summer 2006 bulletin - tower hill school

Spring.Summer 2006 Volume 43.Number 1

HeadmasterChristopher D. Wheeler, PhD

Board of Trustees

Pierre du P. Hayward ’66President

Lance L. WeaverVice President

Joseph J. Farnan, Jr.Treasurer

Barbara M. G. CoochSecretary

Earl J. Ball IIILinda R. Boyden

Jane CareyRobert R. M. Carpenter IV ’81

Robert C. Director ’67Stanley M. Diver ’74Karen A. Graham ’76

Marc L. Greenberg ’81Charles F. Gummey, Jr.

James L. HolzmanMichael P. Kelly ’75

John R. LongJohn E. OsbornZöe S. Pappas

Helen E. WilliamsWilliam T. Wood, Jr. ’59

Director of DevelopmentEdwina G. Bell

EditorColley W. Bell III

Assistant Headmaster

Class Notes EditorKathryn Warner

Development Staff

PhotographyColley W. Bell III

Karen GowenJim Graham

Submissions to the Bulletin, suggestions for articles,

photographs or letters are welcomed. Mail information to

the Development Offi ce, Tower Hill School,

2813 West 17th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806

or e-mail to [email protected]. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions for space and content.

Tower Hill School welcomes students of any race, religion,

color, or nationality. The school does not discriminate in its

administrative policies or in the administration of its program.

If you would like to submit class notes, check our updated sports scores, or read about the latest events sponsored by the Alumni Council, please visit our

website at www.towerhill.org.

in this issue...2 .............The Legacy at Tower Hill School

3.............Opening Installation —Friday, September 9, 2005

4.............A New Chapter Begins

8 ............A Cyber Threshold

14 ...........The House that Tower Hill Built

18 ...........Upper School News

18 ...........Middle School News

19 ...........Lower School News

20 ...........Tower Hill Alumni Highlights

24 ...........Pierre S. duPont Art Gallery

25 ...........Tower Hill Annual Fund

26 ..........Tower Hill Homecoming & ..............Reunion 2006

28 ..........Events on campus

30...........Tower Hill Class Notes

39 ..........In Memoriam

Tower Hill BulletinSpring.Summer 2006

One cannot escape the weight of legacy at Tower Hill School. In every classroom, and around every corner, the specters of those who have gone before us are apparent. Walk the tunnel connecting the fi eld house with the main building and you tread a virtual Tower Hill time-tunnel. The photographs that line either side of the tunnel walls are fi lled with pictures of student athletes and coaches from the present day to the founding days of this exceptional institution.

In the tumultuous period following World War I our founders laid a cornerstone, “Anno Domini 1919.” They placed that cornerstone for all to see. From our fi elds, in our theater, classrooms and halls it reminds us of our collective responsibility to this wholesome endeavor. I have quickly learned that this is a shared enterprise. It has been accomplished in large measure because of the steady support of thousands of alumni, faculty, and friends like you who have been dedicated to the proposition that Tower Hill School is more than just another educational experience: it is an extended, connected family.

My arrival at Tower Hill is the mere turn of the chapter in what is a very good book. And like any good book, I will occasionally fl ip through the previous chapters to seek clarifi cation and gain a deeper sense of understanding of the larger story. Today’s chapters have been compelling. Our faculty has engaged in a number of interesting and thought-provoking discussions around the Advanced Placement curriculum versus the International Baccalaureate program. Our parents spearheaded a remarkable fundraising campaign to support Habitat for Humanity and build a house in the ravaged gulf region. And then there are the students, performing on the stage, fi elds, and in the classrooms at an exceptional level.

In this issue you will learn about some exciting initiatives in which we are engaged. You will notice a new look to our publications. You will read about a noteworthy reconstruction of our website. Be assured, though we are engaged in a number of new projects, Tower Hill School’s standing as a premier independent school will not be compromised. If anything, we aim to enhance our place in the pantheon of great schools.

With this edition of the Bulletin we also honor our past as we advance into our future. Please read Steve Hyde’s thoughtful words about a few of those who have passed on: Midge Kelley, who never coached, but promoted Tower Hill’s participation in state tournaments because it was, in her mind, all for the “pursuit of excellence.” Steve remembers Jean Morton who had that rare quality to “make us feel quite grown up” teaching 7th graders from 1953 to 1982. And then there is Ed Hughes, who never mumbled and reminded some that they “needed no coaching, only a couch.” This spring, the Tower Hill community was shocked to learn of the tragic death of Hannah Shickley ’05. I never met Hannah, but I have certainly come to perceive her spirit in those who did know her. It is clear that she had a remarkable experience at Tower Hill, but it was her impact on those around her that is especially memorable. As you refl ect on our own David Larned’s amazing gift, remember the artist and daughter in Hannah Shickley.

No, these are not mere pictures and images on our walls. Midge, Jean and Hannah walked, talked, and laughed in our corridors. They were friends, members of the Tower Hill family—as are we all. We are not mere pictures on a wall; the spirit of Tower Hill exists beyond images; we are connected and standing on a common cornerstone: Anno Domini 1919.

Yours for Tower Hill,

Chris Wheeler, Headmaster

2

Spring.Summer 2006 3Tower Hill Bulletin

T hank you, Mr. Hayward, for your kind words. Board of Trustee members, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends, I am deeply gratifi ed and moved by the confi dence expressed by the Tower Hill community in appointing me to this position. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who have made me feel so welcome and who have been so encouraging to me as I begin my journey with this wonderful school. I assure you that I will do everything in my power to justify the faith and confi dence you have in me. I understand the great responsibility that has been entrusted to me. I promise to serve this community with all of my mind and with all of my heart.

As a token of my appreciation to the Tower Hill community for giving me

Opening Installation Friday, September 9, 2005

the gift of your trust, I offer a small gift, by comparison, in return. This gift is a fl ag, to hang underneath the American fl ag at the front of the school. Flags are symbols. They express the unique qualities of the nations or institutions they represent. This fl ag contains our school crest, and in the crest we fi nd the four symbols that represent our search for knowledge and the light of truth, our pursuit of culture through the fi ne and performing arts, and our quest for competition and sportsmanship through athletics. Our crest also contains the Latin phrase “Multa Bene Facta,” which we all know means “Many things done well.” This does not mean that we have to be perfect in everything we do. I believe this phrase challenges us to give our full measure of effort in everything we do. If we can accomplish this, we

will do many things well indeed. I offer this fl ag to Student Body President Michael Alvarez, and I ask that you and other student leaders be the ones to raise the fl ag over the school today, symbolizing your commitment to the school and its standards.

Finally, I hope that all of you will arrive at school each day with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. We are all so fortunate to be part of this community, and we have so much to look forward to. First graders, every day will be fun and exciting this year. You will discover so many new things. I’m going to be watching you, making sure that you’re loving school and having fun. Seniors, the whole school will be watching you. I challenge you to lead us with grace, with integrity, and with passion. Graduation is a lot closer than you realize. This school year will breeze by, and before you know it, it will be over. Your lives will be fi lled to overfl owing this year. Fifty years from now you will still be thinking back fondly of your times at Tower Hill. Please take time out to fi nd something special in each day. And of course, that goes for the rest of us as well. If I were a Latin scholar, I would come up with a new phrase: “Every day lived well.” Let us all enjoy each day, give each activity our fullest attention, be kind and loving to each other, and share our good fortune to be together in this special place. Thank you.

We will close our ceremony today by joining together in song. Mr. Burnam will lead us in our Alma Mater.

Headmaster Wheeler and members of the Board of Trustees pose before marching in the procession proceeding the Installation ceremonies which marked the beginning of the Wheeler years as Headmaster of Tower Hill.

4 Tower Hill BulletinSpring.Summer 2006

T he Tower Hill school year beginning in September 2005 was similar to the school years

beginning in September 1923, September 1941, September 1950, September 1976, and

September 1986. A new headmaster had accepted the offer of the Board of Trustees

to lead, give direction, and assume responsibility for a school founded in 1919 by eleven men who

hoped to provide a model private school for Wilmington, Delaware. The only two headmasters not

alluded to in the opening sentence are John Davis Skilton, who was the first to fulfill the role,

and Malcolm Coates, who succeeded Brooke Stabler, whose tentative health begged for a change

of command in January 1960. Coates is also the only headmaster to be selected from the faculty,

the rest having come from schools in the outlying provinces. There is always a mild curiosity and

anticipation among faculty and students as to what this new face and new voice has to offer.

Tower Hill Bulletin Spring.Summer 2006 5

If one should read Forever Green: A Commemorative History of Tower Hill School (written on the occasion of its 75th anniversary, celebrated in 1994), one might sense that up until 1960—give or take a few years—the titular leaders were, in some respects, more important than the school itself. The Board of Trustees hired them for a primary reason, and starting with Burton P. Fowler in 1923, their role was to fulfi ll the purpose as strongly implied by the men that hired them. Hindsight tells us that the powers-that-be were hoping to fi nd a permanent identity and philosophy for Tower Hill.

Fowler, a disciple of the renowned progressive educator John Dewey, was given encouragement to implement Dewey’s precepts, and that he did with joyous abandon. In reading Dr. Ellis Wasson’s chapter on Fowler in Forever Green, one senses a vibrant personality and fervent commitment to “learning by doing.” At the beginning of his tenure, Fowler’s directions led to a lengthy period of spectacular success, but near the end his attitude toward traditional subjects, i.e., English, history, and mathematics, cost him dearly. “Math he dismissed as a mere vocational tool and felt that much of algebra and geometry

was a waste of time.” (Forever Green, pg. 66) Many former Tower Hill students were having diffi culty bridging the gap academically between boarding school and college. Some graduates were “strongly encouraged” to take a year of post graduate study at area boarding schools before being considered by their college of choice. The administration’s disdain for standardized testing and tests in general (there were none of the latter in 1936) and a declining enrollment, prompted the trustees to make a move they did not relish. Dr. Fowler, who had the exuberance and enthusiasm of actor Robert Preston’s portrayal of Professor Harold Hill in “The Music Man,” was asked to step down at the end of the 1940-41 school year. It was a sad day for all concerned, including the trustees, as Fowler was a beloved fi gure. Still, in retrospect, a number of alumni felt that they did not benefi t from Dr. Fowler’s unstructured approach to education.

In the fall of 1941, James S. Guernsey, who had recently been head of Shattuck School, a then a military boarding school in Fairbault, Minnesota, succeeded Fowler, and “Grades, Exams, and Standardized Tests” returned with, according to some alumni, a vengeance. After graduation in June

of 1950, Guernsey moved on to another headmastership in Louisville, Kentucky, knowing that he had done the bidding of the trustees, which was to get the school back on the no-nonsense college preparatory track as soon as possible.

A chapter of Cum Laude had been established in 1943, honor roll and high honor roll lists were published in the Dial starting in 1945, and college choices for seniors were included in the new yearbook (later known as the Evergreen), which fi rst appeared also in 1945. It didn’t take long before students were getting into the likes of M.I.T., Princeton, Yale, etc.

Following Guernsey, The Reverend Brooke Stabler’s job was public relations. Stabler returned home (he had attended Wilmington Friends before going off to Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia) after a stellar career as chaplain of the University of Pennsylvania and headmaster at Avon School in Connecticut and the Cranbrook School in suburban Detroit. With friends and relatives in the area and a presence which left little doubt as to who the leader at Tower Hill was, he completed the job quickly and well. The student body doubled in size, and with the addition of Advanced Placement in 1956-57, the school continued on its intense college preparatory track. Also, some perceived, the trustees addressed physical shortcomings in the areas of the arts and athletics at that time. The Stabler administration’s ability to assimilate these changes into the growing school community and to fi nd faculty to make it all work helped bring this about. Mr. Stabler’s reputation as having a good eye for a hire was noted by many.

In 2019, Tower Hill’s centennial year, it will be up to Chris Wheeler to take

charge of the school posing the question “Considering

the rich history of Tower Hill’s fi rst 100 years, where

shall Tower Hill be in the next 100 years?”

Previous Tower Hill Headmasters

John Davis Skilton and Burton P. Fowler.


Staying “relevant” with the times and yet cherishing the great traditions of scholarship and teaching at Tower Hill may seem to be a challenging task to most, but it is one that Chris Wheeler is ready to face.


In essence, Tower Hill seemed to have reached maturity as a co-educational, private, college preparatory, day school. Given the emphasis of this article, i.e., Tower Hill in 2005-06, Chris Wheeler, etc., it may seem as if Messrs. Coates, Blanchard, and Golding have been glossed over. They played leading roles, and each left his mark, helping the school progress. Suffi ce it to say, they spurred growth and diversity in so many areas.

A completely new and lively campus is on display at Tower Hill. With the arts center/theater, music building, preschool wing, upper school facility, and almost total renovation everyplace else—the highlight being a spectacular cafeteria (where you can still, on occasion, get shepherd’s pie) that just opened this year— the physical means to take on the challenges of the 21st century are all in place.

With all of this in mind, Chris Wheeler (headmaster #8) agreed to refl ect on his role and his perspective. When told of the Fowler-Guernsey transition, he smiled, as he is familiar with this period in Tower Hill history and threw out the phrase “defi cit hiring” which he feels is appropriate for most new heads. Speaking as one who is following in the footsteps of a man, Tim Golding, who served nineteen years as Tower Hill’s headmaster, Wheeler said he thinks of the phrase often, and he agreed that it helps one develop a thick skin in a hurry. At the same time, his background is such that he has prepared extensively to be where he is now, yet recognized that nothing is guaranteed.

Several years ago, he was a fi nalist in a headmaster search and realized he wasn’t ready. What followed was an extensive career at Lake Forest Academy in one of Chicago’s North Shore suburbs. More questions led to the feeling that this is a man for all seasons who has

tested himself extensively throughout his life and yet maintained a sense of humor. One of his early moves as a student was from high school in Knoxville, Tennessee to Westtown Friends for his junior and senior years. Having played football since he was seven years old, he knew this would be an adjustment, as Westtown did not have a football program. He went out for soccer, and after graduating from Westtown he matriculated at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, which had no athletic program. Instead of moving on, he would travel out to Haverford College where there were former classmates who encouraged him to join their intramural soccer program, and he played with them for several years. An accomplished musician and composer, having been inspired at an early age by his grandmother, he studied in Vienna, Austria where he also improved his mastery of German. Hence, when he was hired at St. Paul’s School in Garden City, Long Island, he taught music and German and coached football, soccer, and wrestling (which he also picked up at Westtown). His lengthy career at Lake Forest Academy (1991-2005) included a string of wrestling championships as the head coach, as well as administrative roles as athletic director, admission director, and assistant headmaster, and positions involving enrollment management and development. His familiarity with Tower Hill School and the area in general made it a top preference.

