IN THIS ISSUE - The Taft School

IN THIS ISSUE
Chairs for Athletes
Alaska AIDS Ride
110th Commencement
Farewell Dinner
Alumni Weekend

Bulletin Staff
Editor
Julie Reiff
Director of Development
Jerry Romano
Alumni Notes
Karen Dost
Design
Good Design
Proofreaders
Nina Maynard
Karen Taylor
Photography
Craig Ambrosio
Michael Benabib
Peter Finger
Peter Frew ’75
Highpoint Pictures
Matthew Hranek
Leslie Manning Archives
Mario Morgado
Tim Myers
Gary Parkin
Julie Reiff
Greg Stevens ’02
Olivia Tuttle
Vaughn Winchell
Mail letters to:
Julie Reiff, Editor
Taft Bulletin
The Taft School
Watertown, CT 06795-2100
ReiffJ@TaftSchool.org
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This magazine is printed
on recycled paper.
Class of 2000 school
monitors Emily Smith,
Ribby Goodfellow, Tim
Pettit, Arturo Solis, Keely
Murphy, (standing) Kim
Noel, Price Bell, Krissy
Scurry, Jessup Shean,
Ryan Byrnes, Nicole Uliasz,
Emily Blanchard,
Demetrius Walker, and
Meredith Morris. Photo by
Highpoint Pictures.
Page 5
Page 2

BULLETIN
SUMMER•2000
Volume 70 Number 4
S P O T L I G H T
Wheels ............................................................................ 4
John Vanderpoel ’36 designs chairs for athletes
By Wendy Killeen
Riding for AIDS Research ............................................... 7
Cancer survivor Stacey Klein ’84 takes part in the Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride
By Liz Freeman, Naples News
110 th Commencement .................................................. 10
Remarks by Lance R. Odden, John M. McCardell, Jr., Emily Smith ’00,
and Venroy July ’00
Ten Ways Not to Retire................................................. 15
By Henry Pollack II ’40
Dinner is Served ........................................................... 16
A farewell event for retiring faculty members Barclay Johnson ’53
and John and Gail Wynne
Annual Fund................................................................. 18
Report from Annual Fund Chair Dyllan W. McGee ’89
Alumni Weekend .......................................................... 37
D E P A R T M E N T S
Letters ........................................................................... 19
Alumni News ................................................................ 20
Producing presidents, honoring “Doc,” Boston dinner, from music to
management, family ventures, Before They Were Famous, alumni
elections, and the Alumni Citation of Merit
Around the Pond .......................................................... 26
New head monitor, musical trips to Europe, science extras, senior
seminars, student videos, alumni offspring, new art fellowships, and more
Sport ............................................................................. 33
Endnote by Barclay Johnson ’53 ..................................... 41
On the Cover
Front: Reunion 2000. For more photographs of the weekend, turn to
page 46.
Back: What could be better on a rainy May afternoon than watching your
alma mater trounce Hotchkiss? Photos by Peter Finger.
The Taft Bulletin is published quarterly, in February, May, August, and November, by
The Taft School, 110 Woodbury Road, Watertown, CT 06795-2100 and is distributed
free of charge to alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of the school.
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(110 Woodbury Road, Watertown, CT 06795-2100). So let’s hear from you!
Page 32
Visit Taft on the Web to find the latest news, sports schedules, or to locate a classmate’s
e-mail address: www.TaftSchool.org or www.TaftSports.com. The password to
access alumni or faculty e-mail addresses—or to add your own—is

S P O T L I G H T
Wheels
By Wendy Killeen
Photograph by Vaughn Winchell
I
f you happen to catch a marathon, basketball game or ski event
featuring disabled athletes, chances are you’ll see the handiwork
of John Vanderpoel ’36. Since 1977, John, a career military man
and mechanical engineer, has been a key player in a Somerville,
Mass., company that makes specialty wheelchairs for all types of
sports from road racing to tennis to archery.
“I love the people. They are so grateful for anything we do for
them,” John, 82, said of the thousands of physically-challenged
people who come to New Hall’s Wheels with dreams of crossing a
finish line, scoring a basket, or schussing down a mountain.
John and company co-founder Bob Hall
met by chance 25 years ago through a
disabled man they knew. When Hall
found out John had a machine shop—
and was an avid bicycle rider and
enthusiast—he asked for help adapting
his own wheelchair for marathon racing.
“I made a wheelchair on my own,
but it wasn’t right and I went to John
to correct the problem in a mechanical
sense,” said Hall, 48. “He has a vast
knowledge of production and engineering
and was able to listen and develop
what I needed.”
The first thing John did was
modify Hall’s 40-pound-plus aluminum
wheelchair to make it lighter. He
put a canvass band between the two
front wheels to support Hall’s feet, and
a block between the rear wheels to angle
them for improved balance.
Then he made a radical change. He
reduced the number of front wheels from
two to one, for a three-wheeled chair with
better steering. When Hall road tested
the chair, and began winning races in it,
interest followed. “Everybody wanted his
chair,” John recalled.
“It became obvious there was a
need,” Hall said. “We had an opportunity
to develop the chair and create
a business, so we forged ahead.” John
and Hall worked in a machine shop
in the basement of John’s Concord,
Mass., home for six years, moving to
Somerville as the business expanded.
“John taught me the skills of operating
machines and tools and I
developed as an apprentice. I learned
on the job under his tutelage,” said
Hall, who is now president of New
Hall’s Wheels.
4 Summer 2000

S P O T L I G H T
They developed a chair for disabled
basketball players that is similar
to an everyday, unfolding chair but
much lighter. “You can’t believe how
fast the players get around,” said John,
a former athlete who was on the wrestling
and track teams at Taft and
wrestled at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT).
Then came the tennis chair, which
has three wheels, two in the back and one
in front that is placed between the person’s
feet, allowing room to swing a racket. The
archery chair doesn’t have armrests.
New Hall’s Wheels also makes
three styles of skis, one designed by
John which quickly adjusts in several
directions to help disabled skiers board
a chairlift, negotiate a trail, and get up
if they fall.
John said the company is now
working on developing a water ski for
disabled athletes. And, it continues to
create specialty chairs for people with
individual needs as to size or weight.
“John was always willing to accept
the challenge and do something new
and different,” Hall said. “He brought
his resources and knowledge and experience
to the end product and the
business. We’re known for innovation
in design, craftsmanship, quality, and
performance.”
He said a chair he and John made
is on permanent display at the Museum
of Modern Art in New York. And, many
of their chairs have been used in the Boston
Marathon, for which John has been
the wheelchair inspector for ten years.
New Hall’s Wheels, with eight employees,
produces about 250 wheelchairs
a year for people all over the world and
is the only company of its kind in New
England. John, who’s semiretired, still
makes many parts for them in the machine
shop at his home, which he shares
with his wife of 59 years, Joan, and his
son John Jr., 55. His older son Eric, 58,
“ ohn was always willing to accept the
challenge and do something new and
different…. He brought his resources and
knowledge and experience to the end
product and the business. We’re known for
innovation in design, craftsmanship,
Jquality, and performance.”
a retired Navy captain, graduated from
Taft in 1961. The Vanderpoels have four
grandchildren.
John is modest about his contributions
at New Hall’s Wheels. “I’m no
artist,” he said. “But I can make the
beams strong enough so they don’t
break. I decide how much metal has to
be in a certain spot. Strength is what
I’m concerned with. If a chair falls apart,
we’re in trouble.”
Growing up in Litchfield, Conn.,
John was encouraged by his father, an
electrical engineer, to become a mechanical
engineer. “My father said that
the only thing that electricity does is run
the machinery, so learn to make the machinery,”
John said.
After graduating from Taft—as did
his late brother Eric ’40—John went to
MIT, which he affectionately calls
“Tech,” earning a degree in mechanical
engineering. He became a member of
ROTC, which was required by the college,
and worked summers at the Baldwin
Locomotive Works in Pennsylvania.
Graduating from MIT in 1940, he went
to work full-time for Baldwin for seven
months before going into the service.
He joined the flying cadets, which
later became the Army Air Force, and
became a pilot. His military career lasted
for 27 years and included service on
Guadalcanal in the Pacific, in Japan during
the Korean War, and stateside. He
was involved with high-level classified
projects, and earned commendations
from the Army and Air Force.
John’s service also included teaching
Air Force organization and tactics
in the ROTC program at MIT, which
he did for four years. And, he worked
at the Pentagon in systems acquirement
for three years, before his retirement
from the military in 1967.
While at the Pentagon, John rode a
bicycle to work each day to avoid having
to park far from the building. He became
“very enamored with bicycles and their
history.” So after retirement, he began
restoring bicycles for museums, companies
like Schwinn, and for individuals.
“I took off all the rotten nickel plate
and buffed them up and re-nickeled
them and took the dents out and repainted
them and put new tires on,” said
John, of the avocation he pursued for
nine years. After meeting Hall, he traded
bicycles for wheelchairs. And, he said,
“I’ve never regretted it at all.”
Wendy Killeen is a freelance journalist in
West Newbury, Mass. Her article on Laura
Biddle appeared in the winter issue.
6 Summer 2000

S P O T L I G H T
Riding for
AIDS Research
Cancer survivor Stacey Klein ’84 takes part in the
Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride, a 510-mile bike ride
from Fairbanks to Anchorage
By Liz Freeman, Naples News
Photography by Tim Myers
Taft Bulletin 7

S P O T L I G H T
Stacey Klein has the gumption to commit
to a 510-mile bicycle ride to benefit
AIDS research, and what she needs now
is the generosity of Southwest Florida
residents to help her fund-raising goal.
The 33-year-old Naples resident is
taking part in the Alaska AIDS Vaccine
Ride, where 1,500 bicyclists from around
the United States and six foreign countries
will pedal from Fairbanks to
Anchorage. The six-day journey, from
August 21 to 26, will benefit AIDS research
in pursuit of a vaccine against the
infectious disease.
Each bicyclist must raise a minimum
of $3,900 in donations. “My goal is to
raise $10,000,” said Klein, an attorney for
the Legal Aid Society of Collier County.
She’s doing the ride to help people
with HIV/AIDS be as fortunate as she
was recently.
Two years ago when she was living
in Santa Fe, N.M., and working as state
prosecutor, Klein was diagnosed with
breast cancer. She had a lumpectomy,
chemotherapy and radiation treatment,
and came back the healthy and athletic
woman she had always been.
She realizes advances in cancer research
and treatment are what enable her
today to ride her bicycle, pursue a pilot’s
license, scuba dive, and aim for whatever
adventure strikes her fancy next.
People with HIV/AIDS equally deserve
a fair shake, she said.
“I thought of all the people who have
supported cancer research,” Klein said.
“And cancer is now accepted, but HIV/
AIDS still has that whole stigma and it is
affecting the world just as much as cancer.
There needs to be more money put
into AIDS research.”
Where the money goes
Three research centers will benefit from
the fund-raiser ride, according to Pallotta
TeamWorks, a not-for-profit company in
Los Angeles that is producing the event.
The research centers are Aaron Diamond
AIDS Research Center in New York,
Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University
in Atlanta, and the UCLA AIDS
Institute in Los Angeles.
“We think these three organizations
represent the most prestigious in the world
for vaccine work and they have a history
of working together,” said Kenny Taylor,
managing director of the Alaska ride.
AIDS affects everyone
About 10 years ago, Klein lost a friend to
AIDS, but at the time she had not known
for certain her friend had had the disease.
“People didn’t talk about it,” she said.
“Even I didn’t know at the time. Because
of that, I went to go see the AIDS quilt.
I was living in San Francisco. I was overwhelmed
by the size of it. Floor to floor,
wall to wall.”
When Klein was diagnosed with
breast cancer two years ago, her treatment
lasted from February, when she was diagnosed,
until August. She lost her hair
and her emotions were jangled, but she
knew survival chances were in her favor.
“With AIDS, there isn’t that survival
rate compared to breast cancer,” she said.
“I’m challenging myself to do this ride,
to prove to myself I can do it, for my
friend, and for the people who have not
been diagnosed yet.”
Getting ready
Klein signed up for the ride last fall, even
though she had never done any endurance
riding.
“We closed registration last November,”
Taylor, the ride’s managing director,
said. “We sold out the ride in 71 days.
That’s incredible.”
Bicyclists must be at least 18 years
old, and some are in their 70s.
“Most of our riders have never done
something like this,” said Taylor, who will
be participating. “Most are doing it because
they want to make a difference.
Some are serious bicyclists. It’s not competitive
at all. It’s not about that.”
Klein seems unfazed by the training
she knows is necessary.
Klein rides her 24-speed Cannondale road
bike five days a week from her Naples Park
home to Fort Myers Beach, most of the time
before work. She’s logged about a thousand
miles in training so far.
“I do things because I don’t think
anybody should be limited on anything,”
she said. “I’ve just done stuff.”
She’s working on getting her pilot’s license,
even though she’s not fond of flying.
“Fear kind of reinforces that you’re
alive,” Klein said.
When gas prices skyrocketed earlier
this year, she decided to commute to work
by bicycle the 12 miles each way, to save
money and to train. The catch is Airport-
Pulling Road, where the legal aid office is
8 Summer 2000

