RETIREMENT STORIES Grace Lamour In recent years, most students never knew her dance instructor organized a ballet troupe that Mrs. Grace Lamour was the first female of four to appear on a children’s television pro- faculty member ever employed by Xavier. gram each Saturday. In addition to that weekly Many had also heard rumors, but only a few appearance, Grace and the other girls appeared had actual confirmation, that she was, indeed, in the Sealtest ice cream commercials and the a Radio City Rockette for a time. Ed Sullivan and Perry Como shows. After gradua- Mrs. Lamour’s life inside and out of Xavier is tion, the four girls were invited to become truly full of these fascinating details, and many Rockettes and, in spite of her parents’ initial more about which she is too humble to speak. protests, Grace’s parents allowed their A-student, Growing up on the of oldest daughter to perform for several months , Grace’s father was a builder and before starting college in the fall. helped engineer the completion of the Holland She performed several shows a week and Lincoln tunnels, among other major struc- but despite the glamourous position, Grace tures in . Her mother graduated from remembers that she constantly found herself Junior College, but chose to stay home to raise wishing she was with her friends instead. her three daughters and one son, all born within Following graduation from Finch College, five years. Grace earned a job as a research assistant at During Grace’s years at Holy Cross Academy, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research Institute. She worked for a cardiologist and was involved in highly allergic to cats. Her eyes would be swollen enzyme studies as well as cryogenics. Grace was and irritated, and she needed medication for inspired and invigorated by her work in science asthma, but she refused to complain. Eventually, research. She felt engaged by the demands Mr. Frank Gregory, longtime dean of students at of a career in science and, with the assistance Xavier, questioned her about her red eyes and she of her father, Grace invented an electrode to explained about her allergy to cats. As Mrs. Lamour perform an EKG test on heart patients while recalls, Mr. Gregory asked whether other staff in motion, a technology that evolved into members knew that she was allergic, and when the modern-day stress test. she said “yes,”he went upstairs and she never Her first daughter, Jacqueline, was born in saw the cat again. 1963, and Grace left Sloan-Kettering to raise her. “If I took these episodes to heart, it would have She accompanied her husband, Hank, a captain probably crippled me,”she said.The students during in the U.S. Army, to flight school in Alabama.Within her first years saw what she was going through, 14 months of the birth of her daughter, her son, but instead of antagonizing her during times of Hank II, was born as her family traveled to Texas struggle, they often went out of their way to show in order for her husband to learn to fly helicopters. their support.“They really gave me a brighter, Grace at age 15, dressed for She returned to New York as her husband pursued positive side to see beyond the antics. I really do a television production. his law degree at Fordham Law School, and gave believe that I stayed here because of the absolutely birth to her youngest daughter,Tiffany. wonderful students at Xavier and the friendships During this time, Mr. Bob Lynch, registrar that grew with many members of the faculty.” of Xavier, convinced Grace to interview with Grace’s tenure at Xavier has lasted for 38 years, Fr.Vincent Duminuco, S.J., then Xavier’s headmaster. and she became a staple in the Kane Building’s She was offered the job but initially turned it science classrooms. Her personal life was also down, only to accept the position teaching highly tied to the school as Grace’s son, Hank, Biology several days later, when Fr. Duminuco attended Xavier as an honors student from allowed her to have first and last periods free 1978-1982, playing soccer, football and rugby. to accommodate her children’s school schedule. Her daughter, Jacqueline, was a cheerleader for Grace started teaching in the fall of 1969, well Xavier, eventually returning to teach here for Grace with her daughter, Jacqueline, and son, Hank II. aware that she was the first female teacher in two years. Her youngest daughter,Tiffany, was the school’s 122-year history. a captain of the cheerleading team, as well. Her first class was huge and she wondered Her daughters have given her two wonderful about her decision, but she said she fell in love grandchildren, Drew and Victoria. with the students, the Jesuit philosophy and style Grace will be forever considered a pioneer at of education.The balance of discipline at Xavier, Xavier and an has been an excellent example for along with the presence of strong leaders like the many other faculty members there are today. Prefect of Discipline Fr. Ed Heavey, S.J. only Her other accomplishments include serving as helped her to adjust. Chair of the Science Department for sixteen years. While most of the staff was supportive of her She considers the twenty years of coaching and presence and would ultimately become her close moderating the female cheerleaders her gift in friends, there were those who had difficulty with support of Xavier’s talented athletes. She intro- the adjustment. She remembers being chastised duced the New York State Science Honors Society for taking a job away from a man. She was also to Xavier, and served on the Board of Governors. made to feel invisible in the faculty room, as the The Medical Science Club, the Science Journal, the language of an all-male environment was offen- Oesteichthyes Society and the Earth Day Project sive at times. Guardian angels like Mr. Jim Scott with Central Park Conservancy are all projects that suggested the need for modifying their behavior, grew within the NYSSHS under her supervision. and in time helped achieve a balance. At her first Grace’s life after Xavier promises to be as faculty meeting, the Xavier legend in his own right, rewarding as it was before Xavier. She plans to Leo Paquin, saw her walk into the room looking continue dedicating time to the confused as she looked for a place to sit. He quickly Armory and the East Side Settlement House, guided her toward a seat next to him and contin- where she is a member of the Board of Trustees. Grace with her grandson, ued the practice at every faculty meeting until Also, she looks forward to spending more time Drew, in Ocean Grove, NJ. he left Xavier. with her family at her beach house in Ocean During one of her first years, a less supportive Grove, NJ. She said that whichever pathway she faculty member brought in a cat that was allowed follows in the future, she will always carry in her to freely roam the floor and classrooms on the fifth heart the “superstars”that she has had the honor floor for several weeks, fully aware that Grace was of teaching for the past thrity-eight years.

SEPTEMBER 2007 — ALUMNEWS 17