A Transformational Campaign

Middlesex
Fall 2014
Mx2
A Transformational
Campaign
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
i
From the Head of School
Fulfilling Dreams
Middlesex
Fall 2014
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 mlindberg@mxschool.edu.
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!
While the Campaign of a Century found
its heart in the phrase, “find the promise,”
taken from Mr. Winsor’s speech dedicating
Bryant-Paine House in 1901, our current
effort takes its inspiration from our school
hymn. Although there are two musical versions of “Rank By Rank,” the words throughout and particularly the final lines are the
same: “What they dreamed be ours to do,/
Hope their hopes and seal them true.”
Whether Mr. Winsor and the original
masters ever dreamed of a world in which
students would carry in their hands not only
their telephones but the equivalent of encyclopedias, dictionaries, archives, museums—
and on and on, of course—they did indeed
dream of a school that after its first hundred
years would still do its humble, glorious work
of inspiring students from around the country
and the world to learn and grow into their
best selves, to become the people they hope to
become, to build important relationships and
use the unique opportunities the school community offers to become the people the world
needs them to be: ethical individuals who use
the benefits of an extraordinary education to become productive citizens of the world.
That dream of a school in which each
graduate’s plaque bears witness to this mission has been nurtured by each subsequent
generation of students, masters, and trustees;
that dream has also been embraced by legions
of friends and supporters—parents, grandparents, educators, friends, and foundations—
whose tangible and intangible assistance has
helped the School continue to thrive. Our
campaign goals embrace elements central to
the School’s strength: a dynamic, compelling
faculty; a diverse, engaging, powerful student
body; projects that maintain the beauty and
enhance the infrastructure of our lovely campus home; and endowment that provides the financial lifeblood for both current and
future generations.
With our current board of trustees’ Strategic Plan priorities adding both practical
and transformational goals to this work, the
dream is very much alive. It is exciting to
draw family and friends together to shape
Middlesex’s future—and it is indeed our turn
to guide the School through its next steps
toward becoming a school of which Mr.
Winsor and friends could only dream.
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
The refurbished façade of
LeBaron Briggs House, with its
new, central entrance on the
Circle. Photo by Joel Haskell.
Features
12 Mx2: A Transformational Campaign
Now in its public phase, Mx2: The Campaign for
Middlesex is set to match the School’s strength in
people and program with equivalent facilities
and finances.
17 Graduation
After speeches that were by turns serious and lighthearted, members of the class of 2014 received
their diplomas, sang “Jerusalem” together one
last time, and set off for new ventures.
20 Alumni Weekend
From the School’s oldest alumni to the youngest,
reunion participants and their guests enjoyed a
sunny, event-filled time among old friends on
campus.
24 Fond Farewells
Having each devoted at least 25 years to
Middlesex, four faculty and staff members
were rightly recognized and honored for their
dedication to students and their service to
the School.
Departments
2 Life 360
New Colleagues; Appointments to Endowed
Chairs; Summer Sojourns; Rent; All-School Read
Highlights the Value of Education; New Trustees
8 Middlesex People
Graduation Speakers John Viener ’90 and
Alec Sulkin ’91; Wildlife Conservation with
Jamie Christian ’89; Distinguished Alumnus
Jonathan W. Wilbor ‘64
10 Team Highlights
Middlesex athletes bring their game to
the national and international level.
30 Alumni Notes and News
Class Notes; In Memoriam
48 Back Story
Rural Renewal
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
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360° Life on the Circle
New faculty and staff
members assembled in front
of LeBaron Briggs include (in
front, left to right) Deana Bandilla,
Matt Rawson, Amanda Cimini,
Kevin Mahoney, Mary Canniff,
and Tori Arnold ’08; (in back)
Carmelo Larose, Emma Rasmussen,
Megan Morrison ’09, Phil Caspar,
Marcus Rabb, Katelyn Ferguson,
and Brenda Nankanja.
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MIDDLESEX fall 2014
Welcoming New
Colleagues
The energy and enthusiasm at the start of the
academic year can be attributed at least in part
to the arrival of new faculty and staff members,
who bring fresh ideas, interests, and experiences to Middlesex.
Having previously taught in the Boston
area and in Dublin, Ireland, where she earned
her Ph.D. at Trinity College, Katelyn Ferguson
has joined the English department, lending a
hand as a coach of JV field hockey and track.
Carmelo Larose is also teaching English while
serving as the School’s director of community
and multicultural development, responsible
for both the community service program and
multicultural programming at Middlesex.
One of three new members of the math
department, Phil Caspar previously taught at Kent School, Episcopal Academy (PA), and
most recently, Pomfret School; he is coaching
cross-country and track. Kevin Mahoney
comes to Middlesex from New Hampton
School and knows boarding school life well,
having grown up on the campus of Phillips
Exeter Academy. With extensive college and
high school coaching experience, he is assisting
the girls’ soccer and JV boys’ lacrosse programs.
Amanda Cimini has just completed her M.A.
in mathematics education at Columbia University’s Teachers College and is assisting with
coaching girls’ basketball and volleyball.
Taking on both chemistry and physics
classes at Middlesex, Alex Rawson has
returned to the U.S. after six years of teaching
the International Baccalaureate programme
(IB) in Istanbul, Turkey, and Basel, Switzerland.
An avid sportsman, he will assist with coaching boys’ soccer and JV basketball.
Enriching the arts division, Marcus Rabb
is a 20-year veteran teacher who has performed
with such notables as Aretha Franklin, Tito
Puente, Joe Henderson, and Wynton Marsalis.
Along with directing the Jazz Ensemble, he is
assisting with coaching girls’ soccer. In the
realm of visual arts, Megan Morrison ’09 has
returned to Middlesex after earning her B.A. in studio art and Spanish at Carleton College.
She is teaching drawing and ceramics, as well as assisting with the girls’ soccer and tennis
programs.
Tory Arnold ’08 also rejoins her alma
mater in a new role, applying her online and
event marketing skills to her work as the
alumni office’s development and marketing
associate. Through her own experiences—
and the stories of her father (David ’75) and
great-uncle (legendary teacher and coach Peter Arnold)—Tory thoroughly understands
Middlesex and will coach girls’ JV lacrosse next spring.
As the application cycle begins again in
earnest, Admissions Officer Matt Rawson is
interviewing prospective families and also serving as a coach of football and JV boys’ lacrosse.
Emma Rasmussen has stepped in as an assistant athletic director, eminently suited for the
post as an accomplished athlete, coach, and
former sports information director for Simmons
College. She is coaching field hockey and girls’
ice hockey.
New administrative staff members include
Brenda Nankanja, who has ably taken over as
the School’s database administrator. Previously a system/
network administrator for
Multiprofessional Consultants for the past five years,
Brenda is also familiar with
the demands of academic
institutions, as she initially
served as the data manager
at Uganda’s Kampala Junior
Academy. Deana Bandilla
brings 14 years of experience
as an executive assistant to her position as the assistant to
Head of School Kathy Giles.
Most recently, Deana provided
administrative support to the
president and CEO of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, managing everything from daily
office operations to special
events. And finally, Mary Canniff knows Middlesex
very well through her sons:
Nathan ’12, Ben ’15, and Jack
’18. Now, she is applying this
comprehensive knowledge and
her extensive administrative
background to managing the
School’s store, also lending
support to the business office
as needed. With such a strong,
talented group supporting the
School’s mission, the 2014–15
academic year is off to a great
start. M
New Appointments to Endowed Chairs
Nathanael Vining Davis ’33 Chair
for Distinguished Teaching
Chantal Jordan
French Department Head
Established in honor of Nathanael Vining
Davis ’33—member of the Middlesex Board
from 1951–2005, president from 1959–69, and
father of J.H. Dow Davis ’62—by a gift from
The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; income
to provide for the salary of a senior member
of the faculty.
Having first taught French at Middlesex
from 1987-90, Chantal returned to campus
in 1992 after a leave of absence in France. She
came to Middlesex as an experienced educator who had taught both in France and the
U.S. Chantal holds a Licence d’histoire and
a Maîtrise d’ histoire from Université de
Provence in Aix en Provence. A native French
speaker, she has also studied Spanish extensively and earned a master’s degree in the language from Middlebury College. “Liveliness of mind and true commitment to her
students’ growth have been hallmarks of her
career,” Head of School Kathy Giles says of
Chantal. “Her energy and enthusiasm for her
work, as well as her love of color and beauty,
generate great spirit around all things
Francophile.”
Peter Arnold Chair
Michael Schaeberle
Science Department Head
Established in 1989 in honor of Peter Arnold,
member of the faculty from 1956–92, by a gift
from Angus C. Littlejohn, Jr. ’69, member of
the Middlesex Board from 1989–98 and from
1999–2006; income to provide for the salary of
a member of the faculty in history or science.
Prior to his arrival at Middlesex, Michael
was a postdoctoral fellow at the National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases at the National Institutes of Health
in Bethesda, Maryland. After receiving his
B.S. in chemistry from Elizabethtown College,
he earned a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry
from the University of Pittsburgh, where he
was a chemistry teaching assistant and a
graduate research assistant. Additionally, he
served as a consultant to ChemIcon, Inc. of
Pittsburgh. The head of the science department
since 2003, he is also the head of Clay House.
Of his versatility, Kathy Giles said, “There is
an old saying: If you want to get anything done,
ask the busiest person in the room. Michael
continues to distinguish himself as MoodleMaster, Jedi Knight of scheduling, and, last
spring, acting academic dean. He is a great
colleague and an extraordinary teacher.” M
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
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360° Life on the Circle
Drawn to a language immersion opportunity in a vacation setting, Elizabeth Telford
’16 also found the volcano climb memorable
and especially enjoyed learning to surf in the warm, clear water. Through staying with a host family for most of the visit, Elizabeth
realizes, “I learned a lot about daily life,
Caribbean geography, and how the island’s
culture came about. The tours were all in
French, so I became a better listener.”
A difference in conversational skills is another sign of a successful venture. “I was surprised that I was able to express
everything I wanted to say in French,” Gabe
reflects. “It’s interesting when English doesn’t
become an option anymore, and you don’t
even think of using English words.”
Adventures Abroad
Middlesex French students in
Guadeloupe covered a variety of terrain during their stay, from
pristine beaches to an active volcano to this rainforest just
north of Sainte-Anne.
Summer Sojourns
Reversing a popular travel pattern, Middlesex
students flew south for the summer to absorb
the language and customs of another culture.
Soon after final exams, two groups departed
on School-arranged trips, with one heading
to Guadeloupe and the other to Argentina.
Une Île Paradisiaque
On June 9, French Department Head Chantal
Jordan and fellow French teacher Carrie Bolster accompanied eight of their students
to Guadeloupe for 12 days of exploring the
tropical landscape and experiencing a different corner of the Francophone world. With
an active schedule that included hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, and paddle boarding,
the group also fit in French lessons and
classes in dancing and cooking. “We had a
nice, small group, and the activities brought
us together,” says Gabe Smith ’15, who counts
climbing an active volcano among the highlights of his trip.
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MIDDLESEX fall 2014
In the Land of Messi
Leaving on June 10 for Argentina, 15 Middlesex students and their chaperones—Spanish
Department Head Eduardo Fagundo and
language teacher Carolina Aldana—enjoyed
a busy two weeks of horseback riding in San Antonio de Areco, attending school and
living with peers in Rosario (home of soccer
star Lionel Messi), traveling to the stunning
Iguazú Falls, and touring Buenos Aires. “The homestay was my favorite part,” says
Dan Carlson ’15. “You learn more about the country because you can relate it on a
personal level with the family you’re staying
with. My host family was really nice and
showed me what Argentinean life is like.”
For Lily Renneker ’17, Iguazú Falls certainly merited its designation as one of the seven wonders of the natural world. Having found that her speaking and listening
skills “skyrocketed” during her homestay
visit, she has since remained in touch with
her host, who has been helpful during occasional, long-distance extra-help sessions on Lily’s Spanish homework.
In April, Rosario students will be hosted
by Middlesex families and welcomed here on
campus. Alternating summer destinations each
year, the Spanish Department is planning an itinerary for Costa Rica in June 2015. M
Rent
May 2–3, 2014
Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Directed by Tom Kane
Technical Design & Direction by Ryan DuBray
Choreography by Barb Cadell
Costume Design by Kim Brown
Photography by Robert D. Perachio
For two nights in May, the East Village’s famed
Alphabet City (circa 1994) was resurrected on
the stage of the Wood Theatre, as Middlesex presented Rent, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Awardwinning rock opera loosely based on Puccini’s La
Bohème. Still vivid, poignant, and relevant nearly
20 years after its Broadway debut, the musical
was a hit with audiences thanks to the combined
efforts of a charismatic cast, meticulous crew,
and amazing back-up band. M
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
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360° Life on the Circle
New York Times correspondent
Adam B. Ellick fielded questions
from students long after his
presentation, as many wanted
to know more about Malala
Yousafzai, the politics of Pakistan,
and the life of an international
journalist.
