Overview Six months of life at Thacher are chronicled in this Spring/Summer issue of In every issue The Thacher News. From commencement activities to summer events, from Big Gymkhana Weekend to new faculty appointments, it has been another 3 From the Head of School busy half-year at The Ranch. Building an Intentional Community by Michael K. Mulligan 5 Letters Profiles: A History of Helping FORMER FACULTY MEMBER 48 F. Perry Gates, CdeP ’59 Planting the Seeds of 36 David C. Twichell, CdeP ’36 Community Awareness, Integrity, Humanisitic Outdoorsman and Self-Reliance among the In this issue Youth of Maine TRUSTEE 50 Ted Rhodes, CdeP ’65 Campus Life 38 Paul L. Yelder, CdeP ’77 Local Hero/Community Activist campus life Building on the 6 Commencement 2000 Spirit of Community 53 David P. Livermore, CdeP ’73 A “Wrangler” Defends Our 12 Proper Imperfections FORMER PARENT Last Frontier by Kristin M. Berona ’00, School Chair 40 Yvon Chouinard 56 Michael G. Jones, CdeP ’73 13 The Stamp of the School Is Indelible Setting an Environmental High- If Anyone Deserves an Apple… by Robert K. Gardner, CdeP ’61 Water Mark 58 Ellen C. Loebl, CdeP ’83 16 Ride ’em High: Gymkhana Weekend ALUMNI Redefining Rich

18 Commitment by Richard Ridgeway 42 Kenneth O. Rhodes, CdeP ’30 60 Randal S. Bessolo, CdeP ’83 Fifty Years of Public Service Enriching His Life 20 Grandparents’ Days 2000 through Stewardship 44 Nicholas Cunningham, M.D., 22 TOAD Talk by Maria Morales Kent Dr.P.H, CdeP ’46 Heeding the Words of 23 Being Part of a Legacy “The Banquet Song” by David V. Babbott

24 Spotlight on Spring Sports 26 Faculty Greetings…and Farewells HER C S 28 Tidbits A C H H T

29 Introduction of New Trustees O O

E The Thacher News

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H 30 From Savannah to Summit: T Spring/Summer 2000 The Thacher Family Safari Volume XII, Number 2 1 9 32 Thacher’s Historical Society 88

32 Community Service throughout Editor The Thacher News magazine is published twice a Thacher’s History Jane D. McCarthy year by The Thacher School, and is sent free of charge to alumni, parents, and friends of the School. Design Alumni In preparing this report, every effort was made to Tim Ditch, Jane D. McCarthy, and J. Bert Mahoney. alumni ensure that it is accurate and complete. If there is an 63 Class Notes Contributors omission or an error in spelling, please accept our David V. Babbott, Elizabeth A. Bowman, Camilla Evans-Hensey, apologies and notify the Head of School’s Office at 70 Reunion Gregory T. Haggard, John S. Huyler ’51H, Jake Jacobsen, Jane The Thacher School, 5025 Thacher Road, Ojai, D. McCarthy, Kurt R. Meyer, Joy Sawyer-Mulligan, Michael California 93023, call (805) 646-4377, or e-mail K. Mulligan, Molly T. Perry, CdeP ’85, Cricket Twichell, Frederick [email protected]. 72 Remembering C. Michael Ehrhardt C. Twichell, Gallia K. Vickery, and William C. Vickery Third Class postage is paid at the Oxnard Post Office. 76 Obituaries Sports Section Joy Sawyer-Mulligan POSTMASTER: 79 Calendar Class Notes Please send form 3579 to the preceding address. Cricket Twichell Cover Photo NAIS Photography MEMBER Robert Brownell ’02 works with Topa Topa Elementary Jake Jacobsen, Jane D. McCarthy, Joy Sawyer-Mulligan, Wendi School students in Ojai as part of Thacher’s Community Parker-Dial, and Timothy O Teague Printed by Ventura Printing with soy-based inks. Service Program From the Head of School Head of School Building an Intentional Community

New Year’s Banquet Speech by Michael K. Michael

ne of the many happy rituals at Thacher choice—a combination, perhaps, of our own occurs each Monday morning when, at As- willingness, even eagerness, and that of par- Osembly, we are privileged to hear from ents and sometimes other family—but in any Headmembers of the faculty, each in her or his turn case, by our own decision. What precedes the as TOADly duties pass from hands to capable choice, though, is very often this: even before hands. One of last year’s many memorable we become members of this community, we TOAD Talks came in late May, and I know are drawn by certain qualities we witness in that you returning students and faculty will re- action when we are just visitors: a particular call it with the same appreciation I do: It was warmth and openness in individuals and in Mr. Manson’s offering on the nature of those groups, a code of behavior and a sense of per- “threshold” moments we have in our lives, es- sonal responsibility sometimes startlingly—but pecially in a ritualized life such as ours: those reassuringly—at odds with the mainstream cul- times that call for celebration; times that ture. We see these aspects of life here and want “allow us to recognize, accept, and adjust to a to join it. process that is as natural as the sun rising each morning and setting each evening[:]…the But being chosen—admitted or hired—is only yearly transformation of our present Thacher the beginning. The magic of this place that we School into yet one more past Thacher saw or felt initially does not, can not continue School.” He went on to say that, “Thacher, without other choices we make at each step like all schools, is the unique combination of along the way throughout the course each year. the individuals who occupy it at any given mo- A random litany of such choices: ment in time. It is something we create every Michael Mulligan on September only to then dismantle each June.” • leaning down to greet and thank the person It’s All Head Games receiving your dirty dishes on the other side of What I’d like to zero in that hole in the wall in the dining room and on with you for a mo- pushing your dishes back so that he doesn’t ment is the first part of have to reach for them; that last sentence: “It is something we create • taking a seat next to someone you don’t every September.” (The know very well who’s sitting alone; dismantling, thank goodness, is a long nine • stopping to pick up a small gum wrapper; months distant.) This a very basic notion: this • taking the time to document a history paper community is a cloth with absolute accuracy and precision; woven of individual strands: look closely at • calling a close tennis ball “in” even when it’s the warp and woof, to your own disadvantage; and you see the color, the relative strength, • admitting a wrong and accepting the conse- the texture of each quences with grace; strand; step back and see the whole. This • listening, without immediate judgment or community is beautiful thoughtless reaction, when a Judicial Council or ugly, durable or case is presented to you and your dormmates weak, in direct propor- by one of your peers; tion to the beauty and strength each person, • letting someone else—younger, older, your student, faculty, or staff own age—onto the town-run bus before you member, brings to it step on. consciously, intention- ally. In these moments—whether in matters of ci- vility or courtesy, of kindness or of actual Let me speak for a mo- honor—we contribute in very real ways to the ment about intentional beauty and strength of the fabric of our School community. On one and home. When we consider carefully—and level this means that reconsider often—the weight of our actions, each of us is here by small and large, frequently (in Wordsworth’s

Spring/Summer 2000 page 3 Head of School

Patty Abou-Samra ’02, Leigh Salem ’02, Michael Mulligan, Amanda Grumman ’02, Lizzy Brewer ’03

phrase) “nameless and unremembered”—in- thetic responses in which man first securely es- cluding those (and perhaps most especially tablished himself as irrevocably human.” Not those) no one ever even sees or hears—we be- inconsequentially, they lived to tell the tale. come the artists of our world, the architects of what is sometimes invisible but is as critical a “Good artists,” writes Wendell Berry in Life foundation for a strong and enduring home as is a Miracle, “are people who can stick things any bricks and mortar ever were. As the author together so that they stay stuck. They know Wallace Stegner said, “Culture is a pyramid to how to gather things into formal arrangements which each of us brings a stone.” So it is with that are intelligible, memorable, and lasting. Thacher’s culture, with our lives here together; Good forms confer health upon the things that how we choose the stones we bring to the they gather together. Farms, families, commu- structure ultimately and incontrovertibly de- nities are forms of art just as are poems, paint- termines its quality. ings and symphonies. None of these things would exist if we did not make them. We can Think for a moment of Shackleton1 and his make them either well or poorly; this choice men—numbed by the unceasing, bitter cold, is another thing that we make.” dizzy with hunger, internally demoralized, still marooned months after the point at which they So here and now, on the threshold of the only thought they’d be heroes back home in Eng- 112th Thacher School we will ever have, look- land—and consider some of the choices they ing forward but being actively mindful of the made, even in their misery: Macklin, for ex- present, let each of us include in our New ample, his hand mittenless and frostbitten, con- Year’s resolutions this: to be a worthy and tinuing to row rather than stopping to cover thoughtful artist, to make our community his hands because he knew that to stop was to well—with consciousness and deliberation in endanger everyone in the Docker. Or Macklin our every action—in order to make it good. again, stepping off the dogsled so as to lighten the load on his beloved pack team. You could Here’s to the best year yet! e argue, of course, that these actions were no more than survival instinct at work; but I be- lieve some other guiding principle was at work: in the midst of the most relentlessly wretched conditions imaginable, most of Shackleton’s 1 Alfred Lansing. Endurance: Shackleton’s In- men chose, over and over, to make others more credible Voyage, 1999. comfortable, to put their own immediate or selfish desires aside, to consider the commu- 2 Lewis Mumford. The Transformations of nity wealth above their own as individuals—in Man, 8.4, 1956. other words, to create the best of their com- munal present, even while awaiting their ques- tionable future. In their darkest moments, they maintained—in fact, cherished—their human- ity, what American author and critic Lewis Mumford2 called “the close chain of sympa-

page 4 The Thacher News Letters Letters

Claremont Graduate University Valparaiso, Chile Claremont, CA September 2, 2000 July 10, 2000 LettersHi Jane! Dear Michael, I’m sorry for not getting back at you sooner! I This latest fall/winter issue of The Thacher did receive The Thacher News…The “profile” News sets off depth charges of fond memory I got between its covers could have put John and waves of admiration. Not only does it fea- Barrymore to shame!…Time has the nasty ture students and colleagues we knew during habit of erasing our footprints and sometimes our nine years on the Board, but the reminding some of us feel like the Lost Mariner of Oliver pieces of Liz Greene and Betty Rhodes touched Sacks’s clinical tales, reinventing life and a us yet again. By focusing upon such intriguing memory to go with it every day…[It] brought “pioneers,” the magazine portrays Thacher at back countless memories but put me back to its human, matchless quality best. Cheers to back with the other face of Janus. The pictures all who had a hand in producing it. of sons and daughters of former students, the news of former colleagues and students, and I hope things go well for you, Joy, and the the “otherness” of what used to be so dearly younguns’. familiar. Years, life. Where did it all go?

Sincerely, Travers Newton of the class of ’68 spent a few weeks in Valparaiso, where he came as my in- John D. Maguire vitee to be a part of the panel of jurors for the President XXII version of our National Art and Poetry Contest for people under thirty, which I or- ganize and direct for the University of Val- paraiso. We did, of course, reminisce about our life in old Casa de Piedra. I will send you a picture of this encounter and a catalog of our contest. Fragments of the old Thacher sur- facing in a remote shore. Wacholderstrasse, Germany July 13, 2000 I want to wish you and the School a great 2000! Please say hello to Terry, Cricket, Mar- Dear Jane, vin, et al.

Today I received the Thacher magazine…I Warmly, imagine how much work it was to get this done! The result is wonderful, and I will take Edgardo Catalan my time to read the other pioneers’ profiles. I Art Teacher 1964-75 think this was a very good idea to put these articles together in one edition… P.S. I hope my novelized recollection of that “infamous camping trip” didn’t provide any Sincerely, angry letters to the Editor.

Klaus Schubert, CdeP ’56

Spring/Summer 2000 page 5 COMMENCEMENT 2000 Commencement

ect, and gath- and horse packing through the Sespe are just a

Commencement 2000 ering initial re- sampling of the treks students and faculty en- search for next joyed together. As the weary campers returned year’s Exhibi- to campus, ragged muscles were soothed, tion Weekend. body-tingling showers were savored, and the A complete list- last Sierra Cup was cleaned and stored, tales ing of this year’s emerged of horses falling on top of each other Senior Exhibi- in the trailer or sliding off trails; an eager group tions appears of underclassmen, affectionately named the on page 11. Young Goats, attacking Kurt Meyer’s famous doughnuts; wading in cool mountain streams Advanced and basking in the sun like lizards; and enjoy- ing scenic vistas from pine and manzanita-lined Placement outcroppings. Exams Advanced Vespers Placement On the eve of Memorial Day, students and fac- Exams blipped ulty met at the Outdoor Chapel for the Head onto the radar of School’s traditional reading of the names of screen next. Thacher students who died while fighting wars Two-hundred for America. As in the past, the seniors chose a seventy-three departing faculty member to address the audi- exams were ad- ence. Although not leaving—merely taking ministered in 17 time off to deliver baby James—the seniors different disci- asked Dean of Students Christina Mazzola to plines. For the speak. She shared how her personal and pro- first time, sev- fessional lives are intertwined and how this eral parents year’s senior class marked critical points in her who reside close life: her transition to motherhood when these to Thacher vol- students were freshmen, her father’s sudden unteered their death while hiking with her family as these time to proctor seniors spent their first summer vacation away the three- to six- from Thacher, and her beginning year as the hour exams. Dean of Students that has been the most “re- For most sub- warding, painful, difficult job that has forced jects, students [her] to grow and adapt in ways” that she who received never thought possible. Her all-consuming po- A.P. grades of sition as Dean and dealing with her family’s four or five on a grief, in some ways, swayed how she worked School Marshals Annie Nyborg and Jake Braitman lead the seniors into five-point scale with student matters and, she hopes, will pos- Commencement exercises received college itively impact their lives. She closed by sug- credit units, gesting that the seniors—and the rest of the Senior Exhibitions thereby achiev- Community—follow the simple advice of the ing advanced placement standings at college. eighteenth century English philosopher and As one of Thacher’s newer traditions, the pres- Virtually every senior took at least one A.P. writer Joseph Addison for living well, the same entation of Senior Exhibitions signaled the end class and many took several; nearly three-quar- piece that she had used as a theme for her col- of the school year. Instead of teaching and at- ters of the juniors took at least one A.P. course, lege essay to Dartmouth at the suggestion of tending regular classes on a Friday late in as well. Very impressive overall results arrived her father: April, Community members completed “dance in July: 35% of the scores were fives, and 29% cards” with their selections of intriguing topics. were fours; therefore, nearly two-thirds of the The grand essentials to Among the options were comparing and con- exams given resulted in advanced standings for happiness in life are trasting the Mbuti Pygmies and the Maasai the students. something to do, (two African Tribes), writing and performing something to love, Blue Grass Music, studying the physics and Extra-Day Trips something to hope for. fluid dynamics of sails, and exploring calen- dars and time. Seniors debated, demonstrated, The entire Community then left for Extra-Day All-School Banquet cooked, and presented their findings to culmi- Trips throughout California. Kayaking across nate their year-long study. Next year’s seniors lakes, hiking trans-Sierra trails, clearing non- The last week of school found students study- are already toying with subjects, scope of proj- native brush species from Santa Cruz Island, ing and taking final exams prior to the All- page 6 The Thacher News COMMENCEMENT 2000 Commencement 2000 One of the Co-Captains of the phy, believed by some to recognize the Senior Gymkhana Green Team walked Class’s best male athlete, actually honors those away with the most heavy medal athletes with a commitment to excellence, this year: Darren Bechtel shared teamwork, ability to elevate the play of others, the Beckwith Gymkhana Trophy and sportsmanship. This year’s winners were with Lucinda Brown, won the Bis- Todd Meyer (Captain of the Varsity Soccer, sell Gymkhana Trophy for the Lacrosse, and Track Teams) and Anwar White most points on Gymkhana Day in (Captain of the Varsity Basketball and Tennis May, and the Vaquero Cup for the Teams). The Elizabeth Helms Adams Perpetu- best combination of riding and al Sportsmanship Award commends the same shooting. characteristics for females; Mrs. Adams bestowed this Award on Cheryl Lynn Horton (Captain of A complete listing of awards ap- the Varsity Volleyball, Basketball, and Lacrosse pears on page 10. Teams). The Newton K. Chase Community Ser- vice Award is given to that student who, through Senior Banquet volunteer work in the community, has demon- Recipients of the Class of 2000 Dance Award: Megan Winecoff, Under the big-top on the Forest strated an unselfish interest in and concern for Yui Scribner, Mariposa Widdoes, Margaux Lloyd, and Lucy others. This year’s recipient was Felicity Howe. Milligan Cooke Lawn, seniors and their families and friends dined on Bon The criteria for the Charles Warren Alpinist School Banquet, the one time of the year when Appetite’s salmon, chicken, and pasta at the Award is simple: the recipient is a student excellence in academics, athletics, and com- Senior Banquet. While the Juniors wisked climber who Mr. Warren could trust to evacu- munity service are awarded. Under the pepper away the last dessert plates, Head of School ate him from the mountains should he, as the trees on The Pergola as the sun dipped to the Michael Mulligan introduced the evening’s faculty leader, be injured in a climbing situation. west, amid note-passing and the freshmen serv- keynote speaker, Bob Gardner, CdeP ’60, fa- Brooke Halsey, who served as the Camping Di- ing, the community gathered for the last time ther of Besse ’00 and Mollie, CdeP ’99. Offer- rector during the winter absence of Brian Pid- of the year to share a meal and applaud ac- ing reflections about the Thacher education duck, CdeP ’92, received this Award. complishments of the Community. Some of the and suggestions for the future, Bob gave an most note-worthy moments included the an- outstanding speech that resulted in a well-de- This year’s School Chair, Kristin Berona, was nouncement of the latest Cum Laude Society served, lingering standing ovation. The speech’s lauded as being “self-actualized” (Maslowe’s members, the Class of 2000 Dance Award, and text in its entirety begins on page 14. Mr. Mul- term) when she came into the job and a great the Gymkhana/Horse Awards. The Cum Laude ligan then praised Bob’s work for the past three example of the “fact that wisdom and age need Society rewards and commends those students years as President of the Alumni Association not be at odds.” In his remarks about Kristin, who not only have excellence, justice, and and presented him with a plaque from the Mr. Mulligan quoted Abraham Lincoln’s writ- honor at their core, but have also maintained Trustees. Jennifer and Rick Ridgeway, parents ing: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if the very highest level of academic achievement of Carissa ’00, Cameron ’03, and Connor, you want to test a man’s character, give him throughout each year of their tenure at were also thanked for their tireless efforts this power.” He went on to say that such can be the Thacher. Elected in May 1999, their Junior year as Presidents of the Parents’ Association. case with “those who inhabit positions of year: Kristin Berona, Wayne Chang, and Clay power in a school. Some rather than develop- Pell; joining them and elected in their Senior The newest members of the Cum Laude Soci- ing humility, develop thickened egos while for year: Marisa Binder, Erin Blankenship, Paul ety were introduced for the benefit of their par- others, far fewer in number, may through the Bonewitz, Lucinda Brown, Ellie Fletcher, ents just before the major Awards of the evening demands of the job develop greater compas- Brooke Halsey, Lucy Milligan, Mia Silverman, were given. The Lettermen’s Club Perpetual Tro- sion, a more profound understanding of and Juliette White; and elected this year, their Junior year: Mary Ann Bronson and Brian Kelly.

Math and Dance Instructor Gallia Vickery in- vited five senior girls to the stage and explained the rationale for the nascent Class of 2000 Dance Award in honor of the dedication, lead- ership, and accomplishments of Margaux Lloyd, Lucy Milligan, Yui Scribner, Mariposa Widdoes, and Megan Winecoff. From her first few weeks at Thacher in the fall of 1991, when five members came and struggled to dance a simplified portion of a movement, Gallia now has 20-plus students in the Dance Ensemble, many of whom can observe an intricate phrase once and immediately duplicate it beautifully. The five seniors performed off-campus six times and helped bring home two gold medals from the Dance Educators of America. They have been dedicated, responsible, and profes- sional, and they have guided and supported the younger members of the group to turn it into an ensemble.

Seniors react to the end of Commencement exercises

Spring/Summer 2000 page 7 COMMENCEMENT 2000

human affairs, and a farther reaching vi- man, and later as a prefect, sion…[Kristin] has known who she is; she has by taking stances which not been confident of her values but never boastful always were popular, yet at of her abilities. She has been sensitive to others the same time maintaining and open to review and criticism. She has qui- the respect of those with etly and effectively represented student opin- whom the recipient dis- ion. She has listened carefully to varying points agreed…This student’s in- of view. She has worked to find middle ground, tegrity may be exemplified and she has held her ground when she felt it by his calling attention to necessary to do so. Her commitment to com- students and faculty alike to munity service reflects her deep selflessness and those gray areas in com- Commencement 2000 the fact that she is deeply rooted in a stable puter downloading where self, that is, she knows who she is…she has ethical principles, if not le- been the model of balance and health. Ever galities, might be question- smiling and ever thoughtful…she has been a able. And, his profound great example, purely and simply to all, fresh- respect for others can be man to senior, staff to faculty.” seen every day. The hand of genuine friendship and sup- The final two Awards for the evening were The port to fellow students, to Charles L. Tutt Silver Bowl for Integrity and faculty and staff, to his fam- An ecstatic Mariposa Widdoes Responsibility and The Thacher Cup. In giving ily alike. It is no wonder The Tutt Bowl to Thacher in 1963, Mrs. Tutt that in time of need peers and adults alike turn source of all lasting happiness and joy…Through to him for advice and guid- kindness, through affection, through honesty, ance…” through truth and justice toward all others, we ensure our own benefit.’ This student has lived Finally, The Thacher Cup a life based on honor and integrity. To be more was presented to Wayne precise, this senior is deserving of this honor based Chang, who, in the judg- upon his willingness—to borrow the language ment of the faculty, best of Robert Kennedy—‘to stand up for an idea, demonstrates those qualities to work to improve the lot of others and to strike the School holds as central: out—in whatever way possible—against in- academic excellence, ex- justice.’ This student truly represents the best tracurricular achievement, of what Thacher is and even further, the best moral leadership, and concern of what we are as humans.” for others. As Mr. Mulligan told the celebrants, Wayne Michael closed the evening with a speech cen- “has had a significant influ- tered around Richard Wilbur’s poem entitled ence on the School. From “The Writer,” that highlights the inherent and conversations about the ex- unavoidable tensions that “faculty mentors istence of extraterrestrial life and parents experience in our challenge of try- to pondering about the val- ing to help usher you, our seniors, into re- ue of honor in one’s life to sponsible adulthood and in letting you go to complete giddiness about the spread your own wings and fly.” latest Dilbert cartoon, this sen- ior has made the pursuit of knowledge a hallmark of his Commencement Day career here at Thacher. His Seniors, their families and guests, and faculty steadfast morality, equanimity climbed the stony path to the Outdoor Chapel during difficult situations, for Saturday morning’s Baccalaureate Service. Darren Bechtel holds his numerous Gymkhana trophies presented at and genuine kindness and Author of A Match to the Heart and Solace of the All-School Banquet: Beckwith, Bissell, and Vaquero concern for others have stressed “the qualities of character not always also marked his tenure here. His recognized in the traditional school-type Senior Exhibition on The Bible awards.” She spoke not primarily of leader- Codes, as a crowning achieve- ship, but of integrity and responsibility, of for- ment to a distinguished academ- titude in the face of adversity, and of ic career, was provocative as well consideration for others as traits that she had as informative. I wonder if the cryp- always admired in her husband (Charles L. tologists could have foreseen this. Tutt, CdeP ’07) and which she thought a A few nights ago, he quoted from school should be proud of in its students. In the Dalai Lama at Senior Ves- awarding this Bowl to Jonathan Le Plastrier, pers. I think some of what he Michael Mulligan said that “the faculty wished said could be directly applied to to honor a student of outstanding qualities to him. I quote, ‘Compassion is one which every one of us here today might aspire. of the principal things that make Courage, integrity, and a profound respect for our lives meaningful. It is the others regardless of age or rank make this a very special person. This student has consis- Seniors Amissa Bongo and tently shown courage first as an underclass- Wayne Chang page 8 The Thacher News COMMENCEMENT 2000 Commencement 2000 Open Spaces, Gretel Ehrlich shared some as she sang about the memories of this place in these young people’s lives in the years to thoughts with the seniors about stepping away that won’t soon be forgotten. Before presenting come. Greg Haggard led the singing of “Amer- from this School into the unknown ahead: diplomas to the graduates, Mr. Mulligan read ica the Beautiful,” followed by thunderous ap- “…Let compassion and empathy develop out a brief paragraph about the unique contribu- plause and shouts of glee for Thacher’s of your own emptiness, because only then will tions to the School of each graduate and the millenium graduates as they left the gates of you be able to provide room for the creative, personal qualities that will, hopefully, develop Casa de Piedra.e loving, genius, compassionate acts in your new life.” Tyrone Pike, CdeP ’73, President of VPNX, a Silicon Valley computer company, told about his involvement with 15 computer- based companies—either through hands-on This Place ownership or venture capitalization—through his synthesizing skills honed at Thacher. He Dedicated to The Thacher School Class of 2000 stressed that a Thacher education yields more words and music by Gregory Haggard people “with the ability to synthesize—to find the pieces that don’t look like they fit together, but if they are flipped backward, they might fit.” He encouraged the graduates to use their Here, out in the western sky raw tools to synthesize as well as to learn the waters, but also to take risks. “Don’t be our hearts, they will remain wherever our dreams may fly wherever we will be there’s one thing, one that stays the same this place. Refrain: I’ll miss the orange blossoms in the morning as the dew lays on the ground I’ll miss the rosy sunsets we’d watch without a sound. the hills and horses and hawks upon the wing. And I’ll miss you, my friends to whom I sing. But oh, so much we’ve shared together Marisa Binder sings “This Place” And all that we have learned thrown off course, but don’t be afraid to go off course…open your mind and your senses to will remain forever, art, music, literature, math, science, architec- ture, and travel. They are all the palettes you the way of life we lived, work with when you want to synthesize.” He these things, these they will endure with urged the graduates to not be afraid to fail and then challenged them to use their success to this place. give back to their communities so that those who haven’t had the opportunity to enter the I- age will not “serve” those who have forever. Refrain The congregation then arrived at the Forest Where’er we go Cooke Lawn for the prominent event of the weekend: the awarding of diplomas. The jun- no matter, no matter how far iors swept an aisle for the faculty who formed a gauntlet for the seniors to process through. we will know To resounding applause and the sound of a who we are... string trio, the seniors walked two by two, led by Class Marshalls Annie Nyborg and Jake Braitman, to the front of the white canvas tent. Refrain The seniors chose classmate Marisa Binder to sing Music Director Greg Haggard’s song en- titled “This Place.” Her clear, song-bird-like voice brought more than a few tears and sobs

Spring/Summer 2000 page 9 COMMENCEMENT 2000

Commencement 2000 Perpetual Sportsmanship Award The Morgan Ward Prize for Mathematics Todd Meyer ’00 Brooke Halsey ’00 AwardsAnwar White ’00 Juliette White ’00 Elizabeth Helms-Adams The Computer Science Award Perpetual Sportswoman Award Kevin Schmidt ’01 Cheryl Lynn Horton ’00 Simon Xi ’01 The Newton K. Chase Community Service Award The Language Prize Felicity Howe ’00 Brooke Halsey ’00 Charles Warren Alpinist Award The Physics Prize Brooke Halsey ’00 Mary Ann Bronson ’01 Claire Milligan ’02 The Charles L. Tutt Silver Bowl for Integrity and Responsibility The Chemistry Prize Jonathan LePlastrier ’00 Kevin Cahill ’01 The Thacher Cup The Rensselaer Polytech Institute Award Wayne Chang ’00 Mary Ann Bronson ’01 School Chair Award The History Prize Kristin Berona ’00 Lucy Milligan ’00 The Edward R. Spaulding Tennis Cup The Darah Corbett, Jr., Studio Art Prize David Babbott ’00 Sara Thacher ’00 The George Beckwith Gymkhana Trophy (Green) Rhode Island School of Design Award Lucinda Brown ’00 Megan Winecoff ’00 Darren Bechtel ’00 The Agnes M. Lord Music Award The Bissell Gymkhana Trophy Margaux Lloyd ’00 Darren Bechtel ’00 The Marcus Hele Dall Photography Award The Vaquero Cup Carissa Ridgeway ’00 Darren Bechtel ’00 The Harry Llewellyn Bixby Dramatic Cup The Charles Pratt Trapshoot Plate Mariposa Widdoes ’00 Chris Brown ’01 Paul Bonewitz ’00 The Marvin H. Shagam Award The Eric Bechtel Dachs Prize for Technical Theatre Jennifer Bowie ’01 Matthew Schuman ’00 The Brown University Book Award The Class of 2000 Dance Award Mary Ann Bronson ’01 Margaux Lloyd ’00 Lucy Milligan ’00 The Jack Boyd English Award Yui Scribner ’00 Kristin Berona ’00 Mariposa Widdoes ’00 Wayne Chang ’00 Megan Winecoff ’00 The William Bishop Nixon Poetry Prize The Munro Palmer Public Speaking and Debate Award Nicole Silverman ’01 David Babbott ’01 The Nash Robbins Short Story Award The Hollister Wheaton Trapshoot Award Meredith Walker ’01 Chris Brown ’01 and father Fred (46 out of 50)

page 10 The Thacher News COMMENCEMENT 2000 Commencement 2000

Senior Senior Exhibition Attending College (Fall 2000) Wallis Elizabeth Adams Channel Islands Resource Management Oberlin College Justin Menefee Arnold Learning Disabilities Vanderbilt University SeniorsBennett Baker Barbakow The Evolution of Electronic Music Brown University Darren Hogan Bechtel Avalanche Accident Analysis Stanford University Kristin Marie Berona Diabetes: Taking Control Stanford University Marisa Lauren Binder Mozart Effect University of Chicago Erin Elisabeth Blankenship Islamic Society and Women’s Role Trinity University Paul Lasell Bonewitz Chess Tufts University Amissa Briana Bongo AIDS: From Primates to Humans Georgetown University Jake Wolf Braitman Wilderness Medicine Colorado College Ellen Lucinda Louise Brown Astro Logic Yale University Wayne Lin Chang Bible Codes Yale University Evy Patricia Disner Adoption University of Southern California Alfred Schriefer English Hig-Hop Music Kenyon College Nathaniel Donnell Faggioli Naval Diving George Washington University Brendan Patrick Fitzgerald Film and Society McGill University Eleanor Carol Fletcher The Life and Work of the Artist Yvonee Hudson Vassar College Lauren Roley Fraim Oill Spills and the Environment University of San Diego Besse Bassist Gardner Two African Tribes Compared: University of California, Berkeley The Mbuti Pygmies & the Maasai Ella McKenzie Goodbrod Manic Depression Mount Holyoke College Lacey Edison Gordon Meditation and Health Scripps College Macdonald Brooke Halsey II The Physics and Fluid Dynamics of Sails Princeton University Peter Robert Hartnack A History of the Blues University of Southern California Justin David Hilton Joan of Arc University of Southern California Hannah Bolton Hooper Art in Children’s Literature Eugene Lang & Parson Cheryl Lynn Horton Rain Forest Plants and Modern Medicine Duke University Felicity Snow Howe Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 University of Colorado, Boulder Sung Woo Frederick Kim Japan and World War II Northwestern University Jonathan Ross Le Plastrier Cryptology: What Is Protecting Your Credit History University of California, Santa Cruz Margaux Fraser Lloyd Social Dance: A Reflection of Women’s Culture Goucher College Trevor Chase McProud Yuba River Preservation Colorado Collelge Todd Spaulding Meyer Calendar and Time Emory University Lucy Elizabeth Milligan Affirmative Action Princeton University Sarah Gates Morrow The Power Behind the Mask: University of Colorado, Boulder An Exploration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Rio de Janeiro Anne Meredith Nyborg Psychoneuroimmulology: The Healing Mind Stanford University Marley Elizabeth Orr Cold Regions Colby College Richard Hill Parks III Bluegrass Music McGill University Herbert Claiborne Pell IV Livin’ La Vida Loca in California Politics: Harvard University The Hispanic Vote in California’s Federal Election Eric Abbott Reeser Western Aid and Mustong Emory University Fritz Claton Rice Controversial Music in American Culture Pitzer College Carissa Kathryne Ridgeway Deep Ecology Bard College Matthew Samuel Schuman Physics of Sailing University of California, Berkeley Yusill Ko Scribner The Nature of Serial Killers: Focus: David Berkowitz Barnard College Mia Danit Silverman Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan: Stanford University A Spokesperson for Protest vs. A Spokesperson for Self Guido Vincent Soracco POW Camps in Vietnam Franklin & Marshall College Carlos Costa Soriano Fusion Food: Not Just a Trend? University of Pennsylvania Devon Louise Tarasevic Adolescent Female Moral Development Southwestern University Sara Larissa Thacher Teaching Beginning Riding Rhode Island School of Design Allegra Mercedes Towns Astrology Around the World Columbia University Peter Rhys Warman The Physical and Psychological Determinants of Trinity University Consonance and Dissonance Andrew Campbell Warren Snow Science Connecticut College Anwar Raymond White Vegen Diet Carnegie-Mellon University Juliette Bowen White Egyptian Mathematics Wellesley College Mariposa Ibañez Widdoes Creating a Masterpiece: Inside and Out DePaul-Theater Conservatory Kirby Alexander Williams Non-Confirmist Music Oberlin College Megan Padma Nye Winecoff Minor White, Photographer Lewis & Clark College

Spring/Summer 2000 page 11 COMMENCEMENT 2000

Proper Imperfections School Chair Kristin Berona’s Speech at the All-School Banquet

Commencement 2000 hank you Mr. Mulligan, mem- flaw and that this intended flaw makes the rug bers of the faculty, fellow stu- all the more beautiful. D.H. Lawrence, an au- Tdents, and honored guests. thor whom some of you have read, once wrote, Chair“When we get out of the glass bottles of our Well, first I would like to say con- ego, and when we escape like squirrels turning gratulations to everyone: we have in the cages of our personality and get into the survived another hectic, difficult, forests again… Cool, unlying life will rush in, and rewarding year; the gauntlet of and passion will make our bodies taut with A.P.’s, papers, and finals has been power.” run, and, one would hope, passed. The end of the year has always In other words, our egos, our expectation that been hectic for me. It seems that everything should be perfect, keeps us from everything is happening at once, completely experiencing nature, and life. While that in each and every moment I was thinking that the dust or the bugs marred there are three more things to be the perfection of the setting of camping, I was done. Time to sit back and reflect still trapped in the glass bottle of my ego, ex- on material for a speech never pecting perfection without flaw. Once we real- came, and before I knew it I was ize that perfection is impossible, and that off camping with still no brilliant nature, flaws and all, is beautiful, then cool, ideas. But camping came as a gasp unlying life will rush in. Passion, or true feel- of cool, fresh air last week, allow- ing, will make us taut with power, and we can ing me the time to reflect and relax. escape our egos to see the balance that is true And perhaps it would be exagger- perfection. ating to call it brilliant, but an idea did come to me. When we go camping, we find many imper- fections in conjunction with the perfection. A Let me first set the scene. We were riding along blistering day will turn into a cool night, a a trail through the high Sespe in some of the desert trail can lead to a hidden oasis, or, if most beautiful country I’ve ever seen. Rays of you’re like me, you can get your hair caught in sunlight filtered through the tops of giant pines, a tent zipper minutes after appreciating the a cool breeze meandered through the trees, a beautiful sunset. But we grow mentally, spiri- melodious chirping of birds filled the air, and tually, and physically from learning how to in- splashes of colorful wildflowers dotted the hill- corporate and appreciate the flaws in the sides. It was a perfect picture except for one whole, as the Persian flaw somehow completes thing: the clouds of dust that rose up from the the perfection of the rug. trail and went straight into my mouth and nose. As I rode along the trail, ineffectively try- Back at Thacher we should not forget the les- ing to evade the ubiquitous dust, I thought to sons that nature teaches us. We need to com- myself, “Wow, this would be complete bliss if plement the academics with physical activity, it weren’t for the dust.” the solitary time with hanging out with friends, and the seriousness with just plain fun. Accept Later that day, after we had set up camp and the flaws in your work, for they are part of taken care of the horses, I was sitting on a tiny what makes it, and us, unique. (At least that’s island in the middle of a perfect mountain what I told myself when all the visuals for my stream, listening to its steady gurgle, sur- Senior Exhibition died in the middle of my rounded by lush green grass and again being presentation.) And as you fly into summer with serenaded by birds, writing in my journal. open arms, remember the balance between Amidst such beauty the thought darted across flaws and perfection: don’t pout too long when my mind, “lose the bugs and this would be nir- it rains while you’re at the beach because, as vana.” cliché as it is, you might see the rainbow. And when you come back next fall, though you But even as I thought that, I realized that this may strive for perfection, remember to appre- is Earth and so things will not be perfect; ciate the imperfections in any endeavor. You rather the flaws are part of the beauty of na- can escape that glass bottle of your ego; you ture. This is the same concept as that of the can escape into the forests, no matter where Persian Flaw, which is a small and purposeful you are. flaw designed into every Persian rug. The mas- ter weaver recognizes that nothing is without Thank you, and have a wonderful summer.e

page 12 The Thacher News COMMENCEMENT 2000 Commencement 2000 Introduction of Bob Gardner

Senior Banquet Address by Michael K. Mulligan

ur speaker tonight, Bob to records, however, “for he won acclaim for Gardner, CdeP ’60, is the his performances as pianist for Thacher’s jazz Oauthor (along with his wife, combo, the Royal Tones.” Gretchen) of a little known Thacher song, made popular Although he didn’t pursue his music as a career among the Thacher family when once leaving the Ojai, he did continue with his the School celebrated its Cen- creative bent with a career in marketing and tennial just over 10 years ago. advertising—which followed his graduation His other song-writing ventures from the University of Pennsylvania. After have had a much wider distri- working for J. Walter Thompson advertising bution though. Anyone recall agency in New York and San Francisco, Bob President Ford’s campaign was asked to join President Ford’s campaign song… “I’m Feeling Good in 1976 as Associate Creative Director. In about America”? Bob wrote the 1977, he started his own advertising agency in music and lyrics for this tune as San Francisco that has continued to prosper well as helped direct the cam- and grow. paign that won Ford the Presi- dency in 1976. Time magazine Thacher has continued to reap the benefits of called this one of the top jingles of the 1970s. Bob’s work. After the completion of the Cen- tennial Campaign, the Development Office Now this I get from Besse, Bob’s daughter, drew on his creative expertise in designing a about his time at Thacher: brochure which would raise awareness among our alumni of the renovation needs for the Captain of Fourth Soccer Team and JV Bas- Upper School. A few years later, he was tapped ketball: “What an athlete!”; again to design a piece for annual fundraising (using half a horse/whole horse as the mes- Cooked spaghettios on his heater; sage—what you pay for and what you get.) Both of these were hugely successful. Most re- Lived on Skid Row (the four rooms in Middle cently he has brought a creative touch to the School right by Ms. Sines’ house; the trouble School’s fundraising with the alumni as Presi- makers lived there); dent of the Alumni Association.

