Joe - The Taft School

BULLETIN
F A L L • 1 9 9 5
Volume 66 IN THIS ISSUE Number 1
Page 2
S P O T L I G H T
2
MOST LOVED............JOE LAKOVITCH
By Barclay Johnson ’53
6
THE SCHOOL IN SERVICE
By Jean Strumolo Piacenza ’75
11
A NEW ACADEMIC CENTER FOR TAFT
By Bill Morris ’69
16
MANY NAMES OF TAFT
HARRY PAYNE BINGHAM
D E P A R T M E N T S
17—WINTER SPORTS SCHEDULE
Page 6
19—NEWS OF THE SCHOOL
New Faculty, New Appointments, CASE Alumni Program Award,
Taft in Thailand, Alumni Offspring, Admissions Travel…
23—ALUMNI NOTES
41—FORMER FACULTY NOTES
42—MILESTONES
43—ENDNOTE
By Lance R. Odden
Page 11
On the cover:
Will Kneip ’96, Peter Sicher ’96,
Laura Stevens ’99, and
Katherine Percarpio ’99 take a
break while clearing a trail.
Photo by Peter Frew ’75.

S P O T L I G H T
...........................................................................
Most Loved……Joe
Most Popular .............................................Leon
Most Likely to Succeed ...............................Taft
Most Versatile...................................Franciscus
Most Naive ............................................. Glatte
Handsomest.............................................. Rocca
Busiest................................................... Brenner
Best Dressed............................................. Smith
Best Voice .............................................. Belcher
his cane preempted on the other, taking chums back to their lower mid years.
...........................................................................
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 2
IN MEMORY OF JOE LAKOVITCH:
A CHAMP FOR ALL AGES
By Barclay Johnson ’53
This aquifer of gratitude
Has sprung a generous spirit
Last summer, when Joe left us, at age eighty-four, many alumni
could still see him as clearly as he had seen every one of them.
Reunions with Anne and Joe at the tent had been a tradition
long before he retired—and long after. How easy it was to find them,
even at their height. From a circle of old happy faces, laughter would grow
younger and younger. And there would be Joe, with lovely Anne on one side,

S P O T L I G H T
Through all of these gettogethers,
our Class of ’53
had seen itself in the
forefront of Joe’s fabled
memory. And to secure
such a place, we had left our
yearbook to him. Of course,
we owed this man much
more than that; for
back in the days of
dark austerity, Joe
had been, to many
of us, our first
adult friend. As
athletic trainer,
director of phys.
ed., and manager
of the school store,
he had known all
our names, our
nicknames, our bones,
our hometowns, and far
too many of our parents.
Furthermore, he had known our
minds. This ability alone had
placed Joe above any giant on the
faculty.
Then, too, there was something
else we liked. According to local
scuttlebutt, Joe had spent his
college days fighting in the ring.
But some kids still wondered if he
could handle us. In his position,
somewhere between the frosty
deans upstairs and the madcaps in
the basement, what clout did he
have to drop the lid on us? Besides,
he was smaller than we were.
Naturally, before long we had
to corner him in the store and ask
politely, “Hey, Joe, you eva fight for
dough?” Quick as a bantam, into a
crouch—jabs snapping right up to
our noses. “Come on!” he huffed.
“How much ya got?” Backing off,
we told him, “Not much.” (In 1949,
the Business Office controlled our
allowances.) “How much!” He
pawed, shuffling around. “You
brightboys think I did it for fun?!”
We had to laugh, which,
fortunately, had been the whole
idea. Also, we had to believe what
we saw. At least, the fight-game
would account for his round back,
stiff neck, and tough, overdeveloped
chin.
After that, we left Joe’s
history alone. It was
enough to know him
as he was—as
“Joe,” or “Uncle
Joe” to faculty
kids. He and
everyone else
preferred Joe to
“Sir” or “Mr.
Lakovitch.” Simply
to be a friend was
not beneath his
dignity. The faculty
kids had gotten it right:
Joe was a playful uncle to
us all. Like a poker-faced clown,
he could loosen you up, cool you
off, give you what you needed—
even before a big game. It didn’t
take much for him—just the last
piece of ankle tape wrapped
around both feet. But good old Joe
Back in the early ’60s, we
had to wonder what Joe ever
did for fun, except laugh at
us. It is now known that he
and Joe Brogna would take
a drive, from time to time,
to the Green Mountain
racetrack in southern
Vermont. The question
remains: which Joe was
driving? Rick Davis ’59
recalls a few trips to New
Haven, with Lakovitch
behind the wheel. “In fastflowing
traffic, Joe would
check his odd prismatic
mirror, then, turning like a
bear—all in one piece—
literally face me for the
Anne and Joe with old friends at the Centennial celebration.
better part of another yarn.”
3
TAFT •BULLETIN

S P O T L I G H T
wasn’t always that funny. At the
dinner table, for instance, he could
dish out “grades” with triumphant
glee—for nothing. “Bad manners,”
he would tell us—or “sloth,”
whatever that meant.
But Joe could never scare our
class. Actually, the man enjoyed
not being feared, maybe because
he never feared anyone himself—
not even Mr. Cruikshank. That way
he could kid the whole school
down to his size—faculty and
students alike. If you happened to
be a stuffed shirt, Joe would
unstuff you: “Authority means
peace; authoritarians mean war.”
But if Joe ever had a conflict of
loyalties, we lightweights never
knew it. His advice to the most
charming felon: “You’re a good
jabronie, Huntington. So fess up
and take your lumps.”
By the time most of us graduated,
we still knew little about Joe’s
real life. His own stories had always
…Joe stayed at the center of student life: the
tsar of “milk lunch,” Santa’s helper, warden of
the air raid shelter under the old gym, chauffeur
of students en route to Sunday Mass…
featured someone other than
himself—our distinguished predecessors
or much-revered instructors
or us. (Where he got his information
remained a nagging mystery.)
Thus, benighted, we had to superimpose
fight scenes on his already
rugged childhood in Vermont; then
again on his college days at Arnold.
We could only imagine that Joe had
earned his degrees in physical
education and sports medicine the
hard way. It was Dean Douglas, a
veteran master sergeant from World
War II, who told us that we were
right. Joe had played on every
varsity team that Arnold could
support in 1931, but boxing had
been his first love.
Years later, those of us who had
circled back to teach here, much to
Joe’s amusement, learned the source
of his real first love and power.
Strangely enough, he had met her in
the ring—or beside it. Joe had been
fighting for money in Anne’s hometown
of Jaffrey, New Hampshire. On
the night that Joe hit the mat for the
full count, the referee happened to
be her brother. The ref went over
and picked him up himself. And
there was Anne, waiting to be
introduced. Thereafter, we were
told, Taft became their life.
Track coaches Ed Douglas, Bob Adams, Joe, and John Harper.
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 4

