The Magazine of Memphis University School • March 2009
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Magazine of Memphis University School • March 2009 From the Editor I heard University of Memphis Head Basketball Coach John Calipari speak recently, and one thing he said reminded me of something that the faculty and staff at MUS do every day: Do your best. Calipari was ME M PHIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL talking about his team and how each week they try to Founded 1893 build on the last game. He asks each player, “Did you MISSION STATE M ENT do your best?” Memphis University School is a It’s a question worth asking each day. When you college-preparatory school dedicated to look at a few of this issue’s featured alumni, you’ll see academic excellence and the development of well-rounded young men of strong each does his best to solve worthwhile issues. Chuck moral character, consistent with the Blatteis ’82 focuses his law practice on business law and immigrants’ rights, school’s Christian tradition. while also collecting economic data for the Federal Reserve. Bartlett Durand ’86, Michael Stringer ’92, and Chris Eilersten ’72 help make the world more HEAD M ASTER Ellis L. Haguewood eco-friendly. We also see the boys at MUS doing their best every day. We highlight Zach BOARD OF TR U STEES Olsen ’13 who won the state golf championship and this year’s football team Robert E. Loeb ’73, Chairman which brought home the fourth state championship in the school’s history. D. Stephen Morrow ’71, Vice Chairman Richard L. Fisher ’72, Treasurer Some of you saw Robert Duffley’s ’09 directorial debut with A Thurber W. Thomas Hutton ’61, Secretary Carnival in early February. You don’t want to miss the spring musical, Little Shop Ben C. Adams ’74 of Horrors. Director Tim Greer said one of the original man-eating plants created R. Louis Adams ’70 Russell E. Bloodworth, Jr. ’63 for Broadway will be on stage in Hyde Chapel. The play runs April 17-20. We’ll Suki S. Carson have student artists and photographers showing their work at Night of the Arts in P. Trowbridge Gillespie, Jr. ’65 the Campus Center Dining Hall on opening night (April 17). Samuel N. Graham II ’80 Mark J. Halperin ’67 Our intrepid IT staff, Billy Smith, Jonathan Saunders, and Jeremy Cupp, Harry Hill III ’66 and art teacher Grant Burke have been working hard redesigning the MUS Web Joseph R. Hyde III ’61 site. We now have a new home page and will soon have a password-protected E. Carl Krausnick, Jr. ’79 alumni portal that will offer you exclusive access to job openings at companies Andrew R. McCarroll ’86 Richard C. Moore, Jr. ’63 with fellow alumni, information designed just for you, and much more. We plan Joseph M. Morrison ’78 to send you complete details, including how to login and access the new system, C. Barham Ray ’64 before summer. Please let me know if you have suggestions for improving our Wiley T. Robinson ’75 Chris R. Sanders communications. Charles F. Smith, Jr. ’66 Owen B. Tabor, Jr. ’85 Vicki Tyler S. Alexander Thompson III Director of Communications Alexander W. Wellford, Jr. ’60 Gary K. Wunderlich, Jr. ’88 (901) 260-1416 [email protected] AL UM NI ASSOCIATION EXEC U TIVE BOARD Robert B. Wade ’84, President John H. Dobbs, Jr. ’85, President-Elect Robert I. Abbay IV ’92 Scott E. Anderson ’92 Jonathan A. Ballinger ’87 John B. Barton, Jr. ’95 David C. Bradford, Jr. ’95 Craig A. Christenbury ’83 Marshall A. Clark ’77 Edward J. Dobbs ’89 13 Paul F. T. Edwards ’79 8 Cecil A. Godman III ’78 Charles D. Hamlett ’92 John R. Malmo, Jr. ’85 Stephen J. Maroda, Jr. ’75 Lee R. Marshall ’75 G. Kirby May ’94 Loyal W. Murphy IV ’86 John R. Pitts ’76 Robert B. Preston ’78 17 M. Paul Reaves ’84 R. Scott Rose ’82 Dudley P. Schaefer, Jr. ’76 Gideon L. Scoggin ’95 Gwin C. Scott, Jr. ’83 Cleo W. Stevenson, Jr. ’68 John W. Stokes III ’79 William R. Tayloe ’92 Scott D. Williams ’85 Philip S. Wunderlich ’90 DIRECTOR OF AL UM NI AND PARENT PROGRA M S Claire K. Farmer MUS TODAY c o n t e n t s f e a t u r e s A Helping Hand 3 MUS Alumni Give Green Light to Environmental Endeavors 8 Faculty Portrait Series 13 State Winners 14 One Man’s Mission 33 In Memory of Thisbe and Noah 35 ON THE CO VER Chuck Blatteis ’82 works in Frank’s 100-Hole Club 37 the building behind him in Downtown Memphis, but Alumni Sports – Lacrosse, Basketball, Softball 39 his diverse heritage and world travels have shaped his life Just “Bus” Me the Facts and work here in Memphis. 