Annual Report

Annual Report 

Asheville School 2013 - 2014

Annual Report 

2013 - 2014 

An Education for an Inspired Life 

Published for Alumni & 

Friends of Asheville School 

by the Advancement Department 

Asheville School 

360 Asheville School Road 

Asheville, North Carolina 28806 

828.254.6345 

www.ashevilleschool.org 

Editor 

Bob Williams 

Director of Development 

Dan Seiden 

Writers 

Bob Williams 

Travis Price 

Proof Readers 

Tish Anderson 

Bob Williams 

Travis Price 

Printing 

Lane Press 

Photographers 

Blake Madden 

Bob Williams 

Sheila Steelman 

A special thanks to the 1923 Memorial 

Archives for providing many of the archival photographs 

in this edition. 

Asheville School Mission: To prepare 

our students for college and for life 

and to provide an atmosphere in 

which all members of a diverse, 

engaged, and purposefully small 

school community appreciate and 

strive for excellence – an atmosphere 

that nurtures character and fosters 

the development of mind, body, 

and spirit. 

Asheville School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, 

religion, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its 

educational or admission policies, scholarship and loan 

programs, or athletic and other school-related programs. 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES (Fall 2014) 

Ms. E. Parce Ainsworth 1983 

Mr. Harris M. Baker 1974 

Mr. Marshall T. Bassett 1972 

Mr. Gregory R. Close 2003 (Associate) 

Mr. Peter J. Covington 1971 

Mr. Walter G. Cox, Jr. 1972 P ‘06 

Co-Vice Chair 

Ms. Ann Craver P ‘11 

Mr. D. Tadley DeBerry 1981 

Ms. Ayla Ficken P ‘09 

Mr. Jim Fisher 1964 

Mr. Robert T. Gamble 1971 

Mr. Peter L. Hellebush 1964 

Co-Vice Chair 

Ms. Mandy K. Helton 2000 (Associate) 

Ms. Charla A. Hughes 2004 (Associate) 

Ms. Jean Graham Keller 1995 

Mr. Richard J. Kelly 1968 

Ms. Marilyn Higi Kincaid 1991 

Mr. Lee McGriff III 1970 

Mr. Nishant Mehta 1998 

Dr. Gregory K. Morris 1972 

Mr. Alexander G. Paderewski 1968 P ‘06 ‘08 

Mr. Laurance D. Pless 1971 P ‘09 ‘13 

Chairman 

Mr. Oliver G. Prince, Jr. 1971 P ‘00 

Mr. James A. Rice II 1972 

Ms. Mary A. Robinson 2002 

Ex officio Alumni Association 

Mr. Arthur Rogers III 1988 

Mr. Walter A. Ruch III P ‘08 

Mr. Michael H. Stoll 1968 

Dr. Frederick Wherry 1990 

Mr. Jonathan Winebrenner P ‘15, ‘16 

Ex-officio Parents’ Association 

Mrs. Rebecca Winebrenner P ‘15, ‘16 

Ex-officio Parents’ Association 

P - Parents of Alumni

Table of Contents 

Staff Reports/Features 

05 Letter from the Head of School 

06 Class of 2014 

08 Academic Report 

09 School Connects with Tsinghua University in China 

10 Alumni & Development Report 

12 Admission Report 

14 Athletic Year in Review 

16 Student Affairs Report 

Class Notes 

18 1948-1976 

20 1976-1991 

22 1994-2001 

24 2001-2004 

26 2004-2006 

28 2007-2012 

30 2012-2013 

In Memoriam 

34 Walter F. Pettit 1936 

34 William W. Dodge III 1946 

35 In Memoriam 

News 

32 Introducing New Faculty and Staff 

33 Alumni Weekend 2014 

Donor Report 

39 Donor Report Summary 

40 From the Chairman of the Board 

41 Constancy 

44 Honor Roll of Giving 

46 Alumni Gifts by Class 

53 Foundations & Corporations 

54 Parent Gifts by Class 

55 Grandparents & Friends 

56 Faculty/Staff Donors 

57 Former Faculty/Staff Donors 

58 Memorial Gifts 

59 Gifts in Kind 

60 Parents of Alumni 

61 Endowed Funds 

62 Wilbert Peck Society 

Annual Report • 13 - 14 3

Christ School Weekend 2015 

Join us for the 88th meeting between the Blues & the Greenies — GO BLUES! 

Friday, October 31 

8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - Bonfire Gathering - Bement House 

Alumni, parents and friends are invited to attend a gathering to watch 

the bonfire from the back porch of Bement. Beer/wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be provided. 

Saturday, November 1 

1:00 p.m. - Christ School Football Game (AWAY) - watch the live stream at www.christschool.org/live 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. - 12 Bones (South Asheville location - 3578 Sweeten Creek Rd) 

Alumni, parents and friends are invited to attend this postgame event. BBQ, sides, & beer/wine will be provided. 

Save the Date for Alumni Weekend 2015 

We hope to see you back in Asheville in April Amid these Rugged Mountains 

Alumni Weekend 2015 

April 24-26, 2015 

Reunions: Classes of 1940, 1945, 1950, 1950, 1960, 1965, 

1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 

For more information about the weekend, visit ashevilleschool.org/alumniweekend. 

4 Annual Report • 13 - 14

From the 

Fall 2014 

Head of School 

Dear Members of the Asheville School Community: 

A sheville School’s extended community – students, faculty and staff, parents (past and present), alumni, 

trustees, and friends – has contributed to the success we are currently enjoying. The 2014 Cody Fund outperformed our 

expectations, and it is you we have to thank for that. Our admissions class for 2014-2015 is a robust and talented group, 

and Asheville School continues to attract excellent teachers. 

In a time during which many schools have lost their way, and education wars rage about “the common core,” 

“no child left behind,” and high-tech learning, it is refreshing to work at Asheville School, where it is understood that a 

close community is critical to the care and growth of teenagers. The study, “Hardwired to Connect,” makes abundantly 

clear that a need for connectedness is built into all of us and that authoritative committees – i.e., “groups of people who 

are committed to one another over time and who model and pass on at least part of what it means to be a good person 

and live a good life,” are the most effective way to foster those connections. 

Asheville School is one of a tiny handful of schools in the nation that are primarily boarding, are small and 

personal, are diverse in terms of race, religion, gender, and nationality, have exceedingly high academic and personal 

standards, and care above all else about the quality of the character of our students. Throw in our location among 

beautiful southern mountains within the city limits of a safe and vibrant urban center, and you have a school unlike 

any other in the world. 

Thank you for making Asheville School possible. Were it not for your generosity, the quality of our program 

would be dramatically reduced. 

Sincerely, 

Archibald R. Montgomery IV 

Head of School 


Congratulations to 

the Class of 2014! 