S P O T L I G H T
Joe, taking care of everyone at the
school store.
This part was hard to believe,
even for new teachers; but soon the
story, now a classic, began to take
form. Hired by Horace Taft in the
spring of 1936, Joe arrived on
campus with his family an hour
before the Cruikshanks. (That they
remained personal friends long
after Paul’s retirement in 1963 says
enough about mutual respect).
Grateful for work during the
depression, Joe did every job that
classroom teachers could not do.
On his initiative, the school started
interscholastic boxing in the league.
After an array of more popular
sports eclipsed Joe’s efforts, he
helped to coach football, wrestling,
and track. Then, as trainer and
chief taper, Joe may well have
saved more than a few team
records. He seemed to be on the
sidelines of every game—often two
at once. Players and fans could
easily spot Joe’s face, tanned by all
the elements, deep-dimpled by an
eager smile. After a bitter football
game, casualties from both sides
remember the trainer’s room as a
veritable triage. To those in bad
shape Joe would say, “Gosh, you
look like a pro.” To those who
moaned with the same old bumps,
“Get this boy to surgery!”
On top of it all, Joe stayed at
the center of student life: the tsar of
“milk lunch,” Santa’s helper,
warden of the air raid shelter under
the old gym, chauffeur of students
en route to Sunday Mass, master of
ceremonies at all club banquets—
hiding the name of the winning
club under a slew of baffling
statistics. Finally, as manager of the
school store, he never lost a book
or a charge. Meanwhile, Anne
worked in the library with Jean
Shons and Martha Adams. She also
helped Edith Cruikshank add warmth
to the school at every occasion.
As years scudded by like
autumn clouds unnoticed, it was
Anne and Joe’s friendship that
grads and new faculty would best
remember. From the day the
Stones arrived in the fall of 1962,
the Lakovitches were their greatest
comfort. Together with Lance
Odden, Joe’s part-time assistant in
the school store that year, Larry
and Joe held the roof on the old
Annex dorm, which some believed
might, sooner than later, like a
summer hotel, threaten to burn
level with its tennis courts. Lance
recalls a number of Fathers’ Day
reunions at Anne and Joe’s (with
Phil Snyder ’38, Bill Shee ’39, and
J.C. MacDonald ’40 as perennials).
…Joe did everything else the school asked of
him, with cheerful efficiency and kindness.
The Pencil Story, 1936
Joe could spot a homesick
kid as fast as the kid could
spot Joe. One lower mid
from Atlanta, who later
became a battalion commander
in the First Marine
Division, was buying his
books, one at a time, for the
whole first week of school.
When Joe saw the kid
shivering too much he
rubbed the fledgling between
the shoulder blades
and gave him one of the
new sweatshirts. Frequently
thereafter, until his senior
year, the kid would come all
the way down to the store
for only a single pencil.
Apparently that was all he
wanted—plus a brief chat
with Joe.
Then, at graduation,
when the family arrived for
the first time, his father
helped him load the car
with four years of stuff. On
the last trip up to his son’s
room, the father hesitated
above an open box filled to
the brim with identical,
never-sharpened pencils.
5
TAFT •BULLETIN

S P O T L I G H T
Students in adjacent rooms also
remember the laughter that rocked
them to sleep.
Under John Esty’s leadership,
the school grew in every way—
size, complexity, sophistication.
Joe, however, never became old
or distant. Larry Stone, as director
of athletics, head coach of football
and baseball, and daily companion,
came to know and appreciate
Joe better than any of us: “Even as
assistant athletic director, Joe did
everything else the school asked
of him, with cheerful efficiency
and kindness. A real gentleman of
service to Taft, he never complained
or waited for praise. That
Joe had carried the pain of bad
arthritis since his boxing days
remained Joe’s secret.” Then Larry
added, “Mr. Cruikshank had been
a fortunate headmaster: He had
great deans and scholars at his
right, and Joe Lakovitch at his left.”
The ’70s, however, began to
challenge the mightiest. As Joe
told Bill Nicholson in a retirement
interview, “You know, girls are a
lot harder to deal with than the
boys; they’ve got to see things for
themselves.” Then, not unlike
Voltaire’s Candide, Joe concluded,
“I think I need a rest; I’d like to
do some gardening.”
While it was true that he could
drive the highways like a fighter
pilot, Joe made it to New York for
his retirement dinner in good form.
And there, the Class of ’53 learned
a little more humility in Joe’s
Joe as director of physical education in the ’40s.
presence. One of the tributes soon
made it clear that the Class of ’45
had also left its yearbook to Joe.
Moreover, their simple dedication
had said it all:
“In heartfelt recognition of his
unassuming, though invaluable
efforts, his sturdy sympathy, his
contagious humor, his fervid
leadership, and his cordial comradeship,
we dedicate our Annual
to Joseph Bernard Lakovitch.”
Then, a year after Anne and
Joe had resettled in New Hampshire,
we heard that the Class of
’73 had honored the same man, in
the same way. Apparently the Joe
of ’45 and ’53 was still “Joe.” As if
that had not been poignant
enough, we noticed another
constancy—the pattern of war
years. Our class and theirs could
well remember the dread of the
draft, the call for volunteers that
some schoolmates had answered
with their lives, the deep relief to
graduate on a morning of rather
sudden peace. In other words, Joe,
the humanizer, was the right
teacher at a critical time, at the
best place for us—a top-notch
school, soon to become great—
even in affection.
Our sympathies to Anne, Joe, Jr.,
Joan, and to their children. May they
always feel a special part of Taft.
Joe, the humanizer, was the right teacher
at a critical time, at the best place for us—
a top-notch school, soon to become great
—even in affection.
For their parts in this tribute article,
the writer wishes to thank Joe
Lakovitch, Jr. ’56; Anne Romano,
archivist; Phil Snyder ’38; Lu and
Larry Stone; Lance Odden; Rick
Davis ’59; Joe Brogna; Al Reiff, Jr.
’80; Bill Nicholson, and Dick
Lovelace.
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 6