Started KTUS radio station in Upper School Bob has kept Thacher near and dear to his with friends; heart since he left CdeP. He has been a strong advocate of the School’s traditions and core Worked on the newspaper as the second head values. Bob has kept abreast of changes made and wrote the “calendar” for the yearbook; over the years and has readily voiced his con- cerns that we keep these values in mind, re- Member of the “Mop and Broom” Club: a minding all that “part of Thacher’s appeal is its take-off on PTS for those who did not ride but uniqueness and its willingness to be a little dif- were made to sweep classrooms instead; ferent, even quirky.” (This is from a letter dated December 14, 1978.) Would jump from roof to roof on top of Upper School with his friends; or maybe his friends A musician, camper, fundraiser, and creative jumped and he watched. (His daughter re- mastermind, we have certainly been blessed by marks, “I can’t see him being that gutsy!”) his connection with the School. In recent years, the School has seen the continuation of Bob’s During his senior year, he was on The Notes spirit with the education of his two daughters: and El Archivero boards, audio chief for the Mollie, CdeP ’99 and Besse, who will graduate Masquers, Athletic Publicity Manager, and tomorrow. Head of the Audio-Visual Department. He also was a B Camper and co-manager of the Varsity So now, we call to the podium Robert K. Gard- Basketball Team. ner, CdeP ’60, to share with us his views as a Thacher graduate and proud father of Besse. As The El Archivero from 1960 describes Bob as he wrote in his e-mail to us this week: “I’ve “one of the class’s original audiophiles” having cut my speech from about two hours down to attempted organization of a Hi-Fi Club at the 50 minutes, not counting the time for crying, School. His musical interests weren’t limited rambling, and ad libbing. Hope this is OK.”e

Spring/Summer 2000 page 13 COMMENCEMENT 2000

The Stamp of the School Is Indelible Robert K. Gardner, CdeP ’61

Commencement 2000 t’s a great honor to have been chosen as your I first want to congratulate the class of 2000. Con- market may be jittery, but it’s risen dramatically speaker this evening at the Senior Banquet. Typ- sider that number. The millennium class; the class during your lifetimes. But one of the most danger- Iically, this talk is given by a Thacher alumnus of the new century. You picked the right time to be ous things you can do is to take a trend line—either who also has a child in the graduating class. Five of born. You are surfing the wave of a scientific and positive or negative—and project it out into the us meet those qualifications. You could have heard technological revolution that is being compared in future. from Woody Halsey, CdeP ’65, a former faculty its power for change to the invention of moveable brat and son of Mac Halsey, my former Latin type in 1456. Not only is there change, but the You know from your history courses that stuff teacher and basketball coach. Woody’s the father rate of change is unprecedented. It affects all of happens, things change—sometimes dramatically of Brooke, who is graduating, Phoebe, who’s a us, because of the magic number, 2000, it’s you and unexpectedly. I’m not here to predict your fu- freshman, and Bronwen, class of ’98. Woody runs and your fellow graduates in this country who will ture, except to say that your future is unpre- School Year Abroad, which some of you have had be always subjected to prodding and poking by dictable. Stanford professor David Kennedy, who’s the good fortune to participate in. Woody is bright, social scientists about how you feel, what you feel, just won the Pulitzer Prize for his book on the De- scholarly…he would have been a great speaker. and what you think about any and all issues. You pression and World War II, said the Depression Too bad you won’t hear him. are the benchmark class. There will be retrospec- “came in a time of giddy prosperity…and it clob- tives and movies and documentaries and TV spe- bered the country.” You could have heard Justin Faggioli, CdeP ’69, fa- cials about you. You will be in the media for the ther of Nate—and Claire, who’s a sophomore. rest of your lives. God help you. The grandparents in the audience—which Tom Justin is a Trustee and a head of Ravenswood Vine- Brokaw has termed The Greatest Generation— yards, makers of 16 of the world’s great Zinfan- Your class’s record at Thacher is…how to put were youngsters during the Great Depression. They dels. Had he been the speaker, we could have all it…memorable. On the plus side, you’ve set the fought and won World War II, lived through Korea adjourned afterwards to The Pergola for a hori- bar unbelievably high in your Senior Exhibitions, and Vietnam, a number of recessions and, of zontal tasting. Too bad you won’t hear from him. and at this time when college admission is at its course, times of triumph, satisfaction and pros- most difficult, your achievements are admirable. I perity. If any group can describe the ups and downs You could have heard from Marshall Milligan, also read a series of articles about this year’s college of America, it’s this group. If you haven’t done so from the class of ’69, father of Lucy—and Claire, admissions in the New York Times. It seemed to already, go talk to them. Ask them questions and a sophomore. Marshall was one of the West’s lead- me that if you had almost all A’s and 1500 on your record their stories. Learn from their experiences. ing independent bankers, retired at a ridiculously boards, and were captain of the soccer team, and The experiences of the Baby Boomers, my genera- young age—now with another full-time job—Pres- editor of the newspaper, and had started your own tion, pale in comparison to theirs. (And boy, do ident of Thacher’s Board of Trustees. He could Internet company sophomore year which went they know how to party.) have talked about his vision for the School, the public your senior year, and spent your summers role of the Board, and how he plans to fulfill that working in Mother Theresa’s mission in Calcutta, That is why education, particularly a Thacher ed- vision. He would have been great. then you might make the waiting list at Wesleyan. ucation, is so important. You have been taught But despite all the hurdles and hand-wringing, your and trained to be active participants—not passive Or, you could have heard from Riley Bechtel, CdeP record in college admissions is exemplary. It’s ex- observers—in your lives and in the lives of your ’70, father of Darren ’00, Brendan, CdeP ’99, and emplary in many other areas as well. But you are communities and your country. Education, it’s Katherine ’03. Riley has been a long-time still the class of 2000, which means anything can often said, is the one thing that can’t be taken away Trustee…and I’m not sure what he does…a family- happen at any time. from you. Life delivers sucker punches, so don’t contracting business or something….but I know get cocky. Some things are beyond your control, he would have been really interesting. As a parent, I plead with you. You’ve only got but almost nothing is beyond your understanding. about 14 hours before you graduate. Remain Your education gives you a big leg up and a way to So instead, you got me. We’re all wondering why. calm. Don’t blow it. I don’t want to say this class bounce back. Remember that in the good times But I think I know. Of all the possible choices, I’m is different. But it is the first class in the history of and the bad. the only one who thinks, and often acts, like an 18- the School where they still haven’t printed the year-old. I suppose that’s why I’m in advertising. names on the diplomas. They’ve just penciled Observation 2: Teamwork Works My attention span is the length of a 30-second them in. commercial. I had A.D.D. before it had a name. In America, we tend to glorify the individual. Time Then, I was just considered restless, undisciplined, I don’t have a lot of wisdom to impart to you this magazine’s Person of the Year is seldom a com- and unfocused. As all parents and faculty here evening. I have neither a grand theme nor a mem- mittee. Yet most great advances in any field are know, there’s really no such thing as 18-year-old orable metaphor. But I do have a series of obser- collaborative. I hope that you will end up on one, behavior. At any given moment, an 18-year-old vations. But first a promise: This will not be a or a series, of great teams where, no matter what will act five…so childish and irrational and emo- nostalgic talk about Thacher B.C.—before co-ed- the field, the goals are audacious, the intensity is tional that strangulation starts sounding good. But ucation, or B.G.—before a gym or before grass on all-consuming, the morale is white hot, the dis- an hour later, this same person will spout the ma- the athletic fields. agreements are passionate, and the results are turity, wisdom, and insight of a Supreme Court breakthrough. Think of what it would be like to be Justice. The problem is that we rarely have warn- Observation 1: Beware of the tyranny of trends on the team that started Microsoft or the team that ing about which behavior will surface at any given designed the iMac. The team that brought the mu- moment. Tonight, I’ll try to err on the side of ma- You have grown up in an unprecedented period in sical Oklahoma to Broadway and transformed mu- turity, largely because my mother and my entire this nation’s history. Globally, we’re the one su- sical comedy. The team that first put together a family are here, along with some former teachers. perpower—economic, military, and political. We charter school. The team that planned D-Day. The Not to mention Besse who has been dreading this have unheard-of prosperity—low inflation, the first group of astronauts. The team called The moment for months. highest employment rate in decades. The stock Beatles. page 14 The Thacher News COMMENCEMENT 2000 Commencement 2000 If you talk to the retired gazillionaires in Silicon Val- is the most unheeded need of public service—run- The successes…many of the biggest and most loyal ley—often not more than a decade older than you— ning for office and becoming an elected official. givers are not the class superstars. Just the oppo- after the huge house in Woodside or Atherton, after Although we have many fine people in public life, site. They are often the rebels and the hellraisers. the custom Ferrari or even a Gulfstream, after the we can use many, many more. It’s no longer a goal luxury African safari, ask them what they miss…they of most younger Americans to seek high office. My University of Pennsylvania class has a history miss the team…the teamwork. The struggle, the Twenty years ago, if you asked a grad school class of the highest reunion giving in the country of any long nights, sleeping on the couch in the office, the who wanted to be President of the United States, college. Many of the largest gifts come from those diet of pizza, the fights. The intensity. The passion hands would shoot up; today, no hands go up. This who barely graduated or made no mark on the breakthroughs. And the accomplishment. is not good for our country and the world. The campus. I have a close friend and classmate who reasons are obvious: almost total cynicism about won the Nobel Prize in medicine two years ago. He They miss the journey. For many, the destination is politicians and the political process—fueled in was a hard-working, diligent student, but none of boring. Most of you have had a taste of that kind large part by the way campaigns are managed and his peers and, I suspect, few, if any, of his profes- of teamwork already—where you were asked to financed—a total loss of privacy, media scrutiny sors would have predicted such an outcome. Suc- do things that you never thought you could in the that knows no bounds and feeds on mistakes and cess in school, though profoundly appreciated, and classroom or on the athletic fields or the stage. indiscretion. certainly to be sought, is not always a ticket to Coaches like Greg Courter and Derf and Brian success in later life...materially or otherwise. Peo- Driscoll and Chris Mazzola and Cam Schryver And yet, these are the people who make policy and ple develop at different rates, and Thacher grads have demanded that you perform beyond your the laws that affect our lives. No matter what your are no exception. As Thacher’s chief fundraiser for peak. Directors like Jake and Ms. Vick have political persuasion, government is a growth in- the past three years, I can tell you that many of pushed you beyond your limits. Because you dustry that is not going away. We need able, prin- the most giving and caring alumni were not the played at your peak, the team played at its peak. cipled people, like you, to make better, more hon- stars of this Banquet in their time. In fact, and I You may or may not be the leader or the star. You est and more ethical government. Imagine if all our find this astonishing, the giving records of past may not get the credit you expected, or you may elected officials had to take courses from Marvin School Chairs, is horrible…though I know Kristin get more credit than you deserve. But you will Shagam! As far as I know, only one current Thacher will be an exception. never have more personal satisfaction and psychic grad is a significant elected official—Phil Angelides— reward than playing on a great team. the State Treasurer of California. But, as someone Final Observation: The “Stamp of the School” is who’s been involved in politics for 25 years, I know indelible Observation 3: It’s okay to be elite reform is coming to the process, and things will be better by the time you are ready to run. Consider It became apparent to me soon after graduation, as This is kind of a minefield. But let’s face it, no mat- it; I’ll do your campaign. it will to you, that this is a unique and special ter what your background or financial circum- place. The life lessons and the values you’ve stances, you are all part of the elite. In this age of Observation 4: You don’t have to get it right the learned here are not transitory. They’re with you political correctness, that is not something that is first time for the duration—till the best you can do is all discussed. It has a bad connotation. I think it’s done. No matter where you go or what you do, time we took it out of the closet. You’re smart as All parents want their children to be perfect, just as there are some things you’ll never be able to repli- hell; you have strongly held values; you’re well- we are perfect. We condemn the flaws we see in cate—the closeness and idealism of the Thacher educated. You’re going to go to the most selective you—frequently because we recognize them as our community, an extraordinarily dedicated faculty colleges in the country and are likely to continue own. Many successful people started achieving in and staff, a Head of School and his wife who open your studies beyond college. Tomorrow, you’ll grade school and never looked back, but most do their house every Saturday night, the extraordi- graduate from an elite independent school. You’re not. If you get it right the first time, then more nary wisdom of Marvin Shagam (who arrived my elite. It’s Okay. Get over it. Besides, it’s a badge power to you. But God bless those who get junior year with considerably less wisdom). you can’t erase. knocked around and bloodied and fail and get dis- couraged and then start all over again…and ulti- Next weekend, I will be back here for my fortieth But being elite doesn’t necessarily mean having mately succeed. People bloom at different times Thacher reunion with my best friends in the world. money. It means you have advantages that you and at different rates. There are some in this class Five years from now, and every successive five cannot squander. To whom much is given, much is for whom Thacher wasn’t a perfect experience; it years after that, the class of 1960 and the class of expected. There’s a big difference between being wasn’t for me. But Thacher is not the end of the 2000 will have reunions together—something I’m elite and elitist. An elitist, by my definition, is one line; it’s the beginning. Many of you will surprise looking forward to for years to come. No matter who tries to keep Blacks and Jews and Asians and your parents, your teachers, your peers, and your- where life leads you—whether it’s a well-traveled Hispanics off the team, out of the boardroom, and selves as you find your stride. highway or the road not taken—you and I and all out of the country club. Thacher grads have an unbreakable bond. The When I first went on the Thacher Board, I attended stamp of the School is indeed indelible and leaves That’s a dying breed, thank goodness, but there a dinner at the Mulligans’. A guest that night was its mark on each generation and each class. I wish are still vestiges of it in the East and South. A true David Lavender, one of my Thacher English teach- you all the best because it is the best you deserve. elite seeks the best not only for himself and his ers, and nationally known as a prize-winning au- family but the best for the community and the thor and historian of the West. David, who In the words of the greatest poet of my generation, country. A true elite is a progressive elite. A true recently turned 90 and lives on Thacher Road, cut Bob Dylan: elite listens before he leads. A true elite believes in to the chase, as always. He said to me, “I have meritocracy. Though they’re doing their best to great difficulty thinking of you as a Trustee.” No May your hands always be busy hide it, the next President of the United States will doubt, he was not alone. May your feet always be swift be part of the elite: St. Albans and Harvard or An- May you have a strong foundation dover and Yale. Take your pick. And while I’m on There were those of us who made the academic When the winds of changes shift this soapbox, it’s a given that all of you will be in- top half possible...there were those of us who were May your heart always be joyful volved in community service throughout your lives. not prefects or captains of varsity teams…who did- May your song always be sung It’s a part of the Thacher legacy and ethic. I doubt n’t win prizes. Yet, we are often the people who be- And may you stay forever young. if there’s a single Thacher grad who has not been come the most caring and giving and loyal alumni. involved in his or her community, in non-profit or- In the New York Times recently, Tom Brokaw wrote And, always remember this: You did not go to prep ganizations and causes, making a difference. Many about the lack of academic distinction of many fa- school or boarding school or private school or high of you will become outstanding civic leaders. mous people in politics and media including such school or secondary school. You went to Thacher. luminaries as Brit Hume, Dick Cheney, James e Tonight, I ask some of you, at least, to consider Carville, Harry Truman, John McCain, as well as going beyond civic leadership to enter what I think two Presidential candidates—and Brokaw, himself.

Spring/Summer 2000 page 15 Campus Life

hundering Acquistapace ’01 received the cov- hooves. Accu- eted silver-studded perpetual bridles Trate shots (trap for Best All-Around Horsemanship and tennis, that is). in the sophomore or junior classes; Glimmering Katherine Bechtel received the Top awards. Smiling Freshman Rider buckle and the Top faces. Poignant re- English Rider Buckle; and Darren marks. Bechtel won both the Overall High Point and the Overall Day High Point These scenes re- Buckles.

Gymkhana Weekend peated themselves throughout this Amid tri-tip, salads, grilled vegeta- spring’s Big Gym- bles, fresh strawberry shortcake, and khana Weekend as the strains of Dan Wilson’s Bluegrass families and friends Boys, guests opened their eyes and joined students and faculty for the annual event. wallets to bid on a collection of Auc- Equine events took center stage with rescuing, tion items. Some of the more sought jumping, holding ribbons, weaving in and out after marvels included dinner for two of poles and barrels, all performed at top speed students with Thacher’s resident Na- and against the clock. As the sun set in the west tional Treasure, Marvin Shagam; Joy and the Community gathered in the Gym, rib- Sawyer-Mulligan’s almost world-fa- bons and heavy metal were awarded to the mous brownies; a laptop computer day’s and season’s top riders: the Green Team, donated by Thacher’s Trustees; a cov- captained by seniors Darren Bechtel and Lucinda eted set of portraits depicting the Brown, accumulated the most points during 1999-2000 Lower School male pre- the season (6433); Ronald Wu ’02 and Christy fects dressed as the Spice Girls; a quilt GymkhanaRide ’em High Weekend 2000 sewn by Susie Swan (wife of Mike Swan who Although this year’s Auction netted nearly Overall Team Totals works in the Horse Department) that featured $75,000, a new high-water mark for this event, signatures of Thacher faculty, staff, and stu- the true success of the Auction is measured by 1 Green 6433 dents of the 2000 graduating class; and heirloom the gracious and dynamic participation of so tack and spurs donated by a student who was many parents and friends of the School. The 2 Orange 5385 given the ensemble by his father and had been Spring Hootenanny at the Mulligans’ drew used only once when he attended Thacher back musicians, singers, and some crooners, and 3 Blue 5180 in 1941. caused immeasurable embarrassment for stu-

Top Ten Overall Season Freshman Top Ten Overall Season Big Gymkhana Top Ten English Overall 1 Darren Bechtel ’00 1227 1 Katherine Bechtel 809 1 Darren Bechtel ’00 337 1 Katherine Bechtel ’03 198 2 Ronald Wu ’02 832 2 Luke Myers 574 2 Katherine Bechtel ‘03 317 2 Alex Herbert ‘02 196 3 Duncan Winecoff ’02 810 3 Owili Eison 566 3 Alex Herbert ‘02 282 3 Libby Rauner ’02 196 4 Katherine Bechtel ’03 809 4 Phoebe Barkan 461 4 Duncan Winecoff ’02 265 4 Lucinda Brown ’00 190 5 Alex Herbert ’02 685 5 Tyler Caldwell 441 5 Ronald Wu ’02 255 5 Wallis Adams ’00 185 6 Lucinda Brown ’00 684 6 Troy Pollet 434 6 Luke Myers ’03 214 6 Phoebe Barkan ’03 177 7 Wallis Adams ’00 600 7 Chance Phelps 434 7 Owili Eison ’03 174 7 Amanda Grumman ’02 133 8 Luke Myers ’03 574 8 Phoebe Halsey 323 8 Libby Rauner ’02 166 8 Jacey Roche ’03 114 9 Owili Eison ’03 566 9 Jonathan Walsh-Wilson 317 9 Chance Phelps ’03 162 9 Ari Flam ’03 112 10 Libby Rauner ’02 502 10 Jacey Roche 230 10 Tamima Al-Awar ’02 148 10 Lucy Hodgman ’03 101

page 16 The Thacher News Gymkhana Weekend

Luke Myers ’03 in the Flag Race

Thacher riders create a three-ring circus on the Gymkhana Field

Forest Cooke Lawn, six parent- student racqueteer teams took to the courts for the annual Round Robin Tennis Tournament. In the single-elimination format, David ’01 and Dave Babbott, who joined Thacher’s Alumni Office staff this summer, once again overtook the competition and won top honors.

The Chapel Service on Sunday Participants in the Ribbon Race was a welcome respite of re- flection and musical solace from the Weekend’s hustle- bustle current. Rick Ridge- way—father of Carissa ’00 and Cameron ’03 and out- going President of the Par- ents’ Association—ad- dressed the crowd with a message entitled “Commit- ment.” Rick drew on his As part of the Grand Entry, Darren Bechtel ’00 carries the mountaineering and writing national flag expertise and borrowed dents whose parents almost remembered from “A Message to Garcia” as he sug- words and melodies of their favorite hits from gested that the world would be better off the sixties and earlier. if more people would “Commit…and then figure it out.”* The text of his comments At various venues across campus on Sunday begins on page 18. morning, hikers, shooters, and tennis players en- joyed the ideal weather and great outdoors. A Sunday Brunch of Eggs Benedict, Cricket Twichell led a group of happy hikers up omelet bar, carved ham, and roast beef Horn Canyon that was in full bloom with more beckoned the Community. As the after- wildflowers than usual; this was likely due to noon drew to a close, families said good- December’s Ranch Fire that opened up new bye to their students and ventured back and different growth in the backcountry. Bob home, while the campus gradually re- Hopkins, CdeP ’67 (father of Emmet ’01), drew turned to its normal pace. e on his ranching expertise to add fodder about the plants the group happened upon. Dozens of *These words hang over the desk of student/parent teams made their way to the Doug Tompkins, entrepreneur who Pratt Shooting Range to shoot .22s at flying started The North Face and Esprit, and skeet. When the smoke settled, Darren Bechtel rock-climbing partner of Rick’s. and his father Riley, CdeP ’70, had the most ac- curate record: 46 out of 50 shots. Just below the Eddie Tavernetti ’03 teaching his horse to stand on a stump

Spring/Summer 2000 page 17 Campus Life

Commitment Campus Life Address at Gymkhana Weekend Chapel Service by Richard Ridgeway

esterday we witnessed a miracle that hap- body else will get more out of it than you will. pens every year at this time in the Ojai Val- You can tell yourself that maybe you need to Yley. It was as magical as the spring study the task a little more before you start. blooming of wildflowers, as miraculous as watching a hatchling peck its way out of its Certainly, you have to do your homework. I egg. It was…the Gymkhana. don’t climb a mountain until I study the route, until I have a plan. Rene Daumal said that the But the miracle of the Gymkhana may not be last step depends on the first, but he also said fully evident to those who have only witnessed that the first step depends on the last. You have yesterday’s event of the spring. Rather, I sus- to learn what you can about the task you have pect it can only be fully appreciated by those before you. But, when you are on the ground students and parents who have also stood wit- looking up at a new route on a mountain, you ness to that preceding event of the fall: the can’t see every passage and every turn. You freshman class tryouts, when Cam Schryver don’t know for sure whether all the cracks con- first sees just how unmolded each hunk of clay nect. is that he has to work with. Rick Ridgeway gives his “Commitment” address I’ve learned a lot from the mountains, but I during Gymkhana Weekend But how do these unmolded hunks of clay turn think I’ve learned even more from mountain into the fine young horsewomen and horsemen climbers. One of my long-time rope partners is we witnessed yesterday? In one word, it’s by Doug Tompkins, the entrepreneur who started commitment. By commitment to overcome The North Face, then sold that to start Esprit. doubt and fear. By commitment to work hard. Doug keeps a sign above his desk that spells And most important, by commitment to the out, in six words, how he conducts business, idea that you can do it. and how he climbs mountains. It says, “Com- mit...and then figure it out.” Commitment is from the Latin committo: to begin, to undertake, to embark, and in turn I think it’s safe to say that in December 1773 that is from Latin roots com and mittere, to when a group of Bostonians disguised them- cast or to send along. That’s the idea I want to selves as Mohawk Indians and went down to reflect on this morning: to cast yourself down the harbor and threw into the water 342 chests a new road, to embark on a new journey. of tea, they probably had done some of their homework. After all, Samuel Adams was a For me, some of what I know about this sub- Harvard graduate. But I think it’s also safe to ject comes not from the horse arena, but from say that neither Adams nor any of the others what I’ve brought down from the mountains. knew for sure just what they were getting The French philosopher Rene Daumal once themselves into. They did not have all the an- wrote an allegory of mountaineering, and in swers. But this ability to go ahead and commit it he said. “Keep your eye fixed on the path to anyway, it’s an American heritage, and it’s one the top, but don’t forget to look in front of we all hold with pride. you. The last step depends on the first. But don’t think you’re there just be- cause you see the summit. Watch your footing, be sure of your step, but don’t let that distract you from the highest goal. The first step depends on the last.”

Commitment. You can’t make the last step unless you make the first. And sometimes that is a step that can feel like crossing a huge chasm. It can be scary; it can be frightening. It can have your stomach in knots. It can be easy to find reasons not to make it. You can convince yourself that maybe you’re not the right person for the task. Somebody else should make the first step. You can convince yourself that maybe it’s not worth the effort. Some- After speaking, Rick confers with Elizabeth McDougall page 18 The Thacher News Campus Life page 19 Spring/Summer 2000 who can carry the carry can who e woman message to Garcia. The woman or the man who can commit, and then figure it out. The woman or the man who makes the first step, who instincts, their of authority the trusts who knows that the last step depends on the first. long a saw I Field, Gymkhana the on Yesterday line of young women and young men who message a carry to Schryver Cam by told were faces their on saw I it. did they and Garcia, to that confidence that comes from making a you of those And succeeding. and commitment here this morning who were out on your carry to learn must you now yesterday, horses that confidence forward, to your other en- deavors. continue To through your life to be bold, to commit to the untrodden path, to go being to commit To road. untraveled the down an uncommon woman and an uncommon man. that said, Roosevelt Theodore as remember, To other veteran era of who Lieutenant Rowan’s that commitment, about something knew also man the not it’s counts, who critic the not “it’s stumbled, man strong the how out points who or where the doer of deeds could have done The credit belongs to the man—and to better. the woman—who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who best, at who, cause; worthy a in himself spends achieve- high of triumph the end the in knows ment, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least shall place his that so greatly, daring while fails know who souls timid gray those with be never neither victory or defeat.” Anything such a man asks shall be granted; his granted; be shall asks man a such Anything to kind is so rare that no employer can afford let him go. He is wanted in every town city, and village—in every office, shop, store and The factory. world cries out for such: he is needed, and needed badly—the man who can carry a message to Garcia. the add, may I And Ave Verum Corpus Verum Ave other men to assist him; or mayhaps, God in His goodness performs a miracle, and sends him an Angel of Light for an assistant. You, sit- are You test: a to matter this put [listener], ting now in your office—six clerks are within call. Summon any one and make this request: “Please look in the encyclopedia and make a life brief memorandum for me concerning the of Corregio.” and go to sir,” “Yes the clerk Will quietly say, the task? On your life he will not. He will look at you out of a fishy eye and ask one or more of the following questions: Who was he? Which encyclopedia? Where is the encyclopedia? hired for that? I Was you mean “Bismark” Don’t the matter with Charlie doing it? What’s Is he dead? Is there any hurry? it look you let and book the you bring I Shan’t up yourself? What do you want to know for? My heart goes out to the man who does his when as well as away, is “boss” the when work he is at home. And the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly takes the missive, with and questions, idiotic any asking without no lurking intention of chucking it into the deliver but else aught doing of or sewer, nearest it, never gets “laid off,” nor has to go on a long one is Civilization wages. higher for strike anxious search for just such an individual. Chamber Sings and friends sing Mozart’s Chamber Sings and friends sing Mozart’s the message to Garcia, is Garcia, to message the message, ago. as correct today a sit was one-hundred years hook or crook, or threat, he forces or bribes seem the rule; and no man succeeds, unless by unless succeeds, man no and rule; the seem dowdy indifference, and half-hearted work Slip-shod assistance, foolish inattention, willingness to concentrate on a thing and do it. do and thing a on concentrate to willingness becility of so many men—the inability or un- has been well nigh appalled at times by the im- the by times at appalled nigh well been has enterprise where many hands were needed, but needed, were hands many where enterprise No man, who has endeavored to carry out an other Garcias. General Garcia is dead but now, there are sage to Garcia!” energies: do the same thing—“Carry a mes- to a trust, to act concentrate promptly, their the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal be to them cause will which vertebrae the struction about this and that, but a stiffening of stiffening a but that, and this about struction is not book-learning young men need, nor in- the statue placed in every college of the land. It land. the of college every in placed statue the form should be cast in deathless bronze and is he at?” By the eternal! There is a man whose man a is There eternal! the By at?” he is Rowan took the letter and did not ask, “Where ask, not did and letter the took Rowan gave Rowan a letter to be delivered to Garcia; to delivered be to letter a Rowan gave The point I wish to make is this: McKinley in detail. are things I have no special desire now to tell try on foot, and delivered his letter to Garcia, of the Island, having traversed a hostile coun- hostile a traversed having Island, the of and in three weeks came out on the other side other the on out came weeks three in and from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle the into disappeared boat, open an from four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba of coast the off night by landed days four an oil-skin pouch, strapped it over his heart, in heart, his over it strapped pouch, oil-skin an name of Rowan” took the letter, sealed it up in up it sealed letter, the took Rowan” of name delivered to Garcia. How “the fellow by the Rowan was sent for and given a letter to be cia for you, if anybody can.” low by the name of Rowan who will find Gar- find will who Rowan of name the by low Someone said to the President, “There’s a Someone fel- said to the President, “There’s quickly. What to do! quickly. The president must secure his cooperation, and cooperation, his secure must president The mail or telegraph message could reach him. vastness of Cuba—no one knew where. No gents. Garcia was somewhere in the mountain the in somewhere was Garcia gents. municate quickly with the leader of the Insur- the of leader the with quickly municate United States, it was very necessary to com- When war broke out between Spain and the like Mars at perihelion. like Mars at perihelion. because the because memory my of horizon the on out stands who and phrasing that today is politically incorrect, politically is today that phrasing and In all this Cuban business there is one man who haven’t, ignore the anachronistic language anachronistic the ignore haven’t, who A Message to Garcia older have probably heard it, but for those cia.” Some of you here who are my age and a magazine essay called “A Message to Gar- recognition at the time with the publication of publication the with time the at recognition War when War another incident received wide It was there again in the Spanish American Campus Life

Grandparents’ Days 2000 Grandparents’ Days

Grandparents join students at Assembly

ver 90 grandparents—hailing from as far away as England, New York, Kansas, and OTexas—and as close as down the hill—ar- rived on campus in April for the Sixth Annual Grandparents’ Days. Opening events included tours of campus by students and an Open House in the Library Archives. The focus of archival material was the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament (often called “The Ojai” by play- ers) since it was started by William Thacher, brother of Sherman Day Thacher and since the 100th Tournament was played two weeks fol- Chamber Singers perform at the Mulligans’ Dessert Reception lowing the grandparents’ visit. An array of per- forming arts, including Dance Ensemble, Chorus, and Chamber Singers awed the audi- ence before Afternoon Tea was shared by all. A Formal Buffet Dinner in the Dining Hall was followed by a Dessert Reception at the Mulli- gans’ home. Cricket Twichell shared some in- sider stories about the Thachers and The Ojai, before the Chamber Singers closed the evening with a few tunes.

Wednesday’s program allowed grandparents a glimpse of their grandchildren’s academic pur- suits and the tri-weekly occasion, Assembly. Dr. Newlin Hastings, CdeP ’34, treated the group to an historical moment of what Phoebe Barkan ’03 and her Thacher was like nearly seven decades ago. grandparents, Joan and Bill The text of his speech appears on the next Barkan, CdeP ’35, attend class page. Multi-generational photographs were together snapped as a memento of the occasion and sent a few weeks later.

The day wound up with an explanation of some of the finer points of Gymkhana events and mostly victorious athletic events for Base- ball, Girls’ Lacrosse, and Boys’ Tennis teams.

If you weren’t able to make Grandparents’ Days this year, be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s event: Tuesday and Wednesday, April 17 and 18. We hope to hit the century mark for attendance! e

Owili Eison ’03 sits with his grandparents, James and Virginia McBride, and his cousin James

page 20 The Thacher News Grandparents’ Days Thacher: Then and Now

by Newlin Hastings, M.D., CdeP ’34

Gymkhana, then as now, was highly competi- tive but they have stopped the relay races where horses ran in opposite directions. This was stopped after two horses met head-on. The Horse Program always has been important. Mr. Thacher claimed that the “outside of the horse was good for the inside of a boy” al- though mucking out our outdoor stalls was plenty dirty—rain or shine.

