Mercersburg Magazine - Summer 2008

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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

FFRRIIDDAAYY,, OOCCTTOOBBEERR 1177� Golf outing for alumni and guests (11:30 a.m.)� Reception for Class Agents and Reunion Volunteers (5:30–6:30 p.m.)

� Alumni Weekend Kick-off Event (7–9 p.m.)� Steps Songs, School Cheers, Bonfire (9–10:15 p.m.)

SSAATTUURRDDAAYY,, OOCCTTOOBBEERR 1188� Class of ’58 Breakfast with the Head of School (9–10 a.m.)

� Alumni Remembrance & Recognition Ceremony (11 a.m.)

� Big Tent BBQ (noon–2 p.m.)� Anniversary reunion class dinners (6:30 p.m.)� All-Class Dance Party featuring live entertainment (9–11 p.m.)

SSUUNNDDAAYY,, OOCCTTOOBBEERR 1199� Alumni Weekend Chapel Service (11 a.m.)� Carillon recital featuring James W. Smith (3 p.m.)

Register online: www.mercersburg.edu/[email protected]

2008 Alumni Weekend October 17–19

MercersburgV O L U M E 3 5 N O . 2 S U M M E R 2 0 0 8A magazine for Mercersburg Academy family and friends

page 16

MERC

ERSBURG

MAGAZIN

E SUMMER 20

08

The Life of Sport

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The spindles of the wooden chair pushed against my back; the seat was hard and cold as I sat on the stage of old Boone Hall in the spring of 1997,my senior year at Mercersburg. I was a declaimer, and I was about to begin mymonologue in front of the entire school.

My Say

As a member of Stony Batter, I had set foot on this stage many times.

Being a declaimer on this stage, however, was a different matter

altogether. This was the culmination of the entire Irving-Marshall

week. Declamation would clinch the deal; either Marshall or Irving

would emerge victorious. It all rested on a few important minutes—

on me and my fellow declaimers. And for those moments, we went

it alone, taking turns in the glaring, white circle of light in the

middle of the stage. They were the most exhilarating and terrifying

moments of my Mercersburg career.

Mr. [Walter] Burgin ’53 introduced me, and I pushed myself out

of the chair and slowly walked toward the front of the stage. Every

eye was upon me as I steadied myself and began to speak: “Ladies

and gentlemen, esteemed judges, Mr. Burgin, my fellow

declaimers.” The room was silent. The sash across my chest—a

reminder of the pomp surrounding the tradition—bore the colors

of the Marshall Society. The weight of pride and importance was

upon me as I began my piece, hearing the words leave my lips as

if it was someone else speaking them. I remember those few min-

utes as if they lasted a lifetime. And as I spoke the final words, I felt

a rush of relief and exhilaration as I dropped my head and stepped

back into the darkness of what lay ahead.

Every declaimer intimately knows those few seconds before the

whole room erupts in applause. As soon as I heard the cheers, I

raised my head and looked out at the Marshall flag waving vigor-

ously, and at my society members jumping to their feet, the

energy from their excitement flooding the stage. But declaiming

wasn’t just for Marshall or the competition; it was for my school and

its great traditions. As I scanned both sides of the room, I felt the

most pride of my young life. (For the record, Marshall won that year.

I won third place; my best friend, Greg Walker ’97—of Irving—

took second; and my fellow Marshall declaimer, Julia Wiedeman ’98,

captured first place.)

This past March, more than a decade after that great evening,

I stood in the shadows in the Simon Theatre of the new Burgin

Center, watching the 2008 declaimers have their moments in the

spotlight. My husband, Ryan, and I, recently moved back to

Mercersburg along with our photography business, and the school

had hired us to capture this special event [page 15]. As the

evening unfolded, I experienced an intense sense of nostalgia,

wanting so much to touch and smell the old walls of Boone

where I had spent so much time. I could almost hear the echoes

of the crowd on the night of my Declamation.

But it was not my night; it was time for a new generation of

declaimers to have their moments to shine. As I watched the

talented, young students on stage, I knew how those chairs felt

against the declaimers’ backs, how it felt to speak to the expectant

crowd, and the thrill of the whole room erupting in applause.

Larissa Chace Smith and her husband, Ryan, run Mercersburg-

based Chace Smith Photography (www.csphotographs.com).

BY LARISSA CHACE SMITH ’97

The author (farleft) with herDeclamationteammates

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You Should KnowFour Mercersburg students earned awards at the RegionalScholastic Arts Competition in Harrisburg this spring. Thesenior portfolios of Sonia Byun ’08 (whose drawing, Red Rain, ispictured at left) and Amanda Cha ’08 garnered Gold Key awards,while Madeleine Foster ’08 and Liza Rockwell ’08 collectedSilver Keys for the cover design for the 2007 Blue Review and acomputer-graphics piece, respectively. For more arts highlightsfrom this academic year, see page 41.

Photo credits: p. 2 Chris Crisman;p. 3 Ryan Smith; p. 4 (Adams) Frank Perrella, (Hendrickson)Smith, (McDowell) Bill Green;p. 5 (top left, top right) Lee Owen;p. 7 (Cum Laude) Renee Hicks;p. 8 (Nam) Stacey Grasa, (Flannery) AdamBruzzone, (Springman) courtesy Alisa Springman,(Del Toro)Martha Stewart; p. 9 Hicks; p. 10–11 Smith; p. 12–14 (all photos) Bill Green;p. 15 (all buttop left) Smith, (top left) Hicks; p. 16 Hicks; p. 17 Smith; p. 19 Hicks; p. 20 (top, bottom left)Mercersburg Academy Archives; (Stewart) University of Tennessee Athletic Communications,(Mitchell) University of Texas Sports Photography;p. 22 (Hendrickson) Hicks, (Bershatsky) Grasa;p. 23 (Birmingham,Curran)Mercersburg Academy Archives; (Powers/Simar) Sandie Cubit; p. 24Owen;p. 25 courtesyMercersburg Outdoor Education;p. 27 Cornell Athletic Communications;p. 28 courtesy CharlesMoore; p. 29 (Cass) Phil Hoffman;p. 30 USC Sports Information;p. 33Woods Pierce; p. 34 NevilleMiles; p. 35 (Fulton) Coady Photography, (Talbott) Stanford Athletics;p. 36 Lafayette College; p. 37 courtesy Jamie Hughes; p. 38 Rutgers Athletic Communications;p. 39 courtesy Romone Penny;p. 40 (Fasano) Owen, (Kaaki) Hicks; p. 41 (bottom right) Smith;(all other photos) Natalie Hopkins ’09;p. 42 (group photo) Hicks, (bottom left) Owen, (all otherphotos) Green;p. 43 Hicks; p. 44 (top right) Smith, (all other photos) Hicks; p. 45 Hicks; p. 46Lesley Gourley; p. 50 (Logie) Stewart; p. 61 courtesy Larissa Chace Smith.

Illustrations: cover: Zed; inside front cover: Sonia Byun ’08

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MercersburgA magazine for Mercersburg Academy family and friends

The Life of Sport

1,043 WordsThe view from above. Page 10

Commencement 2008All the sights and excitement of Mercersburg’s 115thCommencement exercises, minus the heat and humidity.Page 12

Mercersburg’s OlympiansThese alumni competitors have reached the world’s biggestathletic stage. Page 20

Mercersburg ProfilesMembers of this Academy starting lineup have won gold,overcome obstacles, and trotted the globe. Page 26

My SayDeclamation—a moment of truth that’s uniquely Mercersburg. Page 61

From the Head of School 2Via Mercersburg 3Arts 41Athletics 43Alumni Notes 46

Mercersburg magazine is published three times annuallyby the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications.

Mercersburg Academy300 East Seminary StreetMercersburg, Pennsylvania 17236

Magazine correspondence: [email protected]

Alumni Notes correspondence: [email protected]

Alumni correspondence/change of address: [email protected]

www.mercersburg.edu

Editor: Lee Owen

Alumni Notes Editor: Jenn Flanagan ’99

Contributors: Larissa Chace Smith ’97, Shelton Clark, Tom Coccagna, Kristy Fasano ’02, Pete Gunkelman, Phil Kantaros,Pat Myers, Susan Pasternack, Jay Quinn, Lindsay Tanton, Wallace Whitworth

Alumni Notes Assistants:Jessica Glass, Carol Swinehart

Art Direction: Aldrich Design

Head of School: Douglas Hale

Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications: Wallace Whitworth

Assistant Head for External Affairs: Mary Carrasco

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Fields of StudyFrom the Head of School

The banners and trophies on the walls and in the display cases in NoldeGymnasium are tangible reminders of Mercersburg’s long and storied

athletic tradition. In this Olympic year, it’s also particularly gratifying to note the names ofthe school’s 54 Olympians inscribed on the plaque at the Irvine Memorial—powerful state-ments about the extraordinary accomplishments of some of our best athletes. Rightly so,interscholastic athletics have been and always will be an important part of the totaleducational experience at Mercersburg. As a former basketball player, some of my mostprofound learning occurred on the basketball court. In addition to the sheer joy of playing

the game, the lessons carried off the court andinto life represent the real and lasting value ofsecondary-school athletics.

While only one avenue, athletics are still anobvious and ideal way to teach young peopleabout the importance of competition; how ablywe compete determines success at life’s many

stages. To balance and complement the competitiveness, though, and to prevent healthycompetition from becoming unseemly and unhealthy, athletics also demand cooperation.No matter how deadly accurate your mid-range jump shot might be, that skill wouldn’tmatter much if others were not willing to defend and rebound and get the ball in your handsat just the right moment.

While often not considered in these terms, athletics also offer some of life’s most power-ful lessons about creativity. Every offensive possession, for example, has a set of anticipatedoutcomes. But when that which is hoped and planned for doesn’t materialize (which is moreoften the case than not), a capable athlete not only recognizes but also creates new oppor-tunities for good things to happen.

Commitment to an enterprise somehow larger than your own individual self is yet anotherimportant lesson taught by athletics. It isn’t easy or quick to condition one’s body or developthe necessary skills to participate in a sport. And beyond those particular physical expecta-tions, the psychic commitment to accept a defined role for yourself and to play that role forthe greater good of the team is an especially important component of the athletic experience.

Not surprisingly, the language of athletics and of the classroom has long been aligned,mirroring the actual experience invoked in the two venues. The best teachers are also thosebest able to “coach” a student toward mastery of a skill or concept, and the best coaches arethose who can successfully “teach” the skills and instill the confidence necessary for athleticcompetition. Like other deeply held traditions at Mercersburg, maintaining a strong, vibrantathletic program is worthy of our complete respect and commitment.

Douglas HaleHead of School

“In addition to the sheer joy of playingthe game, the lessons carried off the courtand into life represent the real and lastingvalue of secondary-school athletics.”

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A roundup of what’s news, what’s new, and what Mercersburg people are talking about.

Dates to Remember

Sep 2 Opening Convocation

Sep 26–28 Family Weekend

Oct 17–19 Alumni Weekend

Dec 13–14 Loyalty Club Candlelight Service Weekend

Jun 6, 2009 Commencement

Jun 11–14 Anniversary reunions for classes ending in 4 and 9

On May 2, a bell weighing in excess of two tons washoisted more than 100 feet and lifted into the Irvine Memorial Chapel’s Swoope Carillon. The bell, named forand dedicated to Mercersburg carillonneur James W. Smith,rings a C-sharp and is the final piece of the Academy’s 50-bell carillon. It is the third-largest bell in the tower, andwas lifted into the space as part of a school meeting in frontof an assembled crowd of students, faculty, the community,and invited guests.

Smith (above) came to Mercersburg as organist andchoirmaster in 1965, and later became head of the fine artsdepartment. He was appointed carillonneur at the Academyin 1981, following the retirement of Bryan Barker (who hadheld the position for 53 years).

Smith, a former organist for the Mercersburg Commu-nity Chorus and Orchestra, formed the MercersburgChorale and Women’s Ensemble after the Academy becameco-ed in the late 1960s. He retired from teaching in 2001,and was honored that same year with the Alumni CouncilAward for service and accomplishment at the Academy.

Mercersburg’s carillon has had a key for the new bellsince it was completed in 1926.

Ringing Far and WideNew bell completes Academy’s carillon


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Announcing New Administrative Faculty

Thomas Adamsassistant head of school for enrollmentAdams comes to Mercersburg from TheGunnery in Washington, Connecticut, wherehe had been director of admission since 2000and was associate director of admission start-ing in 1996. Prior to The Gunnery, he wasboth a teacher and director of admission atThe Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania,preceded by four years of teaching at North-wood School in Lake Placid, New York.

He succeeds Christopher Tompkins, whoafter eight years at Mercersburg accepted theposition of headmaster at Perkiomen Schoolin Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.

“I am both honored and thrilled to be appointed,” Adams says. “Having the opportunityto visit the campus several times to meet withstudents, administrators, and faculty enabledme to appreciate what a special place theAcademy is.

“It is a spectacular campus with beautifulfacilities, but even more important, the spiritand pride within the school community werestrong and evident. I look forward to workingwith the other members of the admission staffto maintain and further enhance the qualityand character of the student body.”

Douglas Hale, head of school, echoesAdams’ enthusiasm. “Not only is Tommyknown to many around the country as an energetic and respected educator,” Hale says,“but he has an excellent track record in theareas of admission and marketing, and he istotally dedicated to working with young peoplein a boarding school environment.”

Adams received his preparatory education atAvon Old Farms School in Avon, Connecticut,and holds a bachelor’s degree from RoanokeCollege.

Rick Hendricksondirector of athleticsHendrickson begins his 16th year at Mercersburg with a new role. Having servedas director of summer and extendedprograms, as a teacher of English, and a 15-year stint as head wrestling coach, Hendrickson now assumes leadership of theAcademy’s athletic department.

He succeeds Ron Simar, who moves intoa newly created administrative position atthe Academy following 20 years in chargeof athletics.

“I am very excited about the opportunityto lead the direction of athletics here, andto provide the vision for our athletic depart-ment,” Hendrickson says. “Ron has servedthe school well in this position, and I hopeto be able to serve Mercersburg just as wellduring my tenure.”

Hendrickson is one of the most success-ful coaches in recent Mercersburg history.He holds school marks in dual-meet coach-ing victories and winning percentage,coached 12 Pennsylvania state individualprep champions and 28 Prep All-Americans,and led the Blue Storm to six conferencechampionships.

In summer 2007, Mercersburg SummerPrograms ran more than 30 different sessionsfor approximately 1,900 participants.

Hendrickson is a graduate of West Liberty State College and West VirginiaUniversity; his wife, Amy, works in theAcademy’s business office, and their two oldest children, Jennifer ’03 and Rachael ’06, are Mercersburg alumni.

Quentin McDowelldirector of summer and extended programsMcDowell, who also takes over the BlueStorm men’s soccer program, first arrived atMercersburg in 2007 to teach history. His boarding school career began as a postgraduate student at Holderness Schoolin New Hampshire.

The captain of the men’s soccer team atMuhlenberg College, McDowell graduateda semester early and joined the NationalSoccer Coaches Association of America aseducation program coordinator and technicalcoordinator. He developed coaching curriculum, handled event planning, andtaught coaching courses.

McDowell then spent two years as ateacher and coach at Cushing Academy inMassachusetts, where he also served as director of student activities for the school’ssummer session.

In addition to his classroom and residentialduties during his first year at Mercersburg,he was an assistant coach for the varsity men’ssoccer and lacrosse programs.

“I am thrilled to be taking over as direc-tor of summer and extended programs,”McDowell says. “The office has thrivedunder Rick’s leadership, and I hope I canbring the same energy and creativity neededto keep the program moving forward.”


I N S I DE MERCER SBURG

Saying Aloha

The irony isn’t lost on KimberlySmith ’09: she’s a cheerleader ata school that doesn’t officially

have a cheerleading squad.Yet as most of the nation shivered in

early February, Smith (pictured, secondfrom left) was cheering at the 2008 NFL ProBowl in Hawaii, more than 4,700 milesfrom Mercersburg.

Smith, a competitive cheerleader whostarted taking gymnastics classes in firstgrade, was selected to participate in the All-American Cheer and Dance NFL Pro BowlPerformance Tour. She joined approxi-mately 800 cheerleaders from across Amer-ica at pro football’s annual all-star game.

Following more than 15 hours of re-hearsal in the week leading up to the gameat Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium, the groupperformed at halftime and was accompa-nied by a live performance from recordingartist Lifehouse. The game and halftime

show were broadcast on FOX, and Smithreceived additional airtime when she foundherself seated behind Washington Redskinstight end Chris Cooley as he caught atouchdown pass.

Smith played field hockey her freshmanyear at Mercersburg and is a high jumperon the track team (although she missed thespring 2008 season with a back injury). Shebalances academics with 8–10 hours ofweekly practice at her gym, and hopes toearn a cheerleading scholarship to a “big-time” Division I school.

The following members of the Class of 2008 plan to compete in collegiate athletics. Front row (L–R): DestineeHays (Bellarmine, softball), Whitney Matthew (Hampton, track), Clayton Young (Navy, squash), Lauren Dobish(Bates, basketball/softball), Valentin Quan Miranda (Middlebury, squash), Lara Brandfass (College ofCharleston, swimming). Second row: Peter Cooke (Case Western Reserve, swimming), Bill Campi (Rochester,football), Ben Eaton (Lafayette, football), Collin Stevens (Coastal Carolina, football/baseball), David O’Brien(Frostburg State, baseball), Jay Whyel (Alfred, lacrosse). Third row: Garrett Matthews (Washington College,lacrosse), Andrew Reichardt (Dickinson, lacrosse), Ethan Strickler (Kenyon, soccer), Annie Spencer (BostonCollege, cross country), Luke Griffin (Franklin & Marshall, squash), Ben Axelrod (Sewanee, lacrosse), GabeMartin (Emory, basketball). Fourth row: James Finucane (Penn, cross country/track), Fleet White (Navy, track),Logan Craig (John Carroll, soccer), Chris Freeland (Gettysburg, baseball). Back row: Brett Burrier (Maryland-Baltimore County, basketball), Simon Berger (Lehigh, swimming), Nick Rowan (Gettysburg, lacrosse), DavidStrider (South Carolina, track), Marshall Daniels (Navy, swimming). Not pictured: Patrick Holmes (Lehigh,swimming), Mary Lancaster (Hamilton, field hockey/lacrosse), Tom McCarthy (Navy, swimming), AugustaReilly (Washington College, field hockey/lacrosse), Chris Sintetos (Holy Cross, baseball).

OFF TO COLLEGE, ATHLETESWallace Whitworthdirector of strategic marketing and communicationsWhitworth comes to Mercersburg mostrecently from Georgetown University,where for four years he was executive director of marketing, communications,and constituent development in the medical center wing of the university’s Office of Advancement.

A liberal arts graduate of the Universityof South Carolina, Whitworth has focused the better part of his career onbuilding marketing and fundraising programs for some of the most prestigiousinstitutions in the country.

For 10 years at The Kennedy Center inWashington, D.C., he served as assistantdirector of development for annual givingprograms, where he managed a combineddonor base of 30,000 that generated $5 million annually. At Lincoln Center inNew York City, he was director of market-ing for six years with New York City Opera,where he was in charge of all advertisingand sales for a 20-week season of 19 produc-tions in repertory each year.

Whitworth says that he sees Mercers-burg as one big theatrical production—aseasoned production team, a handsomesetting, an ever-renewing story line, a dedi-cated audience of alumni and parents, and,of course, 430 of the most committed andenergized young performers on the planet.

In his new role, he succeeds HeatherSullivan, who accepted a position at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts.


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Most of us like to think that some things never change, and that sen-timent is particularly true when it comes to the Mercersburg quad.

In reality, however, the quad is always changing. Every year, itsuffers the effects of wind, rain, snow, cold, heat, and ice. As thecampus changes, pedestrian and vehicle traffic patterns must be re-assessed—and the quad’s aesthetics inevitably need a face-lift tokeep it fresh and in step with the times.

Rather than simply continuing to maintain the quad in patch-work fashion, the Board of Regents decided that the Academy

Quad and Irvine Memorial Set for Major Revitalizationshould make strategic upgrades, additions, and repairs with the assistance of a leading landscape architect.

Working with Michael Vergason Landscape Architects of Alexandria, Virginia, the Academy is embarking on the first-ever revitalization of the quad, which began in June and continuesthrough spring 2009. The total revitalization will include:• Renovation of the Irvine Memorial• A new traffic pattern

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• New additional parking• A new granite plaza leading to the Chapel and new granitecrosswalks

• Improved quad soils with indigenous trees• Improved curbs, pavings, lighting, and illumination

The Academy chose MVLA because of the firm’s trackrecord of designing lasting places through creative and rigor-ous study of sites and their contexts. Founder Michael Vergasonis involved directly; MVLA’s manager for the Mercersburg proj-ect is Doug Hays, who has a 30-year career in the public andprivate sectors—including the National Park Service, where hewas the landscape architect assigned to the White House dur-ing the Ford, Carter, and Reagan presidencies.

For more information and updates as they become avail-able, visit www.mercersburg.edu/quad.

Twenty-four members of the Class of 2008 were elected to membership in Mercersburg’schapter of the Cum Laude Society. Founded in 1906, the organization is the secondary-schoolequivalent of Phi Beta Kappa, and has chapters at more than 350 schools nationwide.