S P O T L I G H T
THE
SCHOOL
IN SERVICE
Rachael Zichella ’96 scrapes paint off
a window molding at one of the houses
being renovated in Waterbury.
Brian Grady ’96 and Emily McClure
’96 groom the front lawn of Baldwin
Elementary School in Watertown.
On Monday, October 2, the entire
school—students and faculty—left
campus in a force 600 strong to
participate in the first Community
Service Day in recent history. Classes
and all extra-curricular activities were
cancelled, and the entire day was
devoted to service in the local
community. Four buses, four vans, and
twenty faculty cars were loaded up with
students, box lunches, and tools and
headed out for forty different locations
in Watertown, Waterbury, Wolcott,
Thomaston, and Salisbury. Students
kept busy from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
cleaning, shoveling, raking, building,
painting, sanding, planting, cooking,
teaching, and cutting brush. Many
local businesses donated supplies and
tools, and many members of the local
community offered their help and
support as well.
It was an exciting opportunity
to see the school motto—Non ut sibi
ministretur sed ut ministret—put into
action on such a large scale. Students
and faculty were enthusiastic about the
day, and their efforts were greatly
appreciated by the various organizations
with which they worked. The
response to the day in its entirety was
overwhelmingly positive and plans are
already in the works for next year’s
second annual Community Service Day.
—Jean Strumolo Piacenza ’75
Michael Jordan ’98 and Philip Lo ’96
clear a new trail at Veterans’ Memorial
Park in town.
History fellow Beth Wheeler and Adrian
Cheng ’98 spruce up a playground at a
Watertown elementary school.
Jon Adler ’97 and Doug Harris ’97 tend
the garden at Judson Elementary School.
7
TAFT •BULLETIN

S P O T L I G H T
Like the Volunteer Program itself, the scope of the school’s first community service day was widespread. The
following is a list of organizations and schools that welcomed Taft’s volunteers on October 2:
ABC Children’s Center
American Red Cross
Appalachian Trail Clean-up
Baldwin Elementary School
Beacon House
Bread Basket Bakery
Children’s Community School
Connecticut Forest and Parks Association
Family Services of Greater Waterbury
Flanders Nature Center
Girls’ Club
Griffin School
Habitat for Humanity
Heminway Park School
Hillside Acres
Homeless Community Center
Housatonic Valley Association
Judson Elementary School
Mattatuck Trails
Morris Foundation
Munson House Town Offices
N.O.W. Drug Prevention Program
Naugatuck Valley Housing Development
Polk Elementary School
Salvation Army
Seven Angels Theater
St. Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter
St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen
Swift Junior High School
Town Beautification—Main Street
WACC Dining Room
Waterbury Association for Retarded
Citizens
Waterbury Baptist Ministries
Waterbury Day Nursery
Waterbury Girls’ Club
Watertown Area Youth Soccer Program
Watertown Food Bank
Watertown High School
Watertown Library
White Memorial Foundation
YMCA/YWCA
Rachel Brodie ’97 and Eliza Geddes ’97 work with
youngsters at the Children’s Community School.
Kathy Savino ’97, Laura Dickman ’96, and math teacher Jen
Bogue sand and waterseal the playground equipment at
Baldwin Elementary School.
Liz Merck ’98 and Kristen Kawecki ’98 help clean up the
neighborhood around Chestnut Avenue in Waterbury.
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 8

S P O T L I G H T
Above: Ryan Kerwin ’96 and Jake Fay ’96 help beautify
Main Street by planting fall bulbs.
Left: Chris Castle ’98, Justin Christaldi ’96, Harry Grand
’96, Ryan Reynolds ’96 (front), Peter Martino ’97 (back),
and Ben Steele ’98 check out the view after clearing an
overgrown hiking trail to this summit near campus.
Below: A crew of fifty students helps to renovate four
abandoned houses on Chestnut Avenue in Waterbury.
9
TAFT •BULLETIN

S P O T L I G H T
Alberto Van Der Mije ’96, Jamal
Turner ’99, and Taj Frazier ’99 shovel
gravel to improve the parking lot at a
youth soccer field.
Molly Hall ’96, Emily Israel ’96, Ali Solomon ’96, Sarah Stopper ’96, and Joel
Dakin ’97 scrape and repaint shutters at the Munson House town offices.
Justin Kreizel ’97 helps restore one of
the houses in Waterbury.
Dick Cobb, right, leads a group of painters at the Munson House in Watertown.
Randy DePree ’96 watches as English
teacher Ethan Frechette ’90 demonstrates
how they will construct wooden raceways
for an elementary school science project.
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 10

S P O T L I G H T
A NEW ACADEMIC CENTER FOR TAFT
By Bill Morris ’69, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Jerry Romano, Director of Development
At least since the time of the Pythagoreans in Archaic Greece,
Western culture has had a fascination with understanding the
natural world. Reason, science, and mathematics have been
joined to produce knowledge benefiting humans in unimaginable ways.
NEW
RENOVATED
NEW
ENLARGED
CENTENNIAL
DORMITORY
LIBRARY
READING
ROOM
AND
ENLARGED
LIBRARY
SCIENCE
AND MATH
CENTER
EXHISTING
SCIENCE AND
MATH CENTER
POND
•
•
•
•
•
•
• •
•
•
•
HORACE
ARTS
UPPER
DUTTON
AND
SCHOOL
MCINTOSH
CONGDON
TAFT
HUMANITIES
DORMITORY
HOUSE
HOUSE
BUILDING
CENTER
11
TAFT •BULLETIN

S P O T L I G H T
Copernicus, Galileo, Newton,
Descartes, Leibniz, Darwin, the
Pasteurs, Mendel, Einstein,
Watson and Crick all take their
place in a galaxy of great scientific
and mathematical minds who
asked fundamental and probing
questions and who changed the
face of human experience.
More recently, one of Taft’s own
graduates, Dr. Alfred Gilman ’58,
Nobel laureate in medicine or
physiology, added his own contribution
by opening the doors of cellular
behavior to scientists throughout the
world.
Mathematics and science have
always been a key component of a
Taft education. The 70th Anniversary
Science Center recognized
their importance to the liberal arts
foundation which the faculty has
always believed graduates must
have. For thirty-five years, the
Science Center has served students
well. As demands for space have
grown, the faculty has, until now,
creatively used all available space
to accommodate Taft’s markedly
increased enrollment in mathematics
and science classes.
Today, the Science Center can
no longer accommodate the needs
of Taft’s students. It is overcrowded,
and a number of factors
account for the need for a new
science and mathematics facility:
• Today, there are 175 more
students at Taft than when
the Science Center first
opened in 1960.
• Students are now taking
more science and mathematics
courses than ever. Taft
•
CENTENNIAL
DORMITORY
NEW
LIBRARY
READING
ROOM
•
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 12

