If It's Fall in Silver Spring, It's Blair Homecoming Time

VOLUME XXXII, NUMBER 4 Fall, 2018

ALUMNI NEWS

If It’s Fall in Silver Spring, It’s Blair Homecoming Time

Inside: More Stories from the Alumni Hall Wall of Honor, plus….

Montgomery County’s Performing Arts Pioneer Retires (with appropriate fanfare)

1968’s Eliot Pfanstiehl Leaves a Legacy That Started at Blair NOW AVAILABLE: “Once a Blazer, Always a Blazer” Alumni T-Shirts

Order your new Montgomery Blair Alumni T-Shirt $25.00 each A great gift for new grads, Alumni, parents/grandparents who went to Blair, etc.

Available in Medium, Large, and Extra Large Sizes (trust us – they run small)

Order Yours Now at http://www.blairalumni.org/montgomery-blair-alumni-tshirt/

Why not order one for all of your Class Reunion attendees? Contact us at [email protected] for quantity discounts.

All proceeds go directly to our Scholarship and Special Projects Fund even an award named for Morgan that is given to the National Player of the Year, who WHAT’S INSIDE is chosen from among these great players not only for athletic ability but also for Blair Alumni T-Shirts Inside Front Community Service activities. A fitting type of Editorial 3 award to bear Morgan’s name. Reunion Corner 4 There is an article inside this issue that Scholarship Contributors 5&9 recounts several more times I recently heard Stories from the Wall of Honor 6-8 the name Montgomery Blair mentioned in Homecoming: Now and Then 10-11 the most unexpected places (including a We Hear “Blair” Everywhere 12-14 tribute to Morgan Wootten on PBS). What’s Happening at Blair 15 -16 Montgomery County’s Performing 17-18 Keep your ears open. “Blair” is here, there, Arts Icon Retires and everywhere. Wall of Honor Tile Program Inside Back Welcome New Members Back Cover ______Me and my new BFF. No, this EDITORIAL isn’t the Ron Do You Hear What I Hear? McDonald that hired me to I long-ago stopped being amazed – or even speak but I think surprised – at how many times the “Blair he’s the one Connection” pops up in my life who catered the luncheon. Here is another example. I was asked to speak at a conference at As we head into the end of the year, it’s just

Hamburger University in Oak Brook, IL. (Yes, natural to take a look back at the events of it’s a real place, and if that wasn’t enough, I was this past year and start thinking about what the future is going to bring. In 2018, your hired by a man named Ron McDonald. I kid you Alumni Association was able to continue not). making an impact on the quality of the educational experience Blair students receive through the culmination of our efforts to have the school auditorium officially renamed ALUMNI HALL. To fund that project (and to enhance our annual Scholarship Program), our Wall of Honor Tile Program was an overwhelming success, thanks to your generosity. (I didn’t think you’d believe me, but I really did speak at Hamburger University) 2019 will start the buildup to Blair’s 85th When I arrived, I went to the Museum, and, sure Anniversary, which coincides with the th enough, the “Blair Connection” hit me right in the celebration of the 20 anniversary of the face. In the entrance to the area featuring the University Blvd Campus. It’s also time for the

McDonald’s All-American Basketball Teams, induction of the next “class” into the Alumni there was a display showing the Trustees and Association Hall of Fame.

Founders of this program that has contributed It should be a great adventure! millions to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Sure enough, there is a photo of Best wishes to everyone for a happy and Blair’s own Morgan Wootten (’50). There is healthy holiday season. 3 REUNION CORNER

The Class of ‘63 Celebrates 55 Years

On Saturday, October 6, 2018, the Blair Class of ’63 had its 55th year reunion at Clyde’s Tower Oaks in Rockville.

Fifty-six classmates enjoyed an evening together with former teacher Richard Pioli, who directed all the wonderful The Class of 1969 is already Blair plays and traveled from Florida to enjoy making plans for next year’s big the festivities. 50 Year Reunion September, 2019

For info contact John Sharman [email protected]

Join your Class on Facebook

Susie Finkelstein, Rick Rosen, Sharon Braver, Karen Gutwerk Benjamin, Arthur Benjamin enjoy the ’63 55-Year Reunion at Clyde’s Sunday was a brunch at Hunter’s Bar and Grill in Potomac, owned by classmate Sylvia Colen Berman and her husband, Murray. Everyone agreed it was a wonderful weekend, enjoying company with friends. They are already planning to do it again in five years! The class of 1984 is planning its 35-year reunion in

September 2019 to be held at a location in Silver Spring.