Since the extremes of Tower Hill headmasters would range from Fowler to Guernsey, where does Chris Wheeler fi t in, so to speak? He feels that there is a part of him that would give a slight nod to Fowler, but, at the same time, he has been most impressed with the academic rigor of the Tower Hill program. As a “school man” of the fi rst order, he ponders the role of independent schools in the 21st century. His concern on this matter and his follow up comments refl ect one who fi nds no place for complacency in his current responsibility. However, he is one who will watch and contemplate matters before any action occurs in haste. Staying “relevant” with the times and yet cherishing the great traditions of scholarship and teaching at Tower Hill may seem to be a challenging task to most, but it is one that Chris Wheeler is ready to face.

Tradition and legacies are an integral part of the Tower Hill experience. In 2019, Tower Hill’s centennial year, it will be up to Chris Wheeler to take charge of the school posing the question “Considering the rich history of Tower Hill’s fi rst 100 years, where shall Tower Hill be in the next 100 years?” The present prekindergarten class will graduate in 2019. If this group is any indication, legacies will compose a substantial part of the class, which can be interpreted as a strength of Tower Hill’s attraction and of the school’s reputation. The adage “repeat business is good business” seems appropriate. May the trend continue.

Article by

Steve Hyde ’59,

History Teacher


I have heard from on high that “innovation threatens competency,” and when one’s competency is threatened, it is usually best to stick to those practices that make one profi cient, comfortable, and happy. I remember a fellow I worked with who was our 95-year-old seer; he had arrived at the school in 1929 and had been everything from teacher to headmaster. Upon retiring, he joined the development offi ce, and for 30 years he walked around with 3x5 index cards containing notes on every living alumnus/ae of the school. While development offi cers came and went and pneumatic typewriters turned quasi-computers, “Dutch” Rader bound it all together with a simple rubber band. I was there when we put a computer on his desk, only to watch him puff on his pipe and say, “That’s terrifi c, what’s it for?” Oh, he kept his cards, but he cheered us on while we borrowed his cards to build the school’s alumni database. Always the optimist, he was of the mind that posterity was a two-way street of the old and the new. He taught me that life-long learning, which independent schools espouse, was a series of competency stumbles, usually over technological innovations. Let the reader beware: I am about to describe a threshold for you to step over, but stumbling is allowed.

It will begin this July, as many of our Tower Hill friends will, undoubtedly, fi nd themselves taking time for some outdoor pleasures. So while the ocean beckons many, the school will be unveiling a change that will touch all of us in the Tower Hill family. And while some of you are wandering into the woods to retrieve the errant golf ball, and we know you’re out there, the school will be launching a new web site. The July launch date will culminate eight months of preparation with WhippleHill®, a New Hampshire-based web design and content management company. This is no mere superfi cial redesign of our site; WhippleHill is bringing to Tower Hill powerful features and utilities, and the school has entered a fi ve-year partnership to bring every element of WhippleHill’s software and creative engineering to bear. Competencies will be tested.

In October, Headmaster Wheeler sent his version of a ‘Corps of Discovery’ to Washington, D.C. to attend a demonstration hosted by WhippleHill. As a former director of admissions, Headmaster Wheeler had been involved in web site development and had worked with WhippleHill. When he served as an interim athletic director in the 1990s, he saw a pressing need for athletic directors to communicate cancellations and re-schedules via the

web. So he founded a company similar to ViewMySchedule.com® that many Delaware schools now use as the base of operations for scheduling offi cials, games and transportation. It then comes as no surprise that one of his fi rst initiatives would be something near and dear to his heart.

As this was a year that Headmaster Wheeler dubbed “getting to know you”, he was struck at the fact that no less than six separate databases were at work in the school. So “getting to know you” had more to do with what database was in one’s immediate proximity. Rather than waiting another year, it was apparent that this would be a good time to seek the assistance of a company that had been in the trenches with a number of independent schools. We are certainly not alone in needing some shepherding through this cybered-connected-communication jungle, and we found a partner whose cyber staff had guided many of our brethren out of the wilds of cyber-oblivion.

WhippleHill is the handiwork of independent school people. Its leadership is focused on the needs and demands of independent schools, so one major attraction was that we spoke the same language. Central in this collective effort was that Tower Hill sought a web site that refl ected the energy and

A Cyber Threshold Tower Hill community to step into a new era on the worldwide web


talents of its family. But this is not accomplished with ease; it’s not a matter of having nice photos and neat design effects. The school wanted a site that would function as a robust conduit for our Tower Hill family. A walk through our halls reveals the immensity of the activities at work and play in the school. As one new faculty member noted, “I am just amazed at it all; the school is a beehive of activity.” It was a great description, because the vastness of it all resembled a beehive, and it was hard to discern which honeycombs were germane to the onlooker.

Now we still hope the new web site will be the honey that draws in our constituents, delivering relevant content to every constituent in a manageable way. But it begins with each member of the Tower Hill community being provided a personal login. When someone fi rst visits the site they will see the newly designed home page. Web surfers will have an abundance of materials to look through, and visitors will have more information about the school at their fi ngertips, as well as a rich portal to our school’s history. But Tower Hill constituents will also be able to login and join the community in what we call the back-end of the site. This will be the part of the web site that is protected by one’s password. That password allows the user to share certain information about themselves, as well as gaining access to the various calendars and directories.

It is here, in a secure environment, that constituents can organize their own personal portal. An alumnus/ae who wants to gather information about his/her classmates, to review the latest scores of specifi c sports, or to have particular interest in any aspect of the school can organize the page so that specifi c content is delivered to one’s personal portal. After logging in, the next time you visit the Tower Hill site from

The bottom design balances the present and the

past with photos, relative to one another, cycling in a Flash® animation. All three were rejected, but the new

home page incorporates some of these design elements.

The design proposal above introduces the clock

tower as a major design element within a Flash®

animation of rotating photos.

The design to the right also cycles a photo (middle)

with various architectural design elements as a border: in

this case, the Alumni House.


your personal computer, you will not see the home page. One’s portal will be his/her own Tower Hill site, and the content will change as it is being updated—which means every day, and in some cases, every hour.

Our AlumniOne major reason to bring WhippleHill to Tower Hill was the structure it gave the development offi ce in building meaningful links with alumni and friends of the school. Tower Hill’s new Development Director, Edwina Bell, was at a school that had become a WhippleHill school. Bell noted, “The school I served purchased only a portion of WhippleHill’s products, but it made a major difference with their constituents. But Tower Hill has included everything in WhippleHill’s arsenal, and smartly so.” Our present alumni/alumnae pages already have a lot of traffi c on them. We will improve upon some stellar work. “The fact is that Tower Hill has already proven itself responsive to its graduates.” Bell added that “Tower Hill has been conscientious about updating its pages, and there is an army of impassioned supporters who submit new content regularly. We owe it to them that if there is a better delivery system, we should engage it.”

This year Headmaster Wheeler made our annual fund the priority in our annual fundraising efforts. Online giving is one feature that will help the school. Every independent school crafts a budget that includes a projected shortfall. It is the annual fund that makes up the shortfall and balances our books. Independent schools are in the mix with other worthy non-profi t organizations that offer secure websites to increase participants’ giving to the annual fund. Tower Hill needs to offer the same service. Constituents will now be able to give online. Our constituents need to feel confi dent

that they are inputting their information to a secure website.

But while giving is important, a major goal of the development offi ce is to help graduates and friends stay connected with one another. Friendships forged at Tower Hill are long lasting; it’s what makes Tower Hill an extraordinary place. Tower Hill graduates will have the ability to update their class notes online. They may opt to send an email automatically to their classmates for whom updates have been made. Also, registration will now be available for events, and friends will see, in real time, those who have confi rmed to attend these events. Class pages will also be available, as well as an online Alumni Directory. There will also be the ability to change one’s personal profi le online. Those changes will automatically be made seamlessly with our central database. The ability for each constituency to have a secure login will allow an alumnus/ae to decide what to share, and what information to block.

Headmaster Wheeler also asked that

we consider using WhippleHill’s mentor features. We shall. The feature allows graduates to become mentors within the Tower Hill community. Mentors may execute a three-step enrollment process to publish information they are comfortable to share. So, for example, a Tower Hill alumnus who wants to be a mentor in pediatrics can be part of a search criterion enabling Hillers to fi nd a mentor who is knowledgeable about that particular career path.

Our ParentsSchedules, schedules, and more schedules. Imagine a portal for every parent that includes only pertinent information designed by each user. A family who has a child in the 3rd grade will be able to see its child’s schedule and what events are connected with the 3rd grade. When we complete Phase II during the next academic year, parents in all the divisions will be able to access the child’s grades and comments. While many teachers are already using the web to post assignments, our new site will make it even easier for them to

One major reason to bring WhippleHill to Tower

Hill was the structure it gave the Development

Offi ce in building meaningful links with alumni

and friends of the school. Tower Hill’s new

Development Director, Edwina Bell, was at a

school that had become a WhippleHill school.

Bell noted, “The school I served purchased

only a portion of WhippleHill’s products, but it

made a major difference with their constituents.

But Tower Hill has included everything in

WhippleHill’s arsenal, and smartly so.”


update the pages. Class news can now be “pushed” from our site as HTML newsletters, what WhippleHill calls “push pages.” These will be easily managed, and publishing them will be a snap.

The various volunteer groups can also take advantage of the power of our new site. Using the easy WhippleHill interface will make it simple to manage pages and use the push page technology to get the word out. Building on this are what WhippleHill calls “community groups.” These allow parents with common interests to be part of a group that might not be organized as a formal volunteer group. Perhaps some parents interested in helping with a bake sale could organize their own community group and share recipes or manage schedules. The new web site is there to encourage our parents to use the technology to reach out to one another, as well as allowing us to share more

information on their child’s life at Tower Hill. Again, all this is behind safe and secure technology.

New FeaturesVisitors inquiring about Tower Hill will see a difference. The push page technology allows the Admission staff to generate newsletters and event invitations to those who inquire about the school. These push pages can also be tailored to specifi c interests of an inquiry, i.e. interests in drama, volleyball, and diversity.

Tower Togs will now be a fully functioning online store that is overseen by the development offi ce. Over the years Tower Togs has built an impressive inventory of some very tasteful items. Everything from dog collars to gym bags are available. Our friends and families will be impressed with the online catalog and the functions of the online store.

The shopping cart will allow visitors to select their items, and a smart checkout system will automatically calculate the total with a shipping fee. We will have an order-verifi cation that safeguards against mistaken purchases and confi rmation messages will be included.

One of the best features will be the new Multimedia Gallery. While, the Web Master, Joe Smolko, has been masterfully organizing our present gallery, he will now have a potent tool to organize our vast collection over the three divisions. This library will also include a new design that makes it easier for visitors to fi nd what they’re interested in viewing. This will include a Flash-Based Media Player that supports our fi les. Streaming audio and video will have controls that allow visitors to stop, play, rewind, and advance. Behind the scenes there is a cataloging component that is a great resource for us to store and catalog our media assets.


Article by

Colley W.

Bell III,

Assistant

Headmaster.

Joined here

by his dog

“Dutch.”

Our Faculty and StaffNext year we will begin to teach our faculty and staff how to master this new software. Upon the start of the year, faculty will easily be able to locate either another faculty member or a student at any given time. They will have a calendar view that displays schedules, athletic events, who’s giving a test on what day, and blackout periods. They will even have dynamic reports that show the room where a certain class is held, the teacher and students who are in that course, as well as the block of time that class is being instructed. Ultimately, they will be able to submit their grades and comments from their home computers.

The various databases will now be consolidated, and students will move from one division to another with little fanfare. The school will soon have the ability to generate a report that will include information from all the divisions. This will be part of Phase II. While we will have all the software in place and ready for use in July, we will be rolling out elements of the Student Information System over the course of the next two years. As innovation does challenge competency, we look

to improve our reporting methods. It will take time for all of us to learn the many elements of this innovative software.

We have a web site that is already richly populated with relevant materials. It is organized well and updates are done in a timely fashion. Another reason for purchasing WhippleHill was that we had a number of databases that were not communicating with one another. A single student would be inputted in the lower school, middle school, upper school, health offi ce, business offi ce, admissions offi ce and lastly, as a graduate, the development offi ce. This is what prodded Headmaster Wheeler to ask his Corps of Discovery to see if it can do better. As he put it, “I want the school to bind to a single mission and a single technology.” The fact that WhippleHill’s software would serve as a conduit between the various functions of the school and improve our web site was too tantalizing to ignore.

Web sites can be touted as the great panacea to modernity’s grip on our insatiable need to communicate ad nauseam. But Tower Hill’s approach will be to alleviate some of our informational inundation and have our constituents

decide what information is delivered to each of them. My own school sent me a letter stating that it was posting its Annual Report instead of mailing it to me; it was explained that it was a way to save money and provide timely reports. Okay, I thought. I was at my machine, typed in the web address, and voila, they forgot to post it. As WhippleHill warns its clients, “We can deliver the software, but it’s up to the caretakers of the school to see that the content is updated.” One can visit a few WhippleHill sites and see that they do look nice, but then after the initial wonderment of the home page, it appears that nothing has gone on at the school since Homecoming 2002. The dazzle is in the content, which is indicative of the Tower Hill experience.

So while there is a measure of excitement about the upcoming launch, we are also aware that there is much to do in the coming years. Our competencies will be challenged, and cyberly-out-there for all to see and judge. If we tout that we are serious about our dictum Multa Bene Facta, then we had better be able to provide, especially in today’s technological climate, a delivery system worthy of Tower Hill’s reputation. Every generation of Tower Hill students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends have expected each to do its part as caretakers of this precious enterprise. Harold “Dutch” Rader was right: Posterity is a road best traveled when old and new are traveling in the same direction.

As Headmaster Wheeler put it, “I want the school to bind to a single mission and a single technology. The fact that WhippleHill’s software would serve as a conduit between the various functions of the school and improve our web site was too tantalizing to ignore.”


The House that

Tower Hill Built


Goeffrey and Robbie Grant organized a lemonade stand and received a lot of support from other Tower Hill students. Between the lemonade stand and door-to-door solicitations they raised $4,012 for the American Red Cross Katrina Relief Fund, which is being matched by Goeffrey’s father’s company, bringing the total to $8,024.

cannot use this article to further the cause of my collegiate alma mater (which shall remain nameless); however, I will cite its criteria for award of one of its highest honors, the Jefferson Scholarship. The criteria invoke the necessity of recognizing a whole person as one who exhibits achievement in scholarship, leadership, and citizenship. As I complete my fi fteenth year as a Tower Hill parent, I have been pleased to see the Tower Hill community balance these three components in support of the relief efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

If we refl ect back to August 2005, the usual pre-school brou-ha-ha was fi rmly in place, and Hillers of all ages were preparing for a new school year with a new head at its helm. Little did we all know what far-reaching affects the battering of the Gulf coast would have for Tower Hill as a community. Altruism fl ourished before our eyes, and even by the start of school, our youngest citizens were making their fundraising capabilities known. Home-baked cookies topped with red crosses sold by 7th graders, a pre-season rally by the fi eld hockey team, and donations in lieu of birthday presents, were only the fi rst gestures in support of the relief efforts. By the end of the fi rst week of school, various upper-school committees had collaborated to raise $1,200 through a car wash, and the 9th grade raised approximately $350 through a bake sale to support Noah’s Wish, an animal rescue agency.