S P O T L I G H T
now offers 25 percent more
courses in mathematics than
in 1985, with virtually all
students taking four or more
years of mathematics, compared
to only 60 percent in
1960.
LEARNING
CENTER
ENTRY
TOWER
SCIENCE
AND
MATH
CENTER
MAIN
ENTRY
NEW
SCIENCE
AND MATH
CENTER
CONGDON
HOUSE
• The same remarkable trend is
true for the study of science.
Today, 85 percent of our
students take three or more
years of science, nearly
double the percent since
1985. Not surprisingly, the
number of science courses
offered has grown by 50
percent since 1985. As
encouraging as this trend is,
in itself, it is also interesting
to note that more women are
studying science and mathematics
at the highest levels
of our offerings than ever
before at Taft.
•
•
•
• The Long-Range Planning
Committee of the Board of
• Trustees carefully considered
expanding and upgrading the
existing facility and learned
that current State of Connecticut
regulatory requirements
would actually result in renovations
as costly as the construction
of a new facility.
The Committee also recognized
that it would be impossible
to continue to teach
science and mathematics in
the present structure and at
the same time undertake its
expansion and necessary
improvements.
A view of the new academic center from
Centennial Quadrangle
13
TAFT •BULLETIN

S P O T L I G H T
Main floor plan of the new academic center
As a result of a national competition
during the summer of 1994,
the Long-Range Planning Committee
selected Graham Gund to
design a new science and mathematics
facility. Gund’s solution to
Taft’s needs called for the construction
of a new mathematics and
science center in the space between
the current science center and The
Hulbert Taft, Jr., Library. In addition,
he proposed a major addition
to the library to expand it as a
learning center joined to the new
science and mathematics center. In
sum, the proposed construction will
give Taft a new, unified academic
center that would combine an
expanded library with 45,000
square feet of state-of-the-art
teaching space for science and
mathematics. In addition, the
entire structure will be fitted for a
computer network that will
connect the library, science and
mathematics classrooms, and
faculty offices with other classrooms
and offices at Taft and
with the world of information
beyond Watertown.
A new main entrance, fronting
Centennial Quadrangle, will lead
students to both the library learning
center and new library reading
room, as well as to the new
science and mathematics center.
Construction of Taft’s new
academic center began in October,
and plans call for its completion
and dedication in time for the
opening of classes in September of
1997. As seen in the accompanying
renderings, the character of the
new facility will also add to Taft’s
architectural heritage. Finally,
once the new facility is in place,
the Pond will be enlarged to
encompass the area of the present
Science Center, offering views
from the center of the campus to
the fields beyond.
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 14

S P O T L I G H T
An interior view of the new reading room
15
TAFT •BULLETIN

S P O T L I G H T
The Many Names of Taft
People are the foundation of our
school. Thousands of students and
faculty have walked the halls of
Taft. Daily, as we make our own
journey through the school, we
are reminded of those who have
gone before us—reminded by the
names memorialized in so many
of Taft’s buildings and rooms.
The passage of time wears
away at memories until they are
so thin that only the name remains.
Ted Squires ’28 gave this
notion some thought and proposed
a regular column in the Taft
Bulletin that would draw us back
to the many names of Taft, to
remind us of the lives of the
people responsible for the names.
In this initial column we focus on
the origins of Bingham Auditorium,
as a first segment in a series
devoted to those who, in their
turn, molded key parts of “our
kind firm molder.”
BINGHAM AUDITORIUM
*In grateful acknowledgement of the generosity of *Harry Payne Bingham
’06 and Elizabeth Bingham Blossom
Bingham Auditorium,
located at the east end
of Charles Phelps Taft
Hall, is named after
Harry Bingham,
member of the
Class of ’06, and
his sister,
Elizabeth
Bingham
Blossom. This
facility is at
the heart of
school life,
housing
Vespers, school
meetings, plays,
movies, and
concerts since 1930.
Harry Bingham
was so involved in
school life that there is
hardly a section of The
1906 Annual that does not
bear his name. A four-year
student from Cleveland, Ohio, he
was a school monitor, president of
the senior class, a superb athlete,
and leader of the Mandolin Club. He
was the quarterback for the football
team, forward for the hockey team,
pitcher for the baseball team, and all
around best athlete as voted by his
class. He was great friends with
classmate Robert Taft, the future
senator, and they roomed together
both at Taft and at Yale.
Eventually, he moved to New
York and became a director of the
First National Bank of New York
and vice president and director of
the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Upon learning that the new facility
would bear his name, Mr. Bingham
wrote, “There is no institution in the
country that I would rather have my
name permanently connected with
than The Taft School.” Mr. Bingham
died in 1955. His son, Harry Payne
Bingham, Jr., is a member of the
Class of ’32. Dudley Blossom ’30 is
the son of Mrs. Blossom.
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 16