S P O T L I G H T
located, isn’t exactly safe for bicyclists.
“That lasted three weeks,” she said.
“I started training last week seriously, an
endurance program.”
Early in the morning, Klein bikes for
90 minutes five days a week for roughly 20
miles. On a recent Sunday, she rode for two
hours and 10 minutes, logging in 33 miles.
“I was moving,” she said. Soon, she
plans to step up the weekend ride to
45 miles.
One trouble is that Florida’s flatness is
no match to Alaska’s hilly terrain. She’s considering
a weekend trip to Mount Dora in
Central Florida for uphill conditioning.
The elevation in the Alaska ride
will range from 240 feet to 3,000 feet,
Taylor said.
Each day the bicyclists will log 65
to 95 miles.
“It’s challenging but incredibly beautiful,”
said Taylor, who has not biked in
Alaska before.
At night, the bicyclists will sleep in
tents, have a catered hot meal, and perks
include a massage tent and some entertainment,
he said.
During the day’s course, there are pit
stops for water and energy bars.
“You are allocated time to do the
ride,” Klein said. “They pick you up if
you don’t finish that day.”
She will be joined by two friends
on the Alaska ride, one from Ohio and
the other from Los Angeles. Recently
she got in touch with Taft biology
teacher Sally Dickinson, who is also
doing the ride.
“We are all celebrating life,” Klein
said. “Everybody is riding for a different
reason.”
To find out more about the ride, check out
the Website www.alaskaride.org. To find
out more about Stacey Klein’s fundraising
efforts, contact her at skilegal@aol.com.
Copyright 2000 Naples Daily News.
Reprinted with permission.
Taft Bulletin 9

S P O T L I G H T
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
Of Family and
10 Summer 2000

S P O T L I G H T
“The real responsibility
of a moral people is
not to soothe the
wounds of the afflicted,
but to search for the
root causes of inequity
and to move to
eradicate those cancers.”
Lance Odden leads the procession with Commencement speaker John McCardell,
president of Middlebury College.
Commencement is a time to say goodbye
and to recognize that life will never be quite
the same again.
Your care and knowledge of each other
will never again be matched by like circumstances, for
the world that you enter will be larger, more fluid, and
less rooted than your Taft experience has been. You will
form new friendships and love the freedoms of college
life, but you will never be so intimately connected with
a large group of people as you have been at Taft.
One day you will build your own families but
those will be far smaller, and still more intimate than
your experience here, and so your life will change
fundamentally today.
Opposite page:
1. Aurelian Award winner Jessup Shean
2. Valedictorian Michael Baudinet also
received the Bourne Medal in History.
3. Class speaker Venroy July received the
Lawrence Hunter Stone Award.
4. Head monitor and 1908 Medal winner
Price Bell
5. Pranisa Kovithvathanaphong, Joyce
Kwok, and Prom Petklai
6. Hussein Chhatriwala received both
the Chemistry Prize and the Maurice
Pollack Award.
7. Ribby Goodfellow received the Joseph
I. Cunningham Award and the Chinese
Prize.
8. Charlie Baker, Ross Koller, and
Cameron White
9. Class speaker Emily Smith
Justice110 th Commencement Remarks
By Lance R. Odden, Headmaster
Taft Bulletin 11

S P O T L I G H T
Justine Landegger ’00 with parents George and Eva Landegger, sister Vanessa ’91
with her new baby, and members of their extended family, some of whom traveled
from Europe to attend
Joni and Carlisle Peet ’70 with daughter
Hillary, the fourth generation of Peets to
graduate from Taft
A word about family. I worry greatly
about our modern age—we are too busy
pursuing careers and wealth, personal experiences,
ever needing to be externally
stimulated and entertained. In recent years,
people spent too little time together, in quiet
pursuits, in the simple rituals of family life.
The philosopher, Sam Keene, said that
he had the best father ever, because he was
always there. In contrast, the average father
in today’s world spends five minutes daily
with his children. We cannot pass on our
love, our beliefs, our joy in living, in sound
bites; we cannot sustain the values of our
world without being there for our children.
Being there for our children does not
mean buying things, but spending time
in play, in conversation, in approbation,
and in saying no, in helping them understand
their limits.
Everywhere we turn in modern
America the crisis of children speaks to a
crisis in our society. On the one hand, ours
is an opulent society that has the worst
record in child life expectancy and in early
childhood education of any postindustrial
society in the world. On the other hand,
ours is a world where one in five children
under five are being prescribed psychotropic
drugs to manage the psychological
challenges they theoretically have. We
must confront this malaise, and yours
must be the generation to do so.
Let me be clear that my concern for
family circumstances and personal morality
is not an echo of the religious right’s
belief that such focus will take care of
society’s ills. Indeed, I believe that the
companion to our family crisis is our preoccupation
with ourselves at the expense
of public discourse about matters of public
policy, of justice for all in our society.
In this presidential election year, we
debate how to carve up the surplus to
benefit all of us, but both parties—pandering
to our apparent selfishness—fail
to challenge Americans to search for what
is right for the future of all. As a result,
the infrastructure of our cities decays, our
educational system disintegrates, the rac-
ism of our drug policies hardens. And,
we invest in police—not in prenatal care,
the family, and education.
So often, we the privileged take solace
in our charitable response to the
needs of those less fortunate. However,
the real responsibility of a moral people
is not to soothe the wounds of the afflicted,
but to search for the root causes
of inequity and to move to eradicate those
cancers. Today, there is no public discourse
about the essential issues of our
time. There is only silence.
If the past decade is to be known for
the triumph of capitalism and the new
economy, it will also be identified for its
failure to move us toward a more just world.
Thus, it falls to your generation to do so.
There is no easy journey to the love
of family, or to the search for justice. Both
require personal sacrifice and hard work.
However, in the unifying ideas of the
world’s great religions, there are essential
directives in Confucianism, Hinduism,
and Buddhism, from the Islamic, Judaic,
Commencement 2000
12 Summer 2000

S P O T L I G H T
John and Bonnie McCardell with sons John ’00 and James
Parents Fund Chairmen John and Joan Goodwin with son Andrew
and Christian worlds. We are urged by
all to put aside our preoccupation with
self and to find happiness by denying
worldly goods and helping others.
In all religions it is noted that we
should treat others as we would be treated
were our roles reversed. Do unto others,
as you would have them do unto you—
the essence of justice.
In life you have a choice. Will you live
in an acquisitive world serving only yourself?
Or, will you seek to make the world a
better place by serving others? Everyday,
you will be called upon to make decisions
that will lead you in one direction or another.
The challenge is clear, and I believe
that you are uniquely prepared, precisely
because of the motto of this school and our
ultimate calling. Non ut sibi ministretur sed
ut ministret. Not to be served, but to serve.
If you carry those words with you
in your heart, you will choose well, and
when the final record is written, you
will have contributed to making the
world a better place.
John M. McCardell, Jr.
Guest speaker John McCardell has been
a member of the history faculty of
Middlebury College since 1976, and in
1992 the college called John to become
its 15th president. In the intervening
years, he elevated the college to unprecedented
heights, with a farsighted vision.
He is also the proud father of 2000 graduate,
John M. McCardell III.
John took his theme from The Education
of Henry Adams, looking back at
the Paris Exposition of 1900.
“He implies that the quaint 18 th century
notion of a natural and harmonious balance
between pure knowledge and moral force will
have no meaning in the 20 th . ‘The power
embodied in a railway train could never be
embodied in art,’ Adams writes. ‘All the steam
in the world could not, like the Virgin [Mary]
build [the cathedral at] Chartres.’
“The world of 1900, then, is a world
splitting apart, and The Education of Henry
Adams is a search for order in a new, technological
culture of multiplicity, complexity,
and contradiction, where explanations
and verities are neither fixed nor eternal. It
is, even more, a desperate search for something
to believe in, and for some
transcendent moral purpose that might give
society shape and direction. At the dawn
of a century whose chief scientific discovery
is to be the theory of relativity and whose
chief moral legacy is to be, perhaps as a result,
a theory of moral relativism, Henry
Adams is reduced to bowing down before
the graven image of the machine.
“And if technology seemed inevitable
and permanently ascendant in 1900, how
much more so does that appear to be the
case a century later? And are we any less
inclined to worship at technology’s altar?
Reality has become increasingly virtual—
and increasingly able to be manipulated and
monitored without our knowing it. A recent
report of the Carnegie Foundation
notes that ‘the volume of new information
is increasing at such a rapid pace that the
Class of 2000 will be exposed to more new
Commencement 2000
Taft Bulletin 13

S P O T L I G H T
Frank and Christine Wisner, with son David and Lance Odden
Jon Bennett and his great-aunt Evelyn
McGaughey
data in one year than its grandparents encountered
in a lifetime.’ The Human
Genome Project is soon to place on a genetic
map the most fundamental elements
of human life and remove the veil of mystery
from creation and being. We may soon
have within our mortal powers the ability
to alter (and, yes, to regulate) the very essence
of human existence.
“St. Francis reminds us that every human
soul has value and that every human
being—but especially the educated human
being—has a special obligation. And
that obligation is to balance knowledge
and…something else. Call it character,
perhaps, or duty, or virtue, or moral compass,
or civic responsibility. Call it, if you
will, faith. Above all call it selfless and
call it timeless. Glimpse it always in the
distance, ever on the horizon. Follow its
gleam. Make it yours. Make it you.”
Emily Smith ’00
Class speaker Emily Smith likened Taft
to a casino in her remarks, while professing
no personal experience with the
latter. “We wouldn’t be where we are had
we not taken risks,” she told her classmates
and their guests. “We learned
early on that only big risks yield generous
rewards. Over four years, we’ve dealt
with the bad hands and worked intelligently
with the good, understanding
that everyone has their fair share of
both.” Finally, the difference between
the two establishments, she explains, “at
Taft, you can’t lose.”
Venroy July ’00
Class speaker Venroy July complimented
his peers on how far they’ve come since
freshman year. “There’s no doubt we have
matured since those days, when we congratulated
each other on who had the most
conduct grades. I’m not sure what brought
about this change, but by some mysterious
means we seemed to learn that maybe,
just maybe, we’d have to face the consequences
of our actions. Whether it was
our personal desire to succeed or the
threats from our parents after receiving
letters home, those immature kids who
entered Taft four years ago matured into
adults. You definitely learn when you have
to buck up and when you have to change.
“Now, I’m skeptical about using the
word adult, which for people our age can
be a code word for boring. We need to think
about this for a second, How can this be
when we look at examples like Mr. Johnson
and Mr. Wynne who, at times, act younger
than we do. If you come to the track and
see Mr. Johnson hurdling or Mr. Wynne
beating up on somebody in the wrestling
room, you’d see what I mean.
“But think about yourself four years
ago and think about yourself now.
Think about how much we have grown.
As we have matured together, we’ve developed
a definite bond, but in doing
so we’ve had fun. Class of 2000, look
around, at each other. Now think for a
second. Don’t we look great? We just
make this look fantastic!”
Photography by Highpoint Pictures
Commencement 2000
14 Summer 2000

