his time, talent, and
support. While he served as a selectman of Dover, MA,
and on many corporate boards, he was most proud of his
work with schools. Henry joined Middlesex’s Board in 1957,
serving as its president from 1969 to 1973 and becoming
an emeritus trustee in 1977. He also led the Board of the
Walker School in Needham, MA.
Active in pursuing diverse, lifelong interests, Henry
loved music, the outdoors, and sports; he especially enjoyed anything involving speed, from skiing to sailing to ice boat racing. A conservationist, he contributed many
acres of open land to be forever preserved. Henry will be
remembered as an energetic, dedicated man of strong
views, which he was ready to defend.
Predeceased by his wife Jean, Henry is survived by two daughters, Jeannette Stone Reynolds and Olivia
Stone Arnold; his son, Henry Stone, Jr. ’61; and six grandchildren, including Joshua G. Barrett ’89; and five great-grandchildren.
Gordon K. Ellis ’44
Gordon Kingsley Ellis died
on May 7, 2013, at his home in
Wellesley, MA.
The son of Parker and Harriette
Ellis, Gordon was born in Cambridge, MA, on November 28,
1926. After graduating from Middlesex, he joined the Army as a
lieutenant and was stationed on
Okinawa at the end of World War
II. On returning home, Gordon
majored in geography and played
baseball at Harvard, graduating
in 1950. At the start of the Korean
War, he served a one-year tour of
duty, again as an Army lieutenant.
Gordon began his professional
career as a cartographer, and in
1957, he joined Ginn & Company,
a textbook publishing company.
He spent 32 years in publishing in a variety of management positions, retiring in 1989.
Gordon is survived by his wife of 61 years, Janet Stewart
Ellis; three sons, David, Geoffrey,
and Andrew; a daughter, Susan E. Withington; and nine grandchildren.
Robert F. Foster, Jr. ’44
Robert Francis Foster, Jr. died
following a brief illness on May 21,
2013, in Austin, TX.
Born in Concord, MA, on June 2, 1926, Bob graduated from
the Fenn School and Middlesex,
where his father, Robert F. “Pap”
Foster, was a legendary football
coach and math teacher. Bob
enrolled at Harvard in 1944, but
his academic career was interrupted by a stint in the U.S. Navy,
and he served as a radio technician during World War II. Following his service, he returned to
Harvard, where he earned his A.B. in physics in 1949.
During a brief and unsatisfying tenure as a junior engineer at Honeywell, Bob met Priscilla
Frances Landry on a blind date
spent sailing on the Charles River.
The couple married soon thereafter and moved to Austin, TX,
where they had both been offered
positions at St. Stephen’s Episcopal
School. Bob taught math and later
worked as the business manager
before retiring after 44 years. A
lifelong baseball fanatic, he also
coached the St. Stephen’s Spartan
baseball team to a number of winning seasons, and the baseball
diamond—Foster Field—is named
in his honor. Bob was a devoted
Red Sox fan, and he was deeply
gratified to see his home team win the World Series—twice.
Although he loved his adopted
home state, Bob remained a Yankee at heart. He never replaced
anything without trying to fix it;
he loved cars and tinkered with
them incessantly; and he loved
gizmos of all kinds. Bob also was a
master bridge player, and scratched
only two weeks before he was no
longer able to maintain his playing
schedule. In later years, he developed a hearty interest in genealogy,
tracing his family roots back to
the 14th century in Ireland. Bob
and Priscilla also loved travel and hauled an Airstream trailer
throughout the U.S. with their
four children each summer. They
also enjoyed time at their cabin in Ruidoso, NM.
A quiet, funny, and unassuming man, Bob will be missed by
his children, Cate, Liz, Ann, and
John; and two grandchildren. His
beloved wife Priscilla died in 2011.
Richard Lennihan, Jr. ’44
Dr. Richard Lennihan died on
June 12, 2013, in Christiana Care
Hospital, to which he had devoted
his professional life.