Contact: Benjamin J. Hendrickson Sr., PE, PMP. [email protected] - email (410)398-8087 - home phone (410)920-1096 – cell 1-866-460-1948 - fax 4 2018 Scholarship and Special Projects Fund Contributors

Our thanks to these Blair graduates, faculty, family members, and friends for their generous support of

the Blair Alumni Association (as of September 30 , 2018) PLATINUM LEVEL SILVER LEVEL (cont’d) CENTURY LEVEL (cont’d) Scott Kennedy ’67 The Class of 1964 Lorraine Barth Harding ’55 John Kuhns ‘68 Bill Mason ’62 Alan Harvey ‘58 Rob Levin ‘65 Dan Dickson ’62 Richard Hoag ’57 Robert Levin ’68 George Dorsey ‘67 Marjorie Persion Hobart ’54 Jane Richmond Lynn ’51 Bill Gise ‘66 Richard Hozik ’69 Jack Maa 2018 Joe Pavlock ‘70 Gordon Kennedy ’65 Tom Manger ‘72 Jeffrey Weisleder ’64 Esther Leise ’71 John McDonald ’80 Charlie Wendal ‘64 Barbara & Bruce Lieske ‘52 Judie Goldberg Mopsik ’61 Ben Stein ‘62 Marianne Szwec Leizure ‘70 William Oppenhein ’62 Popey Doten Xander ’46 Robert Lowe ’68 Amy Myer Phifer ’79 George Davies, ‘56 Susan Sinclair Loy ‘54 Susan Babin Paper ’62 The Class of 1962 William Luther ’57 Rob/Robin Brownfield Platky ’73 The Class of 1956 Judy Margolis Macaluso ’62 Charles Polinger ‘62 Peter Margus ‘69 GOLD LEVEL Lois Proctor Porter ‘45 Jack Martinelli ’55 Laurence Abramson ’58 Peter Remsen ’62 Robert “Bob” Marques ’67 Allen Chauvenet ’63 John Sharman Jr. ’69 Ben McCeney ’53 Connie Chung ‘64 Bruce Smith ‘79 Jeff McClelland ’60 Steve Howard ‘68 Norm Stant Faculty Georgia Claxton McGraw ’53 Ed & Nancy Kendrick Hunter ‘50 Marguerite Wason ’71 Howard Metcalfe ‘51 Bruce MacDonald ’68 Roberta Smith Wilhelm Mike Michaelson Faculty Greg Mullendore ’63 Tom Windes ‘61 Joel Nathan ’68 Judith Atwood Pinkston ‘56 The Class of 1946 Harry Packard ’55 Ken Shifrin ’70 The Davis Family Tom Patterson ’55 Joan Bulkeley Stade ’58 The Branson Family Eileen Powers ‘73 Margaret Moose Swallow ’71 The Remsen Family Robert Reher ’69 Hollace Goldberg Weiner ‘64 Maxine Rheingold ‘69 Morgan Wootten ’50 C ENTURY LEVEL Donald Robertson ’62 Larry Acker ’53 The Pinkston Family Eva Roessler ‘69 Jim Arend ‘66 The Lewis / Beall Family Joy Ford Rogers ‘68 Linda Saperstein Baggish ‘61 The Dickson Family Terri Ziebert Sanker ’69 Darlene Landis Ball ’58 The Class of 1950 Ramona Scott ‘80 Arlene Bassin Begelman ‘64 The Class of 1954 Lorin Sarbacher ’65 James Beadles ’65 The Class of 1955 Nancy Pursell Schulze ‘59 Carol Whiting Bowen ‘71 The Class of 1957 Christine Sheridan ’68 Bill Bronrott ’73 The 1962 Chair Committee Anne Whitmore Smawley ’46 Pat Gary Chemis ‘51 The Class of 1966 Ilene Sinsky Solomon ‘62 Everett Childs ’64 The Class of 1967 Dr. Alan Smith ’55 Ron & Rita Cima ’71 The Class of 1968 Robert Smith ‘61 Donald Clark ‘52 The Class of 1970 Stanley Sobel ’59 Richard Cohen ‘59 The Clss Officers of 1970 Don Sperling ’67 Vera Lynn Blana Coulam ’63 Rick Tavan ’66 SILVER LEVEL Janis Crichton ‘70 Dennis Theoharis ’67 Allan Akman ’60 Richard Dale ‘53 Michael Thieroff ‘59 Janet Gessford Buhler ’74 David DeJong ’68 William Turner ’58 Phil Byer ’66 Sandra Clevering Drimal ‘66 VanBuren Vaughn ’75 Anna Fayard Connellee ’67 Dave Eden ‘55 Joel Versh ’61 Kathy Crabtree ‘81 Edith Roby Edwards ’45 Barbara Piquet Villafranko ‘63 Roy DeLauder ‘68 Jane Hill Egly ’60 Binky Varey Westervelt ’54 Harry DeMoll ’61 Jeffrey Ellis ’70 Jean Erickson Wiley ’61 Alan Dodd ‘47 Bruce Feinman ‘78 Brearley Carroll Wilson ’49 Lewis Fisher ’66 Delmar Furlow ’55 Tim Wilson ’66 Allan Goldberg ‘61 David Freedman ‘65 Dennis Winson ’57 Chick Hernandez ’81 Pam Pavlock Freyer ‘65 Harold Wyckoff ’66 Phyllis Harwell High ’66 Richard Glass ’58 Kay Sneiderman Woodruff ‘64 John Holt ‘55 Jim Griffin ’50 John Yerrick ’58 Renay Johnson, Blair Principal Gerson Grosfeld ‘64 Bob Zeidner ‘70 Hubert Jordan ‘64 Susan Kantor Zepeda ’63 5 Stories from the Alumni Hall Wall of Honor