S P O T L I G H T
Ten Ways Not to Retire
—Without
Even Trying
By Henry Pollack II ’40
1. Be sure to work for a cousin, some other relative, or your best friend so that your summer vacation and trips
overseas will never be interrupted.
2. Have a desk at your office which is a lot more important than you are, but be sure to keep active in some
specialized phase of the work (mine is making the company’s brewed decaf).
3. Arrange to work in a stress-free vocation (i.e., teaching Mexican children to speak Spanish, or selling IPOs
ending in .com).
4. On the other hand, if you are one of those people who require a maximum amount of stress in your life, play
duplicate bridge as well.
5. Allot a certain amount of time each day to play and recreation. If there is not a casino near at hand, you can at
least turn on the television to a sports event.
6. Keep up with your friends. A social life is important. A friend is someone who does not
a) tell you how much better you look than the last time he saw you;
b) call you Bill when your name is Jerry;
c) send you all the jokes he’s getting on e-mail.
7. Exercise your mind. Try to remember the name of that company which gave you that special memory course last year.
8. In order not to retire, there is a broad consensus among specialists that it is necessary to survive until
retirement age. To that end:
a) Be lucky. Don’t get born before carefully checking your health genes. Otherwise, get to know a scientist
working on the Human Genome Project.
b) Live the good life. Exercise by lifting enormous amounts of healthy foods into your mouth at high speed to
ensure that you burn 400 calories per meal.
9. Keep your dog. Dogs are not only great friends, but also helpful in keeping your blood pressure down, and
they force you to do aerobic walking while they piddle. If your boss won’t let you bring your dog to work, this
is not the kind of company you wish to be associated with.
10. Per your doctor’s instructions, be sure to drink about two ounces of liquor a day. However, if on some occasion
you get carried away and become plastered, be sure to use a healthful red wine, which explains why the French
outlive the Russians, who drink vodka.
Alumni are invited to submit humorous or lighthearted essays on any topic for this column. All should be structured in a list
of ten items and contain no more than 750 words. Writers will receive $50 if their essays are published in the Taft Bulletin.
We regret that manuscripts cannot be returned, so please do not send originals.
Taft Bulletin 15

S P O T L I G H T
A Celebration for
Barclay Johnson ’53
and John & Gail Wynne
Barclay Johnson ’53 and Terry Feldman
Jon Albert ’79, Penny Hudnut P’82, ’84, ’90, Slade Mead ’80, Gail Wynne, and George Utley ’74
Beverly and John Watling ’53, Archie van Beuren ’75, and Paul
Klingenstein ’74
Reuben Cox, John Wynne, and George ’65 and Mimi Boggs
16 Summer 2000

S P O T L I G H T
Parents and alumni gathered in great numbers in early May to wish farewell
to retiring faculty members Barclay Johnson ’53 and John and Gail Wynne.
Their combined years of service to the school, guiding students and
young colleagues alike, total over a century of dedication.
Ted Greene and Greg Oneglia ’65
Laura and Gary Sklaver ’68 with daughter Anna
Jeff Boak ’70, Fred Small ’70, and Katharine Esty
Mike Brenner ’53, and Alex ’53 and Pat Platt
Harry Hyde ’52, Jerry Romano, and Fred Parkin P’00, ’03 John Wynne, center, with Jim and Mary Beth McCormack P’00, ’02
Taft Bulletin 17

S P O T L I G H T
1999–2000
Annual Fund Report
This has been a great year for the Annual
Fund. In total, we have raised $2.6 million
for the school, $200,000 higher than
our goal. I am deeply grateful to all the
alumni/ae, current parents, former parents,
grandparents, and friends for their
generosity and loyalty to The Taft School.
• • •
The Alumni portion of the Annual Fund
stands at $1,397,703, with alumni participation
at a very healthy 44 percent.
Congratulations and thanks go to the
50th Reunion Class of 1950, led by Class
Agents Jay Greer and Chick Treadway,
Class Agent and
Donor Reception
On Monday, September 25, John
L. Vogelstein, Jr. ’52, chairman of
the Board of Trustees, will host a
reception at the New York Yacht
Club in New York City honoring
all class agents and assistant agents
for their great work in helping the
1999–2000 Annual Fund raise $2.6
million for Taft.
John also extends the invitation
to all donors from the Classes of
1921 through 1985 who made gifts
of $1,000 or more to the 1999–
2000 Annual Fund and to donors
from the Classes of 1986 through
2000 who made gifts of $500 or
more to recognize them for their
generous support. Olivia Tuttle,
Annual Fund director, is coordinating
the reception and may be
reached at 800-959-8238.
which raised $783,863 for the school.
The Class of 1960, which celebrated its
40th Reunion, won both the Snyder
Award for the most amount of money
given by a reunion class and the Chairman
of the Board Award for highest
participation—for the fourth year in a
row—with 81 percent participation.
I would like to commend George
Hampton, the class agent for 1960, for
his dedicated service to his class and the
school. He has won the Chairman of the
Board Award for the fifth consecutive year!
Well done! I would also like to congratulate
Woolly Bermingham and Ross Legler,
class agents for 1943, for reaching an astounding
100 percent participation.
Special recognition should also go to the
Class of 1990. Led by Class Agent Roger
Lee, the class and three anonymous donors
raised $100,000 for the John
Alexander Memorial Scholarship Fund.
• • •
Joan and John Goodwin P’00 have led the
Parents’ Fund to yet another impressive
level by raising $1 million with 94 percent
participation from current parents. This
extraordinary level of giving is proof of the
strong endorsement the parents give to
Headmaster Lance Odden and the faculty.
I would like to thank Joan and John, who
are handing over the reins to Carol and Will
Browne, parents of Alex ’98 and David ’01.
• • •
Special recognition should go to both
the past parents and the grandparents
here at Taft. I’d like to thank Pam and
Gib Harris P’88, ’95, ’96, for their work
with former parents, and Del Ladd ’44,
GP’99, ’01 for his involvement with the
grandparents. For the sixth consecutive
Annual Fund Chair Dyllan McGee ’89 presents
Sam Crocker ’60 with the Snyder
Award for the most amount of money given
by a reunion class and the Chairman of the
Board Award for highest participation. The
Class of ’60 also donated new football
bleachers in memory of their legendary
coach, the late Bob Poole ’50—a gesture
that deeply moved Bob’s classmates.
year, these two groups have raised well
over $200,000 for the Annual Fund.
Well done!
• • •
My first year as Annual Fund chair has been
a delight. I have been overwhelmed by the
generosity and dedication of our alumni
body. I am already looking forward to next
year as we explore new ways to integrate
the Annual Fund with the World Wide
Web—so hold on to your hats because we’re
entering the 21st century full steam ahead!
Sincerely,
Dyllan W. McGee ’89
Annual Fund Chair
18 Summer 2000

L E T T E R S
Letters to the Editor
Taft and the AP
Your article sparked memory! Advanced
Placement exams started because school
graduates were complaining that their
freshman college courses were repetitious
(of their senior year in school).
These complaints I first heard when
I was teaching at Andover in the late ’30s
and early ’40s. After the war I taught at
Yale, and I recall Walter Gierasch’s coming
to see me; he was on the Andover
English faculty. As I think back, AP was
operational but not accepted everywhere.
The two goals were placement
AND credit. Harvard went along with
this, but Yale was dragging its feet....
Could I help? What Harvard and Yale
did would affect the decisions of other
institutions. The stance of Brad Welles,
professor of ancient history and a very
good friend, was typical: placement
okay, but no credit.
At that time one requirement for
the B.A. was a year of Latin, Greek, or
Classical Civilization. It was Classy Civ.
that kept the department alive!
Jump ahead to the late ’50s: Latin
AP’s continuance depended on the
number of students standing the examination!
Alston Chase, Andover’s classics
chair and my close friend, and I were
determined. What he did, I don’t recall,
but I required(!) my eleven senior Latin
students to take the examination. (The
fee in those days was maybe $5.00.) As
I recall (the accuracy of this is what you
might call my privilege!), my two an-
chor men (bare 60s for the year) received
threes (on a five-point scale)!
The end of the story is that there was
a meeting of teachers, whose students had
taken the examination, later in the summer
at Hotchkiss. I learned humility
from one of the teachers—an older lady
who taught in a public school somewhere
who said that in order to give the Vergil
course, she held class Saturday
mornings...in her home. Her principal
didn’t think a fourth year of Latin was of
any value. I have never forgotten that;
independent school teachers do have a
privileged workplace!
—Robert Woolsey
Classics, Bulletin editor 1952–63
Inspired to Return
Your Spring 2000 edition of the Bulletin
is the best ever! The color photography is
outstanding and your articles well written
and illustrated. The overall quality and
content exceeds the many other alumni
magazines that come to our home.
Because of a year abroad before college,
my Taft reunions have always
coincided with my Yale ones (Class of
’42), and I’ve never attended an alumni
weekend at Taft. But after looking over
this issue of the Bulletin with me, my wife
has determined that we SHALL attend
in 2002!
—John M. Packard ’37
Hats Off
There is something universal about the
“Ten Things to Be Ready for When Returning
for Alumni Day”—so universal
that I want to print the list for the Vermont
Academy alums. Bonnie hit the nail
on the head in so many ways. We however,
cannot print her, first, because at least as of
now, we don’t have the styrofoam hats.
Continued praises for your fine work
with the magazine—it serves as a model
for us all.
—Jim Mooney ’74
Headmaster, Vermont Academy
We’re pleased to announce that the
Council for the Advancement and Support
of Education has awarded the Taft
Bulletin a bronze medal in its Circle of
Excellence program in the category of Independent
School Magazines.
We welcome Letters to the Editor relating to the content of the magazine.
Letters may be edited for length, clarity, and content, and are published at the editor’s discretion. Send correspondence to:
Julie Reiff, Editor • Taft Bulletin • 110 Woodbury Road • Watertown, CT 06795-2100 • or to ReiffJ@TaftSchool.org
Taft Bulletin 19

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
Alumni
IN THE NEWS
Producing Presidents
Dyllan McGee ’89 attends a dinner at the White House with President Clinton to celebrate the debut of
the PBS documentary, The American President.
Dyllan McGee ’89 has been working for
the last few years on the documentary
The American President, which aired on
PBS in April. The five-night series included
famous politicians, actors, and
even Don Imus, reading the words of the
individual presidents.
As a coordinating producer, Dyllan
oversaw all phases of production: research
(stills and film for all 41 presidents),
shoots (conducted both at the White
House and at all of the presidents’
homes), editing, postproduction, and
publicity. “On top of coordinating,” she
said, “I also directed our narrator, Hugh
Sidey, at all of his recording sessions. For
a 10-hour documentary, we recorded 79
hours of narration over about three years.
In all, the project took five
years to put together.”
“One of the most
interesting things that
emerges,” said co-producer
Philip Kunhardt
III, “is that personal flaws
are not necessarily a barrier
to greatness, and
rigorous personal virtue
does not necessarily protect
against failure.”
The program interviewed
all living presidents,
except Ronald Reagan, and
divided the 41 subjects thematically
into ten parts:
Family Ties, Happenstance,
An Independent
Cast of Mind, The Professional
Politician, The
American Way, The World
Stage, The Heroic Posture,
Compromise Choices, Expanding
Powers, and The
Balance of Power.
Horace Taft’s brother is profiled
in the final episode, with General
Colin Powell providing the voice of
William Howard. For more information,
visit the accompanying Website—
www.americanpresident.org—which has
been called the most ambitious education
site ever mounted in support of a
television series.
20 Summer 2000