The son of Dorothy and Richard Lennihan, Dick was born on
December 7, 1926, and arrived at
Middlesex in 1940. After receiving
his diploma in 1944, he joined the
Navy, subsequently graduating
from Harvard in 1948. The following year, he married his classmate,
Marjory Reynolds. After graduating from Cornell Medical School,
he interned at the University of
Virginia Hospital and then completed his surgical residency at
Boston City Hospital. Moving to
Delaware in 1962, he and Marjory
settled in Westminster, where they raised five children.
Dick was the first physician in Delaware to practice vascular
surgery and was a major advocate
for Christiana Care’s Center for
Heart and Vascular Health. A
skilled and meticulous surgeon,
he was also an old-time doctor,
making house calls, delivering
medications to shut-ins, taking
plenty of time to explain things to his patients, and providing
emotional support for his patients
before and after surgery. He was
known as a great teacher for
younger doctors, as he was eager
to pass along his knowledge of
surgery, which was his great passion. He will be remembered for
his enthusiasm, optimism, and
generosity. Through his own work
and that of the doctors he taught
and supported, he touched the
lives of people around the world.
An avid birdwatcher who
loved nature, Dick traveled all
over the world on adventures with his wife. He began running
marathons in 1976, completing
many Marine Corps and Boston
Marathons. He also participated
in shorter races, including the
Delaware Senior Olympics, where
he set five age-group records for
80 and older.
Dick is survived by his wife
Marge; their five children, Marion
Begabati Lennihan, Laura Lennihan
Kerrich, Mark Lennihan, Lisa
Lennihan, and Holly Lennihan
Cox; and eight grandchildren.
Henry L. Bird ’45
The Reverend Henry Londsdale
Bird died on June 13, 2013, surrounded by his loving family at
his home in Maine.
Born on May 29, 1927, in
Wilmington, DE, to H. Lonsdale
Miner and Samuel Bancroft Bird,
Henry joined the Navy after graduating from Middlesex, serving as
a medical corpsman in World War
II and receiving the Victory Medal
after his honorable discharge in
1946. At Princeton University, he
was captain and stroke for the
lightweight crew and graduated as a member of Sigma Xi with a
B.S. in biology. Though he began a career as a teacher with a fellowship at Bowdoin College and then
a two-year stint on the Middlesex
faculty (1952–54), he was called to
the ministry. Henry attended the
Episcopal Theological School in
Cambridge, where he received his
B.D., and was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1956. He later earned
his M.Div. at Episcopal Divinity
School in 1968.
During seminary, Henry met his true love, Hildegarde deVermandois Brewster, to whom
he was married for 58 years. His
calling took him and his family on a fascinating journey, which
included leading parishes in Massachusetts, Maine, New Mexico,
and many other places—and
included a return to the Middlesex faculty from 1969–71. A veteran for peace, Henry supported
peaceful actions for humanity
throughout his community, church,
and world. Though his involvement in the civil rights movement
was significant, it was his efforts
on behalf of indigenous populations from Maine to New Mexico
that marked his substantial ministry.
Rowing was a passion for
Henry, who was active in many
Maine races and entered the Head
of the Charles Regatta in his age
group until the age 76. He volunteered at the Harpswell Islands
School, as a School Administrative District 75 mentor, and served
at an area food bank and Habitat
for Humanity. He also was a diligent daily letter writer who
recently completed and published
his memoir, Ride the Wind.
Henry is survived by his wife
Hilde; three sons, W. Brewster
Bird ’74, Tad, and Paul; two
daughters, Holloway Bird Barreras, and Anna-Sarah Bird Mueller;
and nine grandchildren.
Dean Peabody III ’45
Dean Peabody died on September
29, 2013, shortly after body surfing
at the Jersey Shore, one of his
favorite activities.
Born on May 26, 1928, to Florence Palmer and Dean Peabody II of Brookline, MA, Dean was the
youngest of four children. A Prize
Scholar at Middlesex, he continued his education at Swarthmore
College, where he earned his
undergraduate degree, and at
Harvard University, where he
received his Ph.D.