NEWS•OF•THE•SCHOOL
Winter Athletic Schedule 1995-96
This schedule is subject to change. If you would like to verify the time and location of any game,
please contact the school at 203-274-2516.
Boys’ Varsity Hockey
S, Nov. 18 Taft Jamboree
W, Nov. 29 2:30 Salisbury A
S, Dec. 2 2:30 Berkshire H
W, Dec. 6 2:30 Avon A
Dec. 15-17 Lawrenceville Tournament
S, Jan. 6 2:30 Avon H
W, Jan. 10 2:30 Westminster A
S, Jan. 13 7:30 Choate H
W, Jan. 17 2:30 Loomis A
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Canterbury H
W, Jan. 24 2:30 Kent H
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Trinity-Pawling A
M, Jan. 29 4:00 Salisbury H
W, Jan. 31 2:30 Kent A
W, Feb. 7 2:30 Kingswood H
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Hotchkiss H
W, Feb. 14 4:00 Deerfield H
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Choate A
W, Feb. 21 2:30 Trinity-Pawling H
S, Feb. 24 2:30 Hotchkiss A
Boys’ JV Hockey
S, Dec. 2 2:30 Berkshire A
W, Dec. 6 2:30 New Canaan H
W, Jan. 10 4:30 Westminster A
S, Jan. 13 2:30 Choate H
W, Jan. 17 4:30 Loomis H
S, Jan. 20 4:30 Kent H
W, Jan. 24 4:30 Salisbury A
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Trinity-Pawling H
W, Jan. 31 2:30 Berkshire H
W, Feb. 7 2:30 Kent A
S, Feb. 10 4:30 Hotchkiss H
W, Feb. 14 2:00 Avon H
S, Feb. 17* 4:30 Choate A
W, Feb. 21 2:30 Trinity-Pawling A
S, Feb. 24 4:30 Hotchkiss A
Girls’ Varsity Hockey
W, Dec. 6 4:00 Deerfield H
Dec. 14-16 Taft Tournament
S, Jan. 6 3:30 Greenwich Ac. A
W, Jan. 10 2:30 Berkshire H
S, Jan. 13 2:30 Choate A
W, Jan. 17 2:30 Loomis H
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Kingswood A
W, Jan. 24 2:30 Loomis A
S, Jan. 27 4:30 Tabor A
W, Jan. 31 4:30 Williston A
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Hotchkiss A
W, Feb. 14 2:30 Westminster A
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Choate H
W, Feb. 21 4:30 Kingswood H
S, Feb. 24 2:30 Hotchkiss H
Girls’ JV Hockey
S, Jan. 13 4:30 Choate A
W, Jan. 24 4:30 Simsbury HS H
S, Jan. 27 4:30 Loomis H
W, Jan. 31 4:30 Gunnery H
S, Feb. 10 4:30 Hotchkiss A
W, Feb. 14 4:30 Canterbury A
S, Feb. 17* 4:30 Choate H
W, Feb. 21 4:30 Canterbury H
S, Feb. 24 4:30 Hotchkiss H
Boys’ Varsity Basketball
S, Dec. 2 4:00 Canterbury A
W, Dec. 6 4:00 Kingswood A
Dec. Loomis Jamboree
M, Jan. 8 4:00 Choate A
W, Jan. 10 4:00 Kent A
S, Jan. 13 4:00 Hotchkiss H
W, Jan. 17 4:00 Berkshire H
S, Jan. 20 4:00 Trinity-Pawling A
M, Jan. 22 4:00 Canterbury H
W, Jan. 24 4:00 Berkshire A
S, Jan. 27 4:00 Trinity-Pawling H
W, Jan. 31 4:00 Hotchkiss A
W, Feb. 7 3:00 Deerfield A
S, Feb. 10 4:00 Avon H
W, Feb. 14 4:00 Kent H
S, Feb. 17* 4:00 Loomis H
W, Feb. 21 4:00 Avon A
S, Feb. 24 4:00 Westminster A
Boys’ JV Basketball
S, Dec. 2 2:30 Canterbury A
W, Dec. 6 2:30 Kingswood A
M, Jan. 8 4:00 Choate A
W, Jan. 10 2:30 Kent A
S, Jan. 13 2:30 Hotchkiss H
W, Jan. 17 2:30 Berkshire H
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Trinity-Pawling A
M, Jan. 22 4:00 Canterbury H
W, Jan. 24 2:30 Berkshire A
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Trinity-Pawling H
W, Jan. 31 2:30 Hotchkiss A
W, Feb. 7 3:00 Deerfield A
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Avon H
W, Feb. 14 2:30 Kent H
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Loomis H
W, Feb. 21 2:30 Avon A
S, Feb. 24 2:30 Westminster A
Boys’ III Basketball
W, Dec. 6 2:30 Avon A
W, Jan. 10 1:30 Suffield H
S, Jan. 13 2:30 Hotchkiss A
W, Jan. 17 3:00 Choate A
S, Jan. 20 4:15 Trinity-Pawling H
W, Jan. 24 2:30 Hotchkiss H
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Canterbury A
W, Jan. 31 2:30 Hopkins A
W, Feb. 7 2:30 Berkshire A
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Westminster A
W, Feb. 14 2:30 Kent A
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Berkshire H
W, Feb. 21 2:30 Avon H
S, Feb. 24 2:30 Suffield A
Girls’ Varsity Basketball
S, Dec. 2 2:30 Suffield A
W, Dec. 6 2:30 Kingswood H
Dec. 14, 15 Tabor Tournament
S, Jan. 6 2:30 Greenwich Ac. H
W, Jan. 10 3:30 Deerfield H
S, Jan. 13 2:30 Berkshire A
W, Jan. 17 2:30 Kent A
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Loomis H
W, Jan. 24 2:30 Canterbury A
17
TAFT •BULLETIN