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
“Howe” Honored He Is
Colleagues and friends gathered to pay
tribute to “Doc” Howe ’36 for his career
of service to education. The former U.S.
commissioner of education and senior
lecturer at Harvard University’s Graduate
School of Education was honored
during a luncheon held near his home in
Hanover, NH, last January.
Doc’s first major task as commissioner
of education under President
Lyndon B. Johnson was to implement
the newly-passed ESEA, Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (1965). “I had
the job of setting up a system for doing
something nobody had ever done before,”
establishing an unprecedented
federal role in schools, Education Week
reported. He was responsible for making
sure that federal money was
distributed to the then nearly 27,000
U.S. school districts, “many of whose
addresses we didn’t even know.”
Passage of the Civil Rights Act in
1964 had made the task all the more challenging,
because it prohibited federal
funds from going to schools that discriminated
on the basis of race. “In effect,
we took on the job of desegregating the
Southern schools so that we could give
them Title I money,” he said.
Doc’s testimony to the House Rules
Committee in 1967 was considered “crucial
to desegregation in the future,” said
Jerome Murphy, then a lobbyist for the
then U.S. Office of Education and currently
dean of the Harvard Graduate
School of Education.
Reflecting on his work in the 1960s
to step up the federal role in education,
Doc said it should come as little surprise
that hopes that the ESEA would transform
education fell short. “We’re ready for a rethinking
of the federal role,” he said. “It
ought to have an enlargement and also a
hands-off element, which is not now there,
and is going to be hard to put there.”
While at Harvard in 1988, Doc
headed the commission that produced
the frequently cited report, “The Forgotten
Half: Pathways to Success for
America’s Youth and Families.”
A graduate of Yale University, Doc
later received his master’s degree in history
from Columbia. Although he never
received his doctorate, he said he’s had
the nickname “Doc” since childhood.
Doc Howe ’36 and Jerome Murphy, dean of
the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Photo by Mario Morgado
Source: Erik W. Robelen, Education Week
Family Ventures
Peter Sallick ’83 didn’t plan on joining the family business. “I came back because
I saw that there was a market,” he told House & Garden magazine this
spring. “It had nothing to do with family.”
A graduate of Harvard Business School, Peter joined Waterworks, his parents’
22-year-old Connecticut-based company that sold bathroom fixtures, in
1993. As president and CEO, he has nurtured the company from four modest
outlets to 28 upscale one-stop bath boutiques—with six more in the works.
Tapping into a generation of label-conscious consumers, Peter and his
mother, Barbara, developed a private label line of bathroom goods, covering
everything from soap and towels, to faucets, tiles, light fixtures, and even the
bathroom sink. “We think of ourselves as a fashion brand,” he said.
But don’t expect to see Waterworks opening in your local mall. “We love
the sense of independence and community that we get from being in a neighborhood,”
Peter said, “and hanging out our shingle on the street.”
Peter Sallick ’83 and his mother, Barbara, work together at the family business.
Photo by Matthew Hranek
Source: Lygeia Grace, House & Garden
Taft Bulletin 21

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
From Music to Management
It’s not the typical success story you
might expect to read about in Forbes
magazine. Andrew Solomon ’92, described
by the august business journal
as “talented and boyishly handsome,”
gave up his job at Salomon Smith
Barney to spend more than a year pursuing
full-time his dream of becoming
a professional musician.
What was unique about Andrew’s
approach is that he took advantage of
the fledgling promotion tool, the
Internet. “The Internet made the idea
seem less flaky,” he told Forbes.
Playing New York City clubs by
night and courting radio stations,
record labels, and Websites by day, Andrew
was able to sell a few thousand of
his self-pressed CD but still hoped for
a shot at the big time.
What caught the interest of Forbes
were the golden promises of the music
Websites, like MPS.com, that dangle
fame in front of wanna-be musicians:
“Get fans! Sell more CDs! Get famous!”
Andrew’s effort was not entirely
without success. He was voted the
most popular new artist by Billboard
magazine’s Website, and later received
a nice mention in Billboard magazine—
the music industry mainstay.
He’s had meetings with Arista, Columbia,
Maverick, and Sire Records,
along with other labels. The Web just
isn’t enough, Andrew explains. Without
the record labels, being a full-time
musician isn’t “economically feasible.”
It’s impossible to get the kind of marketing
they can provide, he says.
Andrew says he doesn’t regret his
“leap of faith”—also the title of a catchy
single from his CD. He still hopes to
sign a recording contract sometime, but
in the meantime, he has found a new
way to use the Web—for a job. Andrew
moved to San Francisco earlier this year
to become the director of business development
for emusic.com
Source: Amy Doan, Forbes
Andrew Solomon ’92 painted his Web address on the back of his keyboard when he
played the NYC club scene. Photo by Michael Benabib
New Alumni Trustee John Moon ’85
Alumni Trustee
John Moon ’85 was this year’s pick
in the annual election of alumni
trustee, as announced at the Alumni
Day luncheon in May. A cum laude
graduate from Taft, he received his
AB in economics at Harvard magna
cum laude in three years.
John took a position with Alex,
Brown & Sons, Inc., at its headquarters
in Baltimore, Maryland, before
returning to Harvard for graduate
school. Upon receiving his Ph.D. in
business economics in 1994, John
joined the investment banking division
of Goldman, Sachs & Co. in New
York City. In 1998, John left Goldman
to join the private equity business of
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co.
Aside from his professional activities,
John is involved with
Learning Leaders in New York City,
volunteering as a tutor in a local public
school. Prior to that, he was active
with Operation Exodus Inner City, a
tutoring and mentoring program for
children from the Washington
Heights neighborhood of New York.
John is also a member of the Associates
Committee for the Harvard
Graduate School Fund and has served
as a member of the special gifts committee
for his college class. John
currently lives in New York City with
his wife, Hee-Jung, and two children.
Other members of the school’s
board of trustees chosen by alumni
ballot are Ken Pettis ’74, Jon Albert
’79, Don Taylor ’76, and Firkins Reed
’78. Each serves a four-year term.
22 Summer 2000

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
Alumni Citation of Merit
H. Wick Chambers, Jr. ’27 was this year’s
alumni honoree, recognized for “a life
filled with extraordinary achievement
and exemplary concern for and commitment
to the welfare of others.”
Wick’s service to his country in two
wars brought him the Bronze Star. Service
to his community and its institutions
brought him stellar regard and affection,
said Lance Odden.
“Always you made time to go the
extra distance in helping others. For 41
years you served families and their needs
as dean of the New Haven banking community,”
Lance praised. “Always you
lived up to the highest aspiration Horace
Taft held for his graduates: that they
would ‘go into things and make them
work.’ How proud your headmaster
would be today to join in honoring you
for your service to others.”
Wick has served as treasurer of Trinity
Church, president and director of
Farnam Neighborhood House, chairman
of the Connecticut Institute for the Blind,
and trustee of the Foote School, Hamden
Hall Country Day School, and Yale-New
Haven Hospital. He served as a Taft trustee
from 1965 to 1975 “with incomparably
sound and steady judgment.”
In an era of change and innovation,
his voice stood strong and clear on the
side of principle, setting the standard
Honored for Kosovo Coverage
Steven Erlanger ’70, New York Times bureau chief for Central
Europe and the Balkans, was awarded the Peter Weitz
prize of the German Marshall Fund for his coverage of Serbia
and Kosovo in 1999.
The German Marshall Fund, created in 1972 by a gift
from the German people as a permanent memorial to postwar
Marshall Plan aid, aims to deepen understanding, promote collaboration and, stimulate
exchanges of practical experience between Americans and Europeans.
Steven lives in Prague with his wife, Elisabeth.
Source: Waterbury Republican American
Citation of Merit recipient Wick Chambers ’27 with his family: son Wick ’66, with wife
Susan and sons Jonathan and Timothy; and daughter Lori Chambers
for what it meant to be a trustee of our
school, Lance said.
“Beginning in 1893, when my father
entered The Taft School,” wrote
Wick Chambers, “Taft, as it has done for
so many people, so faithfully, over such
a long time, has contributed to my life
in the most wonderful and lasting ways.
It has done that by adhering to Mr. Taft’s
mission of educating the whole person
toward the goal that we, who are so privileged,
might be of service to others.” His
remarks were read by his son, Wick ’66.
“As I look back over my 92 years and
think of the wars, the depression, the
cultural and social upheavals, and now
all the technological change, I marvel at
the school’s fidelity to its original mission
and at the excellence with which it
carries that mission out. If I was of some
service along the way, I am very glad.”
For Classes of
1952–1990
For a biography of John B. Small, I
am seeking factual information, stories,
even apocryphal tales of Mr.
Small’s career at Taft. I especially
need to hear from anyone having
contact with Mr. Small between his
retirement in 1987 and his death in
1991. No detail is too small; credit
will be given.
Michael Dawson ’64
420 W. Baseline, Suite C
Claremont, CA 91711-1621
revdawson@aol.com
909-624-1762 ext. 5
Taft Bulletin 23

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
Our Man on Education
Teacher Shortage: False Alarm? a documentary by
John Merrow ’59, has won first prize for investigative
reporting from The Education Writers
Association. John also received the James L. Fisher
Award for distinguished service to education,
from CASE [Council for the Advancement and
Support of Education] at their annual assembly
in Toronto. Previous winners include The New
York Times, Father Theodore Hesburgh, Fred
Friendly, and the United Negro College Fund.
John is the host and executive producer of The
Merrow Report, a program on public television.
1 2
3 4
Before They Were Famous
You may know the names of these alumni in the spotlight, but can you identify them from these photographs from their
pre-glory days? Turn to page 57 for the answers.
24 Summer 2000

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
The Boston Reception
On April 18, Patsy and Lance Odden joined 130 alumni, parents, and friends at the Downtown Harvard Club for a cocktail
reception. Overlooking the city from the 38th floor, the group listened to the headmaster as he gave them a quick update on the
state of the school. The party was so enjoyable, it will have to become an annual affair!
The Class of ’95 has a mini-reunion: back
row, Tony Pasquariello and Nick Parks.
Front row, Eugenia Leath, Jo-Ellen Viola,
Amanda DiMauro, and Wendy Soutsos.
Elaine and Harry Dickson ’38, Joan and
John Vanderpoel ’36, P’61, Peg and Frank
Killorin ’36
Alice and Dan Comiskey P’80, ’84, Courtney
Brady P’83, and Tanny Reiff P’71, ’74, ’80
Derek and Amy Ostrander Twombly ’89
Andres Estrada ’85 and Sarah Curi ’86
Jennifer and Jeff Potter ’80
Paul Coppola ’98, Jeff D’Amelia ’97, Kris
Bagdasarian ’97, and Dan Chak ’99
1999 Classmates Sonia Cheng, Winnie So,
Zach Heineman, and Adair Ilyinsky
George Reichenbach ’47, Mary Anne and
Dave Powers ’45
Christian Kearney, Heide Anthony, Cammy
Graham, and Jennifer Burns, all members
of the Class of ’93
Suzanne Hogan P’00 and Buddy and
Nanette Lewis P’00
Bob Mongeau and Dave Vietz, both Class
of ’55
Taft Bulletin 25

AROUND THE POND
pond
Dave Hinman ’87
is the new athletic
director, succeeding
John Wynne, who
retired in June.
Steve McKibben received
a Klingenstein Fellowship for
his sabbatical year. As one of only
15 fellows in their program for independent
school teachers, Steve will
take courses at Columbia and participate
in an extensive seminar on
educational practices.
Head Monitor Empowered by New Role
Tarik Asmerom’s little
brother didn’t believe
her when she told her
family she had been
elected head monitor,
the top position in student
government at
Taft. In fact, she was a
little stunned herself
when she heard.
“When I came
out of Laube during a
break in my AP US
History exam, a friend
said, ‘You made it,’ and I thought,
‘Made what?’”
Tarik admits it was a little hard to
focus during the next section of the exam.
“I was shaking,” she said. “One essay
probably suffered from the excitement,
but I think the rest will be okay.”
A leader of United Cultures at Taft
(UCT), a member of NAALSA, an
editor for the International Forum, a
contributor to the Papyrus, and former
class committee chair, Tarik clearly brings
leadership experience to her new post.
Only the fourth girl ever elected head
monitor and the second student of color—
she is the first to be both.
“I think her winning has
lightened some of the
cynicism that one has to
be white or male to succeed
here,” said Lenny
Tucker ’92. “That’s a
good thing for Taft.”
Tarik, a four-year
senior from Houston,
Texas, found out about
Taft through A Better
Chance, but prior to
her arrival in the fall of
1997, she had never known anyone
who’d gone to boarding school.
Tarik hopes to pick up where this
year’s school monitors left off. “There’s
some work that still has to be done,” she
said, ideas they had that she hopes to
implement, such as spending more time
with lower schoolers, explaining how the
school works and why things like the
honor code are so important.
“I’m excited to have so many responsibilities
but kind of nervous about the
speeches I’ll have to give. Now that I’ve
been made head monitor,” she said, “I
feel like I can do anything.”
26 Summer 2000