The Value
of Education
Would you risk your life in order to attend
school? What would you sacrifice for the
chance to be educated—and what does it
mean to be educated?
Questions like these were among those
discussed after this summer’s All-School
Read selection, I Am Malala, the remarkable
story of Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai
—a young Pakistani girl who courageously
“stood up for education and was shot by the
Taliban,” as her book’s subtitle details. During
one September weekend, the Middlesex community set time aside to talk about Malala
and consider the larger implications of her
situation: that millions of people around the
world, particularly women, do not have
access to education.
A “Little/Big Story”
On the evening of September 26, the School
was fortunate to host Adam B. Ellick, a New
York Times correspondent who produces
videos and writes articles about international
affairs for the newspaper. Among the many
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MIDDLESEX fall 2014
stories he has covered is that of Malala,
whom he met shortly before all schools for
girls were closed on January 15, 2009, in the
Taliban-controlled Swat Valley of Pakistan.
“I was really compelled to tell this story,”
Mr. Ellick said of the school closings that
would not only prevent 50,000 girls from
being educated but would also illustrate the
state of women’s rights in the region. “I have
to make people care, so I have to find people
who embody these stories.”
Through a Pakistani reporter, he met
school owner Ziauddin Yousafzai and his
daughter Malala—and soon realized that the poised, articulate young girl who keenly
wanted an education was the protagonist he sought. “I saw it as a ‘little/big story’—one
life affecting 50,000 other lives,” he stated.
Mr. Ellick made his first 13-minute film
about Malala in 2009, and, as her situation
changed dramatically over time, he returned
to make a second video, ultimately joining
the footage to form the short film, “Class Dismissed: The Death of Female Education,”
which the School watched the following
morning.
Varying Perspectives
In Mr. Ellick’s view, three narratives can be discerned: Malala’s bravery in advocating
for girls’ schools; the many women who do
receive an education in Pakistan; and the lessons he learned from this reporting experience. “Malala’s story raises many questions,
including that of risk,” he observed. “When is risk admirable and when is it foolish?” If the bullet that struck her had a slightly different trajectory, he pointed out, she and
her story would have suffered the “silent
death” of most news reports.
Regarding the broader issue of women’s
education, Mr. Ellick worried that some
might assume that the defeat of the Taliban
would solve this problem—“the pen is
mightier than the sword” idea. “But if you
go around the entire country of Pakistan,
90 percent of the women are not in school,
and there is no Taliban there,” he stressed.
Constructive Responses
The next morning, after Mr. Ellick’s film was screened,
the School began to consider
ways to respond to this year’s
ASR, beginning with the
introduction of the “Value of an Education Project”—
an opportunity for Middlesex
students to express what
education means to them,
whether in a written piece or through a work of art.
Opportunities to support
women’s education were also
suggested, such as volunteering with Harvard’s “Girls
Thinking Global” program,
and as the year progresses,
conversations will continue
through several all-school
events. M
New Trustees
© Tony Rinaldo
“So, militants are not the
only obstacle to women
being educated.”
While he appreciates
journalism as a creative profession that offers the potential to make a difference, Mr.
Ellick also learned the grave
responsibility a reporter has
through Malala’s case. “Putting the spotlight on someone can make them a target,
and it’s difficult to know
when that will happen,” he
admitted. Though this story
“tested his loyalty to journalism,” he has few regrets.
Brickson E. Diamond
Brickson is the COO of The Executive Leadership Council, Inc., a national organization
comprised of current and former AfricanAmerican CEOs and senior executives at Fortune 500 and equivalent companies. He is also the COO of the Executive Leadership
Foundation and its related 501(c)(3) charitable
organization. Brickson is a 17-year veteran of the investment management business, with
11 years spent in senior client relations and
marketing roles at Capital Group Private Client Services.
Brickson is a founding board member
and chair of The Blackhouse Foundation,
which was started in 2006 with a mission to
expand opportunities for black filmmakers. A graduate of Brown University and Harvard
Business School, Brickson serves on the Brown
President’s Leadership Council, President’s
Leadership Council on Internships, and advisory board for the Center for the Study of
Slavery and Justice; he has also been involved
in alumni and development leadership for
Harvard Business School. Brickson knows
Middlesex well through the experience of his nephew, Jordan Diamond-Fuller ’13.
Judith A. Kaye
Judy is rejoining the Board on a pro-tem basis
as the president of the Middlesex Parents’
Committee, which she previously led from
2008-10. A Harvard graduate who earned her
J.D. at the University of Chicago Law School,
she gave up the practice of securities law for a second career in philanthropy and notfor-profit service. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of Combined Jewish
Philanthropies of Boston, where she leads its
grant-making activity, and on the Leadership Council of the Kraft Community Health Centers program of Partners Healthcare. Judy has served in leadership roles on several
other nonprofit boards in education, the arts,
and health and human services, focusing on
strategic planning, governance, and development. She and her husband Steve have three children: Alli ’10, Tommy ’17, and
Laura ’17. M
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
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Middlesex People
Wit and Wisdom
With their address successfully
delivered, this year’s esteemed
guest speakers sought permission to leave campus from their
Middlesex advisors. Pictured from left to right are: newly retired
English teacher Mark Foster
(Alec’s advisor); John Viener ’90
and his advisor, former faculty
member Deedee Perkins; Alec
Sulkin ’91 and Lee Foster.
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MIDDLESEX fall 2014
For perhaps the first time ever at Middlesex,
the graduation ceremony on May 26 featured
not one but two guest speakers: John Viener
’90 and Alec Sulkin ’91, longtime friends who are now veteran writers for the animated
sitcom “Family Guy.” Claiming that neither of them “gave quite enough money” to give the commencement address alone, they collaborated to deliver a well-timed comedic
routine, offering the seniors a humorous take
on their Middlesex education, college, and life thereafter.
The duo shared their own brand of “life
lessons,” such as “schadenfreude,” defined by
John as “taking joy in the failure of others,”
and expanded upon by Alec to mean, “You
may not have your own success, but you can always have the failure of others.”
Later, John’s assertion that the seniors
didn’t need another “follow your dreams and
it’ll be just fine” speech led to this “important
point” from Alec: “No matter what college you
go to, or how successful you become, when
you hit 40, you will regret every decision
you’ve ever made.”
Though never completely serious, they
did express their appreciation for Middlesex,
where their comedy began with “writing jokes
for the school paper in a tiny room in BP,” as Alec recalled.
After graduation, John headed off to Trinity College, while Alec subsequently went
to Connecticut College. Later moving to Los
Angeles, John steadily built a career as a voice
actor, writer, and producer, working on more
than 20 television series. Alec began his career
as an intern and assistant at “Saturday Night
Live,” and was a writer for “The Late, Late
Show with Craig Kilborn.”
In 2005, the writing partners joined forces
again on “Family Guy,” where they have since
produced, written, and provided voices for
many episodes. “Family Guy” has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards and 11
Annie Awards, winning three of each. Its 2009
nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Comedy Series was the first time
in nearly 50 years that an animated series had
been nominated for the honor (the last was
“The Flintstones” in 1961). Together, John and Alec have also written for and produced
“Dads” and “The Cleveland Show,” and they
were special material writers for the 85th
Academy Awards.
“Middlesex gave us a safe place to test
boundaries—to succeed and fail and, more
importantly, to learn to try again,” Alec said.
(“And, make a terrible plaque,” added John.
“Awful,” Alec agreed.)
“No matter where you are in your life,”
John said, “once you drive through that gate
on Lowell Road, you’re home—and you’re also
somehow late for check-in, but that may just
be a sense memory that I have.”
With mock solemnity, Alec exhorted the
seniors to “go forth, be extraordinary” and
“make Middlesex proud.”
“But not too proud,” countered John,
“like that Instagram guy.” M
Wildlife
Conservation
in Kenya
A childhood neighbor of
Middlesex, James Christian ’89
returned to campus on October
8, 2014, to share his photographs
of the amazing variety of wildlife
that he routinely sees at home in Laikipia, Kenya. Elephants,
giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas,
crowned eagles, tarantulas, scorpions—and, of course, zebras
—were among the numerous
creatures featured, along with
the many camels he owns that
thrive in this arid bush country
just north of Mount Kenya.
Though raised in Concord
and educated at Fenn and Middlesex, James often traveled to Kenya, where his mother grew
up. He majored in biology at the
University of Vermont and, later,
combined his interests in biodiversity, endangered species,
and photography when he
moved to Kenya 12 years ago.
Dedicated to the management
and conservation of wildlife,
James and his wife Kerry manage
Karisia Walking Safaris, using
their beautiful, 3000-acre property as a base for their venture.
“I encourage you to go on
adventures and travel as much
as you can,” James earnestly
advised Middlesex students,
clearly engaged in and enthusiastic about his work. “It’s the
best way to educate yourself, and it’s just fun.” M
A Life of Service
Distinguished Alumnus Major Jonathan W. Wilbor ’64
Each year, the Middlesex Alumni Associa-
tion chooses a worthy recipient for the Henry
Cabot Lodge ’20 Distinguished Alumni
Award, an honor given to a graduate whose
life and career have made significant and lasting contributions to society and have
brought great credit to the School.
This year, the award was presented to
Major Jonathan W. Wilbor ’64 during the
50th reunion of his class. Jon came to Middlesex as a fourth classer and, during his
time here, he worked for the Anvil and the
yearbook, was a member of the Drama and
Glee Clubs, and played three sports—football, hockey, and tennis—ultimately lettering
in each one. His candid yearbook photo
shows him hanging by his fingertips outside
a second-floor window of the dining hall,
trying to sneak in for breakfast after the
doors had closed. In his own words, Jon is
“partially nuts”!
After graduating from Middlesex, he crossed the country to attend Stanford
University. A member of the class of 1968,
Jon was president of his fraternity, an outstanding freshman oarsman who eventually
became co-captain of the varsity crew, and
the Outstanding Marine Option in his class
in the University’s Naval ROTC unit.
Commissioned as a second lieutenant,
Jon attended Boston University’s School of
Law at his parents’ insistence—and with the
Marine Corps’ blessing. During Jon’s second
year of law school, he took a leave of absence
to fulfill his military obligation, commanding
two platoons and a rifle company in Vietnam.
Returning home in 1971, Jon joined the
First Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp
Pendleton. But in the summer of 1972, the
Marine Corps asked for 12 volunteers to
return to Vietnam to augment the Marine
Corps advisory unit serving with the Vietnamese Marines and their counterattack
against the North Vietnamese Easter
Offensive.
Jon was one of eight Marine officers to volunteer for the assignment. The Vietnamese Marines drove north that summer in the fight to retake the city of Quang Tri;
Jon was wounded by mortar fire and returned
home to Camp Pendleton. He continued to serve with the Marines for another rewarding 17 years.
For his heroic and sustained service to his country, the Middlesex Alumni Association proudly bestowed this year’s Henry
Cabot Lodge ’20 Distinguished Alumni Award
upon Major Jonathan W. Wilbor ’64. M
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
9
Team Highlights
Boys’ Lacrosse
Sean Pensavalle ’14 scores against St. Mark’s; that
15-3 victory for Middlesex was part of another highly
competitive 13-2 season for the varsity.
For more sports news visit
http://athletics.mxschool.edu
Girls’ Crew
Middlesex sent two crews to the inaugural National Schools’ Championship Regatta
in Saratoga Springs, NY, on June 7, 2014. A fourth-place finish at the New England’s
officially qualified the girls’ varsity first boat for the regatta, while a lightweight four
gamely entered as well. Impressively, the first boat finished fourth by just one second,
and the lightweight four came in third. The bronze medalists are picture above.
Baseball
Co-captain Drew
Coash ’14 makes
contact in a 10-6
win against Rivers.
Named All-League
at the season’s
end, he will play
for Middlebury
next spring.
Boys’ Tennis
The 2014 season
was characterized
by close matches
against the top
teams in the highly
competitive ISL.
Playing at #1 again
next spring, David
Fan ’15 will finish his
Middlesex career
as varsity captain.