The intimate relationship with other students always has been great. Today I get to see this frequently at my daughter’s home when any of their children are home: the house is filled with their Thacher friends for any meal or to spend the night. My wife, who I met in medical school, claims that all she heard me talk about in the anatomy lab, where my table was next to hers, was Thacher. My lab partner, Giff Pin- chot, CdeP ’33, and I discussed our days there, all of the time. Even today, half of my surviv- ing class is here.

Our days at Thacher weren’t quite as pressured as today. Our education was excellent but re- Dr. Hastings shares remembrances from his days at Thacher laxed. I studied German with Herr Cook under the little pine trees in the area by Upper School, think that I am one of the luckiest people us would fall asleep; however, it was most now called the Coniferous Bosque. It stood me here. That’s because I have spent so many worthwhile. Unfortunately with the size of the in good stead in college and a refresher course I years of my life connected with Thacher— School this can’t be continued, but has been in World War II. To get into college, I never first as a student in the thirties, then as the par- replaced by open houses by the Head of School took any exams. The Headmaster wrote Har- ent of two boys in the sixties, as a Trustee in and members of the faculty. vard, and I was accepted. However, there the seventies when it was decided to make wasn’t as much competition then because it Thacher coed, and as a grandparent of four At about 10 a.m., we had calisthenics outside was during the Depression and a much smaller students who have graduated and three still and softball games on various fields with S.D. part of the population went to college. There here in the nineties. Thacher and his brother, “Bill Dad,” and Mor- wasn’t as much financial help for students in gan Barnes, later Headmaster, pitching. After those days either. My first contact with Thacher was when I fell the game we had oranges, milk, and graham off my brother’s horse and got knocked on my crackers before returning to classes. The re- Today’s students face a much more formida- head some 75 years ago. I woke up some time freshment part still continues but the games ble hurdle with exams and great competition later in the emergency room, which certainly are postponed until after school. Today the and much greater range of things to learn. was not like the present infirmary. Perhaps sports programs are much more varied with That does place them under much more that’s why I have been a bit daffy ever since. good sportsmanship and good coaching em- stress; however, they do have much greater phasized. facilities in which to learn and most of them I was one of 12 smuts in a student body of finish Thacher with several or many Ad- about 60. We lived in rooms over the Dining The Horse Program is not quite as prominent vanced Placement courses. There is a contin- Room where the Head of School’s office is. as before, but still is an integral part of School uing need for the School in supplying There was a porch that ran all the way around life. We had more time to take camping trips buildings, extra help for courses, faculty, fac- and it was a good way to sneak out at night to than the students do now. Just as now we grad- ulty housing, and Endowment to supply these visit one’s friends without anyone knowing uated from going with faculty members and things. The White Papers which you may about it. then as we improved we were allowed to camp have received outline the teaching and fea- in small groups by ourselves. One of my early tures of the School and notes the need for One of the great pluses of Thacher is the en- trips was with Mr. McCaskey who was a new further Endowment. In order to maintain the richment in so many different ways. When I master. I claimed to be able to cook and espe- quality, the great faculty, and the facilities, was a student back in the thirties, Mr. Thacher cially to make doughnuts. Mr. McCaskey offered much more is needed. would gather us in the parlor—which is now me part of his brand new aluminum camping part of the Dining Room—then with the lights set and I made doughnuts in his coffee pot. Lit- Of all the years of schooling that I had, the out he would read parts of the New York tle did I know that for years after no one could part I most cherish and by which I was most Times and excerpts from Dickens and other have coffee out of that pot without a topping influenced were my four years at Thacher. I classical writers. Often after dinner many of of grease; however, he never complained. would like to start it all over again. e

Spring/Summer 2000 page 21 Campus Life

TOAD Talk TOAD Talk Accomplishments When Challenged by Maria Morales-Kent

uring the weekend, I, like the rest That was made explicitly clear. We had to con- of you, had the distinct pleasure vey the meaning, message, or story in some ex- Dof watching our seniors come to periential way, and you could not reveal the the end of the long Senior Exhibition name of your book until the end of your pres- journey. entation. You were not to discuss your book with anyone, particularly your colleagues. I As one of the faculty evaluators, it could not imagine what books my colleagues was my job to observe my five seniors were given, but I was shocked, scared, con- in order to offer helpful feedback re- cerned, distressed when I found out that my garding their work. Watching the last- book was Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. minute jitters, nervous smiles, and frantic shakes of the presentors trying As you might guess, I could not imagine how to get themselves ready—I was re- in the world I was going to present this book to minded of a time when I experienced my colleagues. I tried to reason with my train- many of the same emotions—and it ers about the appropriateness of this book for was not my wedding day. me… but they assured me that they thought I could handle it. My very first TOAD Talk occurred three years ago—in this auditorium— So after much panic, I finally realized that I on a rainy day just like today. That had to read the book. I had to buy it and ac- morning I talked about my participa- tually interact with it; the mere thought made tion in a program called Coro in Los every part of me cringe. Angeles. Getting into the program (se- College Counselor Maria Morales-Kent lection day) was quite a challenge—but in I remember purchasing the book in the U.S.C. many ways that was just an introduction. Bookstore and making excuses to everyone I saw as to why I was buying this book. I tried to A program based on experiential rather than read it on several occasions but found it diffi- book learning, Coro focuses on a series of fult to even open. The cover was a bright or- seven internships in a year. So I spent most of ange with a swastika right in front. Eventually my time going from one internship to the I turned to that old elementary school trick next—at places like the mayor’s office, the and covered my book with plain paper from a teachers union, and even Quincy Jones’ pro- grocery bag. So, I began to read. duction company. As I read, I discovered the power Hitler had Every four weeks, each of my colleagues and I and how he manipulated language and basic were assigned to a new site. Not knowing human emotions to move people. I remember where we were going until the night before, being a little frightened as I read one of his let- adjusting to the new environments, finding that ters and actually understood what he was say- we had an enormous project to complete in ing; his indignation regarding what he TOAD Talks are those often- three weeks, was pretty nerve-wracking. Then described as human injustices committed once we got settled, we had to move on to the against members of his community made sense. memorable addresses given next assignment. Still one of my biggest Coro I remember putting the book down thinking by a faculty member who is challenges came during a week called Com- “I just can’t read anymore.” munications Week. on duty for the week. In the meantime, the weeks were progressing All of my colleagues—“Coro Fellows”—had and we were getting close to Communications heard about Communications Week, but as Week. I searched for some revelation. How We will print one of these with most “Coro” things, it was shrouded in a could I present this book to my colleagues most topical TOAD Talks in bit of mystery, making all of us more anxious. without instantly revealing it, and thus not fol- lowing through on the requirements set by my each issue. Communications Week took place in January. trainer. I then had a conversation with Don In November, we were each called into our Fletcher, the man who started Coro, about my trainer’s office to discuss the philosophy and project and my struggle. A great deal like our purpose of the week. Basically it was seven own Marvin Shagam, Mr. Fletcher was a very days dedicated to the art of communication. wise man who often said things that simply left me thinking, “wow.” That day, Mr. Each Fellow was assigned a book to read, and Fletcher said something that I will never forget. we then had to present it to our colleagues. The rules were—it could not be a book report. continued on page 62 page 22 The Thacher News Development Development Being Part of a Legacy

The Boot Hill Association by David V. Babbott

hacher is a 112-year-old mosaic of the old PP: First, I make an annual gift, and I have I.R.A. asset value. Given my age of 86, it is and the new. Each year, an incoming class is been doing that for at least 30 consecutive likely that Thacher will not have to wait too Tassembled, inheriting over a century of tra- years. Without annual giving, Thacher suffers. long before it can put the funds to good use! ditionsBoot and innovation, adding its special char- Usually I give in an unrestricted way, Hillbut some- acter to Thacher’s unique legacy. These times I support a particular area such as schol- Sherman Day Thacher encouraged me to make students join returning students and all who arships, faculty housing, or the Horse the world a better place, and I take great sat- have gone before in shaping Thacher’s history. Program. Often I give appreciated stock, and I isfaction in leaving a legacy to Thacher to help Those who teach and learn in the East End of understand that I can now make a credit card make that possible. the Ojai Valley owe a special debt to those who gift on-line. have gone before. To paraphrase liberally from the Old Testament, “We eat fruit from a tree Second, I have made gifts we did not plant. We drink from a well we did to the Thacher Pooled In- not dig.” come Fund. Third, I have established a Charitable Thacher depends on the generosity of its Remainder Unitrust that alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends to names Thacher as benefi- keep it in the first rank of independent board- ciary. Fourth, I have ing schools. Although Thacher is, in the words named Thacher as the of Head of School Michael Mulligan, “excel- beneficiary of my I.R.A. lent in all of the things that money can’t buy,” As you know, these are Thacher has ongoing projects and initiatives known as planned gifts that will improve and sustain the School with- where I receive income for out changing the core values that make it life, with Thacher as the unique. Thacher appreciates those who con- ultimate beneficiary. tribute to Thacher’s ongoing legacy, and cele- brates the example of Samuel A. “Pete” Pond, TTN: Tell us more about CdeP ’32. your planned gifts.

Pete attended Thacher when Sherman Day PP: I want to be sure that Thacher was Headmaster and has worked with Kip and I have a comfort- or known every Head of School since. He is a able retirement, and we Trustee Emeritus, a former parent, was Co- want to provide for our Photo of the Student Government Chair of Thacher’s Centennial Campaign, and children and grandchildren. We gave to the Cabinet from the 1931 El Archivero. was Co-Chair of Thacher’s Dormitory Project. Pooled Income Fund because we had some Pete Pond is standing in the back He is a charter member of the Boot Hill Asso- highly appreciated stock that wasn’t giving us row, second from the left ciation which recognizes his inclusion of much of a dividend. We don’t need the assets, Thacher in his estate plan. but we do need the income they can produce. Yet, we didn’t want to sell it and pay the cap- The Thacher News spoke with Pete to learn ital gains tax. The Pooled Income Fund was a Thacher welcomes your participation in cre- more about his lifetime involvement with good option for us because we now receive a ating your legacy for future students. If you Thacher. much higher income stream. After our deaths, have questions about estate planning, including Thacher will receive the value of our share of Thacher in your will, or learning more about The Thacher News: Why do you support the Fund. Also, we certainly appreciated the the planned giving options available to you, Thacher? tax deduction! please contact David V. Babbott, Director of Special Gifts and Planned Giving, at Pete Pond: Thacher has had a significant in- I established the Charitable Remainder Uni- (805) 646-4377, ext. 242, or via e-mail at fluence on my life. The experience shaped my trust for similar reasons. When the funds go [email protected] values and prepared me for college and be- to Thacher after my death, they will establish yond, and I am profoundly grateful. Through a scholarship fund for deserving students. I my volunteer involvement, I continue to ex- have been able to add to this fund in recent pand my circle of Thacher friends, and that years. means a lot to my wife Kip and me. Regarding my I.R.A., I had originally named I want to do my part to sustain the School dur- Kip as the ultimate beneficiary. Later on, I ing my lifetime and do what I can to secure its named Thacher as the beneficiary which makes future after I am gone. it possible for us to continue to have income from my I.R.A. until I die, provides ultimately TTN: You have been a generous contributor to an asset to Thacher, and eliminates income and Thacher. How have you chosen to give? estate taxes by as much as 70 percent of the

Spring/Summer 2000 page 23 Spring Sports Sports

by Joy Sawyer-Mulligan Spring Sports BASEBALL Overall Record: 9-8-0 TRACK League Record: 6-3-0 VARSITY BOYS’ TENNIS Overall Record: Boys: Second in League Girls: Third in League Captains: Matt Cohen ’01 and Matty Overall Record: 15-3 Wilson ’01 Captains: Todd Meyer ’00, Eric League Record: 11-1 Reeser ’00, Justin Hilton ’00, and Coaches: Rich Mazzola and Robert Juliette White ’00 Torres Captain: Anwar White ’00

Coaches: Derick Perry, CdeP ’83, Kurt With an early-in-the-season charge led by Matty Wil- Coach: A.J. Goldman Meyer, and Sarah DelVecchio son, who had three home runs and two wins on the pitcher’s mound during the first four games, this “What a year!” was just about all Coach Goldman The core of this team, formed by athletes who’d team marched undaunted and headlong to great could utter at the end of this banner season, in which run for three years, “made it possible to train and achievement this spring. Alfred English ’00 had his his team hammered its way to the C.I.F. quarterfi- compete more intensely than in recent history,” re- days in the sun, too, both behind the plate (where nals—and on the way, won a Tony Dunn Award for ported Coach Perry. “Each captain contributed to he’d never played before) and on the mound, their fine sportsmanship both on and off the courts. the feeling of camaraderie and competitiveness”— where, in one game, he struck out 15 players in a The boys dedicated their season to the memory of and helped to inspire the kind of sportsmanship that five-inning 11-1 win over O.V.S. According to Coach Frederick Stymetz Lamb, CdeP ’40, faculty member resulted in being awarded a Tony Dunn Award. The Mazzola, “The regular season highlight came with a and coach of many victorious Thacher tennis teams boys’ 4 × 400 meter relay—Justin Hilton, Kirby barn-burner, 10-9 victory over Williams ’00, Bo Eison ’01, and Eric “Like-a-coyote- Cate that included a two-run on-a-kitten”* Reeser—established a new School triple by Michael Back ’01, a record in that event, while Logan Clark ’01 blasted suicide squeeze bunt by through School records in both the 1600 meter and Matty, and Alfred’s relieving the 3200 meter, and finished second in C.I.F. Divi- Matty to pitch the last two in- sion IV championships in the 3200 meter. No sur- nings.” Post-season play ex- prise that she won Most Valuable Runner, nor that tended all the way to the C.I.F. she won M.V.P. of the League Meet, as well. There, quarterfinals. Named Most Im- Allegra Towns ’00 took the 300 Intermediate Hur- proved was first-timer Matt dles and Deloria Many Grey Horses Lane ’01 the Spille ’02; Most Valuable, 800 meter. Most Improved were Justin Arnold ’00 Matty Wilson. “Each and and Zoë Towns ’02. “I can’t say enough about the every player contributed to the dedication and commitment of these runners,” con- season’s success,” continued cluded Perry. “The future looks bright with com- Mazzola. “With only one sen- petitors such as these, as well as Canyon Cody ’01 ior graduating, we can hardly and Gavin McClintock. ’01” wait ’til next spring!”

*The words of Coach DelVecchio, describing how Eric appeared as he zoomed up on the Cate runner The Varsity Boys’ Tennis Team ahead of him in the final leg of the relay. with Coach A.J. Goldman page 24 The Thacher News during his decades of service to the School and to Sports tennis in the Ojai Valley. With seniors Anwar White, Clay Pell, and Paul Bonewitz setting the tone and ex- ample of excellence, the rest couldn’t help but fol- low. The end-of-season play involved handing Cate a defeat in the two schools’ final 13-5 match. Two increasingly formidable players won Most Valuable and Most Improved: Dave Babbott ’01 and Nick Hor- ton ’02, respectively. And with only three seniors leaving the ranks, there’s much to look forward to in the years immediately ahead.

JUNIOR VARSITY BOYS’ TENNIS Overall/League Record: 5-5-0 Captain: Peter Hartnack ’00 Coach: David Johnston

Another Tony Dunn winner, this team played “with willingness and a great sense of perspective,” ac- cording to their coach. Emmett Hopkins ’01-—“our most consistent winner when teamed with Andrew Poole ’02 in doubles”—proved a force to contend with, as did Tyler Manson ’01 when he put his killer to work against the opposition. Other team mem- bers included Lee Wittlinger ’01, Brian Kelly ’01, The Junior Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Team on a stormy Ojai day Dan Moore ’02, Max Leeds ’02, Andrew Ma ’02, and David Gal ’02. borg (43 goals, 25 assists), while at midfield, An- drea Black ’01, Liz Sanseau ’01, and Sarah Morrow ’00 provided speed and excitement in the transition game. At the State Championships, held at Thacher this year, two of ours were named Most Valuable: Cheryl Lynn as the Offensive M.V.P., and goalie Caitlin Mulholland ’01 as Defensive M.V.P.

JUNIOR VARSITY GIRLS’ LACROSSE Overall/League Record: 3-4-0 Captains: Felicity Howe ’00 and Kristin Berona ’00 Coach: Diana Garcia, CdeP ’95

Despite the relative inexperience of this team, its roster was filled with determined, gutsy players, from the four seniors (Felicity, Kristin, Lacey Gor- don, and Erin Blankenship—who collectively won Most Valuable Players) straight on down through Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Team with Co-Coach Mary Everett, CdeP ’94 the ranks of juniors and sophomores. Quoth Coach Garcia, “I was very impressed by the girls’ ability VARSITY GIRLS’ Winner of the State Championship title for the fifth to overcome their uncertainties about this sport, es- consecutive year, this team demonstrated “some of pecially in clinch moments against more experi- LACROSSE the best defense a Thacher team has ever played” enced teams.” The squad improved dramatically reported Coach Courter. They gave up an average of during their weeks together, though, ultimately beat- Overall Record: 19-2 only four goals per game while scoring an average ing teams they’d lost to earlier in the season. Lead- of 13 per contest—the underpinnings of their jug- ing scorers were Erin and Felicity, while Most League Record: 9-0 gernaut repeat sweep of the Condor League, 9-0. Improved were Bea Staley ’02, Charlotte Lord ’02 Erin Hafkenschiel ’01, Anthea Tjuanakis ’01, Mered- (also most assists), and Stephanie Hubbard ’02. Captains: Cheryl Lynn Horton ’00 and ith Flannery ’01, Brooke Toeller ’02, and Ellie “We could not have had such a great season with- Annie Nyborg ’00 Fletcher ’00 were the core of that fearsome defen- out the tenacity, enthusiasm, and versatility of all sive unit, playing aggressively and cohesively. Lead- the players, especially of our goalies, Esther Guz- ing the offensive charge (over and over) were man ’01 and Kindra Clemence ’02.” e Coaches: Greg Courter and Mary seniors Cheryl Lynn Horton (69 goals, 15 assists), Everett, CdeP ’94 Besse Gardner (39 goals, 27 assists), and Annie Ny-

Spring/Summer 2000 page 25 Campus Life

Faculty Faculty Greetings and Farewells

Greetings tion, she spent last year teaching Spanish and Geometry to American high school sophomores at David Babbott has been Swiss Semester in Zermatt, Switzerland, and lead- named Director of Special ing hikes in the Alps. Gifts and Planned Giving at Thacher. He will work Mary Everett, CdeP ’94, with alumni, parents, came to Thacher last Jan- grants, foundations, and uary as an Intern, working corporations, to raise cur- in the Admission Office, rent and deferred gifts. He Mathematics Department, has 11 years of fundrais- and as a coach of soccer ing and estate-planning ex- and lacrosse. She contin- perience. Most recently, David worked as the Se- ues in this role this year. nior Major Gifts Officer at the University of Ver- After graduating from mont for four years. Prior to that, he worked with Thacher, Mary attended various medical groups in development, physician the University of California at Los Angeles for one recruitment, and administration. David’s wife is year before transferring to Colorado College. Nancy, a Montessori teacher who is working part There she majored in Mathematics and received time at the Monica Ros School in Ojai to revamp her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1999. She was the their library. They have three sons: David ’01, John leading scorer in 1998 on Colorado’s Division I ’03, and Benjamin, who is in eighth grade this fall. Soccer Team; she was also the ninth all-time goal David is a graduate of Amherst College, where he scorer and the twelfth all-time scoring leader. In received a bachelor’s degree in English. He also Colorado’s Division III Lacrosse team, Mary served holds an M.B.A. from Cornell University. as Team Captain in her last two years, was voted Most Valuable Player in 1998 and 1999, and was Alison Edwards Curwen, honored as the most valuable attack team member spouse of history teacher in 1998. She received various All-American awards Austin and mother of throughout her career, as well as the Elizabeth Darcy, is Thacher’s new Helms Adams Sportswoman Award at Thacher. Study Skills teacher. For Mary works on The Hill with the sophomore girls, the past two years, Alison lives in the Handball Court, assists with the Varsity worked as a teacher and Boys’ Soccer Team, and will coach the Junior Var- reading specialist at the sity Girls’ Soccer Team. Monica Ros School. Prior to coming to Ojai, Alison After graduating from was an elementary school teacher in Washington. Thacher in 1995, Diana Alison is a graduate of Connecticut College and Garcia returns to teach has two masters degrees from the University of Spanish and to help coach California at Berkeley. Her interests range from Junior Varsity Lacrosse, outdoor adventure (especially winter sports and Varsity Volleyball, and kayaking) to needlepoint, reading, and travel. Third Team Soccer. She is living in the Handball Emily Etchells is teaching Court with Mary and Spanish II and III to fill in working on The Hill with for Cecilia Ortiz during sophomore girls. Diana is a graduate of Colorado her sabbatical. She is also College, where she majored in Romance Lan- teaching English Riding guages. While there, she played Varsity Lacrosse all while Liz Reynolds Ma- four years, and served as the team’s captain during honey, CdeP ’88, is on ma- her junior and senior years. While at Thacher, ternity leave. In the spring, Diana played Varsity Volleyball, soccer, and Emily will help Greg lacrosse all four years, and served as captain of the Courter coach lacrosse. Varsity Volleyball Team during her upperschool She lives in Lee Quong and works with the junior years and co-captain of soccer and lacrosse dur- girls. Emily is a graduate cum laude of Colby Col- ing her senior year. At Thacher’s commencement lege, where she received her bachelor’s degree in she was awarded the Elizabeth Helms Adams both Spanish and Biology. She was also the captain Sportswoman Award and received an Honorable of the Varsity Lacrosse Team. Following gradua- Mention as an All-American Lacrosse player. page 26 The Thacher News Faculty Françoise Kasimirowski- Elissa Thorn joins Garcia, who is trilingual Thacher’s faculty to teach in French, English, and physics, work with the Spanish, is teaching freshman boys in Lower French III this year while School, and participate in Chris Mazzola is on ma- the English Riding pro- ternity leave. Françoise re- gram this fall and spring. ceived her bachelor’s and Most recently, Elissa was master’s degrees in Eng- teaching algebra and all lish from the University of levels of physics at the Toulouse in France. In her spare time, Françoise Fountain Valley School of Colorado; she also over- enjoys ballet, cooking, linguistics, and entertain- saw the annual boat-building project, an interdis- ing. She also spends extensive time working with ciplinary unit connecting Einstein’s Special troubled teens and with the Ojai Youth Founda- Relativity to Shakespeare’s plays, and an investi- tion. Her husband, Alejandro, is a native of Peru gation of on-campus lightning damage prevention. and an interventional cardiologist. They have lived Before Fountain Valley, Elissa taught physics at the in Ojai for two years and have two children: Julian Santa Catalina School for Girls in Monterey, Cal- and Clemencia. ifornia, for three years. She holds a bachelor’s de- gree magna cum laude from Carleton College. Some may remember San- Beyond the classroom, Elissa’s interests range from ford Jensen from his roles horses, downhill skiing, and tennis, to music, quilt- in various television series ing, lightning, and agriculture. such as Murphy Brown, Remington Steele, and Finally, the Thacher community gladly welcomed Family Ties. Recently, David Harris back from his sabbatical year of however, he has taken on teaching physics at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, the role of “very involved New York. parent” at Ojai’s Monica Ros and San Antonio Schools, the SchooLinks program, and the Ojai Farewells Technology Summit. He has also devoted exten- sive time to various community projects such as This summer, we said “Adios” to Spanish teacher Ojai Shorts, the Ojai Library Foundation, and Pony Cecilia Ortiz and her family as they left for a year Baseball. At Thacher, Sandy is teaching drama in of adventure and excitement in Spain. the Introduction to Arts class for freshmen. Sandy received his training at The Juilliard School and Bobby Acquistapace, CdeP ’95, who worked with the New York University Tisch School of the Fine the Horse Department during the spring, returned Arts. He is married to Connell Davis, who is a fam- to his animal husbandry studies at the University of ily practice physician, and they live in the East End Montana in Bozeman this fall. with their two children: Cal and Genevieve. Katherine Jappe, who filled in for Study Skills As- John Nathan, father of sistant Wendy Parker when she moved to northern sophomore Emily ’03 and New Mexico last spring, will continue doing edu- 12-year-old Toby, teaches cational consultations for some of our students, Japanese History on Tues- but won’t be here full-time. day evenings at Thacher this fall. Since 1994, John Part-time mathematics teacher, Richard Heller, re- has been the Takashima turns to academia at the University of Southern Professor of Japanese cul- California and his ranch in the Upper Ojai, where tural Studies at the Uni- he and his wife, Velvet, raise horses, dogs, and versity of California Santa cows. Barbara. Prior to that, he worked as a professor of East Asian Studies at Princeton and as a producer, In addition to teaching physics during David Har- writer, and director in the eighties. John holds a ris’s sabbatical last year, Andrew Ho taught the doctorate in Far Eastern Language/Comparative community much about speech, dance, and neuro- Literature and a bachelor’s degree in Far Eastern physiology. He is now working on his doctorate Languages from Harvard University. He also stud- at Stanford University. ied Japanese Literature and Linguistics at Tokyo University, and is known as a biographer of Yukio After nine years of service, Athletic Director Bill Mishima and as a preeminent translater of Japan- Vickery will take a new career path. He brought to ese literature. John is married to Diane and they the Athletic Department and the Condor League (as make their home in Santa Barbara. its Coordinator) new levels of commitment and excellence. His crowning role was during the State Lacrosse Tournament at Thacher that was impec- cably orchestrated and organized due in large part to his attention to detail and his selfless efforts to be everywhere, doing whatever needed his attention. e

Spring/Summer 2000 page 27 Tidbits Campus Life

f the more than one mil- contest; new freshman Jessica Cornwell came Olion juniors who took the in second. Elected to the Ventura County Ath- 1999 PSAT/National Merit letes’ Hall of Fame for the year 2000 is Cheryl TidbitsScholarship Qualifying Test Lynn Horton ’00 (captain of Varsity Volley- last October, 50,000 are now ball, Basketball, and Lacrosse), who helped her entered in the 2001 National team win the fifth-in-a-row State Lacrosse Merit Program and will com- Championship Trophy at Thacher late last pete for 16,000 Semifinalist spring. spots. Eleven of Thacher’s 65 juniors (now seniors) made o loud and supportive cheers at Assembly this first cut: David Babbott Tlast spring, School Chair Kristin Berona ’00 (Ojai), Chris Bonewitz (Pitts- announced that Caitlin Mulholland ’01 would burgh, PA), Jennifer Bowie take over the reins for the coming school year. (Laguna Beach, CA), Mary An athlete as well as a scholar (see the pre- Ann Bronson (Juneau, AK), ceeding article regarding the National Merit Canyon Cody (Ojai), Matt Students), Caitlin hails from Ojai and hopes Cohen (Newport Beach, to increase student involvement in student gov- CA), Peter Frykman (Rolling ernment and community activities. Hills, CA), Katie Harmon (Tulsa, OK), Emmett Hop- f you wish to participate in the collective in- kins (Healdsburg, CA), Erin Itellectual experience of the Thacher commu- Michael Mulligan with outgoing and Johnson (Tiburon, CA), nity this year, read the Head’s Book Selection: incoming School Chairs: Kristin Berona ’00 Brian Kelly (Portola Valley, CA), Caitlin Mul- Alfred Lansing’s Endurance, Shackleton’s In- and Caitlin Mulholland, ’01. holland (Oak View, CA), Smitha Reddy credible Voyage. As “one of the great adventure (Moorpark, CA), Kevin Schmidt (Bellevue, stories of our time” (according to the New NE), Anthea Tjuanakis (Portland, OR), York Times Book Review), Lansing describes the Meredith Walker (Medford, OR), and Emma attempts of Ernest Shackleton and his crew of White (Ojai). 27 to cross the last uncharted continent, Antarc- tica, in 1915. Despite being ice-moored for udos for Students: The Ventura County over a year followed by sailing make-shift boats KCommunity Foundation awarded a schol- 850 miles in heavy seas to reach the closest Numeracy Puzzle arship to Kristin Berona ’00, and Allegra outpost of civilization, the crew showed heroic Towns ’00 received the Community and Folk strength and determination to survive their des- Art Scholarship Award this summer. Megan olate and desperate surroundings. Lectures, Last issue’s puzzle has been solved! Winecoff ’00 received notification that she won discussions, and study centered on lessons from the first-ever 2000 Youth Directory cover art this ordeal are scheduled for this fall. e Here was the puzzle:

Position eight checkers on a standard 8x8 checkerboard so that no row, column, or • Here’s the new puzzle: diagonal contains more than one checker. • The radii of the three largest circles are 1, There are many solutions, some of which • 2, and 3 respectively. What is the radius of are just rotations or reflections of one an- • the smallest circle? other. • Now for a twist…Position 16 checkers • on a standard board so that no column, • row, or diagonal contains more than two • checkers. This one is a little more fun! •• Following is one solution to the eight- •• checker puzzle. Credit for solving the more challenging puzzle goes to former math •• teacher Stephen B. Hauge (1976-81). •• ••Send your solution to Kurt Meyer in the ••Thacher Math Department via e-mail at ••[email protected], or via U.S. mail at •• the School address. page 28 The Thacher News Trustee News Trustees Introduction of New Trustees

Carolyn M. Alm joins Thacher’s Board of Christine Carter McLaughlin, CdeP ’90, joins Trustees this fall. She studied mathematics and Thacher’s Board this year as the President of psychology at Southern Illinois University, and the Alumni Association. Christine attended Trusteeslater studied botany at Georgia State Univer- Dartmouth College, where she was awarded sity. She is the owner and general manager of the Judith S. White Award for leadership and a cow/calf ranch called Paint Rock Canyon in activism and graduated magna cum laude and Hyattville, Wyoming. She and her husband was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Her first job began the John and Carolyn Alm Foundation was as a Marketing and Business Associate for a few years back to fund the Paint Rock Pro- The Quaker Oats Company in Chicago. After gram, a five-week summer camp based at their one year, she returned to Thacher to work as ranch for high-potential, at-risk students from the Los Angeles Uni- the Assistant Director of Admission, Co-Director of the Human De- fied School District. The first students participated this summer. Prior velopment Program, and Director of the Lectures and Concerts series. to these ventures, Carolyn worked for Coca-Cola Enterprises in At- After two years, she returned to Quaker Oats, where she became an As- lanta as the Director of Information Systems Planning and Technol- sistant Brand Manager for Cap’n Crunch cereal. She recently left ogy and as the Director of Application Development. Previously she Quaker Oats. Christine compiled The Other Side of Silence, a pub- managed information technology, data center operations, and infor- lished collection of essays by rape survivors and spoke about this topic mation systems for the Johnston Bottling Group in Eagan, Minnesota. at various institutions such as Harvard, the New York City League of She’s also worked for various other branches of Coca Cola throughout Counseling, Duke, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Christine and her the United States in accounting, production, sales, and data. She has husband Michael live in Chico, California. done volunteer work for Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity. John and Betsy Grether—parents Margaret Hooper “Margo” Blair—the mother of Robert, CdeP ’99 (currently a of Alexandra, CdeP ’98, and Alden ’01, and sophomore at Tulane University), daughter of John Hooper, CdeP ’34—joins Ted ’01, and Russell ’03—are serv- Thacher’s Board of Trustees this year. After ing as this year’s Presidents of the graduating from Stanford University, Margo Parents’ Association and will rep- studied photography that prepared her for the resent the parents on the Board of freelance photography and design work that Trustees. Betsy has been very in- she’s done in Chicago and Washington, D.C. volved with Thacher activities, Immediately following college, she was the having chaired the Faculty and administrator for the Haight-Ashbury Medical Staff Appreciation Day, overseeing the Country Store for the Parents’ and Drug Clinic that catered to the medical and drug-abuse needs of the Auction, and having co-chaired the Parents’ Auction for two years. greater San Francisco area. Margo has volunteered at Latin School of She and John have co-chaired three class barbecues, as well. Betsy is a Chicago and Children’s Memorial Hospital, and served on various graduate of the University of Southern California, where she majored boards and participated in fundraising for Planned Parenthood, Chil- in Art History. She received a second bachelor’s degree in Landscape Ar- dren’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, the Art Institute of Chicago, and chitecture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. John received his bachelor’s de- Latin School of Chicago. Margo and her husband Frank have lived in gree from Stanford University and his Juris Doctorate from Boalt Hall Chicago since 1979; their hobbies include cross-country skiing and School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to hiking. Margo is also an avid rider and owns an Arabian horse. the family business, Grether Farming Company (lemons and avoca- dos), John is the Board Chairman for Index Fresh, Inc. (shipper and marketer of avocados, kiwis, and Asian pears from California, Chile, and New Zealand) and the Board Vice-Chairman for Saticoy Lemon Association, a shipping affiliate of Sunkist. e

Spring/Summer 2000 page 29 Summer Life

From Savannah to Summit Summer Life The Thacher Family Safari by Rod M. “Jake” Jacobsen

he sun appeared ecosystem. There, from our base camp on the over the Tsavo edge of the reserve, we explored the plains Tplain at just the twice daily in Land Rovers designed for the Safariright time. Here at challenging terrain. Far from the tourist ho- 18,000 feet our toes tels, we were able to find all manner of African were cold, our game in their most striking settings. It wasn’t throats were sore, long before we had developed a taste for the and our lungs were safari life-style. After a 5:30 wake-up call working overtime. (“Jambo” heard outside the tent walls), hot We had been climb- water brought by the camp staff, fresh coffee ing up the scree on and a huge breakfast, we would spend the the eastern slope of morning tracking a pride of 15 lions or fol- Mt. Kilimanjaro lowing the guide’s instincts toward a lone chee- since just after mid- tah or a herd of elephant. After a leisurely night, and the rising lunch and perhaps a nap or journal-writing sun not only lent session, it was back in the vehicles for more needed warmth, but game-viewing until sundown. Drinks around allowed us to see the campfire, a gourmet dinner cooked in a Gilman’s Point— Dutch oven, and Clive’s endless stories of his the crater’s rim and life in Africa—the rhythm was the same every Mara Camp: Kyle Dumont ’03, Carina Fisher ’01, and Marley Orr ’00, with the psychological day; only the details changed. Not only did we friends summit—in striking meet the classic African plains game close-up; distance. For four hours we had seen only we were invited into the homes of our Maasai headlamps in the vague and silent ether above camp guards, treated to their dances and songs. us, a space seemingly beyond our reach. But now we had a good feeling about our chances. Four- teen Thacher mountaineers, aged 14 to 50, rhythmically hyperventi- lated according to our guide Clive Ward’s instructions. “Breathe!” he had admonished us for the past few days. “If you’re talking, you’re not breathing!” Approaching the rim at 5:30 that morning, we all felt grateful for his simple lessons. Cheetah in Maasai Mara Clive knew: he was about to com- plete his fifty-second journey to the top of Africa.