Lowell Scott Ensel: 2013 Blair Grad Was “All In” to Everything He Tried,

From Sports to Music to His Beloved Filmmaking

“He put me in one of his films,” Renay noted, “and sent me a copy of his final film.” Lowell eventually made more than 20 films. After Blair, Lowell went on to be the same outgoing, friendly person at the University of Maryland, which he attended on a Banneker/Key Scholarship. He was a member of the IMAGES (a Maryland tour guide organization), the Maryland Filmmakers Club, When we talked to Lowell Ensel’s family and an active member of his fraternity (Beta about the inscription on the Wall of Honor tile Theta Pi). they placed in his memory, our first question was “Mr. Sunshine?” He was also in the Honors Humanities Program, where his 45-minute film, “In the “That nickname actually has more than one Midterm” won the program’s Keystone Prize. meaning,” his father said. “Part of it relates to After Lowell’s sudden death during his his personality. He was always cheerful and sophomore year from testicular cancer, the friendly, and he was a real leader in the prize was renamed the “Lowell Ensel Keystone dugout (Lowell was Captain of the Blair Prize.” baseball team and a lifelong Yankees fan). In announcing the award name change, the The other meaning was actually more of a program director noted that “to do what he did, little dig at him by his friends because he was to get eight to 10 students to act roles in a film always a little pale and didn’t have much that they worked on every Thursday night for color. Hence, of course, his buddies liked to months, was in itself a testimony to his gift for call him Mr. Sunshine.” friendship, for making connections. He lived his His love for baseball was exceeded only by life with joy and energy.” his love for music and filmmaking. That love started when he was only 12 years old and a “The greatest thing about Lowell was his student at Takoma Park Middle School. His ideas,” said a fraternity brother. “That kid Principal during that time was current Blair always had a spark.” Principal Renay Johnson. It’s no wonder that Lowell’s memorial service in 2015 was attended by hundreds of his friends “Lowell was one of my superstar students at from Takoma, Blair, and Maryland. Of course, both Takoma and Blair,” she recalled. ”He it was held in a place near and dear to Lowell – was an amazing student with compassion for The American Film Institute Theater in Silver others. He was on a French class trip to Spring. Quebec in 8th grade with my daughter and they connected and remained friends after that.”

Don’t forget you can support our Scholarship and Special Projects programs, and have your “story” on our Alumni Hall Wall of Honor, by going to our Wall of Honor Donation Site at https://www.bricksrus.com/donorsite/blairalumni 136 Stories from the Alumni Hall Wall of Honor If the “Blair Experience” Was a Partnership Among Students and Faculty, Lillian Abramson Held Up More Than Her Share

(There are many tributes to, and contributions from, Blair’s current and past faculty members on the Wall of Honor. So far, one the one most frequently cited is Lillian Abramson, longtime chemistry teacher.)

“Lillian Abramson “She was a teacher who was my chemistry appreciated the individuality teacher in what was of her students. She tolerated then ca lled "honors" my attempts at humor and chemistry my junior year encouraged my sometimes- and I served as a lab off-center investigations of assistant the following peripheral chemistry (such as year my senior year. how long a 5-inch piece of glass tubing could be made She demanded/expected excellence from all her when heated to the melting students and held herself to the same standard. point and pulled. I think we I learned enough chemistry to score very well on got to 15 feet with her the SAT and to breeze through freshman watching). chemistry at Yale along the way to my eventual career as a pediatric oncologist. Her most significant impact on me was while I was her student during my junior year. She recommended me for

FAR more importantly, she taught us to work a special summer program at the Georgetown University Medical School. I worked in a biochem lab on the together and to PROBLEM SOLVE. Most of us will take courses in high school which have development of a chemical test for Multiple Sclerosis. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was a pivotal point in content that we will never use again--either because of subject area or advances in my later becoming a chemist. technology. No one completed her honors chemistry courses without learning problem I was a lab assistant for her 6th period class in my senior solving and ALL of us benefitted from that in our year. I was responsible for making up the “unknowns” varying careers. that had to be identified by individual pairs of students. I can’t absolutely say she was the inspiration for the She took pride in all those students, many of ground glass sample we gave one pair, but I remember whom visited her 5-10 years (or sometime more) her interest in how the pair was doing. after high school graduation. Undoubtedly the most outstanding teacher I had in HS and one of Thanks to her, I will never forget that Epsom Salt is the best ever at any level. In my time at Blair, only magnesium sulfate hydrated with seven water Mr. Saunders (Physics) and Nelson Kobren molecules! Cost me an A on an exam. Despite my from tennis gave me life lessons even imperfections, she saw something in me worth cultivating.” approaching what I learned from her!

Allen Chauvenet, Class of 1963 & Alumni Association Hall of Fame Inductee Allan Goldberg, Class of 1961 7 Stories from the Alumni Hall Wall of Honor “We taught together for more than a decade. She was a marvelous teacher.” – Myron “Mike” Michaelson

detail

“

The Class of 1968 is proud to honor Mrs. Abramson with our tile.