43 Story starts on page 3. Photo by Jack Kenner. Alumni Events 44 EDI TO R Vicki Tyler d e p a r t m e n t s ST AFF WRI T ER S Kimberly Eller, Lauren Oxner Headmaster’s Message 2 ALUMNI NE WS Claire Farmer Faculty Profile 16 CO N T RIBU T ING WRI T ER S From the Archives Jim Dorman, Ellis Haguewood, 18 John Harkins, Ann Laughlin, Melanie Threlkeld McConnell, Gifts in Memory and Honor 20 Will McDonald, Kem Pollard, Bill Quinlen, Laurian Scott Covers 24 GRAPHI C DE S IGNER Remember When Denise Hunt 26 PH OTO GRAPHY Class News 27 The Commercial Appeal/ Daniel Connolly, Jerry Gallik, 29 Jack Kenner, Don Putnam, Mike Strasinger/TNSportpix, MUS Archives, and various MUS constituents PR OO FREADING Sue Johnson 26 44 Headmaster’s Message by Ellis Haguewood On a Strong and Steady Foundation, We Build In uncertain economic and political I believe that MUS is a great school. who were enthusiastic about the subjects times, reassurance and comfort come from We are quite serious about what we do, they taught and who communicated that the continuity, tradition, and patterns of but I have always believed that part of the love to them. They were challenged; they academic and extracurricular life familiar greatness of MUS is that we have never were taught to deal with difficult tasks. to our boys for decades now. Memphis taken ourselves too seriously. I think that They developed self-confidence because University School remains steadfast, many schools do. We have always had a they learned to read and write well. They reliable, and unfaltering in its mission to sense of humor and a perspective that has had opportunities to serve and lead. prepare boys for college and to develop kept us from thinking that we are experts We would not diminish the impor- well-rounded young men of strong in “education” or kept us from buying tance of drill and practice as part of a moral character. On a strong and steady into every new educational theory. In the student’s education. Lacrosse players, foundation, we build the very virtues that final analysis, there is very little that is football linemen, pianists, and basketball best prepare boys to become the kind of new under the sun. Many of today’s new players repeatedly practice to get better. men who can face the challenges of the theories are old theories dressed in new Complex intellectual activities, one’s world in which they will live, no matter clothing by educational “consultants.” I analytical ability, and his understanding what that world looks like – men of honor, recently listened to a consultant who is of the interrelatedness of things (what we courage, perseverance, and compassion. making a good bit of money by telling are truly interested in enhancing) depend We press on, faithfully fitting boys for the parents and schools that being outside on facts and knowledge, and it is absurd difficult tasks ahead. in nature is good for children. He was to dismiss all knowledge of a subject or The appearance of our school has more philosophical and poetic than that, drill and practice activities as low-level. changed a good bit in the last decade, but of course, but Wordsworth said it more They are in fact essential to any kind of the most important things about MUS memorably a long time ago. understanding. have not: allegiance to the Honor Code, a I remember when “open classrooms” MUS has a long history of commitment to excellence in all that we do, were the rage, when some schools gave up achievement that supports the assertion a tough-minded liberal arts curriculum, a recess because it was a waste of time, when that what we do here works. Our methods world-class secondary-school faculty with “whole language” made a run at displacing are both traditional and non-traditional, notable credentials and even more notable phonics, when teachers were told to and they are as varied as the personalities tenures, competitive athletics, zany skits raise children’s self-esteem (artificially if of the teachers who use them. Time-tested and pep rallies, wit, strong friendships, and necessary), when “education for the 21st principles of integrity, academic literacy, a bit of boisterousness. century” automatically eliminated anything and decent character will always remain Every year we improve and enhance that schools had done the year before relevant. We remain steady in adherence the quality of what we offer. We do not when they were merely educating for the to our mission; in the transmission of our reject the past, but we welcome any change 20th century, and when “critical thinking” culture – its literature, language, history, that makes us better. Just recently we replaced plain old good thinking. By art, and music – from our generation to opened new science classrooms, prep rooms, the way, do we really believe that today’s the next; and in inculcating knowledge and teacher offices in the lower level of the schools are producing better thinkers than that boys need to make connections and McCaughan Science Center – one more the schools that produced John Locke or informed judgments while enhancing the step in a multi-year plan devised by former Rene Descartes or David Hume? virtue they need to make wise decisions.