Five hours later we were slurping our soup at 15,000-foot Kibo Hut, In-camp soccer, Maasai Mara tired to the bone but flush with pride after having completed the climb in fine form. As we reviewed our ascent, laughing Safari Participants: Jake Jacobsen, Jamie over one student’s Gatorade hallucinations and Hastings ’02, Shannon Hastings, CdeP otherwise taking stock of worn-out muscles ’99, Liz Hastings, and Newlin Hastings, and tendons, the fifty-odd Wachagga guides CdeP ’70, Marley Orr ’00, Charlie Orr and porters who had made the journey possi- (Marley’s father), Carina Fisher ’01, Walt ble readied our gear for the two-day descent to Fisher (Carina’s father), Will Johnson ’03, the Tanzanian town of Marangu, where we Katherine Halbower (Will’s mother), Kyle would finally be able to shower and wash our Dumont ’03, Tessa Enright ’01, Meredith clothes after a week traversing the highest free- Walker ’01, Amy Wyss, and Paul standing mountain in the world. Jaramillo

Our safari had begun over a week earlier with Guide: Clive Ward Meredith Walker ’01 making friends a low-altitude flight from Nairobi, Kenya, over the Great Rift Valley to the Maasai Mara Re- Outfitter: Tropical Ice Ltd. serve, the northeast corner of the Serengeti page 30 The Thacher News Summer Life Wildlife Protection Unit. Lions (maneless male hunters—off- For information on next summer’s spring, we were told, of the fa- Safari, call Jake at (805) 640-8841, or mous “Man-Eaters of Tsavo” from the 1870s), hippo, croco- e-mail him at [email protected] dile, elephant, and cape buffalo could spring unannounced from the saltbush girdling the river banks. Silent and steady, hyper- sensitive to sounds and smells, we patrolled the banks of the Galana looking for animals which, we hoped, were not looking for us. In fact, we were most nervous about a pair of young male lions who had decided to make our campsite their home for a few days. Crossing the Galana River on walk with armed ranger The last stage of the safari began We toured their schools, bought their jewelry with a long and difficult exit from the Tsavo and weapons (many of us returned with arse- bush into the coastal forest and plain of Ma- Jamie Hastings ’02 with his porter after climbing Kilamanjaro nals of various spears, bows, and blades), and lindi District. On the beach at Watamu we learned of their precarious existence as traditional peo- ple in a country insisting that they change.

So after four days in the Mara, two in Nairobi, two more in Amboseli (the stag- ing area for the Kili climb and home of a particularly proud band of Maasai), and the ascent itself, it was time to drive back into Kenya (on roads which make a Sierra trail seem like a highway) for Two Maasai teachers with Jake the most unusual segment of the safari: the Galana River in Tsavo East National Park. In this semi-desert park, known in recent years as the site of the “poaching wars” in which the Kenya Wildlife Meredith Walker and Kathy Halbower (mother of Will Johnson ’03) Service under Richard visit “school house” with two Maasai teachers Leakey finally eradicated the ivory bandits from the north, we would once would be pampered by the staff of Heming- again live in a private tented camp, but this way’s Hotel, explore the ancient ruins at Gedi, time we would see most of the animals on foot, and absorb the unusual Swahili coastal cul- Maasai on bike guarded confidently by armed rangers from the ture, one based on the intersecting and blend- ing of traditional Bantu and Islamic societies. Some in the group spent the last day deep-sea fishing, while others rested, packed, or shopped for local cloth and jewelry.

Just hours later, on the flight back to Nairobi, we all saw the summit of Kilimanjaro, the snowcapped icon of Africa, to the south, look- ing for all the world immeasura- ble. It seemed impossible that scarcely a week before we had been climbing toward that crater, a hearty band of Thacher trekkers On the game drive breathing the thin, piercing air, to- gether on the safari of our dreams. Liz and Shannon Hastings, CdeP ’99, with two guides e

Spring/Summer 2000 page 31 A ticket from the March 25, 1916, fete to benefit World War I soldiers in the trenches and other War sufferers. Thacher’s Dramatic Society performed “Private Secretary.” The evening’s activities raised nearly $500 for relief organizations.

Satya Peake ’02 reads with children at Ojai’s Head Start Program Community

Thacher’s New Historical Society The Thacher Historical Society is the brain- child of Trustee Emeritus Samuel A. “Pete” Service Pond, CdeP ’32, and is currently an ad hoc committee of persons interested in promoting and enhancing the history of The Thacher School. The purposes of the Society are: throughout • To recall and portray the history of the School within its Western heritage, specifically the Ojai Valley and Ventura County;

• To serve as a continuing guide to the future of the School; Thacher’s • To encourage students in their historical re- search; and

• To acquaint faculty, students, and friends of the School with Thacher’s contributions for over one-hundred years. History

One of the appealing aspects of promoting Thacher history is the discovery and sharing of writings, objects and photographs already being stored and preserved in the Thacher archives. Some examples of community service involvement are included on this page.

If you are interested in participating in or sup- porting the Thacher Historical Society finan- Thacher students cially, please contact Tom May, CdeP ‘52, at help serve dinner at (707) 944-8208, or Elizabeth Bowman, Li- the R.A.I.N. brary Director, at [email protected]. Foundation in Camarillo page 32 The Thacher News gram has developed a broad program to involve, inspire, and inform as many stu- dents as possible.

This fall, over 70 students (approximately one third of the student body) are serv- ing as volunteers at local el- ementary schools, Head Start, the Ojai Humane So- ciety, Senior Day Care, and the Ojai Museum during the academic day or helping to feed patients at two local convalescent homes dinner four nights a week. Students Ronald Wu ’02 walks Smoky, an orphaned dog at also volunteer their time to Ojai’s Humane Society help feed the Ventura County homeless population s recorded in LeRoy Makepeace’s book, (bring and serve dinner to Sherman Thacher and His School, one of residents of the R.A.I.N. AS.D.T.’s favorite themes in talking to his Foundation in Camarillo), pupils was civic responsibility: “I have always while others will help feed felt that the highest duty of a citizen is to do all Ojai’s homeless during the he can for the community in which he lives, winter months when the Thacher students aid Ojai flood victims in the for the public good.” From the earliest days Ojai Shelter is open. Other seasonal projects spring of 1978 of The Thacher School, students have been ex- include assisting with the Ventura Special pected to assist in maintaining their campus, Olympics Track and Field Team, fundraising from caring for livestock to cleaning class- for UNICEF, working with blind children and rooms, or fixing trails and bussing dishes. Be- adolescents from the Braille Institute, and or- yond the School gates, students and faculty ganizing holiday food and clothing drives. members have worked for The Ojai Tennis Tournament throughout its 100-year history, Because participation remains non-compul- have helped raise funds for various commu- sory, the Community Service Program relies heav- nity activities, and have ventured to Mexico ily on the inspiration and commitment of its stu- to work on building projects for orphanages. dent leaders in order to run smoothly. They pro- vide the spark that lights the fire under their peers. The Community Service Program at Thacher Often these student leaders are the unsung he- has two distinct functions. First, it serves a very roes of the upperclasses who give of themselves real need in the local community, providing without expectation of gain, recognition, or rec- bright and able volunteers to fulfill a wide va- ompense. A desire to give back to the commu- Children pose after eating at Camarillo’s R.A.I.N. Foundation riety of jobs. Second, it offers Thacher students nity that has given so much to them or to help an opportunity to provide service in a way that those who are less fortunate are reasons enough is meaningful, necessary, and appreciated. To for these students to contribute their time and accomplish this, the Community Service Pro- energy to the Community Service Program. At graduation each year, Thacher awards the New- ton K. Chase Com- munity Service Award to recog- nize one student who, through vol- unteer work in the community, has demonstrated an unselfish interest in and an energetic concern for others. e

Marvin Shagam (far right) with Thacher students volunteered to build a windmill for the Sanquintin area of Baja California to supply fresh water (circa 1965)

Spring/Summer 2000 page 33 AA HistoryHistory ofof HelpingHelping

ccording to Madonna, “You know that we are living in a material world,” where, all too often, more attention is paid to attaining the all-mighty Adollar and the many extravagances it affords than living a worthwhile, satisfying life. Fortunately, many members of Thacher’s community are mo- tivated to improve their communities and the environment, thereby helping others have better lives. Our theme for this magazine is Community Service wherein we profile some members of Thacher’s community and friends who devote inordinate amounts of their time and energy to benefit others. For example, community members are actively saving the Carpinteria Bluffs from development, directing Utah’s Nature Conservancy, teaching English and reading to recently released inmates who are illiterate, serving as a Big Brother to inner-city youths, and making teaching devices for blind chil- dren. This was a fascinating and inspiring topic to research and write about; we hope you enjoy reading about these folks as much as we enjoyed putting this together. —JDMc

page 34 The Thacher News Top row: David Twichell, Paul Yelder, Yvon Chouinard, Ken Rhodes, Nicholas Cunningham, Perry Gates

Middle row: Ted Rhodes, Mike Jones, David Livermore

Bottom row: Ellen Loebl, Randy Bessolo

Spring/Summer 2000 page 35 Former Faculty Profile

Dave C. Twichell, CdeP ’36

Humanistic Outdoorsman by Phoebe Twichell Peterson, CdeP ’82 Community Service ow do you cohesively, in three pages or After Thacher, Dave went to Deerfield Acad- less, tie together the life of a man who has emy for one year, and then on to Williams Col- Hbeen a World War II pilot, a school head- lege where he received his bachelor’s of arts master, an environmentalist, an inventor for degree as a chemistry major. He graduated in the blind, a church parish committee chair- the spring of 1941. Sensing the impending war, man, and a boat builder? Mercifully, when I he enlisted and was sent to Squantum Naval asked my father, Dave Twichell, CdeP ’36, Air Base in Massachusetts. There he learned what he had learned from his years at The to fly biplanes called “Yellow Perils.” He was Thacher School, it all became clear. He replied assigned to a squadron in the Aleutian Islands without hesitation, “a love of the outdoors and off Alaska, where, for two years, he flew patrol basic humanistic values.” Since it’s been over reconnaissance. On one flight he and his copi- six decades since my father was a student at lot lost an engine and were rescued out of the Thacher, I worried that he might stumble over ocean. Later after two months in Hutchinson, the slightly lofty question. But there was his Kansas, training in larger land planes called response as simple and easy as repeating his “Liberators,” Dave was assigned to a year-and- own name. It seems also to be the recurring a-half stint in the Philippines. His fondest theme in his life. memory of this time, of course, was the end Thacher has been a part of the War. He was on a one-week leave and of our family for three was visiting his parents in the Adirondacks. generations. My grand- He still remembers the sound of all the bells father, Burton Twichell, ringing as the news spread across the country. taught Latin at Thacher from 1906 until 1916; Like most returning soldiers, my father sought Dave was a student in employment. He was hired by Anson Thacher the thirties and later to teach biology, but after a year and a half of headmaster in the six- teaching at Thacher, Dave felt he needed to ties; and I graduated further his education. He landed back in New with the class of 1982. Haven, where he soon married Ethel Rowley. It seems the fabric of My mother worked in the Health Department my family’s sense of at Yale, while my father studied science and values and those of education at Yale Graduate School. He also Thacher’s are so inter- acted as Assistant Dean of Students of the woven it’s difficult to sophomore undergraduate class. distinguish them. In 1949, then acting headmaster, Dexter Dave was born in 1918 Strong, hired Dave to teach science at Pomfret to Katherine and Bur- School in Connecticut. The following year ton Twichell. He grew Strong retired and Dave was chosen as head- up in New Haven, Connecticut, where he at- master, a position he filled for over a decade. tended the Miss Foote Elementary School and, later, Hamden School. Burton loved Ojai and In the early sixties, Newt Chase gave Dave a The Thacher School, and, as the story goes, call and asked him to be headmaster at there was never any doubt (or choice for that Thacher. Delighted to see the West again, Dave matter) in where Dave would attend high jumped at the opportunity and moved the school. Happily, Dave thrived at Thacher. He whole family out to California. While at enjoyed teachers Ed Yeomans, Marcus Dall, Thacher, my parents made lifetime friends of Joe Lowery, Owen McBride, and Sidney Treat. the Sheahans, Chesleys, Millers, McDougalls, He played baseball, soccer, and tennis, and Goodes, Thachers, and Chases. acted in a few plays. On one particular occa- sion he remembers dressing up as a girl for a As headmaster, Dave worked to foster a love of Shakespeare production. But his real love was the outdoors and camping in all his students; camping. He won a shooting prize and the however, he worried that the horse tradition K.K.K. camping award for best camper. He might become too expensive for the School to eventually became an A Camper, which meant maintain. The Sespe had also become crowded. he could camp without a faculty chaperone. It just wasn’t the same experience to ride horse- A History With friends like Don Mennel, Chick back over a mountain and deep into the Sespe Goodrich, and Tom Pillsbury, he cleared many when you could get there easily by car. So Ike of Helping trails and camped in Lockwood Valley, Livermore, CdeP ’28, and Dave plotted and Millpetero, and Cuyama. dreamed about hiking trips in the Sierras. page 36 The Thacher News Community Service Along with some others, they put up the has the largest band data base in the western money to purchase the seven acres of privately hemisphere. owned land in the middle of a state park, and engineered the procurement of what is now Unfortunately, Manomet is an hour-and-a-half Golden Trout Camp. drive from Belmont, and with his eightieth birthday fast approaching, Dave decided to Dave also tried to inspire in his students hon- look for a constructive project closer to home. esty, decency, modesty, generosity, and toler- He found Perkins Institute for the Blind. Dave ance. Under his tenureship, student community has always been good with his hands and over service was pushed hard. During two consec- the years the basement workshop has been utive spring vacations teacher Marvin Shagam home to many of his projects big and small. took a group of students to Baja California to He has built several row boats, a 14-foot help build a small schoolhouse for poor stu- wooden motor boat, many delicate wooden dents. Inner-city kids were encouraged to enjoy bowls turned on a lathe, and recently, a 16- Thacher in the summer months. The idea of foot sail boat, mast and all. When he discov- American Foreign Students was also encour- ered Perkins—or Perkins discovered him—they aged. both realized it was a perfect match. Dave has built hundreds of educational aids including Tolerance is the last word in the string of clean- shape puzzles for the blind, boxes with com- cut values; tolerance of race, sex, and religion. partments for differently textured objects, and That’s what really put Dave to the test over special rocking chairs that spin and rock for- the years. It’s hard to believe this was even an ward and backward as well as sideways to help issue, but at Pomfret School, Dave had fought students with balance problems. He noticed hard to have the first black student admitted. that walking sticks tended to get caught on At Thacher he encouraged the idea of coedu- door jams and cracks in the sidewalk so he de- cation and opened the doors to Jim Howard, signed his own using thin plastic PVC piping. CdeP ’69, one of the first African American He melted and curved up the bottom end students. Though he had these victories, Dave thereby allowing the stick to slide smoothly was also confronted with a student body along the floor. caught up in the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the sixties. The issue of drug use was in- Dave’s most satisfying Perkins project has been surmountable. Dave tried to listen with toler- building little houses: two-foot-by-two-foot ance and compassion to his students, at the boxes to be precise. He explained that children risk of alienating himself from his more con- born without sight or hearing have drastically servative Board of Trustees. These were diffi- fewer opportunities to absorb information or cult times to be an administrator. stimulus from the outside world and conse- quently often fail to develop mentally. These Following the Thacher years, Dave, Ethel, and small boxes are like animated playpens. The their five children moved back East and set- infant or small child lies inside the box which tled in Belmont, Massachusetts, just outside of jiggles and vibrates and has various inter- Boston. Dave taught briefly at Harvard in the changeable objects that hang within the child’s ACP Program, and in the early seventies was reach. On the market these boxes sell for $800. director of the middle school at Buckingham, Dave makes them for $32, period. He added Browne & Nichols. with a twinkle of satisfaction that he has even improved the box design by making them fold- Upon retiring from a career in education, his able for easy storage and travel. Dave has passion for the outdoors and the environment made over 80 of these boxes and they are being caught up with him. Dave plunged headlong— used by therapists throughout the Boston area. and full time—into a volunteer career at Alex Truesdell, who was director of the adap- Manomet Bird Observatory. He took classes tive materials workshop at Perkins was so en- at the New England School of Photography thusiastic about Dave’s help that she referred to and became Manomet’s director of develop- her time at Perkins as “B.D. and A.D.: Before ment and photography. He assembled the Dave and After Dave.” quarterly newsletter and worked hard as a fundraiser. He also traveled with the scientists Perkins is not alone in this phenomenon. Dave as their chief data photographer to such ex- seems to define an era in the history of every otic locales as Belize, Brazil; Tierra Del Fuego, place he goes. He has left an indelible imprint Ecuador; and the entire east coast of the U.S. on hundreds of aspiring young minds over the When Dave started at Manomet, it was simply years, not the least of which are those of his a small gathering of scientists who banded five children and thirteen grandchildren. When birds and studied migratory patterns. With the asked if he ever plans on truly retiring, my fa- help of my father and many others, Manomet ther responded that in light of the Thacher has grown enormously. It is now called the bent to this interview, he thought the Thacher Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences Alma Mater pretty much summed it up. He and has worked with the Belizian and Philip- plans on “doing the best he can do until the pine governments as well as the State of Maine best he can do is all done.” e A History on reforestation programs. It has worked on monitoring all the Atlantic fisheries, wetlands, of Helping and shorebird feeding and nesting sites. It now

Spring/Summer 2000 page 37 Trustee Profile

Paul L. Yelder, CdeP ’77

Building on the Spirit of Community by Yasmin T. Tong, CdeP ’84 Community Service hen first meeting Paul Yelder, CdeP ’77, In a relatively short time Paul has had—and it may not be completely evident that continues to have—a distinguished career in Wone is in the presence of a leader in com- community development. After graduating munity development. He is soft spoken and from Thacher in 1977, he attended Dartmouth unassuming in demeanor, yet he has made a College, where he graduated with high dis- lasting impression on the lives of many people tinction and received a Tucker Foundation Fel- who have known him. I can attest to this from lowship for a community service internship in personal experience. The first time I met Paul Boston. He spent the next 16 years in Boston, in person he made me cry twice. First, he told where he pursued a Master of City and Re- me one of those strange, but true, Thacher co- gional Planning at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy incidence stories about his first ever visit to School of Government, focusing on real estate Thacher for a family interview when his fa- development, and housing and community de- ther, a World War II veteran, recognized Jack velopment. After graduating from Harvard, Huyler’s voice at the Thacher Admission Office Paul began working on neighborhood revital- after five minutes into the meeting, and more ization with non-profit development corpora- than 30 years after hearing it once in a chance tions, first to preserve historic housing, then encounter in Burma dur- for the Economic and Industrial Development ing the War. From that Corporation in Boston, where he provided point on Mr. Yelder and business consulting services to non-profit and Jack Huyler became for-profit businesses. He returned to afford- good friends. Later in the able housing development at Roxbury Multi- conversation Paul de- Service Center, where he was responsible for scribed how for years he managing an abandoned housing acquisition kept his office at Dudley and rehabilitation program, and later went on Neighbors, Inc., in Rox- to become the Executive Director of Dudley bury (a neighborhood Neighbors Inc., a non-profit corporation that once known for urban he helped found to manage the operation of a blight), open on New community land trust (C.L.T.). This C.L.T. was Year’s Eve. The office formed to purchase land in the Roxbury neigh- computers, typewriters, borhood and to facilitate the development of and Paul’s editorial skills affordable housing through powers of eminent were all at the disposal domain. This work is an important compo- of neighborhood high nent of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Ini- school students to com- tiative, which is known as a national model of plete their college appli- resident controlled neighborhood revitaliza- cations. Those students have gone on to tion, and demonstrated the massive coordi- graduate from Amherst, Howard, Dartmouth nated effort of local government, neighbor- (Paul’s alma mater), and University of Massa- hood-based non-profit organizations, founda- chusetts, among other universities. This last tions, and corporations needed to return anecdote is perhaps one of the simplest and economic opportunity and a sense of owner- best examples of Paul’s work in community ship among residents in a single neighborhood. development and how it benefits others. This is the kind of work that requires one to Paul says, “Community development is any- operate in circles of influence, negotiating with thing having to do with building community,” banks and governmental agencies, and advo- so you could say he has been active in com- cating among elected officials to obtain the re- munity development from childhood. His com- sources and authority to change a neighbor- mitment to community development was hood. This work also requires one to relate nurtured early on, growing up in the Cren- and respond to the neighborhood residents in shaw/Leimert Park neighborhood of Los An- a way that enables them to realize their power geles, where he learned the value of community to make decisions about the destiny of their and a sense of social responsibility. Paul at- community. Paul is one of those rare individu- tended Thacher gaining more experience with als with the tenacity and ability to move com- a different model of close-knit cohesive com- fortably among both groups and to achieve the munity. Thacher invested something else in desired results. In the seven years that Paul A History Paul, “a sense of tremendous opportunity,” worked in Roxbury—what was a blighted which informed his future direction and rein- neighborhood, ravaged by arson, crime, van- of Helping forced a nascent sense of responsibility to en- dalism, and neglect—has become a vital com- able others to achieve their potential. munity with new housing, youth programs, page 38 The Thacher News Community Service child care, and health care resources. Not only enrich a nourishing learning environment in did the physical appearance of the neighbor- which all students can grow and be challenged. hood change, but also, and more importantly, As an alumnus, Paul wants to share the the community has been transformed as the Thacher experience with students who might residents participated and directed the revital- not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy ization of their neighborhood it. Paul would also like to see the School pur- sue a strategy that strongly encourages stu- In the years Paul spent in Boston, he was not dents to participate in some form of only committing his career to community de- community service, enabling them to reach be- velopment, but he was also volunteering as a yond the immediate ties of Thacher to embrace Big Brother for two young people: one gradu- a broader sense of community and a richer ated from Clark College in Atlanta; the other sense of responsibility to one another to com- is a high school student in Boston. Addition- plement the sense of responsibility to nature ally, for several years he served on many engendered at the School. boards of directors for non-profit organiza- tions, including a construction training pro- What motivates someone to pursue this kind of gram for young people that has become a work? How does one maintain this commit- model replicated nationwide, an adult literacy ment to service for others? program, American Baptist Churches of Mass- achusetts, and a non-profit housing develop- As Paul describes it, he did not choose com- ment corporation. Somehow he also found munity development; it was a calling. Growing time to volunteer as a ski instructor for Youth up with a strong sense of community and per- Enrichment Services of Boston. sonal responsibility first at home and later at Thacher, coupled with the privilege of attend- Three years ago, Paul moved away from Rox- ing Dartmouth and Harvard, Paul recognized bury, the neighborhood he helped to re-build, early on that he had access to opportunities to Columbia, Maryland, and started a new po- denied to others, all of which profoundly in- sition as Program Director of Management and fluenced the direction of his life. Working in Organizational Development with the Enter- community development is a way of perpetu- prise Foundation. Paul is now providing tech- ating for others some of those opportunities nical assistance to boards and staff of Paul enjoyed in his life. The sense of responsi- non-profit organizations in determining their bility that originally motivated Paul has given distinct roles and responsibilities as well as way more and more to an increasing spiritual- with the process of strategic planning. Paul ity, which has made his work easier and pro- made this change to obtain a national per- vides a compass for future directions. Paul’s spective on community development. Now, he life work has laid a foundation of hope for the travels throughout the United States, training future on which he continues to build. the next generation of community development Through his work in community development organizations: housing development corpora- his efforts to support education, as a Thacher tions, providers of child care, youth employ- Trustee, or ad hoc college counselor, Paul dis- ment, or job training assistance. Paul’s tinguishes himself as someone who builds com- volunteer experience with many boards of non- munity wherever he goes. e profit organizations, and as executive director of a community development corporation, leave him well-equipped to assist non-profit groups in resolving the managerial and techni- cal challenges of community development. The most rewarding part of this new position for Paul is enabling boards of directors to recog- nize their own power and authority to deter- mine the future direction of the organization. The move to Maryland has helped Paul to re- duce his volunteer commitments significantly, but he still finds time to continue with two board affiliations now: Institute for Commu- nity Economics, which promotes community land trusts and permanently affordable resi- dent controlled housing, as well as The Thacher School Board of Trustees.

Paul’s work with Thacher’s Board of Trustees integrates his past with the present and has a reciprocal effect on his work today. The lead- ership and governance demonstrated on Thacher’s Board assists in Paul’s current work of providing consulting services to other non- A History profit boards. Paul is concerned with main- taining Thacher’s accessibility to students with of Helping varied life experiences in order to continue to

Spring/Summer 2000 page 39 Former Parent Profile

Yvon Chouinard

Setting an Environmental High-Water Mark by Jane D. McCarthy Community Service eek. Dirt Bag. Fun Hog. Vagabond Out- Working with suppliers to develop more envi- doorsman. Blacksmith. Deep Ecologist. ronmental-friendly products and components, GNitpicker. Accidental Capitalist. including dyes; Any one of these monikers could be—and has Continually educating its 900 employees been—used for Yvon Chouinard, the world- worldwide on how to improve the environ- famous mountaineer, owner and founder of ment; the trend-setting outdoor apparel company Patagonia, and father of Claire, CdeP ’98. Few Converting to 100 percent organic cotton in conjure such a contradictory list of character its product line manufacturing rather than traits in one individual, let alone one who has using traditionally conventionally-grown cot- been so successful. His success may stem from ton since the latter is so detrimental to the en- his extensive study of Zen Buddhism and its vironment due to pesticide use; and philosophy of focusing on the process rather than the result. “You don’t climb Mt. Everest Beginning to use more energy-efficient heating

photo by Rick Ridgeway © 1999 to get to the top,” says Chouinard, “because and lighting equipment in its buildings such as there’s nothing to do up solar- and wind-generated electricity. there. Rather, the pur- pose of the adventure is Patagonia’s environmental path is a natural the process itself, the outgrowth of several factors in Chouinard’s opportunity for striv- career. As a seven-year-old French Canadian ing, changing yourself, transplant who only spoke French and was the and becoming a better smallest in his second-grade class when his person.” family moved to Burbank, Yvon was a self-de- scribed “Geek,” who sought independent ac- If one merely changes tivities. He discovered climbing while pursuing the personal references falconry as he rappelled to hawks’ nests. A to business terms, close call while rappelling resulted in his search Chouinard’s adventure for better climbing methods. beliefs translate into Patagonia’s mission: “To By his late teens, Chouinard entered his “Dirt use business to inspire Bag” and “Fun Hog” era. A proficient surfer and implement solutions from spending winters at Rincon and an ac- to the environmental cri- complished rock climber from spending warm sis.” He strives to steer months climbing the Grand Tetons, Canadian the company toward a Rockies, and Yosemite, Yvon wanted little magnetic north on his more than to seek adventure. Many first as- moral compass thereby cents, including the North American Wall of

photo by Maurice Rebeix resulting in minimal en- Yosemite’s El Capitan, were recorded by him © Patagonia vironmental damage and, hopefully, becoming during this time. an industry leader in doing the right thing. “I’m not in business to make a profit,” Chouinard Several aspects of the sport didn’t agree with insists though the privately-held business in this rock climber. The pitons used for protec- Ventura, California, has been profitable for tion points by climbers, for instance, were most of its 27 years of existence and world- made of malleable iron that were hammered wide sales totaled $200 million in fiscal year into rocks and left for future climbers. After 1999-2000. Although Patagonia’s sales repre- continued use, they often-times bent resulting sent only a small fraction of the $5 billion in dangerous conditions. In 1957, Chouinard human-powered recreation market, the company borrowed $825 from his parents to purchase sets the high-water mark for influencing the an anvil and forge so that he could make travel adventure industry. To wit, some ac- tougher steel pitons to use and sell extras to complishments: friends. With his blacksmith tools in the back of his 1929 Model-A Ford, he cruised the Since 1985, Patagonia has donated a self-im- climbing circuit selling his wares when not posed “Earth Tax” (the company’s way of climbing. While climbing in Yosemite during A History making restitution for the negative impact they the 1970s, Yvon was shocked by the environ- cause on the environment) equal to one per- mental impact caused by the repeated em- of Helping cent of sales to preservation and restoration of placement and removal of these hardened-steel the natural environment; pitons. He began the trend of “clean climb- page 40 The Thacher News Community Service ing” by making aluminum chocks that could the prodding of his wife, Malinda, he intro- company is researching ways to reduce the en- be easily wedged into rock and removed by duced functional outdoor apparel such as vironmental impact caused by the other key hand. This eliminated the use of a piton ham- rugby shirts, corduroy knickers, and canvas fibers it utilizes. mer and reduced the impact of protection shorts through the Patagonia Clothing Corpo- placements to virtually nothing. This also made ration. He chose this name of the southern- Patagonia has remained relatively small com- week-long ascents possible since aluminum is most part of South America because of the pared to others in its industry because Yvon lighter than steel and the chocks could be mystical, rugged images that it conjures up. believes in limits and chooses images from his reused many times. “We wanted to make clothes for sailing around passion to explain: “Climbing teaches you that Cape Horn or climbing in 100-mile-per-hour you live for the days when you’re on the edge, Another aspect of climbing that frustrated winds,” he explained. As well, since climbers but you never go over it. There’s an optimum Yvon was trying to climb steep ice with tradi- carry only limited garments, he thought that size for every endeavor, and if you exceed it, tional ice axes and picks made for cutting those articles needed to perform as reliably as you go downhill. With this company, we could steps. He tested various axes and developed the pitons. “As blacksmiths and machinists, easily become too large and lose everything,” his own design with a curved pick and deep we approached the problem of designing including Patagonia’s reputation as the de- teeth. This Chouinard “Piolet” could be driven clothes from a functional basis. We were not all signer of the highest quality products and its into the ice overhead and pulled up on, thus that concerned with how they would look be- position as the mainstay of the climbing com- eliminating having to cut steps. This design be- cause we knew from designing tools that when munity. came the basis for modern ice axe design and the design is right, the aesthetics would be opened up the new sport of climbing frozen there.” An early success was the signature col- In some ways, Chouinard feels the company waterfalls. orful fleece jackets, most of which are now has already surpassed its optimal size. It is now made of recycled plastic soft drink bottles—a decentralized along seven lines of activity such From these meager beginnings as a blacksmith fabric innovation Patagonia introduced in as climbing and canoeing that function as sep- came the founding of the Great Pacific Iron 1993. arate entities under Patagonia’s umbrella. This Works in Ventura, where it’s still located some decentralization relies less on Chouinard and 35 years later. The site was also chosen be- As time passes, Patagonia’s environmental mis- allows him to take on the role of “resident cause of its close proximity to good surf spots sion has become more activist reflecting philosopher” and to practice his own M.B.A. and another aspect of Patagonia’s motto: Chouinard’s own philosophical development. By style: “Management By Absence.” He spends “When the surf’s up, go surfing.” Chouinard the late 1980s, he was unhappy with the prac- six to eight months each year traveling to far later recalled, “I never intended for my craft to tices of companies that harmed the environ- off places such as bonefishing on Christmas Is- become a business, but every time I returned ment, let alone not protecting it. He decided he land, surfing in Fiji, skiing the French Alps, from the mountains my head was spinning could use his company as a catalyst to improve and climbing in Nepal while testing products, with ideas for improving the carabiners, ice the world, especially if he fired up his employ- exploring new concepts, and developing new axes, and other tools of climbing.” By the mid- ees to join the effort. This sparked environ- markets. This also maintains his credibility as 1970s the company had captured 80 percent of mental lectures and seminars for both employees an adventurer and brings back a sense of the the climbing-hardware market, but that was a and their communities, paid “internships” for future that few others could provide. mere one percent of the outdoor retailers’ sales employees of non-profit groups, and assistance and it would be difficult to make ends meet. At for grassroots groups including office space When Chouinard is in Ventura, he tinkers in and sponsorship of the An- the company’s “skunk works,” where, for ex- nual Tools for Grassroots ample, he’ll work on his current project of de- Activists Conferences. The veloping a durable, unbreakable surfboard so latter teaches environmen- that he and others will no longer anguish over talists everything from spending several hundred dollars on a new strategic planning to ways board that breaks the next day. In a way, he of working with the media has returned to his vagabond, hands-on fid- taught by Patagonia em- dling mode as when he started the company ployees. four decades ago. And that return to partici- patory innovation combined with his acquired Several years ago, the business acumen and ecological outlook will company studied the envi- likely energize Patagonia as a sustainable com- ronmental harm caused by pany and a model for others in the new mil- the four major fibers used lennium. e in their products: cotton, wool, nylon, and poly- ester. Surprisingly, cotton was the most destructive, prompting Patagonia to turn away from using any- thing but organically- grown cotton. They went so far as to subsidize farm- ers world-wide so that they’d grow organically which costs about 35 per- cent more. As well, the A History Chouinard in his “skunk works” mode ooff Helping