“Mrs. Abramson, who taught me chemistry in 11th Mrs. Abramson clearly loved her subject (chemistry) grade in 1964-65, was probably the most influential and her subjects (us). She had very high teacher I had at Blair. She had passion for what she expectations (not 1 but 4 textbooks!) and a way of was teaching and wanted me, and I am sure others, to making you believe in yourself. share that passion. Even though it has been over 50 years, I can still Mrs. A. was a whiz in the laboratory, teaching us remember her walking around the lab tables, helping how to melt glass with a Bunsen burner to make us as we were doing experiments, perhaps afraid that pipettes, giving us "unknown" chemicals to identify, we might blow up the building. Her passion and and having us present lab experiments to the rest of encouragement had a significant impact on me to the class. Remember the one with chlorine gas that study and teach engineering. leaked into the room? Or chasing balls of liquid mercury from a broken thermometer? Or making a Also, importantly, I remember her for caring for me as thermite reaction hot enough to melt iron? Or a person, especially when I was dealing with a major learning how to smell ammonia without blowing your personal event. On the tile that I donated in her brains out? Or the water fights with de-ionized squirt memory, I called her "chemistry teacher bottles, which only ended one day, when she put extraordinaire"; more accurate would be "chemistry silver nitrate in the water? teacher and person extraordinaire." And those chilling words: "clear your desks" ..... Yes, we certainly learned a lot of chemistry in one year, and even more, we learned how it feels to have a teacher who only demanded a lot because she wanted desperately for us to succeed. May her memory live on and on.

Phil Byer, Class of 1966

Steve Rogers ‘68

8 2018 Scholarship and Special Projects Fund Contributors

Our thanks to these Blair graduates, faculty, family members, and friends for their generous support of the Blair Alumni Association (as of September 30 , 2018)

SUPPORTER LEVEL CONTRIBUTOR LEVEL CONTRIBUTOR LEVEL (continued) (continued) Barbara Werner Bailer ’55 Vasilios Pappas ’70 Candy Jacobs Barbag ’67 Mandisa Berry ‘91 Franklin Parks ‘67 James Beadles ‘65 Mike Bird ‘57 Ann Gummel Pease ‘50 Sharon Beardall ‘59 Chuck Bowie ’51 Ann Marie Groomes Pisani ‘61 Arna Rubman Berkowitz ’70 Ellie Wood Brazee ’50 David Pittle ’56 Robert Bogley ’62 Jean McPherson Buchanan ’64 John Rast ’73 Lynn Dietle Booth ‘64 Tod Burke ’74 Richard Reiter ’65 Bucky & Myra Hirst Cannon ‘55 Phyllis Millard Capellman ’60 Jamie & Mary Roth ‘66 Joan Norris Chatterton ’54 Ellen Walker Carr ’56 Ellen Morris Rubin ‘68 Rita Horowitz Coopersmith ‘66 Bill Carter ‘62 Troy Robinson ’54 Barbara Levine Cronin ’63 Edward Chaney ’53 Shely Saidman ’60 Elizabeth Downing ’64 Ron & Rita Cima ‘71 Bruce Sartwell ’65 Daniel Fallon ’56 Harriet Caplon Cobern ’64 Anne Rothman Schenof ‘63 Dick Fene ’50 Larry Cohen ‘67 Doris Lee Smith Schneider ‘52 Henry Feuer ’60 Carl Corey ’56 Herb Sehorn ’49 Barbara Stewart Fisher ’62 Richard Dant ‘58 David Shaheen’59 Dick & Pam Klein Foster ’62 Robert Decker, DDS ’58 John Shepherd ’61 Maury Freedman ’71 John Degen ‘64 Kim & Jane Beck Sherman ‘59 Sherlyn Goldstein-Askwith ’63 Linda Walters Denniston ‘60 Louise Parks Shub ‘61 John & Joan Wells Hozik ’63 Tom Devlin ’55 Linda Pollack Shevitz ’61 Charles Krupsaw ’67 Edward Dosik ‘73 Barbara Moss Sieger ‘64 Jacquelyn Pierce Kruse ’65 Roger Drummond ‘65 Ann Nordquist Smart Larry Levin ’66 Ray & Patricia Ellis ’61 Merrill Smith ‘80 Wendy Madigosky ’91 Tom Engleman ‘65 Paul Smith ’61 Pam Blenis Matthies George Everett ’54 Don & Lisa Steckler Smith ’67 Georgia Claxton McGraw ‘53 Roland Ferguson ’56 Harry Stubbs ’86 Liz Allen Mitchell ’75 John Fetty ’60 Marcia McVicker Stubbs ’73 Joy Littman Murray ‘64 David Fishback ’65 John Swarthout ‘71 Chic Murray ’60 Ruth Good Fitzmorris ‘39 Laana Taylor’72 Noel Castle Oliff’62 Sandi Mize Fleischer ’65 Erol Torun ’76 Joanne Ochsman ’73 David Funk ’62 Rafael Valle ’82 George Pappas ’69 Suzanne McMIllan Gaff ‘66 Carol Valoris ’64 Genevieve Coe Pattillo ’49 Bill ‘59& Elaine Gangloff ‘61 Gail Lang Van Grack-Ack ’66 Ruth Freas Pollard ’57 Lorraine Mudrick Gerson ’61 Stephen Weiner ’58 Susan Peper Prucha ’62 William C. Giddings ’57 Dick Wade ‘62 Phyllis Bahn Rabinowitz ‘64 Gordon Glaser ‘67 George Wendal ’62 Al Schrider ’46 Adele Steiner Golden ’66 Annette Taylor Williams ’60 Catherine Kissner Schultheis’60 Don Graham ’57 Joseph Wolinsky ’60 Ralph & Leslie Wolf Seligmann ’64 Robert Grohs ’60 Barry Wolk ‘64 Mary Ellen Shepherd ’61 Jean Morgan Hilleary ’59 Joan Craver Young ’54 Pat Sheplee ’66 Ann Hobbs ’63 Robert G. Smith ‘61 John Sison’64 Roger Huff ’63 John Thomas ‘60 Bob Irelan ’55 PARTICIPATING Nadine Silverman Turner ‘55 Bridgett Bunch Katz ’64 Carolyn Tucker ‘58 Alan Kazdoy ‘65 LEVEL Barbara Besuden Usher ’61 Ronne Larson ’67 Beverly Potler Barnhard ’67 Carol Valoris ‘64 Moira Cargill LaVeck ’73 David Brookes ’65 Ralph & Sally Corzine Ward ‘53 Loretta Taylor Lechlider ’65 Edith Caro ’76 Doug Windes ‘64 David Leiderman ‘87 Janice Jones Favara ’43 Stephen Luber ’63 Bill & Elaine Tolker Gangloff ‘59 CONTRIBUTOR LEVEL Peter Mascone ‘79 Brooks Gerardi ’61 Elinor Abramson Morgan ’55 Kathryn Giddings Allan ‘63 Patricia Harne Mayers Sam Musgrove ’53 Raymond Anderson ’61 Cindy Bahn Oser ’60 Jeremy Musher ‘70 Janet Buckingham Bates ‘44 Anne Rothman Schenof ’63 Joe Musher ’66 Marty Beard ‘64 Leslie Kirshbaum Shire ’66 Joyce Cohen Bedine ’62 9 Peggy Bowman Triche ‘48 HOMECOMING…….

