The A cademy Journal Lawrence Academ y/Fall 2014 An Engaged Community Working Toward Mastery Trustees of Lawrence Trustees with 25 or More Academy Years of Service Editorial Team Bruce M. MacNeil ’70, President 1793–1827 Rev. Daniel Chaplin John Bishop Lucy C. Abisalih ’76, Vice President 1793–1820 Rev. Phineas Whitney Director of Communications Geoffrey P. Clear, Treasurer 1793–1825 Rev. John Bullard Dale Cunningham Gordon Sewall ’67, Secretary 1794–1827 Samuel Lawrence Assistant Director of Communications 1795–1823 James Brazer Bev Rodrigues Jay R. Ackerman ’85 1801–1830 Rev. David Palmer Communications Publicist Kevin A. Anderson ’82 1805–1835 Jonas Parker Layout/Design/Production Ronald M. Ansin 1807–1836 Caleb Butler Dale Cunningham Timothy M. Armstrong ’89 1811–1839 Luther Lawrence Assistant Director of Communications Deborah Barnes 1825–1854 Rev. George Fisher Robert M. Barsamian ’78 1830–1866 Jonathan S. Adams Editorial Council Barbara Anderson Brammer ’75 1831–1860 Nehemiah Cutter Amanda Doyle-Bouvier ’98 Jennifer Shapiro Chisholm ’82 1831–1867 Joshua Green Academy Events Coordinator Patrick C. Cunningham ’91 1835–1884 Rev. Leonard Luce Sandy Sweeney Gallo ’75 Judi N. Cyr ’82 1849–1883 Agijah Edwin Hildreth Director of Alumni Relations Christopher Davey 1863–1896 William Adams Richardson Geoff Harlan Director of Annual Giving Gregory Foster 1865–1893 Amasa Norcross Catherine Frissora 1866–1918 Samuel A. Green Hellie Swartwood Director of Parent Programs Bradford Hobbs ’82 1868–1896 Miles Spaulding Susan Hughes Audrey McNiff ’76 1871–1930 Rev. William J. Batt Assistant to the Head of School Peter C. Myette 1875–1922 George Samuel Gates Rob Moore Michael Salm 1876–1914 James Lawrence Assistant Head of School David Santeusanio 1890–1933 George Augustus Sanderson Dan Scheibe David M. Stone ’76 1894–1946 Michael Sheedy Head of School Richard Tyson ’87 1899–1930 Albert E. Pillsbury Joseph Sheppard Ruth Glazer White ’76 1899–1929 Frank L. Blood College Counselor, retired Benjamin D. Williams III 1900–1930 Elihu Goodman Loomis 1907–1955 Huntley Nowell Spaulding Photography 1933–1961 Oswald Tower John Bishop Honorary Trustees 1941–1975 John Cushman Andrew Brescia Arthur F. Blackman 1951–1976 Donald A. Martin Jon Chase George A. Chamberlain III 1972–2000 Dr. James Dykens Chris Ellsasser Jeanne L. Crocker 1973– Robert White ’40 (current honorary) Sandy Sweeney Gallo ’75 Albert B. Gordon Jr. ’59 1974– Henry S. Russell Jr. (current honorary) Rachel Kalick Henry S. Russell Jr. 1974– Arthur Blackman (current honorary) Beverly Rodrigues Albert Stone 1975– Jeanne L. Crocker (current honorary) Tony Sampas ’74 Robert White ’40 1977–2003 Charles F. Kaye 1978 George Chamberlain III Front Cover: Students in the Ninth (current honorary) Grade Program sketching at the Groton 1978– Albert Stone (current honorary) Conservation Trust’s General Field, a 1980– Ronald. M. Ansin working farm. 1984– Bruce MacNeil ’70 TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES 3–14 FROM THE ARCHIVES 35 –37 Teachers Off the Script 3 Remembrance 35 Stanford IIP 4 Department of Reminiscence 36 40 Years of Nukes & Commies 8 GIVING BACK TO LA 38 A Play Called 8 12 Why I Give 38 Fambul Tok 14 ALUMNI 40 –57 AROUND LA 15 –34 Alumni Council Letter 40 LA at a Glance 15 Alumni Events 41 LA in the DR 18 Reunion Weekend 46 Visual & Performing Arts 20 Class Notes 54 The Year in Sports 22 In Memoriam 61 Cum Laude Day 24 Commencement 26 Be sure to look for the Moving In 30 Annual Giving Report Spring Social & Fundraiser 32 www.lacademy.edu/AnnualReport Founders’ Day 2013 34 Masterful t a school like Lawrence Academy, such mastery, and we can recall by name and by generation the resting with such deep history, many “masters” who have forged the school’s identity through there is always a time warp at example and individual relationships with students. play. We look forward, knowing that present The second expression of mastery is the constant expectation Amoments are fitful drafts for future passages and opportunity we provide to students to demonstrate of time. Excited as we may become at our initiative, command, and skill. Whether as the culminating act prospects, we are anxious that fundamental of the Ninth Grade Program or as an intense, distinctive pilot character be preserved. So our past is to initiative at Stanford University, we want our students to have be both embraced and transcended as the an early taste of what it is to be fully empowered in their future offers boundless possibility. Dan Scheibe thinking and learning. They should experience mastery in Existential thoughts on the nature of LA and time aside, there their own acts and deeds, and they do. is much to quicken the imagination as we look from recent And last, we have the Lawrence Academy Campus Master past