photo by Rick Ridgeway © 1999

Spring/Summer 2000 page 41 Alumni Profiles

Kenneth O. Rhodes, CdeP ’30

Fifty Years of Public Service by Richard O. Rhodes, CdeP ’59 Community Service f you are late to a meeting, be careful whom this would be difficult if I became part of a you sit next to. Kenneth Rhodes, CdeP ’30, partnership.” He felt fortunate to have received Ilearned that in 1948. Newly elected as a good education and felt an obligation to give Trustee to The Board of Family Service in Los something back to the community. He had Angeles, he arrived late to his third board heard of Family Services of Los Angeles from meeting. The board table was filled except for a friend who was on the board, and agreed to a seat next to the chairman. Ken reluctantly join. Family Services worked with troubled took the seat, then tried to understand what families, the emotionally disturbed, and the the discussion was about. “I was really at sea. homeless. During his five years of chairing the It was a rather sensitive issue, concerning board, he particularly enjoyed “getting people whether professional employees should join a with completely different ideas and approaches union, and I did not understand all the ramifi- to work out a consensus.” cations.” In the middle of the meeting the chairman was called out by an emergency tele- After Family Services, Ken became involved phone call and as he left the room, he turned for ten years with the Special Services Group, and said, “Ken, will you take over till I get which was formed just after the Zoot Suit back?” The chairman Riots of Los Angeles, to solve the gang prob- never came back to that lem in Los Angeles by encouraging construc- meeting, nor did he ever tive activities. Next, Ken became involved for come back to the agency. fifteen years with the Hathaway Home for Children that provided residential care, coun- Ken discovered that he seling, education, and training for emotionally “enjoyed presiding at disturbed children. meetings and did a pass- able job.” In fact, his work This in turn led to volunteer work once a week with Family Services was at the Legal Aid Foundation, which offered so “passable” that he re- legal services to those who could not afford an ceived the Red Feather attorney. Ken later became a member of the award from the Los An- Board of Directors of the Foundation, and then geles Community Chest served as chairman of the board for one year. for outstanding service, the first of many awards. A similar legal aid organization was formed at He was given no advanced this time as part of Lyndon Johnson’s war on notice about this award. poverty. Ken was elected to the County Bar “I rushed to the meeting Board to help as liaison in merging the two and to the podium as my name was being called, programs, serving for three years. The chal- having first rushed to the men’s room. After lenge was to merge a federally-funded program the meeting I discovered, and I hope no one with a private program whose board consisted else had, that when I accepted the award my fly of retired judges opposed to using Federal was unzipped, a rather undressed way to receive funds for fear of Federal control. During one an honor.” This event did not end his volunteer particularly difficult standoff over the racial work, and “one thing has led to another” he balance of the Foundation staff, the board got says, to explain how his choice of a chair led to consensus by temporarily abolishing Robert’s more than 50 years of volunteer work for many Rules of Order. public service and educational organizations, often as chairperson, trustee, or president of Additional volunteer work included serving as the board. He notes that “Almost every board Public Defender in the Federal District Court in I have served on, I have ended up chairing a cases where the Public Defender had a conflict search committee.” of interest and therefore could not serve, and as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration As- Ken began volunteer work at age 35, when he sociation, hearing uninsured motorist cases. felt his law practice was sufficiently well es- tablished that he could afford the time. He had The president of the Los Angeles County Bar returned for a few years to the law firm of asked Ken to chair the Juvenile Court Com- Williamson, Hoge and Curry after the war. In mittee. At the request of a presiding Judge, Ken A History 1948 he was offered a full partnership with offered a list of experienced lawyers willing to the firm, but decided to form a private practice serve as referees, including his own name. Se- of Helping as a sole practitioner. “I wanted to give a third lected immediately, he then served once or of my time to public service, and I thought that twice a week for the next three years as a page 42 The Thacher News Community Service referee as needed, reading complaints, calling bers of a new board talking to each other is to summer during college he spent a month with witnesses, interrogating witnesses and defen- go through the bylaws, paragraph by para- friends hiking the High Sierras, leading pack dants, reaching a decision, then reviewing a graph” Ken notes. “The process gives the com- burros over passes. He received his Juris Doc- probation report to determine the disposition. mittee an identity.” torate from Harvard Law School in ’37, then Action could be dismissal, home on probation, joined a law firm briefly before serving in the or placement in foster care, a child welfare Ken was a trustee of the Los Angeles County Bar, Navy, ultimately being promoted to Lt. Com- agency, county camp, or Youth Authority. The and vice president of the County Bar Founda- mander, a rank that he worried “far out- problems heard were often difficult, involving tion. He also worked on a lawyers committee stripped my knowledge and experience.” abandoned children, abused children, run- to study laws on adoption. He was pho- aways, truancy, glue sniffing, drugs, alcohol tographed at a news conference with actress abuse, gang fights, neighborhood brawls, and Jane Russell, who was also active in adoption theft. Only murder cases were heard by a judge issues (he claims the photographs have been rather than a referee. lost). He also served for two years during the Vietnam War on the local draft board, hearing A particularly difficult task was preparing a tough cases of conscientious objectors. brief on behalf of most of the child welfare agencies of Los Angeles to be presented to the In 1960 Ken joined the board of the Caltech County Board of Supervisors to improve the YMCA for 35 years, serving as chairman for formula for reimbursement of agencies for three, and started The Friends of the Caltech Y, their costs. The agencies were not being ade- serving as co-chairperson. quately compensated. Ken recalls that he be- came so engrossed in the brief he was working Ken was born in Pasadena, California, on on that he forgot to eat lunch. Hungry, he hur- April 22, 1912, when there were more orange ried to a restaurant in the building, entered the groves than apartment buildings. He attended crowded elevator, and when asked by the op- Westridge kindergarten (as one of the few boys erator “Floor please?” he responded, “Grilled in the all-girl school), then Polytechnic School, ham and cheese.” followed by The Thacher School. His older brothers Foster, CdeP ’25, and Robert, CdeP He served on the board and was chairman of ’29, had attended Thacher before him, his Ken and Betty continued hiking well into their the Family and Adult Services Division of the brother David, CdeP ’33, followed. Ken’s eighties. Welfare Planning Council of Los Angeles. With mother told a friend that she had had a son at United Way, he was Chairman of the Executive Thacher for 13 years, to which the friend com- In 1938 he married Betty Fleming, who quickly Committee of the General Budget Committee, mented, “He can’t have been very bright.” learned to share Ken’s love of the outdoors, in and Chairman for the Committee that deter- spite of her first camping experience with Ken, mined funding priorities. He remembers one Ken especially loved his Thacher courses in a wet, cold rainy night in the high country elderly board member who during meetings Physical Geography, Ancient History, and without a tent. They raised four children: Dick, German. His favorite CdeP ’59, Margaret, Tom, and Ted, CdeP ’65. weekend activity was ex- ploring the backcountry Ken became active in Thacher causes shortly af- on horseback, and “sleep- ter Ted graduated, sitting on many committees, ing in the open and watch- serving as Trustee from 1977 to 1990, President ing the constellations of the Board from 1982 to 1986, and Emeri- passing overhead and at tus for life. He is proud of the improvements dawn the first rays of the that occurred during his tenure on the Board. sun hitting the nearby The budget was balanced, the School became mountains, then the tips of co-educational, the faculty was strengthened, the the trees at the foot of my new science building was completed, the old sci- sleeping bag.” Being able ence building was converted to humanities to care for a horse and center, a new library wing was built, and new pack mule, “brought a dorms were constructed. The Centennial Cel- feeling of independence ebration raised $18 million. Ken remarks “My and adequacy in an out- connection with Thacher has covered a span of ward sense.” 73 years. I have known every headmaster the School has ever had…” Three generations of Thacher grads: Julien ’02, Tristan, CdeP ’97, Kit, At Thacher, Ken had the CdeP ’95, Dick, CdeP ’59, and Ken, CdeP ’30, Rhodes reputation of being very In 1968 Ken became a trustee of Scripps Col- religious, since Sherman lege, Betty’s Alma Mater. He was chairman for would turn his hearing aid off and go to sleep, Day had given him the job of announcing who five years, served on the Graduate School then wake up, turn on his hearing aid, and had attended church the previous Sunday. Board, and chaired the search committee to re- raise a question about a discussion held forty Lower schoolers were required to attend every place the retiring Graduate School President minutes earlier. Sunday, middle schoolers three out of four (Joe Platt, a former trustee of Thacher). Ken Sundays, lower uppers two out of four, and Ken also chaired a committee to merge two upper uppers one out of four. The rationale continued on page 62 community centers, working with a young po- for decreasing religious requirements with in- liceman named Tom Bradley, who later become creasing years of study was not clear to him. mayor of Los Angeles. Bradley was “very help- A History ful, always constructive.” The committee was Ken graduated from Stanford University in his- new and had many members who did not tory in ’34, recollecting that “college broad- of Helping know each other. “The best way to get mem- ened me while Thacher deepened me.” Each

Spring/Summer 2000 page 43 Alumni Profiles

Nicholas Cunningham, M.D., Dr.P.H., CdeP ’46 Community Service Heeding the Words of “The Banquet Song” by George F. French, CdeP ’46

“…May honor, and fairness, and kindness, and truth to stop, because to continue would Be ours till life’s struggle is through.” not have been fair. So the stamp of the School was the stamp of the Man: And much later, when Nicholas It was Thacher that made Nick rethink what was ‘fair’ came home from an interview with And apply what he learned to the problems out there, the admission people at Johns Hop- And then do the best work in the world that he could kins Medical School, he asked his Till the best he could do was all done. mother (who had raised her children to believe firmly in equality), “How he brightest theme that has resonated through can I go to a school that’s still completely seg- the life and works of Nicholas Cunningham, regated?” And she answered, “You have to go, TCdeP ’46, has been his relentless pursuit of because it’s the best of the 14 you applied to. “what was fair.” Most of us, in pursuing the And you’ll figure out how to deal with the seg- almighty dollar, tend to regation problem.” Then when Nicholas did belittle as quixotic and get to Johns Hopkins, he decided not to agitate naïve all references to within the school because he found it to be vir- what’s “fair”: we even tually impregnable. He therefore decided to hear it said that “There’s join C.O.R.E. (The Congress of Racial Equal- no such thing as ‘fair’; ity) so that he could spend his weekends pick- there’s only what actually eting Baltimore lunch counters for their failure works,” an ethic remi- to serve the mixed groups he was with, and he niscent of “corporate sang in the interracial chorus that C.O.R.E. trainer” Richard Hatch was sponsoring. According to his now matur- who won a million dol- ing ethic of fairness, Nicholas believed this lars for his unscrupu- C.O.R.E. participation was needed to ‘pay for’ lous role in Survivor. Yet his going to a segregated school. His group everything that Nicholas succeeded in opening up all the lunch counters has done loudly pro- and restrooms at Woolworth, Kresge, etc. And claims an opposite eth- at the same time Nicholas was discovering the ic that sounds more of power of non-violent resistance, thereby an- S.D.T.’s old “Banquet ticipating its vital role in so many of his future Song.” And the roots of successes. that ethic grew not only out of Nick’s time at ሗ Thacher, but also out of his earlier years where he was the youngest of five children in a re- Just before 7:00 A.M. on a bright June day in markably caring and supportive family envi- 1957, a classic yellow-and-white convertible, ronment. “When all your siblings are older,” Nick towing a trailer laden with an old motorcycle explains, “you don’t have any power base…” and a giant cello, pulled up in front of Babies and so you have to negotiate, often invoking “fair- Hospital in New York City. Driver Nick, col- ness” as the universal standard. orfully dressed and wearing one red and one green sock, had just served two years in the In- Nick’s mother and father ran an eminently mu- dian Health Service in Arizona—and in minutes sical upstate New York household that oper- was to start the first day of a two-year pediatric ated through an elaborate rule structure, but residency. This grand entrance set the tone for with a bond of fairness and Emersonian self-re- a professional life that would not only chal- liance that held it all together. By the time lenge myriad conventions and assumptions, Nicholas came along, both his brothers (Fred- but would also pioneer a great chain of inno- eric, CdeP ’39, and Lawrence, CdeP ’42) and vations and accomplishments that translates sisters already could play the tunes and songs into fourteen overwhelming pages of a densely Nicholas was still trying to learn. But the rule packed Curriculum Vitae—a monumental list was that once you started studying a piece, it of achievements, honors, and awards; plus 17 A History became yours. So if an older sibling wanted to academic and hospital appointments, 12 grant of Helping sit down and embarrass you by rattling off the awards, 25 appointments to professional boards piece you were struggling with, you’d just say, and committees, 35 health consultancies; and “Don’t play my tune!” and the older one had then seven more C.V. pages listing countless page 44 The Thacher News Community Service professional publications, lectures, poster ses- has just now taken over her father’s sions, abstracts, and presentations. pediatric practice; her son Adrian is Nick’s first grandchild). Nicholas re- When his pediatric residency was completed grets that none of his children went to at Babies Hospital/Columbia Presbyterian Thacher—but physicians who only Medical Center, Nicholas won a neonatal fel- teach don’t make enough to consider lowship that enabled him to stay on there for that option. an extra year studying the special problems of newborns. But this work was interrupted in A bare-bones laundry list (like the last 1962 by a phone call from Sergeant Shriver, five paragraphs) may be useful for who invited Nicholas to volunteer for the biosketching, but it does not do jus- Peace Corps and lead an 18-person medical tice to Nicholas. Something is lack- team to Togo. Those first two years in Africa ing—much as a skeleton lacks persuaded him of the need for a more preven- flesh—and it is because Nicholas is tive approach to health problems. This ap- that rare individual whose life is more proach was explored further first through a fittingly depicted in terms of the PRIN- fellowship at the London School of Hygiene, CIPLES that he has stood for and im- and secondly through an extended tour in rural plemented. There are at least seven Nigeria, operating and evaluating an “Under- such principles: Fives Clinic” in the little town of Imesi, where Nicholas demonstrated the special effective- Principle 1: True fairness means you ness of blending preventive with curative med- are color-blind. ical measures. An urban adaptation of this model was later implemented in the city of Nicholas very personally implemented Lagos, and ultimately incorporated into the this principle not only by several years Nigerian National Primary Health Care Sys- of work with the Congress of Racial tem, leading Nicholas to a doctorate in Public Equality, but also by marrying an Health and many other international health African American woman with whom Dr. Nicholas Cunningham teaching at Columbia consultancies. he had three children. And profes- Presbyterian Hospital sionally, his most important work was In 1969, Nicholas returned to New York and begun in Nigeria where his ability to heed the Nick’s favorite utterance over the last 56 years spent the following 31 years practicing and suggestions of mothers and nurses stirred him appears to have been “Fantastic!” and the teaching pediatrics, while at the same time into creatively combining preventive and cur- trademark way he is given to uttering that seeking to adapt the principles he had learned ative measures—first in Africa and later in word bespeaks the enthusiasm, the sincerity, in Africa to the special needs of the American New York, and then later into revolutionizing and the charm that has now so long fired inner city. Thus in 1972 Nicholas piloted the New York City’s health-maintenance technol- Nick’s every project and manifesto. first conversion of a “well-baby station” (as ogy. None of this would have been possible if operated by the New York City Department Nicholas were not truly color-blind. Principle 3: Music massages the spirit, prevents of Health) into the new sort of all-inclusive burnout, and lets you meet people in a “preventive-curative” Child Health Clinics that Principle 2: Charm and enthusiasm can win different way. he had now spent so many years developing. the day. The conversion of all such stations into new Thacher did a great thing for this cello-playing Child Health Clinics throughout New York In his written application for the position of a 11th grader: arrangements were made for City was only recently completed. Director of an international health organization, Nicholas to take lessons from an eminent Nicholas made this entry on the last line: “If you teacher named Abbas who fortuitously lived Nicholas further advanced his pioneering “pre- need an enthusiast, I am one!” Thus Nicholas near the School. With Nick Muhlenberg, CdeP ventive-curative” approach in 1995 by joining knows his special power of enthusiasm, and he ’45, at the violin and Bill Nixon, CdeP ’45, at with the Soros Open Society Institute to take makes of it a most impressive tool. It is indeed the piano, the Cunningham Cello dominated the lessons learned once more into the inter- the more impressive for its total lack of affec- this trio (at least visually) as they produced national arena. Nicholas and the O.S.I. team tation: his enthusiasm is eminently genuine wartime Sunday-evening recitals in the old li- organized training conferences and site visits and infectious, and he wins converts to his views brary. Nicholas went on to play professionally, throughout 18 newly independent eastern Eu- by simply wielding his enthusiasm at them. for a short time, with the Phoenix and the ropean countries in order to address their in- Pasadena Symphony Orchestras before another creasingly serious problems of child abuse, Late one night when Nicholas had just arrived career delimited him to lifelong amateur status. neglect, and violence in the home. Nick’s sim- back in Lagos, Nigeria, the taxi he was taking ply-stated goals: “To use teamwork to get that to his hotel was stopped at a roadblock where While Nicholas has seen how idealistic physi- ‘first love-affair’ between each mother and five rather drunken soldiers ordered him out cians typically get burned out from overwork child off to a strong start, to provide a ‘medical of the taxi. They bluntly demanded of him, and frustration, he is positive that music has home’ for every child, and to help all parents “What have you brought us from the United helped him avoid that fate and, in fact, has do their very best with the art and science of States?” And Nicholas impulsively replied, “I been a major factor in enabling him to so en- raising healthy children.” have brought you a song,” which he began ergetically continue teaching generation after singing loudly and outrageously, not even generation of new medical students. Playing Nicholas now lives in Manhattan with his sec- knowing what in particular he was singing. ond wife Catherine (who is a child psychia- The soldiers were quite taken aback, never trist) and her two daughters. Nicholas and his having encountered the likes of Nicholas, and first wife Ruth have three children: Ian, 35 (a they were somehow charmed and disarmed by A History computer-graphics specialist); Andrew, 32 (a this strange outburst, and they started to laugh. Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras); and And finally the Sergeant in charge said, “Ahh, of Helping Hetty, 34 (a physician who lives in Harlem and get out of here!”

Spring/Summer 2000 page 45 page 46 Community Service There are times when one just needs to depend had done this astounding thing all on his own! horse the And trail. wide six-inch the on still rection, with Nick clutching on for dear life, all di- other the facing was and around, pletely Wow suddenly reared straight up, turned com- Pow do, to going was he what out figure to gone, washed out. And while Nick was trying abruptly was front in trail unexpectedly,the Then, drop-off. sheer a was there left the to while right the on shale the touch could Nick rider that steep so bank shale a across wound that trail wide six-inch precarious a gotiating ne- were two the that rain a after just was It one particular adventure with him stands out. Wow,and Pow was Thacher at horse Nick’s trust inthatteammate. teammate youcan,andthenputyourtotal Principle 4:Movemountainstofindthebest lished thisyearintheir pub- being is which address an Society diatric Nick got invited to present to the Slovenian Pe- search! So they met, played Rachmaninoff, and re- to Slovenia in was Nick that subject the Nicholas andwifeCatherineholdingfirstgrandsonAdrian abuse—exactly child of subject the on book a nia’s top pediatrician who, in fact, had written Kornhauser. The latter turned out to be Slove- Pavel one was trio arranged now their of phone, Nick then learned that a third member the on him Reaching music. chamber play to liked who fellow a of name the noted and Society Music Chamber Amateur the of Book International the to referred Nick 1997, in Slovenia in working While connections: make one helps it that is music of role separate A tribulations. workday from escape needed a the cello has been both a balm to his spirit and The Thacher News of Helping A History of Helping A History Pediatric Journal. was there…” to make it work necessarily, but because a team there was I because NOT succeeds thing the ways engage and inspire other people, and then al- I team. a with work always I So through. accomplished, but I am not good at following be can they think I ideas; have do I own. my on nothing done really I’ve people. other of help the with always was accomplished ever ”Anything said, interview,Nick recent a In flow andtrustintheteammate. the with go to creature’sinstinct, fellow a on washed-out trail in front of him. And Nick had the seeing Wow Pow like was this Now over tothem.” clinic the turn to have just you’ll do; can we political, and I can’t get into it. There’s nothing ter of Health), reacted by saying, “Well, this is Minis- Nigerian the (later Kuti Dr.Ransome now…” And Nick’s Lagos University colleague back this We’retaking much. very you thank “Oh said, and jealous got they working; was ernment noticed how effectively the new clinic gov- city Lagos the time, this Around Club.” “Fathers’ a into turning then was Dr.Nick) to (unbeknownst Ojo Nurse which solidarity useful a creating time same the at wall, derful won- a built had men these all at time no In And theysaid,“Sure,we’lldoit!” it?” do you Can street. the and area waiting open the between built wall a need We ice. but they’re getting dirty while waiting for serv- said “Look, your wives like what we’re doing, she up, showed them of 45 some day.When Satur- following the clinic the to down come husbands their have to mothers the all asked one May, Ojo—the nurse who ran the clinic— Then wall. needed the build to available was ers were suffering accordingly—yet no money side, and the colorfully dressed Nigerian moth- from cars that zipped by on the dirt road out- waiting areaexposedtodustcloudsrollingin the patients’ wall-less patients’ the left skimping this But time. jig in running and up clinic new the had and needs, ing, adapted it to their an old shell of a build- found he in, brought Nick people good of help the with but scratch, from thing mit them to build any- didn’tFord Now per- the capital of Nigeria. a clinic right in Lagos, such for model urban an develop to tion Founda- Ford the by invited was he Imesi, Fives-Clinic project at Under- rural the of evaluation his pleted com- Nicholas After respect the other’s point of view: each had each view: of other’spoint the respect to and to listen to how discovering each their of result a probably was friendship firm their the two lads, these were friendly polemics, and other. Despite the radically different politics of each at blasted typically ’46, CdeP Simons, Tomand Cunningham Nicholas roommates Upper Lower that polemics loud the hear below the old Upper School, chances are you’d self down to any spot on the baseball field just given spring evening in 1945, and beam your- any to time through back travel could you If you workwithwhatisbestinyouradversary. Principle 6:Peacefulchangeispossiblewhen new ideascancomefromanydirection. spontaneity: induce to seems level eye same the at much pretty everyone with that Round Tablethe about There’ssomething table. same the at others nine facing while ticipate, par- occasionally and listen, to chance a had us of each where tables dining round at sat too he us, of rest the like And did. Nicholas Thacher,to but gone have not may Paolo that wecanseeeachother’s faces.” so circle a in learn and teach and try to point a it make I stuff, his reading learn.…Since to prepared be always to have educator,you an yourself consider you if And empowering. tion, and it tends to be debilitating rather than indoctrina- way,is one it’s if education, that Oppressed. the of agogy Paolo Freire. He wrote a book called said in another interview, “One of my heroes is Nicholas Professor lectern), a from students his on down look occasionally must perforce (who lecturer medical-school long-time a As tables. Principle 5:Thebestteachingisdoneatround Pow Wow. with did he as just ride, the for along go was here did Nick all And survive. would project and reversed the course of fate so that the clinic up straight reared Wow,spontaneously had was the remarkable Nurse Ojo who, like Pow it clinic’sAnd the survival. in together volved in- all patients) pre-natal-care the were who wives the and employees, clinic the Nicholas, with (along them made that partnership a formed had men the wall, a up putting By vailed. pre- “builders” the and off backed city the it!” And in the face of this all-male onslaught, built we because us to belongs clinic—it this over take can’t “Hey,you said, and thorities au- local the to went and no!” “Hell, replied, They clinic?” government other any like be you want them to take it over, so that it’ll then “Do asked, and Club Fathers’ the convened she finished, was clinic new the that nounce an- politicians the heard Ojo Nurse as soon as But trail. shale six-inch that on moment next, any more than he had had at the critical happen would what anticipating of way no And what he says is says he what And The Ped- Community Service learned how to seek out “what was best” in had been caused by the “Sanc- the adversary. tions.”

Nicholas later gained an ethic of non-violent Principle 7: True fairness resistance not only from his Johns Hopkins means you prize diversity. years with C.O.R.E., but also from two col- lege summers in France, where he served in the There is a diversity that Service Civile Voluntaire Internationale Nicholas’s life of service (S.C.V.I.), founded by a Swiss engineer named clearly reflects. It is the Pierre Ceresole. The latter’s message comple- healthy diversity that will mented the C.O.R.E. philosophy: “If you want benefit all of us at such time to effect change, work with what is best in as there is a righteous guar- your adversary, and not with what is worst.” antee that every child can get the help needed to avoid dis- This is why Nicholas became so fervent about ease and deprivation. Fairness Iraq. He idealized that our foreign policy demands as much, especially should be based on all the good in the Iraqi when we’re reminded that society, not on Saddam, who represented the every child is a member of worst. He therefore connected up with the our larger family. This is ar- A.F.S.C. (American Friends Service Commit- guably the major ethical prin- tee), that wanted to reach out to the doctors, ciple of Nicholas’s life. the educators, the teachers, and the positive forces in Iraq, wherever and whoever they Our Thacher family in 1945 might be. And the only way to do that was to was not rich in “diversity”: actually go there and meet them. Nicholas then none of us was black or His- became one of a team of five pediatricians and panic or Jewish or female. child-welfare specialists who traveled to Iraq in And we all came from well- November, 1998, to look hard at the plight of to-do families—except one children after eight years of United Nations lad named Taylor Sloan, who economic sanctions. was there on a special schol- arship. Taylor was kind of an Technically they were law-breakers: there was “outsider” in that he brought a State Department edict to the effect that no different energies, different Americans were allowed to go to Iraq (you’d lose ideas, different views…” your passport if it showed you’d been there). But something of an anomaly to the team took a deviously roundabout route the “Quiet Generation” that Playing cello is Nick’s escape from the daily work tribulations of to avoid the problem, and ultimately reached the rest of us were later la- medicine Baghdad with a modest supply of books and beled. medications that had survived customs inspec- tions. During their stay they recorded inter- Nicholas adds: “…I’m for bringing in more of views with some two dozen health specialists, the ‘outsiders.’ We need to keep in contact with physicians, U.N. representatives, and Iraqi Gov- those who provide different energies. I would ernment officials (plus a handful of taxicab never have taken up jazz if it hadn’t been for drivers, storeowners, and business people who my rebellious brother Larry, because he was happened to speak some English). willing to go outside of Bach to really experi- ment. So keeping somebody like that in your While they were there, the United States once family and in your world is really important; it more decided to bomb Iraq. Three of the team keeps you alert and animated and interest- members opted to leave immediately, knowing ing…and Tay Sloan, like Larry, had brought full well that the borders would shut down as different energies and was our one outsider, soon as the oncoming bombers were detected. our one handle on diversity.” Yet Dr. Leila Richards, the team leader, was in- tent on staying, despite the imminent bomb- Then one warm Saturday evening, in the spring ing. Then Nicholas also decided to stay, not of 1945, Taylor Sloan slipped a dummy into only to support Leila, but also so that he could his bed and quietly rode his horse down to still manage to interview the country’s head Ojai. He was caught and summarily expelled. pediatrician Dr. al-Ruznamaji (it was about To Nicholas, predictably, this was grossly un- this time that Nick’s wife Cathy got the unset- fair, because a member of our family had been tling word that “All had gotten out save torn from us. Nicholas…”). Looking at the Thacher of today, with its won- A rewarding interview with Dr. al-Ruznamaji derfully multiple levels of diversity, it’s clear did take place, and as good luck had it the that futurist Nicholas had anticipated a coming bombing was canceled at about the last minute. world that was fairer and more diverse. Yet And on their return, the team and the A.F.S.C. even in that older Thacher were the seeds of in December, 1998, published a booklet, “Child Nick’s growing convictions about fairness: for A History and Maternal Health and Nutrition in Iraq those ready to read it, the message had all under the Sanctions,” that exposed the terrible along been right there in S.D.T.’s original of Helping devastation to Iraqi mothers and children that “Banquet Song.” e

Spring/Summer 2000 page 47 Alumni Profiles

F. Perry Gates, CdeP ’59 Planting the Seeds of Community Awareness, Integrity, and Self-Reliance Among the Youth of Maine by Stephen P. Huyler, CdeP ’69 Community Service uring my senior year at college it became years later to realize ‘My God, I’m married clear to me that for sixteen years, edu- and have two children!’ We don’t just go out “Dcation, money, travel, and a lot of care on the street corner and say: ‘Oh, you’ll do!’ had been pumped into me and it was now my and get married. It just sort of happens. It took turn to start putting that back into the sys- Ulysses ten years to get home but look what tem… ergo: the Peace Corps. On some basic happened on the way while getting there. The level, Thacher very definitely contributed to experience is in getting there. So with this in the preparation for the thinking process: ‘Now mind, it became pretty clear to me that if I it’s my turn’ Not to give back to Thacher so wanted to work in a community, especially much, but to give it to the next generation with young people, it was probably best to get some place else. To simply take the message of them involved with anything—and then the plowing back into the system what the system people with whom I was working and I could needs to sustain itself and to evolve all those el- teach them the values and the skills they ements that it needs.” wanted to have along the way. But first you have to get them involved. So PROJECTS, Inc. Perry Gates, CdeP ’59, has spent most of his did not have any real value structure itself. The adult life focused on community service. He kids could build hot cars or plastic sailboats. has had a rich and var- They didn’t have to build nice wooden sail- ied education: a Bache- boats. I really didn’t care. It was more in the lor of Arts from doing than in what they were doing. So we set Williams, graduate up all these small businesses to make and sell courses in education at everything from small wooden boxes to maple the University of Mass- syrup, to lobster traps, (which included catch- achusetts, and further ing the lobsters and selling the lobster rolls.) courses at the Museum There were endless series of opportunities like School of Fine Arts in that. And it wasn’t just junior achievement; it Boston, and at Dart- was a real business because it didn’t stop at mouth, Harvard, and five in the afternoon. They had to worry about the University of Cali- the evaporator boiling over at eleven o’clock at fornia, Santa Barbara. night, and they had to build the sugar house, He considers his pri- and they had to market the product, and then mary interest through- they had to keep the books. out his life to have been human development “I think that probably the lowest common de- and character develop- nominator value that we really tried to instill in ment. young people was to take responsibility for what they were doing. Whether it was keeping After serving in Ecuador for two years with a set of books accurately, or making sure that the Peace Corps, Perry spent a year teaching the evaporator didn’t boil over, or that a per- English at Thacher (1967-68), before he finally son was happy with their delivery of lobsters, settled in mid-coast Maine. There, for the first or that a family got well treated by home coun- eight years, he worked for the Hurricane Is- selors—whatever that was, be responsible for land Outward Bound School creating pro- it; take responsibility for it and act upon it. grams for at-risk youths. Then, in 1975, he Realize that what you are learning can be ap- founded PROJECTS, Inc., a non-profit organ- plied to something else down the road. It’s ization devoted to planting among teenagers much like anything we do in life: it has a be- the seeds of community awareness, integrity, ginning, a middle, and an end. First you think and self-reliance. PROJECTS, Inc. has had a about a project and plan it, then you do it, and remarkable history. During its 25 years, it has then you reflect back on it. It’s like tying your created more than 20 distinct programs to fa- shoes. I need to tie my shoes, so I do it, and if cilitate social and personal responsibility I do a good job, my shoelaces don’t come apart among the young. and I can walk down the street. If I fall flat on my back, that’s feedback. I didn’t do a very Perry comments: “I started PROJECTS, Inc. good job, so I do it again. It’s the same process in 1975 in recognition that most of the more whether it’s going to the moon or tying your A History significant experiences of life happen as bi- shoes. In this way we really wanted these products of something else. We don’t learn re- young people to have the opportunity to ex- of Helping sponsibility by being taught to be responsible perience doing things for themselves. And then in a classroom. We frequently wake up ten what they did with it was up to them. We page 48 The Thacher News Community Service made no claim to values. As I said, wooden at the same time I had some beloved adults, woman. And I submit that they will remem- boats, fiberglass, plastic, it makes no differ- my teachers (Newt Chase being one of them, ber that experience for the rest of their lives, ence. Who cares? It is what they do with it that as well as Bob Miller, Fred Lamb, Hank Reif, while if they had read a chapter in a book on matters. Don McDougall, and Jack Huyler), sort of sociology about how people get along with one helping me through this process. That’s what I another it would have been in one ear and out “We were never without a wealth of young really learned. And it was fairness, fair play; it the other. They would have forgotten it. people who wanted to do something because was having this admiration for some of my there was essentially nothing else for them to classmates like Lynn White who really helped “C.S.P., now Youth Links, provides unlimited do. The education system wasn’t providing it create the honor system for Thacher. He opportunities to interface with a skipped gen- for them; it was pretty much standard learning brought it to the School. I helped in the eration, their grandparents’ generation, which by rote, by the book. So they were pretty much process, but Lynn had the smarts and the many kids do not have. It has proven invalu- free to do what they wanted in the afternoons where-with-all and the desire to make it hap- able to interface with that generation and sim- and evenings. Once you get one of them, if it’s pen. So those are the things, almost the intan- ply experience their wisdom and their fun for them, ten will follow. It didn’t take gibles, that I feel the School has to offer which appreciation for what these young people are much. We linked with the schools so it was an you don’t find in the catalog.” able to do; whether that is raking leaves or after-school project. simply reading them the newspaper because a Perry has spent his life trying to instill those lot of these elderly people are illiterate: they “After 10 or 15 years of doing that, then the same values into the teenagers of Maine. One simply cannot read! The kids go in and read to schools were ready to have this approach in- of his most successful endeavors has been what them. The bonding that occurs is the magic fused into their system. Consequently, learn- was originally named the Community Service that makes it go on. The purpose of PRO- ing through community service became more Project. According to Perry: “There were a lot JECTS is to get these things set up and work- important because then they could integrate of young people looking for something to do ing and then cut them free. If they are meant to service learning with the English class, the his- and a lot of elderly people who needed things survive they will and that’s how we’ve styled tory class, and mathematics, and take the cog- done for them. Why not get them together? ourselves, to cause this to happen.” nitive experience and apply it in the real world. Really simple. It’s worked ever since then. So This was the same thing I learned at Thacher much so that the C.S.P. went off on its own in In 1998 Perry left the running of PROJECTS, and from your Dad (Jack Huyler). Take Eng- 1995, by design, and became the Community Inc. to begin his own maple syrup company, lish and just have it a part of your life. Sit in the Service Project Inc., with its own 501(c)3, its Maine Gold, in Rockport, Maine. He loves to beautiful chapel and experience the Iliad, if own board of directors, etc. And then last year plant trees and to harvest the maple sap. He you will, while you are looking out to the west. they renamed themselves Youth Links. But the also devotes a great deal of time to his mar- That to me is unbeatable. This allusion may genesis was back in 1982.” riage to Deborah Mehan and to their two chil- be a little stretch because you are not actually dren, Gabe (15) and Josie (11). He still serves doing something with the Iliad, but at least When asked if he might relate an illustrative on the board of his original non-profit, al- you are experiencing the sense of the whole example of the service C.S.P. did, Perry told though he states: “PROJECTS is now sort of process.” the following story: “An elderly woman called on the shelf while the board works on redefin- us and asked us to come out and help build a ing its mission and deciding whether or not Perry remembers Newt Chase coming to his porch for her trailer. So four kids got in the there is a place for it in this community. The home in Hartford, Connecticut, when he was van and out we went and got the lumber and nation seems to be awash in money. People get in the tenth grade. His mother had already started to build her a porch. In the process we given things a lot—many benefits. I’m not sure taken him to visit the campuses of eastern prep learned that she only had one light in the house that there is a need for such an organization as schools; but none of them had appealed to and we began to sense something funny about ours right now because the big corporations him. When asked what he wanted to be when her living situation. We’d been hired to build have come in and have done so much to spon- he grew up, Perry always stated: “Either a the porch. She paid for the lumber, we donated sor programs and improve conditions. Rather cowboy or a fighter pilot.” The Thacher head- the time. The kids did not get paid. They vol- than having the young people do it, they are master was the only one who took him seri- unteered their time; we in the staff were paid handed stuff. Maybe that is the community ously. Perry was hooked within minutes. through donations and funding. We came to problem we now have to solve.” Although Already young for his class, he repeated the find out that the electric service entrance to her now involved in his own private business, tenth grade at Thacher, became a horseman trailer was only half working. Then we realized working with nature and the land in a way and camper, won the coveted Lowery Cup, and that she was heating her bath water in her mi- that he so loves, Perry Gates remains true to his went on to become School Chairman in his crowave—one cup at a time! And bathing her- ideals formed so long ago at Thacher, in col- senior year. self for the past month and a half with those lege, and in the Peace Corps. He continues his single cups of water every two or three days! involvement in the communities in mid-coast Perry states: “I think that Thacher had a very She had no lights in her bedroom and only half Maine and to give back into the system the real way of awakening the relationship in me of her cooking range worked. Needless to say, richness of experiences he has reaped. e with the outdoor world...That wasn’t going to we went back to the shop. The kids set up a car happen at the Groton School et al—and I wash to raise money. C.S.P. contributed the needed that as a child. I need it as an adult, rest and we hired an electrician to go out and and I find that the times that I feel most in tune fix her electric entrance to her house. In the are when I bring the intellectual to the natural process of that we also learned that her family perceptive world of what I see going on around lived next door and had done nothing for me. And that’s what PROJECTS, Inc. has been Grandma for the past three months! Now, we all about: taking the experiential or living the have four kids who have had this experience. moment in some other reality than just an ac- We went into it with the idea of simple car- ademic or cognitive approach. pentry skills to build a porch. What they re- ceived was a lesson in inter-family dynamics, in “At Thacher at the same time that I was learn- social welfare, in cultural relations between the A History ing solid or plain geometry from Charles Beck, haves and the have-nots, in how to run a car I was learning leadership from Newton Chase. wash and get money to pay for some of the of Helping Chase taught me how to run the student body things that they wanted to see happen for this