During the month of September, we continued to keep the beleaguered evacuees from Louisiana and Mississippi in our thoughts as we awaited Dr. Wheeler’s announcement of a proposed school-wide project. The Home & School Community Service Committee launched “Coins for the

Coast,” a three week long loose coin drive which yielded $1,200, much needed seed money for what lay ahead. When Habitat for Humanity was announced as the recipient of our earnings, we pondered our potential. With our modest beginnings, could we actually dream a lofty goal of funding a house ‘kit’ from Habitat for Humanity? We ‘checked’ our ambition, and focused not on a fi nancial goal, but on the unfurling and sustained collaborations which were forming in the hallways at school.

The infusion of concern appeared in the midst of our Homecoming events; middle school students sold green and silver (no white available) Mardi Gras beads as a gesture of support for our teams on the fi eld and the homeless along the Gulf Coast. The lower school completed a series of grade-level projects,

which were bundled at the end of November and sent for distribution through the Catholic Charities of Dallas. Lower school contributions, supported by families at each grade level, included:

• Pre-K collected books and personalized them with book plates.

• The Kindergarten created kits containing school supplies such as crayons and books.

• The 1st and 2nd grades joined to collect stuffed animals and personalized each with a note.

• The 3rd and 4th grades collected children’s books, each identifying Tower Hill students as the donors. The 4th graders also incorporated letters to accompany each book.

Throughout the fall, our coffers continued to grow slowly until one

I

Summer Katrina Projects

Spencer Boyden, Brent du Pont, Rob Grant, Laine du Pont, and Geoffrey Grant

Mia Elliman, Mrs. DuPont, Alex duPont, Lyle Elliman

took shape. Through some serendipity (but mostly through the tenacity of our Community Service Committee chairs) opportunity was discovered which would allow Tower Hill to forge a partnership with our local Habitat for Humanity chapter and convert our Habitat funds into a ‘build’ right here in Wilmington. In early February, Chris Wheeler and Tricia Lyons met with Kevin Smith, the executive director of the Wilmington Habitat chapter. Tower Hill sealed the deal with a letter committing the results of our seven months of fundraising. During the meeting, Kevin Smith had indicated that the local chapter was on the verge of a capital campaign and that our contribution would give them the visibility and support in the greater Wilmington community that they needed for a successful start. Tower Hill committed its total projected earnings of $30,000 to $35,000. This was fortuitous timing, indeed, for Tower Hill and Habitat for Humanity.

In the subsequent weeks, we learned from Habitat that our oldest students could participate in the “build,” the actual framing of the house. The frame would be assembled here then be shipped via fl atbed truck to a specifi ed site where a local Gulf Coast Habitat chapter would oversee its completion. It was also riveting to know that we would learn who the recipient of the new home would be. But logistics, logistics, logistics……………………

Once the relationship with Habitat was consolidated, we were fi nally faced with a tangible fundraising goal, and we hoped that we could maintain interest in the wonderful “grass roots” fundraising which had been woven into our school lives this year. Hoops for Habitat was conceived in mid-January and came to fruition within the four weeks prior to February 25th. We had a two-night window in which to engage the varsity basketball teams—after the regular season and before the commencement of spring sports. The evening evolved into a night with something for everyone. Food ranged from pizza to popcorn; music ranged from upper schoolers’ a capella voices joining in the National Anthem,

valiant parent stepped forward and initiated an Innisbrook wrapping paper sale. With only two weeks to close out sales in order to achieve delivery by the holidays, this amazing sale netted about $8,500. I was told that one fi rst grader was responsible for netting $500! On the heels of that momentum, the middle school faculty requested Habitat donations in lieu of holiday gifts. This kind gesture netted $7,100. And those lower schoolers! They kept soliciting donations in lieu of birthday gifts, and by the end of the year had added another $2,000 to our Habitat account. We started 2006 with $22,000; we were on our way toward the house that Tower Hill built!

In my mind, the beauty of this effort was the consistency displayed across all Tower Hill constituencies in embracing this project. As 2006 began, on blind faith that we would parlay the collected funds into something for which we could all feel pride, our goal

Tower Hill BulletinSpring.Summer 200616

The 9th and 10th graders’ band, ‘Haywire’ performing

at the Hoops for Habitat.

The faculty cheerleaders showing lots of support for all the players involved.

Abby Manning enjoying the basketball game.

and 9th and 10th graders introduced their band, ‘Haywire,’ to the Tower Hill community. A silent auction offered opera tickets, golf lessons, and student-designed jewelry. But the goal was a common one—to raise funds for our Habitat house.

The centerpiece of the evening was the basketball game. Nearly 400 people came out to support our roster of players which was as diverse as the selection of activities leading up to the tip-off. Our boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams joined forces to oppose to a coed team of faculty and alums. During the fi rst half, the unconventional style of our ‘mature’ team made the outcome look rather grim for our varsity athletes, but youthful vigor prevailed in the second half. Fortunately, the close game may actually call for a rematch next year. A highlight of the evening was the faculty cheerleading squad who set new standards for school spirit. Joy and laughter was pervasive.

This remarkable collaboration of faculty and staff, the Home & School Community Service and Special Events committees, the Junior class and their advisors, the Green & White Club, the Alumni Council, the Faculty Student Council, and the upper school

Community Service Club represented the embodiment of Multa Bene Facta. Despite the apparent celebration of our own community, we also managed to add $6,500 to the Habitat coffers.

Our fundraising efforts reached an intentional conclusion during the week prior to Spring Break. There was a three-day “jeans day” which competes for popularity among faculty and students alike. But the grand fi nale was surely the middle-school gala, Hurricane of Help, which was held on the evening of March 16th. Composed of musical performances and a silent auction, which featured student-made wooden toys, jewelry and needlework, the Gala program included a duet by Headmaster Chris Wheeler and Scott Zeplin and a poetic 5th and 6th grade tribute to the people of New Orleans. A 6th grade girls’ service group The A.N.G.E.L.S., conceived of and managed a raffl e of prize baskets, netting close to $1,500. The week’s yield approached $12,000.

The Home & School fi nancial statements for March indicated that Tower Hill had raised in excess of $41,000 toward our “build.” Home & School intends to top off the fi nal tally for presentation to Habitat. The project is now in Harry

Baetjer’s hands for implementation; the ‘build’ is set to take place on Tower Hill grounds on May 31st. Harry will continue to work with Kevin Smith to fi ne tune the plans for the day and the proposed goal of having the senior class, in two shifts, participate in the assembly of the frame of the house. I plan to follow the path of the house so that we can bring closure to the year’s effort by following the house’s transportation, completion, and subsequent inhabitance.

Consistent with the model established by our lower-school students who have contributed (and continue to contribute) their birthday-party gifts, the Habitat project has marshaled our collective conscience in a sustained and caring way. How wonderful it will be to inform our students about the family who lives in the house they built through imagination, skill, and concern! My family is a Tower Hill family for the value of the academic component of my childrens’ development, but I am moved by and proud of the actions of our school. The Gulf Coast struggles were a wake-up call, and we responded. As a community, we acknowledged that civility starts with each of us.

17Tower Hill Bulletin Spring.Summer 2006

The group of dedicated and athletic faculty (in white jerseys) and the students (in the green jerseys) who played during the game. Also participating were some very dedicated alumni.

by Leslie Kelly, President,

Home & School Association


Clue, the second faculty and staff musical, was just completed. Having been a part of the performance, I was reminded very directly how much time and energy it takes to be in just one ad-ditional activity. However, a quick look at the pictures of the student cast of the fall play Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) revealed not only some of the top scholars in the upper school but also football, soccer, volleyball, and fi eld hockey players as well as cross country runners. There also are a couple of visual artists in the group as well as well as some chorus members (at least two of whom are in All State Chorus). The danger, of course, is that students

Every year in the middle school is a time of great activity, high energy, experiential learning, and growth. The core of the middle school is, of course, the daily life of the classroom students learning study skills, process skills, and getting-along skills, in addition to the math, science, writing, history, and other academic course work that broadens their depth of knowledge.

But the more memorable parts of the year, for many students, tend to be the extraordinary experiences they have: the 5th and 6th grade trips to Sandy Hill where students get to learn and to practice their abilities to work coopera-tively on low- and high-challenge courses; the 7th grade trip to Mallard Lodge in November to look at a marsh ecology close-up; the 8th grade three-day multi-disciplinary trip to Cape Henlopen; working toward the Holiday Concert as a member of the band, chorus, or bell choir or moving from the intramural physical-education program to the

become so consumed by these activities that other important areas are neglected.

But I have had the opportunity to be more closely involved with Tower Hill’s Community Service Program this year, and one of the highlights of the year has been to know about the number of service activities students are committed to beyond Tower Hill. From serving the needs of students in the area by tutoring in the afternoon or collecting prom dresses for those who cannot afford one, to helping a community in the Dominican Republic, to Tsunami relief a year ago, upper-school students have given of their time, energy, and talent. They have also supported the school’s commitment to diversity by arranging a luncheon discussion after

a Forum speaker and, for some, by going to a three-day conference in Texas sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools.

Clearly, not every student can or should be involved in every activity. Knowing how much you can do is very much a part of the education in the upper school. But it is remarkable how involved upper school students are, and how vibrant (though sometimes exhausting) the upper school remains.

inter-scholastic athletic program where cooperation becomes essential to having success on the fi eld or in the gym. Some students serve as buddies for visiting student applicants; others serve on the Student Council and help to coordinate the Halloween Party and Dance and the Gift of Giving Week, which this year raised over $4,000 for Homes for Life for those people with cognitive disabili-ties; every 7th grade student will have participated in the Disabilities Aware-ness Octave, which expands students’ appreciation for others; 5th and 6th graders hung decorations on the very top of the tree; more than forty students participated in the annual Talent Show; two teams of 8th graders worked long and hard with Ms. Tjersland to create the 8th Grade Show produced in early March, an endeavor involving the entire class. Everyone has shared the common experience of eating in the beautiful new dining space; all have shared in listening to a variety of talks on motivational topics by the teachers as well as by some peers; and learning has also happened in

bi-monthly class meetings during which members of each class get to examine key points of community living with their peers.

In addition, the middle school, in cooperation with the parent representatives to the Parents’ Association, has hosted monthly grade-level coffee/discussions to examine topics touching on the commonalities of experiences parents have as their children move toward adulthood. We have been encouraged by the broad participation of so many parents at these meetings which serve to reinforce the idea that “it takes a village to raise a child.”

Article by

Harry N.

Baetjer III,

Head of

Upper School

UPPER SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Article by

John E.

Newlin III,

Head of

Middle School

Tower Hill School News


Typically, when I describe “happenings” or “life” in the lower school I focus on grade level performances, academics, or art displays. At times, I emphasize the energy and enthusiasm that our students bring to their daily activities—our four- through ten-year-olds are an engaged group of learners! At other times, I refl ect on the warmth and talent that our teachers share with their children; our professional staff is as caring as it is well versed in developmentally appropriate research based early childhood and elementary educational practice. There are many special moments and relation-ships that depict life in the lower school.

However, since this school year began with an outpouring of concern and support for the victims of the gulf hurricanes, I feel it is timely to describe a few of the projects that characterize Tower Hill’s commitment to teaching young children the importance of personal and collective outreach and the value of making and maintaining relationships and connections beyond the immediate school community.

The lower school participated in a variety of projects to support children displaced by the storms. Lower school families donated small change and dollar bills to Coins for the Coast jugs and purchased wrapping paper, as part of two school-wide fundraisers. The proceeds of these and other school projects will support the purchase of a Habitat for Humanity house kit. In addition to raising money, lower- school grade levels participated in collecting items that would brighten the lives of Gulf Coast children. The prekindergarten, 3rd and 4th graders purchased age-appropriate books and placed personalized book plates in them, while the kindergarten classes fi lled individual kits with personal and school-related items, and the 1st and 2nd graders collected stuffed animals that were personalized with a note from each of the donors. Three hundred

young children sent gifts to three hundred children in need. It was a very personal expression of support. Our children wanted their less fortunate distant neighbors to enjoy a cuddly animal and a good book!

Typically, our youngest Hillers have devoted signifi cant school time to developing skills that foster interpersonal relationships and respect for the contributions and varied backgrounds of their peers. To those ends, Tower Hill has embraced a Confl ict Resolution Program that was developed by the Minnesota Friends School and has been adopted by most of the independent schools in Wilmington. The preschool and 1st grade programs provide many opportunities for our students to be honored and celebrated by their peers, from “Show and Teach” opportunities to a weeklong focus on each child. Parents share cultural and holiday traditions, further broadening our students’ awareness of the breadth of experience represented by their peer group.

Our older lower schoolers have been involved in a variety of outreach projects. The 2nd grade is in the early stages of establishing a pen-pal relationship with a group of second graders at the East Side Charter School in downtown Wilmington. Our 3rd and 4th graders have a relationship with the 3rd and 4th graders at the Kuumba Academy, another Wilmington charter school. This winter, students from Kuumba came to Tower Hill for the presentation of the 3rd/4th grade show, Broadway Our Way, and then joined our students for lunch in the new dining room. Friends were made; respect was established; letters have been exchanged; and another visit is in the planning stages. This time the Kuumba students will perform for their Tower Hill friends. We eagerly await their program!

For more than a decade Tower Hill’s 4th graders and residents of the Ingleside Retirement community have shared a special relationship. Five times during the course of each school year our 4th graders spend time with their “residents,”

playing card games, showing costumes on Halloween and Gingerbread Houses in December, sharing lunch on Valentine’s Day, and performing for the senior citizens in May. The daughter of one of Ingleside’s former residents shared the following comments at her mother’s Memorial Service and then sent them to the staff at Ingleside.

I always knew when the children from Tower Hill were coming and what activities they were engaged in. I know Mom really enjoyed their conversations, their art projects and programs, especially the Gingerbread Houses they made in December. She always had a smile on her face as she related the stories of what activities they were doing. To me, the mentoring program is one that needs to be kept alive. It’s a positive, warm feeling when children can warm the hearts of those who barely know them.