A professor of psychology at
Swarthmore College for more than
30 years, he remained an eternal
student with a wide range of interests, from linguistics to history to current affairs, and regularly
audited classes at Swarthmore
during his retirement. Fluent in
German, French and Russian,
Dean was fascinated by the
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
45
In Memoriam
C. Kevin Landry ’62
An enthusiastic, energetic,
and generous alumnus
and former Middlesex
trustee, Christopher
Kevin Landry died at his
home, surrounded by his
family, on August 1, 2013. The son of Barbara and
Christopher L. Landry,
Kevin was born on April
18, 1944. After graduating
from Middlesex and Harvard, he earned his M.B.A. from the University of
Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and joined the venture
capital firm TA Associates. Four years later, he became a
general partner and was later named managing partner
and CEO in 1983.
At the same time, Kevin was always a pillar in the
community—especially at Middlesex, where he joined the
Board in 1975 and, apart from a brief hiatus, served until
2009, spending 21 of those years as treasurer. His philanthropic support of causes and institutions that were dear
to him and Barrie is legendary. At Middlesex, they supported financial aid and faculty funding, the Investing in Girls
program, and the Landry Center. Kevin was also a driving
force behind the addition of tennis courts and turf fields in
the East Fields and generously supported numerous other
initiatives, including the recent Landry Family Challenge
to encourage Middlesex parents, past and present, to
support the School’s needs. Kevin, Barrie, and their family
have also been major benefactors to Harvard University,
Westover School, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, Massachusetts General Hospital, UNICEF, and Maranyundo
Initiative. He will also be remembered as the 2012 recipient of the Henry Cabot Lodge ’20 Distinguished Alumni
Award, a 2010 inductee to the Athletic Hall of Fame, and
an involved, proud parent.
In addition to his wife Barrie, Kevin is survived by their
three children, Christopher K. Landry ’88, current Trustee
Kim GwinnLandry ’89, and Jennifer Landry Le ’94; and
nine grandchildren.
46
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
concept of national character, the
way in which people in different
countries are unique from one
another, and this became his area
of expertise, ultimately resulting
in a book, National Characteristics, published in 1985 by Cambridge University Press.
While working with Russian
refugees in Germany as part of the Tolstoy Foundation, Dean met
his first wife, Veronica Neumark,
and together they had three sons.
After his first marriage ended in
divorce, he married Gisela Schonrock, who passed away in 2003.
They shared a love for bridge,
swimming, travel, word puzzles,
and soap operas. A unique individual with an extremely analytical and independent mind, Dean will be missed by all his
friends and family.
In addition to his three sons,
Eric, Roy, and Bruce, Dean is survived by his sister, Nancy
McCaffrey, and six grandchildren.
Settling in California, Hobie
put his financial skills to work for
several companies before becoming a consultant in the early 1970s.
He served on the San Francisco
Spring Opera Board from 1971 to
1978 and was president of Amigos
de Las Americas, Peninsula Chapter, from 1980 to 1983. From 1995
to 2009, Hobie was a director of
the Institute of HeartMath, an
internationally recognized nonprofit research and education
organization dedicated to helping
people reduce stress and self-
regulate emotions.
Predeceased by an infant son,
Clinton, in 1962 and his daughter
Tulla in 2006, Hobie is survived
by his wife Hope; three sons,
Benjamin, Fletcher, and Hobart
C. Johnson ’81; two daughters,
Sonia and Vangie; and 14 grandchildren. His late brothers,
Richmond F. Johnson ’46 and
Graham U. Johnson ’50, also
attended Middlesex.
Hobart S. Johnson ’47
Allan M. Craig III ’54
Hobart Stanley Johnson died on June 5, 2013, at his home in
Redwood City, CA.