NEWS•OF•THE•SCHOOL
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Hopkins A
W, Jan. 31 2:30 Kent H
W, Feb. 7 2:30 Westminster H
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Hotchkiss H
W, Feb. 14 2:30 Williston H
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Choate A
W, Feb. 21 2:30 Berkshire H
S, Feb. 24 2:30 Hotchkiss A
Girls’ JV Basketball
W, Dec. 6 4:00 Kingswood H
S, Jan. 6 4:00 Greenwich Ac. H
W, Jan. 10 3:30 Deerfield H
S, Jan. 13 4:00 Berkshire A
W, Jan. 17 4:00 Kent A
S, Jan. 20 4:00 Loomis H
W, Jan. 24 4:00 Canterbury A
S, Jan. 27 4:00 Hopkins A
W, Jan. 31 4:00 Kent H
S, Feb. 10 4:00 Hotchkiss H
W, Feb. 14 4:00 Williston H
S, Feb. 17* 4:00 Choate A
W, Feb. 21 4:00 Berkshire H
S, Feb. 24 4:00 Hotchkiss A
Varsity Wrestling
Su, Dec. 3 12:00 Taft Invitational
Tournament
W, Dec. 6 3:00 Taft Quads
S, Jan. 13 3:00 Loomis and Tabor
W, Jan. 17 3:00 Gunnery A
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Hopkins A
W, Jan. 24 3:00 Hotchkiss H
W, Jan. 31 3:00 Williston H
W, Feb. 7 3:00 Avon H
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Trinity-Pawling A
W, Feb. 14 3:00 Choate A
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Suffield A
S, Feb. 24 WNEPSWA Tournament
JV Wrestling
W, Jan. 17 4:30 Gunnery A
S, Jan. 20 4:00 Hopkins A
W, Jan. 24 4:30 Hotchkiss H
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Taft JV Tournament
W, Jan. 31 4:30 Williston H
W, Feb. 7 4:30 Avon H
S, Feb. 10 4:00 Trinity-Pawling A
W, Feb. 14 4:30 Choate A
S, Feb. 17* 4:00 Suffield A
S, Feb. 24 Northfield JV Tournament
Boys’ Varsity Squash
W, Nov. 29 2:30 Salisbury A
S, Dec. 2 3:00 Pomfret H
W, Dec. 6 2:30 Avon A
W, Jan. 10 3:00 Choate A
S, Jan. 13 10:00 Choate Invitational
W, Jan. 17 2:30 Berkshire A
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Hotchkiss A
M, Jan. 22 4:00 Millbrook H
W, Jan. 24 2:30 Kent A
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Trinity-Pawling H
W, Jan. 31 4:00 Hackley H
W, Feb. 7 3:00 Choate H
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Brunswick A
W, Feb. 14 3:30 Deerfield A
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Hotchkiss H
W, Feb. 21 2:30 Westminster H
S, Feb. 24 NEPSAC Tournament
Boys’ JV Squash
S, Dec. 2 3:00 Choate A
W, Dec. 6 4:00 Avon A
W, Jan. 10 3:30 Williston A
W, Jan. 17 2:30 Avon H
S, Jan. 20 4:00 Hotchkiss A
W, Jan. 24 4:00 Kent A
S, Jan. 27 4:00 Trinity-Pawling H
W, Feb. 7 3:00 Choate H
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Kingswood H
W, Feb. 14 3:30 Deerfield H
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Hotchkiss H
W, Feb. 21 2:30 Westminster H
Girls’ Varsity Squash
S, Dec. 2 3:00 Pomfret H
S, Jan. 6 2:30 Choate H
W, Jan. 10 3:30 Greenwich Ac. H
W, Jan. 17 2:30 Millbrook A
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Hotchkiss H
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Canterbury A
W, Jan. 31 2:30 Kent A
W, Feb. 7 3:00 Choate A
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Millbrook H
W, Feb. 14 3:30 Deerfield A
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Hotchkiss A
W, Feb. 21 2:30 Westminster A
S, Feb. 24 NEPSAC Tournament
Girls’ JV Squash
S, Dec. 2 3:00 Choate A
W, Jan. 10 3:30 Greenwich Ac. H
S, Jan. 13 2:30 Kingswood H
W, Jan. 17 4:30 Millbrook A
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Hotchkiss H
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Westminster H
W, Jan. 31 4:00 Kent A
W, Feb. 7 3:00 Choate A
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Miss Porter’s A
W, Feb. 14 3:30 Deerfield H
S, Feb. 17* 4:00 Hotchkiss A
W, Feb. 21 4:00 Westminster A
Varsity Volleyball
S, Dec. 2 2:00 Play Day
W, Dec. 6 3:45 St. Margaret’s H
W, Jan. 10 3:00 Hopkins A
S, Jan. 13 2:30 Westminster A
W, Jan. 17 3:00 Westover H
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Hotchkiss H
W, Jan. 24 2:30 MacDuffie H
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Ethel Walker H
W, Jan. 31 2:30 Berkshire H
W, Feb. 7 3:00 Choate H
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Hotchkiss A
W, Feb. 14 3:00 Canterbury A
S, Feb. 17* 2:30 Loomis A
W, Feb. 21 3:15 Choate A
S, Feb. 24 2:30 Miss Porter’s H
JV Volleyball
S, Dec. 2 2:30 Berkshire H
W, Dec. 6 3:45 St. Margaret’s A
W, Jan. 10 3:00 Hopkins A
S, Jan. 13 4:00 Westminster A
W, Jan. 17 3:00 Westover H
S, Jan. 20 2:30 Hotchkiss H
W, Jan. 24 2:30 MacDuffie H
S, Jan. 27 2:30 Ethel Walker H
W, Feb. 7 3:00 Choate H
S, Feb. 10 2:30 Hotchkiss A
W, Feb. 14 3:00 Canterbury A
S, Feb. 17* 4:00 Loomis A
W, Feb. 21 3:15 Choate A
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Ski Racing
Schedule to be announced.
*Mothers’ Day
Boldface denotes host school
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 18

NEWS•OF•THE•SCHOOL
AMY FELDMAN BERNON
Amy returns to Taft from Boston,
where she was head of middle
school music at Buckingham,
Brown, and Nichols for two years.
This summer, she and fellow faculty
member Jonathan Bernon were
married and moved to their new
home in Woodbury. Amy is a
graduate of Yale University with a
master’s degree in music.
NEW FACULTY
CARL CARLSON
Carl comes from St. Mark’s School,
where he taught math and coached
for five years. He holds a bachelor’s
degree in mathematics and a
master’s in education from Harvard.
He lives in Charles Phelps Taft Hall
with his wife, faculty member Alison
Jastromb Carlson.
New Faculty, from left, Pam MacMullen, Jennifer Glenn Wuerker ’83, Beth
Wheeler, Amy Feldman Bernon, Rick Wood ’72, Maurice Dyson, Chris Ledwick,
Jana Draper, Sheila McGrath, Sam Hsiao, Rick Cascio, Carl Carlson, Jill Smith,
Ingrid Johnson, John Crosby, and Kelley Roberts.
JOHN CROSBY
John received his doctorate in
biochemistry from the University of
Maine and comes to Taft having
been a postdoctoral research
associate at the Harvard/MIT
Division of Health Sciences and
Technology. He is teaching biology
and lives in Charles Phelps Taft Hall
with his wife, Julie, and son, John-
Christian.
MAURICE DYSON
Maurice received his bachelor’s
degree in African-American studies
and political science from Columbia
and was honored with the Columbia
Graduate School Award for Excellence
in Scholarship as well as
several awards for community
service. He is this year’s Carpenter
Fellow, teaches history, and lives in
Charles Phelps Taft Hall.
SAM HSIAO
Sam graduated magna cum laude
from Haverford College with a B.S.
degree in mathematics. He is a
teaching fellow in math and lives in
Horace Dutton Taft Hall.
INGRID JOHNSON
Ingrid received her bachelor’s
degree in French at Hamilton
College, where she also gained
considerable computer experience.
She is a teaching fellow in French
and lives in Congdon House.
CHRIS LEDWICK
At Bowdoin College, Chris majored
in English and history. He is a
teaching fellow in history at Taft and
lives in Upper School Boys’ Dormitory.
PAMELA MACMULLEN
Pam taught English for eight years at
Sheehan High School in Wallingford,
CT. She has a master’s degree from
the Breadloaf School at Middlebury
College and teaches English and
works in public relations at Taft.
Pam lives on Guernseytown Road
with husband Willy ’78 and their
son, John William.
SHEILA MCGRATH
Sheila was Phi Beta Kappa at Holy
Cross College and spent last year as
a teaching fellow at Phillips
Andover. At Taft, she teaches
physics and lives in Pond Wing.
KELLEY ROBERTS
Kelley received her bachelor’s
degree from the University of New
Hampshire. She is this year’s
Mailliard Fellow in English and lives
in the lower mid girls’ dormitory.
19
TAFT •BULLETIN