Girls’ Lacrosse
All-League Co-captain Rowena Schenck ’14 handles
the ball in the midfield for Middlesex, which finished the
season 12-5. A two-time Academic All-American, she
hopes to play at Amherst next spring.
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MIDDLESEX fall 2014
Breakout Performances
Competing in realms beyond the ISL, two Middlesex athletes—both young alumni—have earned national
and international attention in their respective sports.
In the 1500-meter race at the ISTA 2014 Championships, Co-captain
Garrett O’Toole ’14 took the lead (as the defending 1500-meter champion
and 2013 meet record holder), with Co-captain Peter Howe ’14 and Viraj
Deokar ’16 on his heels. They finished the race in the top three spots—
with Garrett retaining first, followed by Viraj and Peter—a victory that helped earn the boys’ team fourth place at the meet. At the New
England Championships the next weekend, both the boys’ and girls’
teams took home second-place trophies, and both teams boasted that meet’s MVPs: Garrett O’Toole and Mahal Alvarez-Backus.
(photo by Blaine Alvarez-Backus)
Track Standout O’Toole ’14
For Co-captain Garrett O’Toole, the track season did not end after
Middlesex’s second-place finish at the New England Championships.
At the 2014 Adrian Martinez Classic on June 5, Garrett became the fastest high school miler in the country with a time of 4:01.89—
which also earned him the title of all-time fastest miler in both New England and Massachusetts state history.
Less than two weeks later, Garrett raced in the Dream Mile at the Adidas Grand Prix, where he finished eighth among 14 of the
fastest high school milers in the country. Traveling next to the New
Balance Nationals Outdoor, Garrett ran a personal best of 1:49.68 in the 800-meters, placing fifth. Named the 2013–14 Gatorade Massachusetts Boys’ Track &
Field Athlete of the Year on June 20, Garrett continued on in July to the 2014 USA Track and Field Junior Outdoor Championships,
where he finished 17th in the 800-meters against the top track and
field athletes younger than 20 in the country. He since taken his talents to Princeton University, where he has joined both the cross-country and track programs.
A force in the midfield, Dave Lawson ’09 was a key contributor to
Team USA last summer. (photo by John Strohsacker)
Lawson ’09 Named to All-World Lacrosse Team
Avid Middlesex lacrosse fans undoubtedly recognized a familiar name
this summer, as Dave Lawson ’09 was selected as a member of the U.S.
Men’s Lacrosse National Team—and then was one of three midfielders
named to the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse All-World Team
at the completion of the FIL World Championships in Commerce City,
Colorado.
Playing for Team USA, Dave came off the bench to score four
goals, and assist on two more, helping his squad top Australia 22-5 to
advance to the championship game. The final match-up ended in favor
of Canada, 8-5, though the U.S. had earlier defeated the team 10-7 in pool play.
A tri-varsity athlete all four years at Middlesex, Dave capped his
outstanding high school career as an All-American in lacrosse. At Duke
University, his four years of play culminated with his team winning the
2013 National Championship. A USILA First Team All-American, Dave
moved on to Major League Lacrosse, joining the Rochester Rattlers
and tallying 32 goals and nine assists in his two seasons with the team.
Whatever the future holds, he has already made Middlesex proud with
his achievements in both the national and international arenas.
MIDDLESEX
MIDDLESEX FALL
fall 2014
2014
11
11
E
m•X•2
the campaign
for middlesex
O
BE
OU
•
D
WHAT
EY DR
ED
AM
•
TH
R S TO
A Transformational
Campaign
Until its public launch this October, Middlesex’s most ambitious capital campaign
to date was a quiet undertaking—a highly successful one at that. Initiated before the global
recession, the effort has continued to gain momentum amid an uncertain economy and steadily
benefited from the generosity of alumni, parents, and friends, who have committed $130 million
thus far toward making the School the best Middlesex it can be for the students it serves.
With the public phase now underway, the campaign is on the cusp of achieving the ideal
expressed in the words of the School’s hymn “Rank by Rank”: What they
dreamed be ours to do; hope their hopes and seal them true.
Landry House will fit into the hillside between Higginson House (on right)
and the Head’s House. Named in honor of longtime Trustee Kevin Landry ’62,
the dorm will feature the Class of 1962 Room, a common area space
MIDDLESEX
fall 201450th reunion gift by Kevin’s classmates.
12 as
funded
a commemorative,
T
his past summer, the typically
peaceful Middlesex campus was a
little less serene, with active construction sites on both sides of
Lowell Road. As LeBaron Briggs
House and Robert Winsor House simultaneously
underwent complete renovation, it was clear that
progress was resuming toward the Board’s Strategic Plan goal of refurbishing all of the School’s
older dormitories. Concurrently, across the road
from the main gate, the renovation of the Paine
Barn was beginning, along with the rebuilding
of a smaller structure beside it. Soon to be the
new site for Facilities and Operations, the project represents a significant step toward the plan
of converting the old Facilities building into a
long-awaited home for music at Middlesex.
As many are now aware, all of these endeavors
have been made possible by the ongoing success
of Mx2: The Campaign for Middlesex, which has
been silently and productively carrying on for
several years. For Head of School Kathy Giles,
the overarching goal of this remarkable fundraising effort can be seen as a reflection of Middlesex’s mission. “The work of finding the promise extends not only to our students but also to the School itself,” she explains. “This is a campaign that celebrates the School’s transformation
and growth, in the same way that we celebrate
the transformation and growth of the students
in our care over their years with us.”
For the longest time, says Board President
Pete Olney ’66, Middlesex has been “the little
engine that could,” striving to make the most of
limited resources. “We want to bring Middlesex
to the point where it is able to provide the facilities
and financial aid and faculty support commensurate with the quality of its program, teachers,
and students,” he affirms. “We’re making great
strides to provide a sustainable platform for the
School to do what it does best: to take young
people in a residential environment and give
them a chance to grow and engage in academics,
athletics, and arts.”
Formerly the site of
Facilities and Operations
(and the central boiler
room) the Music and
Campus Center will
provide new classroom,
practice, and performance
space.
Going Public
In October, the campaign’s public phase was
announced at two special events, first in Boston
and then in New York City. These gatherings will
be followed in the coming months with several
around the country—from Washington, DC, and
Chicago to San Francisco and Los Angeles—to
share the good news of what has already been
achieved and to clarify unmet needs. After all,
“Mx2 is a celebration of what we’ve done today
and an acknowledgement of what we still have
to do for the future,” says Jim Oates ’65, chairman of the campaign steering committee and
former Board president. “We had a very successful Campaign of a Century, which put a dent in
what the School needed, and now we hope we
can push further to accomplish all of our needs.”
Reprising their roles from the Campaign of
a Century, Board Vice Presidents Bob and Anne
Bass (parents of Chris ’93) and former Trustee
Victor Atkins ’63, with his wife Victoria, are serving
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
13
Interior and exterior views
of the Howe Common Room,
a welcome new addition to
Robert Winsor House.
14
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
as the honorary campaign co-chairs. Having long
supported Middlesex extensively with their time
and resources, they are clearly qualified to lead
the charge once again. “To have the Basses and
Victor be willing—for a second go-round—to
serve as honorary campaign co-chairs is incredibly generous and a great source of confidence
for all of us,” Kathy confirms.
Indeed, their confidence and involvement
have been critical to a campaign that, early on,
encountered a global recession that could have
stopped the effort in its tracks as people reconsidered their philanthropic priorities. Setting up matching challenges along the way, from the completed Atkins Scholarship Challenge to
the current Bass Family Challenge for the Arts, the honorary co-chairs have been instrumental
to the campaign’s progress and inspired many
others to follow their lead.
“It’s a real testament to the community that
we are here now,” says Director of Advancement
George Noble. “People have embraced the vision
of the projects and goals. The Landry Family Challenge is another perfect example. There was a
call to action, and people stepped up.” By matching gifts made by current and past parents toward
any capital goal, the Landry family’s challenge
ultimately raised $10 million for several worthy
objectives.
The public phase is therefore the final push to meet the School’s most pressing needs:
support for faculty and students, improvements
to residential life and campus facilities, and
funding for future endowment.
Rewarding Educators
Improving salaries and benefits for the School’s
outstanding faculty is one key priority. Given
that Middlesex students are performing among
the top scholars in independent schools nationally, it would seem appropriate for faculty compensation to compare just as favorably. Yet, as
Kathy acknowledges, “This is where the School’s
relatively small and new endowment is apparent.” Simply put, less investment income results
in a smaller operating budget and payroll. “We
want people to be able to consider working at
Middlesex just the way they would consider
working at any of the top, better endowed
schools,” Kathy asserts. “We would like to find
great people and have them build careers here
that allow them the time and resources to become
real masters of their craft, allowing us to maintain a strong, vibrant school community.”
One proven way to underwrite compensation and recognize exceptional faculty is through
endowed chairs. As part of Mx2, the Brooke
Chair in Ethics and Spirituality was established
thanks to a combined family gift that was
prompted by Trustee John Brooke ’81, who
wanted to support this important element of
Middlesex’s program. Though he believes that
“organizations must transform in order to stay
vibrant,” John stresses, “You don’t want to lose
the heart and soul of the place. Sometimes
people forget what the real meaning of life
can be, and part of that is the spiritual, moral,
ethical piece of the equation.”
With just 13 named chairs at Middlesex
currently, many opportunities remain to highlight specific areas of the School and to honor
the teachers who give them life.
Sustaining Students
Boosting financial aid is another vital objective
of Mx2. Some may not know that, in effect, every
Middlesex student receives financial assistance,
as tuition at Middlesex covers most but not all of
the cost of the education, with the balance primarily provided by the Annual Fund and endowment.
But since the 2008 recession, families’ outright
requests for financial aid, and the amount of
demonstrated need, have sharply increased.
Understanding the power of this kind of assistance, Trustee Corey Hajim ’91 and her parents
established the Hajim Family Scholarship.
“It was instilled in me by my father that
education can really change the trajectory of
someone’s life,” Corey relates. “I loved Middlesex and had a great experience; but what really
motivated me was sitting in meetings and hearing Admissions people say, ‘There are kids we
want but cannot take because we don’t have
the financial aid budget for them.’”
Additional funding, like the Hajims’ scholarship, will help many more deserving students
attend Middlesex, enriching the school experience for all. “The School is in such a great place
in terms of its culture and program,” Corey
says. “For me, the important part is not turning
families away because they can’t afford tuition.”
students before their senior fall. “In doing the
work of ‘finding the promise,’ we want to ask
students, ‘What have you developed as interests?
When you look at the world, what looks appealing? What do you want to do in college?” Kathy
elaborates. “Ideally, in the winter of junior year,
as they start thinking about college, students
would also start thinking about where to bring
their promise. This is not designed to be a pre-professional program in any way, but it is
designed to get kids thinking about how their
interests can translate in all kinds of exciting
ways into really satisfying lives.”
Past parents of Middlesex have pledged to create an endowed chair for the Middlesex
Scholars Program to fund the work of a faculty
member who would confer with juniors and
their advisors about ideas and proposals, helping
to secure meaningful internships. Additional
funding will provide stipends to assist with the
cost of students’ experiences. “I’m very hopeful
that there will be kids who are interested in world
health, conservation, energy, communication,
technology, and many other fields that are part
of our students’ future—not only their livelihood
but the world in which they are going to be citizens,” Kathy says.
Exploratory Internships
Approaching student support in a novel way is
the Middlesex Scholars Program, a new initiative
that would fund summer internships for all
Campus and Community
Catching up with the deferred maintenance of the School’s older dormitories, Middlesex
resumed its dorm renovation schedule this past
Residents of LeBaron
Briggs House have
refurbished rooms and
a new dorm common
room.
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
15
summer, completely redoing LeBaron
Briggs and Robert Winsor, both of which
gained new common rooms and a few
more student beds.
And when the Residential Life
Challenge reaches its conclusion—as it is still matching gifts 1:1 up to $7.5
million—Middlesex will be able to build
Landry House, to be named for the late
C. Kevin Landry ’62, longtime Board
treasurer and generous supporter of the
School. Housing 36 boarders, this dorm
will add three faculty apartments and
bring Middlesex’s boarding enrollment
close to the Strategic Plan target of 75
percent. Furthermore, it will allow the
School to convert Peabody House—
a prohibitively expensive candidate for
dorm renovation, given its compact
structure and location—into offices
and faculty housing.
Finally, with the renovation of Clay House, the updating of Middlesex’s
dormitories will be complete.