Sitting (L–R): Sarah Cho, Jenna Spagnolo, Nathan Stanford, Annie Spencer, Janice Jung, MollySabol. Standing: Vivien Hu, Ting Ou Yang, Tony Yen, James Finucane, David Strider, LeonhardDeibel, Eleanor Carroll-Smith, Laura Diller, Remy Wheat, Emily Weiss, Lara Brandfass, JeffChung, Laura Willwerth, Josh Bowling, Pat Morgan, Kelsie Bittle, Chris Freeland, invitedspeaker Ivan Sag ’67 (note, page 48), Head of School Douglas Hale. Not pictured: Kiva Rudd.

THE NEW CLASS OF

Cum Laude

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Springman was selected to compete this sum-mer in the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race from Death Valley to Mount Whitneyin California. She is raising money for the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation inmemory of Lauren Grady, the daughter of Mercersburg faculty member David Grady. Formore information, visit www.badwater.com.

This year, Mercersburg was one of approximately 150 secondaryschools nationwide to offer an Ancient Greek course. (Karl Mullertaught the course, which was the first Greek class at the Academy inmore than 35 years.) Five of his students took the American Classi-cal League’s National Greek Examination; all five received MeritAwards for correctly answering at least 33 of 40 questions. The groupincluded Lars Arnesen ’09, John Draper ’09, Spencer Flohr ’10, JoshMuller ’10, and Sam Richardson ’09.

Students are required to study three or more years of Latin beforeenrolling in the course.

Benicio Del Toro ’85 won the Best Actor prize atthis spring’s Cannes Film Festival for his perform-ance in Steven Soderbergh’s Che. The produc-tion—with Del Toro in the role of Latin Americanrevolutionary figure Ernesto “Che” Guevara—combines a pair of Soderbergh films (Guerilla andThe Argentine) that are tentatively scheduled forrelease in the U.S. sometime this year. In 2000,Del Toro earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor forhis work in another Soderbergh film, Traffic.

Also this spring, Power of 10, a game show created by Del Toroclassmate Michael Davies ’85, captured the prestigious Rose d’Orfor best game show. Davies, a member of Mercersburg’s Board of Regents and CEO of Embassy Row Productions, is executive producer of the show, which airs in the U.S. on CBS and is hostedby Drew Carey.

Mercersburg’s Burgin Center for the Arts earned a pair of archi-tectural awards this spring. The building, which opened in fall 2006,is one of two facilities to receive an Honor Architecture Award thisyear from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, andalso garnered an award citation from the National School Boards As-sociation. An exhibit featuring the building was on display duringthe NSBA conference in Orlando in March.

New York–based Polshek Partnership Architects designed the65,500-square-foot facility, which includes performance, classroom,studio, and other creative space.

In Case You Missed It

C A M P U S N OT E S

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The American Association of Physics Teachers selected Jae Nam ’10 as one of 24 members ofthe 2008 U.S. Physics Team. Nam, who wasnominated by Mercersburg physics teacher JimMalone, earned a top score on an initial qualify-ing exam. He moved on from a pool of 200 semi-finalists to tackle a second exam, which placedhim in the top 24.

As part of the team, Nam spent nine days in May engaged in intense study, testing, and problem solving at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Nam posted a perfect score at the Johns Hopkins MathematicsAlgebra Tournament last fall, and scored in the top 500 out of morethan 225,000 students that participated this spring in the USA Mathematical Olympiad, a national mathematics competition.

In March, the Ammerman Family Lecture fea-tured Australian scientist, conservationist, andauthor Tim Flannery. In his best-selling book,The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changingthe Climate and What It Means for Life onEarth, Flannery tells the story of climatechange over millions of years to help us under-stand the predicament we face today.

“We’ve been given an extraordinary privilege[as a society] today,” Flannery said during histalk. “With new technologies and globaltreaties, we can step in and intervene as aspecies to keep our planet livable.”

The Class of ’48 Lecture was delivered inApril by lecturer and author Marcelo Suarez-Orozco. A member of the National Academy ofEducation and co-founder of the Harvard Immigration Project, heis a professor of globalization and education at New York University.

“The United States is one of the few post-industrial states inwhich immigration is both its history and destiny,” Suarez-Orozcosaid; he told the assembled audience that from the time they wakeup each morning until they go to bed, $1 trillion crosses nationalboundaries, and that every second, 25 people cross a national bordersomewhere in the world.

Talk about going the extra mile: faculty member Alisa Springmanwon a 100-mile race from Key Largo to Key West, Florida, in May.Springman placed first in the inaugural Keys 100—more than twoand a half hours ahead of her closest challenger—and covered the100 miles south of Miami on foot in 23 hours, 2.23 minutes.

The race was held on a Saturday; the following Monday, Spring-man was back on campus teaching math and serving as dorm deanof Keil Hall.

Jae Nam ’10

Alisa Springman

Benicio Del Toro ’85

Tim Flannery

Marcelo Suarez-Orozco

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Artist Jamie Lee McMahan with his portrait of Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey

A Hero’s Welcome for A portrait of Rear Admiral Eugene Bennett Fluckey ’30was unveiled on Memorial

Day in the Simon Theatre. The portraitwill hang in Ford Hall along with paint-ings of Mercersburg’s two other Medalof Honor recipients, Lieutenant RalphTalbot ’16 and Admiral Joel T. Boone(1909)—and with the portrait of WorldWar I hero Wilbert White (1907), whohas been frequently recommended forthe Medal of Honor.

Fluckey was a World War II hero anda great naval leader and innovator. A1935 graduate of the United StatesNaval Academy, he joined the subma-rine service in 1938 and took commandof the USS Barb in April 1944. He received the Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life” as the Barb’s commanding officer. Among Fluckey’smany other commendations were fourNavy Crosses, the Distinguished ServiceMedal, and the Legion of Merit; he diedin June 2007 at age 93.

The Fluckey portrait was commis-sioned and given to Mercersburg inmemory of Thomas G. Pownall ’40 byhis widow, Marilyn, and family.

A total of 167 Mercersburg alumniwere killed in action during World War I, World War II, the Korean War,and the Vietnam War. “That number isfar more than this school’s fair share,given our size,” said Douglas Hale, headof school, during the ceremony. “But itmeasures the depth of Mercersburg’s belief in duty, honor, and service tocountry.

“Admiral Fluckey’s achievements areenormous, and he is truly a war hero. Weare deeply proud of him and of all of our military.”

New Portrait

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1,043 Words Most in attendance lookedskyward as the final bell in the Academy’s SwoopeCarillon was lifted into the tower on a festive Mayday. This view offers a different perspective of thefestivities, which honored the bell’s namesake,Mercersburg carillonneur James W. Smith.


Class of 2008 Legacy Graduates1. Allie Locke, granddaughter of the late Thomas G. Pownall ’40 and great-granddaughter of the lateWilliam R. Cunnick ’13 as well as the late Hetzel S. Pownall ’13. 2. GrantFerguson, son of Gary Ferguson ’72. 3. David O’Brien, son of Ridge O’Brien ’73. 4. Logan Craig, grandson of the late F. Perry Smith Jr. ’35. 5. Phil Hook, son of David Hook ’67.6. Emily Carl, granddaughter of Charles Carl ’53. 7. ValenciaWhitehurst, daughter of Zania Pearson ’89. 8. Tyler Chambers, grandson of George Chambers Jr. ’41.

MERCERSBURG’S 115th COMMENCEMENTJune 7, 2008

“Today is a celebration of hard work and dedicated service to a school we love.”—ETHAN STRICKLER ’08, PRESIDENT OF THE CLASS OF 2008

1

2 3 5 6 7

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

ValedictorianRemyWheat ’08

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Cum Laude SocietyKelsie BittleJosh BowlingLara BrandfassEleanor Carroll-SmithSarah ChoJeff ChungLeonhard DeibelLaura DillerJames FinucaneChris FreelandVivien HuJanice JungPat MorganTing Ou YangKiva RuddMolly SabolJenna SpagnoloAnnie SpencerNathan StanfordDavid StriderEmily WeissRemy WheatLaura WillwerthTony Yen

President’s Education Awardfor Educational ExcellenceKelsie BittleLara BrandfassEleanor Carroll-SmithSarah ChoPeter CookeLeonhard DeibelJames FinucaneVivien HuSean JohnsonJanice JungSteve KimKwang Baek LeePat MorganTing Ou YangKiva RuddDiane SchromLily SmithJenna SpagnoloAnnie SpencerDavid StriderEmily WeissRemy WheatFleet WhiteLaura Willwerth

EnglishTHE HARRY F. SMITH PRIZE

Remy WheatTHE JOHNMOUNTAIN PRIZE

Lara BrandfassTHE DR. JULIUS SHAMANSKY PRIZE

Emily BrundageTHEWILLIAM C. HEILMAN PRIZE

Fleet WhiteTHE POETRY PRIZE

Taylor HoffmanTHE PRATT L. TOBEY PRIZE

Mary LancasterTHE GORDONM.MACARTNEY PRIZE

Mary Lancaster

Fine ArtsTHE HEAD OF SCHOOL’S

PURCHASE PRIZE

Jenna Spagnoloand Laura WillwerthTHE AUSTIN V.MCCLAIN PRIZE

IN FINE ARTS

Amanda ChaTHE MUSIC DIRECTOR’S PRIZE

Natasha SukerkarTHE PAUL M. SUERKEN PRIZE

Josh BowlingTHE SENIOR INSTRUMENTAL

MUSIC PRIZE

Janice Jungand Trent WoodhamTHE DANCE DIRECTOR’S AWARD

Honor ZimmermanTHE CHOREOGRAPHY PRIZE

Liza RockwellTHE STONY BATTER PRIZE

Anna Hunka and Alex Schroer

HistoryTHE EUROPEAN HISTORY PRIZE

Kelsie BittleTHE HUMANITIES PRIZE

Diane SchromTHE COLONELWILLS PRIZE

Robbie Munter (first prize)Tony Yen (second prize)

Foreign LanguageADVANCED LEVEL CHINESE

Janice JungINTRODUCTORY LEVEL GERMAN

Hisaki MizutaniTHE H. EUGENE DAVIS PRIZE IN SPANISH

Natasha Sukerkar

MathematicsPRIZE IN MATH 50 AP (CALCULUS)

Leonhard Deibel

ReligionTHEWILLIAM PAUL BUCHANAN PRIZE

Fleet White (first prize)Josh Bowling (second prize)Peter Cooke (fourth prize)

ScienceTHEWILMARTH I. JACOBS

AP PHYSICS PRIZE

Leonhard DeibelTHE BRENT GIFT ENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCE PRIZE

Jenna Spagnolo

Athletics/Outdoor EducationTHE LEONARD PLANTZ AWARD

James FinucaneTHE DARRELL ECKER AWARD

Lauren DobishTHE PERSIS F. ROSS AWARD

Seth Fries

Special AwardsU.S. NAVAL ACADEMY AT ANNAPOLIS

CERTIFICATE

Marshall DanielsSean JohnsonTom McCarthyFleet WhiteClayton Young

THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Taylor HoffmanTHE YALE UNIVERSITY AURELIAN PRIZE

David StriderTHE FRANCIS SHUNK DOWNS PRIZE

Kate PrestonTHEWILLIAM C. FOWLE AWARD

Josh Bowlingand Rachel GreenbergTHE MARY JANE BERGER PRIZE

Emily CarlTHE TIM O. ROCKWELL AWARD

Seth FriesTHE CAROL AMOROCHO PRIZE

Chris FreelandTHE HEAD OF SCHOOL’S PRIZE

James Finucane

CLASS OF 2008 PRIZES FOR DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE

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FFaaccttss aanndd FFiigguurreess122 graduates, rreepprreesseennttiinngg 1188 ssttaatteess,, tthheeDDiissttrriicctt ooff CCoolluummbbiiaa,, aanndd 1166 nnaattiioonnss

Members of the class wwiillll aatttteenndd 8888 ddiiffffeerreennttiinnssttiittuuttiioonnss ooff hhiigghheerr lleeaarrnniinngg

Most-popular college choice ((ffiivveemmaattrriiccuullaattiioonnss)):: UUnniitteedd SSttaatteess NNaavvaall AAccaaddeemmyy

Second-most-popular choices ((tthhrreeeemmaattrriiccuullaattiioonnss eeaacchh)):: AAmmeerriiccaann UUnniivveerrssiittyy,,CCoolllleeggee ooff CChhaarrlleessttoonn,, EEmmoorryy UUnniivveerrssiittyy,, LLeehhiigghhUUnniivveerrssiittyy,, NNeeww YYoorrkk UUnniivveerrssiittyy,, UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooffPPeennnnssyyllvvaanniiaa,, UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff RRiicchhmmoonndd,,UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff RRoocchheesstteerr

Valedictorian: RReemmyy WWhheeaatt,, RRiicchhmmoonndd,, VViirrggiinniiaa

Salutatorian: EEmmiillyy WWeeiissss,, GGrreeeennccaassttllee,,PPeennnnssyyllvvaanniiaa

Schaff Orator: DDaavviidd SSttrriiddeerr,, CChhaarrlleess TToowwnn,,WWeesstt VViirrggiinniiaa

Class Orator: LLaauurraa DDiilllleerr,, CChhaammbbeerrssbbuurrgg,,PPeennnnssyyllvvaanniiaa

Commencement speaker: CC.. TThhoommaass TThhoorrnnee,,ffaaccuullttyy mmeemmbbeerr//LLaattiinn tteeaacchheerr aanndd llaanngguuaaggeeddeeppaarrttmmeenntt hheeaadd

Baccalaureate speaker: JJaammeess AApppplleebbaauumm,,ffaaccuullttyy mmeemmbbeerr//EEnngglliisshh tteeaacchheerr

“This world is going to be okay,because you will make it that way.This world is going to be okay,because you will make it yourresponsibility to hold thingstogether; to solve age-old problemsand some new ones.”—TOM THORNE, COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

MERCERSBURG’S 115th COMMENCEMENT

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1 5 MM EE RR CC EE RR SS BB UU RR GG MM AA GGAA ZZ II NN EE SS UU MM MM EE RR 22 00 00 88

Irving-Marshall Week 2008

Irving declaimers (L–R): Taylor Hoffman ’08, Hannah Miller ’10, second-placewinner Ellis Mays ’10, Fleet White ’08, Derek Osei-Bonsu ’09.

Marshall declaimers (L–R): Rebecca Galey ’09, first-place winner Bond Stockdale ’09,Evan Pavloff ’09, Patrick Morgan ’08, third-place winner Emily Bays ’10.

WINNER: MARSHALL

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eager to run her own program. “That’s how I learned aboutMercersburg,” she says. “I remember driving here on a roadin the middle of nowhere and then finding this beautifulcampus.” During her interview, she felt a pull toward theschool and especially toward the basketball team she metbriefly—“I sensed they were eager for me to come back andimmediately felt that I had work to do here.”

Among the highlights of her first season? A convincingwin against Lawrenceville [58–36] “and the fact that myteam is laughing and smiling,” she says. “We’re working hardand having fun.”

Being a teacher who is also an accomplished athlete di-rectly influences how Liddell runs her classroom, her prac-tices, and her life. “Discipline is everything to me; it’s howI was raised and how my best teachers and coaches werewith me,” she says. “It is something I impart to my studentsand my players every day. I believe that everything falls intoplace with discipline and a firm grasp of the fundamentals.”

Additionally, she has found that a boarding-school envi-ronment takes mentoring to a whole new level. “There areso many areas of the students’ lives where we can make apositive impact,” Liddell says.

One of six siblings, Liddell is grateful to the female rolemodels and mentors who altered the direction of her life.“At a point in high school, I felt indifferent about playingbasketball until one of my coaches told me that I had sometalent and she wanted me on the team. From that point,everything changed, and I became more focused and goal-oriented.

“For me, having mentors led to my being able to travel,to see the world, and realize that I have options.” At Mer-cersburg, Liddell’s vision is clear: “My passion and purposeis to give back to the kids—I am here to mentor.”

—Lindsay Tanton

ith Monique Liddell at the head of the class,you wouldn’t dream of coming up with anytype of “dog-ate-my-homework” excuse. Lid-

dell, who began at Mercersburg last fall as a math teacherand head women’s basketball coach, runs a tight ship witha cool, steady confidence often found in teacher-athletes.She will keep her coaching duties and serve as the Acad-emy’s associate director of athletics beginning in fall 2008.

After coaching at the high school and collegiate levels—including a stint as an assistant at Morgan State University,where she was a three-time All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Con-ference selection during her playing career—Liddell was

MONIQUE LIDDELL:

“Here to Mentor”W

at MercersburgTHE LIFE OF SPORT

“There are so many areas of the students’lives where we can make a positive impact.”

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MMEERRCCEERR SSBBUURRGG MMAAGGAAZZ II NNEE SSUUMMMMEERR 220000 88 17

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ow do you know you’re an Olympian? If youfind yourself in the Olympic Village wearingGeorge Foreman’s sportcoat, chances are

you’ve made it.In 1968, Pete Williams qualified for the U.S. Olympic

Swim Team in the 400-meter medley relay. Williams wasfresh out of Michigan State University (where he was an 11-time All-American and an NCAA record holder in the 400individual medley)—and although he didn’t see action as acompetitor at those Games in Mexico City, Williams offi-cially caught Olympic fever. (He also tried on Foreman’sjacket, which, for the record, “enveloped me,” he says.)

Williams, who has served as Mercersburg’s head swim-ming coach since 1988, has been a part of four Olympiadsas an athlete, coach, or official.

“No one is ever a ‘former’ Olympian—once you’re one,you’re always one,” Williams says. “It’s sort of like a big fra-ternity, with all the friendships and the camaraderie.”

While preparing for the ’68 Games at the U.S. OlympicTraining Center in Colorado Springs, Williams noticed thata lot of swimmers were training in the modern pentathlon(which combines swimming, a cross-country run, pistolshooting, an equestrian event, and fencing). So he decidedto give it a try.

After the Olympics and while in the Army at Fort SamHouston in San Antonio, Williams was training to becomean MP when he was thrown from a horse on the pentathloncourse, breaking his ankle. The setback had the unintendedconsequence of giving birth to his coaching career.

Williams began coaching at nearby Alamo Heights HighSchool, where he tutored future Olympic gold medalistBruce Hayes. He prepared members of the U.S. modernpentathlon team for the 1972 and 1976 Games, and served

as a pentathlon official (and as Hayes’ personal coach) dur-ing the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles; Hayesstruck gold there in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

At those same Olympics, former Olympic swimmer JohnMcGinigo and sports psychologist Keith Bell talkedWilliams into his first open-water swim, in the PacificOcean. “I loved it,” Williams says. “It’s so different frombeing in the pool.” Williams has competed in open-waterevents in the U.S., Australia, and Mexico, and won his agegroup at a May competition in Austin, Texas.

Immediately after coming to Mercersburg in 1988, heworked as the swim coach for the U.S. modern pentathlonsquad at the Summer Olympics in Seoul; he also served asde facto head swimming coach for the Pakistani OlympicTeam at the 1996 Atlanta Games, when he coached thesquad’s lone member, Kamul Masud ’97. (Williams alsoworked in Atlanta with Croatia’s Tinka Dancevic ’98.)

Under Williams, 10 Mercersburg swimmers have competed at the Olympics; at the Academy, members of histeams have broken three national interscholastic records,won four Eastern Interscholastic Swimming Champi-onships, and captured the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Prep Leaguemen’s championship.

“The experience here as a coach is pretty unique,” says Williams, now in his 19th year as head of the physicaleducation department. Both his daughters, Jeanie WilliamsMcGaughy ’92 and Rosie Williams Udodj ’95, competed in various sports at Mercersburg (including swimming, in Jeanie’s case). “Kids want to compete and get a good education. It’s really similar to a college situation.”

—Lee Owen

PETE WILLIAMS:

Making a SplashH


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“No one is ever a ‘former’Olympian—once you’reone, you’re always one.”

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BBiillll CCaarrrr ’’2299 11993322 UUSSAA ttrraacckk && ffiieelldd

BBaassiill FFrraanncciiss ’’3311 11993322 UUSSAA sswwiimmmmiinngg

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One thing that stood out when Icame here was the nature of the

program Rick had built. This was a placeboth for elite wrestlers and for kids whobegan wrestling at Mercersburg—kids whostuck with the program and became solidwrestlers by their senior years. Rick caresequally about all of his wrestlers, and abouthow they develop as athletes and asstudents.

“There are many people who considerRick to have been the most importantperson in their Mercersburg experiences. Inthat way, Rick is a coach in the fullest senseof the word. His combination of commit -ment and caring has been critical to thesuccess of many kids, especially those thathave hit some bumps. So it’s no surprisethat a couple of wrestlers have asked Rickto serve as best man in their weddings.

“Rick knows wrestling. Before coming toMercersburg, he turned around the wrestlingprogram at Berkeley Springs High School inWest Virginia. He is a master at generatingreal enthusiasm about wrestling; hispractices are creative and effective. There’sthe legendary dead-of-winter mountain runat McConnellsburg, and I’m sure ourwrestlers have nothing but fond memoriesof having to push Rick’s pickup truckaround campus.

“Rick has volunteered to help otherathletic programs with conditioning drills.He assisted with the football programdespite his hectic schedule. And in additionto coaching wrestling [and working asMercersburg’s director of summer andextended programs], Rick produced aMercersburg wrestling magazine, mediaguides, a wrestling website, and an email listthat keeps the Mercersburg wrestlingcommunity connected.

Jason Bershatsky

Saluting a Coach


““When Rick came, his strategy was

simple: find the best possible competitionand compete. The number of matches wentup and the quality of our opponents alsoincreased. But stepping up to that next levelhas always meant that each and everywrestler take that step. That emphasis oncommunity—the earnest commitment toevery player, every ‘mat stat’ [manager],every coach, and every family—that’s whathas been most rewarding to me as a memberof Mercersburg’s wrestling community.”

