The Magazine of Memphis University School • September 2005 From the Editor You’re going along just fine, working, getting ready to send children back to school or off to college, saying goodbye to the lazy days of summer, and looking forward to the routine of the school year. Then tragedy strikes. Hurricane Katrina comes out of nowhere and everything changes. For the residents of New MEMPHIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL Orleans and along the Gulf Coast, you can’t count on a job, Founded 1893 the comforts of home, your personal safety, or a routine of any MISSION STATEMENT sort. Life turns on a dime. And you’re never prepared. Even Memphis University School is a those of us who were not evacuated are affected. We are bar- college-preparatory school dedicated to raged by the news media, we have family, friends, or business academic excellence and the development of well-rounded young men of strong acquaintances who were displaced, and we feel that as much as we can do to help the moral character, consistent with the victims is still not enough. school’s Christian tradition. What you eventually realize at times like these is that humankind generally rises to the occasion. And although we offer food and water, cash, shelter, and other material HEADMASTER Ellis L. Haguewood necessities, it is the generosity of our hearts that is most beneficial to those in need. It is the everyday kindness and emotional support that are our greatest gifts. It is the kind BOARD OF TRUSTEES of values and character traits that we work to instill in our boys here at MUS that are P. Trowbridge Gillespie, Jr. ’65, Chairman important to the very survival of a nation as we face trials, tribulations, and tragedies. Musette S. Morgan, Vice Chairman Richard L. Fisher ’72, Treasurer This issue of MUS Today focuses on “the generous heart of Billy Dunavant.” And W. Thomas Hutton ’61, Secretary we pay tribute to Buddy Morrison, of blessed memory, a man who “embodied the Ben C. Adams ’74 noblest virtues…decency, honesty, hard work, perseverance, hospitality, compassion, R. Louis Adams ’70 service, unwavering loyalty, and generosity.” Mr. Dunavant and Mr. Morrison are role Russell E. Bloodworth, Jr. ’63 models of what matters most. And that is the true lesson of life. Susan B. Faber Samuel N. Graham II ’80 Mark J. Halperin ’67 Debbie B. Lazarov Harry H. Hill III ’66 Director of Communications Joseph R. Hyde III ’61 Phone: (901) 260-1416 E. Carl Krausnick, Jr. ’79 E-mail: [email protected] Robert E. Loeb ’73 Richard C. Moore, Jr. ’63 D. Stephen Morrow ’71 C. Barham Ray ’64 Wiley T. Robinson ’75 Michael D. Rose Charles F. Smith, Jr. ’66 S. Alexander Thompson III James C. Varner ’73 Alexander W. Wellford, Jr. ’60 Kent Wunderlich ’66 LUMNI OLF CRAMBLE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE BOARD A G S John W. Stokes III ’79, President Friday, October 21, 8:00 a.m. shotgun start John R. Pitts ’76, President-Elect Memphis Country Club Scott E. Anderson ’92 Jonathan A. Ballinger ’87 David C. Bradford, Jr. ’95 Joel W. Brown ’61 BBQ DINNER FOR Craig A. Christenbury ’83 FAMILY AND FRIENDS Marshall A. Clark ’77 Andrew K. Crosby ’89 Friday, October 21, 5:00-7:00 p.m. John H. Dobbs, Jr. ’85 MUS Dining Hall Paul F. T. Edwards ’79 Joel A. Fulmer ’67 Cecil A. Godman III ’78 FOOTBALL GAME Charles D. Hamlett ’92 21-22, 2005 Louis C. Jehl, Jr. ’80 OCTOBER MUS vs. Kingsbury John H. Keesee ’69 Friday, October 21, 7:00 p.m. Lee R. Marshall ’75 G. Kirby May ’94 Cost: $5 at the gate John R. Malmo, Jr. ’85 Loyal W. Murphy IV ’86 William E. Orgel ’81 ALUMNI REUNION PARTIES Robert B. Preston ’78 Classes of ’60, ’65, ’70, ’75, ’80, ’85, ’90, ’95 M. Paul Reaves ’84 R. Scott Rose ’84 Saturday, October 22 Gideon L. Scoggin ’95 Gwin C. Scott, Jr. ’83 For more information or reservations for events, call Claire Farmer in Brian S. Sullivan ’83 Kelly Truitt ’81 the Alumni Office at 260-1356 or check the website at www.musowls. Robert B. Wade ’84 org/alumni/events.htm. Matthew T. Wilson ’92 Philip S. Wunderlich ’90 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND PARENT PROGRAMS Claire K. Farmer MUSTODAY c o n t e n t s f e a t u r e s The Generous Heart of Billy Dunavant 3 Where Cotton is King 9 Graduation 2005 10 Alumni MPACT Memphis 18 JAG/Shipmate Going Ashore 26 Peter Roop: Storyteller 28 ON THE COVER Portrait of Billy Dunavant is by renowned artist, Marshall Bouldin III, (more details on page 4). The portrait now hangs in the Fisher d e p a r t m e n t s Rotunda of the Dunavant Upper School. Story starts on page 3. Viewpoint 2 EDITOR Debbie B. Lazarov National News 15 ALUMNI NEWS EDITOR Claire K. Farmer State Winners 16 STAFF WRITERS Julia Chesney, Caitlin Goodrich Memorials 23 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alison Barger, Trow