Alex Arroyo-Bridges 

Rollins College 

North Myrtle Beach, SC 

Anna Bassett 

Denison University 

Raleigh, NC 

Damian Borovsky 

University of CO-Boulder 

Asheville, NC 

Becca Buchanan 

Franklin & Marshall College 

Weaverville, NC 

Amrit Bal 

University of Missouri 

Columbia, MO 

Dylan Bilski 

Bates College 

Glendale, NY 

Hannah Broughton 

UNC-Chapel Hill 

Asheville, NC 

Mary Grace Budd 

Wake Forest University 

Winston-Salem, NC 


Alessandra Cole 

University of San Diego 

Redlands, CA 

Kenny Hong 

Washington Univ. in St. Louis 

Seoul, Korea 

Emily Navarro 

Colorado College 

Charlotte, NC 

Sophie Whelchel 


Asheville, NC 

Kyle DePraeter 

Central Piedmont 

Community College 

Boone, NC 

Meredith Dickinson 

College of Charleston 

Sarasota, FL 

Daniel Do 

Georgia Inst. of Technology 

Seoul, Korea 

Sonja Erchak 

Georgetown University 

Asheville, NC 

Jay Evans 

Hampden-Sydney College 

Williamston, NC 

Hill Gage 

Hampden-Sydney College 

Charlotte, NC 

Princess George-Ezuma 

Wofford College 

Abuja, Nigeria 

Alexandra Graham 


Kure Beach, NC 

Jack Gregory 

Duke University 

Asheville, NC 

Bruce Hall 

Furman University 

Nassau, Bahamas 

Harry Hanna 

Wofford College 

Estill, SC 

Claire Hansen 

Northwestern University 

Asheville, NC 

Will Hathaway 


Asheville, NC 

Michael Holowesko 

Washington College 

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 

Alex Husain 

Guilford College 

Boston, MA 

Aslan Hyland 

NC State University 

Swannanoa, NC 

Joon Young Kang 

Columbia University 

Seongnam, Korea 

Alyk Kenlan 

Carleton College 

Black Mountain, NC 

Katherine Koon 

Belhaven University 

Asheville, NC 

Jessica Kuehl 


Asheville, NC 

Jay Lee 


Chuncheon, Korea 

Daniel Li 

Royal Melbourne Inst of Tech. 

Shanghai, China 

Ellie Liu 

University of CA-Berkeley 

Shenzhen, China 

Emma Macadam 

Gap Year 

Charlotte, NC 

Zan McPherson 

Whitman College 

Seattle, WA 

Isabelle Mellon 


Greensboro, NC 

Margaret Anne Munday 

Fashion Inst of Technology 

Hilton Head Island, SC 

Hailey Napier 


Hickory, NC 

Otto Putzrath 

Centre College 

Charlotte, NC 

Jim Raynor 


Morganton, NC 

Laura Rincon 

Villanova University 

Union City, NJ 

Michael Robinson 

University of Houston 

Nassau, Bahamas 

Anna Rogers 

Elon University 

Hickory, NC 

Thanpicha Sermchaiwong 

University of Michigan 

Midland, MI 

Matthew Shaw 

George Washington University 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

Kenna Sloan 

American University 

Rock Hill, SC 

Diana Song 


Zhengzhou, Hena, China 

HoYung Tak 

Trinity College 

Seoul, South Korea 

Quin Thompson 


Asheville, NC 

Theerarun Tubnonghee 

University of CO-Boulder 

Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand 

Hannah Verity 

Sewanee-University of the South 

Beaufort, SC 

Tony Wang 

University of Virginia 

Beijing, China 

Korey Williams 

Western Carolina University 

Morrisville, NC 

Jenny Wilson 


Charlotte, NC 

Hailey Wu 

University of British Columbia 

Shanghai, China 

Dylan Zawila 

University of Minnesota 

Friendswood, TX 


Academic Affairs Report for 2013 - 2014 

By Jay Bonner 

Associate Head and Assistant Head 

for Academic Affairs 

This past year has seen each department 

engage in the first year of a five-year strategic 

plan committed to improving critical 

thinking, writing, reading, and problemsolving 

skills. Several exciting initiatives 

are connected to this ongoing work. 

The math department, led by Math Department 

Chair Mike Hill and Algebra II 

teacher Varghese Alexander, has embarked 

on an ambitious program to create two 

tracks for Asheville School’s math curriculum: 

a pure math path that takes students 

to AP Calculus and a new offering, AP 

Computer Science, as well as a second, 

applied math curriculum that ends with almost 

all students taking AP Statistics. The 

applied math curriculum involves making 

uniform the piloted Algebra II class that 

Varghese initiated in 2013-14; redesigning 

Precalculus (as Functions, Finance, and 

Statistics) to incorporate more statistical 

data analysis and critical thinking into the 

curriculum for 2014-2015; and, finally, 

redesigning our Algebra I/Geometry 

courses to focus more on algebraic skills 

and critical thinking and to spend less time 

on formal proofs. 

We have initiated a partnership with 

Shoulder to Shoulder, an international 

student travel organization that partners 

with schools and sends students and teachers 

to NGOs in Nepal, Tibet, Cambodia, 

Kenya, and other locales. This partnership 

requires a significant service component 

on the part of our students. Four students 

and one faculty member participated in 

Shoulder to Shoulder programs in summer 

2014. A dozen students and a faculty 

member participated once again in the 

ProWorld Peru summer trip. Summer 

language and service opportunities abound 

for our students and faculty members. 

Late in the year we established a partnership 

with a secondary school connected 

to Tsinghua University, one of the top 

universities in China. This partnership 

provides an opportunity to add a program 

for our students in the language of 


Chinese. Asheville School will develop 

and host a summer academic and cultural 

program for approximately 30 Tsinghua 

students in summer 2015. The curriculum 

will make use of our signature Jazz Age 

unit in American Studies, and will include 

experiential elements as well: art deco 

architecture in downtown 

Asheville, Biltmore Estate, Grove Park 

Inn, baseball games, and so forth. 

Finally, we had a two-day on-campus 

retreat in June with three staff members 

from the College Work Readiness Assessment 

group. The first day involved 

a meeting with administrative members, 

trustees, and academic team leaders to 

assess the results of Asheville School’s 

students. On the second day, each academic 

department developed assessments 

that would challenge and prepare students 

for the kinds of tasks demanded by the 

CWRA test. The data shows that Asheville 

School’s incoming students are generally 

on par with students of other independent 

schools in terms of critical thinking, reading, 

writing, and problem-solving skills. 

By the time our students graduate, they 

far surpass independent and public school 

students in these areas. Our curriculum— 

both in terms of academic approaches and 

the community engagement—makes a difference 

in cultivating these skills that will 

lead to college and life success. 

In May, Asheville School signed an agreement with Tsinghua University High School in Beijing, China, where Asheville School students plan 

to study abroad in future years. In the summer of 2015, about 30 students from the Tsinghua University High School will study in Asheville. 

School Connects with Tsinghua University in China 

From Staff Reports 

Thanks to an agreement in May of 2014, 

Asheville School now has international 

connections to a secondary school 

affiliated with Tsinghua University, one of 

the top three universities in China. In the 

summer of 2015, the school will develop 

and host a summer academic and cultural 

program in Asheville for approximately 30 

gifted Chinese students, says Jay Bonner, 

Associate Head of Asheville School. 