—Phil Kantaros

EDITOR’S NOTE: After 15 years atthe helm of Mercersburg’swrestling program, RickHendrickson becomes theAcademy’s director of athleticsthis fall. Longtime assistantcoach Jason Bershatsky offershis reflections on one of themost successful coaches inrecent Mercersburg history.

Rick Hendrickson

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SSuuppeerr PPoowweerrss

Jimmy Curran

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have to admit that the first time I heard “MOE” (thecommon campus acronym for Mercersburg Out-door Education), I thought that it sounded like oneof the Three Stooges.

I think I even suggested calling it something else—rather insulting, I’m sure, to Derry Mason, MOE’s director,who had been using the moniker for a year before I hit thescene. The outdoors, and the effect our programs have onpeople, could not be further in my eyes perceptually fromslapstick comedy. Only through three years of participationhave I understood what “I do MOE” means to our studentsand the community.

MOE is a department—one that offers biking, climb-ing, kayaking, and Endeavor [our mountaineering, com-munications, and leadership course] along with a numberof residential programs focused on leadership. As MOEfaculty, we have a commitment to physical fitness that weinstill in our participants regardless of what discipline we’reworking in that particular season. We do this by role mod-eling—by working out alongside the students. Open andassertive communication, leadership fundamentals, andsound wilderness ethics permeate all of our programs. I’dlike to think that it is this consistent quality of experiencethat is responsible for the “I do MOE” phenomenon.

Embracing the school’s egalitarian sensibilities hashelped increase “buy-in” on the part of our participants.There’s a moment in every season when the students real-ize that, as instructors, we’re not simply assigning them a

BY PETE GUNKELMAN

TTHHEE SSHHOORRTT LLIISSTT OOFF WWIINNNNEERRSS OOFF 1122 VVAARRSSIITTYY LLEETTTTEERRSS AATT MMEERRCCEERRSSBBUURRGG IINNCCLLUUDDEESS::

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EErriicc RRaahhaauusseerr ((22000011––22000055)):: ssoocccceerr,, bbaasskkeettbbaallll,, tteennnniiss

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LLaauurreenn DDoobbiisshh ((22000044––22000088)):: ssoocccceerr,, bbaasskkeettbbaallll,, ssooffttbbaallll

An inside look at Mercersburg’sgreat outdoors department

InformationMOE

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I

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Gunkelman (right) and MOE Director Derry Mason


workout. We critique their form, push them,and sweat right next to them as we all workto complete the task.

There are few traditional sports offered at Mercersburg (or anywhere else) where involvement is inherent in the coaching ofthat activity. Our kayak instructors, includingstudent-instructors Laura Graham ’09 andSeth Fries ’08, don’t stand on the riverbank;they paddle alongside the others. This im-mersion that students see from the leaders ofprograms cultivates a sense of putting one-self on the line, and garners trust in the instructor’s skills (and a healthy respect forthe decisions the instructor makes as well). Ifa MOE instructor tells you to watch whatyou’re doing, it could be a life-threateningsituation.

It’s hard to talk about what students takefrom our programs physically without

discussing other aspects of the program. Ifyou’re involved with Endeavor, you’ll runwith a pack on—every day. If you’re on theClimbing Team, you’ll do more pull-upsand run more than you ever thought possi-ble. And those are just training regimens;the real activities—the actual mountaineer-ing, climbing, and kayaking experiences—are so much more than physical actions.

To examine these activities without talk-ing about leadership, personal responsibil-ity, communication, and intense relianceupon your group-mates is impossible. Thosethat “do MOE” learn much more than howto stay in shape.

Pete Gunkelman is the assistant director ofMercersburg Outdoor Education. His wife,Leah Rockwell ’97, serves as dorm dean ofTippetts Hall.

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Mercersburg Profiles

There have been victories in thespotlight: for starters, Mercersburg alumni have won 12Olympic gold medals, as well as Super Bowls as front-officepersonnel (Baltimore Ravens president Dick Cass ’64 andIndianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay ’78). Dean Taylor ’69 playeda part in bringing World Series championships to Kansas Cityand Atlanta.There have been triumphs in the shadows: Jimmy Rodgers ’81

tackled as tough an assignment as there is for a professionalgroundskeeper—repeatedly transitioning a playing surface fromMajor League Baseball to Major League Soccer and back again.Tom Edlefsen ’61 beat paralysis to return to tennis greatness.There has been fun: KareemWright ’99 brought smiles to the

faces of basketball fans from Bermuda to Budapest as a memberof the storied Harlem Globetrotters.And service to humanity has played a part: Jamie Hughes ’01

used basketball to bring Protestant and Catholic youth togetherin Northern Ireland.Whatever their spots on the roster—as athletes, broadcasters,

coaches, executives, or something else—Mercersburg alumniare running the race, reporting the scores, solving problems,and pushing themselves to higher limits.To take the field with some of the Academy’s athletic

representatives, read on.

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Charles Moore—undefeated in his signature athleticevent—has a similar record in business and leadership

BY SHE LTON CLA R K

Charles Moore ’47 would haveno use for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s oft-quotedmaxim that there are no second acts inAmerican lives. Not only did Moore follow an Olympic-

gold-medal-winning track career with a seriesof business successes, but his return to theathletic world and his status as a leader incorporate philanthropy would qualify him—even by Fitzgerald’s standards—for a thirdor fourth act already, with more to come.Moore’s athletic career was very nearly

finished before it began. As a 6-year-old childin Coatesville, Pennsylvania, he was run overby an automobile and broke his right leg sobadly that normal treatments (stabilizing thefracture with pins) did not work; the doctorseventually drilled holes in the bones and tiedthem together with kangaroo hide. Six monthspassed before Moore could walk again.Moore attended a one-room, consolidated

school until coming to Mercersburg for his11th-grade year. That was when his father,fellow Olympian Charles “Crip” Moore ’22,told his son that he wanted him to follow inhis footsteps at the Academy.“My dad was an enormous influence,” the

younger Moore says. “He took me up thereand introduced me to Jimmy Curran, whowas bigger than life. Like it was for manypeople, Mercersburg was a life-changingexperience. I grew up at Mercersburg—acad-emically, socially, and athletically.”Until he met Curran, Mercersburg’s

legendary track coach of 51 years [page 23],Moore did not even consider himselfan athlete. “Jim said, ‘Let’s see. Your dad was a

hurdler; let’s see if we can make you ahurdler,’” Moore recalls. “I’d never even runbefore, so it was a big deal just getting threesteps between the hurdles. The thing thatsurprised me is how I took to it.“I owe everything in my track career to

Jimmy Curran, who simply turned to this kidwho had never run—ever—and said, ‘Here,let me help you.’”

Winning Every Race

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a long stride, so I was always chopping down.I said, ‘Wait a minute—I can do better, I’lltake 13 steps between hurdles.’ And that wasrevolutionary.”Moore also ran the 400-meter dash and a

leg of the mile relay. His relay team won thenational prep-school championships atMadison Square Garden his first year, and hecompeted in the Penn Relays and won theschool’s Williams Cup before moving on to adistinguished career at Cornell.In addition to serving three terms on

Mercersburg’s Board of Regents, Moore servedas national chairman for the Mightily Onwardcampaign. (Along with his father, several ofMoore’s family members have Mercersburgties—including great-niece Jane Banta ’11,the starting goalie on the Blue Storm’s fieldhockey team last fall.)Many athletes are prone to exaggeration

when recalling past athletic exploits, but Mooreis unequivocally modest. He recounts the varsityletters he received on Cornell’s track teamwithout mention of the NCAA titles he wonin the 220-yard hurdles and the 440-yard dash.And then there’s the 1952 Summer

Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. “I was veryfortunate to make the Olympic team and wina gold medal and set the Olympic record inthe 400-meter hurdles,” he says, simply andmatter-of-factly. He also ran the third leg forthe silver-medal-winning U.S. mile relay team.Moore’s accomplishments earned him a

place in the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame,and the United States Olympic Committeenamed him one of its 100 Golden Athletes in1996. He has also served as chair of the USOC’saudit committee and on a USOC group thatselected New York to represent the U.S. in abid for the 2012 Summer Olympics (whichLondon ultimately won the right to host).Moore retired from competition follow-

A crucial step—so to speak—in Moore’sprogress as a hurdler came in an epiphany ofself-discovery. “I was just a fair hurdler withnot particularly picture-perfect form,” he says.“I learned early on that typically, everybodytook 15 steps [in the 40 yards] between hurdles.I was six feet tall, but I had fairly long legs and

ing his win in Helsinki, having never lost a400 hurdles race. Ever. “By good fortune, Iknew when to stop and to hang up my spikes,”he says. “Eventually, if you’ve run longenough, you’re going to lose a race.”Cornell engineering degree in hand,

Moore had offers from DuPont and Bethle-hem Steel, but at his father’s urging, hedecided to work with his family’s steel-forgingbusiness. He later sold the business to Gulf + Western Industries, and embarked ona management career that led him to serveas CEO for a series of struggling companieshe would turn around.More than 40 years into his business career,

Moore was unable to resist the call of his colle-giate alma mater when it asked him to becomeits athletic director in 1994. Seeing anotheropportunity for a turnaround, he took the job,under the proviso that he would stay just fiveyears. He was the catalyst for significantupgrades in facilities and new coaching hires,and kept his word by retiring in 1999.He had hoped to move to Washington and

work in the government at that point, but aboard of corporate philanthropists, workingthrough an executive search firm, had otherplans in mind. Today, Moore is executivedirector of the Committee EncouragingCorporate Philanthropy.“They were attracted to me not for what I

knew about corporate philanthropy, [but] forwhat I knew about being a CEO and the valuesystems that are an important part of corporateAmerica,” Moore says. “I had an amazing expe-rience as [Cornell’s] director of athletics, andnow I’m doing this, where I have 175 CEOsthat I brought in. We account for 50 percentof the total corporate giving in the United States.So it’s been an amazing experience, and at 78,I’ve never had more fun.”

“By good fortune, I knew when to stop and to hang up my spikes.

Eventually, if you’ve run long enough, you’re going to lose a race.”

—CHARLES MOORE ’47

It builds discipline. It buildshard work; it supports hardwork; it rewards hard work. Andbeing an elite athlete requiresenormous dedication and focus.As director of athletics atCornell, I once was looking atthe grade-point averages of myathletes, and I found that 34 ofthem had a 4.0 or better—Ididn’t know anybody could dothat. And I thought that thepresident of the universityneeded to meet these kids.

So twice a year, I’d invite all theseathletes—I called it the 400 Club—tohave breakfast with the president andthe provost. The whole idea was forthem to tell the president how they’dbeen able to do it at Cornell. Anduniformly, they all said, “We could nothave these incredible grade-point aver-ages and this wonderful experience if itwere not for athletics. We need thefitness, we need the outpouring of ourenergy and so on, and that’s the onlyreason we are at the top of our class.

“We don’t need the parties, we don’tneed the beer drinking, we don’t need the staring at the television oranything else, but we need this outlet to go forward.”

On

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Meet a TimelessOlympian OnlineJohn Macionis ’34 (right, with Mercersburg Head Swimming Coach PeteWilliams) won a silver medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. At those Olympics (best remembered for Jesse Owens’ historic performances and the specter of Nazi power in Germany), Macionis was part of the American 4x200-meter freestyle relay team.Macionis swam as part of two record-settingnational interscholastic relay teams at Mercersburg, and went on to win back-to-back individual NCAA championships in the1500-meter freestyle at Yale in 1937 and 1938. He is credited with giving legendary Mercersburg swimming coach “King” JohnMiller his nickname. Today, at age 92, Macionislives outside Philadelphia; he served as an official at the Eastern Intercollegiate Swim-ming Championships for more than 50 years,and swam daily into his 90s.

For more about Macionis and his career, visit www.mercersburg.edu/magazine.

Looking for Someone?

Dick Cass ’64

Rolando Cruz ’60

Fred Engh ’54

Betsy Mitchell ’83

John Rowlinson ’67

Melvin Stewart ’88

Dean Taylor ’69

The following sports-related alumni were profiled in recent issuesof Mercersburgmagazine. Visit www.mercersburg.edu/magazineto revisit these profiles, or contact the school to receive past issuesby mail.

president, Baltimore Ravens (summer 2007 issue)

three-time Summer Olympian (winter 2007–2008)

founder/president, International Alliance for Youth Sports (summer 2007)

Olympic gold medalist/director of athletics, Allegheny College (summer 2007)

director of television, All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (winter 2007–2008)

Olympic gold medalist (summer 2007)

assistant general manager, Kansas City Royals (summer 2007)

Dick Cass ’64

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He had won three national championshipsas a member of the greatest men’s collegetennis team of all time, and had been namedAll-America in three of his four seasons.He had played at Wimbledon. He had beaten Arthur Ashe—and players

that were better than Arthur Ashe.He never lost a match in two years at

Mercersburg.But little of that seemed to matter as Tom

Edlefsen ’61, the No. 9-ranked tennis playerin the United States, lay paralyzed in a hospi-tal bed, his life dependent on a respirator. In 1967, with war raging half a world away

in Vietnam, Edlefsen joined the Air ForceReserves immediately following his last exam

at the University of Southern California. Heand his friend Larry Riggs, the son of pro-tennislegend Bobby Riggs, went through basic train-ing together; the process began with a seriesof 12 immunizations—the same ones everyserviceman received after reporting for duty.Doctors later determined that Edlefsen

suffered a reaction to his smallpox vaccina-tion; over the next several weeks, the infec-tion developed into a rare nerve disease calledGuillain-Barré syndrome. While most of itsvictims recover in time, a percentage do not;there are some in the medical communitythat believe President Franklin DelanoRoosevelt was stricken with GBS, not polio.“If you recover, they know it’s not polio,”

Edlefsen says.

Tom Edlefsen’stoughest opponentnever stepped ontoa court

BY LEE OWEN

BeatingODDSTH

E

Edlefsen (second from left) and the 1963 national-champion USC

men’s tennis team

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Moving east—and northEdlefsen grew up in Piedmont, California, inthe Bay Area—a tennis hotbed in those daysto rival anyplace in America. One of the kidsEdlefsen learned to play the game with, ChrisCrawford, made the United States Davis Cupteam as a junior at Piedmont High.In 1958, Edlefsen became the youngest

player ever to win the National Junior Hard-court Championship. He met Mercersburgalumnus Sy Bashore of the Class of 1910,who told Edlefsen and his family about DaleJunta ’54; Junta had won the same tourna-ment several years earlier. At Bashore’s recom-mendation, Junta went east to Mercersburgand later became captain of the tennis teamat Harvard.Today, it’s commonplace for top Ameri-

can juniors to head south and west to placeslike Florida and Edlefsen’s home state of Cali-fornia for year-round training opportunities.More recently, a promising young Nebraskannamed Andy Roddick relocated to Texas andlater South Florida as a junior for the purposeof training 12 months a year in the constantoutdoor-friendly weather. So here Edlefsen was faced with the oppo-

site decision; leave the temperate climate ofNorthern California for a climate with allfour seasons—heavy winter snows and icestorms included. “My parents thoughtMercersburg and its great education were agood idea,” Edlefsen says. From a wins-and-losses standpoint, the

move to the Academy for Edlefsen (at thebeginning of his 11th-grade year) was acomplete success. He was undefeated in bothsingles and doubles, and just once in twoyears was an opponent able to muster thestrength to stretch him to a third set; eventhen, Edlefsen dispatched the challengeranyway. The Blue Devils (as they were thenknown) were a combined 13–1 in dual-matchplay with Edlefsen on campus, with their onlyloss a 1961 defeat at the hands of WoodberryForest. Edlefsen won the Eastern Inter-scholastic Championship on Long Island thatsame year.There was just one problem with

Mercersburg.

“I hated it,” Edlefsen says. “But I was tooimmature at the time to realize how greatMercersburg was for me. When I went there,I had to work. I waited on tables three mealsa day, but I met some of my best friends bydoing that.”Teammate David Frantz ’60, Edlefsen’s

doubles partner and the No. 2 singles playerbehind him in his first season at the Academy,“really took me under his wing and lookedout for me,” Edlefsen says.Frantz, now a member of Mercersburg’s

Board of Regents and a professor of Englishand secretary of the Board of Trustees at TheOhio State University, says Edlefsen wasimpossible to beat.“There’s no question that Tom was the

greatest tennis player ever at the Academy,”Frantz says. “He had these beautiful, longground strokes, and was a true gentleman andan unassuming guy.”Edlefsen remembers frequent trips home

with Frantz on weekends; Frantz lived in nearbyChambersburg, where his father was head-master at Penn Hall, a nearby girls’ school.“We’d get the shovels out and chip away theice on the courts and hit,” Edlefsen says.“It was difficult being at Mercersburg at

that time in my life, but I learned a lot fromit and I’m glad I went. I remember the profes-sors to this day—including my English teachermy senior year, [“Fred” Slater], who I evenran into at a stop on the tour. They were great.”

Back to CaliforniaGiven his success on the junior circuit and inprep school, Edlefsen was a sought-after collegerecruit. After a year at Oakland City College(made necessary by Edlefsen’s failure to passchemistry in his final term at Mercersburg),his decision came down to USC and cross-town rival UCLA. Edlefsen’s Junior Davis Cupteammates Ashe and Charlie Pasarell werefreshmen at UCLA, but USC countered withthe reigning NCAA singles and doubles cham-pion (Rafael Osuna) and a former Wimble-don and U.S. Open doubles titlist (DennisRalston); Ralston would sweep the NCAAsingles and doubles crowns (with Osuna as hisdoubles partner) the following season.

Essentially, Edlefsen became a tiebreakerof sorts between the Trojans and Bruins;whichever team secured his services wouldimmediately morph into the favorite tocapture the national title.“When I was the number-one player in

Northern California as a junior, I had knownDennis; he was the top-ranked player inSouthern California,” Edlefsen says. “We hadmet at what is now the Orange Bowl tour-nament in Miami, where they had put ustogether in doubles and we became friends.So I decided to go to USC.”For legendary coach George Toley’s

Trojans, Edlefsen played No. 3 singles behindRalston and Osuna. USC won national cham-pionships in 1963, 1964, and 1966. (Between1962 and 1969, the Trojans’ stranglehold onthe crown was broken just once—by UCLAin 1965.)Numerous experts consider the 1963 team

(Edlefsen’s freshman season) to be the bestever assembled; the Trojans sent their top fiveplayers from that squad—including Edlef-sen—to the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall ofFame. “That was the best team of all time,”former Stanford head coach Dick Gould toldInside Tennis in 2005. “You’ve got a coupleof Grand Slam champions; you’ve got threeguys [Ralston, Osuna, and Edlefsen] whowere in the top 10 in the U.S. They were ina class by themselves.”

TOUGH DRAWIn 1963, fresh off his first NCAAteam title, Edlefsen defeated Roy Emerson (the world’s top-ranked player) and beat ArthurAshe in back-to-back rounds of the U.S. National Indoors in Salisbury, Maryland. And Edlefsen didn’t even reach thefinals of the tournament; hedropped a semifinal match to USC teammate (and reigningNCAA singles champion) Dennis Ralston.

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AsJimmy Rodgers ’81 generatesan allusion to Robert Frost, itsomehow seems appropriate

on a couple of levels.The first is easy to see: Rodgers was

an English major at Colgate University,so he is well acquainted with one ofAmerica’s master poets.The second may not be as obvious,

but it makes sense, especially whenconsidering the route Rodgers selectedfor a career. Like Frost’s traveler in “TheRoad Not Taken,” Rodgers took the roadless traveled.“I’ve chosen a career path that not

many of my classmates at Mercersburgwould ever have thought of,” saysRodgers. “It’s like the poem by RobertFrost; I chose the narrower path.”And that, as Frost famously concludes,

has made all the difference.Rodgers has worked in turf manage-

ment since 1992, and is fortunate to beemployed in a career he loves. As long asthat love burns, what’s wrong with a littledirt under the fingernails, some mud onthe shoes, or even an occasional grass stainon the knees of a good pair of pants?“I’ve found my vocation in this indus-

try,” Rodgers says. “It has been very reward-ing. I’ve had a really good ride.”The journey has melded two of Rodgers’

loves: the outdoors and sports. He grewup on a dairy farm in central Pennsylvania,forging a love for agriculture. At Mercers-burg, he played football, baseball,and basketball.“He was chosen by his teammates to

be captain of the basketball team his senioryear, even though he wasn’t a starter,” sayslongtime Mercersburg faculty member

The landscape of tennischanged substantially in1968, when professionalswere allowed to compete inthe major tournaments(including Wimbledon, theU.S. Open, and the FrenchOpen) for the first time.

“Today, if [college-aged players] are goodenough, they just go directly into the pros,”Edlefsen says.