Gillespie, Remember When Cathi Jones, John K. Lawo, 25 Andrew McDermott, Kathy Slattery, Gaye Swan, Ada Thomas Alumni News 30 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Denise Hunt From the Stage 44 PHOTOGRAPHY The Commercial Appeal, David Gonzales, Elmore Holmes, 22 Larry Inman, Laurie Johnson of CI World Report, Kathy Daniel Patterson, Jamie Sabau, Skipworth Photography, Jay Tamboli, MUS Archives, and various MUS constituents PROOFREADING Jean Saunders 9 14 31 VViewpointiewpoint by Trow Gillespie ’65 Chairman, MUS Board Strategic Plan in Motion of Trustees We also have a responsibility to maintain In so many ways, MUS has been and add to our facilities. We made great strides a school of a lifetime for me: many constituents, includ- as a result of our last capital campaign, but of my best friends in high school ing students, faculty, we have to look to the future. We will be put- are still my best friends today; MUS parents, alumni, and ting a plan in place for the development of had a profound impact in shaping trustees. Under the new facilities as well as for the enhancement my life; and it certainly has been leadership of Rick and maintenance of our current ones. These and remains one of our community’s Broer, former Hull changes will, of course, require additional most important assets. Every time I walk Lower School principal and new academic funding, and to bolster the financial manage- on campus, I am inspired by both what the dean, and Trustee Susan Faber, we have ment of the school, we hired Rankin Fowlkes as school has meant to me and what it continues identified several areas we feel are imperative director of business operations to set budgets, to do for our sons and grandsons. If my own focal points for our energies and resources manage costs, and coordinate funding sources. personal experience weren’t enough, my two over the next five to ten years. He will be working with Perry Dement, direc- oldest sons, Paul ’01 and Stuart ’04, have the To reinforce our commitment to academic tor of advancement, who is responsible for same memories and connections to MUS that excellence, we recently named Rick Broer aca- increasing all aspects of giving. I have. Having assumed the responsibility of demic dean. Using the best processes available Finally, in light of this more competi- chairing the Board of Trustees, I look back on to manage the academic life of the school, we tive landscape, we will have to work harder the school experiences which have meant so are putting an exclamation mark on what we’re to attract a mission-appropriate student much to me, and I look forward to the chal- trying to accomplish academically, especially body. Hiring Danny Kahalley as a full-time lenges ahead. in the areas of curriculum, academic prepa- admissions director will allow us to develop Since its founding in 1893, MUS has been ration for college, and in the incorporation initiatives to attract and retain qualified known as the premier educational institution of additional technology students. In the area of admissions, we are for boys in this area of the country, and as we into the curriculum. Also poised to take a proactive stance, to look at find ourselves in an increasingly competitive key to remaining com- the admissions process strategically, and to market, we have an obligation to keep raising petitive academically is build on the relationships we have with our the bar of excellence that has become the a qualified, enthusiastic, “feeder” schools, those schools from which hallmark of MUS. Strong competition mandates professionally fulfilled, we traditionally receive the majority of our that we continue to improve every year in every and well-compensated students. With ever increasing competition way we can. faculty. and tuition, effective communication is more Last year we were given the task of creat- Another focal point, important than ever; ing a new strategic plan as part of the SACS/ character development, has always so we will continue to SAIS [Southern Association of Colleges and been and continues to be an integral promote an image that Schools/Southern Association of Independent part of an MUS education. We are is consistent with our Schools] accreditation process, and the goal of proud of the fact that our students mission, and we will our strategic planning process was to identify graduate from MUS with integrity and explore more tech- the most significant initiatives for the school strong values. As part of our focus, nologically advanced and focus on implementing them. To formulate we will continue to develop programs ways to effectively our new plan, we engaged a number of our that support our Honor Code, school motto communicate our messages to our prospective – Veritas Honorque – and Community Creed.