SAINT XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF SAINT XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL • Volume 45, No. 2 • <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> Doug Crabb ‘68 A Life Dedicated to Science Page 3 Fall Sports Two State Championships Added Page 6 Clark Burckle Olympian Posts Personal Best in London Page 8 Alumni Hall of Honors 2012 Class Inducted Page 9 China Excursion Alumni Invited for Summer Travel Page 10 www.saintx.com
2 From Blogger to Supreme Court Clerk From his earliest memories, Justin Walker ’00 was interested in the political process. He was putting up political yard signs at age four or five. His most memorable occurred during his senior year at Duke University when he received permission to do an independent study project to observe the Democratic Primary process including Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. During this odyssey, Justin was fortunate enough to engage with many candidates. Justin maintains that this process is the quintessential distillation of the American political system. Low security and close contact with the voters make this “politics at its best” as the candidates are truly “put through the gauntlet” of “face-to-face questions that keep the politicians on their toes.” <strong>The</strong> process is physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding. Justin wrote a blog for Duke detailing this experience which set his career in motion. Following graduation in 2004, he was a speechwriter for Donald Rumsfeld. In 2011, Justin was named to Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30,” with Harvard Law <strong>School</strong> and clerkships for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and Federal Appellate Judge Brett Kavanaugh on his resume. Until this past July, he was one of five clerks serving as a lawyer for Justice Kennedy. In November, Justin began work for the Gibson Dunn Law Firm in Washington, D.C. He married Anne Browning Walker, a fellow Duke graduate and author of the recently released romance novel, “<strong>The</strong> Booby Trap.” She is a fervent Duke fan and a Democrat. Justin grew up an avid UK fan and a Republican. Love is truly blind! Written by Paul Grisanti ’72 A Ride through the Heart of America “Don’t let adversity keep you from achieving your dreams” – Jack Wheatley ’63 At 66-years-old, Jack Wheatley decided he wouldn’t let his age get in the way of his dreams. So on February 7, 2012, the former CEO of Southwest Hospital started the journey of a lifetime. In 64 days, he would ride 3,200 miles on his trusty Raleigh road bike; a ride that had been 40 years in the making. Equipped with a tent, a 357 Magnum, and more Oreos than he’d like to admit, Wheatley trekked from Dog Beach in San Diego, Calif., to Jacksonville Beach in Florida. He will remember the seven broken spokes, the eight flat tires, and the bent rim that nearly ended his journey. He will remember the 20-degree night in the mountains of California and the 40 miles-per-hour dust storm in New Mexico. However, his fondest memories are of the people he met along the way. He beamed when he spoke of the evening he spent with a former Coast Guard pilot, a “true American hero” that he met on the side of a Florida back road. He laughed when he told the story of the odd couple he met in a Texas diner, one of whom was a National Geographic photographer, the other a mountain lion hunter. He enjoyed the solitude that ride afforded him, but he also cherished the end of the day when he called his wife. “This ride strengthened my faith in America,” said Wheatley. And he hopes that his journey will inspire others to pursue their dreams. Written by Brad Estes ’96 Alumni Making an Impact with Deuce Brand If you haven’t heard of Deuce Brand yet, it is only a matter of time. <strong>The</strong> San Diego-based company, specializing in functional lifestyle products with an emphasis on wrist wear, has taken the West Coast by storm. <strong>The</strong>y now have their eyes on becoming a national power in the sports market. Behind this force are three <strong>Tiger</strong> alumni that are playing a vital role in the growing success of Deuce Brand. Gary Hughes ’98 founded the company in 2009 and has since hired Sean Walser ’01 and Dane Mattingly ’04 to help expand the brand. Deuce Brand has two staple silicone sports watches, which are now distributed globally: <strong>The</strong> Original and the G2. <strong>The</strong>se two sports watches are lightweight, water-resistant, and fully customizable. Professional athletes on all major levels can be seen sporting Deuce Brand watches: NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, and Action Sports.
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