A devastating blow… and recoverySince Guillain-Barré syndrome attacks thebody from the extremities inward, Edlefsenfirst lost feeling in his hands and feet. In amatter of weeks, the paralysis was total—although temporary. The symptoms slowlysubsided after six months of hospitalization.Still, according to his doctor, Edlefsen’s tenniscareer was over at age 25.“It was crushing to hear that, but I just

couldn’t accept it,” Edlefsen says. “To recover,I had to do everything a polio victim does. Ihad to learn to walk and to use my handsagain. Therapy is a long process.“I was passionate about getting back. I

wanted to do everything I could to give it atry, and thank God I did. If I hadn’t trainedincredibly hard—I would never run fewerthan 3–5 miles a day, in addition to the phys-ical therapy—I would never have been ableto do what I did.”Less than a year after complete paralysis,

Edlefsen took the court for a tournament inOmaha. He competed that summer in theinaugural Open-era editions of the FrenchOpen and Wimbledon. In Paris, he dreweventual champion Ken Rosewall in the firstround, but fared better on the grass courts ofthe All England Club; Edlefsen won threematches to advance to the tournament’s roundof 16, defeating No. 14 seed Cliff Drysdalealong the way.“I was playing more on memory than

anything else—my reflexes were about halfof what they should have been,” Edlefsen says.“It really took about three years for the diseaseto be fully flushed from my system. Therewas no way I was going to be what I shouldhave been [before the paralysis], but I stillmade a living and did pretty well.”Among Edlefsen’s on-court victims were

Ashe, Ilie Nastase, and Roy Emerson, whowas the world’s top-ranked player when Edlef-sen beat him in the 1963 U.S. NationalIndoors. Edlefsen is a Davis Cup veteran anda member of the Northern California TennisHall of Fame.

After the tourEdlefsen retired from pro tennis at age 34, andbecame tennis director at a resort in PalmSprings, California. He built tennis courts inLos Angeles with four-time Grand Slamdoubles champion Gene Mako and owned theLafayette Tennis Club in the Bay Area beforerunning the San Francisco Tennis Club’s tennisoperations for several years. In 2003, the UnitedStates Tennis Association named it one of thetop three clubs in the nation.Today, Edlefsen and his wife, Sunny, own

and operate the Kiahuna Tennis Club inHawaii, on the south shore of Kaua’i. PoipuBeach, which is adjacent to the club and theKiahuna Plantation, is consistently rankedamong the world’s best beaches. “It’s a great place,” Edlefsen says. “It’s

like no other place on Earth, and I’ve beeneverywhere.“I have so many fond memories. When I

was a senior [at Mercersburg], I was a tourguide and was asked to show the campus toa gentleman, his wife, and their son. It turnedout to be Jimmy Stewart ’28.”

SO MUCH FOR RESTEdlefsen is the answer to anobscure tennis trivia question—in 1969, he was the opponent forPancho Gonzales in Gonzales’ nextmatch following the longestcontest in Wimbledon history.Gonzales had defeated Edlefsen’sformer doubles partner (and UCLArival) Charlie Pasarell, 22–24, 1–6,16–14, 6–3, 11–9, in a match thattook five hours and 12 minutes—and portions of two days—tocomplete, thanks to the absence oftiebreakers and lighted courts.

STAYINGGROUNDED

Tom Edlefsen ’61

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Jim Malone. “Clearly, that was because [histeammates] all respected him and saw himas a real leader.” Rodgers also captained theColgate baseball team in 1984 and 1985.It wasn’t until later, though, that Rodgers

snatched the opportunity to merge his passionsfor the outdoors and sports. In 1992 he washired as assistant groundskeeper for theAtlanta Braves’ AAA minor-league affiliate inRichmond, Virginia. After that came a similarposition at the Florida Marlins’ spring train-ing complex in Melbourne, Florida.From 1996 to 2000, he supervised the

athletic grounds at George Mason University,and then in June of 2000 he was hired as sportsfield manager for the University of Virginia.At UVA, Rodgers won the 2003 UniversitySports Field Complex of the Year Award fromthe Sports Turf Managers Association.As rewarding as the Virginia job was, in

2005 the opportunity of a lifetime—or soRodgers thought—came along. The MontrealExpos’ move to Washington, D.C., wasapproved by Major League Baseball, so thenation’s capital would be home to a team forthe first time since 1971. The team—calledthe Nationals—needed a head groundskeeper.Rodgers came on board in February 2005.Suddenly Rodgers had a job that only 29

other people in the world could claim—headgroundskeeper at a major-league ballpark.But in shaping Robert F. Kennedy MemorialStadium into his own field of dreams, he faceda demanding task.“We had 60 days to turn a [football]

stadium into a major-league baseball venue,”Rodgers reflects. “And with the intricaciesof D.C. politics and the weather, it was amajor challenge.”RFK Stadium hosted the Washington

Senators until they bolted to Texas after the1971 season. The NFL’s Washington Redskins

tore up its turf for many years before movinginto their new stadium in 1997. But even in its heyday, RFK had never

been trumpeted as a great place to play base-ball. It wasn’t cut from the nostalgic mold ofbaseball’s older parks like Wrigley Field orFenway Park, nor was it on par with some ofthe new fields like Baltimore’s Oriole Park atCamden Yards or PNC Park in Pittsburgh.The only descriptions aimed at RFK were farfrom flattering, ranging from “one of the firstconcrete cookie-cutter stadiums” to “a dump.”Rodgers’ task, then, was arduous. But by

April, he and his crew had RFK primed forits 2005 opener.“That field [at RFK] is much better than

a lot of other stadiums,” José Guillén, theNationals’ opening-day right fielder, toldMLB.com. “Nobody here can complain.From what I see, that’s a first-class field.”But such jobs often exact a high profes-

sional and personal price. Keeping the fieldin tip-top shape was time-consuming. Nightgames kept Rodgers away from home. D.C.United, a Major League Soccer franchise,also called RFK home, so the frequent trans-formation of the field from soccer to baseballand back again was exhausting. As excitingas being a major-league groundskeeper was,by December of that year, Rodgers decidedto look elsewhere.“I realized being a major-league grounds -

keeper wasn’t very conducive to family life,”said Rodgers, who lives in Lyndhurst, Virginia,with his wife, CeCe, and three children.“Then there were the financial considera-tions of having to move my family to a metropolitan area.”Rodgers hasn’t looked back. Today, he works

for Luck Stone Corporation in Virginia and isresponsible for sales of all specialty products(including sports fields) in Northern Virginia,

the Shenandoah Valley, southwest Virginia,West Virginia, and Maryland.“I’m still involved in sports; only now I’m

on the sales side rather than the applicationsside,” he says.In other words, if your organization is

looking to build a playing field, JimmyRodgers is your man.

Jimmy Rodgers is a veteran of athletic turf wars BY TOM COCCAGNA

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3 4 M E R C E R S B U R G M A G A Z I N E S U M M E R 2 0 0 8

RL: My dad took me to my first game whenI was nine; I’ve been hooked on it—andCrystal Palace Football Club—ever since.There’s a saying in football that you neverchange your colors. My team is nowhere nearthe best, but that’s why it’s interesting.Winning all the time would be boring—youhave to experience the lows to really enjoythe highs. When I was reporting from aPremier League game every week, I was oftensent to cover Palace, and I was actually liveon the BBC when they were relegated to thedivision below. I’ll never forget that day—itreally tested my skills to be impartial. I hopeI pulled it off. After I was off the air, I sat andcried for 10 minutes in the press box.

MM: How did you end up at Mercersburg?RL: I was just 17 when I finished school inEngland, so I knew I didn’t want to go straightto university at that age. My brother had beenan English-Speaking Union scholar (at Holderness School in New Hampshire) andhad loved it, so I thought I’d give it a shot.Arriving at Tippetts Hall on a snowy Januarynight was fairly scary, and I immediately felthomesick, but the place just enveloped meafter that. My two terms at Mercersburg weresome of the best times of my life, with greatfriends, the best teachers, and the warmestmemories. It is a special place which I thinkabout often—I only wish I could have beenthere longer.

A reporter for international televisionnetwork Setanta Sports, RebeccaLowe is a familiar face to football

fanatics across the Atlantic. She abandonedher plans to become an actress after beatingout 650 candidates in the BBC’s TalentSearch competition, and found herself cover-ing the world’s most popular sport from stadi-ums and studios; she even met her futurehusband (producer Stefano Bozzi) in theprocess.

MM: Did growing up as the daughter of afamous journalist (BBC news anchor ChrisLowe) make you want to become a journal-ist as well?RL: Actually, it was never something I thoughtabout; I had my heart set on following mymother [actress Judith Potts] into her career.And my brother [British sportswriter AlexLowe] was always the writer in our family,not me. Dad was on TV a lot when I wasgrowing up, which was strange at times, butI felt proud. When I was young, he used towink at the end of the Evening News for me,which I would get really excited about.

MM: I assume you’ve been a fan of football(or “soccer,” as we Americans call it) for mostof your life. Did you follow or play other sportsgrowing up? RL: My family is very sporty, so I was alwaysbeing dragged to watch cricket with mybrother and dad. It’s a very English thing todo on a Sunday afternoon—to go watch themen play cricket while the ladies sit arounddrinking tea and eating scones and jam. Iplayed hockey and netball in school and thensome football when I came to Mercersburg,which was great fun. I like playing all sports—except golf, which I find infuriating and waytoo lengthy!

MM: Did you have a favorite team growingup? And is it difficult to be neutral on the air?

Live fromLondon:Q&A with Rebecca Lowe ’99

“It was a bit like [American Idol], but minus Simon Cowell—thank God.”

—REBECCA LOWE ’99, ON WINNING THE BBC’S TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM FOR A SPORTS REPORTER

8060992_p26_40.qxd:Layout 1 7/24/08 11:59 AM Page 34


MM: You were a drama major at the Univer-sity of East Anglia. Has that helped you inyour career?RL: I acted in and directed two or three showsa term; we did productions of A MidsummerNight’s Dream, Peer Gynt, The Tempest, andsmaller ones written by fellow students. Thatexperience (and the acting I had done sinceI was tiny) definitely helps me on television.My mum always taught me the importanceof good diction, which you need for bothstage and screen—and now I’m used to thenerves. I have always had nerves beforeproductions, and I still do now before we goon the air—but experience has helped melearn how to control them.

MM:What was it like to compete (and win)the BBC Talent Search? It sounds like a TV-sports version of Pop Idol (or American Idol,as we call it here).RL: It was a bit like that, but minus SimonCowell—thank God. It began with a 12-pageapplication, which I had to submit along withseveral photos that proved my love of foot-ball. It moved to reporting on live games, andthen the final seven of us spent the day infront of the camera presenting and reportingfor the judges. At the time, I was working ata sports-radio station and really enjoying itthere, so I felt I had nothing to lose. Two dayslater, I got the phone call which knockedboth my mum and me off the sofa; six monthsat the BBC as a national-network footballreporter. I’m not sure I’ll ever experience amoment like that again.

MM: Describe your first event as a profes-sional reporter.RL: It was the most terrifying experience ofmy life. I’m not exaggerating when I say thatI hardly ate for the two days leading up to theNottingham Forest/Walsall match. I arrivedfour hours early to plug in my equipment,and then sat inside the stadium riddled withnerves. At 5 p.m., I went live on BBC1 (themain channel in England) for my 40-secondreport and somehow managed to get throughit. The relief afterward was unbelievable.

MM:What was it like to cover the World Cupin 2006? RL: I’d never attended a major tournamentbefore, and could hardly believe it when Idiscovered I would be one of four BBCreporters in Germany. It was a tough monthwith lots of traveling, but it was an immenseprivilege to watch so many games with thebest players in the world. I interviewed someof the biggest names in football and experi-enced four weeks I’ll never forget. I spent alot of time with the U.S. team (and all itsarmed guards), and interviewed the likes ofLandon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, andKasey Keller. It was just a shame that Englandcould not go further than the quarterfinals;it’s always the same with England.

MM: Was it difficult to leave the BBC forSetanta Sports in 2007, considering you hadspent your entire TV career there (and yourfather works for the BBC as well)?RL: Both Stefano and I had been offered jobsat Setanta, so we had to decide if it was theright thing to do for our future. The BBCrepresents stability and security, but it is alsoa huge company, so it can be difficult to shineor progress. Setanta was just starting out; itwas a chance to be part of a new beginningsomewhere. We have absolutely no regrets—though I think that one day we would bothlike to go back.

MM: Do you have a favorite moment fromyour career?RL: In 2006, in order to reach their first-everWorld Cup, England’s women’s team neededa draw in France—which they just got—sofor the first time in 16 years, England quali-fied for a major tournament. I had been withthe team at every game for two years, so itmeant a lot that night to see them through. Ialso presented the sports on the BBC Break-fast Programme, which is the most-watchedmorning show in the country, so that felt likea real achievement. And this week, I ampresenting my first show live from WembleyStadium, so I hope that will go down as oneof the top moments, too.

—Lee Owen

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HEALINGHOOPSTHROUGH

Bringing children together through a shared love for sport

BY SHE LTON CLA R K

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Hughes worked in Northern Ireland with Peace PlayersInternational (www.peaceplayersintl.org), which was co-founded by Brendan Tuohey, a roommate of Mercersburghistory teacher and head football coach DanWalker whenthe two attended Colgate University. Today,Tuohey serves as

the organization’s executive director.


At seven feet tall, Jamie Hughes ’01was quite a presence in the lane for Mercers-burg’s basketball team, and later for theLafayette College Leopards. But fighting forrebounds in the area under the boards gavehim only the slightest inkling of the emotionaland psychological chasm he would work tocover as a representative of Peace PlayersInternational: the centuries-old conflictbetween Protestants and Catholics in North-ern Ireland.“My Lafayette teammate, Justin DeBerry,

was involved with Peace Players International,which was then called Playing for Peace,”Hughes says. “I fell in love with the idea. Iliked that I would have a chance to make adifference in the world and to travel abroad.”The organization’s mission, not only in

Northern Ireland but also in other areas ofconflict in the world, is simple: “to use thegame of basketball to unite and educate chil-dren and their communities.” Peace Playersoversees programs in Northern Ireland, SouthAfrica, the Middle East (with a focus on theIsraeli-Palestinian conflict), and Cyprus—aswell as in New Orleans while the city contin-ues its rebuilding process following Hurri-cane Katrina. Hughes spent the better part of a year based

in Dungannon, County Tyrone, about 45minutes west of Belfast. He introduced thegame to Protestant and Catholic children fromages 7 through 18, “twinning” two schools inthe community for a period of six weeks.Hughes and his fellow Peace Players coachestaught throughout County Tyrone and assistedother coaches in Derry and Belfast.“Teaching basketball to beginners brought

me back to where I started [as a player],”Hughes says. “The big three sports there arerugby, Gaelic football, and soccer. Basket-ball was something new, something fresh,and something that they could learn withtheir friends and with children of theircommunity. “Add to that the fact that it’s cross-commu-

nity-based, and that there are Americansinvolved. By the sixth week, we had thesecross-community teams competing in theUlster Basketball League against already-established organizations within NorthernIreland and, to some extent, in the Republicof Ireland. I had such a new appreciation forthe game of basketball.”

In addition to his work with Peace PlayersInternational, Hughes played professionally forStar of the Sea, a Belfast team in the Irish Super-league. After that season (2005–2006), Hughesreturned to the States to work as Lafayette’sassistant director of alumni affairs, handlingareas from Baltimore to Richmond and Seattleto Denver for the college’s alumni office.It is no surprise to Hughes’ coach at

Mercersburg, Mark Cubit, that his formerplayer was an effective leader to youth in North-ern Ireland. “Jamie was, and is, very bright andwell-rounded,” Cubit says. “His selection as acaptain at Lafayette for his great college coach,Fran O’Hanlon, speaks clearly to his devel-opment as a leader and communicator.”“Mercersburg is such a diverse commu-

nity,” adds Hughes, who came to the Academyfor a postgraduate year after graduating fromBenedictine High School in Virginia. “It wasan amazing experience. The opportunities Igot and the friendships I made had a realprofound impact on me. I met people from

around the world, which made me want togo out and have an international experience.”One of the experiences that most

profoundly moved Hughes was the culmi-nation of Peace Players’ time in Omagh, thesite of the infamous 1998 bombing of a shop-ping area that killed 29 people. “Seeing the kids interact in Omagh was

really, to me, the culmination of what we weretrying to do,” Hughes says. “Here’s a placewhere so many people were killed—in oneof the most horrific and most notable eventsof the Troubles—and now Protestant andCatholic kids are together in this town, inter-acting with each other. “Even the parents were talking to each

other. I would get goose bumps seeing parentswho were on opposite sides the first week—based on their religious affiliation—and atthe end of the year, they were interacting. Sowhile our main focus was on the kids, thatjust underscored the good and the effective-ness of our work.”

a smallworld

Hughes (top right) in Northern Ireland with participants, coaches, and the Dalai Lama (center)

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Kareem Wright ’99 came to Mercers-burg expecting a big change fromthe life he left behind in his West

Philadelphia neighborhood. But there wasone thing for which he arrived unprepared.The silence.“In the city, there were always a lot of

things going on,” Wright says. “Police sirens.Fire engines. A lot of things around. WhenI got here, I couldn’t sleep because it was soquiet. I had to play my radio so I could sleep.”Once he was able to rest, Wright set out

on his size-19 feet to pave a path from hisnewfound, peaceful surroundings to a star-ring role in Big East Conference basketball(at Rutgers) and a spot on the world-famousHarlem Globetrotters.Wright was more of a football star before

coming to Mercersburg—and was tough totackle. He played all over the field; one canonly imagine the fear in the heart of a kickerat seeing the 6-foot-9-inch Wright on theopposing line of scrimmage, standingbetween the ball and the uprights.“I loved football,” Wright says. “I was a

wide receiver, a defensive back, and a quar-terback—and then I kept growing. I endedup on the offensive and defensive lines atMercersburg, and on special teams. I blockeda couple of kicks, and got hit [by field-goalattempts] in the helmet a couple times, too.It was fun.”With his height, basketball was a natural

fit—but he was raw, having played organizedbasketball for the first time in eighth grade.Still, it was the sport that brought him toMercersburg; Tony Tucker, then the BlueStorm’s head coach, saw a story about Wrightin the Philadelphia Inquirer, and contactedhim to gauge his interest in making the three-hour trip west to boarding school.“I got my parents to decide to let me go,”

Wright says, “and the rest is history. Mercers-burg completely changed how I looked at lifeand at people. I learned how to deal withpeople from all different backgrounds andethnicities. And the learning experiences—on top of sports—were phenomenal.” Whenhis father, Ricardo, passed away while Kareemwas a student at Mercersburg, he found

Spanning(and Spinnin

g)

the GlobeFollowing thebouncing ball withan ex–HarlemGlobetrotter

BY LEE OWEN

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Storm-ing the CourtA pair of former Mercersburg standouts helpedtheir teams to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basket-ball Tournament in 2008. In the process, one maderecent history; the other just made history, period. With forward Alex Tyler ’06 in the starting

lineup, Cornell captured its first Ivy League cham-pionship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 20years. Tyler, a sophomore, scored 10 points in theBig Red’s first-round NCAA loss to Stanford. He averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per contestwhile starting every game for Cornell, which finished the season 22–6 overall and a perfect 14–0 in the Ivy League.Romone Penny ’03 (below right, holding Patriot

League championship trophy) capped off his sen-ior season by taking American to its first NCAATournament since the school joined the Division I ranks 41 years ago. American won thePatriot League’s regular-season and tournamenttitles, and gave No. 2-seed Tennessee all it couldhandle in an NCAA first-round contest before theVols pulled away for a 72–57 win. Penny, who began his college career at Florida

State and is a cousin of Baltimore Ravens line-backer Terrell Suggs, graduated in May and worksin accounting for Ernst & Young.

comfort in the support of Paul Galey (thenMercersburg’s school minister and today afaculty member). Ricardo was a star athleteat Delaware State who played professionallyin the Canadian Football League and for thePittsburgh Steelers.At Mercersburg, the younger Wright

shared time on the court with no fewer thaneight future Division I college basketballplayers—Michael Bush ’98 (WashingtonState), Kevin Harris ’98 (Alabama State), Kyle Logan ’98 (Stanford), Wes Miller ’01(James Madison/North Carolina), Ugonna Onyekwe ’98 (Penn), Stephane Pelle ’99(Colorado), Jake Rauchbach ’02 (Drexel),and Mike Simmons ’98 (Miami). The levelof talent he faced in daily workouts preparedhim well for games, where he attracted theinterest of several big-time college programs,including Boston College, Georgetown,Miami, and Villanova—as well as Rutgers,not far across the Delaware River fromPhiladelphia.The first game he started for the Scarlet

Knights (midway through his freshmanseason) was in the Carrier Dome against Syra-cuse, which featured future NBA center EtanThomas. “It was a moment I’ll never forget,”Wright says. “It was exhilarating, and I playedwell. It showed me I belonged and could playat this level. You can practice and prepare,but it’s never the same feeling as when youstep on the court with the atmosphere andall the fans.”During Wright’s tenure, Rutgers beat

Connecticut in January 2002 when theHuskies were ranked No. 4 in the country,and the Scarlet Knights knocked off eventualnational-champion Syracuse in January 2003.Following his college career, Wright worked

out for several NBA teams in Los Angeles andat a camp in Columbus, Ohio, hoping to attractinterest. Former Los Angeles Lakers forwardA.C. Green worked with Wright, who hadsignificant interest from the Memphis Griz-zlies before things fell through. Then a differ-ent professional team stepped in.“When I was a kid, I remember always

seeing the Harlem Globetrotters playing onTV, and on cartoons and Scooby-Doo andstuff like that,” Wright says. (The Globetrot-ters starred in several animated and live-action

television shows and movies.) “When theycontacted me, I honestly didn’t know at firstthat they were still around. But they invitedme to their training camp, so I went, triedout, and got the job.”