Eric Norman ’81 has been
appointed business manager,
following the departure of
Rick Wood ’72.
Bill Weaver demonstrates a new way to cut the ribbon at the dedication
of the Weaver Track this spring, ably assisted by track captain Venroy
July ’00 and Headmaster Lance Odden. Photo by Craig Ambrosio
Weaver Track Dedicated
Varsity track athletes enjoyed a cold but exciting season on the
new all-weather Weaver Track, which certainly lived up to its
billing in the snow and heavy rains in April and May.
According to Coach Steve Palmer, “The extra thickness of the
running surface makes it perfect for training purposes, yet nothing is
sacrificed in terms of speed. In fact, running times have been very fast,
notably faster than previous seasons. Also, the layout of the track is
intelligent for big meets, as individual events can be easily located and
viewed due to the positioning of the areas and their bold coloring.”
Donated by William M. Weaver, Jr., of Easton, Conn., the track
was formally dedicated on May 10. Bill, a former Exeter and
Princeton runner, said that with the new facilities he hopes to see
Taft alums competing in the 2008 Olympic track events. Bill and
his daughter, Wendy Weaver Chaix ’79, attended the ceremony.
Departing Faculty
Andrew Bisselle, Fran Bisselle, Sally Dickinson, Mark Gwinn,
Volker Krasemann, Steven Laufer, Jane Lee, Yong Li, Elson
Liu, Rebecca Loud, Sherrie McKenna, Nadia Mettina-
Belknap, Alex Nagy, Paul Nanian , Maria Jose Panadero, Andy
Parker, Sara Rumbao-Real, Amy Spencer, Lindsay Stanley ’93,
Mark Traina, Carolyn White, Rick Wood ’72, and Jennifer
Glenn Wuerker ’83
Retiring:
Barclay Johnson ’53 and John and Gail Wynne
The New England Girls’
Prep School Ice Hockey
Association voted unanimously
to name the New
England Championship
trophy after Patricia K.
Odden, recognizing her
unparalleled 25-year
coaching career. Patsy
closed out her tenure on
the ice with a 79 percent
winning record,
five Founders’ League Championships, and an unprecedented
three consecutive New England
Championships.
John Wynne received the
Nadol Award, given to
that individual who has
done most for athletics in
the Founders’ League, as
voted by its athletic directors
and headmasters.
John, who retired this
spring, served as athletic
director since 1995. His
wrestling teams amassed
312 wins, 113 losses, and
9 ties over 35 years.
Other Honors
Matt Blanton was selected for the five-week
Klingenstein summer program.
David Hostage has been asked to stay for an extra
(fourth) year on the test development committee for
Advanced Placement Chemistry.
Taft Taft Bulletin
27

AROUND THE POND
Operating Room is
Classroom for Taft
Students
Four times a year “class dress” is scrubs for
Taft’s AP Biology and Anatomy and Physiology
students who head to St. Mary’s Hospital
in Waterbury to observe live operations at a
close range.
Over the past four years that Dr. Jerry
Sugar, a Waterbury otolaryngologist (ear, nose,
and throat surgeon), has been taking students
on surgical rounds, they have seen a wide range
of procedures including open abdominal surgery,
open brain surgery, tonsillectomy, tumor
and thyroid removals, gallbladder removal,
and tubal ligations.
Students, in groups of three, are provided
the opportunity to enhance the learning they
have done of the human body in their course
work and learn about the operations of a
hospital surgical unit. According to biology
teacher Laura Erickson, also head of the
Science Department, “They usually return
absolutely amazed at the significance of the
whole experience.”
Students themselves admit that the handson
learning is phenomenal. Senior Kat Liu said,
“It was an incredible experience, to be able to
witness what we had learned in the classroom
in the outside world. I gained immense respect
for doctors such as Dr. Sugar with such compassion,
brilliance, and dedication to their work
and realized that medicine indeed is a path I
might pursue in the near future.”
Yumi Aikawa ’00 of Japan agrees: “As a
student who wants to practice medicine in the
future, it was a great opportunity to actually
experience the atmosphere of the OR first
hand. All the doctors were kind to us, and
especially Dr. Sugar who let us see various
kinds of operation and biotechnology labs to
make our visit as interesting as possible. It was
just so great to be able to wear scrubs, stand
in the OR with other doctors and nurses, and
hear what they say and see and do.”
Source: Taft Press Club
Science Extras
Competition in the sciences was as diverse this spring as in any athletic season.
First, students competed in the Junior Engineering Technical
Society (JETS). Hats off to seniors David Hotchkiss, Mike Purcaro,
Mike Baudinet, Mike Blomberg, and Paul Zhang, and uppermids
Vanessa Wood, Andrew Karas, and middler Kyle Dolan, who won first
place in their division at the state competition on Wednesday, March
15. In addition to engraved individual plaques for each student, Taft
received $1,500 for software and engineering education related expenses.
“We have been participating in this competition for more than ten
years,” said physics teacher Jim Mooney. “We have won our division
several times, but have come in second to Hopkins the last four years.
This year they came in second.” The competition consists of an engineering
aptitude test. The problems are very complex, usually taking
5–10 pages to fully specify the given set of circumstances. There are
typically about 70 schools competing.
• • •
Next, five students displayed their knowledge of chemistry, when they
competed in 2000 Chemathon, a test administered by the Department
of Chemistry at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield.
Victor Chu ’01, Panipak Kovithvathanaphong ’02, Victoria Choi
’01, Margot Schou ’01, and Andrew Karas ’01, were selected by the Taft
chemistry faculty to represent Taft. They completed the 80-question,
two-hour, multiple choice test, which is designed to cover all the material
of a one-year introductory high school chemistry course with about
150 other students.
Andrew Karas placed second in our division and tenth overall in the
competition. All Taft students scored in the top twenty.
Chemistry teacher David Hostage says that competing in the
Chemathon is good review for his students, most of whom will take the
SAT II subject test in chemistry on essentially the same material only
days later. Margot Schou added, “Even though I didn’t place in the competition,
the experience was a valuable one that exposed me again to all
the material I’d learned this year.”
• • •
Finally, 12 Taft students stayed on at the end of the school year to
attend the “Peak Performance” competition in Boston on Sunday, June
4, sponsored by the Engineering Department at Boston University. Twostudent
teams bring vehicles they have constructed to the competition,
where they compete against the other teams with the vehicles climbing
an 8-foot ramp.
There were nearly 150 teams at the competition. Taft representatives
were: Andrew Karas and Vanessa Wood; middlers Tim Monahan
and Norah Garry; middler Greg Grinberg and senior Bancha
Dhammarungruang; middlers Grace Morris and Neena Qasba; Victoria
Choi and Natalie Ie; and Kyle Dolan and Jason Chen. The Choi/Ie
team made it all the way to the finals.
“These kids spent many long hours in the woodshop working on their
designs,” said Jim Mooney, “and did a great job at the competition.”
28 Summer 2000

AROUND THE POND
Memorable Musica
The Collegium Musicum traveled to
Spain over March break. During their
eight-day trip to Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo,
Sitges, and Segovia, the Collegium
gave five major concerts in Spanish cathedrals
and churches. The group gave
several performances at the Catedral de
la Seu (Barrio Gotico) and la cripta de
La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, San
Juan de los Reyes in Toledo, the Colegio
Estudio in Aravaca, and at Nuestra Senora
de la Almudena in Madrid.
Director Bruce Fifer incorporated a
number of Spanish Renaissance pieces
into their program, all of which were
originally sung at these same churches
and cathedrals. Collegium students were
genuinely touched by this rare experience.
For example, at a cathedral concert
in Barcelona, “everyone was in tears afterwards,”
said Meghan Kish ’02. “I think
The Collegium Musicum performs in Barcelona. Photo by Peter Frew
it was our best concert ever.”
In Barcelona, the group met up with
Baba and Peter Frew ’75 and their family
who were on sabbatical for the school year
in Spain, and were treated to dinner in a
local restaurant by the Landegger family.
Source: Sera Reycraft ’02, Taft Papyrus
Austro-Hungarian Highlights
“Superb, we had a great time,” said
Alex Nagy, director of instrumental
music, of the Chamber Ensemble’s
March trip to Austria and Hungary.
The ensemble performed concerts for
elementary schools and various older
audiences in Vienna and Budapest,
where all members agreed that the sights
were gorgeous.
One of the most memorable aspects
of being in Budapest for Mihoko
Maru ’01 was the welcoming response
Chamber received from the elementary
school children for whom they
performed.
A highlight of the trip for others
was the night of Mr. Nagy’s 50 th
birthday celebration, for which
music instructor Mickey Trentalange
treated the group to dinner at a
renowned Hungarian restaurant.
Another highlight of the trip was
catching up with local alumni Andrea
Uzdi ’98 and Csaba Zalanyi ’99.
The chamber trip was clearly a
success. “People there wanted us to
send them our music so they could
learn and play it,” Alex said. “We
were very well received.”
Source: Khayriyyah Muhammad ’01,
Taft Papyrus
The Chamber Ensemble explores Vienna
over spring break. Photo courtesy of
Kat Liu ’00
Taft Taft Bulletin
29

AROUND THE POND
In Brief
On Language Teaching
and Learning
Dr. Peter Patrikis, executive director of the
Consortium for Language Teaching and
Learning, gave a conference at Taft on the use
of technology in teaching modern languages
and on the strengths and weaknesses of high
school programs from the colleges’ point of
view. The Language Consortium includes
Brown, Chicago, Columbia, Cornell,
Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, Penn, Princeton,
and Yale, where the consortium is based. Dr.
Patrikis has published and lectured extensively
in this country and abroad. He received his
B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Harvard. Taft’s
exchange teacher from Spain, Juan Ortiz, organized
the conference.
Visiting Poet
Billy Collins, dubbed “the most popular living
poet in America,” gave a reading at Taft in
May. Collins reads regularly on NPR and at
colleges and high schools nationwide; his sense
of humor and desire to convince contemporary
audiences that poetry need not be stodgy
or boring enlivens his performances. His subjects
are varied, often taken from the seemingly
prosaic objects and activities of daily life: the
notes in the margin of a borrowed book, a
Victoria’s Secret catalogue, the sounds of his
dog lapping water from its bowl.
Senior Seminars
Studying the crisis in Kosovo is a likely topic for students embarking
on an independent research project, but the subject had special meaning
for senior Adriana Blakaj, who escaped the civil war in Pristina,
Kosovo, in 1990 with her parents and her brother.
“I finally decided to focus my research on the role of communist dictator
Josip Broz Tito in the former Yugoslavia, and especially in Kosovo,”
Adriana said. “I found it ironic that only a short while after his death, a
myriad of nationalities that had existed peacefully for 35 years should descend
so quickly into chaos, violence, and overt ethnic aggression.”
In the second semester, Adriana began her fieldwork, interviewing
refugees and political personnel, attending lectures, and trying to get a
feeling for the current problems that have stemmed from the war.
Adriana is a student at Yale University this fall.
Other seniors who participated in the Senior Seminar course were
Demetrius Walker, Peter Webel, Lisa Ehrlich, Michelle Holmes, Avery Moore,
Bryan Moore, Janelle Matthews, Lindsay Dell, and Evan Chow. Students
worked on research topics and completed fieldwork of their own design.
Expert panelists who helped evaluate the students’ efforts were Prof.
William McNeill, Dr. Charles McNair, Mr. Leigh Perkins, Mrs. Ann
Pollina, Mr. Bob Fiske, Mrs. Lynne Kazimer-Pittsinger, Mrs. Nancy
Chapman, Atty. Sean Butterly, Dr. Jerry Sugar, and Mr. Yee-Fun Yin.
Photo by Greg Stevens ’02
Adriana Blakaj ’00 with her expert panelist, history professor Dr. William
McNeill (right) and college counselor Andrew McNeill (his son). Photo by
Greg Stevens ’02