He was born in Madison, WI, on October 7, 1929, to Sara
Fletcher and George H. Johnson
’19. Hobie’s early life was affected
by numerous bouts of pneumonia
and pleurisy as well as cerebral
palsy, which afflicted his left
side. Following in the footsteps of his father and his uncle, Hobart
S. Johnson, Jr. ’23, Hobie came to
Middlesex in 1943. On receiving
his diploma, he entered Trinity
College, majoring in English and
philosophy. He graduated in 1951
and began an apprenticeship at
Gisholt Machine Co. In 1953, he
married Hope Freeman, and they
lived in England from 1955 to
1964, during which time Hobie
covered sales and service for
Gisholt in England, Scotland,
Germany, France, and Italy. By
1960, he had become president of Gisholt, GB, and in 1964, he
moved his family to Woodside,
CA, in order to earn his M.B.A. at Stanford Business School. He
graduated in 1966 as class secretary, a position he held until 2009. Allan McConnell Craig III died at home of natural causes in
Annapolis, MD, on May 19, 2012.
Allan was born on December
31, 1934, in Mt. Kisco, NY, to Carolyn Wickes and Allan M.
Craig, Jr. Educated at Middlesex
and Babson College, he spent his
entire career with S. D. Warren/
SAPPI in the fine printing paper
industry. Following retirement, he
enjoyed several years in the boat
business. Allan’s interests included
boating, fishing, hunting, travel,
working the land during the family’s 15-year ownership of a farm
on the Northern Neck of Virginia,
and caring for his beloved bearded
collie Meggie. He was also a longtime member of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church and a senior usher.
Predeceased by his parents and
one sister, Leonore Holch, Allan is survived by Carol, his loving
wife of 52 years; their three children, Allan M. Craig IV, Lauren
C. Ewald, and Peter E. Craig; five
grandchildren; his sister, Joan
Craig; and two nieces and two
nephews.
Peter S. Strauss ’58
Anthony N. Romaine ’59
The School was recently informed
that Peter Simon Strauss died of
heart failure in April 2013.
Born on March 30, 1940, Pete
joined Middlesex’s fifth class in
1953. After receiving his diploma,
he was proud to serve in the U.S.
Marine Corps. Subsequently, Pete
earned his B.S. in marketing from
the University of California, Long
Beach, and his M.B.A. from the
University of Southern California.
Embarking on a career in business, he worked for many years in sales management for the Ricoh Corporation.
Pete is survived by his wife
Sara and their three children,
Derrick, Jennifer, and Jason.
Anthony Neilson Romaine died
suddenly on April 22, 2013.
Following in the footsteps of
several family members before
him—including his father, Theodore C. Romaine ’19; his uncles,
Ralph B. Romaine ’09 and Peirce
L. Romaine ’18; and his brothers,
Theodore C. Romaine, Jr. ’50 and
Arthur C. Romaine ’55—Tony
came to Middlesex in the fall of
1954. On receiving his diploma, he earned his undergraduate
degree at Hobart College and
completed an M.A. in American
history at New York University in 1965. Soon after, Tony began
teaching history and civics at
Polytechnic Preparatory Country
Day School in Brooklyn, NY. In
1973, he changed careers, working
in retail at Abraham & Straus for
many years.
Tony is survived by his brother
Art ’55 and several nieces and
nephews.
Raymond H. Lane ’59
Raymond Harris “Harry” Lane
died July 9, 2013, at Hospice
Savannah.
Born in Savannah, GA, on
December 1, 1941, Harry was the
son of Remer Y. and Louise Harris
Lane. He grew up on Combahee
Plantation in White Hall, SC, and
—like his father, Remer Y. Lane
’28, and his uncles, Mills B. Lane,
Jr. ’30 and Hugh C. Lane ’32—
came to Middlesex, graduating as a captain of both baseball and
hockey – a rarity at the time. He
then graduated with honors from
Yale with a degree in history. A
man of many talents and vocations,
he was a successful buyer and
seller of woodworking and shop
tools, a diesel mechanic, a charter
pilot, and a builder of banjos and
of fine furniture. Harry also traveled extensively; his favorite trips
were to India, which he visited
nine times, and to London, where
he purchased numerous books for his collection.
Harry is survived by his siblings, Mills B. Lane III ’56, Louise
Lane Talbot, Remer Y. Lane Jr.