The Globetrotters, who have enter-tained fans around the world since1927, have won more than 22,000

games and lost fewer than 350. But despitebeing best known for their on-court show-manship and family-friendly comedic antics,Globetrotter games are more steak thansizzle. “That training camp was one of themost difficult things I’ve ever been a part of,”Wright says. “My friends laughed and askedhow that was possible. We spent three hoursa day on basketball and three more hours ontricks and training.“And going into every game, you knew

you’d better not lose. We were undefeated.People would ask me if the games were fixed;they’re not. Only small segments [of eachgame] are actually a show, and when theshow is over, it’s real basketball. If they beatus, our jobs are on the line. You don’t wantto lose—you’re representing so many greatplayers that have played before you.“But at the same time, you get to enjoy

what you do every day. You know that whenyou go to work, you’re putting a smile onsomeone’s face. You can affect people in apositive way, with a focus on entertainingfamilies and children.”Wright had been to Chile on a pre-season

trip with his team at Rutgers, but playing withthe Globetrotters truly sent him—youguessed it—around the world. His first gamewith the team was in Bermuda; he went onto visit 52 countries, “everywhere but Africaand Asia,” he says. “I really enjoyed the differ-ent cultures, the people, the food, and seeinghow people in other places live day to day.You appreciate everything in your life morewhen you get to see how things are all over.”He returned to Philadelphia on a full-time

basis in 2005 in order to be closer to his family;today, Wright lives with his wife, Chiquita,and two sons. With family already in lawenforcement (his mother and stepfather areboth ex–police officers), Wright became alead dispatcher for the Delaware River Port

Authority assigned to the Ben Franklin Bridge.He has worked as a counselor for at-risk youthand can frequently be found coaching at theLansdowne Boys Club or working on the courtwith aspiring big men from Philadelphia-areahigh schools.“I love doing anything that helps people,”

Wright says. “I try to stay constantly involvedwith kids who might not have a role model. Ican show them that even though you’re in thecity, that doesn’t mean you don’t have options.You can go to a school and make a life for your-self—it’s not the end of the road because ofwhere you are.”

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4 0 M E R C E R S B U R G M A G A Z I N E S U M M E R 2 0 0 8

My memories are littered with pinstripes. There’s Wells’ perfecto in ’98, and Coney’s in’99. Jeffrey Maier’s catch in the ’96 playoffs.Boone’s homer off Wakefield in the 2003ALCS. Jeter’s flip to Posada in ’01. That deli-cious day in 2000 when the Yankeeshammered the Red Sox, 22–1, in Fenway Park.

Although baseball is my passion, the NewYork Yankees were my very first love. No doubt,there are other sports that appeal to me—there’s the unbridled aggression of football,the commanding speed of hockey—but base-ball rules my heart. It’s the way the seasonstretches from the early rains of April to thosefrosty October nights—insisting dedicationfrom even the most casual fan. The season islong and demanding, and at its very core isdesigned to weed out teams that break out ofthe gate strong, but can’t keep pace down thestretch. In baseball, you can’t sprint for 16games and hope for the best. With 162contests, baseball is a marathon.

In college, when so many people branchout and take a chance on their dreams, I chick-ened out. I wanted desperately to study sportsjournalism—to combine my love of writing

with my passion for sport—but in the end, Idecided that I should focus on somethingmore established, something morepronounced, and something that soundedgood to my parents’ friends. So I went withaccounting.

There are days I sit at my desk at worklooking out a window—with the sunshinebeckoning to me—dreaming of when I cannext make it to the ballpark. I curse undermy breath at the architect who decided thatmy office should be made predominantly ofglass. I muse that he must have been a cruelman, constructing an office that allows thesunshine to permeate my every idea, andentices me to dream about being outside. Soin an effort to appease my itch, I contributemy reflections to an independent sportswebsite, MVN.com.

I blog because in an office full ofwomen—and financially minded men—there is no one who wants to discuss lastnight’s game with me. I am instructed tomake decisions on whether or not a Roth ortraditional IRA will best fit a person’s finan-cial goals, and not whether Joba Chamber-

Basil Kaaki ’06 broke five Lebanesenational records at the 2008 FINASwimming World Championships inApril. Kaaki, a junior at Penn State,just missed qualifying for the 2008Summer Olympics in Beijing; hisbrother, Abed ’04, swam for Lebanonat the 2004 Summer Games inAthens. For full details, visitwww.mercersburg.edu/magazine.

Chasing the Dream

BY KRISTY FASANO ’02

One blogger’s explanation for why welove our teams so much

Yankee Doodleslain should be inthe starting rota-tion or relegatedto the bullpen. At

the water cooler, I discuss interest rates, notHank Steinbrenner’s comments to the mediaand how they parallel those of his infamousfather. I spend my lunch hour calling neigh-boring financial institutions to compare inter-est rates, not to compare managerial styles ofthe two Joes (Girardi and Torre). There is noone else hoping to discuss the effectivenessof Brian Cashman as general manager, orhow the Yankees (for the first time in a longwhile) have a farm system of which they canbe proud.

And—horror of horrors—the other day,when I called a poor financial investment a“Carl Pavano,” I received only blank staresand dead silence in return.

Though my job takes precedence in mylife, baseball will always be the passion thatfuels me through the summer. Four words—“pitchers and catchers report”—will alwaysjolt me out of the dead of winter. And as Iface each day in a grown-up world, and adjustto making grown-up decisions, baseball willalways let me be a kid again.

Kristy Fasano works in financial services, andis spending this summer as a counselor atMercersburg Adventure Camps (MAC). Shebegins work on an MBA at Pennsylvania StateUniversity in the fall. Read her blog online atwww.mvn.com.

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ArtsSep 7 Nancy Horton Heefner Art Show opening reception

Sheridan Gallery (Irvine Hall), 1–4:30 p.m.

Sep 26–28 Stony Batter presents The Diary of Anne FrankHale Studio Theatre, 8 p.m.

Nov 8 Fall Dance ConcertSimon Theatre, 8 p.m.

Nov 14 Fall Pops ConcertSimon Theatre, 8 p.m.

2008 –2009 Dates to Remember

2007–2008 in Pictures

Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu

Music [directors: Richard Rotz, Jack Hawbaker, Jim Brinson, Michael Cameron]

The Chorale performsin the Simon Theatre inDecember

Visual Art [faculty: Mark Flowers, Kristy Higby, Wells Gray]

Emily Weiss ’08, painting

Liza Rockwell ’08, computer graphicsNapat Waikwamdee ’09, self-portrait

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: the Chorale performs in December in the Simon Theatre;the String Ensemble and Band in rehearsal.

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Dance [director: Denise Dalton]

Stony Batter [directors: Laurie Mufson, Matt Maurer, John McAfee]

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Vivien Hu ’08, Anderson Chen ’10, Nicole Ongor ’08, KevinJoseph ’11; Maryjane Clark ’10 (foreground), Annette Hull ’11, Molly Sabol ’08, HonorZimmerman ’08 (background); student dancers with members of the Paul TaylorDance Company following an April performance on campus.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Alex Schroer ’08 and Joanna Kessler ’09 in Into the Woods;John Henry Reilly ’10 takes flight in Peter Pan as Madeleine Foster ’08, Maggie Goff ’10,and Justin Corey ’08 look on; Foster and Pat Morgan ’08 in The Learned Ladies during theannual production of Classical Scenes.


AthleticsSep 27 men’s/women’s cross country hosts Mercersburg Invitational

Lawrenceville at Mercersburg:women’s tennis/volleyball, 1:30 p.m.field hockey/men’s & women’s soccer, 2 p.m.football, 2:30 p.m.

Oct 18 Bullis at Mercersburg (AlumniWeekend):men’s & women’s soccer/field hockey/women’s tennis/volleyball, 1 p.m.football, 2:30 p.m.

Schedule subject to change; for updated schedules and results, visit www.mercersburg.edu

Dates to Remember

WinterVarsity Athletics RoundupMen’s BasketballCaptains: Brett Burrier ’08, Tony Truitt ’09

Most outstanding player: Burrier

Most improved player: Jimmy Chen ’08

John Prevost ’54 Award (citizenship): Ben Eaton ’08Head coach:Mark Cubit (9th season)

Record: 4–18 (1–4 MAPL)

Highlights: Burrier, who will play at UMBC next

year, garnered All-Mid-Atlantic Prep League

honors… Ajaye Dean ’11 was named honorable-

mention All-Area by the [Chambersburg] Public

Opinion… Gabe Martin ’08 will play for Emory next

season, while Eaton will play football at Lafayette…

the team knocked off fifth-seeded Friends Central

in the Pennsylvania State Independent Schools

Tournament, and narrowly missed a trip to the

state semifinals whenMalvern Prep edged the

Blue Storm in the round of eight… a win over

Lawrenceville was the highlight of the MAPL slate…

four of the team’s losses came by five points or fewer.

Women’s BasketballCaptains: Jenn Dillon ’09, Lauren Dobish ’08

Most outstanding player: Dobish

Most improved players: Dillon, Caroline Lovette ’09

Head coach:Monique Liddell (1st season)

Record: 11–12 (2–3 MAPL)

Highlights: Dobish was an All-MAPL selection and

will play basketball and softball at Bates College

next year… she was a four-year letterwinner and

(along with classmate Laura Diller ’08) earned a

total of 12 varsity letters in four years at

Mercersburg [page 24]… Dobish also played in the

McDonald’s Roundball Classic in March… Lovette

earned honorable-mention all-conference

recognition… following regular-season victories

over Lawrenceville and Blair, the teamwon a game

in the MAPL Tournament (over Lawrenceville) for

the first time since joining the league; its MAPL

finish (tied for third) was the highest in the

program’s history.

SkiingCaptains: Kate Preston ’08, Mitch Shetter ’08

Most outstanding skiers: Preston, Shetter

Most improved skiers: Liza Rizzo ’11,

ChrisWeller ’11

Head coach: David Holzwarth ’78 (16th season)

Highlights: Both Preston and Shetter were four-

year letterwinners… Preston took second in the J1

women’s giant slalom at the Pennsylvania Cup fi-

nals at Elk Mountain… in their first pair of slalom

races, Juliet Kasbar ’10 and Lily Hebert ’10 placed in

the top three in their age group… Rizzo finished in

the top five in the preliminary Pennsylvania Eastern

Qualifiers… as first-year skiers in the J2 age group,

Annie Lucas ’10, Eli Littlefield ’11, Carlos Garcia ’10,

and ChrisWeller ’11 showed composure in working

their way up the starting order with each race… in

addition to competing, LauraWirtavuori ’09 also

helped with tuning skis and critiquing course set-

tings (an invaluable resource for the coaching

staff).


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Men’s SquashCaptains: Luke Griffin ’08, Josh Rosenblat ’08

Thomas Flanagan Award (most outstanding

player): Rosenblat

Most improved player: Chris McClintick ’08

Head coach: Chip Vink ’73 (8th season)

Record: 11–9

Highlights: Valentin Quan Miranda ’08 completed

a perfect 21–0 season at the #1 position… Rosen-

blat compiled a 21–2 mark at No. 2, and Clayton

Young ’08 was 20–3 at No. 3… the team finished

third at the MAPL Championships, and captured

the consolation final at the Division IV National

Team Championships… Rosenblat lettered all four

years… both Quan Miranda and Rosenblat earned

all-conference honors… Quan Miranda will play at

Middlebury next year, while Young will compete

for Navy and Griffin for Franklin & Marshall.

Women’s SquashCaptains: Rachel Greenberg ’08,

Mary Lancaster ’08

Thomas Flanagan Award (most outstanding

player): Greenberg

Most improved player: Lancaster

Head coach: Wells Gray (5th season)

Record: 6–10

Highlights: The team defeated Bronxville, Bryn

Mawr “B,” and Episcopal to capture its first Na-

tional Division V Team Championship in February

in New Haven, Connecticut; in the final, the Storm

got victories from Greenberg, Lancaster, Lucia

Rowe ’09, and Emily Carl ’08… Greenberg and

Lancaster garnered All-MAPL honors… the team’s

top-ranked player was Ana Kelly ’11, an alumna of

New York’s notable CitySquash program.

Men’s SwimmingCaptains: Simon Berger ’08, Patrick Holmes ’08,

Mike Weinstein ’09

Glancy Award (most outstanding swimmer):

Marshall Daniels ’08

John Preston ’47 Award (most improved swimmer):

Collin Greene ’11

Thomas Hartz ’72 Award (dedication): BergerHead coach: Pete Williams (20th season)

Easterns finish: 5th (of 28)

MAPL finish: 1st

Highlights: Daniels (50 free, 100 fly), Nick

Thomson ’10 (100 free), and the 400 free relay

squad of Daniels, Thomson, Holmes, and Weinstein

captured MAPL championships in their events… top

finishers at Easterns included Daniels (2nd/50 free

and 3rd/100 free), the 200 medley relay team of

Thomson, Holmes, Tom McCarthy ’08, and Nikolai

Paloni ’10 (2nd), the 200 free relay squad of Daniels,

Thomson, Paloni, and McCarthy (3rd), and the 400

relay team of Weinstein, McCarthy, Holmes, and

Daniels (3rd)… honorable-mention All-MAPL selec-

tions included Berger, Greene, McCarthy, Paloni,

Andrew Buehler ’08, Ed Carroll ’08, Kevin Joseph ’11,

and Sammy Schadt ’10… collegiate swimmers next

year will include Daniels and McCarthy (Navy),


MMEERRCCEERR SS BBUURRGG MMAAGGAA ZZ II NN EE SSUUMMMMEERR 22000088 4 5

Berger and Holmes (Lehigh), and Peter Cooke ’08

(Case Western Reserve).

Women’s SwimmingCaptains: Lara Brandfass ’08, Rebecca Galey ’09Neidhoefer Award (most outstanding swimmer):Kiersten Bell ’09

Finlay Vanderveer Award (greatest influence):

Brandfass

John Preston ’47 Award (most improved swimmer):

Bell

Head coach: Pete Williams (20th season)

Easterns finish: 7th (of 29)

MAPL finish: 3rd

Highlights: Bell (500 free) and Nikki Hyrkas ’11 (200

IM) won MAPL individual titles in their events… top

Easterns finishes were the 400 free relay team of

Brandfass, Hyrkas, Bell, and Joy Mullins ’10 (4th)

and the individual performances of Bell (7th/500

free and 9th/200 free), and Brandfass (9th/50 free

and 10th/100 fly)… Brandfass, Galey, Mullins, and

Jen Leahey ’10 earned honorable-mention All-MAPL

honors… Brandfass will swim at College of

Charleston next year.

Men’s Winter TrackCaptains: James Finucane ’08, Andre Watkis ’08

Most outstanding athlete: Finucane

Most improved athlete: Nebiyu Osman ’10

Head coach: David Grady (4th season)

MAPL finish: 3rd

Highlights: Finucane swept the 1600m (4:25.70, a

new meet record) and 3200m races at the MAPL

Championships… he was fifth in the mile at the

Pennsylvania Indoor State Championships, the

highest-ever finish for a Mercersburg athlete there…

David Strider ’08 (high jump) joined Finucane as an

All-MAPL selection… honorable-mention All-MAPL

honors went to Bill Campi ’08, Dillon French ’09,

Troy Harrison ’10, Stephan Kreifels ’09, Ellis

Mays ’10, Pat Morgan ’08, Nebiyu Osman ’10, and

Fleet White ’08… Finucane will run track and cross

country at Penn next season, while Strider will

compete at South Carolina and White for Navy.

Women’s Winter TrackCaptains: Laura Diller ’08, Whitney Matthew ’08

Most outstanding athletes: Lena Finucane ’09, Asia

Walker ’09

Most improved athlete: Sarah Kolanowski ’10

Head coach: David Grady (4th season)

MAPL finish: 3rd

Highlights:Walker (55m, long jump) and Finucane

(1600m) captured individual MAPL champi-

onships… Finucane (mile), Matthew (200m), and

Walker (55m) qualified for the Pennsylvania Indoor

State Championships as individuals; they were

joined at the meet by the first-ever Mercersburg

relay team to qualify (the 4x200m squad of Walker,

Matthew, Deborah Adjibaba ’11, and Kayleigh

Kiser ’11)… honorable-mention All-MAPL selections

included Adjibaba, Diller, Kiser, Kolanowski, Alicia

Furnary ’09, Paige Harry ’10, Mackenzie Riford ’11,

and Paige Summers ’11… Diller earned varsity let-

ters all four years, giving her a total of 12 letters for

her Mercersburg career… Matthew leaves as a

three-time state qualifier and two-time medalist,

and as the holder of three school records (55m,

200m, and 400m).

WrestlingCaptains: Cody Barrick ’10, Garrick Skubon ’09,

Nathan Stanford ’08

Fred Kuhn Award (most outstanding wrestler):

Barrick

Most improved wrestler: A.J. Firestone ’10

Ronald D. Tebben Leadership Award: StanfordHead coach: Rick Hendrickson (15th season)

Record (dual meets): 3–7

Highlights: Hendrickson, who becomes

Mercersburg’s director of athletics next year, was

234–81–2 in 15 years at the Academy; he holds the

school record for most dual-meet coaching victo-

ries and best winning percentage, and coached 12

Pennsylvania state prep individual champions and

28 Prep All-Americans… his career dual-meet

record is 329–99–2… Barrick, a Prep All-American,

compiled a 43–7 record and finished seventh at the

National Prep Tournament at Lehigh University…

Skubon (31–6) and Firestone (27–14) also placed at

the state event and competed at the national tour-

nament; as a team, Mercersburg placed 39th out

of 122 qualifying squads… Barrick and Skubon were

named All-MAPL... Stanford was a four-year letter-

winner… Mercersburg alumnus Nate Jacklin ’96

will take over the program next winter; Jacklin

wrestled at Columbia and has produced six Virginia

Class AAA state placewinners as a coach in the

past four years at Mountain View High School.


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AlumniNotes

Submit alumni notes and photographs online or by email to [email protected] or your class agent. Submissionsmay appear online or in print.Mercersburg reserves the right toedit submissions for space orcontent, and is not responsible formore than reasonable editing orfact-checking.

Learn more in this Q&A with Susie Lyles-Reed ’88,president of the Alumni Council:

Q: Why are anniversary reunion celebrations being moved to the summer?A:Celebrating five-year anniversary reunions in theearly summer (the weekend following Commence-ment) will allow for many new opportunities. Inparticular, the move to a summer date helps elimi-nate the two biggest concerns about a fall reunionthat emerged from a 2005 alumni survey. In the sur-vey, alumni told us that accommodations are too faraway from campus. By moving reunions to the sum-mer, alumni and their families will be able to stay oncampus in dormitories. (Of course, if you prefer tostay in a nearby hotel, that option is still available.)Second, alumni told us that the fall is often toobusy a time for them to travel with their families tocampus. A summer reunion date allows alumni toplan a family weekend on campus and to introducetheir children to Mercersburg.

Q: What are some of the things I can look forward to on reunion weekend in the summer?A: Reunion weekend activities will give alumni fulluse of campus facilities, and allow for learning op-portunities with faculty and off-campus programs(for alumni and families) that could include trips todestinations like Gettysburg, Antietam, and Harpers

Mark your calendarIn 2009, Mercersburg anniversary reunion celebrations move to the summer

Ferry. We hope to offer presentations, panel discus-sions, and dialogue with student leaders, in additionto meetings with administrators representing the offices of admission & financial aid, college counsel-ing, and summer programs.

We know that alumni like to see each other—andformer teachers and coaches. During reunion week-end activities, there are plans for more events withcoaches and former faculty. It is important to us thatthere are activities for adults and families—activitiesthat are casual, fun, and relaxing.

Q: Can I still come back for Alumni Weekend in the fall?A: Absolutely. There will continue to be a fall eventheld in October that will welcome all alumni back tocampus. This weekend will involve the entire schoolin homecoming/Founder’s Day activities reflectingschool spirit and traditions. We want to begin plan-ning alumni reunions for affinity groups, includingthe Loyalty Club, athletic teams, music groups, clubs,and dorms. We want student activities to be an inte-gral part of the weekend, which will allow for morestudent-alumni engagement. Activities that involvestudents, faculty, and alumni, and that celebrate thebirthday of the school’s founder, Dr. William MannIrvine, will be included. And finally, this fall weekendwill emphasize school spirit, school history, andschool traditions.

Please note that Alumni Weekend 2008 (for anniversaryreunions ending in 3 and 8) remains in the fall, and is set forOctober 17–19. For more information, visitwww.mercersburg.edu/alumni.

Susie Lyles-Reed ’88

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’35 Robert “Bob” Johnson received theJames E. Hillhouse High School AthleteHall of Fame Award. Bob placed first inthe Connecticut State Championshipsin both the 50- and 100-yard freestylefor two years, and won the 200-meterfreestyle at the National High SchoolChampionships. At Mercersburg, heswam on the national-champion 200free relay team and was first in the 220-yard individual event. At Ohio State Uni-versity, he captained the swim team in1938 and 1939; the team won the Na-tional Open AAU Swimming Short andLong Course championships, a first inthe history of college swimming. Healso anchored Ohio State’s 200 free re-lay team, which set a world record.

Roger Loewi writes, “I’m still happilyaround here in Denver, where I’ve beensince 1966, and still active. I go work outat the gym, drive myself around town,and go to concerts, opera, and art mu-seums. I am looking forward to my 91stbirthday in July, and I have been luckyenough to have my younger son, hiswife, and 15-year-old son living with me.Hope to hear from some who were atthe Academy during my days there. Bestregards to Bob Johnson and others stillaround.

’38 � Ned [email protected]

’43John Sweet’s book, Discovery at Prud-hoe Bay, was published in June 2007.