“We are really excited to have signed this 

new agreement with Tsinghua University 

High School. Using an American Studies 

unit from our acclaimed Humanities 

program allows us to develop a unique 

three-week experience for some of the 

brightest high school students in China,” 

Bonner says. “We’re also thrilled to have 

new study-abroad opportunities in Beijing 

for our students who are currently studying 

Mandarin Chinese or who simply want 

Chinese cultural immersion.” 

Administrators at the Tsinghua University 

High School are enthusiastic about 

having their students studying in Asheville 

— especially at one of America’s premier 

boarding schools. 

“This partnership will allow Asheville 

School and Tsinghua to co-develop 

programs that will educate the future 

leaders of the world,” said Wang Dianjun, 

Principal of Tsinghua High School. “From 

Tsinghua, we really want to send our best 

students to this campus to experience this 

premier boarding school and open their 

eyes to a new world where students will be 

immersed in this cross-cultural community 

with American students. We think it will 

help to foster 21st century future leaders.” 

As part of the program, led by Humanities 

teacher Megan Grant, these 30 Chinese 

students will spend three weeks in the 

summer of 2015 studying Asheville 

School’s Jazz Age unit in American Studies. 

“We will select our best students to have 

this opportunity to study at Asheville 

School,” Dianjun said. 


Alumni and Development Report for 2013 - 2014 

We may pride ourselves on being a small 

school, but the magnitude of our philanthropy 

packs an impressive punch. Faithful 

alumni contributions led the way this 

past year as the Cody Fund dramatically 

exceeded goal. Additionally, progress was 

made to secure foundational funding for 

major capital initiatives like the renovation 

of Anderson Hall. John Thorsen 1987, 

who as my predecessor left big shoes to fill, 

deserves a tremendous amount of credit 

for raising the bar for our fundraising 

efforts. John and his talented team in the 

Development Office brought more donors 

“under the tent” with 1,327 individuals 

proudly entrusting Asheville School with 

their philanthropy. 

Our mission is clear. There is no better 

school in this country with the quality of 

students, educators, and programming 

that can be found here. Now it is incumbent 

upon us to take the next step, and 

match this unparalleled excellence with 

financial backing. This means we must 

take action and raise the necessary funds 

to address facility enhancements and bring 

our infrastructure up to the high standards 

representative of Asheville School. We 

must never forget, however, that it is really 

the people who make the magic happen. 

Significantly growing the endowment will 

allow us to increase scholarship support 

and also help attract and retain the best 

possible teachers. When alumni look back 

upon their Asheville 

School experience, it 

is names like Guillum, 

Uncle Will, 

Hollandsworth, 

Embler, Carter, and 

many other mentors 

that resonate loudest. 

These individuals 

shaped lives; we need 

to provide for the 

next generation of influential educational 

leaders. 

It is an important exercise to look back 

and not only applaud our successes, but 

also acknowledge areas in which we can 

improve. Asheville School has a dynamic 

parent and grandparent community that 

deserves more of our office’s attention. 

We understand the major investment you 

are making by giving your loved ones 

the ultimate gift of an Asheville School 

education. Our thanks go out to everyone 

who generously went above and beyond 

to contribute to the Cody Fund last year. 

We look forward to seeing many of you on 

campus and hope you will visit the Bement 

House, where you, like all alumni, are 

always welcome! 

On a personal note, my family thanks so 

many of you for going out of your way to 

make us feel at home. Never in our wildest 

dreams did we expect to receive the level of 

genuine care and hospitality that has been 

shown by alumni, parents, and friends of 

Asheville School. It just goes to show that 

the type of character we hope to instill in 

the students is modeled by all of you. 

This is going to be an outstanding year 

for Asheville School and I look forward to 

meeting many of you along the way. Please 

do not hesitate to reach out if the Development 

team can ever be of assistance. 

Thank you! GO BLUES! 

Daniel Seiden 

Director of Development 


The Bement House 


Asheville School Sets New Enrollment Record 

By John Smith 

Director of Admission 

I am proud to announce that as summer 

melted into fall, Asheville School opened 

the school year with an enrollment of 287 

students. This amazing feat represents the 

school at its true physical capacity and is a 

sign of strength for Asheville School. 

The Admission Office was able once again 

to capitalize on our growing reputation 

to attract students from all over the US 

and the world at large. We are fortunate 

to have representatives from 20 different 

states and 15 different countries, including 

several new students from Mexico, 

Venezuela and the UAE. Asheville School 

continues to be recognized as a premier 

school not only throughout the Southeast, 

but across the country and around the 

globe. 

You may wonder, “How is this possible? 

How has Asheville School increased its 

enrollment when many boarding schools 

across the country and globe are struggling 

to attract and enroll quality students?” 

The simple answer is you. Asheville School 

is blessed to have one of the most stunning 

campuses in the country, an incredibly 

dedicated faculty and staff, driven and 

inquisitive students, collaborative parents, 

and supportive, vocal alumni. Each one of 

you is part of the construction of one of 

the healthiest, most dynamic school 

communities in the country. 

Your stories of positive experiences at 

Asheville School help others learn what a 

strong and thriving place we have become. 

Individuals seem to glow when they have 

the chance to tell their Asheville School 

stories. Prospective families love hearing 

about the student-teacher relationships, 

the engaging classes, the wins and losses 

that made your time here so memorable, 

and how Asheville School changed your 

lives for the better. Your authentic stories 

help drive people to contact the Admission 

Office and schedule a visit. They usually 

leave campus excited to apply and hoping 

to attend Asheville School in the future. 

Your passion for Asheville School is what 

has continued to carry the school in a 

positive direction and has helped create 

the vibrant community we are so blessed 

to be part of today. 

The Admission Office team thanks you 

for all you have done to help us reach 

our record enrollment. Your stories and 

experiences are the most powerful tool a 

school has to use in attracting prospective 

families. 

We hope you will continue to spread the 

good word. 



Athletic Year in Review for 2013 - 2014 

JV Volleyball 

Overall Record: 2-9 

Captains: Anna Louse Flanagan 

and Alex Blom 

FALL 

Varsity Football 

Regular Season Record: 0-9 

Christ School game (H): Lost 25-45 

Captain: Naeem Swinton 

Valier Award: Naeem Swinton 

Boys’ Cross Country 


Conference Record: 6-0 

CAA Champions 

Finished 6th in NCISAA 

Captains: Otto Putzrath and Bruce Hall 

All-Buncombe County: Will Campbell 

All-Western North Carolina: Will 

Campbell 

All-Conference: Will Campbell, Otto 

Putzrath, Brett Somogye, Sam Goldstein 

All State: Will Campbell 

David Joseph Sielewicz Award: Will 

Campbell 

Girls’ Cross Country 



CAA Champions 


Captains: Hannah Broughton 

and Sophie Whelchel 

All-Conference: Holt Mettee, Robyn 

Newcomb, and Hannah Broughton 

W. Earl Mitchelle Award: Robyn Newcomb 

Varsity Field Hockey 



Finished 2nd in CAA 

NCISAA Tournament game: 2-3 L vs. 