In yet another project that promotes awareness, the lower school has joined the middle and upper school’s “Blue/Gold” effort, raising funds for the DFRC (Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Cognitive Disabilities). This year, Kids on the Block, an organization that brings child-sized puppets representing students who have physical and cognitive disabilities, visited Tower Hill. The group’s performances are designed to demystify physical and cognitive disabilities and to sensitize students to the common needs of all children, those with disabilities and those without

Our lower schoolers are learning to be sensitive to the needs of others and to make a difference in the lives of their classmates, their schoolmates, and the broader community.

Tower Hill School News

Article by

C. Sandy Wang,

Head of the

Lower School

LOWER SCHOOL


Alumni Highlights

T O W E R H I L L

On the evening of October 14, 2005, Tower Hill trustees, staff, faculty and friends gathered in the living room of Granogue to pay tribute to Alison McKenna. President of the Board Pete Hayward described the competence, stamina, humor, diligence and directness that have defi ned the development work under Alison’s leadership, announcing that henceforth, 16th Street behind Alumni House will be renamed “McKenna Way.”

John Pierson ’59, current faculty member, recounted Alison’s academic, athletic, and leadership achievements as a member of the class of 1957 and then recited his poem, “Alma Alison,” to recap her extraordinary career at Tower Hill, while her classmates and colleagues cheered in agreement.

Alison Collins fi rst came to Tower Hill in the fi fth grade. She was active in school government, the Dial, and sports, receiving academic honors as well as the athletic award. After attending Hollins College, she worked for the Du Pont Company until her fi rst child (Sean, class of ’78) was born. It was John Pierson who asked her to come help out at Tower Hill.

The early days on the job were outlined by former Business Manager Bob Griffi n; “You were given a folding table in a corner of the old upper school library for an ‘offi ce.’ You did not complain about the offi ce or the task (sorting alumni address cards). You simply with sincerity and gusto started building a career…the cards are gone now, but the solid work of the sorter in initiating changes and supporting others is clearly seen. The silver afternoon

tea in the junior library became an all day classic homecoming and the ‘social register’ became the outstanding Tower Hill Bulletin.”

Ten trustee presidents, fi ve headmasters and four capital campaigns later, former Headmaster Tim Golding noted that Alison initiated the fi rst Grandparent’s Day in this area, expanded Homecoming to include the 5K and class reunion parties, organized regional alumni gatherings around the country and built up the Alumni Council’s golf outing and fundraising activities. He aptly named Alison an “institutional treasure and keeper of the Tower Hill memory for over 30 years.”

While Tower Hill evolved into a more diverse community, an expanded campus, and enriched academic, athletic, and arts programs, Alison and her staff

developed an annual giving program that would generate fundraising materials and keep Hillers in touch with their alma mater. She did all this, while raising two children, losing a husband, and becoming a grandmother.

Former Head of Trustees Puss Schutt describes Alison as “the driving force behind the (Headmaster) search and campaign and development work…and patient and kind in the process.”

Two major projects Alison took on together with the trustees were the year-long 75th anniversary celebration, culminating in a dinner for 800 at the Bob Carpenter Center, which included a video presentation, and the publication of Tower Hill’s history. Steve Hyde ’59 wrote to her, “A shining and seemingly unbelievable moment in my career at Tower Hill will be my role in the completion of Forever Green. ... Thanks to you and your commitment—above and beyond the call—that experience was a blast!”

The school that taught her the fundamentals has fi ttingly benefi ted from Alison’s extensive professional skills in administrative support, archival resources, editing, public relations, and philanthropy, summed up by its motto, Multa Bene Facta.

Tuss Greenewalt ’55 expresses our collective good wishes for Alison as she embarks on her retirement; “Admiring congratulations to you for your devotion, hard work, resourcefulness and enterprise in supporting Tower Hill and in bringing together its family. Thank you, thank you!”

tribute to a tower hill treasure,

Alison McKenna

by Josephine M. Bayard


Alumni Highlights

T O W E R H I L L

Alma AlisonGathered here saluting Alison, Stand we Hillers all,True by her side, her biggest fans, Loyal to her call.She’s raised our banner, urged it forward, Its colors now are known;She’ll always wear the Green and White, Where so e’er she roams.

Her feet have wandered all over school, From book store to McKenna Way;Tower Hill’s the better for her, Each and every day.Retirement is a happy time For her ... but not for us:We’ll miss her knowledge, helpfulness, and joy, And she will miss the fuss.

She’s set a standard, tough to beat; The hours were often long.We all have won because of her, And we should sing this song;Raise our banner, urge it forward, Alison, you’re the best!Green and White forever gleaming; Enjoy your well-earned rest.

John Pierson ’59—with apologies to

Helen Steers Burgess ’23

Far left, Alison McKenna ’57 at her recognition party.

Left, Alison and John Pierson ’59.

Lower left, President of the Board of Trustees Pete Hayward ’66 debuting the offi cial “McKenna Way” sign.

Below, Katherine “Puss” Schutt giving Alison a collection of photographs from her years at Tower Hill.


Alumni Highlights

T O W E R H I L L

Douglas Lagarde ’80

At Tower Hill, I was a lifer, lived in a school-owned house on 19th Street for fi fteen years, and worked for the maintenance department for eight summers. Because of this experience and because of my parents’ involvement with Tower Hill, I gained important insight into the many facets—human, academic, and business—of a quality independent school and an admiration for all that an independent school infl uences in the life of its students.

I grew up in the kitchen. While I wasn’t fully cognizant of it at the time, my parents and their friends and colleagues many of whom are still teaching at Tower Hill, had a profound and durable impact on how I view schools and teaching. Conversations about teaching, about good schools, about how to improve things for the sake of kids were commonplace at home, at games, and at social functions. The men and women whom I had as teachers were masters of their disciplines and worked tirelessly to provide their students opportunities for growth. This engendered in me a respect for the

teaching life, and it has been a model and driving force in my career.

I am fortunate to have gone to one and worked in two very fi ne independent schools—schools that are designed to challenge and support its students; schools that have small classes, strong advisory systems, and teachers who are themselves dimensional and take pride in getting to know students outside of the classroom in order to develop caring and compassionate relationships. It is these trusting connections that allow students to aspire and to risk reaching for excellence. The relationships encouraged by Tower Hill, Landon, University School, and Severn lead a student to develop competence, then confi dence, and ultimately their own durable independence.

Doug Lagarde ’80 and his family.

The Severn School, regarding Douglas H. Lagarde’s appointment as the 9th Headmaster of Severn School, published the following report on December 13, 2005.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and our Search Committee, we are pleased to announce that at a special meeting of the Severn School Board held on December 12, the Trustees enthusiastically and unanimously voted to approve the appointment of Douglas H. Lagarde, 43, as the 9th Head of School in Severn’s 92 year history. Doug’s appointment concludes an intensive national search that included more than 50 applicants and 8 semi-fi nalists visits to Severn for interviews with faculty, parents, alumni, students and board members. We are especially pleased to report that Doug’s appointment was the fi rst choice of the Search Committee and was unanimously supported by the Board of Trustees.

Doug will come to Severn from University School in Cleveland, where he is the Associate Headmaster and Upper School Head. In his 15 years at US, he also served as Director of Enrollment Planning and Financial Aid, Assistant Director of College Counseling, taught math and coached wrestling and football. Doug began his career at Landon School in Bethesda, MD where he taught and coached. He graduated with an AB in economics from The College of William and Mary and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. Doug is a strong advocate for independent schools. He grew up on the campus of Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware, where both of his parents were on the faculty.

The Board and its Search Committee feels that we have found the ideal candidate to lead Severn toward its centennial year in 2014. He is a dynamic, energetic leader with exceptional communication skills. Coupled with his love of educating young people, Doug brings a total package to our Severn community.

The entire Lagarde family has been

part of the Tower Hill family for

many years. Howe and Ann Lagarde

raised two children, Douglas and

Linda, on campus where they were

an integral part of campus life.

After 25 years of dedicated teaching

at Tower Hill and another 18 years

teaching in North Carolina, Howe

and Ann Lagarde recently retired

from Carolina Day School in

Asheville, N.C. Howe claims he’s

retired, but he still teaches four

courses at UNC-Asheville. While

at Tower Hill, Howe was the Math

Department Chair, head wrestling

coach, and assistant coach in

football and track and fi eld, and

Ann was the elementary school

librarian. It was as a valued coach,

friend, and advisor to many students

and faculty, however, that truly

marked their time at Tower Hill.


Alumni Highlights

T O W E R H I L L

Lindsay Tonderys ’96

If you had told me ten years ago that I would be back at Tower Hill teaching 1st grade, I would not have believed you. However, I fi nd myself, ten years after graduating, roaming the halls once again. Many people have asked me what it feels like to be back, and I can only offer a short answer. I think many would agree that there is just something about this place that draws former students back.

What I love the most about the school is that it is ever changing and evolving to offer the best possible education, but the underlying traditions and feelings are still the same. We still have lunch, and a terrifi c one, served everyday. Students talk in September about being a white or a green in preparation of Field Day in May. The marble stairs with polished banisters offer a tempting ride. Books adorn the hallway around the cafeteria, which is now called the dining room. The appearance might have changed but the memories remain.

I love my job, teaching eighteen fantastic students who thrive on learning new ideas but already have an understanding that they are part of a special community. Many of their parents attended Tower Hill, as did my parents, sister, and grandmother. The bond between us grows with stories about the teachers we had, trouble we got into, and other memories that can only be appreciated if you understand the school.

It really sunk in that I was back during the opening of school while singing the alma mater. I looked around the fi eld house where I had recess, walked in Halloween parades, participated in homecoming rallies, and saw students of all ages going through the same thing that I once did. I felt and feel extremely lucky to be a part of the traditions again. For all of us who were fortunate enough to attend Tower Hill, we were lucky. There isn’t a better place where the teachers, families, students, staff, and administration watch out for the best interest of everyone.

So how does it feel to be back? It feels like being home.


J David Larned ’96

David Larned is a painter in love with the visible world, particularly its people and places. Born in 1976 in New York City, he has dedicated himself to the art of observation. His paintings attempt to express the visual pleasure derived from simply “looking.” Focusing primarily on portraits and landscapes, he is always exploring through paint what makes an image so intensely beautiful. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the University of Pennsylvania and the Florence Academy of Art have all helped him in these investigations. Currently working outside of Philadelphia, he has exhibited in New York, San Francisco, and Philadelphia, among other east coast venues, but most often executes commissioned works from his studio. He has won a variety of awards including the Donelson Figure Painting Prize and the Historic Yellow Springs Landscape Prize at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In 2004, the Biggs Museum of Art held a comprehensive exhibition of his recent work. This past March, Dave Larned held an exhibition at Tower Hill of his most recent portraits.

ust recently, Ann Ashley ’79, lower school teacher, wide-eyed and breathless, appeared in my studio. Andrew and Jamie Wyeth were in the gallery! She had passed by them as they were chatting with a small group of students discussing David Larned’s ’96 recent work, which graced our gallery walls this past March. Justifi cation enough for excitement, I’d say. I have a feeling we may be seeing the Wyeth’s again. They loved David’s work and they loved the space.

It has been said on many occasions that it is, if not the best, certainly one of the fi nest showcases for fi ne art in the region. At this point there have been scores of exhibits by artists from New York to California and the future looks bright. Nationally acclaimed sculptor of machines, Arthur Ganson from PBS Nova and M.I.T., and Ellen Priest from the Yale Divinity School are likely powerhouses for next year’s calendar, not to mention another Art Faculty installation.

A regular high point of the year is the annual (AP) Studio Art Show curated

entirely by the students themselves, from the creation of the work to the image on the announcements. It’s a party atmosphere with a rich history that includes alumnae Diana Baltazar ’99, Sarah Bryant ’97, Liza Dolmetsch ’01, Marianne Dages ’00 and our most passionately remembered, Hanna Shickley ’05. This, clearly, is the short list and one that will surely grow with the years. We have reached out to a community that touches our own lives and that of the nation. It takes a lot to run this dream boat and it requires constant maintenance.

We, the Art Department—Gabe Rothwell, Ann Ashley, Rich Pierce, and George Martz, know what we have, and we know what we could have. We have hope for what it may become.

Article by

Kirby Smith,

Chair of the Art

Department


Chair of the Alumni FundChuck Durante ’69

1937 Margaret Porch Lounsbury1938 Irenee du Pont, Jr., Gerald Montaigne, Jr.1943 May Blatz Fagan1944 Dean Hanly Overall1945 Willard T. White, Jr.1946 Elizabeth Blatz Kane1947 John S. Edinger1948 John A.H. Sweeney1954 Malcolm G. Jones, Jr.1956 George H. Cross III1957 William W. Beck, Jr., Margaret Moyer Bennett1958 Laurence H. Beck, David A. Nichols1959 Andrew A. Smith, Jr.1960 Elizabeth T.B. Brown Pierson1963 James T. Skelly III1964 Susanna Brown Fenimore, H. Alex Wise1967 Robert C. Director1968 Roberts W. Brokaw III1969 Charles J. Durante1971 Laurence J. Durante1972 Scott L. Hunter, Sean P. McGuinness1973 James A. Fairbrother1974 Christopher W. Byrne, Frederick L. Dewey III1975 Jim L. Ehret, Valarie Messick Elliott1976 John D. Jornlin, John E.T. Taylor1977 Pamela Altergott Costanzi1978 Edward Cohen, John A. Hughes, Ellen P. Minor1979 Susan Hering Foster, Victoria Yelton Manlove1981 Marc L. Greenberg1982 Robert E. Naylor III, Charles R. Rickards, Jr.1983 Mary Stuart Gamble Freydberg1985 Cydney Louth Gilbertson1986 Tracy Graham Wenzinger, Ashley Hoopes Wilks1987 Michael W. Hyde, Mary Beth Searles, Jeanne Dora Woodbury1988 Elizabeth Levy Gula, Sarah Bugbee Keidel1989 Daniel B. Flynn, Kelle Doherty Sanchez, Corbin T.B. Pierson Woods1990 Fleming McCoy Ackermann1991 Alisha Wayman Bryson, Elizabeth Noseworthy Fitzsimmons, Melissa Wagner Flynn, Michael J. Flynn, Thomas J. Hanna, Anjali S. Rao1992 Hillary deLeeuw Spruance1993 Tucker T. Pierson, Jacob V. Spruance1994 Heather Kestner Green1995 H. Michelle Yang1996 Amanda Paige Akin1997 Caroline L. Gee, Molly E. Goeller, Heather L. Weymouth1998 Maria G Karas1999 Rory N. Boulden, Bethany A. Dick, Erin L. Zoranski2000 David H. Klein, Theodora D. Mistras2002 Tyler T. Akin, Anthony C. Paladinetti III, Kerry A. Sallee2003 Lauren A. Golt, Leslie B. Hewes, David J. Rosenthal2004 Julie T. Pike

TOWER HILL

Annual FundThis has been a terrifi c year for the Tower Hill Annual Fund. With a $525,000 goal, we are very close to meeting and surpassing it!