Now and Then

September 28-29 marked another chapter in one of the iconic traditions of Blair, Homecoming Weekend, 2018. On Friday Blazers left class at 1:10 p.m. to head to the football stadium for the annual Homecoming Pep Rally. The ceremony commenced with a parade of Blair's academic and sports teams. This was only the second year academic teams, such as Science Bowl and the robotics team, paraded alongside their fellow Blair athletes

Sept. 29, Blazers came together to celebrate the beginning of the school year at Blair's annual Homecoming Dance that ran from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. When the gym became stiflingly hot, the hallway was a refreshing retreat for students to get food and drinks, such as pizza and shaved ice. To capture the moment, students flocked to the photo booth provided by the school.

The highlight of the day was the intra school tug-of- war, with seniors taking the final victory. Blair Cheer put on a high-flying show, and Poms came out with an energetic and well-choreographed dance routine. For freshmen like Colin Leterer, homecoming was a As the pep rally was drawing to the close, Principal great welcome to high school. “I made friends with Renay Johnson announced the winners of the these two kids that I got to hang out with more,” homecoming court. Billy Scott, the homecoming Leterer said. Duke, was very pleased when he heard his name called. "The pep-rally was an all-around good time, Homecoming was a fun time for upperclassman as and when I found out that I would be homecoming well. However, it was not the same as previous Duke, it was just the cherry on top. It was really a years. Abem Addis reported that homecoming is perfect pep- rally," Scott said. always a good time, but that it was more fun when he was a freshman. “For me, freshmen year After the pep-rally, many students stayed to attend [homecoming] was the best one, because freshman the Homecoming game against Einstein, where the year is the year everyone goes,” Addis said. Blazers crushed their opponents 20-0.

10 HOMECOMING……. Now and Then

HOMECOMING 1958 HOMECOMING 1988

“The bonfire is lit, flames roar skyward, and the cheerleaders lead the crowd in the Blair Fight Song.”

HOMECOMING 1968 “As usual, Seniors ride in style in the Homecoming Day

Parade. Spirited floats like this help to make their year’s

Homecoming the best one in the history of Blair”

HOMECOMING 1998

“The successful product of long, strenuous hours, the prize winning Varsette float slowly “Grrr! You talking to me? Seniors Noreen proceeds down Wayne Avenue, under the Williams, Ronnie Djoukeng and Krystal Glenn watchful eyesHOMECOMING of Fran Schiff, President, 1978 and other growl ferociously at the underclassmen as they officers.” heave and ho the tug of war rope during the 11 first homecoming pep rally at the University Blvd Campus.” We Hear “Blair” Everywhere!