to present to future, even in these pages. As we catalogue Plan, recently adopted and approved by our Board of Trustees. these possibilities in this Journal, the centering and recurring While the details and portions of the plan could each stir theme comes in the form of a question: What abides? What interest and support, it is the artistry of the total plan—the identifies and sustains us as we move forward as individuals coherent, thoughtfully conceived, carefully considered whole— bound together in educational community? that should inspire both confidence and enthusiasm. The I’ll try to provide some answers grounded in one word: school itself—not just the teachers and the students, but the mastery. There are all sorts of connotations and variations essential culture and vision of the institution—should embody surrounding the root concept embedded in the word “master” and plan for “mastery.” (and we should be aware that not all of them are good). But When all of these parts are aligned in an independent school; there are a few undeniably strong expressions of that word that when students, faculty, administration, parents, and alumni all apply to our present work at Lawrence Academy. embrace both the identity and the possibility of a place; when First is the constant (yes, abiding) force and presence of our successful planning, execution, and completion becomes a teachers. They are masters both in their craft and in the way hallmark of all we do individually and collectively; then they go about work and life, providing useful models to student Lawrence Academy itself becomes masterful. What other apprentices. Chris Ellsasser’s description of the faculty mindset, expectation should we have as we set out on our tasks—as found in the Journal’ s opening article, is a strong example of students, teachers, and school? – Dan Scheibe, head of school FEATURE “If you can have high school teachers who are able to live with excitement and passion and growth-is-the-norm, then you put a really healthy model in front of the students.” Teachers Off the Script Chris Ellsasser, director of studies The following is Director of Studies Chris Ellsasser’s response when role is to surround the kids with as many intrinsically asked: “What does it do for our teachers to be able to teach motivated, hard-working adults as possible and let them beyond a standard curriculum more deeply into areas of their own interact with each other. It’s about the relationships between expertise and interest—and what impact does that flexibility have students and their teachers, and the curriculum can foster that on our students?” by leaving it open for teachers to teach in response to their students. You have adults who are enthusiastic and excited to The big question for me is, “What’s the purpose of high get up every morning—and that’s the gestalt that surrounds the school?” It cannot be to develop expertise in certain areas; that’s kids, which makes school a healthy, engaging place of what happens in college. It’s not to provide kids with really discovery and growth. basic skills; that’s what elementary school does. And middle school is where students first encounter the content disciplines I think that is what high school is about—a holistic in more depth. educational experience. Maybe kids don’t decide they want to be scientists after taking Steve Engstrom’s Limnology class or In high school you have kids who are optimistic, who are, in politicians after experiencing Nukes with John Curran, but if some ways, adults without cynicism, and their big question is: they are surrounded by passionate people, they say: “I want to “What does it mean to be an adult?” They don’t really want to be as excited about what I do as my teachers are in what they be their parents and they don’t really want to be their peers. do. I want to be as invested in my job and my life as my Their teachers, however, whom they know really well as adults teachers are in theirs.” —but not friends—provide perfect potential role models. I would hope that a teacher sees his or her job as a vocation, a If they see teachers who are following the rules and a scripted calling—so much more than just a job. And when you have curriculum delivered in a factory model, then that suggests kids surrounded by adults with vocations, it sets forth the what will happen when they grow up. But if you can have high model that growing up means pursuing your passion and school teachers who are able to live with excitement and living a balanced life driven by curiosity and opportunities to passion and growth-is-the-norm, then you put a really healthy have a positive impact on the world and others. That is one of model in front of the students to show that adults work hard in the most important lessons that we can provide for them.