The Chairs of the various volunteer committees of the Annual Fund have given countless hours of their time and talents to the Tower Hill Annual Fund effort. There exists a force of over 150 Tower Hill volunteers who give their full energy to raising money for the annual fund.

Money donated to the annual fund helps bridge the gap between Tower Hill’s operating expenses and money generated by tuition and other forms of revenue. The amount donated is less important than the act of donating itself. Our goal is to achieve a 100% participation rate among all of our constituencies.

We have enclosed a business reply envelope within the spine of this edition of The Bulletin. If you have not given this year, we hope you will be inclined to give to the Tower Hill Annual Fund today. If you have already given, the entire Tower Hill community thanks you for your kind and thoughtful generosity.

The deadline for donating to this fi scal year’s annual fund is June 30th. We accept checks, credit cards, and gifts of stocks and annuities. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the development offi ce at (302) 657-8353.

Chairs of the Parent Fund—Gayle and Jeff Dillman, Alice and Chris Saunders

We want to thank the following parents who have served as Grade Captains for this year. They have been wonderful and dedicated volunteers.

12th Grade Elaine Scott

11th Grade Henry and Anne Nickle

10th Grade Edmond and Ann Marie Ianni

9th Grade Rob and Allison Brokaw

8th Grade Kathi and George Trapnell

7th Grade Mark and Liza Morton

6th Grade Jackie and Terry Smith

5th Grade Beth and Dennis Salter

4th Grade Lisa and David Beatson

3rd Grade Jennifer and Jon Abramczyk

2nd Grade Barr and Grier Flinn

1st Grade Andy and Lee Podolsky

Kindergarten Marina and Randall Attix

Pre-Kindergarten Tricia and Gary Lyons

Chair of the Grandparents Fund —Katharine Schutt ’62

Chair of the Parents’ of Alumni Fund—Josephine Bayard

Chair of the Faculty and Staff Fund—Laurie Edinger

thank you parents

thank you grandparents, faculty, & staff

thank you alumni


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20

6:30 p.m. Tower Hill JV Volleyball vs. Red Lion Christian Academy in the gym

7:30 p.m. Tower Hill Varsity Volleyball vs. Red Lion Christian Academy in the gym

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21

8:00 a.m. Homecoming 5K Run/Walk Free t-shirts for the fi rst 150 who send in their registration Registration at the Alumni House—Event starts at 8:30 a.m.

9:00 a.m. Round Robin Tennis Tower Hill Tennis Courts—All skill levels are welcome

10:00 a.m. School Tour Main Building, 1919 Auditorium Take a tour of the campus with Headmaster Wheeler

11:00 a.m. Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey vs. St. Andrews Richardson Field

11:30 a.m. Boys’ Varsity Soccer vs. St. Andrews—St. Amour Soccer Field

12noon-2 p.m. Lunch at St. Amour

12:15 p.m. Girls’ JV Field Hockey vs. St. Andrews—Richardson Field

2:00 p.m. Varsity Football vs. St. Andrews—DeGroat Field

5:30 p.m. Reunion Reception for classes ending in 1 and 6 Tower Hill Dining Hall

SC

HE

DU

LE

OF

EV

EN

TS

O’er the earth our feet may wander,

Back we come at last …

True to Tower Hill

forever.

Tower Hill Homecoming Tower Hill School’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend is October 20—October 22, 2006. Classes ending in 1 and 6 will be celebrating their reunion! Be sure to save the date and plan to attend.

On Saturday, October 21, Tower Hill has events planned for everyone. In the morning, join us for a 5K Run/Walk and take a tour of the school to see the newly renovated areas. Grab a bite to eat at our picnic lunch and watch athletic events in the afternoon. In the evening, mingle with other reunion classes at a cocktail reception on the Tower Hill campus.

A few classes have already begun to plan special dinners, parties, and brunches for their reunions. If you would like to join a committee, organize a dinner, or just offer suggestions, please contact Kathryn Warner in the Alumni Offi ce at (302) 657-8353 or e-mail: [email protected].

If you would like to help with your reunion, but don’t want to take on the entire responsibility yourself, please let us know and we will connect you with other classmates who are willing to help. Don’t be shy!

The Tower Hill Alumni Offi ce makes it easy for you. We will offer suggestions and provide sample letters that have worked best in the past. We will prepare and produce all letters, forms, and questionnaires for you. And, we will pay for all postage.

It’s not too early. The best reunions are those that are planned well in advance. See you in October!


NAME/S CLASS OF

HOME PHONE E-MAIL

How many of you will be joining us for lunch?

_____ alumni/family _____ students _____ parents

_____ grandparents _____ faculty/staff _____ friends

How many of you will be joining us for the cocktail reception on Saturday evening, October 21?

NAME/S CLASS OF

ROUND ROBIN TENNIS

NAME/S

NAME/S

HOMECOMING 5K RUN/WALK

NAME

❏ run ❏ walk Relation to Tower Hill ____________ Age_____

t-shirt size: ❏ S ❏ M ❏ L ❏ XL

NAME



NAME



Det

ach

an

d m

ail

or f

ax t

o To

wer

Hil

l S

choo

l

Reunion/Homecoming Registration

Please mail or fax this completed registration form to: Tower Hill School, 2813 West 17th Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19806Phone: (302) 657-8353 Fax: (302) 657-8373

& Reunion 2006

Waiver for Tennis and 5K: In consideration of this entry being accepted, I, intending to be legally bound, hereby for myself, my heirs, executors, and administrators, waive and release any and all rights I may have against the organization holding this event, its agents, representatives, successors, and assigns for any and all injuries suffered by me at said play/race.


TOWER HILL CAMPUS1. Quarterback Michael Alvarez signals a timeout in Homecoming action against Tatnall.

2. What’s the fun in watching a homecoming football game when you can whack a friend with pom-pom.

3. Alex Chris was honored on April 20 in the newly renovated dining hall and courtyard.

4. Fourth graders deliver a memorable performance in their annual show.

5. The middle school held an auction in March benefi ting the Katrina Relief effort-Habitat Project.

6. Ellis Wasson, Chair of the History Department, stands by his portrait which was painted by Dave Larned ’95 Dave is highlighted in this edition of The Bulletin on page 24.

7. Middle schoolers armed with saxophones take to the stage during a spring performance.

1 2

3 4

5

67


TOWER HILL CAMPUS8. Current parent, Gayle Dillman, escorts grandparents to their classrooms on Grandparents Day.

9. Headmaster Wheeler and Dutch daily welcoming students.

10. A snap-shot of baseball’s prowess, 6-0 against an opponent in the fi rst inning.

11. Senior Prefects helping the Alumni Offi ce get ready for the Homecoming/Reunion Weekend.

12. Hoops-for-Habitat fi nds a face-for-fun; face painting and live music was capped with a thrilling game between students vs. faculty and alumni.

13. A 2nd grade tradition, and writ of passage at Tower Hill. A 2nd grade student reads a book she wrote and illustrated.

8

10

9

11

1312


TOWER HILL CLASS NOTES

1932Stephen Trentman writes that he is now living at Stonegate Retirement in Wilmington after having lived in the Washington, DC area for several years.

1933Robert Bryan recently celebrated his ninetieth birthday with his family while on a trip to Alaska. On their return, they stopped to visit friends in Seattle, where Beppy fell and broke her hip. She received a partial hip replacement in a Swedish medical center, and unfortunately their trip was extended longer than they would have liked. Mary Louise Porch Frechtling writes that she is still in her home of fi fty years with no plans to move to a retirement community. She is fortunate to have both her children nearby. Son, Douglas, is professor of Tourism and Hospitality Economics at George Washington University. Her daughter, Susan, is retired from the General Services Administration and is now a consultant for the Homeland Security Agency. Mary Louise is in good health and is able to garden, swim, and line-dance several times a week. She was recently honored at several line-dance events for being the oldest dancer on the fl oor. “A dubious honor” says Mary Louise.

1938Irenee du Pont, Jr. recently was given the Josiah Marvel Cup, which is the top award given out annually by the Delaware State Chamber

of Commerce. The Chamber has given out the Marvel Cup for more than fi fty years to honor the contributions of Delaware business leaders. The former DuPont executive headed the Chamber in 1975 and 1976. He began his career with DuPont in 1946 as an engineer in Arlington, New Jersey. Throughout his thirty-two years with the company, du Pont held a variety of management jobs, eventually becoming a senior vice-president, member of the board of directors, and a member of the infl uential executive committee. Though du Pont often plays a quiet, private role in community work, his work with the Mancus Foundation, a Wilmington nonprofi t agency that arranges regular social outings for disabled adults, was cited.

1940Donald Harting reports that he has moved into a retirement village, Mallard Landing, in Salisbury, Maryland. He is managing a new kind of educational foundation, Delmarva Education Foundation. The web site address is: www.delmarvaed.org. Virginia Howell Speairs reports that she and her husband have moved to Westminster Shores in Bradenton, on the west coast of Florida. She says the move will put them closer to her two sons in Tampa and Largo. She also reports that they’ve been doing a little traveling but now expect to stay in the USA. She welcomes any news from other alumni. Helen Lloyd Kitchel Gawthrop writes that she has two great-grandchildren at Tower Hill. Kitchel Chilton is in the fourth grade and Sawyer Chilton is in the third grade.

1941 65th Reunion Year

1944Ysabel Brown Dulken writes that her entire family (fi fteen strong) traveled to Costa Rica for Christmas and everyone had a wonderful time. Gilbert Brown’s daughter, Chris Wohlwend, whose sons are sixteen years old and eighteen years old, recently adopted two wonderful Russian boys, aged nine and ten. Gilbert now has four very special grandsons. Mary Emma Mertz Wagner has moved to Kendal at Longwood, a Quaker Continuing Care Community. She looks forward to “not having to cook my own supper anymore!” Mary Emma enjoys visits with Priscilla Atkins Townsend, Betty Johnston Preston and Carolyn Lindsay Stradley. Gil Brown has joined them on many occasions. Dean Hanly Overall is just back from a super trip down the Dnieper River in the Ukraine. She still writes a travel column for the local paper.


1947Anne Haon Cook reports that a vacation in London with son, George Cook, his wife, Karen and grandsons, Alex who is eleven years old and Jason who is ten years old, was the highlight of 2005 for her family. Jean Jamieson Lewis reports that she was fortunate to attend the Academy Awards as the “date” of her son, Jim Morris ’73. Jim is a member of the Motion Picture Academy. Nancy du Pont Curran fondly remembers her wonderful and fi rm but demanding teachers at Tower Hill. Though she looks back sixty years, Miss Jones (Latin), Miss Buckles (English), Mr. Ludwig, Miss Dunbar, Mr. Black (Math), Mr. Williams, Mr. Mount (Shop) and Mr. Cooper remain important to her. “We were a diffi cult class and naughty, I’m told, but we had a wonderful childhood and a great experience at Tower Hill”, writes Nancy.

1949John Woodhouse and six Tower Hill alumni were in the Highlands of Scotland to celebrate Lyn and John’s 50th wedding anniversary. They spent the week together along with thirty others, including children and grandchildren. In addition to John and Lyn, the group included Barbara Johnston Woodhouse ’47, Bob Woodhouse ’47, George Hering ’49 and Barbara Morrow Gorman ’52.Joining together for the presentation of the Josiah Marvel Cup are (from left): U.S. Rep. Michael N. Castle ’57,

State Chamber President and CEO James A. Wolfe, Marvel Cup recipient Irenee du Pont, Jr. ’38, U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr., outgoing State Chamber Chairman Marvin N. Schoenhals and U.S. Sen. Thomas R. Carper.


A biography has been prepared by George and Sarah du Pont

Cahill ’47 of Mrs. Ellen Thorrestrup Baldwin (Baldy) and her activities at Tower Hill School and Camp

Baldy for almost three decades. If any interested alumni or friends

of Tower Hill School are interested in a copy of the book, please get in

touch with George and Sally through their e-mail ([email protected])

or at the following address in New Hampshire.

George F. Cahill, Jr. and Sarah du Pont Cahill

P.O. Box 367Stoddard, NH 03464-0367


1952Robert Hill, Jr. writes that he has a grandnephew and two grandnieces currently attending Tower Hill. Third graders Carolyn, fi rst grader Julia, and prekindergartener Rodman, are the children of Rodman Ward III ’83 and Gina Ward.

1954David Mackey retired this past March after thirty-fi ve years in orthopedic surgery in Winter Park, Florida. He is now involved full-time in the citrus grove business in Vero Beach.

1956 50th Reunion YearGeorge H. Cross III writes that he is enjoying retirement, looking forward to attending his class’s fi fty-year Tower Hill School reunion in 2006, and traveling extensively.

1958Judge David Nichols, who is retired from the judiciary, writes that Bill Robertson visited with him recently in Bellingham, Washington where Dave lives. Bill plays the trombone frequently and continues his law practice, while Dave is pursuing his art and plans to take a master oils class in California in the Spring. Alice Beasley Hupfel retired from the Delaware Art Museum on February 3, 2005, after thirty wonderful years. She reports that her daughter, Gretchen Hupfel ’82, had a major show on display at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, located in the DCCA’s largest gallery. The show ran from October 7, 2005 through January 14, 2006. Julie Johnson Lindquist had the pleasure of entertaining Sarah Worthington Greening and her husband, Godfrey Pickles, for a great twenty-four hour visit this past November. In May, Julie stepped down after six years as President of the Alliance Francaise de Hartford and is now on the Board of the Federation of Alliances Francaises, USA. Anna B. McCoy has a book coming out in June about her mother’s (Ann Wyeth McCoy) paintings.

Meri Hagerty Rumrill, Charlotte Rode Sheehan, Gail Fairman Cook, Diana Wardenburg Maxmin, Bill Porter, Rock Montague, Don Cockran, Dennis Berchet, Genie Lewis Mackey, Judy Eastburn Sawyer, Debby Theisen Clough, Ann Davison O’Reilly, Susan Chase Corkran

Rock Montague, Susan Chase Corkran, Diana Wardenburg Maxmin, Don Corkran, Bill Weisbrod, Carol Williams, Meri Hagerty Rumrill

Special Announcement

1959Louise Schoonover Smith writes that having Kat Baetjer ’02 working as an intern with her in the offi ce has been phenomenal! Good job, Kat! They are collecting data on Frank E. Schoonover (1877-1972) to be published in a book soon. Steve Hyde was inducted into the Saint Louis Country Day School’s Coaches Hall of Fame on May 5, 2005. John Pierson will join the Tower Hill Development Offi ce starting in July of 2006. He will be a terrifi c addition with his love and dedication to the school.