Spring/Summer 2000 page 49 Alumni Profiles

Ted Rhodes, CdeP ’65

Local Hero, Community Activitist by Robert A. Isaacson, CdeP ’66 Community Service he two parallel tracks of the dirt road wind business park already occupies the coastal shelf in a graceful “S” pattern through a gently immediately to the east. Trolling meadow of green grasses just going to seed, and white and purple flowering wild Ted’s bucolic poster, however, captures the sub- radishes. The road disappears between two tle and deeply felt beauty of a quickly disap- groves of tall eucalyptus trees. In the near dis- pearing, natural landscape, one that has tance, beyond the meadow, stretches a grove of literally been buried beneath the dozens of rap- large sycamores, just starting to leaf out for idly growing cities crowding the coastal shelf the coming summer months, their new leaves between the mountains and the beaches of all pale green and silvery. The angular, steeply ris- of southern California. Growing up in ing, partly shadowed ridges and canyons of Pasadena, in the San Gabriel Valley, Ted knew the grey, chaparral-covered Santa Ynez Moun- well the fate of open land in urban settings. tains, a part of southern California’s transverse During the last 13 years, Ted has played a key ranges, tower dramatically above the lush fore- role in making sure that the seemingly funda- ground. The mountains’ sandstone outcrop- mental and inexorable economic forces of Cal- pings stand above the dense brush cover, ifornia real estate would not bury the shining white in the Carpinteria Bluffs, an undeveloped parcel of bright spring sunlight. prime development land sandwiched between the city, the freeway and the sea. Since 1968, a This classic picture of good many years before Ted moved to Carpin- old California could be teria, The Bluffs has been the site of many con- one of Ojai in the last flicts between developers and preservationists. century, before the or- Back then, when the parcel’s highest and best ange groves were use had been for raising hay and beans, a new planted, or perhaps the oil refinery was designated for the site. De- northern edge of the feating that project was merely the first of San Gabriel Valley. In many battles. fact, it is the view fac- ing north from the But even then, in the sixties, when the fate of ocean of a small section The Bluffs had first become a local political of the Carpinteria issue, Ted was already preparing for his own coastal plain locally later struggle to save The Bluffs. While a jun- known as “The Bluffs.” ior at Dartmouth, Ted took off around the It is a well-recognized country, campaigning for “Clean Gene” Mc- poster made from a Carthy in the Indiana and California primaries. photograph taken by I remember putting Ted up in my dorm room Ted Rhodes, CdeP ’65, at Claremont while he helped to organize stu- entitled “Country Road.” It is part of a poster dents to get them out to canvas for the antiwar trilogy by Arturo Tello and former Thacher platform. Later, in VISTA, Ted did social work parent, Meredith Abbott, created during a in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and eventually helped 1990 fundraising campaign to save the land to found and also to write for the Fort Wayne from development. To see Ted’s poster is to Free Press, lending voice and organizational begin to understand why he has devoted much skills to anti-war, civil rights, United Farm- of the last 13 years to preserving this unique workers, poverty and other community groups place for future generations. generally ignored by the local media. Ted de- veloped considerable political savvy during To a large extent, Ted’s pastoral view is a mo- those years, which included being routed from mentary illusion, one cautiously buffered from a legally-permitted peace demonstration out- the real world. For, in truth, close, just over side an Air Force base in Kokomo, Indiana, by the grassy rise, is the perpetually busy 101 members of the American Legion and the Klu Freeway bounded by its chainlink fences. Trac- Klux Klan, who assaulted demonstrators as tor-trailer rigs roar by incessantly, and weekend State troopers looked on. During experiences tourists pour back east to the Los Angeles area, like these, Ted learned how to stay calm under sometimes bringing the freeway to a crawl on pressure. Even though the activities in which Sunday afternoons, some 50 miles west of the Ted was involved were both nonviolent and A History vast metropolis. A sprawling, Lego-like con- legal, after the passage of the Freedom of In- dominium development rises on an adjacent formation Act, Ted was finally able to read his of Helping bluff top just on the inland side of the freeway. own personal F.B.I. file that had been assem- A sizeable oil facility lies to the west, and a bled on him during the sixties and seventies. page 50 The Thacher News Community Service Ted’s reaction was, “Well, if I have an F.B.I. dents to memorize landscapes and fill their Political change doesn’t come easily, and the file, I must have been doing something right!” heads with rich imagery. Ted has always done small community had its contentious moments, He has learned to use his own zany sense of that. In the Santa Barbara region, Ted has be- but Ted always knew that authentic politics humor and the absurd in his writing and pub- come known as an environmental activist be- was grassroots politics, and not the politics of lic speaking to get his points across. cause of his abiding reverence for nature, for power, influence, and money. Ted’s parents had the aesthetics of place, especially southern Cal- always been models for him of selfless service Now that I think about it, even years before ifornia. Once a Sociology and Urban college, when we were both Thacher students, Studies major at Dartmouth, he has Ted and I worked together on a home movie come to see his struggle to preserve project that was a sort of prelude to his efforts the Carpinteria Bluffs as a metaphor to save The Bluffs. We traveled around, taking for something beyond environmen- footage of remote ranches on the California talism. He now thinks of it as polit- coast and the Channel Islands, trying to cap- ical empowerment. The long days ture the stark beauty of the large stretches of Ted dedicated to preserving The unspoiled, natural landscape and pristine Bluffs really amounted to creating, coastline. We gathered a lot of scenic footage, organizing, and perpetuating a grass- but never really finished that movie since back roots political movement. Back in then we lacked a firm grasp of the importance 1988, Ted became involved with the of story telling in making a picture. Still, the Carpinteria Valley Association’s fight Carpinteria Bluffs, with its grasslands, rugged to save The Bluffs after a group of coastal cliffs, sea life, and mountainous back- local artists, who often painted at drop, is really a perfect microcosm of the land- The Bluffs, gathered some 3,000 sig- scape Ted tried to capture in that film done in natures on a petition protesting a his high school years. proposed large-scale development on Bob Isaacson and Ted Rhodes at The Bluffs the 81-acre site. The development Ted’s reverence of the natural world has long proposal included a gated community of 341 to the community. They told him that being a been a powerful influence on his personal value dwellings, a restaurant, 30,000 square feet of productive member of society required giving system. Horse camping at Thacher was also a retail shops, a 150-room hotel, and a 350-seat back to the community through service to oth- very important part of his education. We once convention center. ers. His father, Kenneth, CdeP ’30, made a con- rode 100 miles home to my family’s ranch scious decision early in his career as an from Thacher at the end of the year. We Later, in 1990, Ted became deeply involved in attorney to devote fully one-third of his time to climbed the coast range somewhere west of helping to elect a first-time slow growth ma- public service. Ted has also been especially Matilija and rode along its crest high above jority of three new candidates who replaced thankful for the years of political organizing, the Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, and Goleta incumbents on the city council. Carpinteria outright conflict, and grassroots politics he ex- coastal plains. The views were stunning as we had been a typical sleepy little town run by the perienced during the turbulent sixties. To his looked down over the narrow sea-lined shelf “boys in the back room.” Up to this point, the family’s tradition of community service, he has and the wave-carved coastline. Experiences like city council had rarely turned down a devel- added the ingredients of political strategy and that—more aesthetic than intellectual—at a opment proposal. Saving the Carpinteria Bluffs grassroots organizing, resulting in a brew of young age, can do as much to educate one fully as open space integrated into the urban land- full-fledged community activism. in the long run as does reading a Faulkner scape grew into a symbol during the campaign novel or peering through a microscope. As a of a larger planning vision for the future of the As more slightly watered down development college writing instructor today, I tell my stu- whole Carpinteria community. Throughout the proposals came forth for The Bluffs, develop- process, Ted ers got more and more savvy as well. One de- helped to articu- veloper created a professional video late a coherent presentation costing thousands of dollars. It platform for this was carefully designed to placate citizens’ con- movement, much cerns about the project’s high sound barrier of which centered walls created to buffer noise from the freeway. on preserving The However, Ted and his artist/activist friend, Ar- Bluffs as open turo Tello, bought a five-dollar videotape and space. Next came drove down the frontage road along which the Ted’s successful wall was to be built, filming out the car win- opposition to the dow as they went. After the developer’s video effort by the de- was shown at a city council meeting, Ted feated pro-growth showed his homemade video once and then re- forces to recall the wound it and showed it again. But the second new three slow- time he held a piece of black paper across the growth city coun- monitor, covering virtually the entire monitor cil members. In except for a few inches at the top. Ted had 1994, Ted led a computed the exact height of the wall and ac- community team curately depicted the visual impact it would whose goal was to amend the local coastal plan to be more restrictive with future devel- A History opment on the Bob Isaacson sitting behind Ted Rhodes on the Isaacson family horse “Buck” property. of Helping circa 1954

Spring/Summer 2000 page 51 have on the surrounding area. The 200-person meet the purchase deadline. Gathering the sup- humor to hold together overworked volun- audience let out a collective gasp when they port of over 2,900 individuals, families, pri- teers, his profound commitment to make saw the true impact the wall would have on vate foundations, and public agencies, the things better for others and the next genera- the city’s views. citizens group managed to raise an astound- tion—all of these distinct strands within Ted’s ing $4.65 million in two years, which included life helped to support him during his many Another time, the developer went to great a $500,000 endowment fund to maintain The years of hard work to save The Bluffs. Of pains to minimize the traffic generated by the Bluffs. course, having the enthusiastic support of his estimated increase of 5,040 daily car arrivals wife, Joanie, and his children, Jesse and and departures that the development would Those were crazy months for Ted, months Rachel, during those years of long public hear- generate. At a Planning Commission meeting, filled with brainstorming ideas to raise money: ings and late night organizational meetings Community Service Ted and his colleagues responded to the hired art sales, child penny drives, yard sales, car made a big difference. Ted justly deserved the consultant’s report by mounting tiny toy cars washes, farmers’ on eight-foot strips on the wall behind the market tables. Ted commission members until they had a colorful and his colleagues mosaic of 5,000 dangling cars. In response to designed flyers steady attacks against the slow growth move- and brochures ment by the vitriolic local paper, The Carpin- and, of course, teria Herald, Ted and his colleagues published applied for major a 12-page tabloid of their own, which was then grants. One of the hand-delivered to 5,000 registered voters. more unusual ideas, in which I Ted also became involved in the acquisition ef- got involved, was forts of the Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs. to have everybody This organization was co-founded in 1996 by named “Bob” do- Dorothy Campbell (Grandparent of Erin, CdeP nate 10 dollars to ’99) after a series of heated public hearings meet a $1,000,000 over yet another development proposal for The naming appeal. Bluffs. Aided by the negotiation efforts of the The Bluffs would Land Trust of Santa Barbara County, a pur- then be named chase price of 3.95 million dollars was negoti- “Bobs’ Bluffs.” So ated for 52 acres of the 81-acre property. Now one day I showed Ted entered a new stage of the process: raising up at The Bluffs money, lots of it, from a small community. with dozens of “Country Road at The Bluffs” © 1990 Ted Rhodes State and Federal grants also helped out, and other “Bobs” for one of the first was written by Carolyn Chan- a group picture. I never did find out how much “Local Heroes 1999: Ted Rhodes—Activist” dler, CdeP ’81, who was then working for the money the “Bob” fundraising project actually award given by a local paper. Land Trust. In the fall of 1998, when the raised. Creativity, absurdity, desperation... Ted make-it-or-break-it time came, Ted and his and his allies used whatever worked. Nonethe- Finally, The Bluffs have been secured. The friends were faced with having to raise less, when Ted and his allies were put under that Land Trust for Santa Barbara County now $35,000 a day for four months in order to sort of pressure, they really did produce. Over holds a conservation easement, protecting The $850,000 was raised Bluffs forever from development, and The through modest, in- Bluffs themselves have been given to the City dividual donations of Carpinteria. It is finally finished, after all of alone. That’s not bad these years—or so I thought. A few weeks ago for a small town. I stopped by to see Ted at his Carpinteria home, and he was fuming. Now Union Pacific As Ted has said of Railroad has applied to build a large siding on that period, “I was its right-of-way that passes through The Bluffs on top of a wild ele- parcel. A row of huge train cars could be left phant. My job was there for hours or even days at a time, block- to make sure it was ing the spectacular view of the ocean. “Now charging in the right I’m spending half of every day fighting this new direction.” Many of battle,” Ted laments, adding with his inevitable Ted’s colleagues in chuckle, “and here I am, a former member of The Bluffs fight the Thacher Railroad Club!” Then, after a re- were veteran ac- flective pause, Ted adds, “But, you know, Bob, tivists or fundraisers we’ve already fought other giants. We’ll beat themselves, but Ted this one, too... If not, well, at least I’ll be able had to call on all of to look my kids in the eye and tell them we his personal talents gave it our best shot.” e to keep them all heading in the right Adult Education painting class pictured in “Continuing Inspiration,” used for post card, The Bluffs campaign, and numerous publications © 1998 Ted Rhodes direction. His skills with a camera, his music, his knowl- A History edge of film and video, his trouble shooting ability as a key grip in Hollywood, his organ- of Helping izing talents, his shrewd political savvy, his per- suasive speaking and writing ability, his use of page 52 The Thacher News Community Service David P. Livermore, CdeP ’73

A “Wrangler” Protects Our Last Frontier by John W. Busterud, CdeP ’72, and Richard E. Sheahan

ohn Muir observed in My First Summer in and an honor graduate, too! It is no wonder the Sierra that: “When we try to pick out that Dave became a living legend at Williams. Janything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” David Liver- During high school and college, Dave’s love more, CdeP ’73, loves this quote. Indeed, Dave for the outdoors and commitment to land has demonstrated throughout his life and pro- preservation was forged by eight summers fessional career that he understands the critical working as a wrangler and guide, first in Col- linkages between sustainable economic orado and later in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. progress and environmental protection. For On horseback, Dave came to appreciate first the past 20 years in his work for The Nature hand that the Intermountain West was truly Conservancy (“T.N.C.”), Dave has been a self- America’s last frontier and a finite resource described “real estate agent for the environ- worth protecting. ment.” In an era where business and the environment have often clashed, Dave has en- Dave returned to Thacher following college to joyed unprecedented success as the Utah State work in the Admission Office. During that Director for the T.N.C. by forging numerous time, according to former Admission Director alliances between business and environmental Dick Sheahan, Dave was interests to preserve hundreds of thousands of an invaluable asset to acres of environmentally-sensitive habitat in the School. Dick praised one of our country’s last great frontiers. Dave as the “embodi- ment of just what most Dave’s love for the natural environment took parents would want in a root at an early age. At “Montesol,” the Liv- son” and, not surpris- ermore family ranch on Mount St. Helena, and ingly, Dave made a great on family pack trips in the Sierras, Dave got his impression on would-be first taste of hiking, camping, fishing, and hunt- Thacher students and ing. After attending Marin Country Day their parents. Dick says School, Dave entered Thacher where he thrived that Dave played a big in the outdoor setting. He especially loved the part in the significant in- Horse Program and became an “A-Camper” crease in admissions ap- despite suffering through subarctic conditions plications during the late on his first camping trip, an overnight to seventies. Dave also im- Spruce Falls with Mr. Lamb. Although he parted fatherly advice to would deny this, Dave was also a gifted and Dick on more than one well-rounded athlete. He co-captained the Bas- occasion. Dave would ketball Team and played first base for the say, “It’s amazing what Baseball Team. It is no coincidence that both you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets teams went to the C.I.F. Playoffs with Dave in the credit.” the starting lineup. Following his “second tour” at Thacher, Dave After graduating from Thacher in 1973, Dave joined The Nature Conservancy in 1980. He traveled east to attend Williams College. He was based in T.N.C.’s San Francisco Western majored in American Studies, writing his the- Regional Office, which handled all of Califor- sis on the American Cowboy. Dave graduated nia and 13 western states. Dave was assigned with honors in 1977, winning among other to cover uncharted territory for T.N.C. in the prizes, the Awards for Best Senior Student in Great Basin states of Utah and Nevada. American History and Best Senior Thesis. In his first year with T.N.C., Dave roomed with During his time at Williamstown, Dave also John Busterud, CdeP ’72, his long-time friend, traded in his time-honored Thacher nick- School-mate, and teammate from Marin Coun- name—“Big Liver”—for a new moniker: try Day School and Thacher. Although by this “Wrangler.” This requires an explanation. Al- time Dave had cleaned up his “Wrangling” act though the details are somewhat obscure, we to some extent, John tells us that Dave still are informed by reliable sources that Dave cooked with—and, on occasion, ate from— earned his nickname after one particularly blackened pots given to him from Camp Sup- eventful Saturday night when he was observed ply at Thacher as a going-away present by Bill A History performing tricks with his lariat that included Wyman and Chuck Warren in 1980. roping a few unsuspecting coeds on the main of Helping street of Williamstown, Massachusetts. All this Since joining T.N.C., Dave has seen the

Spring/Summer 2000 page 53 page 54 Community Service desert tortoise protection and preserved over preserved and protection tortoise desert for million $20 over raised continue, to ley also allowed development in the Las Vegas Val- toise, an endangered species. This plan, which Tor-Desert the save to plan mitigation dollar multi-million a together put which coalition TortoiseDesert and $1.5millioninriskcapital. loans, zero-interest easements, conservation including deal, this T.N.C.’sclose to disposal at tool every used Dave Lake. Franklin ringing habitat upland and wetlands sitive tion project near Elko, Nevada, involving sen- ValleyRuby ten up in dangered Desert Pupfish. The project was writ- found nowhere else on Earth, including the en- summers—the bestsummersofhislife Dave workedasawranglerandguideinColoradoWyoming foreight species invertebrate and animal, plant, 20 this sensitive habitat near Death Valley for over raised $5.5 million to purchase 12,000 acres of is the largest oasis in the Mojave Desert. Dave Dave’s early years with T.N.C.. Ash Meadows Meadows Ash ects overthepast20yearsinclude: Highlights from Dave’s numerous T.N.C. proj- ecologically sensitiveland. of preservation to comes it when class” its in largest charity in America and is truly the “best 17th the become T.N.C.has conservation, proach to encourage voluntary and charitable ap- “Quiet” a Using million. $250 exceeding 1.2 million members, and an operating budget state, every in office an employees, 3,000 has tionally and200,000members.Today T.N.C. T.N.C.1980, na- employees 300 roughly had In pace. amazing an at grow organization The Thacher News of Helping A History of Helping A History Newsweek : This was a 9,200-acre preserva- 9,200-acre a was This : : This was a huge project in project huge a was This : : Dave was a key member of a of member key a was Dave : and the New York Times. now presidesasStateDirector, hascompleted Dave which Chapter,over Utah The million. $1.5 of budget operating an and volunteers Times. the of Section Business Sunday Ranch story appeared on the front page of the local andregionalmediaoverage,theDugout extensive receiving to addition In Ranch. the endow and purchase to million $6.5 raising deal took four years to negotiate and required gateway toCanyonslandsNationalPark.The the at Country Utah’sCanyon of heart the in acquisition of the 250,000-acre Dugout Ranch 1997 the was career his of project significant Ranch Dugout The wildlife. and parks for million $47.2 raised that issue bond Nevada 1990 a 5,” “Question of and then campaign successfully for the passage 5 Question southern ClarkCounty. one million acres of critical tortoise habitat in preserve theraredeserttortoise dollar mitigationplanto helped brokeramulti-million In ClarkCounty, Nevada,Dave One of the things that makes the makes that things the of One : Dave worked tirelessly to create to tirelessly worked Dave : : In Dave’smost view,In the : n oh tts In states. both in of T.N.C.’s programs growth the of proud is and offices field Utah and Nevada the both started has T.N.C.,with Dave years 20 his During West. first his books, of one in Ranch Dugout the about quently elo- wrote and area this loved Lavender S. David teacher Thacher that fact special to Dave is the story Ranch Dugout 15 employees, 400 employees, 15 members, 8,300 has T.N.C.alone, Utah One Man’sOne New YorkNew daughter Jen Dave attheLivermorefamilyranchwithhis trustees offered $8 million and Dave felt he’d felt Dave and million $8 offered trustees the proposal, the considering After million. itable foundations. It carried a price-tag of $10 a case for support to one of Utah’s largest char- servancy’s programs. Last year Dave presented prospects whowehopewillsupporttheCon- making cold cultivation calls to our leadership when fearless and dependable He’stotally cessful people.It’s agreatgiftinourbusiness. suc- and important with easy and personable so is “Dave it: put T.N.C.office, California the of director former McCormick, Steve As convincing when asking people to help T.N.C.. didn’t realize is that Dave is quite fearless and we gladly.What fools suffers He others. and pable, and hardworking and easy with himself ority. We knew he was modest and selfless, ca- pri- a conservation made not heretofore have that states Utah, and Nevada of parts ened threat- and sensitive of areas large protecting in success his at marveled have career vation Those of us who have followed Dave’s conser- 800,000 acresofpublicandprivatelands. almost preserving projects conservation 106 Community Service let us down, which was not the case since the Conservancy was quite elated at the prospect of this major contribution. I kind of think that if the foundation had agreed to the $10 million Dave would have worried that he should have asked for more.”

Similarly, Laurel Mayer, T.N.C.’s attorney for the western division, praises Dave’s success: “I’ve worked with Dave on several conserva- tion proposals in Nevada and Utah. The Ash Meadows project was a real coup for Dave and the Conservancy.”

Looking back on it now, Dave is not surprised that he chose to pursue a career in conserva- tion. As Dave puts it: “In this age of the human genome, I am sure they will discover that most Livermores have a ‘conservation gene!’ My grandmother worked to save Angel Island in San Francisco Bay and was founder of the Marin Conservation League. My father, a one- time Director of the Sierra Club, served as Sec- retary for Resources under Reagan and had a Today as Utah State Director of the T.N.C., In the early days, Dave long career in conservation. My Uncle Put was Dave lives with his wife Rebecca and daughter covered the Great Basin states involved in starting the Trust for Public Land. Jennifer in a quiet suburban neighborhood of Utah and Nevada in his My Uncle John has been a leader in public near downtown Salt Lake City. Rebecca, a pickup truck lands mining reform. My cousin Dick has been graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, is active in the Peninsula Open Space Trust and busy with her graphics design business and my brother Sam currently serves as Chairman with the care and feeding of a precocious nine- of the Yosemite Fund.” year-old.

Under Dave’s leadership, the Conservancy’s Utah Chapter acquired the 250,000-acre Dugout Ranch at the gateway to Canyonlands National Park

While Dave also credits T.N.C. for much of Whether you credit his family, his schooling, or his success, he acknowledges the importance his years with T.N.C., Dave Livermore has of his family roots. As Dave puts it: “Bill built a highly successful and rewarding career Wyman used to joke that there have been so on the bulwark of public service. For Dave, many tall Livermores at Thacher, they should- the natural environment is truly “hitched to n’t be measured in numbers, but in feet!” We’d everything else in the Universe.” Conservation like to suggest a variation of this theme: Take is Dave Livermore’s calling in life and for that A History all the Livermores who have been involved in we can all be grateful. e conservation, add up the results of their con- of Helping servation actions and come up with a total number of ‘Livermore acres saved.’”

Spring/Summer 2000 page 55 Alumni Profiles

Michael G. Jones, CdeP ’73

If Anyone Deserves an Apple… by Andrew F. Herr, CdeP ’73 Community Service n the late sixties and early seventies, many of the individual. Marvin encouraged Michael of Thacher’s traditions fell by the wayside. to pursue a career in education. IAside from the general turmoil in American education, specific institutions at Thacher were While Michael immersed himself in traditional challenged and rejected. Worse, however, was Thacher activities (lacrosse team captain, dorm the cynicism with which most young people prefect, and so forth), he continued acquiring viewed society and their ability to influence it. expertise that, in time, would shape his entire Against this backdrop, one Thacher tradition life. First, Michael began learning Spanish. Al- maintained its prominence: community serv- though not necessarily appreciated at the time, ice. Rooted in Sherman Day Thacher’s vision the hours spent in Mr. Miller’s Spanish of the role of education and the responsibilities classes—or worse, in the language lab practic- of individuals, Thacher offered numerous com- ing his vocabulary and pronunciation—led munity service options. While many students Michael to master Spanish, a skill that contin- dabbled in various volunteer activities, a few ues to serve him well. Second, he continued to viewed these extracurricular tasks as the core seek ways of working in the education field, focus of their education. And, only a few including volunteering at schools in Ojai and Thacher students in the working at schools during his summer breaks. early seventies had a By his senior year, education was not just an in- stronger belief in com- terest; it was his primary focus. For his senior munity service than project Michael taught at a Navajo special-ed- Michael Jones. ucation school, St. Michael’s Mission, near Window Rock, Arizona, in the Four Corners Michael Jones was reservation. The elements of his project—com- drawn to Thacher in munity service for underprivileged children part because of his and education for Navajo kids—were consis- Godfather, Rev. Charles tent with both his core interests and the cul- H. “Kelly” Clark, CdeP mination of his work at Thacher. ’44 (Trustee from 1995 to present), who felt Michael traveled a path directly towards a ca- that two aspects of reer in education. At a time when many Thacher’s program co- Thacher graduates spent time during and after incided well with college trying to determine what to do with Michael’s interests: a their academic knowledge and interests, strong Outdoors Pro- Michael went to college focused on becoming gram and an environ- an educator. He attended the University of Cal- ment where one could ifornia, Santa Cruz, in part because of its small, follow a path similar to Kelly’s: helping others yet strong Education Department. (The cam- and education. Furthermore, Michael saw pus’s proximity to world-class surfing may Thacher as a place to expand his growing in- have been an influence, as well.) Similar to his terest in community service. Instead of “just Thacher career, Michael sought situations sitting around” during the summer before where he could teach use his Spanish skills. starting Thacher, Michael’s mother, Cynthia, For six months, Michael lived in a small vil- encouraged him to go to the Volunteer Bureau. lage, Tepic Nayarit, Mexico, and taught in a They steered him toward Play Patio, a pro- local, federally-funded, public school, while at- gram that provided day care, education, and tending classes at a Mexican teacher’s college. recreation to underprivileged youngsters, cre- His dual interests in Spanish and Education ated by Mayfield School students in Pasadena. merged into a deep interest in bilingual edu- This experience opened a new world for cation. He graduated from Santa Cruz in 1977 Michael in which he could have a substantive with a bachelor’s in Latin American Studies. impact on the lives of others while learning to teach. He loved it and spent the following sum- Michael’s first full-time teaching was in the mer teaching at Play Patio, as well. Watsonville School district, working with fourth and fifth graders. This District was par- At Thacher, Michael found a strong mentor in ticularly appealing to Michael because of the Marvin Shagam, architect of many Thacher’s heavy proportion of Spanish-speaking stu- A History community service efforts at the time. Beyond dents. His interest in bilingual education coin- that, however, Mr. Shagam was a consistent cided with both the needs of the community of Helping and strong advocate of defining responsibility and the expanding practice of bilingual edu- in terms of society at large—not just in terms cation. page 56 The Thacher News Community Service Like most educators, Michael relishes the per- direct experience in the classroom is a valid sonal satisfaction and rewards that his profes- counter-argument against doing away with sion offers, even though these may not be bilingual education. In proper Thacher tradi- realized immediately. During his first year of tion, too, he has been a strong advocate for teaching fifth grade, Michael was confronted measures in which he believes. Michael has no with a classroom challenge that he had been regrets with his career choice. The rewards— warned about in Teacher’s College. The entire which are largely non-monetary—are deeply year became a contest between Michael and satisfying. The experience of giving to his com- one student, who was determined to disrupt munity and seeing the impact of his work in Michael’s class and undermine Michael’s au- changed lives and better education, outweighs thority at ever possible turn. Although Michael the long hours and the frustrations of admin- survived the year, he was more than a little dis- istering a school in tough political and financial couraged. He convinced himself that he had times. e been unable to educate—much less control— this fifth grader. He also questioned his ability to deal with his lack of success on an on-going basis. After all, one of his primary interests in education was his ability to have a positive im- pact on children’s academic pursuits and their lives.

Michael returned to the classroom the next fall and chalked the previous year up to a bad ex- perience. Eight or nine years later, however, Michael attended a conference and talked with a colleague who had taught in the California Youth Authority. In sharing their experiences, they both realized that they had taught the same troubled child, years apart. Michael was saddened but not terribly surprised to learn that this kid had not fared well. The colleague then told him about a writing exercise in which he asked the youths to write an essay on “who had had the strongest positive influence in their lives.” Much to Michael’s surprise, the kid had written his essay about Mr. Jones, his fifth- grade teacher.

While continuing his day job, Michael attained a master’s degree in administration from the University of California, San Francisco, in 1984. He married Joyce Shimizu; they have two sons: Maxwell (15 years old) and Sam (11 Michael and his Apple have been great partners in helping students in the Watsonville School District years old). As a family, they enjoy traveling and spending time with friends in the Santa Cruz environment.

In 1987, Michael was named the Assistant Principal of the Rolling Hills Middle School (part of the Watsonville School District). Two years later, he became Principal of the Alianza School, a 750-student K-6 school. He has been a consistent and strong supporter of bilingual education and fought the recent California Proposition 227 that sought to eliminate bilin- gual education. When this Proposition passed, Michael preserved their two-way bilingual im- mersion program that teaches Spanish to Eng- lish-speaking students, and English to Spanish-speaking students, by changing it to a charter school. Only a few hundred such schools in the nation offer this two-way bilin- gual approach, and many children have bene- fited, but Michael and his staff continue to face challenges in helping all the students in their district. A History

Despite the controversial nature of bilingual of Helping education in California, Michael believes his

Spring/Summer 2000 page 57 Alumni Profiles

Ellen C. Loebl, CdeP ’83

Redefining Rich by Jane D. McCarthy Community Service ich. The word conjures thoughts of pos- Rich is one of the lucky ones. Seeing Ellen a sessing great material wealth and the at- few times each month for over a year now, his Rtendant extravagant homes, lavish cars, writing has improved enough to be included and exotic vacations. in a compendium of learners’ writing and an- other was read at a celebratory picnic. He just But what if the word is only a name and it’s a finished his first year of being clean, worked misnomer, at that? A poor fellow named Rich his way off probation, and received training was addicted to cocaine for over half of his 35 to work in the Santa Clara County Library years. His drug addiction led him to a short Program alongside Ellen in teaching literacy to stretch in the Santa Clara County jail and than others in his situation. As well, he worked his a recovery house, which he claims saved his way up to a supervisorial position with a paint- life. He had dropped out of high school; he ing company, where he’s worked since his re- could read, but his writing skills needed help. lease from the recovery house. His prospects for living a productive life looked bleak. Ellen followed in the footsteps of her siblings, Susan, CdeP ’80, and Jeff, CdeP ’79, by com- Fortunately for Rich, ing to Thacher. Since Sue was a boarder even one Thacher graduate though her family lived in Ojai, Ellen met cares greatly for those many of her friends, was quite impressed with who are less fortunate them, and surmised that a lot was happening and really enjoys giving on campus (especially compared to downtown back to the community. Ojai). Faced with the other local options for Ellen Loebl works for high school, she chose to board at Thacher. the Santa Clara County She was still homesick though. She remembers Library Reading Pro- standing with her advisor, Phyllis Johnston, gram, the adult literacy gazing over the Ojai from behind Casa during program of the County her first week. Phyllis pointed out, “Your home Library. This program is right over there. How can you be home- serves English-speaking sick?” The Johnstons, Fred Lamb, and Mr. adults who read or Hauge were her favorite teachers, and fostered write below the ninth- her interest in English, history, and French. grade level in the county jail, recovery What classmate Rene Ancinas likes most about houses, and at branch Ellen is her sense of humor and her self-depre- libraries throughout the cating manner. “It makes sense that she’s in County. Ellen’s focus is the work she’s in because she was always her on working with adults own person. She was never interested in being who have left the jail the smartest or most popular person on cam- program or who are in recovery programs. She pus. She’s a strong individual who beat to her helps addicts and alcoholics acquire the lan- own drum.” This assessment of Ellen is evi- guage tools needed to function better in society dent in Rene’s favorite story of her. On their and obtain employment. She assesses their lan- first horse-camping trip up to The Pines with guage, reading, or writing problems, and Chuck Warren, Ellen was afraid she’d be cold works with them once a week. Unfortunately, so she wore all of her clothes and her down she is often unable to work with many of her parka when she climbed into her sleeping bag clients for much more than a few months since that evening. Most already know the outcome: they are typically in court-mandated recovery she froze from not letting her body heat warm programs or have recently been released from the air sequestered in the bag. “She took it in jail, and have other more pressing needs to ful- stride,” remembers Rene, “and it was a recur- fill (i.e., food and shelter). Obviously, this is a ring theme of joking between us throughout rough time for these people, who must recreate our time at Thacher.” “clean” lives, learn how to make a living, and develop skills to handle social situations that Having known Ellen since they were quite support their new lifestyle. It’s no wonder that small, classmate Clint Wilson agrees with recidivism runs high as people realize how dif- Rene’s assessment of Ellen, and adds that she’s A History ficult it is to break the cycle that started them always been “very patient, kind, sometimes of Helping down a rocky road in the first place. shy, but reaches out when people need

page 58 The Thacher News Community Service her…That may be why she’s good at her cur- her adult learners, for the most part, to be mo- rent job. I think she’s more empathetic and sen- tivated since they were taking time out of their sitive than people first see.” lives to learn; they were, generally, more re- spectful, attentive, and appreciative. Indeed, Ellen has reached out to others throughout her life, starting when she tutored About this time, Ellen decided to see more of at San Antonio Elementary School in Ojai, the world. A friend told her about a one-month while attending Thacher. “The funny thing, training program followed by a one-year teach- though, is that I started thinking about a career ing assignment in an E.S.L. program anywhere in teaching at the high school level,” so off she in the world. Costa Rica was Ellen’s next home went to the University of Rochester to double base; teaching, camping on the beach, and major in French and English. Once she gradu- making friends with various people from ated, she knew there was no way she wanted to around the world who’d come to teach in teach, and considered, instead, to do some- Costa Rica were the perks. thing in marketing and P.R. She took an eight- month internship for the Baltimore Orioles’ Upon her return to California, Ellen worked farm team, the Rochester Red Wings, and then as an E.S.L. teacher since full-time employment returned to California, to intern part-time at a in adult education is extremely rare. Usually, bicycling magazine in Glendale. In her spare these teachers, Ellen included, have two to time, she worked as a Park Ranger at Lake Ca- three part-time positions to make ends meet sitas in Ojai. She then landed a job teaching and, therefore, they don’t get benefits. Finally, French and English as a Second Language three years ago, Ellen took her present posi- (E.S.L.) at Ojai Valley School before taking tion with the Santa Clara County Library what looked to be her “dream job”: develop- Reading Program. “This is the best job I’ve ing publications and brochures for a company ever had,” because of her co-workers and the that charters sailboats around the world. She learners with whom she works. “It’s wonderful even got to live on a houseboat in Sausalito. As to help others and give back to the commu- it turned out, though, the company didn’t have nity in such a tangible way. It’s satisfying to enough work and most of her time centered see how appreciative our clients are for our ef- on answering the phone. forts and for just being treated like humans, which is uncommon in a jail setting.” The Ellen’s next job was at Matthew Bender Pub- salary is low, but the rewards are worth it. lishing Company in Oakland, where she ed- “Many people don’t understand why I enjoy ited copy for law books in the hopes of this kind of work. I’d much rather be satisfied learning how to do desktop publishing. She re- with my work and know I’m making a differ- members telling her attorney father, “How can ence in other peoples’ lives than have a boring you read this stuff? It’s so boring!” In order to job with a huge salary and benefits.” not go crazy cooped up in an office all day, Ellen started volunteering for Oakland’s liter- If one returns to Ellen’s senior page in the 1983 ary program that focuses on teaching adults El Archivero, a quotation from the Brothers whose language skills are below the ninth- Karamazov appears: grade level. She found these “learners’” tech- niques for attaining information fascinating, “And even if we are occupied with most since many employed various self-taught meth- important things, if we attain to honour ods rather than the rote memorization and or fall into great misfortune—still let us spewing out of facts that is so typical in many remember how good it was once here, learning situations. when we were all together, united by a good and kind feeling which made us The learners and volunteers in this Program better perhaps than we are.” make six-month commitments to work to- gether; unfortunately, the interactions seldom Ellen has chosen an honorable career path that last that long due to work schedules, incon- makes herself—and others—better than they venience in attending sessions, and frustration, would otherwise be, despite the misfortunes leading to high turn-over rates. Ellen did find, they endure. e however, that her volunteer work was more rewarding and interesting than her job. She de- cided to become a high school English teacher by enrolling at Holy Names College, where she received a master’s degree in English and a sec- ondary teaching credential. At that time, an adult education credential could be attained by simply completing some paper work, which she did. She started substitute teaching in both junior and senior high schools, but found the constant discipline issues and the students’ lack of respect or appreciation for her efforts were A History not very gratifying. On the flip side, she found of Helping

Spring/Summer 2000 page 59 Alumni Profiles

Randal Scott Bessolo, CdeP ’83

Enriching His Life through Stewardship by Eric P. Butts ’01 and Derick S. Perry, CdeP ’83 Community Service elping disabled children ride horses. Clean- ketball Team, an honor no other Thacher stu- ing up after others at public parks. Serving dent has ever won,” or has won since. He was Hthe homeless at a soup kitchen. Being a Big also named “Most Valuable Player” for the Brother to inner-city lads. Varsity Baseball Team in his senior year.