Various ArtistZ:
Redefining student films at Taft
How far would you go to display a principle, to uncover the truth
or to escape your reality? These questions are simply the surface of
Various ArtistZ, a film directed by middler Dennis Liu.
The film begins with an array of stunning images that slash
through the screen and send the audience on an intense roller
coaster ride of adrenaline-charged scenes about assassins who attempt
to overthrow the U.S. government. The film is more than
the “telling of a story,” says Dennis, more than an “action flick.”
The original concept for the film was modest. Two years ago, he
sat down to put his idea on paper, and it ballooned into a 120-page
script. Then Dennis wanted to see if he could make his idea a reality.
Over the past two years, he has logged countless hours making
this project. His cast and production team worked weekdays,
weekends, and vacations to ensure the film’s success.
What did Dennis learn from producing the film? “Have a good
production team and cast,” he said.
“There is no letter or number to do justice to their dedication,”
said film teacher Rick Doyle. “The technical status of the
film is superb.”
Source: Ravi Katkar ’02, Taft Press Club
Kilbourne Summer Arts Grants
Three students were awarded the first Kilbourne Arts Grants, enabling
them to participate in enriching programs in the arts this summer.
Taft is proud to announce the establishment of this new fund from
Taft alumnus John Kilbourne ’58, in memory of his parents Samuel
W. and Evelyn S. Kilbourne.
Vanessa Wood ’01 studied cello this summer at the Academie de
Musique at Domaine Forget in Carlevoix, Quebec, Canada; Greg
Stevens ’02 studied at the Photographer’s Formulary in Canton,
Montana; Margeaux Walter ’01 studied photography at the Summer
Workshops in Rockport, Maine.
Grants may be used to underwrite all or part of the expense of
participating in summer programs, classes, seminars, or trips that are
enriching and will encourage and expand a student’s interest and skill
in the performing or visual arts. Preference is given to proposals that
relate directly to music or photography and, although it is not required,
which take place abroad.
Offered to middlers and uppermiddlers, the award may be made
to one or more students in a given year. As with Poole Fellowships,
students are expected to report back to the Taft community about their
experience the following school year in the form of a talk, concert,
exhibit, or other appropriate presentation.
Jefferson Today
Thomas Jefferson came to campus this spring
in the person of Clay Jenkinson, an historical
reenactor. “He was fabulous in every environment,”
said history teacher Jon Willson ’82,
“in school meeting, in classes, and with faculty
and students in the afternoon.”
Jenkinson’s method is to stay in character, but
he permits Mr. Jefferson to comment carefully on
a world he did not live to see. “What was most
impressive,” Jon said, “was the way he fearlessly
‘predicted’ how Jefferson would respond to situations
in the U.S. today in regard to race relations,
libertarianism, social engineering, etc. He thinks
Jefferson would in most respects be a true liberal
in today’s sense of the term.”
A Rhodes and Danforth scholar, Jenkinson
has also won the National Endowment for the
Humanities’ highest honor—the Charles Frankel
Prize. He was a principal on-air consultant for
Ken Burns’ Thomas Jefferson as well as the creator
of The Thomas Jefferson Hour on public radio.
He is considered by many to be the finest exemplar
of first-person historical interpretation in the
U.S. His book, The Paradox of Thomas Jefferson,
is being published this year. The Diversity Committee
sponsored his visit to Taft.
Rockwell Visiting Artist
Richard Ryan, a contemporary realist painter,
visited the school in April. He spoke at Morning
Meeting and again in the afternoon, in
addition to critiquing students’ work in the
art classes of Jennifer Glenn Wuerker ’83.
Taft Taft Bulletin
31

AROUND THE POND
Alumni Offspring and Their Alumni Relatives
Matthew J. Aleksinas ’02 .................. Michael J. Aleksinas ’72, father
Marc A. Aleksinas ’02 ....................... Michael J. Aleksinas ’72, father
Blake F. Alspach ’01 .......................... Bruce E. Alspach ’71, father
John P. Alspach ’03 ........................... Bruce E. Alspach ’71, father
Tyler P. Auer ’03 ............................... Bernhard M. Auer ’35, grandfather
Christopher J. Bell ’03 ...................... Richard J. Bell ’71, father
Tyler J. Bessette ’02 ........................... Chad P. Bessette ’74, father
John A. Biedermann ’03 ................... John W. Biedermann ’77, father
Blair M. Boggs ’02 ............................ Edwin P. Boggs* ’40, grandfather;
George T. Boggs ’65, father
Alexander C. Britell ’03 .................... Peter S. Britell ’59, father
Sarah E. Bromley ’02 ........................ Dexter B. Blake* ’33,
step-grandfather;
Arthur F. Blake ’67, stepfather
Gordon S. Calder III ’03 .................. Gordon S. Calder, Jr. ’65, father
James E. Cavazuti ’02 ....................... Edward J. Cavazuti ’70, father
Thomas C. Cherry IV ’01 ................. Thomas C. Cherry, Jr. ’65, father
Victor W. B. Chu ’01 ........................ Cassandra Chia-Wei Pan ’77, mother
Eliza A. Clark ’03.............................. Elias C. Atkins II* ’15, greatgrandfather;
June Pratt Clark ’72,
mother; Robert T. Clark ’72, father
Charles M. Coit ’04 .......................... Charles A. Coit* ’35, grandfather;
David M. Coit ’65, father
Grace R. de la Gueronniere ’04 ......... Rafe de la Gueronniere ’70, father
Charles S. Erdman ’02 ...................... Frederic P. Erdman ’71, father
Andres Fernandez ’04 ....................... Eladio M.J. Fernandez* ’60, father
Nicholas E. Fessenden ’03 ................. Frederick J. Fessenden III ’66, father
Nicholas Fisser ’02 ............................ Michael Schiavone ’59, step father
Brookfield A. Fitzgerald ’01 .............. Duncan G. Burke ’61, stepfather
David M. Gambone ’03 .................... Michael D. Gambone* ’78, father
Eleanor S. Gillespie ’02 ..................... Kenrick S. Gillespie* ’25, grandfather;
David Gillespie ’60, father
Alexander T. Ginman ’03 .................. Richard T. Ginman ’66, father
Colin M. Graham ’01 ....................... Marshall Clark ’40, grandfather
Mary F. Graham ’04 ......................... Marshall Clark ’40, grandfather
Colby N. Griffith ’01 ........................ Clark L. Griffith ’68, father
W. Jordan Gussenhoven ’02 .............. John W. Gussenhoven ’65, father
Gordon P. Guthrie III ’04 ................. Gordon P. Guthrie, Jr. ’62, father
Rowena W. Hack ’03 ........................ Eugene R. Hack, Jr. ’65, father
Lucy Hanan ’02 ................................ John H. Hanan ’63, father
Jennifer W. Higgins ’02 .................... Charles F. C. Wemyss, Sr. ’45,
grandfather
Tyler C. Jennings ’02 ........................ Robert S. Jennings ’67, father
Abigail M. Kell ’02 ........................... Laura Gieg Kell ’73, mother
David W. Killam, Jr. ’03 ................... David W. Killam ’70, father
Mary Samantha Ladd ’01 .................. Delano W. Ladd, Jr. ’44, grandfather
Arthur H. Y. Lam ’03 ....................... Daniel K. F. Lam ’75, father
Craig M. Levy ’01 ............................. Geoffrey W. Levy ’65, father
Cecily R. Longfield ’03 ..................... John S. Wold ’34, grandfather
Michael R. LoRusso ’03 .................... Nicholas D. LoRusso, Jr.* ’72, father
Elisabeth H. Luckey ’02 .................... Charles P. Luckey* ’18, greatgrandfather;
Charles P. Luckey, Jr.* ’43,
grandfather
32 Summer 2000
George S. McFadden ’03 .................. J. Stillman Rockefeller ’20,
great-grandfather
Ilan S. McKenna ’02 ......................... Benjamin E. Cole, Jr. ’36,
grandfather
Gordon B. McMorris ’04 .................. Gordon B. Tweedy* ’24, grandfather
Timothy D. Monahan ’02 ................ Robert G. Lee* ’41, grandfather
Reina E. Mooney ’02 ........................ Laird A. Mooney ’73, father
Cassidy A. Morris ’02 ....................... William G. Morris, Jr. ’69, father
Catherine M. Morris ’04 ................... Lawrence B. Morris, Jr. ’35,
grandfather;
Lawrence B. Morris III ’65, father
K. Christine Murphy ’01 .................. Dudley F. Blanchard ’44, grandfather
F. James Neil III ’03 .......................... F. James Neil, Jr. ’72, father
Guy E. Peterson ’03 .......................... Neil Peterson ’61, father
Anthony T. Piacenza ’01 ................... Jean Strumolo Piacenza ’75, mother
Lucia M. Piacenza ’04 ....................... Jean Strumolo Piacenza ’75, mother
Johanna M. Pistell ’04....................... William A. Pistell ’44, grandfather
Colin J. Read ’02 .............................. Jonathan R. Read ’74, father
Amy B. Rose ’04 ............................... Peter B. Rose ’74, father
Faith C. Rose ’02 .............................. Peter B. Rose ’74, father
Stephen D. Sargent, Jr. ’03................ James C. Sargent, Sr. ’35, grandfather
William A. Schatz ’02 ....................... Eugene W. Potter, Sr.* ’17,
great-grandfather
Aaron I. Schiller ’02 .......................... J. Irwin Miller ’27, grandfather
Marguerite L. Smythe ’03 ................. Thomas F. Moore, Jr. ’43,
grandfather;
Cheves McC. Smythe ’42,
grandfather;
James L. Smythe ’70, father
Taylor M. Snyder ’02 ........................ William B. Snyder, Jr. ’41,
grandfather;
W. Bunker Snyder, Jr. ’68, father
Jane B. Spencer ’03 ........................... William J.H. Fischer, Jr.* ’33,
grandfather;
Clayton B. Spencer ’56, father
Katherine M. Squire ’04 ................... William Shields, Jr.* ’29, grandfather;
Carlotta Shields Dandridge ’74,
mother
Samuel B. Stark ’02 .......................... Laney Barroll Stark ’79, mother
William W. Strumolo ’01 .................. Tom R. Strumolo ’70, father
Shannon K. Sylvester ’03 .................. Paul A. Sylvester ’74, father
Ted S. Thompson ’02 ....................... Frederick W. Squires ’28, grandfather
Constantina M. Tseretopoulos ’01 .... C. Dean Tseretopoulos ’72, father
Adrianna S. Tseretopoulos ’03 ........... C. Dean Tseretopoulos ’72, father
Jeffrey J. Volling ’02 .......................... James L. Volling ’72, father
G. Corydon Wagner IV ’01 .............. George C. Wagner, Jr.* ’13,
grandfather;
G. Corydon Wagner III ’43, father
Sarah H. Walsh ’02 ........................... Sally Childs Walsh ’75, mother
Diana D. Wardell ’01 ........................ Charles W. B. Wardell III ’63, father
Cooper T. A. Wardell ’03 .................. Christopher C. Wardell ’69, father
John C. Wold ’02.............................. John S. Wold ’34, grandfather;
John P. Wold ’71, father
John D. Yawney ’02 .......................... John R. G. Ordway* ’38, grandfather
*denotes deceased alumni

S P O R T
sport
Spring Sports Wrap-Up
Boys’ & Girls’ Track
The new William Weaver Track facility
made for some great performances
throughout the season. Five school
records were set, including two by captain
Venroy July. He broke the 110-meter
hurdles record three times and tied the
300-meter hurdle record, but went on to
win the 200 meters at the New England
Championships.
For the girls’ team, new records were
set by captain Kim Noel in the discus,
Megan Stone in the pole vault, and freshman
Marisa Ryan in the 3,000 meters.
The girls’ team had great wins over Berkshire
and Hotchkiss; the boys’ team
managed a one-point victory over
Deerfield, but fell just short of Hotchkiss
and Loomis in two exciting meets at the
very end of the season.
No. 20 Kevin Nee ’01 notches another goal in his record-breaking season. Photo by Peter Finger.
Taft Bulletin 33

Girls’ Lacrosse
The season began with three easy victories
and the usual high expectations for
this lacrosse team, which has been
among the best in New England for several
years. However, five consecutive
losses made for an unusual mid-season
predicament for Coach Jean Maher and
the team. The play of seniors Keely
Murphy, Sam Hall, Kate Putnam, and
Meredith Morris helped to pull things
together for a late-season run to finish
with an 8–6 overall record.
The team’s finest play came at the
very end during a 14–13 win over Choate
and a 10–11 loss to rival Hotchkiss. The
four-year seniors in this program have enjoyed
a fabulous run, at 45–10–1. This
year, Kelly Sheridan and Chrissy Murphy
were selected as first-team All-New England,
and Emily Smith was honored as
an Academic All-American.
Boys’ Lacrosse
Co-captain-elect of the newly interscholastic riding team, Audrey Banks ’01.
Photo by Gary Parkin, Sporting Images © 1999
Girls’ Softball
The season began with some uncertainty
and average expectations,
according to Coach Steve Schieffelin,
but turned into one of the finest softball
seasons in Taft’s history. Their 8–1
league record and first Founders’
League title was built on spirited team
play and great pitching from junior Emily
Pettit. Pettit, who pitched in every inning
of every game, set a new standard
for dominance on the mound, recording
over 80 strikeouts for the season.
Hillary Peet provided solid production
at the plate all season and great
leadership as captain. Highlights of the
season came with the opening 18–11
win over NMH and the best game of
the season, a 3–2 victory over Loomis-
Chafee. With Ashley Cecchinato behind
the plate and Emily Pettit again on the
mound, Taft looks to defend its league
title next spring.
At 14–0, this was a season of firsts for
the boys’ varsity squad. It was the first
undefeated season in the 38-year history
of boys’ lacrosse at Taft. The team
won the Founders’ League for the first
time in 25 years, keyed by a 15–13 win
over rival Loomis-Chafee. It was also
the first time one school has had three
players named All-American in the
same season.
Game highlights include a phenomenal
28–8 victory over previously
undefeated NMH and an overtime win
over Salisbury. According to coach Steve
McKibben, the special success of this
year’s squad was built on personal sacrifice
for the team in that some players
moved to new positions, others accepted
and excelled at a limited role, and everyone
put in something extra to make
sure that this was a perfect season.
Kevin Nee set a new single-season
record with 54 goals and was selected as
the league’s top attackman; Tim Pettit
34 Summer 2000

