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—In Loving Memory—
The Black Oak Tree
A
significant moment in Prep history passed quietly on
January 18, 2013. It wasn’t the construction of a new
building or the retirement of a legendary Jesuit. The
occasion was hardly noticed on a dull gray winter morning. The
great oak that graced the lawn of McAuliffe Hall for centuries
was cut down after a series of storms left it badly damaged.
The picturesque tree was a remnant from the expansive
Lasher estate that ran down a broad lawn and overlooked the
blue waters of the Long Island Sound. Although it stood on
the hill above Prep, it seemed to center the two brown brick
Gothic fortresses as if assuring us that all the intensity of Jesuit
energy was watched over by the huge trunk and spreading
crown of the tree. Oak groves were the places where the
original Christian churches of Celtic Europe were built, and
this venerable oak was a major part of our faith and endurance
at the Fairfield Jesuit community. I couldn’t pass it without
thinking of our past and our future.
On its last morning I stood at third floor Berchmans’
hallway window watching as a small crew of landscapers
finished making the cuts on the massive trunk. What remained
was about twelve feet high, a bark statue twisted against its
fate in one heroic gesture before it was toppled. The men tidied
up neatly and loaded the huge logs gently into a truck leaving
a ring of small woodchips and sawdust as the only evidence of
what had once stood there.
As I watched with sadness and fascination I sensed that I
was witnessing a landmark moment in the history of a place—
the final change from the sleepy 19th century landscape to
the fast-paced urban campus of today. The black oak’s demise
marked the inevitable growth of the rural college and the
emergence of a modern institution with an impressive map of
new buildings.
I have to admit to being under its spell as I worked my way
from August to June during many school years. I particularly
loved watching classes conducted in the spring with students
sitting in the circle of shade as the teacher stood and talked to
them. In my younger years I was persuaded to bring an English
class outside for plain-air lessons under the oak. One of my
rambunctious boys climbed into the giant and waved back
The Black Oak in an aerial view from the 1964 Hearthstone. The color photo was
taken in November 2006.
from an overhanging limb. I was fearful for his head and my
career. After that I admired the oak at a safer distance—from
the security of Berchmans 305.
Over the years I watched Mrs. Tema’s art classes with
their sketch books open on their laps; Mr. Marmrus’ Physics
groups testing the law of gravity; Mr. Giegengack’s Math class
enjoying green grass and the geometry of the great outdoors;
clubs having yearbook pictures taken; Lauralton girls waiting
for boyfriends in the shade. Legendary Prep priests, teachers
and coaches all passed under the tree as it encompassed our
days and years together from the very beginning. There were
natural wonders too. I remember the crisp Sunday afternoon
Open House when a family of deer gathered under the oak
as the parents visited with their boys. I am sure enrollments
went up that year. Flocks of geese rested here and wild turkeys
visited for a morning chat. Generations of birds sang from that
choir loft and filled classrooms with songs.
The great Oak stood there somehow larger than the
buildings and wiser than all the book learning inside. For
generations it was hung with the banners and hopes of
our remarkable Jesuit school. As Fairfield Prep faces a new
millennium, we will need the strength and dignity of our
beloved oak. Perhaps a new tree can be planted with the hope
that future generations will one day gather in its shelter, boys
toss footballs once again, and a great crown spread over us
in blessings and watchfulness for the centuries
ahead.
By Barry Wallace, English teacher
Prep Today 41