’47 � Harry McAlpine703-893-3893

Jim Ruder’s company, Golden Cycle GoldCorporation of Colorado Springs, Col-orado, was acquired by AngloGoldAshanti of South Africa for $149 million;the companies have been partners inColorado’s largest gold-mining opera-tion since 1991. Jim has enjoyed a longcareer in the gold-mining industry; hehas served as chairman of Golden Cyclesince 2001.

’48� Pat Harris (widow of Bill Harris ’48)[email protected]� Ray [email protected] � Hugh [email protected] � Jim [email protected]

’49� Bill Alexander740-282-5810

Dr. Stan Silverblatt authored Hotel Doctor, a memoir of his days as an in-house physician for the rich, the famous,and the infamous at the Diplomat Hotelin Hollywood, Florida. The book was pub-lished by Dorrance Publishing Companyof Pittsburgh.

’50� Ed Hager [email protected]

After finishing six months as interimsupply priest at St. David’s EpiscopalChurch in Southfield, Michigan, FriarJohn Albrechtwent on a mini-sabbaticalto Germany in October. It was the firsttime in seven years that Christa, his wife,had seen her family in northern Germany.

’54� Jack [email protected]

Jack Connolly reports that his wife, Marcia, passed away on March 15, 2008;Jack and Marcia were just about to cel-ebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.They have two children and five grand-children. Marcia was associate directorof admission at Harvard and Radcliffecolleges for 25 years.

John “Jack” Eldridge ’41 (right) and lifepartner Don Caven celebrate their 59thanniversary (yes, that’s 59 years) in July.Both retired in 1973—Jack from LibertyMutual Insurance Company and Don asan independent petroleum accountant.In the 35 years since, they have restoredfive antique houses in Texas, Massachu-setts, Maine, and New Jersey, and havelogged thousands of hours volunteeringin hospitals and teaching crafts in nurs-ing homes. They divide their time be-tween a condo in Dallas and a recentlypurchased house on a beautiful lake innortheast Texas.

Christopher James, born November 19, 2007, son ofJay “Mato” Tindall ’79 andhis wife, Patricia.

Daniela Elizabeth, born October 22, 2007, daughter ofJorge Vargas ’84 and his wife, Wendy Purdon.

Anastasia Ava, born January 17, 2008, daughter of Brian Wagner ’84 and his wife, Aleksandra.

Children of Iain Martin ’88 andhis wife, Chona: Sofia Cameron,born March 21, 2008, and bigbrother Thomas.

Micah Anker, born October 15,2007, son of Jennifer AnkerKaufman ’90 and her husband, Ira.

Children of Amy Sheridan Fazackerley ’89 and her husband,Adam: Andrew, Miles, and theirnew brother, Caden Adam, bornJanuary 20, 2008.

Children of Lynda Askey Jutronich ’90 and her husband, Craig: olderbrother Doug with Jason McLean, born September 27, 2007.

Births8060992_p46-OBC:Layout_1 7/16/08 11:07 PM Page 47

married yet, so no grandchildren.” Hebought a ranch in Pontotoc, Texas(about 90 miles from Austin), “so comeon down and have a cold one with me.Unlike the old days with Jack Lutz et al.,I keep the beer in the fridge instead ofunder the rocks in a distant creek. Godwilling and the crick don’t rise, I do planto be at our 45th next year.”

Dave Millstein is not retired yet, and isstill practicing law (and enjoying itsome) in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Hehas a second home in Naples, Florida,and tries to get there as often as hecan. All three of his kids are married,and he has three grandsons. He sayslife has been good, for the most part.

Bill Stepp plans to attend his 45th re-union in October, if he can make it. Fallis a busy time, as he has two children incollege and also plans to visit their cam-puses. Knowing how efficient the Acad-emy is at raising funds, he offers a mod-est proposal of the establishment of a“Let’s Bring Old Bill Stepp back to Mer-cersburg” fund. Even though he is re-tired, he’s always looking for additionalincome. Should he return to campus,he could fulfill his part of the classprophecy (working as a street sweeperin Mercersburg). Regardless, he looksforward to coming back and personallygiving his very best to all of ’63.

’64� Mike [email protected]

’66� Stan [email protected]

Bill Goodfellow’s wife, Washington Postjournalist Dana Priest, is one of thewinners of the 2008 Selden Ring Award.Dana and fellow journalist Anne Hullreceived the $35,000 award for a seriesexposing conditions at Walter ReedArmy Medical Center. The annual prize,presented by the School of Journalismat the USC Annenberg School for Com-munication, recognizes the year’s out-standing work in investigative journal-ism that led to direct results. “If it werenot for these two reporters, our veter-ans would continue to suffer needlesslyand unconscionably,” said Michael Parks,the Pulitzer Prize–winning former editorof the Los Angeles Times, who nowserves as the school’s director. “This isexactly what investigative reportingshould do—hold the governmentaccountable to its people.”

’67� Allan [email protected]� Ed [email protected]

Ivan Sag was the featured speaker forMercersburg’s Cum Laude Convocationin March [page 7]. Ivan, who holds aPh.D. from the Massachusetts Instituteof Technology, is a noted linguist andprofessor of linguistics at Stanford Uni-versity. He has co-authored severalbooks that introduce and develop thesyntactic theory known as head-drivenphrase structure grammar (HPSG).During his visit, he spoke to students inthe Simon Theatre about his time atthe ’Burg more than 40 years ago andthe circuitous route his life has taken.

“Americana Roads,” an exhibition of photography byformer Regent Robert Kurtz ’52 [Mercersburg, spring2008], will run in the Burgin Center for the Arts fromthe beginning of the 2008–2009 academic yearthrough Alumni Weekend in October.

’56� David A. [email protected]

In November, John Butterfield waselected to the town council of Gettys-burg, Pennsylvania; of the 12 candidatesfor seven seats, he was the leading vote-getter. John stresses that he is “not apolitician, but a public servant.”

’58� Guy [email protected] � George [email protected]� Koz [email protected]� Ross [email protected] � Jim [email protected] � Bill [email protected] � Alan [email protected]

’59� Hank [email protected]� Doug [email protected]� Barry [email protected]� Clem [email protected]� Charlie [email protected]� Bob [email protected]� Bob [email protected]� Frank [email protected]

’62� Jon [email protected]� Jack [email protected]

Francis “Buck” Stultz’s retirement is“on hold.” His wife, Valerie, accepted aposition on the bishop’s cabinet assuperintendent of the Akron CanalDistrict. They planned a move to Stow,Ohio, in June (their 15th move in 42 yearsof marriage).

’63� Gene Homicki [email protected]� Dave [email protected] � Paul [email protected]

Witcher “Topper” McCullough went toStetson University in Florida. “I had seenenough of you guys running around indress suits in the cold snow at theAcademy,” he writes, “so I traded minein for a bathing suit and the beach—absolutely no regrets. I serve as a direc-tor on the Stetson Alumni Board. I wishwe Mercersburg grads did moregetting together like we do at Stetson;we always pay lip service to intentionsand then don’t perform—why doesthat sound familiar?” Topper went tolaw school at West Virginia Universityand was a federal prosecutor for fouryears in Houston. “Imagine that—theguy voted one of the winners of ‘getsaway with the most’ putting the badguys in prison. Jump 37 years forward; Iam a civil trial lawyer and mediator witha firm that has 500 lawyers and 10offices, and have not aged a bit. I con-vinced a hometown girl (another hill-billy with one leg shorter than theother) to marry me 27 years ago. Wehave three kids, and none of them have

Matthew Cook ’11 and Stephanie Stine ’11 (grandchildren of Bill Cook ’51) in their firstyear at Mercersburg.



’68� Charles [email protected]� Bill [email protected]� Rich [email protected] � Bruce [email protected] � Mike [email protected] � Tucker [email protected] � Clarence [email protected]

Andrew Ammerman joined his mother,Josephine Ammerman, and Hubert andCharlotte Schlosberg in celebration ofArena Stage’s 2007–2008 season bysponsoring Ella, the Arena’s first pro-duction in Crystal City, just across thePotomac from Washington, D.C.Through Andrew’s generosity, a group ofMercersburg students and faculty at-tended a performance in February. An-drew considers Ella Fitzgerald a seminalpart of his childhood, as he has won-derful memories of the stereo filling hishome with her gorgeous voice. He waselected to the Arena’s board of trusteesin 2006 and admires the theater’s mis-sion to celebrate American Voices.

Dan Huyett is a fellow of the AmericanCollege of Trial Lawyers, one of the pre-mier legal associations in the nation.He is a partner at Stevens & Lee in Read-ing, Pennsylvania; his areas of practiceare commercial and class action litiga-tion, corporate investigation, and white-collar criminal defense. Dan is a formerfederal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’soffice in Philadelphia.

Doug Miller is senior vice president andgeneral counsel for Cogentrix Energy inCharlotte, North Carolina.

The USS Stockdale (DDG-106), an ArleighBurke-class guided missile destroyer inthe U.S. Navy, was christened May 10during a ceremony in Bath, Maine. Theship is named for Vice Admiral James B.Stockdale, the father of Jim Stockdaleand grandfather of Liz ’02 and Bond ’09.Admiral Stockdale, one of the most dec-orated officers in the history of the Navy,was a Medal of Honor recipient whospent eight years as a prisoner of war inVietnam, and ran for vice president asRoss Perot’s running mate in 1992. Hedied in 2005 at age 81.

.

’69� Rick [email protected] � Rich Freedman [email protected] � Dick [email protected]

For the past 30 years, Rich Freedmanhas lived in Charlottesville, Virginia,where he is a small-animal veterinar-ian. He has taught, written, and per-fected a few things (and that’s very few).He loves vintage British cars, jukeboxes,and pinball machines; he also coachedyouth lacrosse for 15 years. His daughter,Danielle, attended Duke University andnow works for a consulting firm inWashington. His son, Chad, is in his sec-ond year at Washington College andplays lacrosse. “It’s time to quit and fig-ure out how to retire someday,” Richsays. “After two college tuitions, anyonehave any good ideas?” Rich gets back tothe ’Burg a couple times a year; he isgood friends with the basketball coach,Mark Cubit. He periodically reads aboutBruce Josten, vice president of the U.S.Chamber of Commerce, and saw himon TV one night discussing foreign ownership of our ports. Rich’s brother,Skip ’66, is in Portland, Oregon, “playingdoctor” and running a company thatdoes insurance claims review and hos-pital peer review.

AmericanFarm.com featured Dick Seibert’s Knob Hall Winery in an April2008 article. Knob Hall was one of sixstops on the 2008 Maryland Agricul-ture Commission tour. Commissionmembers met with members of thestate’s agricultural community to dis-cuss ways to promote Maryland’s num-ber-one industry—agriculture. KnobHall has hired John Levenberg as a con-sultant winemaker specializing in theproduction of ultra-premium wines;John has served as winemaker forwineries in several locales, includingLong Island, California, and France.

’72� Tom [email protected] � Eric [email protected]

Scott Christopher and his wife, Eliza-beth, have been featured twice in thepages of the Santa Fe New Mexican. Thestories detailed Scott and Elizabeth’sartistic talents and ventures over thelast several years. Scott is best known forhis 42 years of photographic images, in-cluding pictures of Michael Jackson,Princess Diana, and Cal Ripken Jr.

Since November, Peggy Northrop hasserved as editor-in-chief of Reader’sDigest. Previously, Peggy was the editor-in-chief of More magazine for threeyears; she has also held editorial posi-tions at Redbook, Organic Style, Glamour,and Mirabellamagazines.

’73� Joe Lee [email protected]

Giselle Amna, born October 4,2007, daughter of Tim Gocke ’94and his wife, Fizzah.

Emma Marie, daughter of BenGraham ’94 and his wife, Brigid,born February 5, 2008.

To Alyssa Bella Landahl ’89 andher husband, Andrew: a son, William Aldo, October 16, 2007.

To Matt Kettering ’90 and hiswife, Adrian: a son, Foster Nicol,January 17, 2008.

To John Barnes ’91 and his wife,Kassie: a son, John Robert, January 30, 2008.

To Timothy Keeler ’94 and hiswife, Elissa: a son, Finian “Finn”Michael, March 28, 2008.

To Ingrid Herr-Paul Ashley ’99and her husband, Timothy: ason, Aiden Paul, January 9, 2008.

Children of Melissa Glah Orders ’95 and her husband,Nathaniel: Catherine, ElizabethAnn (born April 27, 2007), and Andrew.

Mason Perrin, born Decem-ber 1, 2007, son of SaKeithiaRogers ’97 and her husband,Perrin.

Alex Kenel, son of Amanda Reisner ’97 and her husband, JeanDocteur, born October 31, 2007.

Emily Miller Joyner ’99 withher son, Bruce Honus, born toher and her husband, Stephen,January 4, 2007.

ABOVE: Hadley Grace, daughter offaculty member Jo Wrzesinskyand her husband, Jason Frey,born April 22, 2008.

FacultyTo Michael Cameron and his wife, Jennifer Blyth: a son, Harold Raymond, April 29, 2008.

To Jon Hathorn and his wife,Helen: a daughter, MadeleineMarie, April 26, 2008.

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Ralph Kline ’76, his wife, Helen, andcountry-music star Phil Vassar at a January 2008 Mercersburg gathering atthe Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia.

’74� Steve [email protected]� Kevin [email protected]

’76� Jane White [email protected]

Mark Bistline’s daughter, Bennett, is afreshman at the Rhode Island School ofDesign. His son, James, celebrated hisfirst birthday in May, and Mark’s wife,Susan, is due with their third child inJuly.

’78� Heidi Kaul [email protected]

Marie Furnary celebrated several bigevents this year. In June, her daughter,Alina, graduated from The ThacherSchool in Ojai, California; she plans toattend Dartmouth College nextyear. Her son, James, graduated fromthe U.S. Naval Academy last May and istraining to be a Marine pilot in Pen-sacola, Florida. James married fellowAnnapolis graduate Sara Miller, who willbe an ensign on a ship based in Jack-sonville, Florida. Following their action-packed spring, Marie and her husband,Ken, are lying low for the summer in McCall, Idaho.

David Hawbaker ’69 has served asPennsylvania Magisterial District Judgein Mercersburg since 1982.

Board of Regents Nominees:Elizabeth Gildea Logie ’81, New Canaan, ConnecticutLiz is a graduate of Yale University and Georgetown Law School. Previouslyan attorney in New York City for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, as well asChristy & Viner, she left the practice of law to raise a family. In 2003, Liz re-entered the workforce as an entrepreneur, establishing Liz Logie LLC toshowcase her high-end women’s shirt designs. Her line is now available inapproximately 50 stores nationwide, including Barneys New York andNeiman Marcus. Liz was a volunteer with the New York Region committeefor Mightily Onward, and was elected to the Board of Regents in May 2005.She and her husband, Scott, have two sons and a daughter.

Jamil T. Myrie ’93, New York, New YorkJamil graduated cum laude from Mercersburg and received a bachelor ofarts in economics from Harvard University. Jamil was elected to the Board ofRegents in 1999; he was the first Regent elected to a seat on the Board cre-ated by the Nominating Committee especially for young graduates. Jamilbegan his career as the co-founder of MOJA Design Corporation, a leadinginternational design, manufacturing, and distribution company based inNew York City. Jamil was a pioneer in bringing the first hip-hop fashion de-signer brand to the $17 billion eyewear industry; in 2002, he successfully ledMOJA Design through the acquisition, integration, and repositioning ofrenowned urban fashion house Maurice Malone. In 2004, Jamil joined ForEyes, a privately owned, national retail company with more than 150 loca-tions throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as executive vice presi-dent of real estate and development. He oversees the company’s real-estateportfolio of close to 500,000 square feet, and also serves as executive vice president of business intelligence.

AAlluummnnii CCoouunncciill NNoommiinneeeess::Colin G. Marsh ’01, Denver, ColoradoColin earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Harvey Mudd Collegein 2005, and is an analyst with Accenture. He is the development lead for aproject at movie channels Starz/Encore; his team worked to develop Vongo,a video-download service. His brother, Robert Marsh Kurtz ’09, is a currentMercersburg student, and his sister, Karis ’05, is also a graduate of the Acad-emy. Colin’s grandfather is Robert Kurtz ’52, a former member of the Boardof Regents and past-president of the Alumni Council.

BBooaarrdd ooff RReeggeennttss AAlluummnnii RReepprreesseennttaattiivveeEElliizzaabbeetthh GGiillddeeaa LLooggiiee ’’8811JJaammiill TT.. MMyyrriiee ’’9933

AAlluummnnii CCoouunncciillCCoolliinn GG.. MMaarrsshh ’’0011

_________________________________________ is proposed for consideration as a future member of the Board of Regents or Alumni Council (circle one).

Name: ___________________________________________ Class: _______

MMaaiill ttoo::Alumni SecretaryMercersburg Academy300 East Seminary StreetMercersburg, PA 17236

oorr ffaaxx ttoo 717-328-6211

BBAALLLLOOTT FFOORR EELLEECCTTIIOONN OOFF MMEEMMBBEERRSS OOFF TTHHEE BBOOAARRDD OOFF RREEGGEENNTTSS AANNDD TTHHEE AALLUUMMNNII CCOOUUNNCCIILL

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Mark Hammond, who is “teachingphysics at St. Andrew’s School andloving it,” spent spring break visitingcolleges with his daughter, Sadie, which“made me feel kind of old,” he says—“but we get to run together each after-noon, which makes me feel young. Myson, Davis, will be starting St. Andrew’snext fall—I don’t know how that makesme feel. Last summer, we traveledaround Germany, France, and Italy,boosting the European economy despiteour country’s ‘war on tourism.’”

Hank Katzen shares, “All is well in Mait-land, Florida. Plenty of work todo and I’m getting back to Pennsylva-nia almost every month, which is great.I’m taking the mixing of business with

ticket holders for UCF basketball andfootball, and supporting the hometeam has been really fun. I hope to seea Penn State home game next fall.”

Ken Lee moved back to central Penn-sylvania several years ago, and is ashareholder with the law firm of TuckerArensberg and co-chairman of thefirm’s Real Estate and Construction LawGroup. He has been named a “Best At-torney in America” for the last severalyears, and has played fast-pitch baseballfor a Field of Dreams team. “The bestthing about being back in central Penn-sylvania,” Ken says, “is being near all ofmy siblings and my mom and lettingmy daughter, Samantha, enjoy specialtimes with her grandmother, aunts, un-cles, and cousins. Samantha is an honorstudent who starts high school inthe fall. We, of course, are back in Mer-cersburg often, because my mom stilllives on the family farm just outside oftown. I stay in touch with Sam Happeland Scott “Reggie” Toward, who areboth in the Pittsburgh area.”

John McAvoy and his wife, Kim, finisheda third home on Rangeley Lake in themountains of Maine. John spent thepast two years completing the U.S.Army War College’s distance-educationprogram, and now holds a master’s de-gree in strategic studies. He is still activeon weekends as the Deputy J4 (Logis-tics) for the Maine Army NationalGuard. Kim and the girls are active inscouting activities. John’s hobbies in-clude boating, fishing, miniature golf,and skiing; fortunately, the girls all en-joy those activities, so it’s usually agroup effort.

Walter McGhee moved back to Pitts-burgh about five years ago after beinggone for approximately 20 years. Walter,

who works in asset management, kepthis job in New York, so he goes thereoften—which, he says, is nice. “I decidedto go back to school last year and havebeen working on my CFA,” he says. “Notsure why I am doing this since it is re-quiring all of my free time… chalk it upto a moment of temporary insanity.Kathleen and I have been married fornearly 16 years and have four wonderfulchildren (ages 12, 10, 9, and 5). Occasion-ally, I bump into Sam Happel, which is al-ways a nice surprise.”

’79� Carol Furnary [email protected]

Ruth Quinn’s husband, Thomas Chalkley,did a caricature of former SenateMajority Leader Bill Frist and politicalpundit James Carville that appeared ina Super Bowl commercial for Coca-Cola.

Jay “Mato” Tindall and his wife, Patricia,had a son, Christopher James, on No-vember 19, 2007. The family (includingthe newly christened baby boy) lives inHarmony, Pennsylvania (35 miles northof Pittsburgh). Patricia is now a stay-at-home mom after working as an inten-sive-care nurse in the neurological unitat Allegheny General Hospital, and morerecently as a case-management super-visor at Cigna Healthcare. Jay completeda global MBA at the University ofPhoenix and works for a risk-manage-ment firm, Global Consulting, of Lon-don. Jay is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese,and Italian, and works frequently in LatinAmerica and Europe. He says the timespent away from home can be very frus-trating; however, the baby will get hispassport soon, and then the whole fam-ily can travel together.

The marriage of Laura Linderman ’91and Andrew Barker, January 17, 2008.

The wedding of Chesley Bastholm ’98 and Justin Nonemaker, April 5, 2008, in Kiawah Island, South Carolina (L–R): Cat Supernavage ’97, Irene Papoutsis ’99, Pierce Lord ’98, Justin and Chesley, Ashley Bastholm Piraino ’93, Sarah Cohen ’98, Julia Wiedeman ’98.

Liz Yates ’96 to David Eppley, June 28, 2008.The marriage of Lovro Vuksa ’01 andNikolina Svecak, June 30, 2007.