Attending to the Arts
Several other dynamic areas of Middlesex’s program also require additional
space and thoughtful renovation: the
facilities for music, theatre, and visual
arts. And through the Bass Family Challenge to Benefit the Arts, donors
can still have half of their contributions
toward these areas matched, up to $5 million.
As detailed in the Fall 2013 Bulletin,
the School’s sustainability-driven decision
to convert the central steam plant from
oil to natural gas not only reduced the
School’s carbon footprint by at least 20
percent but also made the boiler room
obsolete—freeing up a space that is perfect in size and construction for a
small performance hall. By relocating
the adjacent offices and workshops of
Facilities and Operations across Lowell
Road, the entire Facilities building can
become the Music and Campus Center.
A generous lead gift from Middlesex parents has given this proposal life,
and with additional funding, the School
16
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
can begin this unique transformation.
Containing classrooms for music and
other academic disciplines, practice
rooms, seminar and ensemble spaces, a music library, and a 150-seat performance hall, the repurposed structure is certain to be a favorite corner of
campus.
Meanwhile, after 40 years of continuous, creative, communal use, the
Cornelius Ayer Wood ’13 Theatre &
Arts Center is ready to be refurbished.
“That building is one of the most highly
utilized on campus,” Kathy affirms. To bring it up to date with the School’s
programmatic needs, renovation plans
have been drafted that include: expanded
audience seating, created by changing
the rake and adding a small balcony;
three new classrooms; a true black
box theatre; and—at last—real dressing
rooms. “This will be a smart renovation
of a building that has served us really
well,” Kathy says. “In fact, it needs to
continue to serve us as a community
center, not just a theatre.”
Given that every square foot will be appropriated for theatre arts, the
visual arts will move into more expansive, renovated quarters in the former
science wing of Eliot Hall. Plans are
being developed for a new gallery and
studios there, which will give Middlesex
faculty and students the creative space
to match the program’s strength and
vitality.
Fiscal Strength—and Flexibility
Purposefully building Middlesex’s
endowment is another important effort,
one that will strengthen the School’s fiscal foundation and health. Compared
to its peer schools, Middlesex has a
modest and fairly new endowment, consisting chiefly of funds directed
toward scholarship and faculty support.
But as Kathy points out, “Undesignated
endowment is critically important. We
have already encountered times when
the relatively restricted nature of our
endowment has been at cross purposes
to what the School needs.” From tree
care to roof repair, the upkeep of a
110-year-old campus is a never-ending
list, “as anyone who has an antique
home knows,” Kathy smiles. “The fact
that we have not had the financial flexibility to adopt a systematic deferred
maintenance program after a century in New England has taken its toll on
this place,” she observes.
“And this is not just any campus—
it’s an Olmsted campus,” emphasizes
Pete. “This is a treasure, and we have a
stewardship responsibility to adapt the
campus to present and future needs
while preserving the original vision that
was laid out by the Olmsted Brothers for
Frederick Winsor.” To be prepared for
unexpected costs and projects, and to
be able to borrow for such expenses,
the School requires the flexibility afforded
by a larger, unrestricted endowment.
Mx2: Second-Century Middlesex
“In many ways,” Jim reflects, “Middlesex
is ahead of its bricks and mortar. It’s
delivering on its mission on a much
higher level.” And though he does not
see this campaign as “an arms race,” he does believe that the School needs
improved compensation, scholarships,
and facilities to match the excellence of
the current program. “We do a great job
with what we have, but you can’t live on that forever,” he says. “We’ve got to
step it up.”
Thanks to the generosity of the
School’s alumni, parents, and friends,
Mx2 is heading toward the finish line,
on the verge of becoming “the means of transforming student experience into
the best Middlesex we could be,” Kathy
says. “We are setting ourselves up for
the next generation of extraordinary
teachers and mentors, and we’re setting
ourselves up to be a school that can
address the larger world as an educational leader—an institution that has
something to contribute to the national
conversation about quality experience
for teenagers.” M
Graduation 2014
By the ceremony’s appointed hour, grey skies had
given way to blue, and the class of 2014 crossed the Circle in sunshine, led by Senior Class President
Ali Stephens ’14, School President Ben Painter ’14,
and School Vice President Irene Demoulas ’14.
Max Cohen-Casado ’14 paused to talk with Head of School Kathy Giles,
who hoped in her graduation address that the seniors would remain
cognizant of and grateful for “acts of kindness,” whether small or large,
random or intentional. In an increasingly judgmental world, she encouraged them to apply the skills of critical discernment they have acquired
at Middlesex but urged them to eschew a deeply cynical outlook on life
in favor of recognizing and valuing “the good, even if it sometimes
seems unsmart” and “the kind, even if it seems uncool.”
Christina Cleroux ’14 (in back), Brooke Gary ‘14, Cici Frattasio ‘14,
and Patrick Milne ’14 waited to be called for the class picture.
MIDDLESEX FALL
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2014
MIDDLESEX
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17
Graduation 2014
Jon Siu ’14 and Miranda Gish ’14.
Ten 2014 classmates gathered
for a group photo; from left to right are April Simms, Ali
Stephens, Tori Burke, Isabelle
Hoch, Irene Demoulas, Sarah
Tabeek, Dakota Foster, Juliana
Fiore, Olivia Dewey, and Nell
Gallogly.
Eight of Middlesex’s newest
alumni (from left to right):
David McGrath, Alex Mehm,
Stevie Gleason, Jon Luke
Tittmann, Ben Painter,
Chase Parisi, Michael Mac
Bolster-Houghton, and
Tae Hwan Son.
Joshua Otoo ’14 and Peter Howe ’14 were among the first to get their
boutonnieres from parent volunteers like Ellen Livingston.
18
MIDDLESEX FALL
fall 2014
2014
MIDDLESEX
Aaron Swenson ’14 with his cousin, Michael Campanella,
and his younger Swenson siblings: Amanda, Aidan, and
Amy (appropriately attired in a zebra print dress).
Michelle Chung ’14
and her family.
Alex and Ron Banay congratulated their longtime campus
neighbor, Stevie Gleason ’14.
Poised and articulate, Valedictorian Dakota Foster ’14 focused on the value
of practice, which she called “a paradoxical combination of repetition and risk
taking.” Appreciative of having been given “the opportunity to practice, to explore
and to develop, in a safe and nurturing environment,” she reflected, “We may
never again be so encouraged, so cared for, and so loved as we have been here . . .
thank you, Middlesex. And so this is the moment for us to practice gratitude,
gratitude for the people who have enabled us to cultivate skills of all kinds, and
also those less tangible qualities—forgiveness, mindfulness, and spirituality.”
Garrett O’Toole ’14 and Claire Megan ’14 were among the crowd
of celebrating graduates.
Diploma in
hand, Chloe
Sun ’14 made
her way back
to the senior
benches.
MIDDLESEX FALL
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2014
MIDDLESEX
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Alumni Weekend
It was almost a question of
who didn’t return for the 10th
reunion! Front row, from left
to right: Sterling Horne, Nick
Hadsel-Mares, Josh Freiberger,
Andrew Abbott, Chad Gaudet,
George Wilson, Max Rausch,
and Katy Van Norden. Middle
row: Kate Blanton, Sam Hoyt,
Marka Kiley, Tay Wiles, Will
Dujardin, Chase Munson,
Chidie Okpoebo, Ingrid
Seggerman, Tibby Iz, and
Mollie Mattuchio. Back row:
Carolyn Mansfield, Gallagher
Hannan, Devon Shapiro,
Sasha Kenyon, Cassie Dore,
Jesse McKenna, Eric Kester,
Mark Grande, Sean Kruzel,
and Harry Houghton.
Major Gifts Officer
Paul Harrison
caught up with
his former student,
Chris Cavanagh ’94,
whose young
son Curran made
his first visit to
Middlesex.
Among those back for
the 40th reunion were
Randy Harrison ’74,
Bill Palmer ’74, and
Tuck Crocker ’74.
20
MIDDLESEX FALL
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fall 2014
The class of 1989 assembled for an official 25th
reunion photo. Front row, left to right: Josh Barrett
and his wife Jessica, Justine Pilington Keithline,
Westy Faison, Lise Edelberg Nigrovic, Laura Cheney
Silk, and Michael O’Brien. Middle row: Win Latham,
Ben Leeming, Nat Kessler, Kim GwinnLandry, Gillian
Polk, and (photo-bombing) Alex Iler ’90. Back row:
Sandy Olney, Alex Norton, Peter Baillargeon, Noah
Sobe, Bern Hoffmann, Benjy Smith, and John Warren
Eagle. Missing from the photo but also in attendance
for reunion events included: Anson Beard, Mary Todd
Ganzenmuller, Jay Livens, John Mulvany, Jon Piper,
and Keith Wang.
Renny Little ’51, Chip Elfner ’62, Al Nelson ’53, and Curt Curtis ’62 regaled
alumni at the Old Guard Dinner with great stories about Middlesex athletics
from their student days.
Members of the class of 1999, along with family and friends, made it
a picnic clambake with Woodman’s of Essex fare.
The Winchester family
currently includes four
alumni, three of whom
joined the reunion
festivities this year.
Seated in front are Shiela
Winchester ’78 and Annie
Winchester (Jock’s wife);
standing behind them
are John Winchester ’79
and his wife Deborah
(parents of Leigh '15),
Dennis Trombatore
(Shiela’s husband), and
Jock Winchester ’54.
Returning to campus on May 16 and 17, 2014, alumni
from seven decades enjoyed the camaraderie of old
friendships and unexpectedly beautiful weather—
two key elements for any successful Middlesex reunion.
Welcomed at Eliot Hall, alumni headed to the
Chapel on Friday evening to hear the Middlesex Chamber
Ensemble and student vocalists perform selections from
Dido and Aeneas, the Baroque opera by Henry Purcell.
Classes then gathered at various spots in Concord and
Boston, with the class of 1964 meeting at the Head’s
House for a 50th reunion dinner. Those who had already
celebrated this milestone congregated in Ware Hall for the
Old Guard Dinner, after which a panel of alumni shared
memories of Middlesex athletics, from the preeminence
of Saturday football games to the laborious maintenance
of outdoor hockey rinks to the advent of lacrosse.
Saturday’s events began with the Alumni Memorial
Service, followed by the Alumni Assembly, where Head
of School Kathy Giles, Board President Pete Olney ’66,
and Alumni Association President Hunter Moorman ’60
gave updates on Middlesex today. Hunter then announced
the recipient of this year’s Henry Cabot Lodge ’20 Distinguished Alumni Award: Major Jonathan Wilbor ’64,
whose long and distinguished career in the U.S. Marine
Corps included two tours of duty in Vietnam.
Moving to the front of Eliot Hall, alumni applauded
the accomplishments of this year’s inductees into the
Athletic Hall of Fame: John Stodghill ’49, Dan Burnes ’64,
Chad Gaudet ’04, and Devon Shapiro ’04. After lunch,
graduates cheered on current Middlesex teams during
afternoon games and visited the Wood Theatre’s gallery
to view the works of Perry Burns ’84 and Peter Stone ’74
in this year’s alumni art show, expertly curated once
again by Adji Gadson ’90.
A special addition to the weekend was a gathering in
the Bancroft Courtyard to celebrate three longtime faculty
members who were about to retire: Ron Banay, Nancy
Herter, and Mark Foster, now honorary members of the
class of 2014 and the Alumni Association. Providing
music for the occasion was the Middlesex Jazz Orchestra,
featuring Lyell Roeder ’09 on keyboard. The weekend
culminated with the ever-popular clambake, catered
by Woodman’s of Essex.
Mark your calendar for next year’s Alumni Weekend
on May 8 and 9, 2015!
MIDDLESEX
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Spring
fall 2014
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21
Alumni Weekend
The class of 1964 enjoyed
a 50th reunion dinner at
the Head’s House on Friday
night. Present for the
occasion were, in the front
row (left to right): Bob
Sprague, Harry Wheeler,
Roger Crafts, Marty Wright,
Frank Perron, David Chang,
Dan Burnes, and Charlie
Kettell. Second row: Bill
Purves, Bill Rich, Jeff
Walker, and Hod Hinsdale.
Third row: Monk Terry,
Kevin McCoy, Henry Drinker,
Locker McCarthy, and
Phil Wagner.
Only five years after graduation, the class of 2009 had an impressive turnout
on Saturday night, including, from left to right: Both Long, Megan Morrison,
Joe Son, Louisa Savage, Caroline Corbett, Liz Simms, Gavin Johnson, Gage
Coffin, and Chris Lawrence.