1960Cynthia Burdick Patterson writes that she and her husband, Jim, are enjoying retirement with trips abroad and time with family at home. Jim’s book “Restless Giant” has been well received. Anthony Weymouth has recently retired and writes that he is planning a “U.S. tour” in a conversion van to catch up with old friends. He always has his cell phone (302-530-1535) and his laptop: [email protected], and would love to hear from his Tower Hill classmates.



1961 45th Reunion YearJohn and Anne Hannum had the joy of seeing their oldest daughter, Christy, get married on June 24th. “Walking her down the aisle was a memorable experience” Jack writes. Christy is a 1990 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and will be teaching at the Independence School in Wilmington. Her husband, David Miller, went to Tower Hill for his fi rst few years of school. He is now one of the seven public defenders in West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Ann Skelly is starting on a new life-style experiment, living near her kids and grandchildren. In March, she moved to Seattle for six months and she is now about to move to Chicago for six months. So far, it is working. Ann is setting up a website to sell pet portraits so that she can take her work along with her wherever she goes.

1962Life’s path takes us in unexpected directions, writes Elisabeth Guthrie Lanier. “After spending my entire adult life in Wilmington, I found myself living in New Orleans for a few years before the project which Steve (Stephen Lee Lanier) was recruited for ‘went south’. Hurricane Ivan took us to Galveston Island, Texas, where we found a vibrant visual arts scene, a real sense of neighborhood and community and lots of building going on…in other words, a place where we thought we would be happy to work and live.” They moved in December and opened a gallery, Design Works, in June. They were married in June in a private ceremony on the beach at sunset. For any Hillers in the Houston area, they are only a short ride down the Gulf Freeway and they’d love for you to visit at 2119A Post Offi ce Street in downtown Galveston.

1963Ann Benedict Butler published the second edition of her textbook with co-author William Hodos, Comparative Vertebrate Neuroanatomy: Evolution and Adaptation, which is 715 pages in length. It includes major revisions and updating of the text, and 470 fi gures. Ann is a full professor in the Computational Neurosciences Academic Unit at George Mason University. She continues to publish several papers per year on her research in neuroscience journals and teaches courses on brain development and anatomy at the graduate level.

1964Alex Wise is a class agent for the class of 1964. Eleanor Francis just returned from a spectacular safari and climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. She reports that she adores her reading students and that life is a gift. Deborah Handloft Cornwall visited with Eleanor in Tuscan, Arizona where Leo lives and reports that “little changes with Leo, thank goodness, and that she is as irrepressible as always.” Deborah and her husband, Barry, have one daughter who is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Law School. Her daughter joined Cochran, Neufeld & Sheck in New York, where she works with Barry Sheck fi ling lawsuits on behalf of falsely convicted and released individuals across the country. Her lawsuits go for damages to help the individuals re-enter society. Deborah’s career is in the consulting business, and she is the managing director of a small consulting fi rm with a partner she has worked with for twenty-four years. The Corlund Group LLC specializes in leadership, governance, and change with senior executives in both for-profi t and not-for-profi t sectors. Barry made a 9,500-mile cross-country driving trip to follow the Lewis and Clark Trail. Deborah fl ew into Portland and she and Barry explored Oregon and northern California for eleven days. “What a spectacular and friendly country we are fortunate to live in”, writes Barry. Stina Modeen writes to us from Geneva, Switzerland where she works as a counselor in the Permanent Representation of Finland. Her main responsibilities are international labor organizations and international organizations of migration. Almost all UN organizations have their headquarters in Geneva, which makes Geneva a very interesting and truly international setting.

1965Ruth Hoopes Frangapoulos writes that her husband, Ziss, retired from banking after thirty years in the business. They recently bought, renovated and added onto an old miller’s house in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania (c.1815) that had been renovated and added onto several times before. Ziss couldn’t stay away from banking and now runs Christiana Bank & Trust in Greenville, Delaware. They are both very happy to be living back in the area, and Ruthie says she loves her trips back to Manhattan. Rebeckah Drake Richardson writes that her mother, Emma A. Drake, who taught at Tower Hill from 1952 through 1972, is with her at camp for the summer. She reports that her mother is quite “with it” at

ninety-something and enjoys dinners with friends Cal & Sheila Bourgeault at the Hotel Saranac and listening to concerts in the park.

1966 40th Reunion YearPeter Mosley writes that his eighteen-year-old daughter Johannah graduated from high school this past June and will continue her training in ballet at the Washington School of Ballet. She attends Northern Virginia University College. She’ll be living at home another year before attending college. His son, Aidan, who is thirteen years old, makes life interesting for him!

Jim Travers has received accolades and considerable attention in the press for his successful book, “Images of America: New Castle”(Arcadia, 2005), which is a photographic biography of the picturesque, Colonial town which was his boyhood home, and where he and his wife, Carolyn, still live today. Jim credits his interest in photography, architectural history and the work of his friend, James M. Goode, as his inspiration for his extensive research for this book. The design of the book is straightforward and the photographs are more documentary than artistic, but it is Jim’s thorough captions that invite the reader to review the photographs again. The fi rst printing of 12,000 books was sold out in ten weeks. Fifty percent of the sales went to Gulf Coast Hurricane Relief Fund drives, specifi cally to the Salvation Army.

1967Edmond Pennock and his wife, Carol Cates Pennock live in the historic town of Deerfi eld, Massachusetts. Ted is the Vice President of Investment Management and Carol is the head of the lower school at Bement School in Deerfi eld.

1968Diane Ten Broeck Hulburt has retired after thirty years as an infant/toddler specialist in Early Intervention Services with area mental health services in North Carolina. Her husband, Daniel, teaches seventh grade in the Davie County School System in Mocksville, North Carolina. She reports that she spends her time painting, gardening, and helping Dan maintain their thirty-acre farm. She visits with Larry Thornton, and his wife, Linda Mull Thornton who was her college roommate, every year in Holland, Pennsylvania, when she heads north to Lake Champlain in the Adirondack Park each summer. While there, she also visits with her father, Jim Ten Broeck, former faculty member, and



sister, Katrina Ten Broeck McIntyre ’70, at their cabin. Bill Bartovics and his wife, Becky Layton Bartovics, moved to a small island in Maine. They have a farm with chickens and a big garden with lots of sun and wind. Bill is doing energy consulting, and Becky is doing environmental work around Penobscot Bay.

1969Annica Lindell Lang reports that she has now been married for one year to her second husband Hans-Erik Lang. They are living in Ludvika, Sweden with their Jack Russell Terrier, Ida. In their spare time they enjoy keeping in shape by participating in orienteering, a sport for all ages. Her three children have moved out to continue their educations at universities throughout Sweden.

1971 35th Reunion YearSteven Director’s daughter, Laura, is a sophomore at Bates College where she is biochemistry major. Laura is also a member of the varsity crew team. Stefan Kozinski became the pianist-arranger for a jazz trio in the summer of 2004 that was started by his distinguished Romanian colleague, Nicolae Apostol, a prominent French hornist for the Antoinette Theater of Dessau. Stephan’s signifi cant other, mezzo-contralto Daniela-Stefanie Kappel, a member of the Hamburg State Opera, completes the trio. They expect the upcoming season to be framed by engagements in Berlin and Romania. Next summer, they will visit many cities in Australia, New Zealand, and some Asian countries. He will return to his Music Director function for that tour after three years of total concentration on his German musical life.

1971Christopher Casscells writes that he and his wife, Susan, are now “empty-nesters” since their youngest daughter, Sara, graduated from Tower Hill last June. This year his son, Chris ’02, will be a fourth-year student at the University of Virginia, son Nick ’04 will be in his second year, and Sara ’05 will be in her fi rst year at Virginia. Charlottesville here we come! Prudence Fenton is currently working at Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development, fi guring out the future of media, TV, mobile phones etc. She is also designing an adventure game for Walt Disney World by 2009. There will be over 320 billion digital photos. Jim McKay and his wife, Jan, live in Hudson, Ohio. They have two adult children. Jim is the Senior Vice President at Key Corporation.

1972David Gee and his wife, Michelle, entertained Scott Hunter and his wife, Meg, for dinner over Thanksgiving at their home in McLean, Virginia. Ann Boyle Butler reports that she is a grant writer for the Seattle Urban Academy in Seattle, Washington. “The caring adults at Tower Hill have inspired a strong foundation of investing in others for me which I demonstrate in my community”, Ann writes. One of Ann’s children begins her sophomore year at Whitworth College, a small liberal arts college in Spokane, Washington. Her younger daughter is a junior in high school and headed for a life in music. Ann’s husband, Randy, is fi nishing a doctoral degree in Theology when not fl y-fi shing on the rivers of the Northwest.

1973James Morris has returned to his roots as a fi lmmaker and is now working at Pixar after having worked for George Lucas for seventeen years in a managerial position. He is producing a fi lm for Andrew Stanton at Pixar, the writer and director of “Finding Nemo”, and the name of the new movie should be announced soon. Nicholas Tepe, M.D. was married on June 26, 2005 to Teresa Brennan (see Weddings on page 38), and says he’s still performing open-heart surgeries in Motown! Helen Gunn Stevenson wrote that her daughter, Louise, will be a freshman at Amherst College in the fall of 2005, playing fi eld hockey and joining her sister, Caroline, a senior. Her son, John, started eleventh grade in Dallas last fall. Cheryl Rusten received a promotion to Program Offi cer at the Pew Charitable Trusts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She wishes all her fellow “Class of 1973 classmates a Happy 50th Birthday!” Trudi Brock writes that she and her son, Peter, had the unexpected pleasure of spending a day with Holly Hoopes Hudimac and

her sister, Tibby (Elizabeth Hoopes Field ’63), on their island off the coast of Maine (see photo below). Trudi says that Holly not only looks the same but also is as outgoing and friendly as ever.

1974David Lips is the Policy Director at the Economic Development Corporation in Indianapolis, Indiana. He and his wife have traveled around the world twice and he continues to write music and make demonstration recordings of his songs. John Kelly is an associate professor and Vice-Chair at Temple University Hospital in the Orthopedic Department. John reports that he has a beautiful wife and twin daughters, Mary and Ann Marie.

1975Jane Maroney El Dahr and her family will be moving to the Wilmington area from New Orleans. Her son, Chawki (goes by CJ) El-Dahr, will be an upper school student in the twelfth grade. Thanks to everyone who has given him such a warm welcome at Tower Hill. Linda Lips writes that her daughter is attending the College of William and Mary. Leslie Sherman Gaske can’t believe that she has lived in Las Vegas for over six years. Her oldest son, Dennis, is a sophomore at UNLV. Her daughter, Alison, attends Warren-Walker Green Valley Academy and is looking at colleges on the East Coast for next year. Her youngest son, Matthew, is entering Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts as a tenth grader. Leslie and her children spend summers in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Her husband, Phillip, visits when he can. Leslie is a substitute teacher at her daughter’s school on a regular basis. Leslie Harvey Lemonick reports that she and her husband, Jim, began construction on a new home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that is big enough for their large combined family. Since their marriage in 2004, they have four children. Grant Morrow retired from television after twenty-six years. He moved to Hawaii where he is developing real estate. Aloha!

Valarie Elliot ’75 with her husband, Dick, and her new granddaughter, Brooke Hannah Elliott.




1977Pam Altergott Costanzi is engaged to Chet Koczinski, whom she met at her best friend’s wedding and who works with her friend’s husband as a mergers/acquisition attorney with GlaxoSmithKline. They are busy planning a fall 2006 wedding. She is busy on the Board of Habitat for Humanity and was recently in a music video with Jon Bonjovi, whose foundation is sponsoring homes in North Philadelphia. The video was released in November 2005, so look for Pam on VH1 and MTV. Her son, Ben, is a sophomore at Temple University in the fi lm program. Pam continues to be very active in Montgomery County and Abington Township politics.

1979Seval Oz Ozveren and her husband, Cuneyt, spent the year traveling throughout Europe and the USA with their two-year-old daughter, Ruyea Sophia.

1980Patricia Tilson was deployed to Kuwait/Iraq in February 2003. She moved forward to Baghdad in early June 2003 where she worked at Camp Victory. She lived in one of Saddam’s palaces for a couple of months and was a liaison offi cer for the 800th Military Police Brigade whose mission was establishing and running Iraq’s prisons. While she was there, she visited many parts of Iraq including

Babylon, which was the highlight of Patricia’s year over there. She moved to the Coalition Provisional Authority Headquarters in the “Green Zone” in downtown Baghdad where she experienced rocket and mortar attacks. After her return home in February 2004, she moved to the Army Operations Center at the Pentagon, where she worked for the Provost Marshal General of the Army monitoring MP operation worldwide. She moved to Force Management in the Army G-3 and works on all issues relating to Army transformation. One of her fi rst tasks was to prepare a briefi ng for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld on future army end strength. She is a lieutenant colonel and continues to enjoy her tour at the Pentagon.

1981 25th Reunion YearJacqueline Sailer writes that she is living in New York City with her husband and two daughters, Cece, who is four years old, and Lila, who is two years old. She is practicing law and, when not working, is very involved with her family life. Laurence Byrne moved to Long Island and is the Priest-In-Charge of All Saints’ Church in Bayside, New York. He is also the assistant at Resurrection Church in Kew Gardens. This dual role promises to be an exciting new challenge after serving parishes in the Diocese of Connecticut for ten years. Geoff Snelling married Kitty Bolinger on October 1, 2005. He and Marc Greenberg celebrated twenty years of business partnership together this past June.

1982Charles R. (Tuck) Rickards, Jr. and family recently went on vacation with John Black and his family, and they had a wonderful time. Michael Grant loves his work at Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship, which is a nonprofi t organization. Michael started as a volunteer at the therapeutic riding center, and after eight years he has made this “fascinating, special work” his full time career, which is a major departure from his former legal career.

1983Brian McKinley was married this past summer to Shannon Harr. The wedding took place in Islamorada, Florida. Congratulations, Brian and Shannon! Michael Spence writes that after three years of working in Malaysia initially commuting from Paris, then Manila, he and his girlfriend decided to make their home in Malaysia. They live in Kuala Lumpur on a hill overlooking

a jungle. “Every morning, a group of monkeys climb over and around the building looking for an entry point to fi nd food on their way down the hill. Getting a cat has discouraged the more adventurous monkeys.” Michael encourages people to visit Southeast Asia. After years of living in North America and Europe, despite the tsunamis and earthquakes, Michael believes that Southeast Asia is appealingly different and never cold. Michael works for McKenzie and Company.