This is but a sampling of the volunteer jobs One of Randy’s most memorable moments at that Randy Bessolo, CdeP ’83, has taken on Thacher was during the Third Round of the throughout his academic and professional ca- aforementioned C.I.F. playoffs: Thacher was reer. He comments, “Volunteering to help has down by nine points to Flintridge Preparatory always been an integral part of my life, though School, with two minutes to go in the fourth I admit at times it seemed selfish to me. I have quarter. Somehow Thacher eked out a victory. been able to establish meaningful relationships Randy remains close to many of his teammates with incredible people just by giving my time. from those days including Jon Blinderman, They probably don’t understand that I have Thacher English teacher Derick Perry, Bobby benefited from these relationships more than Henshel, Diogba Gbye, and Lorne Green. they have.” Randy credits his interest in com- munity service to his Another memory Randy shared pertained to role models: parents, his brother Jim. Since they were only two years grandparents, siblings, apart, Randy got to do something that many teachers, and coaches. younger brothers dream of: play on the same He says, “I was the Basketball Team. More memorable was the beneficiary of a strong fact that his brother and he played baseball to- family and great educa- gether. Randy played catcher and Jim pitched tional opportunity, so Randy fondly remembers catching for his which taught me the brother who was the star pitcher and captain value of positive role of the Team. Randy later followed in his models and the good I brother’s footsteps as captain of the Baseball could do by striving to Team. be a strong role model for young people with- In addition to athletic achievements at Thacher, out the same advan- Randy enjoyed Gymkhana. During his junior tages.” This call to year, Headmaster Bill Wyman and he at- stewardship has led to tempted the Rescue Race, which ended pre- many meaningful and maturely when both fell from the horse. They long-lasting relation- tried again the following year but this time Mr. ships for Randy. Those Wyman injured himself on the saddle horn and words of wisdom were was unable to complete the race. Other fac- a call to action. ulty members who made a lasting impression include Mr. Shagam (Latin), Mr. Twichell The second of three children, Randy followed (freshman math), Fred Lamb, CdeP ’40 (U.S. in the footsteps of his older brother Jim, CdeP and Film History), and John Hanna, Randy’s ’81, by coming to Thacher, where he excelled science and math teacher as well as coach for in sports and academics. His senior advisor, the back-to-back League Championship Bas- James Register, wrote that Randy had “an ex- ketball Teams. cellent career at Thacher…one which has seen him grow in maturity and self-assurance, for With his busy academic and sports schedule, which he has been richly rewarded.” Randy’s Randy found little time to participate in academic record was stellar throughout his Thacher’s Community Service Program. He Thacher career and earned him induction into did, however, volunteer to teach disabled chil- the Cum Laude Society; commendations in his- dren to ride horses at the Halek Creek Riding tory, math, and science; and admission to Co- Club when at home in Tiburon. Thacher pro- lumbia. His favorite part of Thacher, however, vided Randy with something that he would was athletics to which Mr. Register wrote: “[as carry with him for the rest of his life. While Captain,] he took Thacher’s Varsity Basketball he recognizes Thacher as his best educational Team to the semifinals of C.I.F. Small Schools experience, Randy also credits Thacher’s A History Championship. And his consistent and out- “honor, fairness, kindness, and truth” for help- standing efforts were rewarded by being ing him to become the person that he is today. of Helping named First Team, Small School’s Division on After matriculating to Columbia University, the All-Southern-California High Schools Bas- Randy found he had extra time due to his rig- page 60 The Thacher News Community Service orous academic preparation at Thacher. He Thacher because of the good interaction be- sought ways to give back to the community, tween the adult faculty and the young men an activity that continues today. For instance, who live there. Randy also tutors kids in Randy has worked with one young man in Cabrini Green, a low-income neighborhood. New York’s Catholic Big Brother Program, starting when this lad was eight. Randy’s com- In addition to community service, Randy is a mitment to this boy continued, even though partner of a rapidly growing commercial real estate firm, Transwestern Investment Com- pany. During the past four years, Transwestern has grown from Randy and three partners to having over 70 employees. He also acquires and renovates small apartment buildings in Chicago with a partner.

Beyond his busy work and community service schedule, Randy’s biggest frustration is not being able to play basketball like he could dur- ing his first two years of college. He still plays on basketball and baseball teams in various leagues throughout Chicago, but, as his speed gradually decreases, he’s focusing on pursuing a coaching career. This fall he is a rookie coach in the Illinois Warriors A.A.U. basketball pro- gram, which has produced several N.B.A. play- Randy with mentoree David Carnegie ers, including Darius Miles, Quentin Richardson, and Corey Magette. Randy lives Randy moved to Harvard’s Business School, with his black Labrador retriever, Roscoe, and and then to Chicago to start his career. In all, has a girlfriend, Kathleen, who he has been Randy has devoted over 10 years to this fellow dating for three years. who is now in college himself.

Randy got started with mentoring when one of his fraternity brothers of Phi Gamma Delta (or “Fiji”), mentioned it as an activity in which the fraternity might get involved. As fraternity president, Randy got his Greek brothers to help clean public parks, volunteer at local soup kitchens, and mentor in the local Big Brother program. Randy still found time to play on both the Junior Varsity and Varsity Basketball Teams at Columbia until knee surgery during his junior year side-lined him from the team; instead, he served as the team’s volunteer as- sistant coach.

Following Columbia, Randy found a way to combine his desire to help others and his love Randy coaching Taft Junior of basketball. While attending Harvard, Randy High basketball team coached students from Taft Junior High School in Boston. He found that these youngsters ben- There are many definitions of success but efited not only from his knowledge of the whether it be having a successful job, being game, but learned that by working hard at able to give time to the community, playing a practice, playing well together, and setting college sport at the Division I level, or having goals, they could attain more than they people look up to you, Randy fits the descrip- thought possible and take pride in their team’s tion. Having achieved all of these things, efforts. Randy continues to do more. In so doing, he fits a much more genuine definition of success, Randy continues to combine these two aspects which is not a destination, but the quality of of his life by volunteering at the Mercy Boys the journey to get there. e Home—formerly an orphanage that became a foster home for children whose parents are un- able to care for them. Randy is a player/coach for the Home’s basketball program. During each of the past two years, Randy took 50 kids from the Home to a DePaul University bas- ketball game to meet the players and coaches. A History Each summer he also sponsored eight Mercy boys to attend DePaul’s basketball camp. This of Helping foster home actually reminds Randy of

Spring/Summer 2000 page 61 Kenneth O. Rhodes TOAD Talk At that point, I stood before them and called them to action. I asked them to join me in continued from page 43 continued from page 22 doing all that was necessary to move against individuals who perpetuate these terrible deeds. was honored for his service with an honorary He said, “successful leaders are individuals I asked them to raise their arms with a “C” degree and President’s Medal from the Gradu- who are able to identify those basic emotional for Coro. They did, and so my presentation ate School, and received the award of “Out- triggers in human beings that will produce a re- concluded. standing Trustee of the Year at a Private sponse. Those are the great communicators.” College” from the Association of the Govern- He told me to ignore who wrote the book and I was amazed by my colleagues’ unified reac- ing Boards of Universities and Colleges at a simply read his words. tion—no one held back. As we all stood there, Community Service ceremony in San Francisco in 1984. “He’s a our hands raised in the air, my trainers asked man for all seasons,” said John D. Maguire, That conversation was a turning point for me. me to reveal my book. When I did my col- president of Claremont University Center and I realized that as repulsed as I was by the au- leagues were shocked. We sat down and pro- Graduate Schools. “I feel truly fortunate to thor, if I was going to communicate his mes- ceeded to discuss the book for several hours. have someone with such sensitivity, wisdom, sage to my colleagues I had to open my mind and energy leading our board.” to it. So I started to work on my presentation. This was a very significant moment of tremen- dous learning for me. Today I often think back Active at All Saints Episcopal Church, Ken Communications Week started and I soon dis- on everything that Communications Week taught Sunday School, served on the Vestry, covered the other books that my colleagues taught me. and chaired committees to replace the pipe were assigned. My best friend was assigned organ, direct construction of a new building, Alice in Wonderland. He took us to Descanso Many times, difficult tasks, particularly those and search for a new minister. He personally Gardens and had us “chasing him” throughout that you have to face completely alone, help visited and interviewed all seventeen candi- the grounds—stopping at various points of in- you discover parts of yourself that might oth- dates, and helped make All Saints a vibrant terest to share the many wacky words of Lewis erwise never be revealed. Although they can church, with an activist minister who preaches Carroll. Another friend was assigned Grimms’ be overwhelming, frustrating, even frighten- with a “Bible in one hand and a newspaper in fairy tales. She was asked to write a fairy tale ing, being alone and depending on yourself can the other.” The church has taken courageous about our group of fellows and the lessons we be most fulfilling. stands on current issues, such as the Vietnam were learning. War, nuclear weapons, the homeless, AIDS, or- I encourage you to not be afraid of those tasks, dination of woman, free choice for women, I was in absolute awe of my colleagues and and as the seniors have done, to embrace and and peace and justice. also terribly concerned about the dark side of to learn as much as you can from them. e my book relative to their own. I was sure that Practicing law independently for more than 30 I was doomed to failure. years, Ken specialized in wills, trusts, estates, guardianships, and forming corporations; then My presentation took place in a quiet room in in 1980 he joined a law firm. In spite of his an art gallery. I blindfolded all of my colleagues many commitments, he always had time for and walked each of them into the room. I sat his family, whether helping his children with them in a half circle and placed on their back studies, building toy castles, tree houses and a sign with a racist term relative to their back- doll houses, and teaching them tennis, skiing, ground or gender. I then began my speech re- and body surfing. There were many family garding racism and human injustice. One at a pack trips in the High Sierras, camping in Baja, time, I called three individuals forward and rafting the Yampa and Glen Canyon, and ex- placed them in front of a television with images ploring Glacier Park. After their children left of injustice toward their particular group. As home, Ken and Betty traveled widely, including the rest of my colleagues watched, they were three treks in the Himalayas, on one trip hik- shocked and moved by what their colleagues ing 300 miles and climbing over a 17,000 foot were experiencing. They were angered and pass when in their sixties. some even cried.

Ken retired, if that is the correct term, in 1990, and has remained busy ever since, delighting grandchildren, writing, studying painting at Pasadena City College, and becoming active, not surprisingly, in the P.C.C. foundation, as vice president. He enjoys keeping up with Thacher, Scripps, and other organizations he has worked with, and undoubtedly will vol- unteer for new causes in the future, since “one thing leads to another. I have made so many wonderful friends,” he adds. “You get more out of it than you put in.”

Ken is still not careful whom he sits next to at meetings. e

page 62 The Thacher News Class Class Notes Notesby Cricket Twichell

1947

According to Tony Arnold, CdeP ’46, “Leigh Cross appeared on our doorstep for a quick bite of lunch on his way south to Mexico for Christ- mas. He was accompanied by a charming lady, Vlema, and a large German Shepherd more alpha than Leigh himself. Leigh’s present occupation is transforming a building in an industrial part of Vancouver into living quarters.”

1948

Michael Dorst reports: Sam Wright, Peter Dunne, Bill Bucklin, Elliot Hayne, and Sandy Walker, CdeP ’49, see each other from time to time here in “A Guy Thing”—Bill Crawford, San Francisco. CdeP ’53, Karl Mertz, CdeP ’68, Dick Rhodes, CdeP ’59, Ted 1943 Rhodes, CdeP ’65, Jim Lipman, 1951 CdeP ’52, and Bill Dawson, John West writes, “Same ol, same ol. Hunting— CdeP ’72, just before hitting the fishing—boating—traveling and piddling around Unfortunately, J. Brooks Crawford won’t be at this trail at Golden Trout Camp the house. If you’re coming to Florida, drop in!” year’s Class Reunion because he’ll be presenting a scientific (medical) paper in Switzerland at that 1944 time. How disappointing to miss the big 5-0. Besides telling us about moving to the east side of 1953 the Connecticut River, John Griggs informed us that his wife Susan has a cottage in Scotland on January 2001 is when Guy Lusignan will hang the Black Isle Peninsula across from Inverness up his “gone fishin’” sign. He has already sold that is available for rent most of the year. Golf his forestry consulting firm and is looking for- courses, tennis, fishing, beaches, and mountain ward to retiring...and visiting Thacher. hiking are all nearby. Check it out. 1954 1945 From Dan Crotty: “Janet and I keep busy on the After retiring from Pitney Bowes in December, JESUS Film Development Board. This film of the 1999, Bill Webster felt the magnetic pull of the life of Jesus has been seen by 3 billion people Ojai and moved to the Pierpont Cottages, just around the world.” down the road from Thacher, where he is work- ing part time in the Business Office. As of January 14, Ric Laurence joined the ranks of retirees who spend their time golfing and sail- ing. He cruised to Vancouver and took the Rocky Mountaineer Train to Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise. He also routinely visits the Delta and the wine country. Ric doesn’t seem to miss work in the least!

Spring/Summer 2000 page 63 1955 Mike Ward joyously announces the arrival in Au- 1967 gust of a second granddaughter: Sophie Anne Rhodes Spedale, according to an admirer named Murphy. After spending seven months of 1999 in Majuro, Jack Huyler, “is a well-known and highly re- Republic of the Marshall Islands, where Bob spected jazz pianist, who gave up a law practice Kendig taught a junior college course on Intro- to play.” This fall Rhodes and his wife Janet trav- 1962 duction to Business and his wife Sue taught high

Class Notes eled to New York City, where he met Susan and school and junior college English, the Kendigs Alex Farrand, Delia and John Haverly, Bev and An acclaimed new CD on Kool Koala Records is sailed to New Caledonia and then to Australia. Eric Knudsen, Carol and David Laylin, and Bea Rich Look’s Louisana Moon, an eclectic collec- and Jim Taylor. The whole gang then went to the tion of songs about big cities, bayous, and love, Beyond teaching spirituality and Psychology at Met with fabulous tickets arranged for them by set in New Orleans, New York, and Tokyo. To Santa Clara University and Holy Names College classmate Mitch Lathrop, who is a board member order: e-mail: Rich at [email protected], call at in Oakland, and working in the Office for parish of the Metropolitan Opera Company. This mini- (504) 524-9857, or go through www.cdnow.com, of the Catholic diocese of San Jose, Andy Kille is reunion was such a success that plans are going www.amazon.com, www.theorchard.com, or pleased to announce the publication of Psycho- full steam ahead for another get-together on April www.louisiana musicfactory.com. logical Biblical Criticism by Fortress Press. It is 20-22 at New Orleans during the French Quarter one in a series of “Guides to Biblical Scholarship” Festival. All members of 1955 are urged to come which offers introductions to different methods of eat good food and listen to good music and spend 1963 critical study of the Bible. time with good friends at the Big Easy. Even the marmots were clapping their paws when It was decided, hands down, that Alex Farrand Arnie Moore played his guitar and sang around 1969 simply has to come to Golden Trout every sum- the campfire this summer at Golden Trout. Arnie’s mer. All he needs is a campfire in a wilderness wife Jeanie Moore was the Clean-up Goddess at Local boy does good! Steve Huyler’s latest book, setting and he’s in his element. This summer the G.T.C. kitchen, charming the guests into vol- entitled Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devo- Thacher graduates and their families were treated unteering to wield a dish towel or a broom. Arnie tion, was published by Yale University Press and is a substitute teacher for L.A. Unified. Their son to entertainment by Alex who delighted every- ′ ″ voted one of the top 10 books on religion in 1999 one by singing colorful, funny, poignant cowboy Cosmo is a big senior (6 9 ) in high school this by Publisher’s Weekly. If you are in Houston, TX, songs. Alex and his wife Susan are antique deal- year. this fall you can catch his exhibition with the ers in Albuquerque, New Mexico. same title as his book; ditto if you’re in India where the exhibit is touring the country courtesy of the U.S. government throughout 2000. It will 1956 then travel to museums around America for sev- eral years. At a ceremony in Washington on Halloween eve, Toby Rosenblatt was awarded the Conservation Service Award (highest citizen award) by the Sec- 1970 retary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt. The Con- gressional Record of that day recognized Toby Rod Turner brought his family to the 30th Re- for his “extraordinary feats in various roles and union “and we had a wonderful time, enjoying over many years of public service to the commu- dinner at the Twichells’, a competitive tennis nity and for his outstanding work to preserve the match with some other over-the-hill 1970 class- scenic and recreational lands of our Golden Gate mates, and a multi-instrument concert by Mari- National Parks.” Congrats! anne and Ames Anderson.”

Dirk ten Grotenhuis and his wife Susan enjoy their seven grandchildren even more than they Arnie Moore, CdeP ’63, Joe Hollow, CdeP ’63, 1971 enjoyed their own kids… and Jeff Mason, CdeP ’63 have a mini-reunion at Golden Trout Camp When ARCO was acquired by BP-Amoco, Kris Meisling was offered a job with BP-Amoco in 1957 Houston. “Hence I am moving to Houston.” Todd Oppenheimer’s prize-winning story (Na- “I could get used to this retirement idea,” writes tional Magazine Award), which was published Mike Bolduan. “First year: cycled 8500 miles, on the cover of the July 1997 Atlantic Monthly, read 45 books, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.” contains, according to Todd, “a sizeable bit of commentary from Kris Meisling, being as in- sightful and articulate as he always was at 1958 Thacher.” Todd is now working on a new book about computers in school. “ Some people think I do this for fun, but I really do it for a living,” writes William Strong, who has been around the world twice this year and Joe, CdeP ’63, feels another trip coming on. “Made an interest- and Brenda ing side trip down to Leyte Island, the island Hollow and MacArthur returned to in the Philippines after he daughters made his great promise. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the final naval battle between the United 1965 States and Japanese navies in which the Japanese Navy was finished off as a fighting force in World In August Bill Horvitz and his wife Patti Trimble War II.” were featured performers at the 4th Annual Tuolumne Meadows Poetry Festival. At Golden Chris Carpenter has his hands full. As U.N. Res- Trout, we were treated to a pre-view of coming ident Representative in Moscow, he is dealing attractions when, around the evening campfire, with 200,000 refugees from Chechnya. After six Patti recited some of her poetry while Bill ac- years in Russia, he plans to return to Geneva in companied her on the guitar. Fabulous! 2001. Parker, son of Dodie and Bill Dawson, CdeP ’72, at Golden Trout Camp page 64 The Thacher News Class Notes Hats off to Noah Rifkin, who has been named 1978 Vice President of Policy and Legislative Affairs for Veridian Engineering, a company which pro- Marganne Winter Oxley enjoys life on the ranch vides information solutions for global security with her husband David, CdeP ’79 and children. and safety and focuses on the aeronautics, infor- David put up 6,000 tons of hay last summer; he mation and space, and transportation sectors. Be- definitely made hay while the sun was shining. fore joining forces with Veridian, Noah served as Their son Will (who is taller than both of his the first director of technology deployment for folks) is applying to Thacher; their daughter Son- the U.S. Department of Transportation, appointed dra will apply in three years. “How time by President Clinton. He also served as Secretary flies…Babies do grow up.” Federico Pena’s senior advisor on research and technology issues. Who would ever believe that “baby” wheeled onto the Pergola by “nurse” 1979 Scott Le Fevre one Halloween would achieve such heights! On September 24, Jeff Loebl became a married man when he and Laura Ann Butler agreed to keep steady company for the rest of their lives. Sophie Berenson, daughter of Betsy and Craig 1976 The new Mr. and Mrs. Loebl reside in Charleston, Berenson, CdeP ’72, at Golden Trout Camp S.C. Nick Kent skied at Sugarbowl this past winter with Jon Cicerone and Scott Christensen ’68. 1980 Hart Woodson’s seven-year-old daughter Eliza- beth is finding a passion for music. She plays four Our condolences to Sydney Robertson whose instruments—violin, cello, piano and flute. “For mother, Carmen Robertson, was killed in a car her ‘playathon,’ she played the longest of any accident in October. Sydney, her husband George child—2.5 hours straight—and raised $1,000. Pratt, and their daughter Carmen Mary Sue Pratt, Maybe you should recruit her for your fundrais- returned to Ojai this summer after spending an ing drive!” Hart is already making plans to come eventful year teaching at an American school in to the 25th Reunion. Beijing. They are now ensconced in Rennes, France, doing more of the same. Bets are that the As the Operations Officer for Verizon’s Retail Di- Pratts’ bearded collie, Annie, will become the sen- vision (formed last summer from the merger of sation of Rennes. G.T.E. and Bell Atlantic), Frank Bennett keeps out of trouble. He will take time off, however, to attend the Silver Anniversary of his Thacher grad- uation this coming June.

1977

What a wonderful addition to Golden Trout was Meth Jiaravanont, his wife Kazumi and their chil- dren—Michael, Mika, and Aili—who left the confusion of remodeling their home to bask in the splendor of the High Sierra. Kazumi writes, Sydney Robertson, “We had a marvelous time at Golden Trout...sur- CdeP ’80, with rounded by such natural beauty and peace. It was daughter Carmen Mary Sue Pratt Andy Herr, CdeP ’73, preparing crème brulée on truly the highlight of our summer.” one of his raft trips If you have to go to a rheumatology meeting, it 1981 might as well be in Nice, we always do say. So off 1974 Andy Holman went to Nice, while his family “It’s taken me 20 years to submit a class note,” wended their way to Maine for the summer. Andy One of the pluses of attending U.C. Riverside is Glen Gold wrote recently. “I thought I should is doing research on fibromyalgen and hopes to wait until something interesting had happened— the opportunity to study modern European His- have his third study published in three years. tory under the aegis of Randy Head. He has an and I lead as dull a life as I can manage.” He fin- apartment in Riverside, but his permanent home ished his first novel Carter Beats the Devil in is in La Jolla. He writes, “Send your best and February, got an agent in March, sold the book to brightest to U.C.!” Hyperion in April, and spent May in Germany and England. His book is due out next September Dana Lynge is the proud poppa of a little guy in the U.S., U.K., and Germany; “since the jacket named Bjorn, born in November, 1999. copy will say I live with my wife, author Alice Sebold, Alice and I suspect we should get mar- ried sometime before then.”

1975 Kazumi Jiaravanont, wife 1982 Julie and Eric Thomas have spawned two young of Meth ‘uns, Ariel and Quinn. Says Eric, “If I’d known Jiaravanont, Bailey Brophy Yates arrived last fall, just in time how much fun it is to have children, I would have CdeP ’77, with done this years ago!” to move to Northern California where her dad, Brad Cricket Twichell Yates, is a personal coach and hypnotherapist.

Spring/Summer 2000 page 65 “Thacher occupies quite a large place in my heart and memory,” writes Mack Polhemus. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s the truth: the friends I made at Thacher are like family. So thank you.” Mack also wants to join the long line of those giving thanks to Terry and Cricket for dedicating their

Class Notes careers to Thacher. The Twichells plan to retire in June 2002. Mack lives in Venice and has three ankle biters: two girls and a boy all under the age of four. In addition to teaching film and writing Sandy Nicholson for the last four years, he wrote and directed an Watkins, CdeP ’82, independent movie called The Scottish Tale, a ro- with son Christopher mantic comedy loosely based on Macbeth. It stars at Golden Trout Joe Polhemus, CdeP ’85, and has a cameo ap- Camp. Sandy is the pearance by Craig Golding as a whacked-out first woman Thacher poet. After a brief theatrical release, the film’s on Carina and Nicolas Steeves, children of Claudia graduate to come to video as of this fall at Hollywood Video. Orejuela, CdeP ’84, and Mark Steeves GTC with her family. While cruising around Los Angeles, Mack has 1985 bumped into Jack Stephenson, Anthony Mar- This spring Marjo Wilson was one of the nation- guleas, Mike Kong, Jon Blinderman, Craig Cold- From Tony Thatcher: “I’m happy to report that ally recognized artists exhibiting their works at ing, Roderigo, and Sibyll Carnochan Catalan. life is good! I happily have nothing else to re- the 10th Annual San Luis Obispo County Cat- port.” tlemen’s Association Western Art Show. This show, held at the Madonna Inn Hereford Ranch, 1984 Eric Gross was busy teaching little guys in kinder- is “a major cultural event,” according to Art of garten all they need to know in life, but now he’s the West magazine. The Contra Costa Public Defenders are lucky to the Bilingual Resource Teacher. He also started a have Liz Harrigan on their team. Liz and her hus- master’s program in education at Cal State Uni- band Dan Groot are living in Oakland. versity Monterey Bay. “Good to see everyone at 1983 the Reunion. I’m currently reading Melissa’s book.” Jack Stephenson has recently moved to Santa Monica where he’d love to see some other L.A. Congratulations to Nicole DeFever on her mar- Toads. His phone number is (310) 260-1934. riage to David Martin on June 17, 2000. The wedding took place at Montgomery Redwoods Emily Williamson Hancock has her own “soccer Connor Grove in Ukiah, CA. Then off they went for a mom” shuttle service, as she picks up and drops Wheaton is the honeymoon to Siberia and St. Petersburg, where off her three off-spring at their various activities. son of Diana Dave’s fluency in Russian came in handy. Emily, Janie Carroll Richardson, and Weston Lewis Callahan Richardson ’80 had a rendezvous this summer in and Liam Wedding bells rang for Thatcher Brown and Santa Barbara. Callahan. Jenny Doubleday on April 29, 2000, in Amelia Is- Connor was land, Florida. Thatcher and his bride are enjoying It’s been 11 years since James Wiester and Su- born May 14, living in the Bay Area where they hob-nob with zomi were married. “Our daughters, eight and 2000. Thacher cronies. five, know all their bad words in English.” The Wiesters, their dog, and five chickens live in “Mina (five) and Micaela (two) are growing like Nevada City, CA, where James works as lead car- crazy,” writes Greg Berglund, the V.P. of Mar- penter for East Wind, Inc., a Japanese wood- keting for Frontgate. He sends regrets at having to working and home-building company. miss the 15th Reunion. “I think of CdeP often.”

Artist Ted Heard has a day job working in a Michelle Warren returned to Thacher to give a restaurant; for the past 11 years, however, his very well-received lecture to a standing-room only passion has been painting. In his spare time he Elisabeth North assemblage of Toads and faculty. No surprise to takes walks, reads a lot and enjoys going to Kuechler us that Michelle is a highly acclaimed professor. church on Sundays. He sends a “hello” to all his Engelson, classmates. daughter of Mary Kuechler, when 1986 “Thoroughly enjoying the good married life,” she was just two writes Bruce Phillips, who has left the tea business weeks old From Julian Pridmore-Brown: “I am living in and is now doing consulting projects. Bruce and Bend, OR; and when I’m not playing in the his bride are living in San Francisco. Mary Kuechler is the proud momma of Elisabeth mountains, I fly a Boeing 737 for United Airlines North Kuechler Engelson, born on May 17, out of San Francisco.” A big welcome to Nicholas Carnochan Catalan, 2000. “Elisabeth is already becoming an ‘out- son of Rodrigo and Sibyll Carnochan Catalan. doorswoman’—we’ve been taking her hiking Move over Liam. Here comes Colin Poole Kirk- Nick made his debut on July 7, 2000. since week 3 and she loves it.” patrick to play with all your toys and knock down your towers. Colin arrived just in time to Allison Glass still works for a non-profit whale re- From Peter Thacher: “I’m fly-fishing, building move into Carolyn and Doug Kirkpatrick’s new search organization in Gloucester, MA (yes, the two new dealerships, and taking care of Sherman house in Oakland (1917 Oak Crest Drive...510- home of The Perfect Storm and, yes, she’s seen Thacher’s great, great, grandson, Jack. Savannah 530-6432). George, Mark, etc.). She’ll soon co-author a is a wonderful city. Y’all come visit.” Peter re- paper about humpback whale acoustics. cently got together with Sophie Brown Twichell, CdeP ’85 and Jon Twichell, CdeP ’83 when he was in Chicago.

Mark Fickes is now a Senior Associate with the law firm of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati in Palo Alto, CA. page 66 The Thacher News Class Notes Dan Klein is taking off as much time as possible 1988 from his work (as “a renegade, freelance improv teacher”) to play with his new son, Benjamin Lots of changes in Jaime Araujo’s life. She has Darby, who was born July 30. After watching his stopped acting professionally; she’s started a new wife Michelle go through an extended labor, Dan job at Moet Hennessy in the European division; says he’s lucky not to be a woman. He went to she’s single again. “I’m loving London more than Toronto to shoot a small scene in the Lifetime ever. Haven’t seen any Toads in a while apart Channel movies about his car accident in 1988. from Adam Clammer, whom I caught up with in Dan plays a harried District Attorney who San Fran in July. How about a Thacher alumni brushes off his mother, Meredith Baxter; watch gathering in London?” Her e-mail address: for it in February. [email protected].

Congratulations to Cathy Ruhl, who married 1987 Jack Kemp in April in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. “We spend weekends doing never-ending While we were watching the Olympics, every so Lyn Dawson, CdeP ’89, who teaches fly fishing in house projects and hiking in the mountains. It’s Montana, sent this photo of the fire in Bitterroot often we were treated to a clever commercial great!” which featured J.P. Manoux. National Forest this summer “Twelve years later, and I still remember some of what I learned at Thacher,” writes Hilary Swift, 1991 “at least the part about hiking and camping.” She climbed Mount Kilimanjaro this summer and Having finished her credential work at U.C. Irvine loved it. Although she had never climbed high al- and with two student teaching experiences under titude at Thacher, many of her camping tech- her belt, Alex Ginter is now teaching in an ele- niques came in handy. “And the view from mentary school in Bishop. One of her mentors 19,340 feet is amazing!” writes, “Alex already has the wisdom and expe- Michele Barnett rience of a five-year teacher. I do believe she will Berg, CdeP ’87, be a catalyst for change!” with new husband 1989 Ingmar Morgan Ward has gone from being the Marketing Congratulations to Adam Geyer, who has gradu- Manager at the South Bay Pavilion in Carson to ated from medical school and is living in Man- being a student at U.S.C.’s Marshall School of hattan. Next on the docket is his residency at Business. Columbia in dermatology. “I’m looking forward to my first real job. It’s about time!” Laird Luebbers and Amanda Silva were married on July 29, 2000 at the Art Institute in San Fran- After finally finishing her doctorate in history at cisco. The newlyweds are nesting down in Brook- Cornell this summer, Susan Shaw moved to Texas lyn, NY. to teach at the University of Houston. “Life as a junior professor is busy, but I sleep much better Timothy Farrell married Kristina Alley on Sep- now that my dissertation is finished, once and for tember 16 in Santa Fe, NM. Sarah Thompson, all!” She’d love to see anyone who comes her Wynne Huang, Leith Connell, Amelia Ranney, Ami Becker Aronson, CdeP ’86, Eleanor Whelan way; contact her at [email protected]. and Gillian Kneass were on hand for the festivi- O’Neill, CdeP ’87, Michele Barnett Berg, CdeP ties. ’87, and Natalie Stamires, CdeP ’87 Hopefully, Katie Prager will finish her last year of vet school at U.C. Davis in time to attend her Michele Barnett became Mrs. Ingmar Berg on 10th-year reunion. September 8. Ami Becker Aronson, CdeP ’86, Eleanor Whelan O’Neill, and Natalie Stamires were on hand to celebrate this union. Michele 1992 has a new job with the Strategic Alliances group at Intraspect Software covering the Washington We can all rest a little better knowing that Naval D.C. and Virginia territory. Aviator Brian Chad Emme is ready to fly to our defense. Brian euphorically writes, “Yes, that’s Gillian Delaney Bressie arrived on February 6, right. Your hard-earned but quickly spent tax dol- 2000 to take up residence in Jennifer and David Allison Reed, CdeP ’89; Brian Greene, CdeP ’89; lars have bought you a two-million dollar man. Bressie’s household. Paula, Jeff, Becca, CdeP ’89, and Molly Clarke; Me. I can assure you that every single dollar you Cathy Ruhl; Jason Ruhl, CdeP ’91; and Marielle spent milked me of sweat, tears, adrenaline, joy, Jay Cowles and Tom Konrad were huffing and Warren, CdeP ’91 triumph, and defeat....Rest assured that I am still puffing away together when they ran the Austin the same ol’ punk I always was, now I just have Marathon in February. Tom, who now lives in cooler stories to tell.” After his official winging Austin, is a science-fiction writer “for as-yet-to- 1990 ceremony in August, Brian will attend S.E.R.E. materialize remuneration” while his day job is school to learn about survival, escape, and evad- trading on the stock market. Peter Everett said “I do” on July 7, 2000 in Bris- ing the enemy P.O.W. camps. tol, CT, when he married Katy Jennings. On hand Now that Logan Meyer is done with business to witness the uttering of these important words Via Thacher’s newly revised web site, Suzie Bird school, he’s living and working in Los Angeles. were Gideon Davis, Brian Holl, Rob Williams, wrote that after three years of teaching high When his cousin, John Logan, got married in Oc- Mary Everett, CdeP ’94, Bill Everett, CdeP ’92, school ecology, she is going back to school to get tober, Tim Milligan, Ted Labbe, Pat Hogan, and Rob Everett, CdeP ’89. Both Peter and Katy a Masters in ecology at Colorado State University. Driscoll Robbins, and Mark Gamble, CdeP ’86, teach and coach at the Wooster School in Dan- Her focus is forest ecology, and she’ll likely be in helped celebrate the nuptials. bury, CT. Alaska doing research on the flood plains of a river. “I’m loving it so far.” Kátia Costa became Mrs. Lucas Erskine Black on September 3, 1999, in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

Spring/Summer 2000 page 67 Sun Valley, ID, was hopping on the fifth of August Congratulations to Meredith Bressie, who re- when there was a Toadly gathering for the mar- ceived her B.A. in Architecture from Cal Poly riage of Kate Munzig and Eric Dachs, CdeP ’94. SLO in June. A pat on the back also goes to Jen- nifer Kritz, who, as of May 2000, has her M.A. in Earlier this year, Nick Geale took a position as an English from New York’s Columbia University. associate attorney with the labor and employ- Jennifer writes, “I’m still living in New York City Jovi, CdeP

Class Notes ment litigation section of Thelen, Reid and Priest and loving it.” ’94, and Kenn L.L.P. in Washington, D.C. His new home ad- Young, CdeP dress is 4758 Arlington Blvd. South, Arlington, Jovi Young has graduated with an M.A. in theol- ’97, in Turkey VA 22204; his work address is 701 Pennsylvania ogy from Harvard School of Divinity. Now she Ave., N.W., Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20004; and her husband are living in Santa Barbara, Here’s the scoop from Lisa Vogt: “After a lovely his work number is (202) 508-4051. where Jovi is working on a doctorate in the same spring off from school in San Francisco, I’ve re- field at U.C.S.B. Hooray for Jovi for being turned to Harvard. Rosa (Rosalez) and I are both awarded a Regents Fellowship by the U.C. Board taking a class on American Cultural History in 1993 of Regents. the 20th Century, involving serious books on TV, jazz, Coney Island, and Tarzan. Just ran into With only one phone booth in the village, Gerin Covie Burke, CdeP ’99, which was a surprise. River, a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama, is 1996 Nick (Golding) seems to have gone to L.A. to edit checking his e-mail ([email protected]) for films, suspending his college education yet again. messages from the outside world. Our best wishes to Brooke LeVasseur and Rob Rhea (Wong) is the high-powered editor of a Housden, CdeP ’93 who were married this sum- McGill newspaper, and loving every bit of stress Greta Louise deBoer, weighing in at 9 pounds, mer. That makes number 19 in the ever-growing and muck she can rake. Brooke (Sines) says once 13 ounces, made her debut ten minutes before list of Thacher marriages. she graduates from Cornell, she “will work as a the midwife arrived, but her mother, Megan bartender and record voice-overs in New York, Harding, and father, Greg deBoer, did the job eas- but who really knows. From all I can tell, we’re ily and safely. Greta, according to her proud doing OK.” grandparents, “is a snuggly joy.” Margrit Lent is “down under” where she is study- ing this year at Central Queensland University in Australia.