Cousins Bevin Landry ’09 and Jen Landry Le ’94 met up at Saturday’s
clambake while celebrating their respective class reunions.
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MIDDLESEX
MIDDLESEX fall
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2014
Curated by Adji Gadson ’90, this year’s Alumni Art Show featured the
extraordinary paintings of Perry Burns ’84 and Peter Stone ’74.
In the Bancroft Courtyard, the Middlesex Jazz Orchestra entertained
the crowds attending a new event that was created to celebrate the careers
of retiring faculty—Ron Banay, Mark Foster, and Nancy Herter—and
welcome them into the alumni ranks as honorary graduates.
Athletic Hall of Fame
2014 Inductees
Hall of Famer and Nominating Committee
Chair Curt Curtis ’62 stands with three of
this year’s four inductees: Chad Gaudet ’04,
Dan Burnes ’64, and Devon Shapiro ’04.
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 jmorrissey@mxschool.edu.
John D.
Stodghill ’49
Daniel C.
Burnes ’64
An outstanding studentathlete early on, John was
awarded the John C.R.
Kelton ’29 Athletic Bowl
as a sophomore. He eventually collected nine letters
during his Middlesex
career, including three in
football, three in basketball, and three in baseball,
and served as captain of
the basketball team as
a senior.
Dan won a total of nine
letters at Middlesex: three
each in football, hockey,
and crew. A member of the
crew’s First Boat in 1963,
he capped his athletic
career with a football
captaincy, All-League
recognition in hockey,
and a second season as
a First Boat oarsman.
Charles E. Gaudet ’04
Devon R. Shapiro ’04
Earning six letters at Middlesex—three
in football and three in lacrosse—Chad
was named All-League in football each
year and All-League in lacrosse twice,
serving as captain of both sports as
a senior. He was also named All-New
England twice in football and once in
lacrosse. After leading the football team
to the league title in 2003, Chad was
named ISL MVP and Class C New
England Player of the Year, having scored
52 touchdowns and rushed for 3,757
yards during his Middlesex career. He
went on to play two years of football
and two years of lacrosse at Dartmouth,
becoming the lacrosse captain and MVP
as a senior. In 2009, he was a member of
the Virginia’s Final Four lacrosse team.
Devon amassed 12 letters at Middlesex,
with four letters each in field hockey, skiing, and softball. She was named All-League
three times in field hockey, four times in
skiing, and twice in softball, also earning
the distinction of being named ISL MVP
and Second Team All- American in field
hockey while her leading team to a New
England Championship in 2003. Named
All-New England in skiing for all four years,
she finished first in New England in slalom
and second in giant slalom as a senior.
Appropriately, she was named NEPSAC
Athlete of the Year in 2004. Devon continued
to play field hockey at Harvard, serving as
captain as a senior. She was named First
Team All-Ivy, Second Team All-Region,
and team MVP in 2006 and 2007.
MIDDLESEX FALL
fall 2014
2014
MIDDLESEX
23
Fond
Farewells
to Retiring Faculty and Staff
As the Bulletin wishes four longtime colleagues well on their retirement
from full and dedicated careers at Middlesex, it seems only right to consider
this transition as yet another “middle”—one in which they will simply be able to
pursue established interests more often, spending time with family
and friends, and continuing to explore, learn, and create.
Ron Banay
I
n 1975, Ron Banay joined the math
department of a somewhat newly
coeducational Middlesex, where
calculus had not yet been offered
as a regular part of the curriculum.
“There was some discussion that calculus needed to be left for college,” he
recalls, still amused by that contention.
Nonetheless, he quickly established
the course and, soon after, began teaching the Advanced Placement Calculus
sequence, too, confident that Middlesex
students were ready for the challenge.
“Ron rigorously covered the material of that course,” former colleague Paul
Roeder attests, “and his students did
very well on the AP exam.” In fact, Ron
was later asked to serve as reader for
that exam, a task he undertook for six years.
Adding multiple levels of calculus
was just one of many curricular developments that Ron embraced during the last 39 years. The department he led
from 1980 to 2013 was always on the
lookout for ways to improve, regularly
evaluating its courses and methods to
remain ahead of the pedagogical curve.
As technology evolved, his department
was ready to adapt when scientific calculators gave way to graphing calculators, and blackboards were replaced by
white boards and SMART boards. By
the time statistics became an AP exam,
Middlesex had already been offering
a similar elective for some time.
“What I always appreciated about
Ron,” says former math colleague Amy
Gleason, “is that he listened really well,
and he allowed people to try new things
without making a lot of judgments
about how it was going to turn out—
and I’m sure he had opinions. If one of us had an idea, he would say, ‘Try it!’ I never felt that he was pushing
change; he was just open to it.”
For faculty new to the School or to
the classroom, Ron was similarly encouraging. “He had a gentle way about him
that made him a wonderful mentor,”
Amy adds. “I always felt comfortable
asking questions or dropping by for a
chat. His warm way made new teachers
comfortable, and he was always very
supportive.”
Naturally, Ron was just as supportive of students. “The math department
was run with professionalism and
empathy,” Paul says. “We had biannual
meetings where we talked over every
“Ends and beginnings – there are no such things.
There are only middles.”
Robert Frost, “In the Home Stretch”
24
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
single student in every math course
before the full faculty meeting.” Whether
or not a student was a gifted mathematician was immaterial. “I think Ron made
a big difference as an advisor for those
kids in the middle,” says Paul. “Often
those kids needed a boost in self-esteem,
and he could do that for them.”
Even more importantly, Paul stresses,
Ron was an important advocate at a pivotal time in the School’s history: the
early years of coeducation. “He made
sure that, as the world changed from the 1970s to now, the math department
would be a welcoming place to girls,”
Paul observes, remembering department
discussions about ensuring that girls’
voices were heard in the classroom—
and noting that Ron purposefully
hired female math teachers for the
department.
Looking back, Ann Winslow ’79
reflects, “When you’re in high school, I don’t know if you appreciate when
someone is doing something extra on
your behalf. I’m sure Ron was being
mindful of my participation in class.”
In Ann’s case—as in others over the years—Ron was also specifically creating an advanced math course for
her and Rob Tittmann ’79, who had finished BC Calculus as juniors. “We had a two-person math class that explored
topics like topology, group theory, and
set theory,” she explains. “It opened my
mind to the world of math that was out there.”
The consequence was that Ann kept taking math classes “for the fun of it,” even as an art major at Harvard.
“There is no way I would have done that
if I hadn’t been inspired by Ron,” she
states. Her math background has been
an advantage at every step in her career,
including her current work for Harvard
Business School Publishing, where she
is the senior editor of curriculum. “Ron
had a huge impact on my life,” Ann
concludes.
MIT sophomore Miranda Kotidis
’13 is already thankful for Ron’s classes.
“I’m really lucky to have had Mr. Banay
in senior year—really lucky,” she says.
“He was fantastic at teaching us very
difficult concepts. The way he explained
things was easy to understand, and he
was very approachable, always available
for extra help.” For their 8:00 a.m. classes
on Saturdays, he would bring munchkins for everyone to eat while they presented their solutions to the homework
problems. “Doing those presentations
helped me feel very confident at MIT,”
Miranda has found. “He also made
class fun and enjoyable.”
Ron’s dry sense of humor is evident
when he talks about his coaching career.
“I am a specialist at the third or lower
level,” he deadpans, summarizing his
years of working with young teams in
boys’ soccer, basketball, and squash. He
was also a varsity coach at times, assisting with boys’ and girls’ lacrosse.
He is equally modest about the
25 years that he and his wife—classicist
extraordinaire and Dean of Faculty Alex
Banay—lived in dormitories, starting in
Clay House and then moving to BryantPaine. “From there,” Ron recounts, “we
went to Peabody, where I was head, and
all of our children were born. And then
we went to the Higginson apartment,
which was a beautiful, Edwardian
place.” As Paul confirms, “The Banays
served as an example for other faculty
members of how to run and manage
dorms. They modeled for us a good and
caring way to live with our students.”
In time, their three daughters—
Sophie ’99, Rachel ’03, and Emma ’07
—became Middlesex students. “In my
mind, those were the golden years,” Ron
fondly recalls. Despite their parental
anxiety about “encroaching on a transformative period in someone’s life,” he
and Alex found, “Their friends were
our friends, and it was a happy time.
I knew I had very intelligent and kind
colleagues, but when you see them with
your children, it casts them in another
light. I consider myself very fortunate
to have been teaching here.”
To commemorate a wonderful
era in their family, the Banays commissioned the granite bench located in
front of Higginson. Along with their
daughters’ names and graduation years,
it is engraved with the words “Fond
Memories of a Middlesex Girlhood,” a
tribute to a happy campus upbringing.
When they moved into a new
faculty house in 2000, Ron admits,
“After all those years of always being
‘on,’ we actually missed having students
around and knowing them the way you
do when you live with them.” Now, as
a newly minted honorary graduate of
the class of 2014 (“That’s got to be one
of the longest PG stints,” he quips),
Ron has also stepped away from the
classroom. Happily, for the Middlesex
community, he can still be found on
Oates Lane, as long as Alex staves
off retirement. M
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
25
Fond Farewells
Nancy Herter
A
sk Middlesex colleagues or
alumni to talk about Nancy
Herter, and they will invariably
dwell upon the same radiant
qualities: her friendliness and bright
smile, her generosity and concern, her
optimism and sense of fun. For the past
35 years, individually—and in tandem
with her husband, Ned Herter ’73—
Nancy has readily shared her zest for
life and love of family, helping to make
Middlesex a home for both teenagers
and adults.
This corner of Middlesex County
has been Nancy’s home since childhood, as she grew up in Carlisle, just
five miles down Lowell Road. Thanks
to a request for female choral voices at
all-male Middlesex—and to an introduction by Steve Werntz ’73—she
met Ned during her senior year at
Concord-Carlisle High School, and
the two stayed together while he was
at Bowdoin, and she earned a B.A. in
studio art at Middlebury. After they had
both graduated, they headed to Westminster School, where Nancy taught art
history and coached soccer and squash.
Married in the Middlesex Chapel, they
later welcomed daughter Emily ’97 and
moved to Middlesex in 1979.
As Ned joined the math department, Nancy was asked if she would be
willing to teach as well. From that point
on—interrupted only by the arrivals of
Ben ’99 and Aaron ’01, and a sabbatical
or two—she happily taught drawing to freshmen and sophomores in the
Elements of Style in Visual Perception
course.
“She was so welcoming and nonthreatening that it was easy to be in her
class,” says longtime friend and Major
Gifts Officer Paul Harrison. Encouraged
by her positive attitude, her students
were willing to try their hands at something new. “There is no such word as
‘can’t,’ ” Nancy states. “I was glad it was
a required course, so that I could work
26
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
with kids who didn’t know they could
create art—and to see them realize that they could create things they were
proud of and could hang on a wall.”
Among her most memorable
assignments was the perennial “dots”
drawing, a project that was “their first
chance to draw from their imagination,”
Nancy explains. “Before that, they were
drawing something in front of them.
This gave them a chance to show me
what was in their brains. Now, there is
such a stack of drawings! I have a hard
time throwing those things out because
I know how much time went into them.”
Sa-Heim Davis ’03 considers his
dot drawing “actually, one of my proudest achievements.” Moreover, he appreciated the convivial atmosphere that Nancy
created. “She was just great—bubbly,
great smile, young spirit,” he remembers. “It was a unique class for me.”
Early in her Middlesex tenure,
Nancy also coached girls’ soccer with
Admissions Director Galen Brewster,
and when Hallowell was designated a
girls’ dorm in 1983, she became head of
house. “Idyllic” is the word Nancy uses
to describe the Herters’ nine years on
campus. “We had babysitters living
upstairs, the dining hall was cooking all the meals, and we lived in this safe
environment for our kids, with instant
friends for them among the other faculty kids. I can’t imagine a better way to raise a young family.”
In turn, she was the consummate
dorm leader, as Math Department
Head Kelly Marchand recalls. “She had that perfect, motherly mix of being
loving and supportive and firm and no-nonsense,” Kelly says. “I think the
girls knew she was there for them, but
they also knew that if they stepped
over the line, they would be called
to account.”
As her former Hallowell neighbor,
Kelly can also attest, “Nancy makes
everything fun. When you live next to
Encouraged by her
positive attitude, her
students were willing
to try their hands at
something new. “There
is no such word as
‘can’t,’ ” Nancy states.
her, you have Nancy seasons. First came
Halloween—and the costumes were
homemade for your kids. Then, it was
time for Christmas; we would make
apple Santas, gingerbread houses, and
berry wreaths. She can make something
beautiful out of anything. There was
always the next big, happy event.”