[We’ve often said that you are never really his son, Montgomery Blair, Abraham

never more than 6 degrees of separation from Lincoln’s Postmaster General.” The Blair Montgomery Blair. At least five times in the family owned the residence from 1836 until past few weeks we’ve seen examples of things 1943. that drive my non-Blair friends crazy (by that I In 1840, while Montgomery’s sister mean jealous!)] Elizabeth was riding with her father in the “Maryland countryside” to get relief from the #1. Supreme Mention summer heat of Blair House and downtown Washington, she was thrown by her horse. When they found the horse, it was drinking from a stream that glistened with mica, which Blair named the Silver Spring. He built his summer home of the same name on the site two years later.

#3. Three-Time Winner In our last issue we told the story of Blair

grad Sarah Manchester (’90) winning $1 million on Wheel of Fortune. Recently, 2011 While the confirmation hearings for Brett Grad Erik Agard appeared on Jeopardy!, Kavanaugh were certainly divisive throughout and while he didn’t win quite as much money the country, there was one point in his as Sarah, he did go on to be a three-time testimony that got a “positive” reaction from champion. Blazers of every political persuasion. When talking about his youth in Montgomery County, Kavanaugh noted that “I played a lot of While at Blair, Erik summer league basketball games for the (l) was active in Georgetown Prep team at night at Blair High the Model UN School in Silver Spring.” Club, the Youth and Government group, and other #2. Historic Power Player activities

Currently a professional puzzle maker, Erik won the American Crossword Puzzle tournament in March when the 24-year-old completed a puzzle in less than five minutes, besting the former champ by three minutes.

Fox News Sunday and anchor Chris Wallace chose Blair House as their “Power Player of the Week.” They noted that the residence was owned (and named for) “Francis Preston Blair, a close associate of Andrew Jackson, and 1 12 Erik also serves as the Arizona Daily Star’s #4. He’s an Author: He’s an Actor: He’s a crossword puzzle maker, according to the Writer: He’s a Commentator: He’s a Quiz newspaper’s website. He works remotely and in 2017 published a crossword book titled Food for Show Host: He’s an Economist: and Thought Crosswords, available for purchase on now…. Amazon. A great background to compete on the iconic trivia show! He’s the Answer to A Question on Jeopardy!

That’s right. Who is Ben Stein? was recently the correct answer to one of the questions on Jeopardy! The panel of contestants had no trouble with this clue in the category of Pop Culture Teachers ……

You can win our money knowing he played a

On his first night’s show Erik bet just enough to teacher in 1986 with the immortal line… defeat his opponents by one dollar, $25,201 to $25,200. “Bueller..Bueller..Bueller..” On the second night’s show, Erik and host Alex Trebek even got in some laughs. In his first (Is he mentioned in every Alumni News? No, it just appearance on the show on Friday night, Erik told seems that way. BTW, Ben says that he was very Trebek a story about getting pies thrown in his face blessed that while 3 of the 6 houses on his block were at puzzle conventions by angry puzzle solvers who destroyed in the California fires, his house was felt his crossword puzzles were too challenging. In spared.) Monday night’s show, Trebek, an avid crossword #5. Did You Know That Blair Has Its puzzle solver, talked about struggling with a difficult Own “Godfather?” puzzle that turned out to have been co-written by Agard. He then showed Erik a pie, threatening to No, not that type of Godfather. hit him in the face as the audience egged him on. But the local PBS station here in Washington spent But pro that he is, Trebek laughed and decided to two hours recently showing a video (and stand down After winning easily on the second accompanying discussions) that profiled 1950 Blair night, Erik again won by $1.Erik’s run came to an graduate and Alumni Association Hall of Famer…. end on his fourth appearance but not until he had Morgan Wootten: run up a total of $66,802.00 The Godfather of Basketball

21 3 . That’s right. Not only did they show the video and His innovations included the “quick throw-in commentary, they ran it during their fundraising fast break” (which precipitated a rule change), week , putting Coach right up there with Downton summer basketball camps, and creating Abbey , Masterpiece Theater, and (my favorites) national attention for high school basketball with his two dramatic games against Lew those great Oldies Concerts. PBS sure knows a winner when they see one! Alcindor and his Power Memorial teams in the mid-1960’s. During the show Morgan displayed some of his well- known self-depreciation when he willingly admitted “I Former UCLA basketball coach John played all the sports in school, but I was just an Wooden described his admiration for Morgan average athlete.” when he said, "I know of no finer coach at any level – high school, college or pro. I stand in awe of him."

The most impressive moments in the show were not about basketball, but about the admiration, respect, and love so many people feel for Morgan. He was competitive, he was a winner, but he never placed basketball above family, religion, or education.