Brooke Our roving reporter, Christina Chang, informs us LeVasseur, CdeP that Rosa Rosalez completed her first triathalon ’96, and new and Amy Purdie is pursuing her dream to start husband Rob an organic farm. Christina spent last year travel- Housden, CdeP ing and studying in Oxford, England. “Alice Pax- ’93 ton and I had a happy reunion after three years—we celebrated Alice’s birthday and the Easter holiday with her family in Plymouth and Devon (where I was initiated into the world of roasts, Yorkshire puddings and the like).” Stephanie Christina is now back at Stanford for her senior Rosa Barkus, CdeP ’83, and Jose Klein, CdeP ’83 Warren, CdeP year. ’96, and Mandy “We’re having a fantastic time in Amsterdam,” Sonenshine, Jim LaRue traveled to Bozeman, WY, for a mini- writes Rosa Barkus. Jose (Klein) is finishing his CdeP ’96, were reunion in November with Abby Dachs, Payton masters in film studies, and I am working for a bridesmaids at Holmes, Bobby Acquistapace, and Chris Labbe. bookbinder. Life is good.” Brooke LeVasseur’s On June 25, 2000, Helen Holmes was married wedding 1998 in the Cascade Mountains. If you try to phone Helen and Brian at their home in Eugene, OR, Mika Steffensen and Catherine Pinkerton were This past spring Cindy Liu was the programming and get the answering machine, it probably means up to some risky business—skydiving in Lebanon, chair of the Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium, they’ve gone fly-fishing or are out hiking with Maine. Mika now lives in Boston. the largest and oldest completely student-run their dog, Baxter. “I am working at Greenhill symposium in the nation. She’s in a pre-med pro- Humane Society and love having so many crit- Maria Banman wrote that she “saw Mandy So- gram at Johns Hopkins where she’s also working ters in my life again!” nenshine (live) play Sarah Jessica Parker on her as a residential advisor. You know that old adage, show Trackers. She works for the game show “Give a busy person a job to do....” Laura Wentworth reports that she is teaching a Clued In, which is produced with Trackers and fourth/fifth-grade class at Whittier Elementary in she gets to go on air every so often. Baby and With his sophomore year at Amherst behind him, Boulder and that Todd McCloskey is making Posh Spice were there, too!” Erik Morrill went across the pond to London this music around Colorado with his brother, David, summer to work at the Ministry of Art. Next stop CdeP ’96. is Greece to spend this academic year studying in 1997 Athens.

1994 Kenn Young was gallivanting again last year, tak- Rose Minier has her sights set on Seattle, but at ing the school year off to travel and do some the moment is in Montana working at an Internet Devon Brown spent two weeks scuba diving off hands-on learning. According to his parents, provider and playing with computers all week. the coast of Honduras. In real life she’s working “Kenn studied natural building techniques and “Making sure to take time off and go to my in the marketing department of R.W. Beck, an built straw-bale homes in Arizona, Mexico, and boyfriend’s band’s show where I have a chance engineering firm in Seattle. Greece. He is now back at Rice in Houston where to wear black vinyl, spikes, and boots...life is he is studying Nano technology.” This past sum- good.” Another classmate in the Northwest is Katie Kirk- mer Kenn and his sister, Jovi, CdeP ’94, traveled mire, who lives in Portland, OR, and works for together for three weeks in Turkey. See the pho- Kelley Collier is spending the fall in South Amer- Adidas International. tograph of Jovi and Kenn taken in Ephesus, ica with plans to return to school in January. where they are sitting on the public toilets dating from around 150 B.C. page 68 The Thacher News Class Notes Unfinished Business at the Turn of the Millenium Cindy Liu, CdeP ’98

overty. Civil Rights. Artistic Expression. PPolitics. The Criminal Justice System. Women’s Rights. Public Health. These com- plex and often-times controversial topics fall in the category of Unfinished Business: Ad- dressing Race, Class, and Gender at the Turn of the Millenium, the title of the Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium, a series of free lec- Kim Cahill, CdeP ’99, Besse Gardner ’00, and tures at Johns Hopkins University this fall. Sarah Sawyer, CdeP ’99 The focus of the 2000 Symposium will be A Rhodes family reunion at Golden Trout Camp to tie these large issues that America faces In her free time last year, Brooke MacDonald was today with what the City of Baltimore is ex- playing the violin in U.C.L.A.’s Philharmonic Or- periencing and, to a certain extent, with chestra or was busy running up and down the what is happening on the campus of the lacrosse field as a member of the U.C.L.A. Johns Hopkins University. Women’s Lacrosse Team (placed third in the State). She is now infusing Brown University with Despite being premed and majoring in In- all her energy and talents. ternational Studies, Thacher graduate, Cindy Liu, CdeP ’98, applied to be the Sympo- Shannon Hastings finished a year of teaching ski- sium’s Programming Chair because she ing at Taos, New Mexico, and is now a freshman wanted to help open other people’s minds at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. She to the social problems that the United States still teaches skiing at a nearby small ski resort is facing today. “I felt that there are many is- and she’s on the Mount Holyoke Crew Team, a sues college students should be familiar with, year-round sport. that they may not otherwise think about. Members of the Class of 2000 visit Joy and Students at Hopkins are very ambitious and Michael in Wyoming in July. Left to right: Michael goal-oriented, but I strongly hope that they 2000 Mulligan, Erin Blankenship, Todd Meyer, Juliette may become inspired by a speaker or a White, Kristin Berona, Justin Mulholland, Ellie workshop of the Symposium and dedicate The first news entry in the Thacher Alumni News Fletcher, and Joy Sawyer-Mulligan themselves to more than just getting ahead of a Toad who graduated in the new century: or making tons of money.” Megan Winecoff won the first-ever 2000 Youth Directory art contest. The Ojai Valley Youth Just beginning her junior year at Johns Hop- Foundation will publish and distribute the 2000 kins, Cindy worked this summer contacting Youth Directory—a phone book for teens—to speakers and taking care of details to attract local students in the fall and feature Megan’s speakers to participate in the Symposium. work on the cover. So far, the Symposium has been able to se- cure John Sweeney of the AFL-CIO and Bill Lauren Fraim is ecstatic about college...although Lann Lee, the Acting Assistant Attorney she actually missed not going on Thacher’s Extra- General of the United States to speak at Day Trip at the beginning of this school year. Hopkins this fall. Cindy is currently working “Thacher really prepared me for college. I’m so on inviting the Surgeon General of the glad I decided to take a trip out to California five United States, Dr. David Satcher to speak at years ago to see what Thacher was all about. I the Symposium. She hopes to attract the at- wouldn’t change a thing about my experience tention of the large premed students popu- there!” lation at Hopkins to issues concerning the Meredith Flannery ’01, Laura Neville ’02, Anthea correlation of poverty and health. The Dean Tjuanakis ’01, Sarah Sawyer, CdeP ’99, Kim of the School of Public Health, a good friend Cahill, CdeP ’99, Besse Gardner ’00, and Caitlin of Dr. Satcher, wrote a letter requesting his Mulholland ’01 participation; an answer should come within the month. FORMER FACULTY “My hope is that people who attend these seminars will remember to serve others, not just themselves.” S.D.T. would be proud of your efforts, Cindy. Participants at Golden Trout Camp 2000

From Justin Buell, who is at Santa Clara Univer- sity, we learned that Kim Turner interned at the White House this summer and Rob Landsness is at NYU.

1999

From Princeton we hear that Eliza Gregory is “rowing, writing, missing all that citrus!” Mystery sighting: Ex-faculty member Hub Segur (1961-68) visits Ted Rhodes, CdeP ’65, at The Third session at Golden Trout Camp Bluffs in Carpinteria

Spring/Summer 2000 page 69 Reunion Weekend

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1995 FallSpring/Summer 1999 / Winter 2000 page 71 Obituaries

Obituaries Remembering C.M. Ehrhardt

by John “Jack” S. Huyler ’51H

t is so good to see so many of Michael’s stu- you can take those finger positions rapidly and dent/friends here today. It is especially touch- accurately. That’s all. See you Thursday. Iing to see so many of you who do NOT have reunions this year. Michael Jr., it is great to see In the Fall School Concert those four, who you here! styled themselves Strings from Scratch, played the first few bars of that opus flawlessly, to Letters have flowed into the Alumni Office and Ehrhardt’s satisfaction, their self-satisfaction, to me from other Thacher Friends of Ehrhardt and the delight and pride of the assembled who could not be here today. School, who were wise enough to recognize what had been accomplished. C. Michael Ehrhardt was the blythest soul I have ever known. At the year-end concert the quartet played the entire Andante. He never lost that wonderful, child-like won- der at the World and Everything in it. He was By that time they were well into two more open—and embracing—to everything positive. works and had become aficionados of classical music and limited experts on Beethoven. All of the Arts, devel- opments in Science, Meanwhile, C.M.E. had started two other en- Humanism—especially sembles along parallel routes. That is teach- Philosophies—intrigued ing! Mr. Albert Goldberg, music critic for the him all his days. Los Angeles Times devoted a Sunday column to it. I was rather pleased with myself to have Three soundproof music rooms were subse- taken up the computer quently constructed on the lower floor of the and e-mail rather late in Bixby Art Studio (formerly the Bixby Hand- life. Michael came on- ball Court and now the Bixby Faculty Apart- line in his eighties. ments). There were five pianos available to students; I wonder how many there are now. Michael certainly made his mark on Thacher! In addition to the quartets, that year Ehrhardt Musicologist, instru- taught: nine string players; 23 piano students, mentalist, composer, one of whom subsequently played as soloist teacher! with the Ventura Symphony; and an electric guitar group, which practiced in the Quonset Ah, yes! “Strings from Scratch!” hay barn.

No one could ever accuse C. Michael Ehrhardt One student did, in fact, play and place in the of being tradition-bound. He did some great national competition for banjo players held experimentation in his Music Box. annually in Nashville.

With the financial backing of former revered Although it was hardly his favorite musical teacher Keith Vosburg, he purchased two vio- medium, it was Michael, who at the urging of lins, two violas, two cellos. He enlisted four then-Headmaster Ted Sanford, started our first seniors who had never set bow to string, in- stage band. We older members of the commu- formed them that they were now a string quar- nity much preferred their revivals of Good- tet, and proceeded to instruct them collectively. man, Miller, and James to the sounds we heard No playing of scales, no ditties; but, all to- emanating nightly from the hay barn. gether now, here is your first finger position for the first chord of the Andante Movement of The greatest regret of my life is that I cannot Beethoven’s Symphony in A Major. On my cue read music. Ehrhardt would not tolerate mu- draw your bowstring across the string I am sical illiteracy. designating. Everybody ready? Now! Good! You have just played the first chord of a great He gave to each Smut—unfortunately, today’s piece of music. Congratulations! Thacher students don’t know what a Smut was—in the required freshman music class a Here is the second chord. Good. Between now recorder, taught each to read music, and to and our next lesson I want you to practice until play what he read. The recorder ensemble was page 72 The Thacher News Obituaries really pretty good. They played Strauss. Strauss never wrote a melancholy note in his life.

Would that I had been drafted into reading and playing music. Full-fledged courses for credit were offered by Ehrhardt in Theory and Composition; Richard Wagner, the Man Who Changed the World; Beethoven: a Study in Genius; and Music of the Twentieth Century.

Ehrhardt and Educo Records put out a 12-inch L.P. record entitled Sounds of Thacher. Some fine sounds, indeed!

Margaret and I last saw Michael and Florence in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, in March 1998. Before dinner, Michael and Flo- rence invariably relaxed over a martini—a most unusual mar- tini. Michael had advised us to be sure to arrive in time to savor one of their martinis before we ate. I shan’t forget that martini, The Outdoor Chapel during the service in memory of C. Michael Ehrhardt three parts vermouth and one part gin—You heard me right: three parts ver- one of the servants in the retirement home. mouth and one part gin. Michael died on Christmas with his family all We spoke of Thacher and its current music gathered around him. Florence said he enjoyed programs; of camping trips (Michael always each of his presents and exuded love for each wore a pith helmet.); of Maharishi Mahesh member of his beloved family. When it was Yogi; of Transcendental Meditation; of Bridey time for a nap after a full morning, he just kept Murphy; and Old Klaus, the Scandinavian on sleeping. God bless him! horse which understood what was said to him and responded. Although walking was very I am not sure that he is conducting the Heav- painful for him because of his feet, Michael’s enly Choir, but I’ll bet he has an ensemble of enthusiasm was as youthful and joyous as harpists playing his compositions and arrange- ever. He led group singing every week; AND ments—perhaps even the composition which he had a piano student (on full scholarship)— we shall hear just as soon as I sit down. e

A trio playe C.M. Ehrhardt’s Trio in D-minor during his memorial service at Thacher

Spring/Summer 2000 page 73 Obituaries

Obituaries C. Michael Ehrhardt

Remembering a Musical Legend by David Marsten, CdeP ’62

orrest H. Cook, a faculty member at week we got into Johann Sebastian Bach, lis- Thacher from 1912 to 1946, wrote the fa- tening to piano fugues and glorious choral Fmous Thacher Litany of good things: listing episodes. By the third week we were into the life the 10 best smells, the nine finest sights, the and the music of Ludwig van Beethoven…and eight best sounds, etc. Among the best sounds we would remain there the rest of the year it were listed pleasant, familiar things like singing seemed. This was Mr. Ehrhardt’s moral and orioles, rain on the roof, a running brook, a spiritual center. To him all music built up to nickering horse…but it included something in- Beethoven…and subsided thereafterwards, (but, egmatically named “Walker.” I would propose of course, he was open to the newer sonic a change, since “Walker” doesn’t mean any- worlds of Schoenberg or Stravinsky). thing to me nor suggest any sound at all. I would substitute “the sound of a symphony In fact, in the early 1950s, Mr. Ehrhardt orchestra tuning up; before a concert.” coached and presented at Thacher Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols—one of the first This sound was new to me when I was a Smut schools in California to perform it. (It has be- at Thacher in 1958; but by my senior year, it come an acknowledged Christmas classic along David Marsten, CdeP ’62, speaks about with Handel’s Messiah. Michael wrote to Brit- C. Michael Ehrhardt opening the world of was already a treasured moment of recogni- classical music to Thacher students tion, offering the excitement and promise of a ten regarding some liberties that he had taken new performance. Even after 40 years, this and begged his indulgence; and Britten re- sound does not fail to elicit a thrill, even when sponded that he was always glad to have his a most familiar program is scheduled. And it works performed…and hoped to visit Thacher was C. Michael Ehrhardt who introduced me someday, maybe during his next trip to con- to the world of classical music. duct in Los Angeles. Britten actually came one Thanksgiving (when everyone was gone) and “Music, the greatest good that mortals know, said he was disappointed that he couldn’t meet and all of Heaven we have below” (Joseph Ad- Michael and hear his chorus…but he also re- dison’s “Song for St. Cecilia’s Day”). vealed that he was much happier riding a horse than attending a cocktail party. I must be honest…it was not always the ex- citement and majesty of classical music that Choral singing programs depended upon the was my primary interest. We students would strength of the student forces for that year. tolerate the music with sufficient politeness. Some years there only seemed to be a few The real inducement was: (first) that we would voices other than droning basses, while other escape the School and go all the way into Santa years produced a finely balanced glee club that Barbara to hear a concert; and (second) the could tackle serious masterworks. There was possibility that Mr. Lamb and Mr. Ehrhardt also a select group of the finest four singers (the drivers of the two carry-alls) might stop within the various voice ranges—the best of after the concert at Denny’s where we could the best—who formed a quartet called “The get a milkshake and a cheeseburger. Add to Honeytones” (during my tenure this might not this, one exciting evening one of them got a have been a tonally accurate description). We speeding ticket—the whole outing offered ex- had great fun singing barbershop quartets and quisite promise. I did not know it at the time, rather silly stuff. (I did not realize at the time but the symphonic music I heard at these con- but this would be my apprenticeship to singing certs was capturing my soul while I was merely motets of Heinrich Schütz and Tomas Luis Vic- thinking about my stomach. toria with the Harvard Freshman Glee Club!) Music was not merely Beethoven but came in I knew nothing of classical music before at- many forms and styles. Nothing excluded, all tending Thacher: singing hymns at chapel, the was to be enjoyed. ballads in the Yale songbook on Tuesday evening singing, and even the class songs (with C. Michael Ehrhardt sometimes could also be the Upper School purloining the “Anvil Cho- mischievous: one work he wrote was called rus” from Verdi’s Il Trovatore)…all of this was “Prayer”—a musical setting for words by one new to me, as well. of the graduating seniors. Apparently one of the faculty members did not approve of Beginning with a tabula rasa in our freshman “Amen” being sung at the end of a hymn…so year, C. Michael Ehrhardt led our class through C. Michael couldn’t resist but write a seven- a course described as Music Appreciation. The fold “Amen.” “Wasn’t that naughty of me?” first class dealt with Gregorian Chant and work he confided…yet he added, “it sounded good of minnesingers and troubadours. The next and the boys loved it.” page 74 The Thacher News Obituaries C. Michael Ehrhardt was not merely a teacher he composed and collaborated with Donald from Adolf Hitler. The presence of unspeak- of music…but became an advisor to many stu- McDougall were always memorable—finely able evil at the altar of High Art was a dents—enough each year to fill a car and drive crafted tone poems. Some of the music would shock…but also a metaphor—an aspect of to Santa Barbara or Los Angeles for a concert. become incorporated in other compositions music he constantly reminded us: “Music is a In 1949, Marshall Walter was one of his ad- (the fugue he wrote in his Trio in D-minor way, not an end.” visees…and he was having a difficult time with came from his score for Henry V while a pas- his studies, so much so there was doubt that he sage from The Merchant of Venice would be In our modern era all of the arts are under at- might not be invited back for his senior year. used in his piano concerto.) I remember in tack by cretins in congress, ever fearful of the This student was quite fond of the music of 1960 going down to the Presbyterian Church consequences of the First Amendment. As we Rachmaninoff and, in particular, worshiped in Ojai to help record music he wrote for our battle for funding (whether for your local sym- his Third Piano Concerto. A concert in Los A Midsummer Night’s Dream production (I phony, a regional museum, a local theater Angeles was coming up with the legendary pi- got to strike some bells and gongs…it was group, or a National Public Radio station) it is anist William Kappel playing this masterpiece. great fun)—the music he wrote was magical, almost too easy to become despondent and When Marshall learned he was not allowed to ethereal stuff on a par with Benjamin Britten or cynical. But C. Michael would always encour- go to this concert, he was devastated. The Felix Mendelssohn. I would love to hear this age me in my battles with the Philistines…and headmaster even asked if they might relent and wondrous music performed again (assuredly I think he speaks to all of us here: “It all boils let him go…but Mr. Ehrhardt insisted they with a better percussion section than we could down to the fact that there have to be loyalists stick with the decision. The lucky ones went to afford in 1960). like you, willing to support the arts, passion- the concert and even went backstage after- ately. Bravo, my loyal friend. And, of course, wards to get a program autographed for Mar- In 1961 (November 12 to be exact) Mr. keep it up!” shall. Ehrhardt took a group of brave music students to Los Angeles to hear Die Meistersinger von Always positive, C. Michael Ehrhardt would At this moment, Mr. Ehrhardt decided to write Nürnberg—it was the first Wagnerian opera I point out that Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was a Trio in D-minor (the same key as the Third had ever seen. To me it was one of those probably only heard by about 5,000 people Piano Concerto of Rachmaninoff, hence all of epiphanies that one experiences just a few during Beethoven’s lifetime. Now the music is the repeated D’s). He showed Marshall the first times in life. Having spent a lifetime studying being heard (thanks to advancements in elec- two movements when they were soon com- and writing about this art form, I still relish tronic technology) continuously on this planet. pleted and revealed that the piece was dedi- the memory of seeing this great work for the Michael found much hope in that. cated to him…but he warned Marshall if he first time. It was C. Michael’s favorite Wag- didn’t get his studies up and return next year, nerian opera, and I am moved by nostalgia to Henry W. Longfellow wrote in The Song of he would not complete the Trio and it would agree with his assessment. Hiawatha (xv. Hiawatha’s lamentation) never be played. I vividly remember from his music lessons of He is dead, the sweet musician! Inspired by this dedication, Marshall did im- hearing about his experiences in Germany in He the sweetest of all singers! prove and did return. The Trio was finished the 1930s as a music student in Leipzig. The He is gone from us for ever. that summer and given its premiere at the young, idealistic C. Michael Ehrhardt was He has moved a little nearer Thacher library on February 19, 1950, per- thrilled to be going to the country where names To the Master of all music, formed by the Compinsky Trio (Mr. Ehrhardt of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms should be To the Master of all singing! in his notes to me added: Marshall went on to known as “Beruehmte Kuenstler”…and was e Harvard where he got a business degree; he shocked to discover only a few knew the “48 has lived for many years in Switzerland with of Bach” or the “32 of Beethoven.” German his wife and two children. “We still keep in radio had only elevator music and worse. Seats touch.”) This is the profile of a great mentor. in the Gewandhaus were given to young re- cruits of the “Kraft durch Freude” campaign; Mr. Ehrhardt confided, “When I look back on and the people would sleep through most of my life at Thacher, the productions of Shake- the concerts. And once, covering a Wagnerian speare in the Outdoor Theater are among my opera as a reviewer for Musical America, he fondest memories.” The musical scores which discovered his press seat was just a few yards

C. Michael Ehrhardt with Thacher’s “The Honeytones” in 1964

Spring/Summer 2000 page 75 Obituaries Obituaries

Howard O. Sturgis, big house and let my kids have all their the Cypress Point Club, and the California CdeP ’24, died April 1, rough neck friends they wanted. I’d buy a Club. 2000. He attended swimming pool, and have a tennis court for ObitsThacher for only his the girls. Seeley is survived by his sister Elise Marvin; senior year, and then five children: Elizabeth, Katherine, Seeley III, matriculated to Har- I’d buy a shooting gallery for the boys. When CdeP ’73, John, and William; five grandchil- vard College, where he the boys grew old enough I’d buy each of dren; and one great-grandchild. He was pre- earned his Bachelor of them a twenty-two rifle then they could see ceded in death by his wife Virginia Shaw Arts degree in 1928, who was the best shot and see who could hit Mudd. followed by a master’s his mark the farthest away. degree in business a year later. He married Lewis Palmer Lane II, Eleanor Brown and they had two children: When they got tired of that they could put on CdeP ’47, died on Thurs- Eleanor and Howard, Jr. their bathing suits and dive into the day, August 17, 2000, at swimming pool. his home in Tucson, Ari- John Robert Metcalf, zona, after a four-year CdeP ’33, died Sunday, When they got tired of having swimming battle with cancer. He September 10, 2000, of races and water fights they could play tennis. was 71. congestive heart failure at his San Francisco John spent four years at Thacher and excelled Lew was born and raised home. He was 84. Ser- at camping, soccer, and track; he showed di- in Long Beach, Califor- vices were held four days verse interests including membership in Com- nia. While at Thacher for two years, Lew daz- later at St. Mary the Vir- mittee X, Outdoor, the Gun Board, and he zled his classmates with his avid interest in gin Episcopal Church in served as President of Bit and Spur in his sen- radio. “The intermittent buzzing of Morse San Francisco. ior year. During his junior year, he became a Code is commonly heard issuing from his Prefect, “A” Camper, and “Honor-man.” He equipment-filled room,” reported the 1947 El A third-generation Californian, John was born matriculated to Stanford University where he Archivero. “Lew excels in the scholastic field in Oakland in 1916. In 1925, while in gram- graduated in 1937. He then served in the Army too, particularly in the math and science de- mar school, John started expressing his hopes, during World War II and fought in the Battle of partments.” He was active in athletics, play- many aspects of which were evident later at the Bulge. After the War, John went to work ing on several teams including Baseball and Thacher, and throughout his life. (These were for Alexander and Alexander Inc., where he Soccer. When time permitted, Lew was spotted shared with us by his daughter, Katherine, fol- rose to the position of vice president. After re- frequently on his well-mannered steed “Prince” lowing his death): tiring in 1976, John served on the boards of di- on the nearby trails or showing off his tricks, rectors of the United Way, the San Francisco including shaking hands with all four feet. Right Living Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Opera Association, and the Cow Palace. Lew won a Navy Scholarship to Stanford Uni- When I grow up I expect to be honest, loyal, versity, where he received a Bachelor of Sci- brave, kind, and useful, so I will follow these John is survived by wife of 63 years, Catherine ence degree in 1952 and a master’s degree in rules. Jane Rolph; three daughters: Katherine Nel- 1956. He spent three years on active duty with son of Seattle, Elizabeth Metcalf of Selma, Ore- the Navy during the Korean War. Highlights of First, I will be honest, which means not to gon; and Mary Metcalf of Redwood City, CA; Lew’s career include 15 years as a contractor in tell a lie, not to steal, and if you know you and five grandchildren. Menlo Park; eight years as a construction en- have something that is someone else’s and gineer with Bechtel Corporation, including shouldn’t have it, give it to the owner. Seeley Wintersmith Mudd II, M.D., (CdeP ’43), three years on the Jubail project in Saudi Ara- died at his beloved ranch in Big Sur, California, bia; and ten years as a Project Manager with Next I will be loyal, to my country, to my on Thursday, September 21, 2000. He was 75. the Stanford University Utilities Division staff, home and school. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, raised where he retired in 1997. in San Marino, California, and lived on the Then I will be brave and kind both together Monterey Peninsula for the last 38 years. Survivors include his former wife, Marilyn which means, not to be afraid of anything, Lane of Tucson; son Lewis Lane III, daughters especially not to be afraid to tell what’s right, Seeley attended Thacher for his freshman and Laura Lane and Susan, stepson David Simp- or to help someone in trouble. Which is sophomore high school years. He graduated son; and four grandchildren. usefulness. from Stanford University, both the undergrad- uate program and the Medical School. He Michael C. Head (CdeP ’48) of Ojai, died No- None of these are of much use unless you are served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean vember 1999. Michael attended Thacher for healthy. War, and practiced urology on the Monterey only his sophomore year. He attended college Peninsula for over 20 years. at the Vienna Institute of Technology. He is If I Were a Millionaire survived by his son Randolph C., CdeP ’74, If I were a millionaire I would buy (a lot) He was an original supporter of The Big Sur who is a professor of history at the University about 10 acres of land. Then I would buy a Land Trust, a member of the Capital Club, of California, Riverside. page 76 The Thacher News Obituaries Walter Morris Hart wife; his sons Morris Hart Noble of Marin his wife Sheila Bruseth Preston of Seattle, Noble, M.D., CdeP ’50, County and William Leet Noble of San Fran- Washington, and daughter Kayla. died Friday, July 28, cisco; and one grandchild. 2000, at his home in Thacher Friends San Francisco. For James Barton Preston, three decades, Morris CdeP ’64, died July 18, Rosalind “Roz” Murray Boswell, wife of taught medicine and 2000, just 13 months James G. Boswell II, CdeP ’41, died in mid- maintained a successful after speaking at August, 2000. She is also survived by their practice that began in Thacher’s 1999 Re- three children: Jody, James, CdeP ’70, and Lor- association with his fa- union (see page 61 in raine; and many grandchildren, including Eliz- ther, Dr. Charles A. Noble, CdeP ’19. Born in the Spring/Summer abeth, CdeP ’95, and Cam, CdeP ’97. San Francisco, Morris was a fourth-generation 1999 issue of The Californian and a descendant of physicians and Thacher News for John E. Cahill, Sr., a construction contractor educators. text). At that time, he whose family-owned firm helped build San said, “When my own Francisco’s skyline, died Saturday, September According to the 1950 El Archivero, “Morris time comes to leave this planet as we know it, 23, 2000. He is survived by his wife Helen, of has added more to the school life than any it will be with ineffable sadness, but also with San Rafael; three sons, John, Jr., of Kentfield, other two boys. ‘Chuckie’s’ sense of humor and the knowledge that this is something perfectly Gerald of Mill Valley, and Edward of Stockton; good common sense make him an extremely natural in the way of the world…I will have sat- a daughter, Ann Fidanque of Eugene, Oregon; likeable and competent person. Teachers’ trust isfaction in knowing that my life has touched two brothers, Richard of Ross, and J. Peter, in him and boys’ respect for him are evident others, and others have touched mine. And it CdeP ’42, of Woodside; and 12 grandchildren from the positions he has so creditably held”: will be especially satisfactory, to know that my including Kimberly, CdeP ’99, Kevin ’01, and as a senior, he was “School Chairman, School name will be added to those who have gone Chris ’03. Prefect, Head of the Committee of X, Presi- before at Thacher. Our ability to touch others, dent of the Bit and Spur, Sports Editor of The and be touched by them, and hold memories pre- Florence Ehrhardt, widow of Thacher’s Music Notes, and a principal player in the Dramatic cious, may be one of the very few intimations Director from 1946 to 1977 C. Michael Club. In scholastic work and athletics, he also of immortality any of us can enjoy.” Ehrhardt, died on August 10, 2000. She is sur- stands at the head of this class. ‘Chuckie’ works vived by their four children: Gina, Michael, hard for his grades and, as a result, has re- While at Thacher, Jim served on The Notes CdeP ’62, Modena, and Rebecca. ceived at least three commendations for his Board, as the Business Manager for El grades and effort every year. He is a four-year Archivero, and as Editor of Ethos (Thacher’s Helen I. Lochrie, who for many years worked letterman and captain of this year’s undefeated literary magazine). He also participated in the as Thacher’s admission secretary, died Satur- Tennis Team. He has also made the varsity Mop and Broom Club, Third Soccer Team, In- day, August 12, 2000 at Acacias Care Center teams for several years in Soccer, Basketball, tramural Tennis, Book Committee, and Reli- in Ojai. She was very detail-oriented and as- and Baseball. With the mind and good sense gious Committee. He received the Short Story sured that “all loose ends were tied,” accord- Morris has, he will never have to trust to luck.” Award for The Notes in his junior year. He ing to Jack Huyler. “She could deal efficiently matriculated to Union, but transferred to the with almost anything that had to do with col- Morris matriculated to Harvard College, University of California, Santa Barbara, where lege counseling, admission, or assistant head- where he earned an honors degree in history. he attained a bachelor’s degree in English and mastering.” She is survived by her brother He went on to Harvard Medical School and a master’s degree in English Literature. Arthur Lockrie, Jr., of San Diego and sister postgraduate training at the University of Elizabeth Hoag McGlynn of Monterey. North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the Uni- Jim worked as an Editor, Publisher, and Owner versity of California, San Francisco. He served of Special Child Publications; he also published Carmen Robertson, mother of Sydney Robert- two years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, Jack Huyler’s The Stamp of the School in son, CdeP ’80, died on Tuesday, September 26, mainly in Korea. 1994. Jack reported in his book that “during 2000, following a traffic accident in which her the 1961-62 school year, Tony Power, Stu Er- husband, Jack, was also injured. She’s credited Morris received a resident teaching award at skine, and Jim Preston (all CdeP ’61) occa- for organizing the art in Ojai, and making it Children’s Hospital in San Francisco, where he sionally took leftover pancakes and French the artistic mecca that it is today. She is sur- briefly served as chairman of medicine and for toast from the Dining Room. After suitable vived by her husband; four sons: Nick, Drew, many years was on the board of directors. He curing on the Middle School roof, the three Winslow, and Cullen; one daughter, Sydney, established an endowed teaching chair in in- boys would bring them in, varnish them, stick who is presently working for School Year ternal medicine at California Pacific Medical address labels and stamps on them, and mail Abroad in Rennes, France; and five grandchil- Center to memorialize the contributions of his them to friends, as “genuine souvenirs of The dren. father and brother, Charles Edward Noble, Thacher School.” Part of Jim’s submission for CdeP ’48, who died in 1993. In addition, Mor- the time capsule buried in Thacher’s Centennial Helena Duryea Thacher, wife of George B. ris served for many years on the Board of Di- Year (1989) that is to be opened in 50 years Thacher, CdeP ’20, died on June 27, 2000. She rectors of Town School in San Francisco (his read: “What matters [for making our lives is also survived by sons: Philip, CdeP ’54, and school prior to Thacher) and Thacher’s Board count for something] is how we think and feel; John, CdeP ’57; and grandchildren: Nara, Jef- of Trustees. He served as director and presi- how we conduct ourselves moment to mo- frey, Peter, CdeP ’84, Sherman, and Thomas, dent of the Pacific Union Club and a director ment; how we treat our fellows; what can we CdeP ’87. of the California Tennis Club. He was a mem- learn, and someday teach, that has enduring ber of the Society of California Pioneers and rather than ephemeral value…Knowledge of Virginia “Murps” Wheaton, wife of the late the Frontier Boys. this sort is not handed out like so much former Trustee George S. Wheaton, CdeP ’23, candy…It is not so much transmitted, as it is died Sunday, September 17, 2000. She is sur- After retiring from medical practice in 1995, earned…By attending Thacher, I think you vived by two sons: George S. III, CdeP ’51, and Morris continued to teach as an emeritus clin- have a slight edge.” In 1998, he founded Char- John R., CdeP ’56; five grandchildren; and four ical professor of medicine at U.C.S.F. He and ter Investigations, a private detective firm. Jim great grandchildren. A memorial service was his wife of 37 years, Winifred Brady Noble, served as a loyal Class Representative for held at Casa Dorinda in Santa Barbara on Fri- also traveled extensively. He is survived by his Thacher for over 20 years. Jim is survived by day, September 29, 2000. e

Spring/Summer 2000 page 77

Calendar Thacher Gatherings and Events

Winter 2000 – Spring 2001

Saturday, January 6 Winter Alumni Day

Friday, February 16-18 Departmental Weekend

Sunday, March 11 Boston Gathering (Brunch)

Sunday, March 25 Los Angeles Gathering (Brunch)

Tuesday-Wednesday, April 17-18 Grandparents’ Days

Friday-Sunday, May 4-6 Gymkhana Weekend and Auction

Saturday, June 2 Commencement

Friday-Sunday, June 8-10 Reunion Weekend

Photo by Libby Rauner ’02