Carolina Day 


14 Annual Report • 13 - 14 

Captain: Mary Grace Budd 

All-Conference: Mary Grace Budd, Gracie 

Pearsall, and Katie Krupnick 

Outstanding in Field Hockey: Mary Grace 

Budd 

Varsity Volleyball 



Finished 3rd in CAA 

Captain: Isabelle Mellon 

All-Conference: Bonnie Melanson 

Outstanding in Volleyball: Bonnie 

Melanson 

Varsity Boys’ Soccer 

Overall Record: 5-6-2 

Conference Record: 4-4-2 

Finished 3rd in CAA 

Captain: Michael Holowesko 

All-Conference: Michael Holowesko 

and Chase Jeffries 

Louis A. Valier Award: Michael Holowesko 

Varsity Girls’ Tennis 



CAA Champions 

Captain: Emily Navarro 

All-Conference: Paige Bradford, Hannah 

Verity, and Emily Navarro 

Outstanding in Tennis: Paige Bradford 

JV Boys’ Soccer 


Captain: Xaiver Jannah 

JV Field Hockey 


Captain: Abby Willis 

WINTER 

Wrestling 


CAA Champions (inaugural CAA 

wrestling championship) 

Finished 5th in NCISAA Tournament 

Captains: Otto Putzrath and Quin 

Thompson 

All-Conference: Quin Thompson, Otto 

Putzrath, John Galusha, Sean Wrinkle, 

Chase Jeffries, Conor Fenn 

NCISAA Runner-Up, 134# weight class: 

Conor Fenn 

Edward T. McBride Award: Conor Fenn 

Girls’ Swimming 



CAA Champions 

Buncombe County Champions 


Captain: Olivia Ostlund 

All-Conference: Kaylee Pierson 

All-Western North Carolina: Kaylee 

Pierson 

Broken Records: 

• 400-Free Relay (Lucy Hatcher, Stafford 

Mullin, Christina Pyfrom, Kaylee Pierson) 

• 100-Free – Kaylee Pierson 

• 50-Free – Kaylee Pierson 

Outstanding Award: Kaylee Pierson 

Boys’ Swimming 



CAA Champions 

Buncombe County Champions 

Finished 3rd in NCISAA 

Captain: Michael Holowesko 

All-Conference: Michael Holowesko, Joey 

Kriegler, Miller Albury, Chris Lew, Dylan 

Zawila, Ji-Hoon Jang, Tae-Hoon Jang 

All-Western North Carolina: Joey Kriegler 

and Miller Albury 

All-Western North Carolina 

Coach of the Year: Frank Kriegler


• 200-Medley Relay ( Joey Kriegler, Miller 

Albury, Tae-Hoon Jang, Michael 

Holowesko) 

• 400-Free Relay (Joey Kriegler, Miller 

Albury, Tae-Hoon Jang, Michael 

Holowesko) 

• 200-Free – Joey Kriegler 



• 100-Back – Miller Albury 

Outstanding Award: Joey Kriegler 

Varsity Boys’ Basketball 



Captain: Will Hathaway 

All-Conference: Michael Robinson 

Edward L. Valier Award: Will Hathaway 

Varsity Girls’ Basketball 



Captains: Jasira Swinton and Erin Scannell 

Outstanding Award: Sarah Jane Kline 

JV Boys’ Basketball 


Captains: Xaiver Jannah and Ali Fazal 

JV Girls’ Basketball 


Skills JV Basketball 


SPRING 

Varsity Baseball 



Finished 4th in CAA 

Captains: Tyler Somogye and 

Will Hathaway 

All-Conference: Alex Husain 

Robert C. Valier Award: Michael Robinson 

Varsity Boys’ Track 

CAA Champions 


Captains: Hunter Smith and Mo Carlton 

All-Conference: Will Campbell, Brett 

Somogye, Otto Putzrath, Mo Carlton, 

Hunter Smith, Ki Hang Kim, Chris Lew, 

Kokayi Cobb, Carter Pettus, Austin Letson 


• 400-meter dash – Kokayi Cobb 

All-Western North Carolina: Kokayi Cobb 

Frank H. Valier Award: Hunter Smith 

Varsity Girls’ Track 

CAA Champions 


Captains: Hannah Broughton and Robyn 

Newcomb 

All-Conference: Gabi Davis, Holt 

Mettee, Paige Bradford, Carson Abernethy, 

Jasira Swinton, Robyn Newcomb, Emma 

Van Wynen, Constance Ambler, Catherine 

Eckerd 


• Girls’ Pole Vault – Constance Ambler 

• 110-Meter Hurdles – Gabi Davis 

• 4 x 800-Relay – Emma Van Wynen, Paige 

Bradford, Robyn Newcomb, Holt Mettee 

Outstanding Award: Robyn Newcomb and 

Gabi Davis 

Varsity Girls’ Soccer 



CAA Co-Champions 

Captains: Emily Navarro and 

Kaylee Pierson 

All-Conference: Kaylee Pierson, Isabelle 

Smith, Olivia Waters, Emily Navarro, 

Camille Groh 

Outstanding Award: Kaylee Pierson 

Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse 



Captain: Claire Hansen 

All Conference: Gracie Pearsall, Katie 

Krupnick, Mary Grace Budd, and 

Claire Hansen. 

Outstanding Award: Gracie Pearsall 

Varsity Boys’ Tennis 


League Record: 5-1 

CAA Co-Champions 

NCISAA Tournament: L, 3-6 vs. 

Cannon School 


Captains: Eli Abernethy and Wyatt Cole 

All-Conference: Eli Abernethy, Wills R., 

and Wyatt Cole 

Outstanding Award: Eli Abernethy 

Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse 



Captains: Hill Gage and Michael 

Holowesko 

All-Conference: Michael Holowesko 

Outstanding Award: Michael Holowesko 

JV Girls’ Lacrosse 


Captains: Annabelle Kim and Isabel 

Whelchel 

JV Boys’ Tennis 


Captain: Jose Torrado-Garcia 

Chuck N. Carter Leadership Award 

Alexa D. Caldwell 

Gene M. Hamilton Sportsmanship Award 

Mo Carlton 

David Ralph Millard, Jr. Award for Best 

Male Athlete: 

Michael W. Holowesko 

Joseph A. Riggs, Jr. Award for Best Female 

Athlete: 

Kaylee S. Pierson 

Notable Athletic Achievements 

26 “3-Sport” Varsity Letter Winners 

2 6th Formers lettered in 12 sports in 

their career (Michael Holowesko and Otto 

Putzrath) 

10 CAA Championships 

64 CAA All-Conference Athletes 

10 Teams in NCISAA State Championships 

1 NCISAA All-State Athlete 

10 Teams had Winning Seasons 

2 Teams were Buncombe County 

Champions 

12 School Records were broken 


Student Affairs Report for 2013 - 2014 

By Mary Wall 

Assistant Head of School 

for Student Affairs 

Residential Life, Burt Gordon 1986 

Our Residential Life program continues 

to thrive under Burt Gordon’s leadership! 