Morgan (#10, front) and his 18-3 Montgomery County Champion teammates at Blair

When he was just 25, Morgan took over as the football and basketball coach at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, and stayed until his retirement in 2002 Note: If you want to “hear Blair everywhere,” get one of our Blair Alumni Association T-Shirts (inside front cover of this issue) and wear it in public. You’ll be amazed how many people stop you, as I was while jogging through the streets of Dubrovnik, in Croatia with my T-Shirt on. Along a narrow street, I passed a group of tourists and heard “Go Blazers” from a voice in the crowd. I stopped and, sure enough, a Blair grad in the group!

His basketball accomplishments at DeMatha are legendary, including 5 national championships, 22 D.C. area championships, and 33 Catholic League Championships.

143 What’s Happening at Blair

National Schools Ranking Puts Blair defensive standout Brandon Blair Near the Top Ntankeu rushes way to Player of the Week Montgomery Blair and Richard Montgomery high schools have made a nationwide list of schools that send the most students to Princeton, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Blair, in Silver Spring was No. 31, with 21 of its students graduating from the elite universities between 2015 and 2017, according to ranking by the website PolarisList. Richard Montgomery Brandon Ntankeu didn’t really think of in Rockville was No. 35 for sending 20 himself as a football player when he students to the schools over the same entered Blair High as a freshman. Heck, time period. he had never even played the sport. Basket Winning ‘It’s Academic’ team honored at Nationals Park “A lot of kids come in at Blair, and everybody thinks they are the next Pele Montgomery Blair’s winning “It’s or the next LeBron James. He came in as Academic” quiz championship team were a basketball guy,” Blair football coach recognized at Nationals Park during one Andrew Fields said. “The basketball of the last Nationals home games this coaches saw him and mentioned him to past season. me because he was so athletic and so physical. We got him to play football in 10th grade, and he never looked back.” “It’s Academic” host and WTOP anchor Hillary Howard (l) joined winning team members, Ntankeu earned a starting role as a Montgomery Blair Principal Renay Johnson linebacker last season as a junior. This season, he has been the team’s leading tackler and also moved into the starting lineup as a running back when a teammate was injured early this season.

The Blazers have endured an unusually high number of injuries, Fields said, dictating that they try to become a more physical running team. That philosophy paid dividends for Ntankeu as he rushed 31 times for 330 yards and three touchdowns and also caught a 70- yard touchdown pass, as Blair beat Clarksburg 41-17. He was named Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Player of the Week.

15 Letters, we get Letters, we get Stacks and Stacks of Letters……… (Note: Do you remember where the title of this article originates? No fair Googling it!)

. (In a recent edition of the Alumni News there was mention made of the Chair Committee, which existed at Blair for several years. One of our long-time readers noticed it, and apparently it set off some special memories.) Dear Editor, Jean Caswell, Bill’s I, too, was a Chairman of the Chair Committee mother & Blair art for '67-'68. Few people realize, we really teacher @ 1971 did MBHSAA Folks: just take down chairs. The custodians had already set up the chairs in the morning. Thanks for another great issue (Summer, This was our rigorous schedule on assembly 2018)! days: Just a quick note about the lovely article about The assemblies usually lasted 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Bill Caswell, who so tragically died in the 9/11 periods. We ate lunch during the 4th attacks. His mom, Jean Caswell, was a long- period. We took down the chairs during 5th time art teacher at Blair, and was one of my period. Then we called it a day. As Chairman, I best, and favorite teachers (even though I was able to get everyone excused from their have limited art talent). classes, and we played football on the field 6th period. I was stunned when I read a list of those who'd died in 9/11, and realized it was the same The "Chairman of Chair Committee" title was physics genius, Jean's son. Jean and Bill Sr. frequently mistaken, usually by some college had already lost a daughter, Wendy, to a brain admission people, to be a high placement within tumor, many years ago, when she was a little girl, long before I had Jean Caswell as a Student Council, as if I set the agenda. teacher in 1970 and 1971. I had merely listed it on the appropriate the line on my college admissions applications. I was They are a great Blair family, and thought asked, "why are you so modest about this you'd like to know the depth of their Blair relationship. activity?" I usually would just smile, and truthfully answer, "I just did my job." Keep up the good work! Sometimes I was asked if I was interested in participating in student council (at that Regards, particular college). I just said, "No, I think I've done it enough."