1984Lois Spence Boyer writes that she and her husband, Paul, are thrilled to have moved to Seattle, Washington. Paul has left MCI and joined T-Mobile as Director of Legal Affairs for the Wi-Fi group. Lois reports that she misses friends and family from the east coast but is really enjoying exploring the pacifi c northwest; where they have lovely views of the Cascades from their house. She is also training to participate in some local triathlons. James Daruwala pursued his dream and started a rock band. He played, recorded and toured Texas, California and Japan for about ten years and says he had “an amazing trip”. After almost 2000 shows and several CD’s produced in the band’s studio, he moved on to join a former Rice classmate as the sales manager for a microbrew company he started called Saint Arnold which is Houston’s fi rst microbrew. With his friend’s blessing, Michael joined Heineken USA in 2002 and currently handles the states of Iowa and Nebraska for Heineken. He lives in Des Moines with his beautiful wife, Rachel and daughter, India, who was born last May. Michael wishes all his classmates the best and says “thanks to the staff and students who made me feel at home during my time at Tower Hill. I couldn’t ask for more that what I’ve had so far”. Mark Hughes was elected into the International Re/Max Hall of Fame in March of 2005 and is developing Stonebridge, a luxury community in Sarasota Florida. Mark is married with two children, K.C., who is ten years old and Dean, who is eight years old.

1985Timothy Saunders writes that he has graduated from the George Washington University Law School and will be taking over as in-house counsel at his company, Aldon Management Corporation. Alix Walmsley Spallone reports that she loves her job as a supervising attorney for the Offi ce of the Public Defender in Norwich, Connecticut. She has

Front row: Jim Ehret, John D. Kelly IV

Center: John (Jeb) du Pont, Jane Maroney El-Dahr, Carol Sullivan Taylor, Valarie Messick Elliot, Shaw Taylor

Back: Jeff Simonton, Rick Cates, Michael Sawyer



been married for eight years to James Spallone, who is also a lawyer and a member of the Connecticut Legislature as a state representative. She would love to hear from Liz Bayard and anyone else who would like to contact her. Randy Williamson recently relocated to Richmond, Virginia. He works for DuPont’s Advanced Fiber Systems business.

1986 20th Reunion YearPatrick Matthews continues to enjoy running Live Oak Games (www.liveoakgames.com), the game company he created in 2003. Creative Child Magazine just awarded his latest game, Calaboose, their Top Toy of the Year Award for 2005. John Statler was selected for promotion to lieutenant colonel and was promoted to associate professor at the Uniformed Services University. John and his wife, Jaime, are enjoying the Northwest.

1987Mary Beth Searles has moved back to Denver after living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for three years. She is a major gifts offi cer at the Dumb Friends League, an animal shelter in Denver that receives more than 25,000 homeless pets each year. Michael Hyde and his wife, Joleen, are celebrating the birth of their second child, David, born on October 11, 2004. Congratulations! Gregg Thompson writes that he won his 200th game this past spring and as of the beginning of August stood only twenty-three wins away from an all-time school record as Head Baseball Coach at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio.

1988Miguel Pena recently joined the Wilmington offi ce of Fox Rothschild LLP as a partner in the Tax and Estates Department. Elizabeth Gula has been working for Chase Card Services in the credit card division of JP Morgan Chase for four years and was recently promoted to a marketing manager. Kate Wiggin graduated from medical school and is in private practice in Portland. Oregon. William Bailey is an assistant professor in the Applied Physics Department at Columbia University. He and his children cheered on his wife, Becky, as she fi nished the New York City Marathon as an offi cial entrant in three hours and 45 minutes. Brooke Bailey fi nished her residency in pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She and her husband, Todd, live in Cambridge, where Brooke has chosen to stay at home with their son, Will. Brooke plans to practice medicine in the next few years.

Braxton Jane Lynch ’90 and son, Harvey, Fleming McCoy Ackermann’90 and daughter, Kaki on October 22, 2005 for Kaki’s christening.

1989Daniel Flynn and his wife recently went on a weekend “couples” getaway with Rory Conway, Michael Gummey, Rob Crowe and Tripp Leonard ’90, and Mike & Missy Flynn ’91. The trip was great fun!

1990Stephanie Wolfson was married on July 3rd to Michael Chaly (see Weddings on page 38). Congratulations! Rory Conway writes that he and his wife Jen are expecting a child in the fall and they’ve recently moved out to the “Burbs” of Hockessin, DE. He often hangs out with alums Mike & Missy Flynn ’91, Dan Flynn ’89, Rob Crowe, Mike Gummey and Tripp Leonard. John (Chip) Riegel writes that after an outstanding ten-year career at Westminster School, he has moved to Rhode Island to pursue photography full time. He has opened his own photography business, Chip Riegel Photography, and is enjoying his new endeavor covering a wide range of subjects. Check out his website at www.chipriegel.com. Brian Dittmar San Francisco, CA, and his business partner, Brian Upp, founded Focalpoint Design Group, an interior and landscape design fi rm, in April 2004. In addition to completing several major interior design and kitchen renovation projects in the Bay Area, the duo has just fi nished fi lming two episodes of the popular HGTV show “Curb Appeal.” The fi rst episode aired last July, and the second will air in the fall of 2005. A complete portfolio of their work can be viewed online at www.focalpointdesigngroup.com. Brian also continues to do freelance graphic design work for several

clients, including Clark University and Stanford University. Casey Holzman left Coca-Cola last July to focus on the Targa Newfoundland Road Rally. You can catch him on the speed channel/TV to GO documentary of Targa Newfoundland. Also watch him on the Continental Orange 911. Casey purchased a restaurant in the Salsarita’s chain in North Carolina where he will fi ll in as Manager/Owner in the new quick-fresh Mexican grill. Clarence Henry and his wife, Kara, have moved to London where she will do her post-doctorate at the University of London while C.T. teaches computers at the American School of London. This is a complete change for both of them. Kara will be entering into a new fi eld of study. She went from mitochondria to eye development. Henry will be teaching middle school computers after teaching History for nine years in an Upper School. They look forward to exploring England and traveling in the years to come. Kara’s grant is for four years, and they hope to make the most of their time in Europe.

Class of 1990 Reunion



1991 15th Reunion YearAlisha Wayman Bryson is thrilled to have started her family with a new baby boy (see It’s a Boy! on page 38), Jake Wayman Bryson. The proud father is Brian Bryson. Elizabeth Noseworthy Fitzsimmons and her husband, Trevor, and son, Adam, are settling back into the Washington, DC area after having spent three years in Hong Kong. Elizabeth is on the staff of Secretary Condoleeza Rice and hopes to get a chance to visit soon to introduce her son to Tower Hill. Eva Cambre Bisso and her husband William are celebrating the birth of a new baby boy (see It’s a Boy! on page 38), Joseph Reagan Cambre Bisso, born on January 18, 2005 weighing 8 lbs. 3 ounces and being 21¾ inches long. Congratulations! John Page III was promoted to the rank of major in December 2005. Currently, he is serving as an appellate defense counsel for the Air Force Legal Services Agency at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, DC.

1992Hillary deLeeuw Spruance has moved back to the area to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania with her husband, Jake ’93, and two boys, four years old Jake and two year old Matthew. Jake is in the Pre-Kindergarten class at Tower Hill. Mohit Sant Ram attended the wedding of Chris Ward. Eric Conner and Dan Weinstein were also in attendance.

1993Katharine Schutt reports that her move to Canada has been great. She says the Canadian music scene is on fi re! She played at the Vancouver Folk Festival and the prestigious Hillside Festival in Guelph, Ontario this past summer. She will be recording her seventh album in August and September and is looking for a manager or entertainment lawyer to help with her career. She may be cutting a record

deal soon. Yamini Subramanian Levitzky writes that she and her husband, Benjamin, are relieved to be fi nished with their residencies in internal medicine and are working outside of the Boston area. Not long ago, Laura Permut Sparks and Andrew Sparks ’91 paid a visit to them with their very charismatic one year old, Casey. Her brother, Guhan Subramanian ’88 and his wife, Helen, live only a few blocks away from her with their two-year old son, Sam. John Lemay was deployed to Northern Iraq last August as part of the 172 Striker Brigade Combat Team. Patrick Straub’s son, T.J., turned one year old and is walking and saying a few words. Patrick started a new job with the FBI last September and was transferred to State College, Pennsylvania. Patrick and his wife, Sam, enjoy their new house as well as the new area.

1994Kate Lopez Weymouth and her husband, Tim, are living in New York City for a year while Tim attends the Klingenstein Institute at Columbia University. Amanda Golding reports that she has moved to Boston and is working in the External Affairs Offi ce at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School. Gregg Fink opened his own dental practice in North Wilmington. Averie Krista Lukoff Hason passed the Patent Bar and is working at White & Case LLP in the Intellectual Property Group in New York City.

1995Anthony Skiadas writes that he is opening a new dental offi ce in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His new company is called Smilebuilders and provides premier cosmetic and family dentistry. His practice opened in January 2006. Layton Skelly was married to Aron Griffi n on October 8, 2005. Layton and Aron met while working together as legislative assistants for Representative Sam Johnson (R-Texas).

1996 10th Reunion YearLuke Semple is moving from Charleston, South Carolina to Charlottesville, Virginia to begin his studies at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.

1997Brock Hale was married on August 27, 2005 to Anne Kenyon. Brock is now a Senior Sourcing Specialist with Ameritrade, Inc. in Columbia, MD. Elisabeth Webster received her M.S. from the University of Wisconsin last August and moved back east, where she teaches Biology at the Princeton Day School. Marisa Biasotto Grivas married Chris Grivas on October 15th, 2005. Marisa is a geologist in Los Angeles and Chris manages the Mechanical Engineering Department of an aerospace company. They recently bought a house in Pasadena, California and are spending most of their time remodeling. In attendance at the wedding were Nat Scoop and Nikki Roeberg ’96. Marisa sends her love to all her classmates who were unable to make the trip. Lawrence Kimmel Spiller passed the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bar exams, and is waiting for the results for the Delaware bar exam. He started his career as a lawyer at Kimmel, Carter, Roman & Pelts, P.A., a personal injury and workman’s compensation law fi rm located in Newark and Wilmington, Delaware. Ashlee Marie Lukoff received her MBA degree from the University of Delaware in December 2005.

1998Maria Karas is fi nishing her last year of medical school at Cornell University. She is applying for residency in internal medicine. She was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Carol

Trip Black ’95, Nicole Stevenson, Rory Glaeseman ’95, Tina Sanders, David Pragoff ’95, Scott Pragoff ’98, Layton Skelly ’05, Tarra Boulden ’01, Aron Griffi n, Meredith Hershey Perney ’96, Matt Perny, Jim Shelly ’63, Steven Hershey ’59, Elizabeth Brown Pierson ’60

Going up the stairs: Chris Stevenson, Heather Barclay Hamir, Zubair Hamir ’95, Lauren Galpin ’95, Britt Saffer ’95

Wedding of Robert (Bobby) Downing ’97 and Amy Stuller on October 15, 2005. From left to right, Chip Goodman ’97, Adam Golding ’97, Matt Pygler ’97, the groom and bride, Farry Spiller Kimmel ’97, Corby Spruance ’97 and Carolyn Schultz ’00. All except the bride are Tower Hill alumni.

Jeff and Deb Rothschild, Babak and Stephanie Vakili, David and Deb (Komins) Ross, celebrate with Erwin ’89 and Chi Kuo ’89 at a reception in their honor after their wedding. Not pictured but also in attendance was Brad Kuo ’87



Senkler graduates from Vanderbilt Medical School in May 2006. She will begin her residency in Pediatrics. Islanda Finamore graduated from Widener Law School and received the Outstanding Service Award at graduation. Emily Bryantreturned to the east coast after living in Oregon doing fi sheries work to get her Masters in Coastal Environmental Management at Duke University. Laurie Smith is in her fourth year of teaching middle school science at Episcopal Academy. She also coaches fi eld hockey, basketball, and track. Doyle Hurst and his wife, Meghan currently reside in Dover, Pennsylvania with his two children. Doyle has recently been promoted to Mine Engineer at Old Castle Industrial Minerals.

1999Brian C. Strojny has received his Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Bucknell University and is pursuing a PhD in the same fi eld at the University of Delaware.

2000

Alexis Mascitti is currently living in Philadelphia and is a fi rst year medical student at Jefferson Medical College. One of her classmates is Leslie Moroz ’99. Emily McConnell Arthur was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force on June 1, 2005 and is a combat analyst at Randolph Air Force Base. She recently married 2nd

Lieutenant Todd Arthur, USAF (see Weddings) and they are both stationed in Del Rio, Texas, where Arthur graduated from pilot training. Carolyn Schultz lives in Venice, California. She is working on “The O. C.” as a location manager assistant. David Klein is a Sales/Marketing Associate for Lazard Asset Management LLC in New York City and has recently moved to the East Village. He says

he’s excited to be working in the city and invites any former classmates to visit. He also sends his congratulations to Mac Measley for getting into Georgetown Law School! Nina Popel started her fi rst of a three-year joint-degree program at Syracuse University this past fall. She is pursuing a J.D. at the College of Law simultaneously with an M.A. in International Relations from the Maxwell School. Ari Kayne fi nished his fi rst tour of duty and moved to Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas for fl ight training that began August 2005.

2001 5th Reunion YearAdam Kalamchi graduated cum laude with a Bachelors Degree in Economics from Harvard University. While attending Harvard, he was president of the Oak Club and also president of the CollegeCorps, Inc. Lauren Ashley Collier Easton has graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in the Classics from Harvard University. She participated in the Crimson Key Society and was active in the Reformed Christian Fellowship and Delta Gamma. Lauren will attend Oxford University majoring in Classical Languages and Literature. She received the Arthur Deloraine Corey Fellowship award for her continued study in the Classics. William Martin graduated from Syracuse last spring with a degree in Political Science and is attending Villanova University School of Law. He writes that he enjoys browsing through the photo galleries on Tower Hill’s main web page. Jeffrey Finkelman graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University where he received a B.A in International Relations. Last summer, he traveled through India, Tibet, China, and Japan and is currently employed by the Peace Corps as a Community Development Volunteer in Africa. Jeff will be deployed in a village for two years to complete development projects and will conduct needs-assessments and work with local counterparts on girls’ education and empowerment. Jeff is excited about the opportunity to spend a few years abroad before attending graduate school. Stephen Gunther is attending Arizona State University and volunteered at the Delaware Historic Society this past summer. Stephen says he enjoys traveling and reading; he visited Florence last summer. He also traveled to Amsterdam during his vacation. Tarra Boulden has graduated magna cum laude from Washington College with a B.A. in Psychology and double minors in Chemistry and Biology. Last summer, she worked as an Eye Care Technician at the Delaware Eye Care Center,

Emily McConnell’s wedding party. She was married on August 20, 2005 to Second Lieutenant Todd Arthur in Christ Church in Greenville. Second Lieutenant Ari Kayne ’00 was also in the wedding party.

which gave her invaluable experience in her pursuit to become an optometrist. Daphne Neilsongraduated with honors in Community Health from Brown University. She is planning on attending graduate school to become a nurse-midwife. Daphne spent a month in Chile and Tibet after graduation. Chris Jewett is teaching English as a second language to a variety of age groups in Northwestern China. He spent last September in Scotland taking certifi cation courses for teaching English and then spent part of October backpacking in the Highlands and on the Isle of Skye.