’58, and Thomas M. Lane ’67; as
well as a number of nieces and
nephews, including Lane Talbot
Sparkman ’85 and James S. Talbot ’90.
Robert D. Meyer ’73
Robert Drake Meyer died after a
brief illness on January 25, 2012.
Born in Mexico City on September 5, 1954, Rob attended The
American School there before
joining Middlesex’s fifth class in
1968. After graduation, he earned
a degree in economics at Carnegie-Mellon University. Rob began
his career in New York at the Harris Poll and later held several positions in the financial information
industry, working in Mexico City,
as well as with S&P ComStock
and Knight-Ridder Financial in
New York; Reuters in New York
and Toronto; and FactSet in
Norwalk, CT.
Rob frequently traveled to Baja
California Sur, Mexico, where he
and his son enjoyed scuba diving;
they also kayaked each summer
along the many inlets of Long
Island Sound. He passed his love
of soccer and the Green Bay Packers along to his son, also coaching
Westport Little League and cheering on Staples High School soccer
when his son played on the varsity.
At the time of his death, Rob
was survived by his former wife
MaryAnn and their son Eric; his
parents, John and Elsa Meyer; two
sisters and a brother; and several
nieces and nephews.
Henry E. Erhard
Longtime Middlesex faculty
member Henry Emile “Mike”
Erhard died on June 1, 2013, at the
Lincoln Home in Newcastle, ME.
Mike was born on October 11,
1923, in Newton, MA, to Henry
Alker and Helen Weber Erhard. A
graduate of Noble and Greenough
School, he served his country as a
captain and pilot in the U.S. Army
Air Corps during World War II
and, later, by flying dignitaries
around the world conducting post
war business. Following the war,
Mike finished his degree at Harvard
and pursued a master’s degree in
language at Middlebury College.
He taught at Middlesex for 37
years, from 1950 to 1987, before
retiring to Castine, ME.
The life of a school master
allowed Mike to pursue his interests and impart his knowledge to future generations, whether in
the classroom or the dormitory,
on the ice rink or pond. Having
rowed at Nobles and Harvard, he spent 30 years coaching crew at Middlesex. When school schedules offered a break, Mike headed
for mountains as an avid skier.
During summers, he built his
retirement home by hand on the coast of Maine, where he was
often seen sailing around Penobscot Bay. He served as commodore
of the Castine Yacht Club and took
an active position in the Junior
Sailing Program. Mike also served
on the Bagaduce Ambulance Corps
and the Castine Planning Board.
He was a devoted and active member of the Our Lady of Holy Hope
Catholic Church. His achievements
are measured not by trophies and
numbers, but rather by the joy
shared by all who knew him.
Mike is survived by his daughter, Hope McNally; three sons,
Lincoln, Henry, and Paul P.
Erhard ’80; eight grandchildren;
and one great-grandchild.
Harold B. Hatch
Former Middlesex Athletic Director Harold Babcock Hatch
died on June 14, 2013, at his home in Castine, ME.
Born on October 30, 1939,
Harold received his bachelor’s
degree from the University of
Maine at Orono and his master’s
degree from Brigham Young University. A gifted athlete and
tenacious competitor, he won
numerous Maine State individual
titles in cross-country and track,
and was the New England High
School Cross-Country Champion
in 1956. In college, he was captain
of the New England Championship Cross-Country Team and
was a member of the golf team.
For nearly three decades, he competed in cross-country, track, and
road races, both regionally and
nationally; in 2006, he was inducted
into the Maine Running Hall of
Fame.
As a teacher and coach, Harold inspired generations of
students and athletes. At Middlesex, he served as the athletic
director from 1969–1980 and
coached the boys’ cross-country
team. Moving on to Thayer Academy, Harold taught math and
coached cross-country, track, and
girls’ basketball for 19 years. On
retiring from teaching, he spent
five years coaching the women
distance runners at MIT in crosscountry and track.