While we build on our experience from the 

past, we are enriched each year with new 

adults and students. For the 2014-15 year, 

we look forward to five new Hall Parents 

who join our dedicated residential team. 

We continue to make strides in our Residential 

Life program by way of the Retreat 

and training in August for all of our Prefects, 

Proctors and Hall Parents. We will 

also continue our ongoing weekly meetings 

of our student leaders and our biweekly 

Hall Parent meetings. The Health, 

Wellness, and Community Life program 

saw improvements in 2013-14 due to two 

programs in which we collaborated with 

off-campus professionals; one program 

was run by Mission Health professionals 

and one by Buncombe County professionals. 

The Sixth Form Seminar program 

during the spring semester was expanded 

to seven meeting dates, and it continued to 

receive the support of off-campus professionals 

from UNC-Asheville, Wells Fargo 

Financial Services, and FCD (Freedom 

from Chemical Dependency). 

While programming is a vital component 

of a vibrant residential life program, so 

too are the actual facilities in which our 

professionals and students reside. And, 

too, while programming monies have been 

provided to help us move forward and 

to make our residential life program, in a 

number of ways, examples for others to 

emulate, it is well known that our facilities 

have seen better days and have surpassed 

their life-expectancy. Two of our three 

residential halls (Anderson Hall built in 

1900 and Lawrence Hall built in 1907) are 

worn, and they are in need of a number 

of enhancements, cosmetically speaking 

and safety-wise. It is our hope that in 2015 

we can see significant enhancements in 

Anderson Hall with Lawrence Hall not far 

behind. 


Dance – Kathy Leiner 

In her 11th year as the Director of Dance 

at Asheville School, Kathy Leiner once 

again surpassed all expectations in the two 

shows she produced. The winter show, 

Campus Life Snapshots, not only incorporated 

the physical landscape of Asheville 

School but also the social landscape, involving 

several of the families and faculty 

members in the show to reflect a day in 

the life at Asheville School – all expressed 

through dance. The site-specific work, 

multimedia film work, and stage performers 

age 3 to 53 encouraged and expanded 

the view of who and what dance is. 

The spring show, Led into the Inferno, 

brought the students’ humanities studies 

to life through dance. The performance 

further highlighted the students’ creative 

skills and their collaboration in the ambitious 

production. With elaborate choreography, 

costuming, and set, the dance 

students explored emotional and physical 

descriptions of the various levels of hell 

while pushing themselves to create, embrace, 

and communicate various aspects 

of being human as seen through Dante’s 

writing. 

Mountaineering – Matt Christie 

• This was the first year for Matthew 

Christie to serve as the Director of 

Mountaineering. 

• Mountaineering had another wonderful 

Third Form camping trip to begin the year. 

• Faculty members Bev Berton and Nancy 

Brandon joined the mountaineering staff 

for the first time, with Bev focusing on 

climbing in the fall and Nancy helping 

with biking, climbing and skiing in the 

winter. 

• We had a successful ski and snowboard 

race season, with Spanish teacher Andrew 

Kegg taking the lead this 

year. Sarah Stupp 2017 

earned Third overall in the 

women’s skiers. 

• The fly fishers were fortunate 

to travel, by invitation 

of Richard Formato 1977. 

They enjoyed a beautiful 

weekend at his house outside 

of Wytheville, Virginia. 

• In the spring, veteran faculty 

members Larry Kollath 

and Seth Buddy developed 

and led a Wilderness skills 

course that taught the 

mouintaineers how to use a 

bow drill, make improvised 

shelters, and develop several 

other primitive-living skills. 

• Dylan Zawila 2014 earned 

his Assistant 

Instructor certification in 

Kayaking and also earned 

the Pop Hollandsworth 

Mountaineering Award for the year. 

Infirmary – Phyllis Joyner, RN 

Nurse Phyllis Joyner retired at the end of 

this academic year after 19 years as our 

School Nurse. We are welcoming Caitlin 

Hobson, RN, as our new School Nurse. 

She is new to the Asheville area and has 

much nursing experience. Ms. Hobson 

joins Mary Ann Nix, LPN, who has been 

with us for over 20 years. 

The best news from the health care front 

is that we had no major outbreaks of 

illness this past year!

A number of students were observed, 

evaluated, and treated for concussions 

this year. The numbers were up from 

previous years due to increased “concussion 

awareness” across the country. Our 

newly instituted “Concussion Awareness 

Forms” were a great asset in preventing 

undiagnosed head injuries. Many thanks 

to Trainer Frank Burke for performing the 

majority of the Impact tests. 

Art – Claire Smith 

While Art Teacher Casey Arbor enjoyed 

a semester of maternity leave, we were 

fortunate to have Claire Sardoni Smith, 

parent of Sonja Erchak 2014, serve as our 

art teacher this spring. Under her tutelage, 

we celebrated four Scholastic Art Award 

winners, achieving 11 separate awards. 

They are: 

• Sonja Erchak 2014 with two gold and 

three silver key awards 

• Margaret Anne Munday 2014 with two 

gold and two silver awards, and one of 

those pieces won a national silver key 

award 

• Sophia Curtis 2015 1 gold key 

• Perla Haney-Jardine 2015 1 honorable 

mention 

The Advanced Art students, the Introductory 

Art students, and the Afternoon Art 

students worked in unison to create 3-D 

installation pieces for the foyer of Graham 

Theater as well as backgrounds for the 

scenes of the Dance students’ performance 

of Led into the Inferno. To wrap up the 

semester, there were 89 pieces on exhibit in 

the advanced art show, including some of 

the work produced during the afternoon 

activities time slot. 

Music – John Crawley 

John Crawley has led our various music 

groups for 16 years now. Every other 

year, he also helps direct a musical in the 

winter term, and 2015 will be such a year. 

We look forward to Fiddler on the Roof 

to be presented February 19 and 20 on 

the Graham Theater stage. John will join 

forces with Dance Teacher Kathy Leiner 

to lead this classic show. John has also 

volunteered to direct our fall play this year, 

in lieu of hiring a part-time drama teacher 

for just one show. The fall play will be performed 

on October 23 and 24. Highlights 

of this past year include: 

• 20% of our student body enrolled in one 

or more of our musical organizations. 

• The Asheville School Chorus, Handbell 

Ensemble, and various instrumentalists 

performed during our annual Thanksgiving 

and Candlelight Services in Boyd 

Chapel and our Spring Music Concert. 

The varied musical groups also performed 

for Comeback Day, the Service of Remembrance, 

and Baccalaureate. 

• The Asheville School Handbell Ensemble 

continued its off-campus ambassadorship 

by performing the National Anthem on 

center court at a home UNC-A basketball 

game. 

• A fifth octave of handchimes enabled 

Handbell Ensemble to have a wider variety 

of repertoire. 

• Restoration of the existing acoustical 

shells enabled a wider performing stage for 

the Spring Concert in Graham Theater. 

• In 2014-15, Mr. Crawley is re-establishing 

a chorale, an auditioned group of mixed 

voices. This group, which has been known 

by numerous designations over the years, 

including Double Quartet, will provide 

music for external as well as internal 

events. Mr. Crawley also plans to increase 

the external visibility of the Handbell 

Choir with more performances in the 

Asheville area. 