NEWS•OF•THE•SCHOOL
JILL SMITH
Jill graduated magna cum laude, Phi
Beta Kappa, from Amherst College
and returned to the United States after
a Fulbright Teaching Fellowship in
Germany. She teaches German and
lives in Horace Dutton Taft Hall.
BETH WHEELER
Beth received her bachelor’s degree
in history from Williams College.
She is a teaching fellow in history
and lives in Horace Dutton Taft Hall.
RICK WOOD ’72
Rick returns to Taft after several
years at Choate as assistant business
manager, following a successful
career in business at The Travelers,
Bank of America, and SEDCO. He is
the new business manager and lives
on Guernseytown Road with his
wife, Mary Anne, and sons Jon ’98,
Danny, and Sammy.
JENNIFER GLENN WUERKER ’83
After Taft, Jennifer received her
bachelor’s degree from Yale and MFA
from American University and has been
a professional artist since her graduation.
She and husband Aaron were
married last summer and live in Morris.
German teacher MARGRIT
GILLESPIE and theater teacher
CAROLE SBORDONE have been
granted sabbatical leaves for the year.
Although familiar faces on campus
last year, JANA DRAPER, computer
sciences, and RICK CASCIO, assistant
athletic trainer, have been appointed
to the 1995-96 faculty.
NEW
APPOINTMENTS
John Wynne
Director of Athletics
David Hostage
Director of Taft
Educational Center
Jonathan Bernon
Technology Coordinator
Steve McKibben
Director of Fellowships
Debora Phipps Davis
Coeducation Study
COUNCIL FOR ADVANCEMENT AND SUPPORT OF EDUCATION ®
ALUMNI OFFSPRING
CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE
1995 AWARDS
FOR EDUCATIONAL
FUND RAISING
Membership in the Circle of Excellence is bestowed
on a highly select group of educational institutions whose overall
fund-raising results or creative programming demonstrate
exemplary performance or significant improvement.
We congratulate your institutional advancement staff, volunteer
leaders, and donors for notable achievement in advancing
the mission of your institution. It is with great pride that the
Council for Advancement and Support of Education honors
The Taft School
as a member of the
Circle of Excellence in Educational Fund Raising for
Overall Performance
New legacy students at Taft this fall:
Chris Castle ’98 .............................. Thomas Castle ’70, father
Lauren Chu ’99 .......................... Alexander F. Chu ’66, father
Tim Cowie ’99 ........................... Paul F. Cowie, Jr. ’66, father
Josie Green ’99 .......................... B. Gordon Green ’65, father
Bradley H. Green ’41, grandfather
Tori Hasler ’98 .......................... Wyndham Hasler ’59, father
Brad Little ’99 ........................... George F. Little II ’67, father
Donald C. Little ’37, grandfather
Emily Lord ’99 .................................. John M. Lord ’63, father
Martha Lord ’99 ................................ John M. Lord ’63, father
Laura Mestre ’98 .......................... Eduardo Mestre ’66, father
David Morris ’99 .................William G. Morris, Jr. ’69, father
Whitney Morris ’99 ...........Lawrence B. Morris III ’65, father
Lawrence B. Morris, Jr. ’35, grandfather
Kate Sands ’98 .............. Edward Van V. Sands, Jr. ’65, father
Edward Van V. Sands, Sr. ’14, grandfather
Zack Schiller ’97 .................... J. Irwin Miller ’27, grandfather
Teddy Scholhamer ’99 .... Charles F. Scholhamer, Jr. ’61, father
Lanny Shreve ’99 ......................... Brandon Shreve ’64, father
David-Alexander Sloan ’98 ..... Geoffrey W. Sloan ’62, father
Ned Smith ’99 ............................. John McG. Smith ’68, father
Laura Stevens ’99 ......................... Richard Stevens ’69, father
Jon Wood ’98 ................................. Richard Wood ’72, father
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 20

NEWS•OF•THE•SCHOOL
TAFT IN THAILAND
When Thai businessman Kritsanant Palarit visited Taft
two years ago with his daughter Pam, he was impressed
with what he saw. He also began to wonder why Thai
children should have to travel 12,000 miles from home
to get this kind of education, and he began to dream.
Last May, having bought a
beautiful piece of land outside of
the ancient city of Chiang Mai, he
wrote to Lance Odden to ask if he
knew of anyone who would like to
move to Thailand to start a school
there on the Taft model. Mr. Odden
brought the idea to Gordon Jones,
the lower mid class dean, and his
wife, Emily, head of the History
Department, and they began to
correspond with Mr. Palarit. They
visited Thailand this past July, and
the plans for the school began to
take shape.
The school will be called
Ake Panya International School
and will enroll both Thai
children and expatriates, from
grades seven through twelve. While
fitting culturally into the Thai setting,
it will offer a Taft-style education,
with emphasis on high academic
standards, close relationships
between students and faculty, and a
commitment to service and ethical
education. In addition to sending
the Joneses to start the school, Taft
will continue to be affiliated with
Emily Jones head of the History Department and Gordon Jones the lower mid
class dean.
Ake Panya in a variety of ways, in
particular through student and
faculty exchanges. Taft students will
have a chance to study in an Asian
culture, in a tropical setting (22a
swimming pool, but no hockey
rink!), while continuing in a curriculum
similar to that at Taft. Ake
Panya students will be able to
experience life at Taft in return. The
new school will take its first students
for a summer session in 1997, and
begin its first regular year that
September; planning is continuing
apace both in Thailand and in
Watertown.
21
TAFT •BULLETIN