His teams won multiple championships, but Harold was best
known for his spirited coaching
style, his witty and motivational
slogans, known as “HBH isms,”
and his promotion of lifelong fitness. For 25 years, Harold
served as the golf and tennis professional at Castine Golf Club.
Later in life, he led kayak trips on
the Bagaduce River and workouts
for Castine residents at the MMA
pool. More recently, he spent the winter months in Colorado
Springs, where he enjoyed hiking,
snowshoeing, and geocaching.
Harold is survived by his
mother; his wife of 51 years,
Andrea; three children, James D.
Hatch ’80, Sarah Hatch-Wright
’81, and Mark J. Hatch ’83; five
grandchildren; his brothers, Steve,
James, and David; and numerous
nieces and nephews.
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
47
Back Story
Restoration
Once faded, plaques
from 1911 and 1917 are
richly restored, ready
for another century.
48
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
Over the last century, the Terry Room in
Eliot Hall has been the scene of morning
Assemblies, Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, Saturday night movies, Hook Night skits, ballet classes, study sessions, and initial visits
by prospective students. Though its purpose
has often changed, one feature of the room
has remained constant: the plaques, carved
by Middlesex’s earliest alumni to fulfill one of the School’s long-standing graduation
requirements. No plaque, no diploma.
When the Terry Room was refurbished
last summer (a project to be detailed in the
next Bulletin), it was clear that the plaques
deserved at least as much attention as the
hardwood floors, and the search began for a company skilled in restoration. In the end, a one-man operation proved ideally suited
for the job. Professionally trained as an artist, and with an extensive knowledge of wood, finishes, and design, John Takacs
spent the better part of two months working
meticulously on the nearly 400 plaques in the room.
One by one, he cleaned each plaque and its frame with alcohol. Then, using stain-
based markers, he touched up surface areas
where the wood finish was damaged or worn
away. (Lighter, more recent plaques lining the balcony were treated with oil rather than
stain.) Shellac was applied next and, once an
entire wall was done, the area was sprayed
with lacquer for lasting durability.
The project “looked like it was going to be a ton of work,” he admits in retrospect.
“But once I get started on something, I’m
pretty tenacious.” John spent the last week
dutifully polishing each plaque’s name plate,
making the surprising discovery that the
metal underneath all that tarnish was copper, not brass. After many hours of “elbow
grease,” the carvers’ names became legible
once again.
Having spent an hour with every plaque,
did one stand out among the others? “There
are so many of them that are outstanding; I couldn’t pick one favorite,” John says. “Everything in that room was carved extraordinarily well.” Now, thanks to his efforts and
expertise, the plaques look extraordinarily
beautiful, too—perhaps just as they did when they were originally finished. M
$7.5 Million Dorm Challenge
T h e O p p o r t u nit y :
All leadership gifts will be matched 1:1
T h e C hall e ng e :
Complete a critical piece of the School’s
master plan and enhance residential life
To help Middlesex carry out its campus master planning goals—and particularly,
to support the addition of a new dormitory—a forward-thinking alumnus has generously
made a $7.5 million challenge, giving donors to this project the opportunity to help transform
our students’ lives on campus and make a direct impact on residential life at the School. Between
now and January 24, 2015, all capital gifts and pledges of $100,000 or more, designated to the
construction and/or endowment of the dorm, will be matched dollar for dollar up to $7.5 million!
All of the gifts will support Middlesex’s capital initiatives and further strengthen
the School’s ability to fulfill its mission of finding the promise in each student.
For more information, please contact the Development Office at 978-369-5110, or e-mail
Heather Parker at [email protected] or George Noble at [email protected].
1400 Lowell Road
P.O.Box 9122
Concord, Massachusetts
01742-9122
www.mxschool.edu
75 Years Ago
September 21— Headmaster Monk Terry’s first opening
day of school—brought both students and the Hurricane
of 1938 to Concord. As a caption for this scrapbook
photograph notes, “Hand saws seemed discouragingly
small when the road clearing began the next morning.”
50
MIDDLESEX FALL 2013
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Concord, MA 01742
Permit No. 116