When the Herters moved off
campus in 1988, Nancy became a dean
of students. As the director of day students for two of those three years, she
founded the Middlesex Local Parents
Association to include families of day
students more fully in the life of the
School. The organization soon expanded
to involve families of boarders, too, and
today, the Middlesex Parents Association remains strongly connected to and
supportive of the school community.
But the role that seemed to capitalize on all of Nancy’s interpersonal and
creative talents was that of director of
student activities, a position created in 1991. Over the years, she cheerfully
engineered a staggering series of events
and activities: 23 square dances, casino
nights, and proms; 20 spring carnivals,
19 luaus, three rounds of donkey basketball, and countless other activities,
from hypnotists and magicians to ski trips and bumper cars on ice. “My
least favorite thing would be a toss-up
between the foam dance and jello wrestling,” she muses, “but the messier
it is, the more they love it. I want kids to have fun and be young.”
Her upbeat approach was especially
appreciated by numerous advisees. As
Sa-Heim reflects, “She had a way of telling me, ‘Hey! You’re messing up!’ But
she would also say, ‘I believe in you, and
you can do this.’ Really, what I cherished
the most was being able to walk into her
office and hang out. She was an adult—
but also a friend who cared.”
A highly competitive, tri-varsity
Middlesex athlete, Heather Landry ’08
recalls, “Nancy was there to calm me
down and remind me that there were
other important things in life than what
I was stressing about. My cousin, Kristin Ohanian ’07, and Kitty Haydock ’08
were also Nancy’s advisees, so we had
group advisee meetings every week, and we would talk about whatever we
wanted to, whether it had to do with
Middlesex or not!”
“When we went back to Middlesex
for our fifth reunion,” Kitty notes, “my
friends made fun of me because Heather
and I were in a corner with Nancy the
whole time instead of spending more
time with our classmates.”
Ali Forelli ’12 is similarly grateful
for her advisor’s reassurance. “I worked
really hard on my academics, and it
was great to have Nancy to remind me
to have fun and get involved in student
activities,” she says. “She was genuinely
interested in how you were doing and
helped me through a lot of stress. She
would have dinners at her house, too,
so advisees felt like part of her family.”
Still close to home as a Harvard
junior, Ali regularly enjoys babysitting
for the Herters’ granddaughters, who
may be too young to know how much
they are envied by many Middlesex
people. Fortunately, Nancy is just down
the road in Carlisle, currently figuring
out a new answer to an old question.
“I’m a little sad I’m retiring,” she admits,
“because when people ask me how old
my children are, I have always said,
“Well, they are older than I am because
I’m still in high school!’” M
Mark Foster
I
t is hard to capture the aura of Mark
Foster: poet of the classroom, poet
of the river,” observes John Hirsch,
head of the English department.
Perhaps appropriately, the person
who seems to have come closest to
describing Mark is one of his own students, Valedictorian Dakota Foster ’14,
who said in her Farewell Chapel
tribute:
“
“I have never had a teacher with
higher intellectual standards, someone whose ability to generate
thought and engage the mind is so
evident and so persistent. In a time
and a place where so much is structured, scheduled, and quantified, Mr.
Foster stands as a symbol of the
devout individual, one who seeks
knowledge for knowledge itself; one
whose priority is the original, not
the preordained; one whose aspiration is to engender purposeful
thought, rather than to reiterate traditional interpretations.”
He would likely agree with her point
about his preference for original ideas
rather than purportedly “right”
answers. “Every reader should have
some intuitions and exercise judgment,”
Mark contends. “But even though I am
wedded to my own point of view, what
makes the job interesting is hearing
what students think. There is plenty of
room for us to disagree. It’s not personal; it’s whether or not you are following good procedure. It is a picture of
your mind. An essay is like an MRI.”
Over the past 27 years, he has read
many an MRI at Middlesex, on the
lookout for “alert, alive, papers that are
a perfect dance with the evidence.” Having watched Mark lead the English
department for 10 years before taking
on the role himself, John has long been
impressed with his colleague’s intellectual vitality and the “lightning-fast
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
27
pace” with which he worked. “The
extent to which Mark responded to students’ drafts was unreal,” John marvels.
“He was interested in having them
rewrite; it was part of the exploratory
process. He was a force of nature.”
At the same time, Mark enjoyed
the challenge of preparing three or four
different courses every semester—not
two sections each of two courses. “I
liked having contact with students in all
the grades,” he explains, “and I liked to
change up the electives. It was a great
way to teach myself something.”
Of the 20 or so electives he created,
The Sonnet remains a memorable one,
both for Mark and Liz Sims ’09—who
can also recall every book she read in
his Sophomore English class. “The Sonnet was my favorite class I ever had at
Middlesex, hands down,” she asserts.
“We were given a lot of creativity, and
finding a way to express an idea within
a structure was really good preparation.
It allowed us to think about and process
things that we didn’t otherwise have
time to think about. For a lot of us, it
became an outlet for all the stress of
senior year.”
Moreover, Liz adds, “He would also
write a sonnet, not just assign one to us.”
Somehow, in addition to reviewing
drafts and preparing classes—and
managing many other responsibilities
at Middlesex over the years, from running Bryant-Paine House to leading the
Judiciary Committee to coaching crew
—Mark was writing poetry, sometimes
sharing it with others.
“He is a brilliant poet,” John affirms.
“It was always a pleasure to read his
poems, and his readings were wonderful and theatrical. He was especially
good at teaching poetry, too. His poems
were both good and accessible; his
work was a way into poetry for many
students.”
With his view of teaching as a
“two-way street,” it makes sense that
Mark would complete his own sonnet
assignment—and enroll as a student in
AP French Language several years ago.
28
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
“It was always a pleasure
to read his poems, and his
readings were wonderful
and theatrical. He
was especially good at
teaching poetry, too. His
poems were both good
and accessible.”
“You could see the pleasure he had in
learning,” recalls French Department
Head Chantal Jordan.
Prepared, precise, and thoughtful,
Mark was a model student, living up
to the same expectations that he had
of his own students, one of whom once
complained, “I’m sure he invents some
of his words!” Chantal laughs. “He was
demanding,” she agrees. “He wanted
excellence, and he trusted that his students could do excellent work. I wish
I could have taken his class.”
His standards were the same on
the water. As a coxswain for the boys’
varsity boats, Liz remembers Mark telling the team, “There is no point in trying to do something if you are not going
to give it your absolute best.” This was
sometimes difficult to live up to, she
admits, but it motivated them “to care
about the sport and each other” and
to work hard each day.
George Wilson ’04 first appreciated
Mark as his Freshman English teacher
and, subsequently, as his coach and
advisor. “I liked Mr. Foster’s style,” he
explains. “The way he brought me out of
my shell in class was how I wanted to be
in Middlesex as a whole.” That process,
George found, involved candor and
courage. “He didn’t want me just to ‘fit
in’ and talked about getting outside my
comfort zone in every area. Of course,
he would comment on my grades, but
he always talked a lot about personality
and goals. He could always tell when I
was trying to cut corners. I might think
I was fooling the world, but he would
tell me.” Now midway through Columbia’s Business School, George believes
this “do something or stop complaining” approach helped him reach several
goals, such as making Cornell’s freshman crew.
In honor of his coaching tenure,
a Middlesex shell was to be named for
Mark, but he preferred to name it Helena, for his wife Lee, with whom he now
has more time to sail, garden, and visit
their children: Jennifer, Chris ’90, Mark
’01, and Susie ’04. But before setting off,
he delivered an eloquent Baccalaureate
address to the class of 2014. After reciting
Robert Frost’s great poem, “After ApplePicking,” Mark offered this suggestion:
“If I were to hypothesize a conclusion to all this, without actually
offering you advice, it would be to
say that, according to Frost, it might
be a good thing if one were to make
one’s life’s desire a big one, a worthy
one, a great harvest, something you
might really sink your teeth into,
something you would cherish, that
would call forth the most and best
you’ve got to give, and that would
leave you, not jaded, not bloated,
not blasé, not indifferent, not disgusted, not looking about for some
new distraction, but ebulliently
exhausted.”
Through his vocation as a poet, Frost
had lived such a life, Mark said, adding,
“In my own small way, I have.” But with
this last estimation, many would take
issue, in true Foster fashion. Educator,
poet, family man, and friend—Mark has
generously given his time and talents
to Middlesex and can look back with
satisfaction on his own great harvest of
inspired scholars, athletes, and advisees,
who are grateful for his influence. M
Ruth Johnson
T
ruth be told, Ruth Johnson
would have preferred to retire
from her Middlesex post as
quietly as she has driven the
afternoon shuttle bus to and from
downtown Concord for the last
few decades.
Initially assigned the route as an
employee of Dee Bus Service, Ruth
began working directly for the School,
and with Middlesex’s Transportation
Coordinator Paul Torres, in 1998, never
missing a shift in the six-day weekly
schedule. “It was my job, and I enjoyed
it!” she says, making light of that
incredible attendance record.
In Ruth’s experience, the passengers
she transported were always polite and
respectful. “I think the students realized
that you were doing them a favor,” she
reasons. “They were nice—I never had
a problem. They would share their concerns like, ‘Where do I get a haircut?
Where is this bank?’ And I would help
them get acclimated.”
Living within walking distance of
one of the shuttle stops, Claire Megan
’14 probably spent more time with Ruth
than most Middlesex students. “She’s
the type of person who works hard but
never asks for rewards,” observes Claire.
“She always brightened my day, and I
never saw her in a bad mood. In short,
she’s really sweet, and she has a big
heart.”
As Paul marveled in his tribute
to Ruth at the end-of-year dinner for
faculty and staff, “The hours and miles
that she has spent behind the wheel,
safely serving, are astronomical—and
yet, she expected to park the bus on her
last trip and leave the campus with no
fuss!” Instead, she was honored by
Claire at the School’s Farewell Chapel
and then by Paul at the final dinner,
where he made it clear that the task of juggling Middlesex’s many vehicles
was made easier thanks to his cheerful,
dependable colleague. “I have always
been able to count on Ruth, even when
I called her in a panic, rambling on and
on about schedule changes,” he said.
“Her calm and reassuring response was always the same: ‘That’s fine, Paul;
whatever you need, just let me know
when you figure it out.’”
Now easing into retirement, reportedly “getting things done around the
house and enjoying friends,” Ruth will
always be remembered and appreciated
by students like Claire, who reflects, “I felt like a lot of people knew her but
didn’t really know her well. I’m lucky I got to know her because she’s really,
really lovely.” M
“She’s the type of person
who works hard but
never asks for rewards,”
observes Claire. “She
always brightened my
day, and I never saw her
in a bad mood. In short,
she’s really sweet, and
she has a big heart.”
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
29
In Memoriam
Henry T. Eaton, Jr. ’37
Malcolm B. Onwood ’39
Henry Taft Eaton, Jr. passed away
on June 27, 2014.
Hank was born in New York
City on August 29, 1918, to Henry
Taft Eaton and Ina Kissel Eaton.
On graduating from Middlesex,
he attended Harvard before serving in the U.S. Army. During
WWII, Hank was commissioned
from first lieutenant to captain
and then transferred to Southern
France, where he was decorated
with a purple heart after being
wounded in combat. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
An International Forest Products executive and serial entrepreneur, Hank was also pursued as a
consultant for companies worldwide. Beyond his profession, he
was an author and inventor who
loved skiing, tennis, and world
travel. Hank also enjoyed serving
others and is remembered for
making contributions to the Boy
Scouts of America and forwarding
numerous other economic, social,
historical, and human service
initiatives.
Hank is survived by his second
wife of nearly 25 years, Phyllis
Eaton; his daughter, Wendy King;
four grandchildren, including
Ame Kissel Taft Eaton ’03; four
stepchildren, Vaile Thompson,
Terry Thompson, Daniel Thompson, and Theresa Rose; seven step-grandchildren; 20 step-greatgrandchildren; and one step-greatgreat-grandson. He was preceded
in death by his parents; his first
wife of over 50 years, Gladys Foote
Eaton; two daughters, Penelope
Eaton Onstott and Barbara Gay
Eaton; two brothers, Frederick
William Eaton and Peter Kissel
Eaton; and his sister, Eleonora
Eaton Brooks.
Malcolm Brooks Onwood passed
away at home on July 29, 2013.