Carol Whiting Bowen, Class of 1971 Steve “Bullman” Howard, 1968

16 Blair was the Starting Point of Two Careers for Montgomery County’s Performing Arts Pioneer

“Blair was the catalyst that kicked off two didn’t know each other there since Jerry of the most important parts of my of graduated the year before I started,” Eliot my life,” ‘68 graduate Eliot Pfanstiehl recalled. “We began a friendship and says. “I got involved in Student professional partnership that has lasted to this Government, under the guidance of day.” (note: Jerry was the Master of Mr. Michaelson, and I’m still active Ceremonies at Eliot’s retirement celebration at in public policy to this day.” the Strathmore.) “At the same time,” he continued, “I was invloved in all of the great musicals produced by Dick Pioli. The first one I was in, ‘The Music Man’ in 1966, holds a special place for me. Years later, I played the lead in it as one of our first productions when we started the Roundhouse Theater.” Jerry Whiddon at Blair Jerry at Eliot’s Retirement Party While at Blair, Eliot was also “an uninspired flute player in Ernie Koch’s marching band,” Over the next four decades, Eliot committed his Sophomore and Senior Class President, life to being in (or founding) numerous programs and projects in community service President Pro Tempore of the Student Senate and and performing arts. These included the a member of the Thesbian Club. His friends Montgomery County Arts Council, the Round included Shelly Hutch, Brad O’Hare (who later House Theatre, the League of Washington became an actor) and, of course, his twin sister Theatres and The Strathmore. Julia. His service has included the Friends of the Kennedy Center, Black Rock Arts Center, the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, Maryland Association of Non-profit Organizations and chair of both the Maryland State Arts Council and Maryland Citizens for the Arts. Shelley Hutch Brad O’Hare Julia Pfanstiehl After Blair, Eliot enrolled in Rockford College (Rockford, IL) and he later switched to George Washington University. He earned a degree in Psychology, and then began an incredible career that included a mixture of arts management, education, leadership training and organizational development. He was the founding President of Maryland Leadership Workshops and is the program “In 1970, I was active in the Street 70 program facilitator for Leadership Maryland, Leadership (which later became the foundation for the Montgomery, Leadership Allegany, Leadership Roundhouse Theater) for the Montgomery Washington County, Leadership Southern County Department of Education, and met Jerry Maryland and a graduate of the inaugural class Whiddon (’65). He was also a Blair graduate, of Leadership Washington. He has led over 300 although we board retreats for non-profit civic, arts and social service organizations, government 17 agencies and businesses. “For me, some of those are listening to our children’s choir sing or watching collaborations with our wonderful artists in residence,” Pfanstiehl said. “Those just take my breath away.”

Eliot’s crowning achievements and legacy will probably be his involvement with the development of the Strathmore Mansion and Music Center at Strathmore. The former Colby Mansion on Rockville Pike was purchased by Montgomery County in 1979, and county officials were hoping to turn the mansion into a community arts center. Eliot was named to a group of residents tasked with planning the mansion’s future, and then his boss at Another one of those moments was watching the county recreation department asked him to legendary singer Tony Bennett, 90, perform at execute it. last year’s spring gala.

“Within the year I knew I was not going back to “I was praying he was going to make it to our being in county government,” Pfanstiehl said about stage without dropping dead,” Pfanstiehl said. operating the mansion. “I only had to figure out how “But he knocked our socks off. The last number to pay for it all. My only limit was creativity.” he sang to the crowd of 2,000 people without a microphone. The place just stopped. I will never In those early years, the mansion generated forget that night.” revenue by hosting weddings. During the summer the mansion began hosting outdoor concerts (Of course, the events at The Music Center have th featuring concert bands. When more than 1,500 also included the Alumni Association’s 75 and th people showed up to some of the concerts, Eliot 80 Blair Anniversary Celebrations.) said he began to realize there was a large enough audience in the area to support a concert hall. There was one last event Eliot certainly will never forget - the recent “Celebration of Eliot Pfanstiehl” held at Strathmore. Friends, family, public officials, and Music Center staff put on a show worthy of the Center, and of Eliot.

In 1998, the county was able to secure about $47 million in state funding, which it matched with another $47 million in county funding to build a new 1,976-seat music hall and education center, The Eliot again thought back to his Blair days as he Music Center at Strathmore, on the mansion entered retirement. property. “The quality of the teachers, the opportunities that Eliot said his favorite memories at the helm of we were given, and the traditions of Blair have Strathmore were creating what he and his helped me over these past years. My love for staff liked to call “goosebump moments.” music, the arts, responsible government, and education are all, in part, formed by those wonderful Blair years.” 18 Find YOUR Place : on the Alumni Hall Wall of Honor

Remember that our Wall of Honor tile program is just starting. Join the more than 150 Blair grads, faculty members, and Blair community supporters who have expressed their appreciation for what Blair meant to them. Your tile purchase supports our Scholarship and Special Projects Fund, which has provided resources to the school for 30 years. In addition to the tens of thousands of dollars provided as scholarships to graduating seniors, your donations have allowed us to help the school celebrate its 75- and 80- year anniversaries; support the students’ Human Rights efforts; provide the Athletic Department with two new scorers’ tables; and publish several commemorative editions of the Silver Chips.

For size options, pricing and to order your Individual, Class or Memorial tile, just go to http://www.bricksrus.com/donorsite/blairalumni Montgomery Blair High School Alumni Association PRSRT STD P.O. Box 1434 U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Ellicott City, MD 21042 LAUREL, MD PERMIT NO. 6326

Welcome New Members

1940 1972 Marsha Klaff Willey Bill Korth

1958 1974 Barbara Seibert Sharpless Quinn Scamahorn

1961 1976 Sandy Riggs Windlan Bob Walker

1968 1978 Dan Weaver Mike Nugent

1969 1988 Christopher Collins Erica Robinson-Scott

1970 2006 Luciano Benenati Yenusa Eke Michael DeGeorge Chi Chi Jackson Joyce Tomford Loomis