Future (Marshall) Mercersburg student Sydney Parker Byrd, daughter of Harry ’91and Ashley Byrd.

pleasure to an art form. Number-oneson, Malcolm Alexander, has startedhigh school and has been asked to be apart of the Rollins College Orchestra—not bad for a high school freshman.Number-two son, Max David, is in eighthgrade, continues to post straight As, andis becoming very social. Number-threeson, Mason Ross, will soon be 11 yearsold and can’t wait for the Rush concert ina few weeks—he is convinced Neil Peartis the greatest rock-and-roll drummeralive today. We still see as many shows aswe can; we even added Jazz Fest to thecalendar and now we have a new B.B.King’s in Orlando to keep the good timesrolling. I got to see the Steelers beat theBengals in the house of Heinz last sea-son—that was cool. We are now season

Marriages


52 MMEERR CC EERR SS BBUU RRGG MMAAGGAA ZZ II NN EE SS UUMMMMEE RR 22 0000 88

’82 � Todd [email protected]� Duncan [email protected]

Ray Liddy was promoted to the rankof colonel in the U.S. Marine CorpsReserves.

’83� Mark [email protected] � Bruce [email protected]

’84� Rachel Haines [email protected]� Ann [email protected]

Todd and Claudia Bayona Hovendenoperate 21 Biaggi’s restaurants in 12states. They are enjoying watching Max(12) and Gabby (10) grow up. “If there isever anything that we can do for any ofour fellow Mercersburg alumni, wewould love to hear from them,” Todd says.

Betsy Rider-Williams joined the BerwynSquash Club near Philadelphia, whereshe bumped into Erika LaCerda ’83 andCindy Davenport Borger ’83. They had agreat time remembering all the fun theyhad playing squash at Mercersburg withChip Vink ’73 and traveling to games.They look forward to playing in futureBurbank Squash Tournaments.

Jorge Vargasand Wendy Purdon announcethe birth of a baby girl, Daniela Elizabeth,October 22, 2007, in Pembroke Pines,Florida. Big brother Alexander is veryhappy about the addition to the family.

’85� Susan Corwin [email protected]

Luke Ebbin co-wrote the song “No Turning Back,” which was one of 20songs competing to be the first singlereleased by the winner of this year’s sea-son of American Idol. Luke, a record pro-ducer and songwriter, has worked withBon Jovi, Melissa Etheridge, the All-American Rejects, and Plain White T’s.

Theo “Chipper” Lichtenstein has re-turned from New Zealand and Australia,where he was teaching bridge.

Bill Jarrett ’91 (left, with former New York City Mayor and presidential candidate RudyGiuliani) is an attorney in Manhattan, involved with the 2008 presidential campaign,and making a move on Wall Street.

Rossell Purcell ’91 enjoying a Gauchofestival in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

’88� Kristin Butterfield [email protected]� Jennifer Cutshall [email protected] � Paul [email protected] � Susie [email protected] � Eric [email protected]

Iain Martin’s new book, The QuotableAmerican Civil War, was published inMay by Lyons Press.

’89� Zania Pearson [email protected] � Ames [email protected]

’90� Treva [email protected]� Kim [email protected]

Jeffrey LaGrassa earned a promotion toprincipal research technician at Air Prod-ucts and Chemicals in Allentown, Penn-sylvania. He celebrated his 10thanniversary with the company inNovember of last year, and supports re-search activities as a member of theprocess and separations group. He andhis wife, Alicia, were married in June2005. Outside of work, Jeff spends a lotof time playing disc golf, skiing, playingthe electric bass, and jamming withfriends. He occasionally runs into DanStoner in the Lancaster area.

’91� Helen Barfield [email protected]� Laura Linderman [email protected]

John Barnes and his wife, Kassie, an-nounce the birth of a baby boy, JohnRobert “Jack” Barnes, on January 30,2008. Jack is the nephew of JamesBarnes ’95.

Laura Shatsie Linderman married Andrew Bowman Barker January 17,2008, in San Diego. The Barkers wereengaged on New Year’s Eve in Seattle,and decided to make it official prior toAndrew’s deployment to Afghanistan,where he is serving as naval reservecommander with the Combined Secu-rity Transition Command-Afghanistan(CSTC). The Barkers plan to formally cel-ebrate their marriage with friends andfamily in spring 2009.

September 18Young Alumni Multi-school EventBoat Basin Café, New York City

Enjoy drinks, snacks, and good company withalumni from Mercersburg, Hill, Andover,Lawrenceville, Peddie, and Blair.

September 26–28Family Weekend

October 17–19Alumni Weekend

December 13–14Loyalty Club Candlelight Service Weekend

June 11–14, 2009Anniversary reunions for classes ending in 4 and 9

MOR E I N FORMAT ION : www.mercersburg.edu/[email protected]

Join us this fall



Matt Danziger ’99 and his fiancée, KateStone, celebrating their engagement inSan Francisco.

Hannah Kaufman ’00 and PiaStreicher ’00 visiting Sintra, a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in Portugal.

A group of young alumni met in March at a bar in downtown Denver to watch Sean Doherty ’02 play guitar at an open-micnight. (L–R): Ann Marie Bliley ’01, Peter Maxwell Banzhaf ’02, Heidi Anderes ’01, Sean, Mariel Gallet ’03.

.

’98� Liz [email protected]� Dean [email protected]� Pierce [email protected] � Beth Pniewski [email protected]� Owen [email protected] � Abby [email protected]

Kevin Hoffmann has worked as an actorin New York and Orlando for the pastseveral years. He has appeared in com-mercials for Sony, Mediacom Cable,Royal Bank of Canada, and Sweetbay Su-permarkets. This fall, Kevin will attendthe Old Globe Theatre’s MFA acting pro-gram in San Diego. Students learn andperform at the Old Globe Theatre duringthe intense two-year program. The pro-gram includes a full-tuition scholarship,a living stipend, and a trip to London tostudy during the second year; only sevenstudents each year are accepted. Kevinwould love to hear from any alumni inthe entertainment industry; for moreinformation, visit kevinhoffmann.com.

’99� Jenn [email protected]� Jess [email protected]

Brothers Matt and Andy Danziger[Mercersburg, summer 2007] invite youto visit their website, web.mac.com/andrewdanziger, which talks about thePan-Mass Challenge.

’00� Kevin [email protected] � Taylor [email protected]� Andrew [email protected]� Anne [email protected]

Pia Streicher and Hannah Kaufmanmetup for a weekend in Lisbon, Portugal.Hannah taught English and worked ona series of paintings in Lisbon before re-turning to the States in April to teachart. Pia lives in Paris, where she isfinishing a Ph.D. in biophysics at theInstitut Curie.

’01� Heidi [email protected] � Ann Marie [email protected] � Brian [email protected]

After playing briefly overseas in theBritish Basketball League, Wes Miller ishoping to land a job coaching basketball.In the meantime, Wes, a former NorthCarolina guard, is promoting his book,The Road to Blue Heaven.

Lovro Vuksa married Nikolina SvecakJune 30, 2007, in Zagreb, Croatia; JustinStephenson ’02 and Petar Krvaric ’00attended the ceremony.

’92� Emily Gilmer [email protected]

Dan Akers is a visual-effects artist in Los Angeles. He is working on the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt and CateBlanchett. Dan has worked on several recent films, including Pirates of the Caribbean, I Am Legend, Blood Diamond, and King Kong. For more, checkout his profile at the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).

’93� Danielle [email protected]� Alexis Kemmler [email protected] � Alyson McKee [email protected]� Jamil [email protected]� Karen Pak [email protected] � Rob [email protected] � Sarah [email protected]

Danielle Dahlstrom is delighted toannounce her engagement to RyanCleland-Bogle. The couple plans aSeptember wedding, and will live inAmman, Jordan. Danielle, who lives inVienna, Austria, continues work as apress and public information officer atthe International Atomic Energy Agency(the UN’s atomic watchdog and globalfocal point for nuclear cooperation). Sheis producing a multimedia package onnuclear security’s role in the upcomingSummer Olympic Games in Beijing.

Stirling Elmendorf exhibited a selectionof fine-art photographs in January andFebruary at Caramel Boutique in Wash-ington.

’94� Tim [email protected] � Rob [email protected]

’96� Lori Esposit [email protected]� Geraldine [email protected]

Arlo Crawford’s story, “Cold-ComfortFarming,” was featured May 4, 2008, inthe New York Times Magazine. The pieceis about his experience as an organicfarmer, relationships, and dating.

Liz Yatesmarried David Eppley June 28;classmate Allison Arch served as abridesmaid. Liz and David live in NewYork City with their yellow Lab, Stella.

’97� Emily [email protected]� Chris [email protected]

Larissa Chase Smithwas instrumental infounding the Mercersburg Council forthe Arts (MCFA) in January; fellowfounders included her husband, Ryan,and Jenn Flanagan ’99. The organiza-tion’s goal is to facilitate dialogue be-tween area artists and members of theMercersburg community. For more infor-mation, visit www.mercersburg.org/mcfa.



Tammy McBeth ’05 and presidentialcandidate Ron Paul during his Aprilstop at Gettysburg College.

An exhibition of sculpture byfaculty member Pete Gunkelman[page 24] entitled “The MaleForm” was showcased duringMarch and April in the BurginCenter’s Niche Gallery.

’02� Noelle [email protected] � Bryan [email protected] � Liz [email protected] � Ian [email protected]

After his trip around the world [Mer-cersburg, winter 2007–2008], PeterBanzhaf is in the midst of his last twoquarters of the MBA-program portionof the five-year bachelor’s of construc-tion management and MBA-in-finance program at the University ofDenver. He hopes to find a construc-tion-related job in Denver this summer.

In July, James Sprott begins master’sstudy in maritime archaeology atFlinders University in Adelaide, Aus-tralia. He says visitors are welcome.

’03 � Colleen [email protected]� Kolb [email protected] � Nate Fochtman [email protected]� Whitney [email protected] � Jenn [email protected] � Gabby [email protected] � Eric [email protected] � Vanessa [email protected]

Following work as a counselor for Mercersburg Adventure Camps, Nate Fochtman is spending a monththis summer traveling across the country by train. He leaves fromPhiladelphia in early August for a cross-country excursion that will takehim to approximately 30 states, withstops at official and unofficial alumnigatherings in Chicago, Denver, Seattle,Austin, and other locales. Read Nate’sblog at www.mercersburg.edu.

Coast Guard Seaman Charles Lewisgraduated from the U.S. Coast GuardRecruit Training Center in Cape May,New Jersey.

’04� Alyse [email protected] � Marissa [email protected]� Lindsey [email protected] � Katherine [email protected]� Nick [email protected]� Katie Proudman

Kristy Higby’s film, Cornie, was part ofthe three-day Martin Luther King cel-ebration at Shippensburg Universityin January.

Bob Holman retired from teaching at the close of the 2007–2008 academic year. A graduate of the U.S.Naval Academy, Bob came to Mercersburg in 2004 to teach mathematics and serve as an assistant football and lacrosse coach.Before Mercersburg, he taught atWest Nottingham Academy in Maryland and spent 22 years as anofficer in the U.S. Navy.

Joel Chace published a new book ofpoetry, Cleaning the Mirror: Selectedand New Poems. For more informa-tion about the collection, visitwww.blazevox.org/bk-jchace.htm.

Former mathematics and Englishteacher David Kagan authored a bookentitled Pine Creek Villages in the “Im-

Josh Hunka ’02 with his sister,Anna ’08, at Lackland Air Force Basein Texas, where Josh is goingthrough basic training.

Brothers Mike ’01 and Matt ’04 Flanaganice fishing this winter on their familyfarm in upstate New York.

Maxine Battis is finishing her secondyear at Smith College and will spendher junior year in Switzerland.

Jan Weberwrites that his review of Mer-cersburg on boarding-school reviewwebsite PrepReview.comwas chosen asthe top review for the month of Febru-ary. He won a cash prize of $220, whichhe plans to donate to the Dr. ThomasFoose ’63Memorial Wildlife Fund.

’07� Dan [email protected]� Xanthe [email protected]� Bada [email protected]� Mallory [email protected]� Chuck [email protected]� Kristina [email protected]� Katelyn [email protected]

ages of America” series by the ArcadiaPublishing Company. The book con-sists of eight chapters, with introduc-tory histories of the villages along PineCreek in north-central Pennsylvania,followed by more than 200 old pho-tographs going back to the great lum-bering and railroading years at the endof the 19th and beginning of the 20thcenturies.

A few years ago, former faculty member Larry Weber sold WeberShandwick, one of the world’s leadingpublic-relations firms. His latest ven-ture is W2 Group, a global marketingservices ecosystem that helps execu-tives in their roles as builders of com-munities and content aggregators(www.w2groupinc .com) . Dav i d Schilling ’79 caught up with Larry inBoston; after 25 years, Larry spoke veryfondly of his times at Mercersburg,and he’d like to hear from former students ([email protected]).

Faculty/Former Faculty

[email protected] � Abby [email protected] � Amber [email protected]

Claire Boltonmajored in economics; hercareer goal is to work for a nonprofitthat specializes in community-friendlybusiness development and general eco-nomic empowerment in low-income ar-eas. She is applying for a fellowshipworking with livelihood and poverty is-sues in rural India. “If I am successful, Iwill start in September,” she says. “If not,I will continue my job search in the U.S.”

Douglas Hummel-Price and the YaleWhiffenpoofs were pictured in the May2008 issue of Vanity Fair. The photoappeared with a story about the recentrenaissance of sorts that a cappellamusic is enjoying in popular culture.

Lianna Wong graduated from the University of Florida, and has launched liannawongdesign.com, which featuresher design portfolio.

’06� Sam [email protected]� Greg [email protected]� Joy [email protected]� Stephanie [email protected]� Jonathan [email protected]� Stephanie [email protected]

Matt Engle says that his first semester atSewanee was amazing. He started onthe soccer team as a freshman; he saysthe unofficial motto is “work hard, playhard.” He took humanities, economics,world politics, and calculus courses.



Obituaries’24

Laurence A. Scott, January 1985. (Marshall, The Fifteen, orchestra, ChapelQuartet, track) A magna cum laude graduate of Amherst College, he wasa member of Phi Beta Kappa and a Rhodes Scholar. He wrote and pro-duced films and plays for the theater. While at Oxford, he earned bache-lor’s and master’s degrees, and his first play, Doubloon, was produced inLondon. Soon after his return to the States, Goodbye Again, a musicalcomedy, was successful on Broadway.

’25C. Charles Haines, January 19, 2003.

’26Eugene M. Ehrbar, May 20, 1991.

’27John P. Heilman, December 31, 1997.

’28Thomas M. Batchelor, July 12, 1999.

’29Leo H. Heintz, August 18, 2002. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy,Colonel Heintz served in World War II with the 11th Armored Division, the9th Army, and the U.S. Army Air Corps Training Center. After the war, hetransferred to the then-new U.S. Air Force; he was one of the earliest grad-uates of the Air War College.

Edward P. Jones, August 6, 2005.

Robert P. Woods, August 13, 1999.

’30Herbert J. Hughes, April 3, 1996.

’31Oliver D. “Pat” Finnigan, June 1, 2007. (Irving, News, band) CommanderFinnigan was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. A pre-war assign-ment for him was aboard the destroyer USS Talbot, based at Pearl Harbor.The Talbot was named after Medal of Honor recipient Ralph Talbot ’16,who was killed in World War I. Following the war, Pat graduated from theU.S. Army War College, served as staff commander of the Marianas,taught in the department of electrical engineering at the U.S. Naval Acad-emy, was U.S. naval attaché to Canada, and was commanding officer ofthe U.S. Naval Station in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1965, after 30 years ofnaval service, he was appointed secretary of the Navy Relief Society.

’32Robert G. Booth, June 17, 2007. (Irving, News Board, Lit, swimming, track,cross country, Stony Batter) As a young boy, Bob lived in his parents’homeland of Ireland, where he attended grammar school before re-turning to America to complete his education. A graduate of Colgate Uni-versity, he was an advertising executive with the J. Walter ThompsonCompany for 17 years. In 1961, he joined Metropolitan Life Insurance Com-pany, and was named vice president of advertising in 1966. Bob’s wife ofnearly 60 years, Eleanor Wood Booth, died February 12, 2008.

Charles L. Pfaff, March 1, 2000.

’33Harry C. Carolus, March 9, 1997. (Marshall, Glee Club, Chapel Choir, StonyBatter, soccer, baseball) He was a graduate of Catawba College and theTheological Seminary of Lancaster. In 1953, Reverend Carolus served onthe Academy’s Board of Regents, filling the unexpired term of a deceasedBoard member.

Robert W. Leibold, September 21, 2007. (Irving, Glee Club, track) A gradu-ate of Haverford College and the University of Pittsburgh Medical School,Bob was discharged as a captain from the U.S. Army Medical Corps in1947. He was retired as an obstetrics and gynecology physician of theWheeling Clinic in West Virginia. His wife of 57 years, Mary Louise, pre-ceded him in death. Survivors include four sons (including Dave ’59), eightgrandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a sister, and a brother, John ’35.

’34Homer C. Groce, July 7, 2005. (Marshall, Chapel Choir, Glee Club, StonyBatter, Orchestra, Band) A graduate of Susquehanna University, he servedin the British Air Ministry and the U.S. Army Air Corps in an intelligencecapacity in Europe in the late 1930s. He was employed by U.S. Rubber andthe DuPont Corporation during World War II. After the war, he served asvice president of the family business, William Groce Silk Mills and GroceDistributors. He was also president and CEO of Building Systems of Amer-ica and Southern Business Systems. He codified the Native American lan-guage used by the Lenape tribe of the Eastern Delaware Nation. Basedon his work to preserve the language and customs of the culture, he wasadopted into the Lenape tribe in 1991. He became an elder of the TurtleClan and sat on the Grand Council of Chiefs of the Eastern Delaware Na-tion. Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Anna, a son, two daughters,four grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, five great-grandchildren,and a nephew, Charlie ’64.

Earl S. Krick, September 26, 2002. (Irving) He was a practicing physicianin Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, for more than 50 years. He is survived byhis wife, Helen, as well as four daughters, a son, 11 grandchildren, andtwo great-grandchildren.



spent 42 years in flight operations for Trans World Airlines, including eightyears in Cairo, Egypt, and 20 years at JFK International Airport. He waspredeceased by his wife, Katherine Goetz Nuss, in 1970. Survivors includehis wife of 36 years, Naomi Berwaldt Nuss, as well as two daughters andtwo grandchildren.

’38Noel A. Buckner, November 20, 2004. (Main Annex, Irving, KARUX Board,soccer) He was a graduate of the University of Michigan and a U.S. Armyveteran of World War II. He was the former president of Buckner FinanceCompany of Pontiac, Michigan. Survivors include his wife, Sue, two daugh-ters, two sons, and six grandchildren.

Frank G. Farrell, March 23, 2008. (Marshall, track) He was a retired UnitedAirlines pilot and enjoyed a career lasting more than 35 years. He was pre-deceased by Marian, his wife of 60 years. Survivors include a son, a daugh-ter, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

James I. Hahn, November 25, 2001. (Marshall) For much of Jim’s businesscareer, he was associated with the accounting division of ContinentalElectronics Manufacturing Company in England and several states, in-cluding Massachusetts and Texas.

Hobart J. Harder, August 19, 1999. (Irving, Gun Club)

Raymond H. Hoult, March 14, 1997. Ray was a retired administrator withthe Florida State Department of Transportation.

Allen H. Lemmon, May 22, 2007. (Irving) Al graduated from Princeton University and served with the Army Air Force in England during WorldWar II. He retired in 1980 from Gulf Oil, where he was in marketing andhuman resources.

’39Charles F. Bradbury, May 12, 2002. (Marshall, track)

Richard B. Jones, December 31, 1996. (Irving, soccer) Dick attended Dartmouth College both before and after World War II, graduating in 1947.He was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star and was a member of aregiment that received the Croix de Guerre.

Richard W. Putnam, March 28, 2002. He was retired as president of Put-nam Drug in Hanover, New Hampshire.

’40Alvin R. Blattner, March 30, 2007. (Marshall, Les Copains, Rauchrunde, ten-nis, soccer, wrestling, Laticlavii, Newsphotographer, Airplane Club) He wasborn in Cairo and grew up in Italy and Switzerland before moving toAmerica. After a two-year interruption for military service, he graduatedfrom the University of Illinois. He served in the 28th Fighter Group of theU.S. Army, filling a valuable role as an interpreter and cultural advisor forsenior staff in France, the Rhineland, and Africa. Bob was employed ina series of corporate settings, including Corn Products Company(now CPC International), Chemico, Stone and Webster Engineering,and Foster Wheeler Energy. He is survived by a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren.

Robert J. Underwood, June 8, 2003. (Marshall, football)

’35Charles Y. Dusenbury, November 23, 1999.

Stephen S. Sechrist, January 22, 2008. (Marshall, Les Copains, Glee Club,Chapel Choir) Following graduation from Princeton University, Steve re-turned to the family business, Red Lion Cabinet Company, which manu-factured cabinets for the radio and television industry. The companywould evolve into Redco Corporation, which manufactured metal auto-motive parts. He was predeceased by his wife, Mary Louise WiltonSechrist, and is survived by a son, two daughters, and two grandchildren.

Harold A. Strohman, January 22, 2008. (Chapel Choir, Glee Club, SymphonyOrchestra, Les Copains, baseball, football) He graduated from Lehigh Uni-versity, and served in the U.S. Army from 1940 to 1945, attaining the rankof lieutenant colonel. He was employed at the Baldwin Locomotive Com-pany before moving to the Cummins Engine Company in 1959; he retiredin 1978. He was predeceased by his wife, Hilda, who died in 1990. Sur-vivors include a stepson (Dick White ’59), a grandson and granddaughter,a great-grandson, and a longtime companion, Laura Lewis.