2002Kerry Sallee writes that she spent last summer working on Capitol Hill for Congressman Michael N. Castle ’57. Jennifer Gilbert is back from studying abroad in Paris for a semester, where she ran into Jennifer Bayard, who was also studying

Alumni Nick Krill ’01, Thomas Hughes ’01, and Samuel Hughes ’03 had an amazing summer in 2005. Their band, “The Spinto Band” toured the entire United States. Their latest CD, “Nice and Nicely Done”, has been rewarded with rave reviews from such national magazines as; Entertainment Weekly, Spin Magazine, Nylon, and Paste. They also had a national television commercial in which Sears Roebuck, Inc. used their hit single, “Oh Mandy” as background music. Last fall, they toured London, England, where fellow alumni Lauren Easton ’01 was able to catch their show. The Spinto Band has signed with Virgin Records. They will also be playing with the Arctic Monkeys on their fi rst United States tour. As an added bonus for the Tower Hill community, the group will be performing at the Tower Hill after prom in June.



DEATHSAnn Atkinson Edinger ’53 on February 27, 2006

Nancy Beyea McLean ’34 on August 4, 2005

J. Wilcox Brown ’33 on August 16, 2005

Thomas McLemore Chilton ’50 on October 17, 2005

Rosa Laird Hayward Jones ’64 on January 1, 2006

John L.K. Jenney ’61 on September 6, 2005

Richard Henry Lee Laird ’47 on October 24, 2005

Mary Thomas Peck ’46 on December 2 2005

Nancy Thouron Nash ’52 on September 11, 2005

Lenna Watts DiCicco ’56 on November 8, 2004

Former Faculty

Paul Edward Hughes on July 17, 2005

Mary Louise “Midge” Kelley on November 15, 2005

Jean B. Morton on August 19, 2005

WEDDINGS1960 Frederick H.H.W. Pollard married Sally Anne Russo on April 11, 2005.

1973 Nicholas Tepe married Theresa Brennan June 26, 2005

1981 Geoff Snelling married Kitty Bollinger on October 1, 2005.

1995 David Pragoff married Tina Sanders on April 24, 2004. (see picture on page 36)

1996 Sacha J. Deringor married Trey Azamar on April 16, 2005.

1997 Marisa Nicole Biasotto married Chris Alexander Grivas on October 15, 2005. Robert Downing married Amy Stuller on October 15, 2005. (see picture on page 36)

2000 Emily Andrews McConnell married Todd Arthur on August 20, 2005. (see picture on page 37)

IT’S A BOY 1985 Justin Cole to David and Lynne du Pont Solacoff on October 15, 2005

1986 Henry Gardner to Hilary and Paul Smith on July 12, 2005 Hugo Markus to Hans and Anissa Mayr Wagner on October 7, 2005

1988 Nicolas Jacob to Anastasia and Rusty Darling on August 15, 2005

1989 Anthony Domenic to Marie and David Amato on December 21, 2005

1991 Thomas Johnson Jr. to Lynne and TJ Hanna on July 9, 2005

1992 Jackson Deane to Gary and Deb Colbourn Yovanovich

IT’S A GIRL1983 Elizabeth Williams to Douglas and Elizabeth Bynum Barr on June 21, 2005

1989 Katharine Dare to Ran and Louise Barton on December 24, 2005

1990 Kaki to Dobbs and Fleming McCoy Ackermann on March 28, 2005 (see picture on page 35)

1992 Isabella Speakman to Tom and Isabella Speakman Johnson on December 1, 2005

1993 Morgan Elizabeth to James and Gwendolyn Marrs Gillies on July 23, 2005 Erin Taylor to Gregory and Alexandria Pefkaros Stanbach on August 22, 2005

for a year in the same location but in a different program. Jennifer had a lot of fun living with a host family, taking courses in French and traveling with friends to Prague, Venice, India, and Greece.

2003Holly Kirkland is enrolled in the honors program at Rollins College in Virginia. She joined Chi Omega Sorority. She volunteers at “Grandma’s House” at Westminster Care in Orlando, Florida, which helps with occupational therapy of severely disabled children. She continues to make jewelry, which she sells at local boutiques. Irene Tobias continues to pursue her B.S. in Science and Engineering from M.I.T. This year, she is studying abroad at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom in an undergraduate student exchange program.

Original research on newly found Frank E. Schoonover paintings … research and compilation of information about the stained glass windows designed by Schoonover for Immanuel Church on 17th Street … collating and cross referencing information and completing data input for many of the over 2,500 Schoonover works ….

These are a few of the numerous jobs tackled last summer by Katherine Baetjer ’02. As an intern for the non-profi t Frank E. Schoonover Fund, Inc., she was assisting with the preparation of the Catalogue Raisonne of Frank E. Schoonover’s life’s work.

“Kat”, currently an art history major at Lake Forest College, said that working on the research for the forthcoming Catalogue was ‘challenging and has broadened her understanding and appreciation of illustration, the Brandywine School of Art, and Schoonover’s contribution to the fi eld of art history.’

Louise “Fibbie” Schoonover Smith ’59, president of the Schoonover Fund, stressed that Kat “rendered invaluable service and was instrumental in the considerable progress made during the summer towards the publication of the book.”



P. Edward Hughes . TOWER HILL 1958–1994

Ed Hughes moved to the Wilmington area with wife Jody and their ever-growing family just before starting at Tower Hill in 1958. Ed was, for one year only, the youngest member of the faculty and came to know everyone quickly. As I stated in an article written for the Tower Hill Bulletin in June 1992 at the time of his retirement:

Ed was never one to wander over to the gym to watch a boys’ basketball game and mumble for anyone within earshot that things were different in his day. Ed never lived in the past, even though he was aware of it, and he NEVER mumbled.

With Ed you always knew where you stood, and there was usually a smile and a heart that could not be measured that went along with his opinion. A teacher, coach, and administrator with boundless energy and ambition, Ed started out as a basketball coach in the 1958-59 season, succeeding the highly successful Bill Wild whose team the previous year had struggled a bit. Ed got the program back on track immediately with his famous midseason comment, said with a twinkle in his eye and the hint of a smile, after an unusually free-spirited practice: “You guys don’t need a coach, you need a couch.” During his fi rst thirteen years, while coaching basketball and teaching at Tower Hill, he earned his master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, becoming an ardent supporter of the social sciences, and then broadening the humanities at Tower Hill. During this span, he also became head of the Summer School program, and then moved on to spending the summer months running the highly effective Junior Humanities and Gifted programs. After retiring from basketball, he spent the next twenty years as, among other things, head of the history department, advisor to the senior class, and eventually one of the deans in the upper school administrative hierarchy.

In retrospect, Ed’s greatest contribution was his role in making Tower Hill into the vital, all-encompassing institution that many of us like to think of it today. He traveled extensively throughout the city and county to public and parochial schools informing school administrators of the opportunities at Tower Hill in the form of his Junior Humanities and Gifts programs. And, along with then English department head and track coach Bob Behr, he did the same in search of student athletes, who were seen as too small, or a step too slow, to play in larger programs and who were ambitious academically. The result was a considerable period of Hiller teams that were competitive throughout the county and, in some cases, the state, and all without compromising academic standards.

In retirement, Ed and Jody spent over a decade in North Carolina, where he was able to enjoy numerous golf outings in the area, his passion for local politics (he was elected to offi ce), and a new pursuit, art. When one would talk to him on the phone, there was always the invite to come down to see his latest paintings.

During his last visit to the Wilmington area for Tim Golding’s retirement party, in spite of obvious health complications, the energy, spirit, and affection for all was in full glory. Many of us will miss hearing that voice that NEVER mumbled.

—by Steve Hyde ’59

Jean B. Morton . TOWER HILL 1953–1982

Jean Morton arrived at Tower Hill in January 1953 and began teaching English in the middle school. She is remembered as being a grammarian of the fi rst order right up to her retirement in June of 1982. She also was unequivocal about her love for literature, often maintaining to her students that it was irreverent to criticize or question reputable authors whose talent superseded everything else and should be recognized. Serving almost thirty years under three headmasters, she observed a number of changes in the physical plant as well as in attitudes on the parts of faculty and students. On her retirement, she maintained that students came to expect more from the teachers and less from themselves—a refl ection she claimed that was more of society’s doing than Tower Hill’s. The phrase “tough but fair” seems most appropriate.

One personal memory was her skill in helping some 7th graders, who were taking turns reading out loud in class (one of her teaching habits) from Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ The Yearling. When Paul Milus’59 asked if he should continue reading a sentence which included the word “bastard,” she made it clear that he (and all of us) was reading the hallowed text of a great American author, and to proceed. For a few minutes, she made us feel quite grown up, and we acted accordingly.

Jean spent much of her retirement reading, enjoying her family (three children and several grandchildren), and not having to brave the dreaded occasional snows and icy road conditions to get to work—a pet peeve. For several current faculty members, she served as a mentor who was free with advice and support, and she also conveyed her passion for former students, her work, and the school.


In Memoriam


Mary Louise “Midge” Kelly . TOWER HILL 1963–1978

Midge Kelly was as demanding an upper school math teacher as Tower Hill could hope to fi nd. Her lengthy assignments and unequivocal approach to the demands of her course frightened juniors, especially, in the fall, but come June, she always brought them home safe, sound, and thoroughly prepared for whatever was next. Faculty advisors would often hear in October from a frantic advisee or two that there was no way he or she could pass math, yet when queried in the spring about how math was coming along, the same advisee would answer “fi ne,” with a quasi-puzzled look as to why the question was asked.

Her pursuit of excellence was honest and open. At a faculty meeting in the spring of 1976, math department head and varsity wrestling coach Howe Lagarde brought up, as new business, whether we, as a faculty, would allow any and all varsity sports teams to accept bids to state tournaments (wrestling and track got in on the ground fl oor, so to speak). There was much discussion supporting both sides of the argument until Midge, who never coached a sport and rarely went to an athletic event, spoke up, asking if Tower Hill’s overall program did not encourage the pursuit of excellence. After a pause, a straw vote was taken. The results were near total support for participation, and it has never been questioned since.

Early in her retirement, Midge would frequently accompany her husband, Chuck, to the new weight room in the Carpenter Field House. While he would do some light work, she would visit with students doing their workouts. Raving about her retirement and the trips she and Chuck had made, she would also extol the rigors of a Tower Hill education. For those who knew her as a teacher, this seemed only fi tting for those who knew her as a person, this was expected.


Hannah E. Shickley . DECEMBER 7, 1986–MARCH 18 2006

Hannah Elspeth Shickley died at the scene of injuries sustained in an automobile accident the evening of Saturday, March 18, 2006. Hannah was the daughter of Dr. Timothy and Kristina Shickley of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. Hannah was a fi rst year student at the Pennsylvania of Fine Arts’ Bicentennial admissions class.

Hannah entered middle school at Tower Hill. While at Tower Hill she won numerous awards including, in eighth grade, the Music Department Music Award for Vocal Arts and the Lisa Orienti Memorial Art Award.

In the upper school, she won a Gold Key Award and an American Vision Award in the National Scholastic Art and Writing program. She won the Haon Award in Art for 2004-2005. She won competitive selection to The Governor’s School of Delaware in Fine Arts in 2004 and at graduation received the 2005 Ehret Award for the Fine Arts. She was also a gifted singer and was a member of the Vocal Ensemble

Before beginning college last fall, she completed a large commissioned work for the Wilmington Racquets Club in Wilmington.

The following is Kirby Smith’s, the Chair of the Art Department, refl ections and thoughts about Hannah:

“When we cross the path of a young talent, we impose certain cosmic, meteoric values on them: a rising star on the horizon, rocketing to fame, in the sunshine of their career... Most of us in the Arts faculty have had an opportunity to share the cosmogonic wonders of Hannah Shickley through the years as a writer, poet, thespian, visual artist, seer/sayer/singer, or all of the above, all at once!

She fi rst arrived on my screen in the middle school as a sixth grade super star. She seemed to be everywhere at once, gleaming here, glistening there. In fact, there is a plaque in the service elevator (of all places) that reads “Designed and Painted in 1999 by Whitney Elizabeth Benfi eld, Katie Ann Hoopes and Hannah Elspeth Shickley, Class of 2005.” She seems to have touched even the most unlikely corners of Tower Hill.

Now, Hannah has passed away. As impossible as that seems, its reality tends to call upon refl ections of uncanny detail, and yet, there seem to be pages that we must have missed while we had her with us. Such was the vastness of Hannah; one day a vamp, wielding a cigarette holder, via a young Hepburn (Katharine or Audrey), then, a slightly frightened, new arrival at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, vulnerable and in need of guidance. Hannah died with her fuse sparkling, in the night, in the sunshine of her life. ”

—Kirby Smith, Chair of the Art Department

In Memoriam

Headmaster Wheeler received this wonderfully inspiring poem this year and wanted to share it with the entire Tower Hill community.

Poem by Bobbette Mason, former Tower Hill faculty member

Multa Bene FactaFor nascent gifts

of imagination, intuition, and intellect

that carried me far beyond the confi nes of home,

to a school fashioned from the fabric of tradition, integrity and rigor

I give thanks.

Where else but in this school on the hill,

could I have touched the lives of so many bright, curious children

and confi rmed their worth as well?

What an opportunity to pass on the magic

of right-brain and left-brain learning,

to watch with wonder as they caught it in both fi eld and classroom,

to help my young scholars gain insights, develop skills,

pursue the dance of higher learning.

Their education had dimension and depth.

The music of this dance was played at fi ngertip level with concrete experiences,

then transformed into polyphonic ideas,

abstractions than bounced around,

then bounded forth from the mind of each child.

Where else could I have launched them

into the tutelage of accomplished, competent colleagues who,

In turn, sent them out on mission?

What delight to encounter them

as adults and take joy in their offspring,

their lives, their creativity and their service to the community!

Multa Bene Facta,

honors before retirement:

The Kitchell Faculty Chair.

For the gift of a lifetime…

For a job at the lowest period of my life…

For a job that became a calling…

One that lasted twenty-seven years.

I give thanks.

TOWER HILL SCHOOL

2813 West 17th Street

Wilmington, DE 19806

Address Service Requested

Please keep us informed with all updated addresses.

Non-Profi t Org.U.S. PostagePermit No. 33Montchanin,

Delaware

summer 2006 bulletin - tower hill school

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