Equestrian – Diane Wilson 

Director Diane Wilson reports that the 

Equestrian Program continues to include 

very talented young riders, both experienced 

and newcomers to the course. 

During 2013-14, Diane took two students 

to a Hunter Pace in South Carolina. 

On Girls’ Sports Day, the students dyed 

‘Strum,’ one of the school’s horses, blue 

and paraded him to all the outdoor games. 

Diane also took a day trip with five students 

to a nearby Hunter Jumper facility. 

And perhaps the most significant highlight 

is a Sixth Former who worked with an untrained 

3-year-old and successfully trained 

him to the point of being ridden at a walk. 

Student Activities – Michelle Brooks 

Another great year in the Student Activities 

arena. Michelle Brooks, Assistant 

Dean of Students, serves also as our Director 

of Student Activities and will again be 

the Lawrence Dorm Dean this coming fall. 

She is exceptional in her ability to work 

with the students to provide wholesome, 

fun, and engaging activities. Working 

closely with her this past year was Toddy 

Collett 2015, the student Chair of the 

Student Activities Committee. 

This year, we reassigned some requirements 

at the beginning of the year to try to 

spread the wealth among our hard-working 

faculty members. Those who teach, 

coach and live on the dormitory halls with 

the students were reduced to a requirement 

of four activities per year, while those 

who do a portion of those assignments 

were required to complete six or eight 

activities this year. Several faculty members 

completed more than their required 

number, and we were able to offer a large 

number of varied activities. We ended the 

year with a Spring Carnival on the Kehaya 

Lawn followed by a “drive in” movie complete 

with food trucks for the kids to enjoy. 

The weather gods were shining on us – it 

was a picture-perfect day and a great way 

to spend an afternoon and evening just 

before exam week. 

Michelle completed an exhaustive list of 

which students attended which activities 

throughout the year. This report shows 

that nearly all of our students participate 

in our offerings, and it helps us to see 

where to focus some of our attention in 

future years. 

Drama – Peter Savage 

We staged two dynamic shows that were 

very different but equally successful. The 

fall comedy, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, 

had a cast that was a wonderful blend of 

Drama newcomers and seasoned veterans, 

whose combined effort all paid off in an 

evening full of laughs. The winter play, 

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, was a highly 

experimental production that blended 

commedia dell-arte masks and acting style 

with simplified set and costumes. The 

audience took part in the show by sitting 

on the stage and interacting with the 

characters. 

It is with heavy heart that we accepted 

Peter Savage’s resignation as our Drama 

Director. We celebrate with him that he 

has been hired full time by Western Carolina 

University to teach Drama in Cullowhee. 

While his appointment is a one-year 

post, we will keep our fingers crossed that 

his talents will be shared with our students 

again in the future. That said, we wish him 

the best of luck. We will greatly miss him. 


Submit your 

Class Note today at 

ashevilleschool.org/classnotes 

Former Faculty 

Gerry Shields (faculty 1963-69) 

Gerry sends this note from his new 

home in Michigan: I just completed 

another interim headship, my 

sixth, at Sinarmas World Academy 

and Jakarta World Academy in 

Indonesia. I will likely do another 

after we settle into our new inn 

venture. With my partner, I am in 

the process of buying Saravilla Bed 

and Breakfast in Alma, MI, and we 

become its owners and innkeepers 

on October 1. There used to be 

a fair contingent of AS alumni in 

Michigan, and I’d love to see any of 

them as they travel. The website is 

www.saravilla.com. Alma is a college 

town, which is the attraction 

for us; we are about an hour’s drive, 

respectively, from Lansing, Flint or 

Grand Rapids. 

1948 

Bob Kimberly 

John and his wife, Nancy, are enjoying 

retirement in Bellevue, WA. 

They both play bridge; Bob has 

been writing and has self-published 

two books of poems, while Nancy 

enjoys watercolor painting. They 

love the Pacific Northwest and over 

the past 44 years have taken advantage 

of all that the area has to offer. 

Bob finds it strange and amazing 

that the Northwest often reminds 

him of his six years in Asheville. 


Class of 1959 

(left to right) Penn Holsapple, Bob Anning, Nick Jordan, John Fageol, Frank Smith, 

Tom Watson, and Bob Boshara 

Class of 1969 

(left to right) Bruce Johnston, Tom Marberger, Harlan Wright, and Rowland Miller

Class of 1964 

(left to right) Joe Fall, Bill Francis, Kent Van Allen, Alan Truluck, Fred Ball, Tony Collins, Jim Fisher, Rick Parker, and Peter Diefendorf 

Bill Herndon 1970, Rees Poag 1970, 

and Marc Winchester 1970 enjoyed a 

fishing trip in Guatemala last spring. 

1967 

Clifford O. Feingold 

In August, Cliff began his term as 

Secretary-Treasurer of the North 

Carolina State Board of Dental 

Examiners. 

1969 

W. Bradford Gary 

Brad is director of Southern Ocean 

Research Company, LLC, a Maritime 

Security and Intelligence firm 

based in Palm Beach. He is the 

author of an op-ed piece on 

Maritime Safety Standards. 

1975 

Keith Bishop 

Keith recently received the Business 

Law Section’s Lifetime Achievement 

Award for 2014. He was recognized 

as “a member of the State Bar of 

California who over an extended 

period has made significant contributions 

to the Section or to the 

business law generally in the State 

of California and who has achieved 

high status in the legal community.” 

1976 

Robert Chiles 

Robert writes, “We have been living 

in Marietta, GA, for five years, 

where I am employed by Regions 

Bank in its Real Estate Capital Markets 

group. Our son Carlson just 

started high school and our daughter 

Taylor is in 7th grade.” 

Mallory Hoagland is the daughter of 

Chris Hoagland 1979. They live in 

Bozeman, MT. 

Director of the Cody Annual Fund Tom 

Marberger 1969 visited with Merritt Dyke 

1980 in Atlanta, GA. 


Class of 1974 

(front row; left to right) Karl Koon, Tim Wolff, Barbara (Beard) Hansen, Frannie (Doloboff) Miller, Vicki Jayne, Janis Jones Pulley, Mark 

Harrison (second row) Field Coxe, Michael McNair, Harris Baker, Gene Legg, Kert Phillips, John Hazlehurst, Charlie Hallowell (back row) 

Mark Yonce, Matthew Revis, Doug Byrd, Gary Dickinson, Joe Pratt, Arnold Barrett, Rob Stevenson, Ed Moore 

1980 

Patricia Howland Bond 

Patty lives in Baltimore, MD, and 

continues to work in arts administration 

with Everyman Theatre 

and the Creative Alliance. She visits 

Asheville yearly to reconnect with 

her brother Robert and John Ruhl, 

both from the class of 1980, as well 

as other family and friends. 

G. Evan Hayes Rommel 

Evan is looking forward to summer 

climbing season, and is planning 

to hike Mount Wilson near Cortez, 

CO, one of 53 Colorado mountains 

with an elevation over 14,000 feet 

and among the hardest of the 

Colorado mountains to climb. He 

has a new album out and is 

currently trying to get it aired 

on college radio stations. 