Born in England on December
3, 1919, Mal emigrated to the U.S.
with his parents. After attending
Middlesex, he returned to England and served with the Duke of
Wellington West Riding Regiment
in India during World War II. Mal
enjoyed golf and gardening, and
his life was enriched by the many
people he met along the way.
Predeceased by his wife, Evelyn Greenwood, Mal is survived by his daughter, Michelle
Onwood-Laney; his son-in-law,
Peter Laney; and his grandsons,
Andrew and Stephen Laney.
44
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
Charles W. Young ’40
The School recently learned of the
death of Charles Willard Young.
Charlie was born to Kenneth
and Marion Young on January 28,
1921, and joined the sixth class at
Middlesex soon after the graduation of his older brother, Kenneth
T. Young, Jr. ’34. On receiving his diploma, Charlie earned his
undergraduate degree at Harvard.
He married Annis Leach on
December 23, 1942, and together
they raised three children—Becca,
Debby, and Chip—in Princeton,
NJ. After the death of his wife,
Charlie relocated to New York
City, where he continued his
career as a personnel consultant
for executive searches and started
MediVisuals, which designs and
develops visual exhibits to support
medical expert testimony. He later
moved between New York and
Princeton, resuming his executive search work and becoming
involved in other business
enterprises as well.
Charlie’s wife Annis died in
1982, followed by his daughter
Debby in 1988; further details of
his survivors could not be determined by the time of publication.
Martin R. Hoffmann ’50
Former Middlesex Trustee
(1980–90) and Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Martin Richard
Hoffmann died on Monday, July 14, 2014.
Born in Stockbridge, MA, Marty moved with his family to Colorado
Springs, CO, during WWII,
and his early life in the
West shaped his character, also giving him a lifelong love of bluegrass music and
alpine skiing. After graduating from Middlesex and Princeton University, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, leaving active
service in 1958—though remaining in the Reserve until
1975—to attend the University of Virginia’s Law School.
On receiving his J.D., Marty worked as a lawyer in several capacities in and around the U.S. Government,
eventually serving as the general counsel for the Department of Defense before becoming Secretary of the U.S.
Army in 1975. In 1976, he resigned his position and moved
to the private sector, working first in Washington, DC, for
the law firm of Gardner, Carton and Douglas, and then
moving on to different legal and academic posts. In 2000,
he returned to the Pentagon, aiding the transition team for the new administration. Following the events of 9/11,
Marty helped to form and develop the Defense Resources
Support Office - Afghanistan. Having seen the devastating
results of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress
disorder, he spent the last seven years working tirelessly
for the advancement and use of hyperbaric oxygen in
treating affected soldiers. For his distinguished career in
the public and private sector, Marty deservedly received
Middlesex’s Henry Cabot Lodge ’20 Distinguished Alumni
Award in 2000.
Marty is survived by his beloved wife Muggy; his sisters, Elizabeth Longstreet, Cecil Hoffmann, and Molly
MacKinnon; his daughter, Cecil Hoffmann Slye ’80; his
sons, William G. Hoffmann and Bernhard A. Hoffmann ’89;
and three grandchildren. His son-in-law, Paul Slye ’80,
is also a Middlesex graduate.
Montgomery R. Childs ’51
After a courageous battle with
congestive heart disease, Montgomery Rollins Childs died peacefully on October 18, 2014, with
his loving family by his side.
Born in Boston, MA, on January 15, 1933, Monty was the son of Edward R. and Sarah W. Rollins
Childs and was raised on Tidewater Farm in Dover, NH. Not
long after graduating from Middlesex, where he lettered in three
sports, he married Gail Allen
Hobson in Boston’s Old North
Church in 1953. Monty graduated
in 1955 with a degree in forestry
from the University of New Hampshire, where he played football and
hockey. He then earned a master’s
degree in wood technology at
North Carolina State University.
In 1957, Monty joined the
Texas Forest Service in Lufkin,
TX, where he engaged in wood
utilization research and teaching.
He later became the director of
research for Love Wood Products
and then was vice president of
Henderson Homes and Manufacturing. In 1964, Monty returned
to Worcester, MA, and became
an administrative assistant for
Worcester County Institution of
Savings. He joined the treasurer’s
office at the University of New
Hampshire in 1968, serving as
director of auxiliary services and
treasurer of Associated Student
Organizations until 1980. Joining
Don L. Thompson Real Estate,
Monty founded Tidewater Realty
Associates in 1985, co-founded
Buyers Resource of Strafford
County in 1989, and joined
DeWolfe New England in 1991. He retired in 2000, still retaining a
broker’s license. Actively involved
with many associations and clubs,
Monty was passionate about working on Tidewater Farm. He loved
all kinds of outdoor activities, but
most of all, Monty loved his family.
Monty is survived by his wife,
Donna Sheldon Childs; his daughters, Rebecca Smith, Elizabeth
Bradford, and Katherine Schellong;
his stepchildren, Marci Weibel
and Thomas Cronshaw; his sister,
Ellen West Lovejoy; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild;
several cousins, including Thomas
W. Childs IV ’56; and numerous
nephews, nieces, and friends. He was predeceased by his son,
Montgomery R. Childs, Jr.; his
first wife Gail; his brother Edward
R. Childs, Jr. ’45, and his son-inlaw, Harrison Smith.
Michael K. Carney ’52
Michael Kerwin Carney passed
away at his home in Mill Valley,
CA, on April 29, 2014, after a long, stoic battle with cancer.
Born on December 21, 1933, in
Milwaukee, WI, Mike was the son
of Gretchen Mary Sensenbrenner
and Robert Forrest Carney. After
graduating from Middlesex, he
went on to Brown University on an ROTC scholarship and joined
the Marine Corps for three years,
serving during the Korean War. On
completing his Brown degree, he
went to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Beginning his career with the
Curtis Publishing Company, Mike
married Susan Gale Salembier in 1961 and moved to New Canaan,
CT, where they raised their family.
During this time, he worked first
for the consumer products division
of Nabisco and then at Chase Manhattan Bank, where he became
worldwide advertising director.
Following an amicable divorce in
1982, Mike moved to San Francisco to join Grey Advertising.
Within two years, he had founded
the first of a series of advertising
agencies, culminating in Carney
& Werts. Among their many
award-winning campaigns was
the introduction of Power Bar.
Married in 1991 to Anne
McAlister Neeley, Mike and his
second wife enjoyed traveling the
world, often by bicycle; tragically,
Anne was killed in a bicycle accident in 1999 while the couple was
riding across the U.S.
Mike served for 12 years on the Board of the Headlands Center for the Arts and also supported
the San Francisco AIDS Foundation
for many years. He was passionate
about lacrosse and promoted the
sport’s expansion as a player,
administrator, official, and coach.
He garnered many distinctions
and awards as a player, including
being named All-American at
Brown, and ended his career as
a coach of the Tamalpais High
School lacrosse team last year.
Mike is survived by his partner, Lynn Perry; his first wife,
Susan Salembier Carney, and their children, Kimberly Carney
Hutchinson, Michael Carney, and
Elizabeth Carney Williams; two
stepchildren, Gretchen and Tad
Neeley; two grandchildren; and
four step-grandchildren.
George B. Meyer II ’53
George Baker Meyer II died at
home suddenly and unexpectedly
on November 28, 2013.
The son of George B. and
Loraine M. Meyer, George was a
native Houstonian who was born
on November 20, 1933. He joined
the fifth class at Middlesex in 1948
and, after graduating, went on to
earn a B.A. at the University of
Texas, where he made lifelong
friendships as a member and as
president of Phi Kappa Sigma
Fraternity. He then became
involved in the family business,
Meyer Investment Company,
which developed the Meyerland
Subdivision and the Meyerland
Shopping Center on land purchased by his grandfather. Later,
he pursued a variety of interests
and was a member of the Forest
Club, The Houston Club, Holland
Lodge No. 1, and the York and
Scottish Masonic Rites. George
and his wife Connie volunteered
together to serve in an effort to
provide comfort to those under
the care of the Houston Hospice.
Among George’s survivors are
his wife Connie and her children,
Jack G. Taylor III and Kay
Klumpp.
Samuel C. Newbury ’63
Samuel Chamberlin Newbury
died of cancer on May 22, 2014, at his home in Point Breeze, PA.
Sam was born on April 2, 1945, and came to Middlesex from
the Fenn School. On completing
his degree at Swarthmore College,
he began his television career as a
documentary cameraman for Jim Lehrer at KERA in Dallas, TX. In
1974, Sam moved to Pittsburgh as
a cameraman at WQED. He was
the producer of “Mister Rogers’
Neighborhood” from 1981 until
1986 and then became the director
of production for Family Communications (now The Fred Rogers
Company). In the latter role, he
led the expansion of Rogers’ work
and scope beyond broadcast television and into a wide arena of
professional training for the benefit
of children and families dealing
with the emotional ramifications
of illness, prejudice, and anger.
He was awarded WQED’s VITA
award in 2012 in recognition of
his service to the organization.
Sam had a lifelong commitment to social justice, inclusiveness, and community building. He
was a choir member and congregant at Sixth Presbyterian Church
in Squirrel Hill and an active
participant in Interfaith Dialogue,
an ongoing collaboration among
Muslims, Jews, and Christians.
Passionate about music, he served
as a board member for the Chatham Baroque Society for several
years. Sam began his work as a
ceramicist at Swarthmore and
met his wife, fabric artist Jan
Myers, at the Haystack Mountain
School of Crafts. In retirement,
he was devoted to his craft and was
a board member of Touchstone
Center for Crafts. He will be
remembered as a man of dignity
and honor, of infinite patience
and generosity, of restraint and
reflection, of faith and endurance.
In addition to his wife, Sam is survived by his son, David Juan Newbury; a sister, Nancy
Newbury Andresen; four brothers,
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
45
In Memoriam
David S. Newbury ’60, William
Newbury, David Myers, and Larry
Myers; and seven nieces. His
cousin, Gilbert Roddy ’74, is also a Middlesex graduate.
wife Rebecca; his daughter, Susan
H. Taylor ’99 and her husband,
Graham G. Taylor ’99; two grandchildren; and a sister, Susan Klee
Heller.
James A. Heller ’67
Charles T. Porter, Jr. ’69
James Albert Heller died on June
23, 2014, at his home in Westerly,
RI.
Born and raised in Manhattan,
Jim was the son of the late William
B. and Anne C. Heller. He attended
St. Bernard’s School, Middlesex,
and Colorado College, where he
distinguished himself as editor-
in-chief of the student newspaper.
From 1971 to 1984, Jim worked on
the editorial staff of The Reporter
Dispatch in White Plains, NY,
where he earned an Associated
Press award for reporting. He later
won a second AP award for breaking news for his page one makeup
of the assassination attempt on
Pope John Paul II in 1981. During
his newspaper stint, he met writer
and artist Pamela Markham, who
was a reporter at the time; they
married in 1975.
At the time of his death, Jim
was a director of the Moore Company, where he had previously
served as an executive for more
than two decades. He was also a board member and chairman of the audit committee of Premium Power Corporation, an
alternative energy company, and
was the owner of Greenville Plate
Services, a manufacturer of laser
plates used in engraving currency.
Jim was the treasurer and longtime board member of Doing Art
Together, a New York City organization that provides studio art
instruction to underserved school
children. A beloved husband,
father, grandfather, and brother,
he will be remembered for his
modesty, kindness, generosity,
and steadfast devotion to friends
and family.
In addition to his wife Pam,
Jim is survived by his son, William
Benjamin Heller II ’97, and his
Charles Talbot Porter, Jr. died of a
heart attack on February 23, 2014,
in Punta Arenas, Chile.
The son of Dr. Charles T. and
Barbara Cooney Porter, Charlie
was born on June 12, 1950, and
grew up in Pepperell, MA. After
graduating from Middlesex, his
intense interest in rock climbing
and mountaineering inspired him
to climb in the Canadian Rockies
and the Cascades and then move
to Yosemite Valley.
Charlie excelled at big wall
rock climbing, mountaineering,
and ice climbing, quickly becoming a legend in 1972 for making
the first ascent of The Shield of El Capitan in Yosemite Park.
Noted for guts, innovation, wits,
and determination, he pioneered
several more routes on El Capitan
before heading to Canada to conquer Moose’s Tooth, the Polar
Circus ice climb at Banff, Baffin
Island’s Mount Asgard, and the
Canadian Rockies’ Fortress. In
Alaska, Charlie made the first solo ascent up Denali’s Cassin
Ridge. In 1978, he rowed around
Cape Horn, a 2,000-mile voyage.