NEWS•OF•THE•SCHOOL
ADMISSIONS OFFICE EXPANDS
TRAVEL SCHEDULE
Taft’s new crop of students continues
to be as talented and as
diverse a group as the school has
ever seen, thanks largely to efforts
of the admissions officers who
traveled the globe last year in
response to requests from schools,
parents, and alumni. Of the over
3,500 inquiries last year, 1,465
potential students visited the
campus, 1,211 applied, and 178
were enrolled. Alumni and parents
gave 150 off-campus interviews
as well. A record $2,375,000
in financial aid was awarded to a
third of the student body. New
students hail from 22 foreign
countries and 38 of the United
States. (We have more than eight
students each from California,
Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts,
New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, and South Carolina—as
well as Connecticut.) And
here is a list of the places where
Taft will hold admissions gatherings
this year: Albuquerque,
Aspen, Atlanta, Austin, Bangkok,
Bermuda, Bombay, Boulder,
Budapest, Charleston, Charlotte,
Chicago, Cincinnati, Cologne,
Dallas, Denver, Easton, Far Hills,
Fort Worth, Grand Rapids, Hong
Kong, Houston, Jerusalem, Lake
Forest, Las Cruces, Lexington,
Ligonier, London, Los Angeles,
Memphis, Minneapolis, Naples,
Nashville, New Orleans, New York,
Oakland, Palm Beach, Phoenix,
Pittsburgh, Portland, Prince Edward
Island, Princeton, Rumson,
San Antonio, San Francisco, Santa
Fe, Seattle, Seoul, Taipei, Tel Aviv,
Tempe, Toronto, Vero Beach, and
Washington.
HONG KONG
Pat Chow (mother of Selwyn ’93, Jackie ’95, and
Evan) hosted a reception for new Taft students at the
Hong Kong Country Club. Front row from left, Dianne
Ip ’95, Jackie Chow ’95, Serena Lam ’98, Jane Lam ’97,
Winnie So ’99, Catherine Cheng ’95; standing, Teddy
Chen ’95, Edwin Lam ’97, Vincent Ip ’96, Gallant Nien
’96, Kenneth So ’97, Clayton Chen ’98, Justin Mak ’98,
and Evan Chow.
ISRAEL
Admissions Director Ferdie Wandelt ’66 visited
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv this fall. The trip was two
years in the making and included visits to Jericho,
Lebanon, Syria, and the Golan Heights, where
Ferdie is pictured with Eileen Rhulen (Samantha ’87,
Blake ’88, Sloane ’90), their guide Dr. Col. Raanan
Gissin, and Peter Rhulen.
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 22

E N D N O T E
ADVICE TO NEW STUDENTS
—Remarks By Headmaster Lance R. Odden
As new students, you are
a remarkable group.
You come from
twenty-two nations,
thirty-eight states
and have been selected from
over three thousand inquiries and
nearly thirteen hundred formal
applications. All one hundred and
seventy-five of you represent the
finest qualities Mr. Wandelt and
his admissions staff could imagine
bringing to Taft. In spite of
the extraordinary facilities we
have, in spite of the great curriculum
we have created and the
many wonderful traditions we
have inherited, people make Taft
what it is, and parents and
students alike are essential to our
school family.
Taft’s faculty, too, are a
remarkable group. There are one
hundred and seven of us, one for
every five students. We are an
unusual group, broadly talented
but united by our calling—to live
and work in a residential community.
We have elected to live with
you twenty-four hours a day, to
share in your journey through
adolescence in these crucial
years. Our job is to help you to
learn both in the classroom and in
all that you do. The faculty and I
define ourselves in terms of your
triumphs, your successes, and we
are here to help those occur.
“…people make
Taft what it is,
and parents and
students alike are
essential to our
school family.”
Within the faculty lies your
advisor. Taft is different from most
of the nation’s other schools
because we do not assign an
advisor to you. We ask you to
choose within the first two weeks,
and so as you go through your
classes, sports, extracurricular
activities and live in your dorms,
you should assess your teachers
and try to find the one whom you
admire, whom you would like to
take counsel from and to realize
that if this relationship doesn’t
work, you may change at term’s
end. We prize close facultystudent
relationships at Taft, and
your ability to choose well assures
the success of that relationship.
At this time I cannot resist
giving new students a bit of
headmasterly advice. I have
lived here for over three decades.
I have taught, advised,
lived in dormitories, and
coached before becoming
headmaster. I have watched a
generation grow up and become
adults. In today’s audience, there
are nearly twenty parents whom
I knew when they were in your
spot as young students. I can
assure you that they weren’t
perfect then and that they had
the same anxieties you do today.
They also overcame them and
have gone on to be the men
they are today.
Because of my experience, I
have a few clear convictions about
what makes for success at Taft
and in life. These qualities are the
same, and they are very simple:
The first is the ability to
focus on your responsibilities
and to work hard. Taft is a very
43
TAFT •BULLETIN

E N D N O T E
busy place. You will have many
responsibilities and many options
at all times. Those who do
best here are those who have
clear priorities, make their work
their first priority and get it done
early and well.
Second is that the ability to
work well for and with others is
critical, to be one of those
people who gets things done by
being helpful and supportive of
others and not insisting on the
spotlight always being on you.
In yesterday’s New York Times,
there was an article bemoaning a
national slippage in social intelligence.
The article proceeded to
report that new research in
psychology has found that empathy,
cooperation, the ability to
build consensus and to avoid
being selfish are the most important
characteristics of success in
the workplace.
This comes as no surprise to
the faculty and me. Each of you
has true intellectual ability, each
of you has untapped talent. It is
how you draw that out and how
well you work with others that
will determine your success here
and in later life.
Now you will think, what of
making new friends, or how do I
fit in? Yes, you can make this
your first priority, and making
friends is very important. However,
if you plunge into the life of
Taft, if you work hard, and if you
work well with and for others on
teams, in the arts, in extracurriculars,
and in your dormitory
life, friendships will take care of
“…the ability to
work well for
and with others is
critical, to be
one of those people
who gets things
done by being
helpful and
supportive of others
and not insisting
on the spotlight
always being
on you.”
themselves, and you will have
already begun to be successful. Be
a doer and a helper, and friendships
will follow.
One last word of advice.
Recognize that everything you
hope for will not necessarily
work out. Occasionally, you will
not be as successful as you have
been in the past. Learn from
those disappointments and be
open to new experiences. At
graduation last spring, Brian
Crane ’95 told us that he came to
Taft expecting to be a soccer
god. He had been the finest
player on his home team in
Pennsylvania. Brian, however,
was limited by being 5'5" and
slow. At Taft, he tried for j.v. as
a lower middler. He was cut.
Then he was cut from the thirds.
Finally, he wound up as a bench
warmer on the fourths. He
realized that he was not going to
be that soccer god, and so he
tried new things. By senior year
he was a great actor, a leading
singer, and an outstanding
student of Mandarin Chinese. He
was a recognized leader of his
class. In the summer after graduation,
he was employed by a major
American company to do a
research project for them in China.
Brian took disappointment and
built it into new talents, into
success. In the months ahead,
remember Brian Crane, and you
will discover that you have
wonderful new strengths and
talents that will thrive here.
F A L L • 1 9 9 5 44