S P O R T
posted the single-season assist record with
40, was selected as the outstanding
midfielder, and also won 81 percent of
his face-offs, an unprecedented statistic.
And, Jake McKenna was the best goalie
in New England, earning the Most Valuable
Defensive Player award for the
league. All three were named All-Americans—the
first time one school has swept
all three league awards. (Taft has only had
four other AAs: Jake Odden ’86, Andrew
Everett ’88, Courtland Weisleder ’95, and
David Jenkins ’97.)
Both the JV and thirds teams finished
at 12–2, capping off a fantastic
season down the line.
Horseback Riding
This was the first official season for the
new varsity sport. Coached by Virginia
Leary in Litchfield, five riders competed
in two interscholastic tests, an interscholastic
dressage show, and two
Connecticut horse shows. The team won
against both hosts Kent and Ethel Walker
on their home turf and placed fourth at
Ethel Walker’s dressage show—competing
against both school and college teams.
One of the most challenging competitions,
said Coach Leary, was when two
riders were out sick and middler Isabel
Cowles and uppermiddler Audrey Banks
each rode twice. Next year’s team will be
led by co-captains Audrey Banks and
Megan Kish.
Girls’ Tennis
This team was an unusual mix of youth
and experience, and that led to some
unusual success on the courts. Amassing
a 11–1 record and their first Founders’
League title, the girls’ tennis team
pounded out wins over Deerfield,
Loomis, and the defending NE
champs—Miss Porter’s—all teams which
Taft had not defeated in a number of
years, if ever. The league title came down
to a gritty, hard-fought match versus
Hotchkiss, which Taft won 4-3 when KP
Parkin and Jessup Shean took the final
doubles match. With three freshman returning
to the varsity, including Kate
Franklin at #1 singles and Hannah Baker,
undefeated at #4 singles, Taft looks to
continue the standard it set this spring.
Boys’ Tennis
This was an erratic season for the boys’
varsity, beginning with an inspirational
win over Hotchkiss to open the season
and then struggling through some tough,
very close losses thereafter. Surviving two
3–4 losses late in the spring, the team
pulled together to post an overall record
of 9–6. With five middlers returning for
the varsity, the team will have a solid core
of talent for the next three years, including
returning #1 singles Nick Lacaillade;
Ben Bradford, who went 5–2 at #2
singles; and Michael Idy, who was 6–1
in the #3 spot this year.
Girls’ Crew
The less-than-ideal weather all spring
made for over 15 days off the water,
but the crew team pulled together for
some of their best workouts on these
days, and this type of team effort accounted
for the most successful season
in the ten years of this program. The
first boat posted an 11–0 record, and
the total for all four boats this spring
was 31–3. The highlight of all this success
came with a thrilling half-second
win over Choate, a team Taft had never
beaten. Senior Nicole Uliasz and captain-elect
Katie Shattuck provided
much of the power behind the first
boat’s undefeated season.
Varsity Baseball
According to Coach Joseph Brogna, this
11–5 team was made up of “gamers” who
had an unusual ability to get the job done
when it came down to it. The typical
spring weather pushed back a number of
contests to the final two weeks of the season,
making it difficult for Taft to rely on
their ace, senior Mike Martinez, who
pitched brilliantly all season as well, adding
a lot of power at the plate. But, the
back-up staff of Sean Cronin, Eric Nigro,
Mike Hogan and others came through in
close games versus Hotchkiss (8–6) and
T-P (6–5) during the final two weeks. In
the end, Taft won eight of their final ten
games to take a share of the Colonial
League title. John McCardell was solid all
season behind the plate, and Martinez was
the dominant player in the league, leading
Coach Brogna to define this as one of
the best defensive teams Taft has ever had.
Perhaps the finest game of the spring, a 2-
1 victory over Avon, was won in the final
at-bat when Luke Labella drove home
Brian Sullivan in the bottom of the seventh
inning to seal Martinez’ 3-hit
performance on the mound.
Golf
This was a solid, tightly packed golf
team that played well together all
spring for a 15–1 regular season record.
There were a couple of off days, including
a sixth place finish as the defending
champions at the Kingswood Invitational
Tournament, but Taft finished
only seven strokes out of second place
with a 406 total.
The highlight of the spring, the
Founders’ League title, came with the
narrowest of margins, a one-stroke victory
over Avon. Yet, it was solid team play
that carried the day, from medalist
Connor McNally’s 38 to Ross Koller’s 45
as Taft’s fifth golfer. Captain-elect Ged
Johnson paced Taft for much of the season,
including his fifth place 76 at the
KIT. Chapin Hoskins—the only girl on
the team—had another great year, shooting
an 82 to place fourth at the New
England Prep Girls’ Tournament. She
also played in the top five for the team in
several matches early in the season.
Taft Bulletin 35

S P O R T
Spring Big Red Scoreboard
Baseball
Founders’ League Champions
Head Coach ................................................... Joseph Brogna
Captains .................... Mike Hogan ’00, Mike Martinez ’00,
John McCardell ’00,
Record ......................................................................... 11–5
Stone Award................................................ John McCardell
Captains-Elect ..................... Eric Nigro ’01, Dan Welch ’01
Softball
Founders’ League Co-Champions
Head Coach ................................................ Steve Schieffelin
Captains ...................................................... Hillary Peet ’00
Record ........................................................................... 8–6
Softball Award ................................................... Hillary Peet
Captains-Elect ....... Ashley Cecchinato ’01, Jillian Hunt ’01,
Emily Pettit ’01
Girls’ Crew
Head Coach ............................................................. Al Reiff
Captain ..................................................... Nicole Uliasz ’00
Record ......................................................................... 11–0
Crew Award .................................................... Nicole Uliasz
Captain-Elect .......................................... Katie Shattuck ’01
Golf
Founders’ League Champions
Coach ............................................................ Jack Kenerson
Captains ............... Geddes Johnson ’01, Ryan Sochacki ’00,
Record ......................................................................... 15–1
Galeski Golf Award .............. Ross Koller ’00, Ryan Sochacki
Captain-Elect .............................................. Geddes Johnson
Boys’ Lacrosse
Founders’ League Champions
Head Coach ............................................... Steve McKibben
Captains .... Eric Dalton ’00, Jake McKenna ’00, Tim Pettit ’00
Record ......................................................................... 14–0
Odden Lacrosse Award ................................ Jake McKenna
All-American ...... Jake McKenna, Tim Pettit, Kevin Nee ’01
Captain-Elect ........................................ Christian Jensen ’01
Girls’ Lacrosse
Head Coach ....................................................... Jean Maher
Captains .................. Samantha Hall ’00, Kelly Sheridan ’00
Record ........................................................................... 8–6
Wandelt Lacrosse Award ............................... Samantha Hall
Captains-Elect ........ Victoria Fox ’01, Christine Murphy ’01
Boys’ Tennis
Coach ...................................................... Andrew Bogardus
Record ........................................................................... 9–6
Captain-Elect ............................................................... TBD
Girls’ Tennis
Founders’ League Champions
Coach ............................................................... W. T. Miller
Captains ......Pranisa Kovithvathanaphon ’00, KP Parkin ’00
Record ......................................................................... 11–1
Gould Tennis Award ............................................ KP Parkin
Captain-Elect ........................ Constantina Tseretopoulos ’01
Boys’ Track
Head Coach ................................................... Steve McCabe
Captain ........................................................ Venroy July ’00
Record ........................................................................... 4–8
Beardsley Track Award ....................................... Venroy July
Captains-Elect ....... Dan Blomberg ’01, Nicholas Dabbo ’02
Girls’ Track
Head Coach ................................................... Steve McCabe
Captain ........................................................... Kim Noel ’00
Record ........................................................................... 6–3
Captain-Elect .......................... Khayriyyah Muhammad ’01,
Ciara Rakestraw ’01
For more information on Taft sports,
check out our Website at www.TaftSports.com.
36 Summer 2000

“ Mr. Taft commenced
as soon as there were
enough graduates to
pick out a baseball team, to
invite them all back on Memorial
Day for a good time
together, to renew old friendships
and revisit old scenes. His
invitation was accepted with
enthusiasm, and each year has
seen increasing numbers return
in the springtime.” Frederick
G. Mason 1897, Taft Biography
Book 1912.
Class signs ready and waiting to be carried in the
parade
Although the storms held off for the morning, umbrellas came out by the dozens before the alumni
lacrosse game, for what turned out to be the rainiest Alumni Weekend in decades.
Reunion 2000 was certainly the soggiest
alumni gathering in recent and
not-so-recent memory, moving dinners
inside and prompting record sales of
umbrellas in the school store. But spir-
Seth ’40 and Franny Taft with Bob Sweet ’40
its were hardly dampened and the rain
held off for the parade—only just.
The warmth of renewing old
friendships, the pleasure in seeing the
success of the school today, and the
comfort of happy memories erased the
gloom and made for a highly memorable
weekend at Taft.
Alumni came from France and
Peru, California and Alaska, and from
across the street. Graduates from 1927
and 1999 gathered with family and
friends to renew old ties and create new
memories to be shared at future reunions.
Others, who could not return,
were truly missed. For those who traveled
across the years and miles, we’re
glad you came back!
Bill Hatfield ’32
30 th Reunion classmates Tom Strumolo, Len Cowan, and Barnaby Conrad are
among the many classmates who marched in the parade.
Chip Spencer ’56, Dave Farwell ’70, and Barnaby
Conrad ’70
Taft Bulletin 37

Kristen Zwiener ’01 interviews Frank Riordan ’35
for the Taft Oral History Project.
Left: Tipping their hats to the crowds are Art Stock
’50 and wife Barbara, Bill Dowd ’50 and wife Joan.
Head monitor Price Bell ’00 and head monitorelect
Tarik Asmerom ’01 lead the parade, carrying
on a tradition as well as the banner.
Dr. Ronald J. Grele of Columbia University explains the latest trends in
oral history to alumni and current students at the launching of Taft’s Oral
History Project.
1965 Dads and their Tafties: Jordon Gussenhoven ’02, George and Blair
Boggs ’02, Jeff and Craig Levy ’01, Gordon III ’03 and Gordon Calder, Rowena
’03 and Eugene Hack
Wendy and Bill Krag ’55 with Robert and Ginny
Lambrecht ’55
Gino Kelly ’55
Classes of ’65 and ’70 in parade
Right:
Seniors Dallas Dyer,
Bryan Moore, Christina
Coons, and Evan Chow
talk about their experiences
at Taft. Continued on page 58
38 Summer 2000

Polly and Bill Merriman ’43, Ted Mason ’43 and wife Genevieve, and Jim
Emison ’43
Classmates and friends gather to remember departed alumni at the annual
memorial service at Christ Church on the Green. Music was performed by the
Taft Collegium Musicum and the Chamber Ensemble.
Scott Reiner ’90, Sarkis Izmirlian ’90 and wife Katherine, and Alexandra Miller
’95 at the 10 th Reunion celebration
1933 at the Old Guard Dinner: Fred and Elane Ehrich, Claudia Fischer, Bill
Hatfield ’32, Kay and Don Buttenheim, and Rosemary Dooley and John Weld.
Below: Headmaster Lance Odden talks with alumni
about their school today and the challenges now
facing education.
Alumni children were happily entertained by a storyteller and a magician
during the afternoon lumcheon.
Patsy Odden and Orton Camp ’35
Peter North ’62 and his father, Bill North ’30, back
for Bill’s 70 th Reunion
Taft Bulletin 39