He has inspired young and old
adventurers worldwide.
At the time of his death, Charlie was a research associate
for the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute; since
the early 1990s, he had helped
scientists there conduct research
in the southern hemisphere, providing logistical support with his
unique set of mountaineering and
sailing skills. As the CEO of the
Patagonia Research Foundation,
he operated a charter boat service
for scientists, explorers, and film
crews. Charlie was the nexus
between world-renowned scientists and others who came to Pata-
46
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
gonia to study, transporting them
on his sailboats and helping them
cross-fertilize their ideas.
Charlie is survived by three
former wives, Karen McDonald,
Georgina Valdivia, and Camilla
Hansen; two sisters, Phoebe and
Gretel; his brother Barnaby; three
nephews; and two great-nieces.
Arthur M. Worden III ’69
Arthur Morley Worden III died
on February 19, 2013, at his home
in Brewster, MA.
Born on March 7, 1951, Tip was the son of Dorotha Stone and
Arthur M. Worden, Jr. He came to Middlesex in the fall of 1963 as
a sixth classer from the Sudbury
Public Schools. On graduating, he
went on to earn a B.A. in English
at the University of Pennsylvania.
Following his own path, Tip
became the foreman of a cattle
ranch after college, riding the
range in Oregon and California
for several years before moving
with his young family to Denver,
CO, where he pursued a career in sales. Tip returned to the East
Coast in 2009.
Tip is survived by his sons,
James and Matt; two grandsons;
his brother Mark; and his sister,
Roberta Bersani.
Malcolm S. Nichols ’75
Malcolm Swift Nichols passed
away on September 25, 2014.
Malcolm was born in Boston,
MA, on July 4, 1956 and was a son
of Nancy Bird Nichols and the late
William D. Nichols. He grew up
in Carlisle and, after graduating
from Middlesex, received his
B.S.C.E. at Union College. Malcolm worked as a real estate developer for most of his life. Since
childhood, he spent his summers
on Long Pond, where he enjoyed
sailing his boat, Tanager, and was
a proud lifetime member of the
Chetolah Yacht Club. In addition
to sailing, Malcolm enjoyed golf-
ing, sitting by the fire or on the
porch, and most especially, spending time with his family, to whom
his dedication was immeasurable.
He is survived by his wife, Allison Sue Donenfeld Nichols;
his children, Steffany Sterling
Nichols and Justin Bassett Nichols;
his siblings, Nat Nichols, William
G. Nichols ’78, and Deborah
McDonald; and four nieces and
nephews.
Christina C. Fagan ’77
Christina Campbell Fagan passed
away on July 19, 2014, after a long
illness.
The daughter of Jane and Alan
Campbell Fagan, Christina was
born on June 4, 1958, and grew up
in Weston, MA. As one of the first
girls to enroll at Middlesex in the
fall of 1974, she was elected president of her sophomore class and
then her junior class, topping off
these achievements with becoming the first female school president in 1976. After graduation,
Christina earned her undergraduate degree at Connecticut College
and went on to complete an
M.F.A. in writing, literature, and
publishing at Emerson College.
She taught English at Emerson
and at MIT, while also pursuing
her writing career. She later
worked at The MacKeen Gallery
on Boston’s Newbury Street.
Christina leaves her twin
brother, Jamie C. Fagan ’77, and
older brother, Marc MacK. Fagan
’76; four nieces, Ainslie Fagan,
Christina B. Fagan ’08, Serena M.
Fagan ’10, and Alanna M. Fagan
’12; and one nephew, Rob Fagan.
Joyce B. Andrews
Joyce Bisbee Andrews, a former
trustee of Middlesex, died peacefully on September 25, 2014.
Born to Elliot and Dorothy
Winsor Bisbee on March 31, 1932,
Joyce was a granddaughter of
Middlesex’s founder, Frederick
Winsor, and grew up as a faculty
child on the School’s campus until
her family moved to their Vermont
home in 1946. She was a resident
of Andover and North Andover
over the past 60 years. A graduate
of Radcliffe College, Joyce was a
teacher and then a caring and
present mother of four children.
In her forties, she earned a master’s degree in psychology from
Tufts University. She then worked
in the North Andover school system, helping to diagnose and
place children with special needs.
On retiring, she volunteered as a
hospice care provider.
Joyce’s interests were broad,
and she cared deeply for her family, her friends, and her community. She served on numerous
charitable boards of directors, was
President of the Andover League
of Women Voters, and was a
member of the Vestry of Christ
Church. A trustee of Middlesex
from 1978–79, while she served as
president of the Parents’ Committee, Joyce rejoined the Board soon
after, serving from 1980–92. She
will be remembered for her moral
presence, generous spirit and
compassion, keen intelligence,
and enthusiastic enjoyment of life.
Predeceased by her brother,
Frederick W. Bisbee ’41, her sister
Alice, and her husband Jerry,
Joyce is survived by three sons,
Chris, Steve, and Ned; one daughter, Lisa Andrews Hooper ’78;
four grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and many nieces and
nephews. Among the numerous
Middlesex alumni in Joyce’s
family are her three surviving
brothers, Ethan W. Bisbee ’46,
John Bisbee ’44, and Thomas
Bisbee ’51; and her nephew,
Michael K. Bisbee ’71.
Marcia B. Cohen
Marcia Braitman Cohen, M.D., a
former trustee of Middlesex, died
unexpectedly on March 30, 2014.
The daughter of Dr. Louis and
Arabelle Levinson Braitman,
Marcia was born in Detroit, MI.
She attended the University Liggett
School of Detroit and went on to
earn her B.A., M.S., and M.D. at
Wayne State University. In 1974,
Marcia moved to the Boston area
to complete her internship and
residency at Brigham and Women’s
Hospital. She later married Dr.
Saul Cohen, an internist and cardiologist whom she had met in
medical school. After passing her board examinations in both
anatomical and surgical pathology, Marcia began her pathology
career at Worcester Memorial
Hospital. She went on to serve as chief of surgical pathology and
the head of clinical laboratories at Leominster Hospital. Marcia
loved to research and evaluate
new medical discoveries, which
led her to becoming an on-air
medical correspondent on New
England Cable News and CNN
Headline News. Always active and at the center of her family,
Marcia served as a Middlesex
Trustee from 1994-98.
In addition to her husband,
Marcia is survived by her son,
Lawrence Howard Mintz; her
daughter, Elizabeth Cohen King
’97; and three grandchildren. She was predeceased by her
brother, Robert Braitman.
Jean P. Stritter
The School recently learned of the
death of former faculty member
Jean “Preb” Stritter, who died on
March 13, 2014, at Wake Robin in Vermont, where she had lived
for the past 20 years.
Preb will undoubtedly be
remembered by the Middlesex
math students she taught during
the years of 1973–76 and 1987–88.
Following the wishes of Preb (and
her late husband Ed, who died in
1976), no funeral or formal service
was held. Instead, a July gathering was planned at Lake Sunapee,
NH, where family members could
hike, canoe, and share stories about
Preb, who enjoyed a fulfilled life.
B. David Forman
B. David Forman,
who taught Spanish at
Middlesex from 1982
until his retirement in
2005, died unexpectedly
on June 4, 2014.
The son of the late
Edward and Irene Forman,
David was born on January 27, 1940, in Rochester,
NY. After earning a B.A.
in Spanish from Colgate
University, David attended graduate school at NYU for
one year, intending to earn a business degree. On deciding
that he truly preferred teaching, he began his career at
Montclair Academy in New Jersey, where he taught for five
years. When David completed his M.A.T. at the University
of Vermont, he and his family headed to Spain for his doctoral study. Returning to the U.S., he taught at St. Mark’s
School in Dallas, TX, for eight years before coming to
Middlesex in 1982.
During his 23-year tenure at Middlesex, David served
as a football coach and the faculty supervisor of the
School’s literary magazine, Ikon. In addition, he is credited
with establishing the School’s relationship with Walden
Health and Rehabilitation Center, where he brought
students to visit the residents every Tuesday night—a
volunteer tradition that continues today. Married in 1966
to Jean McCleery, David enjoyed bicycling, bird watching,
scuba diving, traveling, outdoor activities, and spending
time with his grandchildren.
Predeceased by his parents and a sister, Rachel Gail
Forman Kahn, David is survived by his wife Jean; their two
daughters, Karin Forman Varblow ’85 and Suzanne Forman
Twadell ’88; four grandchildren; his brother-in-law, Ronald
Kahn; one niece and two nephews; and several cousins.
Corrections to the Spring 2014 Bulletin
The obituary for George E. Senkler II ’52 omitted the names of George’s
two surviving sisters: Abigail S. Kazanowski and Susan S. McMullan.
Similarly, the obituary of Franklin T. Locke ’61 did not correctly
mention Frank’s two surviving sisters: Helen L. Cook and Miriam Locke.
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
47
Back Story
Rural Renewal
The Paine Barn, as it
appeared before the start
of the renovation process,
which should be complete
by the end of 2014.
48
MIDDLESEX fall 2014
Sitting across Lowell Road from the School’s
main entrance, the big, red barn is one of the
few remaining signs that the Middlesex campus was previously a farm. Built with handmade nails and hand-cut lumber, the barn
dates to the 1870s—old, but not “historic”
by local standards. Inside that cavernous yet
comfortable structure, a rusty scale by the
front door and a large claw suspended from
the ceiling indicate that this was primarily
a hay barn, where wagons would drive in and
be weighed before pulling in further to have
the claw scoop up the load and shift
it into the haylofts.
Once Middlesex ceased all farming
activities, the Paine Barn was used for
storage, accumulating a curious assortment
of items. A horse-drawn carriage, two dog
sleds, and a bronze eagle sculpture were
among the treasures discovered when the
building was emptied last spring to prepare
for its conversion to a new home for the
Facilities and Operations Department. Apart
from water damage resulting from holes in
the roof, the structure was deemed to be in
great shape by construction consultants and
architect Ben Nickerson, who specializes
in barns.
Last summer, the restoration/renovation
work began in earnest, shoring up the foundation, removing ramshackle sheds from the
1970s, and replacing the exterior siding and
the shingled roof. “It’s a unique project, and
it’s going to be a great space for our Facilities
team,” says Project Manager Steve McKeown.
“We used a tongue-and-groove hemlock
floor, which has the same appearance as
the old flooring. The original beams, ceiling,
and an interior brick wall remain, and the
whole front façade facing Lowell Road was
preserved in its original state, though the
sliding door is permanently closed.”
The Grounds’ crew will take over the
basement level, with plenty of room for
trucks, plows, mowers, and other equipment.
Meanwhile, the main floor will be filled with
shops for carpentry, HVAC, plumbing, and
electrical repairs. Details from the past will
serve as reminders of the barn’s history,
however: horseshoes tacked on the walls, the
antique scale, and—tightly secured in place—
the hay claw overhead. M
Middlesex Alumni Association
Gala Benefit and Auction
April 10, 2015
Please join fellow alumni and
parents for the third Middlesex Alumni
Association Gala Benefit and Auction
at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston
on April 10, 2015, at 6:30 p.m.
Our first two Gala Auctions raised over
$275,000 for the Middlesex Alumni Association
(MxAA), which has used those funds to help support
a variety of annual alumni outreach programs:
Summer Internship Stipend Program
Alumni Career Panels in NYC & Boston
On-Campus Alumni Art Exhibit
Young Alumni Holiday Receptions
College-Age Alumni Gatherings
Parent & Alumni Golf Tournaments
The success of the previous Galas also
allowed the MxAA to make an annual grant of
$15,000 to the School’s financial aid budget to help
cover scholarship students’ incidental expenses, such as
the cost of trips taken by athletic teams or academic
departments, athletic equipment, and travel to
and from campus during school vacations.
For more information about the Gala—
or to inquire about donating an auction item—
please contact Director of Alumni Relations
John Morrissey at 978-369-5110
or jmorrissey@mxschool.edu
1400 Lowell Road
P.O.Box 9122
Concord, Massachusetts
01742-9122
www.mxschool.edu
Mx2: The Campaign for Middlesex
was publicly launched at the InterContinental Boston on October 1, 2014.
On hand for the celebration were Campaign Steering Committee Chair Jim Oates ‘65,
Honorary Co-chairs Bob and Anne Bass, Board President Pete Olney ‘66, and
Head of School Kathy Giles.
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MIDDLESEX fall 2014
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Concord, MA 01742
Permit No. 116