1984 

Stephen S. Barranco Jr. 

Stephen reports that he is finishing 

his term on the Harrisonburg, VA, 

Class of 1979 

Keith Coulter, Tim Young, Steve Seal, Joseph Shlaferman, Bond Nickles 

Tommy Shores 1985 and Bryan O’Neal 

1983 participated in the Charity Chase Half 

Marathon in Hickory, NC, in June. 


City School Board. He has also 

become Committee Chair for his 

Boys Scouts of America troop. 

Karl Gunther 

Karl married Ashley Howard on 

May 3, 2014. 

1987 

Joseph (Jody) McAuley 

Jody writes that he has joined 

Robert W. Baird & Co. as Senior 

Vice President and Branch Manager 

of the Charleston, SC, office. He 

thanks everyone for the phone calls 

and support. 

Amy “Bellamy” Young 

Live on the KTLA 5 Morning News 

in May, “Scandal” star Bellamy 

learned she’d been nominated 

for the Critics’ Choice Television 

Awards for best supporting actress 

in a drama. 

Bellamy won the award at the 4th 

annual Critics’ Choice Television 

Awards on June 19. 

1989 

Charlie Thiel 

Charlie and his family have moved 

to Bend, Oregon. 

1990 

Jason A. Neal 

Jason, U.S. Naval Academy 1997, 

is continuing his career in the U.S. 

Navy and recently was selected for 

the rank of Commander. 

Jason started his naval career in the 

submarine force and served aboard 

both ballistic missile and ‘fast attack’ 

submarines before joining 

the Navy’s newest community, the 

Foreign Area Officer corps, in 2008 

as an African specialist. The FAO 

corps specializes in political-military 

affairs and frequently serves as 

policy advisors to both military and 

civil service leaders. Jason served as 

Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation 

in Gabon, Central Africa, 

before reporting to the Pentagon, 

where he advises the Chief of Naval 

Operations on African and Middle 

Eastern engagement. He joins his 

classmate Richard Dickens, a UNC- 

Chapel Hill graduate and U.S. Air 

Force Lieutenant Colonel, at the 

O-5 grade. 

1991 

J. Timothy Akers 

Tim reports that he has signed a 

three-book deal with Titan Books. 

The first book, The Pagan Night, 

will be in stores in 2015. 

Jeannie Graham 

Jeannie graduated with an MBA 

from Clemson on August 8. She 

traveled to China in May through 

the university. 

Class of 1984 

(front row; left to right) Scott Shealy, Shaun Rogers, Talley Summerlin, Keith Darby, Duncan Parham, Will Barrett 

(back row) Neil Giles, Karla (Jacobson) Gay, Josh Troy, Bob Kanich, Rob Goodman, Kelly Hall, Frank Brants, Anthony Sgro, Eleanor Ivey 


Bryan King 

Bryan and his wife, Angela, bought 

the 12 Bones barbecue restaurants 

in Asheville and Arden in the 

summer of 2013. They had worked 

at the two locations since November 

2011. Bryan and Angela were 

married in September 2013. 

1994 

Emily M. Brewer 

Emily received her Ph.D. in English 

Literature in May 2013 from UNC- 

Chapel Hill. 

Pictured are Wes Mira 1996, his wife, Tatiana, son Alexandre (5), and daughter Elizabeth (1). 

1996 

Wesley M. Mira 

Wes just completed his M.S. in 

International Business Administration. 

He moved last July from Miami, 

FL, to Franklin, NC, to be part 

of the third generation working 

in his family’s business, TekTone 

Sound & Signal Manufacturing. 

He comes to Asheville often and 

recently visited campus with his 

family. 

Jowanna Young Shutes 2000 and her 

husband, Peter, live in Honolulu, Hawaii, 

where Jo is pursuing her nursing career 

and Pete is a meteorologist with the USAF. 

They hope to visit campus next year to see 

the many additions and improvements that 

have been made since her graduation. 

An informal alumni gathering at Elbow Cay, Great Abaco Island in the northern Bahamas 

brought together Mike Jones 1994, Emery Blackwelder 2013, Alli Blackwelder 2010, and 

Cathy Blackwelder. 


Class of 1989 

(front row; left to right) Jonah Hodge, Grant Hundertmark, Sarah Higi Burns, Pamela Israel, Sesilia Song, Fred Greear, Pete Kennedy 

(back row) Jay Philips, Bob Paty, Will Plaster, Michael Aspiotis, Hollis Rogers III, Ali Vaezy, Doug Bowen-Flynn, John Craddock, Mike 

Jackson, Charlie Thiel 

Ava Claire and Brooke Katherine Rewalt 

1997 

Daniel Rewalt 

Daniel and his wife, Jo-Elle, 

welcomed twins Ava Claire and 

Brooke Katherine into the world 

on April 9. 

2001 

Jodie Tharp 

Jodie is attending law school in 

Washington, DC. He graduated 

from Western Kentucky 

University with a B.A. in Business 

Management and spent four years 

in US Army Special Operations. He 

Class of 1994 

(front row; left to right) Rachel Savage, Jeanna (Henderson) Reid, Azell Archie, Quinn 

(White) Craughwell, Arlette (Crane) Dumke (middle row) Andrew Scott, John Rainero, 

Meredith (Goodrum) Connell, Richard Davis Jr., Judd Garbarino, Roderick Robinson, 

Dorothy (Dang) Newbern (back row) Melita (Terrell) Gump, Yasmin (Hahn) Rouer, 

Robert Edwards, Chip Rodgers, Adam Burton 


Class of 1999 

(left to right) Joshua D. Anderson and Ross D. Macartney 

and his wife, Whitney, have twin 

daughters, Reagan and Riley. 

He and Whitney drove through 

campus last December on a little 

weekend getaway, the first time 

that Jodie had been back since 

math teacher Earl Mitchelle’s 

memorial service in 2002, and 

thought the place looked great. 


2002 

Nick and Bess Nadolski Mills 

Nick and Bess are happy to 

announce 

the arrival 

of their son, 

Andrew Lang 

Mills, on 

August 22, 

2014. 

Andrew Lang Mills 

Curran Anderson Southwick 2001 is pictured with her family. She writes: “Felt like the 

fastest summer in history, running after a toddler, teaching a teenager how to drive, and 

taking a tween shopping. I am wonderfully busy at work in Atlanta, dealing with all of the 

new and growing movie grips in town.” 

Erik A. Olsson 

Erik and his wife, Ashley, 

welcomed their son, Finn Henry 

Olsson, on October 9, 2013. Erik 

is a chief resident in Orthopedic 

Surgery at UNC-Chapel Hill and 

will start a fellowship in Spine 

Surgery at The Rothman Institute, 

Thomas Jefferson University in 

2015. 

2003 

Mark Newman 

Mark is thrilled to be returning 

to his alma mater, UNC-Chapel 

Hill, as Associate Director of 

Development for the College of 

Arts and Sciences Foundation. 