Faculty members John and Gail Wynne are honored
for their many years of service to the school.
After an exciting second half in the alumni v. varsity lacrosse game, that saw the alumni come to within
one point with just over 1 minute left, the varsity pulled away for a 14–10 victory.
Kip Armstrong, Lance Odden, and Chris Armstrong
’85 present works by the late David Armstrong ’65
to be part of the new Mark Potter ’48 Art Gallery
being built this summer.
Wick Chambers ’27 had
the honor of being the
most senior alumnus
present for the weekend
festivities. He was
also honored with the
Citation of Merit (see
page 21).
Rain and construction of the new hockey rink force the well-attended
luncheon festivities into the warm, dry McCullough Athletic Center.
Betty Ann Morris, Marian Makepeace, and Larry
Morris ’35
Lance and Patsy Odden thank Barclay Johnson ’53
for his years of devoted service on the faculty.
Jeff Atwood ’85 and Matt Griswold ’85 with son Eli
Jennifer Blomberg ’97 won the Fun Run on Sunday,
held on the new Weaver Track.
40 Summer 2000

E N D N O T E
The Spirit of Learning
By Barclay Johnson ’53
Many of my outside friends have envisioned
Taft as a kind of paradise, where
teenagers grow up just fast enough and
the rest of us stay young. There is some
truth in this. Thanks to my students, I
have grown a bit feathery without knowing
it. Then, early this fall, one of my
seniors, passing me in the hall, called
back over her shoulder, “Hey, Mr. J.,
when are you going to retire?”
Offhandedly, I replied, “2000.”
“Cool,” she said. “You can graduate
with us.”
I felt ready for college myself. But
wasn’t this sensation one of the benefits
to teaching anywhere?
Apparently not. More than one of
my colleagues in rival schools have remarked
at conferences or track meets that
they envied me. Were they kidding? We
all had good lives, with gratifying work,
and probably more personal relationships
than most doctors have patients or judges
have criminals. So, which of Taft’s distinctions
were they thinking of? The
continuity of leadership? The closeness
of the faculty? The rate of endowment
growth? The teamwork of support between
trustees, alumni, and students? No.
None of these. They envied me for you.
No offense, but I still didn’t get it.
As it turned out, they were referring
to something as simple as the conversations
between faculty and students,
which I had taken for granted. Rather
suddenly I knew what they meant: College
pressure could make teenagers work
hard, but dogged persistence was not the
same as the spirit of learning. And, above
all, visitors to Taft could feel this spirit.
Of course, Taft has not always been
this way. With only seventy days left to
my career, I have begun to take little cruises
into the past—back to the same HDT and
CPT, the same towers and basements, but
spiritually a very different school. Half a
century ago, the only audible voice was
that of the headmaster. Teachers hardly
talked with students—in or out of the
classroom—and seldom personally. As a
result, the young remained adolescent and
the old grew older fast.
Frankly, my classmates and I didn’t
know enough to care. As long as we got
our diplomas, instead of draft notices
calling us into the Korean War, as long
as we went to colleges that our highpowered
fathers could talk about, we were
happy enough. And why not? Nearly half
our original class never made it.
I realize that you hardly need a trip
back to the old school. But someday, during
your own careers, you may need a little
extra faith that what seems immutable can,
indeed, be changed. So hang on.
The old Taft looked and felt like a
medieval fort. Set on a hill, it stood isolated
from the farms and brass mills of
the real world around it. Taft’s strength
lay in its founder’s greatness and in the
school’s reputation for high academic
standards, austere discipline, and elitist
college placement. The faculty revolved
around a hard core of Phi Beta Kappas
from Universities of the Eastern Establishment.
Having endured the Great
Depression and served in World War II,
these teachers were naturally demanding
of privileged characters like us. Moreover,
they admired Paul Cruikshank, the successor
to Horace Taft. A puritanical
taskmaster, he seemed convinced that
some form of military training was necessary
in a society that had grown
overindulgent in victory. Then, too, while
saving the school from near-bankruptcy,
Mr. Cruikshank had kept their jobs open
until they returned from the war. Loyalty
became a prime virtue; obedience
became the other one.
Unfortunately, the headmaster was
so conservative that he resisted the natural
law of change, even in his own formal
dress. Equally dated, the faculty was all
male, all white, and nearly all Protestant—like
the rest of us. This was not
unusual, of course, in a New England
boy’s boarding school of the ’50s. What
was unusual, however, was the bleak and
chilly silence. Mr. Cruikshank spoke to
the school at the nightly Vesper service,
but never about our generation, the
country, or the world. Strangely, not a
word about Horace Taft’s school of the
past. After the sermon, based largely on
a reading from the Old Testament, we
sang hymns from our hymnals kept under
our seats; then mumbled the school’s
Taft Bulletin 41

E N D N O T E
alma mater from memory, while the organist
filled in the quiet spots. Dinner
followed. (Every meal was “sit down” in
coats and ties.) The only sound was the
clinking of silver and dishes. (One year,
instead of sending us home for Thanksgiving,
the school brought in fifty very
quiet turkeys. I can still remember the
poultry trucks.) Half an hour after dinner,
the lower school trudged off to a
huge study hall above the dining room,
which today, of course, is a field of easels
and paint. (In Oscie’s and my day,
we had recreational art, but that was it.)
If anyone talked in study hall, he was
sentenced to run laps on a rickety
wooden track behind CPT. (Our
coaches enjoyed counting the laps.) The
upper school got room study. Those who
couldn’t handle this privilege were sent
to “The Hall.” Although some of the
thrown out of school for smoking a weed
in the shower, when the faculty room had
a ceiling of smoke? Was it worldly to be
allowed downtown only twice a week,
where the local merchants told us to keep
our hands in our pockets, and strangers
at the bus stop referred to Taft as a mental
institution or a reformatory for rich
delinquents? Was it educational to be
denied posters of girls or motorcycles on
our walls and forbidden to have radios,
except in the McIntosh infirmary? Even
there, only the worst cases got them. The
rest of us had to wait for some kid to get
delirious so we could sneak into his room
and steal the kid’s music. And how did
that coven of so-called nurses know to
whom to give sympathy and back rubs?
By who had the radios. We had to make
our own fun. Was that healthy?
Actually the school wasn’t so bad that
The audience roared fearlessly, for a
change. Even the faculty stayed until the
end. But the “Shank” walked out after
the opening scene. I was ripped! (If some
oracle had whispered to me that someday
I would become his colleague,
admirer, and personal friend, I would
have laughed in the oracle’s face.)
This is to say that my class had a
love-hate relationship with the school—
the love part came later.
After a few years in business, the army,
and graduate school, I received a gracious
letter from Mr. Cruikshank, in response
to one that I had written him about my
life as a lieutenant with five tanks in the
cold war of practice. His reply was actually
humorous. The point is, we had never
really conversed before.
I was as surprised as my old teachers
that I came back for a visit. Nothing had
“As long as we got our diplomas, instead of draft notices calling
us into the Korean War, as long as we went to colleges that our
high-powered fathers could talk about, we were happy enough.”
corridor masters were hospitable and
gave help on homework, most of the
teachers seemed afraid to talk with us
as friends. So we didn’t know them as
people any better than they knew us.
Our main objection, however, lay
not so much with them as with the quality
of life—or lack of it. Undoubtedly
discipline was good for us, but no one
seemed to know what else we needed.
Was it natural that we had no free weekends,
that we had to join the traveling
Glee Club just to see females between the
ages of ten and thirty? Was it fair to be
my classmates and I couldn’t make it
worse. We “tower crows” and “basement
rats” were a tough gang of covert rebels,
disguised as little gentlemen. Overt protest
was as futile as a major rule violation
was fatal. And with the “Shank” as the
Law, most of the rules were major. Our
rebellions had to be subtle. For instance,
the lowermids allowed the gravy for the
“mystery meat” at dinner to encrust their
school ties. We seniors wrote and produced
our own musical comedy that satirized
Taft from the top down. It was called
The Queen and I—or Alex in Wonderland.
changed, of course—with few exceptions.
By then Taft had a new math and science
building. But with a flat roof in New England,
it had been designed to rot in thirty
years, which it did in twenty. Also, the
basement had a number of air-raid shelters.
The walls were old, but the barrels of
water and crackers were new. Finally, the
effort grades had sunk to the level of the
academic average of 74 (a 3.25 today).
Alumni support had become sluggish. The
endowment was one percent of what it is
today. Moreover, a number of talented
teachers were leaving. Equally disturbing,
42 Summer 2000

E N D N O T E
the bedrock of Horace Taft’s principles for
character building and service to others
had cracked.
In other words, while Mr.
Cruikshank had saved the school from
serious debt, he now had to save it from
himself. The Bay of Pigs fiasco had
humbled the nation right down to the
most secure schools. Taft had to meet the
real world, at least halfway.
In the fall of 1961, Mr. Cruikshank
took the first risk of his life by hiring
me. As a “loose cannon,” so to speak, I
could help to destabilize the system, but
I was too much an old school boy to
know how to change it.
Fortunately, in the same year, he
hired a young Princetonian who had traditional
values but also a liberal heart and
radical ideas. This fellow looked too
young to me and sounded too much like
an Andover product—articulate, confident,
and far too competitive for this
avuncular business. I thought he would
do better at IBM. But from day one we
were friends—symbiotic and personal.
While I could see the past, he could see
the future; and we both liked parties.
Actually Mr. and Mrs. Odden have been
my friends for 39 years.
After the Cuban Missile Crisis, in
October 1962, and the assassination of
President Kennedy a year later, students
everywhere became worried about the
United States and about themselves. At
every level of society, people were looking
for leadership. Fortunately Taft had it.
Both Headmaster John Esty and Mr.
Odden, the assistant headmaster, knew
that students needed the freedom to make
choices, with faculty help, and to take
more responsibility for themselves. The
“No other school in the country had
anything like [the ISP]. Who would do this
extra work without academic credit, and
what teachers would oversee these
freewheeling projects voluntarily?”
first change struck me as too radical, but I
liked the idea. It was a program called Independent
Studies. No other school in the
country had anything like it. Who would
do this extra work without academic
credit, and what teachers would oversee
these freewheeling projects voluntarily?
Such creative effort required a new kind
of interplay between participants and
project advisors. It worked. Largely because
Mr. Esty hired teachers like the
Wynnes. The Wynnes had a special way
of teaching individuals with informal dignity
through good-natured conversation.
Most of the faculty soon caught on.
Before long, under Mr. Odden’s
leadership, Taft became radically co-ed.
The girls shared the same campus with
the boys. Other all-boy boarding schools
either built separate campuses for the
girls, as did Choate and Kent, which
didn’t work, or they absorbed neighboring
girls schools, as did Andover and
Loomis, or they stood by, like Hotchkiss
and Deerfield, to see if Taft could survive
the gamble. What a surprise for
males of all ages who knew little of the
wants and needs of women. Quite possibly
the girls were the first to chat with
their teachers. Soon the Dress Code
changed, and the course catalogue
sprouted an array of new electives. In the
’70s we introduced course and teacher
evaluation; in the ’80s, student-centered
learning and volunteer services to the
community; in the ’90s, the learning center,
Senior Seminars, and committees for
health, diversity, and spiritual life.
Today all the programs create circuits
of connectivity—conversations that, for
the most part, are good-natured, confident,
and appreciative. The informality
becomes funny at times. This fall a group
of seniors who wanted something new
addressed the headmaster as Mr. O.
Twenty minutes ago, a girl, half my size,
punched me in the arm to remind me
that this was her birthday.
To be sure, Taft is no paradise. The
conversations are not always cheerful. But
the arrogance and fear have gone. Also,
the voices of prejudice, self-pity, and oneupsmanship
have a tough time finding an
audience. This distinction belongs to you.
I’ll miss the momentum of this
place—and the many voices, including
my own. That’s all right. I’m happy to be
graduating with the Class of 2000. They
have treated me like one of them. I feel
young enough now for a second life.
Thank you all.
English teacher Barclay Johnson ’53 delivered
the remarks above at the final Morning
Meeting for the senior class this spring.
Taft Bulletin 43

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