’36Paul D. Blum, May 11, 2000. (Marshall, track)

John A. Bogar, January 25, 2008. (Marshall, football) He graduated fromDickinson College and was a lieutenant commander aboard the USS Indiana in the Pacific during World War II. He was the retired vice presi-dent of the Chester County, Pennsylvania, Mutual Insurance Company.He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice Spratt Bogar, two brothers(including George ’28), and two sisters. Surviving are a son, two daughters,seven grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

Russell L. Hollenback, May 3, 2005. (Marshall) A veteran of the U.S. Mer-chant Marine, he distributed musical instruments to schools and insti-tutions for Carty’s Music Company. In addition to his wife of 65 years,Romayne Hoffman Hollenback, he is survived by two sons, a daughter,six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Frank V. Walsh, April 4, 2008. (Irving, Class Ode Committee, Radio Clubpresident, Stony Batter) A graduate of Cornell University, Van spent 30years with Curtis Wright Corporation, where he constructed airplane en-gines and parts. During some of those years, he built a one-mile track fora narrow-gauge steam locomotive circling an amusement park, thenspent many enjoyable years with this ambitious hobby. In retirement, hecontinued working and volunteering until he was 80 years old. He waspredeceased by his wife of 64 years, Daisy; survivors include three daugh-ters, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

’37John Blair, May 1, 2004. (Irving, Chapel Choir, Glee Club) He graduatedfrom Washington & Jefferson College and served in the U.S. Army inWorld War II. His business career was in construction-supply services. Sur-vivors include his wife of 62 years, Hila Siemon Blair, two sons, two daugh-ters, eight grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.

G. Thomas Ewing Jr., May 10, 1999.

John S. Nuss, July 16, 2007. (Marshall, swimming) He attended ColgateUniversity and served with the Army Air Corps during World War II. He



’41Dean Corsa Jr., January 19, 2003. (Marshall, swimming) He served in theU.S. Army, seeing action in the European theater in World War II, and wasa graduate of the University of Illinois. Survivors include Lee, his wife of56 years, two sons, two daughters, and six grandchildren.

John K. Cousens, January 12, 2008. (Main, Irving, swimming, track, football)A member of the undefeated 440-yard freestyle relay team at CornellUniversity, John swam for many years in masters swimming programsand was a retired insurance underwriter. He is survived by two sons andfour grandchildren.

Donald W. Gies, July 18, 1996.

Alexander C. Sherrard II, March 27, 2008. (Main, Marshall, The Fifteen sec-retary, Laticlavii, News, Lit Board, Press Club, Class Ode Committee chair)Alex attended Washington & Jefferson College before serving in the U.S.Army during World War II; he then graduated from Amherst College andthe Yale School of Law. He practiced law for 52 years, retiring from Sher-rard, German and Kelly, in Pittsburgh. Alex was a class agent for severalyears and was a member of his class’s 50th Reunion Committee. He issurvived by his wife, Dorothy Lind Sherrard, a daughter, a son, and fourgrandchildren.

Charles E. Wagner, October 5, 2007. (Main, Irving, Rauchrunde, ChemistryClub) Charlie’s education at Princeton University was interrupted by an 18-month tour during World War II as a pharmacist’s mate in the Navy. Heearned a Ph.D. from Indiana University and taught gross anatomy for 54years, retiring in 1991 as professor emeritus. He was predeceased by hiswife, Peggy Ann Able Wagner, and is survived by three sons and twograndchildren.

W. Fowler Wilson, November 5, 2007. (Main, Irving, Glee Club, cheerleader,Stony Batter, Rauchrunde, Stamp Club, Gun Club) A graduate of ColgateUniversity with a master’s degree and doctoral studies at Syracuse Uni-versity, he served with the U.S. Army in Italy during World War II.

’42Camden G. Conaway Jr., September 23, 2007. (Marshall, football manager)He served in the Army in World War II as a platoon sergeant. He wasawarded two Purple Hearts and the Croix de Guerre for battle wounds. Agraduate of Lehigh University, he held managerial positions with JohnsonControl for 37 years. Survivors include his wife, Pat, two sons, a daughter,and five grandchildren.

John H. Hickerson, June 3, 2001. (Irving, El Circulo Español) Upon leavingMercersburg in the spring of 1942, John served in the U.S. Marine Corps atSaipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. He was a graduate of George WashingtonUniversity. Following a 16-year stint in advertising, sales, and public relations, he entered the insurance world with Massachusetts Mutual inNew York City.

James F. Minnich, January 31, 2002.

William C. Ruch, January 2, 2008. (Irving, Les Copains, Laticlavii, ChemistryClub, The Fifteen, football, swimming, tennis, Class Day Committee) Billwas a graduate of Cornell University. Throughout his career, he held sev-

eral directorships with the general chemical division of the Allied Chem-ical Corporation in New Jersey. He is survived by his wife, Patricia HokeRuch, and several daughters.

’43Earl C. Downey, November 25, 2002. (Marshall, Stamp Club, spider football) He was a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and Florida Atlantic University.A retired Presbyterian minister, he served in all manner of caring and supporting ways, especially on the side of the poor and oppressed. He issurvived by his wife, Dorothy, five daughters, two stepsons, 12 grand chil-dren, and two great-grandchildren.

M. Richard W. Vail, June 9, 2007. (South Cottage, Marshall, Glee Club, Blueand White Melodians, News Board, Stony Batter, baseball, wrestling)Richard served in the South Pacific with the Navy in World War II. He wasa graduate of the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania and Temple University School of Law. He had aprivate practice in New Jersey and served as deputy attorney general forthe state from 1970 to 1973. Later, he was general counsel to the HousingFinance Agency and chief of the environmental section. He was prede-ceased by his wife, Nan, and his brother, Craig ’38. Survivors include hisnephew, Alan ’67, stepson, William Wallace ’70, and brother-in-law,William Wilshire ’49.

Benjamin Vinton Jr., February 29, 2008. (Main, Marshall, Senate, LaucksHall Council, Glee Club, Stony Batter, Dance Committee Chairman, ClassHistorian, football, wrestling, swimming, baseball) Having spent threeand a half years in naval service during World War II, Bud was called to ac-tive duty in the fall of 1950. In one action aboard a minesweeper off theenemy-held Korean port of Wonson, a mine was caught up and jammedin the sweep wire, about 20 feet below the hull. “I was scared to death,”he recalled. “I cleared the fantail, went over the side with a pair of wire cut-ters, and cut it loose. The mine was Russian, probably five feet high andthree feet in diameter, and it sank.” He was awarded the Bronze Star. Heretired as president of the Commonwealth Trust Company of Wilmington,Delaware, with which he was associated throughout his business career.A former Alumni Council member, he was preceded in death by his wife,Yvonne Johnson Vinton. Survivors include two sons (Brock ’66 and Benjamin III ’67) and a daughter.

’44Edwin A. French, May 27, 2003. (Marshall, Marshal of the Field, swimming)Ed founded and was president of E.A. French & Company, an independ-ent sales firm of athletic equipment. He was the longtime athletic direc-tor at Greenwich Country Day School in Greenwich, Connecticut. A U.S.Navy veteran of World War II, he is survived by his wife, Barbara, a daugh-ter, three sons, and 11 grandchildren.

John Matthews III, August 27, 2002. (Marshall, basketball)

Burton Wolf, January 4, 2004. (South Cottage, Irving, Les Copains, GleeClub, cheerleader, baseball, tennis, track, wrestling, basketball) Burtonwas one of 34 January graduates in the Class of 1944. He is survived by hiswife, Frances, and two sons.



’45Eugene M. Brusiloff, March 28, 2005. (Irving, Concert Band, FootballBand, Assembly Orchestra) He graduated from the Catholic Universityof America. A trombonist, he played with the U.S. Air Force Band dur-ing the Korean War, as well as with Peter Duchin, Lester Lanin, andMeyer Davis in orchestras backing Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, andTony Bennett, among others. He was a patient and inspirational musicteacher. Survivors include his wife, Phyllis, a son and daughter, and grandchildren.

Monroe L. Nute, August 12, 2007. A lifetime resident of Kennett Square,Pennsylvania, he owned and operated Nute Motor Company, a Ply-mouth-Dodge dealership. Retiring in 1984, he was a well-known an-tiques dealer for more than 20 years. He is survived by his wife of 57years, Audrey Stover Nute, as well as two daughters, two grandchil-dren, and three great-grandchildren.

’46Raymond D. Coates, January 27, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving, ChemistryClub, El Circulo Español, Senior Club, Gun Club, Glee Club, Football Band,Blue and White Melodians, Concert Band, football manager, soccer,baseball) Ray received undergraduate and law degrees from Wash-ington and Lee University. In 1955, he began the practice of law in Berlin,Maryland; over the years, the practice became Coates, Coates andCoates. He was a past president of the Worcester County Bar Associa-tion and state’s attorney for the county. A loyal Mercersburg son, heserved on Mercersburg’s Alumni Council. He is survived by his wife of60 years, Jane Rudisill Coates, as well as sons Ray Jr. ’67, Randy ’68, andThomas ’77, granddaughters Lindsey ’99 and Lauren ’03, and grandsonAlex West ’98.

Edwin A. Eshleman, April 8, 2005. (Marshall, wrestling) A U.S. Navy vet-eran of the Korean War, he was retired from the New Jersey HighwayAuthority as a supervisor. Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Leticia,three sons, a daughter, and 10 grandchildren.

Ray B. Heppenstall, July 28, 2004. (Laucks, Irving) “Heppy” was in man-agement with Subaru of America in Pennsauken, New Jersey. In hisearly years he became involved in racing with the Sports Car Club ofAmerica and raced throughout the country, winning many events—he even raced at LeMans. He was a principal in the development of theHowmet TX racecar; in his later years he continued racing in his CrosleyHotshot. His lifetime interest may have had its start one January day in 1946, when he escaped the campus on a “lark” in Coach Frederick Kuhn’s car. Survivors include a son, two daughters, and two grandchildren.

Henry S. Jamison, December 14, 2007. He was a World War II returningveteran, living in Colonial Cottage. In 1939, immediately after graduat-ing from high school in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, he joined the Penn-sylvania National Guard and enlisted in the Army at the outbreak ofWorld War II. He was sent to England with the 507th Parachute InfantryDivision late in 1943. The unit was attached to the 82d Airborne Divi-sion, which on D-Day jumped behind German lines in advance of theAllied invasion of Normandy. He was awarded the Purple Heart forwounds he received that day. He studied at Babson College and spentmost of his career connected to the coal industry. Preceded in death

by a sister and five brothers, he was the last of a large family. Survivors in-clude his wife of 54 years, Nancy, a daughter and son, four grandsons, anda nephew, Joe ’68.

William L. Kane, August 17, 1996.

A. John May, March 24, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving debater and president,Senate vice president, News; Lit, The Fifteen president, Class Orator, PressClub, Radio Club, Laticlavii, baseball) Jack was a graduate of Princeton Uni-versity and Harvard Law School. He joined Duane Morris in Philadelphia in1954 and spent his entire career with the firm, as it grew from some 20lawyers to more than 650. He became a partner at the firm in 1963 andwas named chairman in 1989, a position in which he served until 1994. Heserved in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of captain with the 18th Airborne Corps and 45th Infantry Division in the Korean War. He is survivedby his wife, Gwendolyn, and three daughters and a son—all of whom are lawyers.

Richard L. McKiernan, July 10, 2005. (Marshall, football)

John T. Welch, May 4, 2007. (Main Annex, Marshall, Les Copains, CaduceanClub) A wartime January graduate, he graduated from West Virginia Uni-versity and the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. He retired asprofessor emeritus of oral and maxillofacial surgery and chairman of thedepartment of dentistry at West Virginia University Medical Center. He issurvived by his wife of 58 years, Rose Anne Welch, and a daughter.

Thomas M. Whiteman, March 16, 2002. (Marshall) Prior to his retirement,he owned Latrobe Printing and Publishing, which published the LatrobeBulletin. He was an enlisted NCO with the 801st Air Evacuation Squadronin Korea and Japan, and received his discharge having completed a year’sassignment in England. Survivors include two daughters and three grandchildren.

’47William H. Moennig, February 26, 2004.

Charles E. Swope, November 8, 2003. He was the former president andchief executive officer of the First National Bank of West Chester, Pennsylvania.

’48James R. Hartman, December 23, 2003. (Main, Irving, wrestling) He was agraduate of Ursinus College and a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War. Hewas retired from the environmental services division of General Electric inLebanon, Pennsylvania. Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Judith, a sonand daughter, two grandchildren, and a brother, Willis ’49.

Alvin P. Ostrow, September 7, 1997. (Main, Irving, Les Copains, ChemistryClub, Chapel Choir, Glee Club, Octet, Band, baseball, Stony Batter) A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, he wasretired as president of Ostrow Builders in Washington, D.C.



John M. Rider, April 8, 2005. (Maple Cottage, Irving, Glee Club) He was aU.S. Army veteran of World War II, having served in the Pacific theaterwith the Second Brigade of amphibious engineers. He was a graduateof Lafayette College. Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Roselyn, adaughter, a son, and five grandchildren.

’49Robert J. DeLaney Jr., October 13, 2007. (Keil, Irving, El Circulo Español,Chapel Usher, football, basketball, baseball, Varsity Club, Stony Batter)The son of Robert J. DeLaney ’23, Bob graduated from Williams Collegeand was a Korean War veteran. He was a commercial banker for 41 years,retiring in 1992. He was predeceased by his wife, Ann Vanberg DeLaney,in 1995; survivors include a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren.

John W. Loomis, March 16, 2008. (Irving, Chapel Choir, Glee Club) A grad-uate of Gettysburg College and the Dickinson School of Law, he was anArmy veteran and retired as assistant chief counsel for the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Revenue. He is survived by his wife, Dian, two sons, adaughter, and a grandson.

George E. Trump, December 10, 2002. (Marshall, Glee Club, Chapel Choir,Concert Band, football, swimming) He owned Opera House PrintingCompany in Westminster, Maryland. In addition to his wife, Genevieve,survivors include a son and daughter, a stepson, two stepdaughters, and10 grandchildren.

’51 Frank B. Abbott, February 3, 2005. (Irving, football) A graduate of the Uni-versity of Miami, he had a passion for flying and labored for more thana decade to design and build an open cockpit biplane that he successfullyflew in 1992. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Joan Stadler Abbott,two daughters, and six grandchildren.

’52Daniel W. Hoff, November 10, 1997. (Marshall)

’53William J. Erdner Jr., April 1983.

Richard E. Green, March 30, 1999. (Marshall, football)

Richard B. Scholes, November 15, 2007. (South Cottage, Irving Band, Con-cert Band, Blue and White Melodians, Football Band, Assembly Orches-tra) A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Dick worked as a missiletest engineer at Northrop and Hughes Aircraft in Southern California. In1987, he moved to Oregon, where he became a successful real-estatesalesman and developer.

Wilson P. Wright, December 23, 1997. (Marshall)

’54Robert E. Davies, September 8, 2005. (Main, Irving, Laticlavii, Radio Club,football) Bob retired in 1998 as a claims adjuster with Aetna. Survivorsinclude his wife, Lucie, a daughter, two grandchildren, and five step-grandchildren.

Norman W. Littlejohn, March 23, 2004.

John C. Rose II, December 13, 2007. (Main Annex, Marshall, Student Coun-cil, Rauchrunde, Choir, Glee Club, Christian Service Group, Stony Batter,Chess Club, football)

Richard L. Wilcox, December 8, 2002. (Marshall)

William H. Wilson, March 15, 2005. (Irving, Gun Club)

’56Larry G. Giovacchini, March 21, 2005.

’57Henry P. Fletcher, June 19, 1999. (Marshall)

David R. Williams, January 19, 2002. (Marshall, track) He was a graduateof Brown University. Survivors include a daughter, Jenny WilliamsCosta ’83.

’58 Charles G. Goodell, January 22, 2003.

’59 E. Joseph West, January 8, 2008. (Main, Marshall, Student Council, Chris-tian Service Group, Rauchrunde, Election Committee, KARUX Board, PressClub, News Board) Joe attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and receivedan MBA from the College of William & Mary. In his career as an invest-ment professional and financial analyst, he was with several Washingtonfirms, including E.F. Hutton, Drexel Burnham Lambert, and SalomonSmith Barney. He was a loyal alumnus, serving on the Alumni Councilfrom 1988 through 1994. In addition, for more than a decade, Joe hostedAnnual Fund phonathons from his downtown Washington office atwhich a fairly consistent group of greater D.C. alumni staffed the phonesto chat with their classmates; these evenings were recalled by that groupas “mini- reunions.” Survivors include his wife, Karen, and son, Emery.

’60G. Thomas Ewing III, October 5, 2007. (Laticlavii, Tribunus) He graduatedfrom Ohio Northern University. After a brief career with Marathon Oil,he worked with Lincoln Wearever Foodservice Company for 33 years, re-tiring as vice president of sales. Survivors include his wife, Marilyn, twosons, and four grandchildren.

’62Michael W. Shultz, January 3, 2008. (Main, Marshall, El Circulo Español,Press Club, Glee Club) Mike graduated from the University of Pittsburghand earned a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the Universityof California. He was a home-health physical therapist with Kaiser Permanente. He was an avid motorcyclist, making a solo cross-countrytrip in his BMW GS just before his 60th birthday. Survivors include hiswife of 40 years, Louise Chase Shultz, a daughter, two grandchildren, andhis mother.



Philip J. Statton, January 20, 2008. (Main, Irving, Chess Club, ElectronicsClub, basketball, tennis) Phil served in the U.S. Air Force as a SurvivalSchool instructor from 1964 to 1968. He graduated from the Univer-sity of Maryland in 1971 with a degree in business and public adminis-tration. He also graduated from management programs at Stanford in1978, and Harvard in 1984. He was president of Statton Furniture Man-ufacturing Company in Hagerstown from 1986 to 2006, and was chair-man of the board at the time of his death. In addition to his wife, BettyJean Statton, survivors include three daughters (including Jessica Stat-ton Peachey ’94), two brothers, a sister, 12 grandchildren, and a nephew,Brandon Pile ’94.

’66Richard R. Rust, February 12, 2008. (Irving, Orientation Committee, BlueKey, Chapel Reader, Spanish Club, Ski Club, Stony Batter, cross country,tennis) A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Richard earned a mas-ter’s degree and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. In 1985, he accepteda position with North Carolina State University to establish an exten-sion service for the school’s civil engineering department. At points inhis civil engineering career, he was senior engineer for the Westing-house Electric Corporation at the Bettis Atomic Laboratory, Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho Falls, Idaho; vice president of Clearflame Inc.in Raleigh, North Carolina; and a branch manager of the North Carolinaoffice of Tribble and Richardson.

’67Harold M. Soars, February 21, 2008. (Marshall, Student Council, Blue Key,Chapel Usher, French Club, Spanish Club, Jurisprudence Society, ChapelChoir, Varsity Club, football, wrestling, spider football student coach)A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Sandy’s professional career included managerial and sales appointments with several industries,including Sprout-Waldron & Company, Huyck Felt Corporation, and C-E Bauer. Fluent in several languages, he was international vice presi-dent of overseas operations for V.I.B. Corporation. Survivors include twosons, a brother, and two uncles, Lew ’48 and Dick ’50.

’70Harold W. Bierly, March 7, 2004.

John S. Chalfant, January 24, 2004. A webmaster with American MicroTech in Hagerstown, Jason was a lifelong musician, playing guitar in anumber of Tri-State area bands. He is survived by his parents, his step-mother, two brothers, and a sister, Ann Chalfant Gedrose ’71.

’71Glenn W. McKnight, January 14, 2007. (Irving, Glee Club, Football Band,Assembly Band, Concert Band, Chapel Usher, Latin Club) Glenn was agraduate of the University of Maryland and retired from Honeywell atthe Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Survivors include his mother, three daughters, a grandson, and a granddaughter.

’72Walter E. Baker III, February 7, 2007. (Marshall, Jurisprudence Society, GleeClub, Film Club, Railroad Club, Rocketry Club, Ski Club, golf) Chip graduatedfrom Washington & Jefferson College. He was a financial analyst for theUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a past membership directorfor the Western Pennsylvania Better Business Bureau in Pittsburgh. Survivors include his wife, Darice, and a son.

Barbara Hawbaker Goldthwait, April 7, 2008. (Marshall, French Club,Concert and Football bands) Barb was a graduate of Grove City College,held a master’s degree in library science from the University of Pittsburgh,and studied for three years at Gettysburg Lutheran Theological Seminary.She served for several years on the Academy’s library staff and was head librarian at the McConnellsburg Public Library. Survivors include her husband, Allen, her brother, David ’69, and her mother.

’77 John H. Glass, February 13, 2008. (football, baseball, News, Blue Review) Johnwas a loving brother, uncle and friend to many. He was an employee ofMoses Ford in St. Albans, West Virginia, and an accomplished golfer. In addition to his brother, Henry ’73, he is survived by a niece, nephew, and aunt.

’80 William W. Boulden, April 22, 2008. (football, squash, lacrosse, Blue Review,Stony Batter) Bill was a member of Salisbury School’s first graduating class,and attended Elon College. He was an accounting manager for Aramark inAtlanta, Georgia. In addition to his longtime companion, Bryan Thrasher,survivors include his parents, two brothers (Robert ’74 and Bruce ’76), andthree nephews.

Former faculty/staff/friendsMiriam R. Baxter, widow of Rex Baxter ’29, mother of Paul Baxter ’56and Doug Baxter ’69, and grandmother of Julia Streeter Berle ’87, February 14, 2007.

Edith M. Lowans, former School Matron and mother of David Lowans ’69, February 4, 2008.


Documents

Mercersburg Magazine - Summer 2008