Mark recently was employed at 

Asheville-Buncombe Technical 

Community College as Alumni 

Relations and Resource 

Development Coordinator. 

2004 

Finn Henry Olsson 

Dr. Virginia Alldredge Tracey 

Gigi has been busy since beginning 

her medical studies at Tulane 

University in 2008. She married 

Anthony Tracey in 2012, had 

a baby girl, Eliza, in 2013, and 

in July began her residency in 

dermatology, also at Tulane 

University.

Class of 2004 

(left to right) Nathan E. Bradshaw, Patrick Chidnese, Will Spencer, Will Ballance, Charla Hughes, Edward Henderson, Shavontia Cochran, 

Yaw Odame, Brian Oh 

Class of 2009 

(front row; left to right) Catherine Gregory, Kayla Bacon, Lissa Clarke, Josie Russell, Grace Cowan, (back row) Anna (Gregory) Greene, 

John-Michael Popovici, George Boston, Chelsea Parker, Jamir Butler, Sealy Cross, Robert Ficken 


SpeedFaces Event 

Nancy Harloe 2004 and her husband, 

James Gunn Murphy, were married on 

April 26, 2014 in Charleston, SC. 

Nancy Harloe 

Nancy married James Gunn 

Murphy III of Greenville, SC, on 

Saturday, April 26, 2014, at St. 

Philip’s Church in Charleston, 

SC. The Reverend J. Haden 

McCormick officiated. A reception 

followed at Hibernian Society 

Hall. Nancy and James reside in 

Greenville, SC. 

Joseph (Joe) M. Charlet 

Joe sends this note and photo: “My 

college friends and I do a reunion 

trip every year and this year I 

brought them all to Asheville to 

enjoy the city and visit AS, since 

they’ve heard so much about it 

from me over the years. They, of 

course, fell in love with both, and 

here is a picture of most of our 

group on 2nd Mitchell. It was really 

wonderful to get a chance to visit 

the campus again, as well as visit 

with so many of the people who 

made my time here great.” 

Caroline Paul 

Caroline writes, “My boyfriend 

of four and a half years, Thomas 

‘Teddy’ Doyle, proposed to me on 

January 11 in New York City with 


Asheville School’s first ever virtual alumni event took place April 22, 2014, with 

a combination of 25 Asheville School alumni and faculty taking part in the fun. 

Rob Kehaya 2005 launched a social networking tool with his company speedfaces.com 

and worked with the school’s alumni office on this effort to bring our 

global alumni network closer together using technology. 

Alumni from the last 10 years were invited to participate and were joined in 

cyberspace by Head of School Arch Montgomery and Chaplain Jerry Pricket 

among others. Be on the lookout for future alumni events in the months to 

come, both virtual and in a town near you. 

both sets of parents as well as our 

brothers and their fiancées in NYC 

to help us celebrate. Teddy and 

I both have strong family ties to 

Massachusetts and will be married 

on Cape Cod in May 2015.” 

Tejan Dewanji 

Tejan married Dr. Maria 

Churaman on April 6, 2014. Burt 

Gordon 1986, Gary Shields 2002, 

Yaw Odame 2004, Eliza Paul 2004, 

and Chris “Tex” Smith 2003 were 

in attendance. 

Joe Charlet 2004 is pictured with his college friends from Yale during a recent visit to 

Asheville School.

2005 

David B. Emigh 

David’s final deployment to 

Afghanistan is over and he has 

returned to Alabama as a Chemical, 

Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, 

and Explosives/Weapons of 

Mass Destruction Instructor at 

the FEMA Center for Domestic 

Preparedness located in Anniston, 

Alabama. The center is the premier 

all-hazards-training center for 

First Responders in the world, and 

David will be teaching a variety 

of courses that involve students 

receiving training in a live chemical 

and biological agent training 

area. David would love to see any 

Asheville School alumni who are 

involved in disaster response attend 

a course at the facility. 

2006 

Hannah Bonner 

Hannah recently published one of 

her original poems in the new issue 

of The Freeman and two poems 

in The Southern Poetry Anthology, 

Volume VII: North Carolina. She 

has been teaching Humanities at 

Asheville School since 2011. 

Bill Francis 1964 Receives The Heedy Award 

Bill Francis 1964 was presented the Henry G. Heedy, Jr. 1933 Service Award at the 

Fall House during Alumni Weekend 2014. Francis was a member of the Board of 

Visitors from 1996-2001 and served on the Board of Trustees from 2001 – 2014. He 

has also been the Chair of the Alumni Association and contributed to the Cody Fund 

for over 30 years. He recruited several students to the school, including two current 

associate trustees: Charla Hughes 2004 and Mandy Helton 2000. 

Nick Jordan 1959 Receives The Heedy Award 

Tiffany (Mary) Brinkley 

Mary has just started college at 

Ashford University for her BA in 

accounting. She is very excited to 

take the next step in her life. 

Valerie A. Clarke 

Valerie graduated with an M.S. 

degree in Sports Management in 

December 2012 and currently lives 

near Milwaukee, WI. Since last 

November, she has been working at 

her first sports marketing position 

in the web department of a local 

sporting goods company. 

Nick Jordan 1959 was presented the Henry G. Heedy, Jr. 1933 Service Award 

during Alumni Weekend 2014. In 2002, Jordan returned to his alma mater to serve 

as a Major and Planned Gifts Officer. During Jordan’s tenure, the school raised $9 

million in new capital gifts and an additional $1 million in new estate gifts. Jordan 

was instrumental in the organization of his class’s hugely successful 50th reunion in 

2009. Thirteen of the surviving 18 graduates attended, and they raised $75,000 for 

the endowment in honor of Pop Hollandsworth. 


Zeke Jordan 2006, Savannah Engel 

2005, and Peter Noh 2005 

Zeke, Savannah and Peter recently 

met at Omar’s La Ranita in 

Greenwich Village. Peter is working 

with restaurant operations, 

Savannah works with Michael 

Kors, and Zeke just started a new 

job with interior design firm SR 

Gambrel, Inc. His business travels 

include monthly visits to LA and 

trips to South Africa and Ireland. 

Max Paderewski 

Max writes, “I’m a rising 2L at 

UC Hastings Law and spent the 

summer in DC, working for the 

House Committee on Oversight 

and Government Reform. I’m 

looking to line up a summer 

associate position for next summer 

and would love to connect with any 

Asheville School lawyers in DC. I 

also started doing stand-up comedy 

in my free time and I’m ‘killing it.’ ” 

2007 

Jess Maggart 

Jess is engaged to Tyler Evans. Tyler 

proposed to Jess at the top of Celo 

Jess Maggart 2007 is engaged to Tyler Evans. 

Knob near Mt. Mitchell. They will 

be married in the fall of 2015 in 

Asheville School’s Boyd Chapel. 

Jess earned her MAT in English in 

May 2014 from the University of 

South Carolina - Columbia and is 

teaching English at Spring Valley 

High School in Columbia, SC. 

Tyler is working on his Ph.D. in 

hydrogeology at USC-Columbia. 

Paul Szurek 

Paul is keeping busy with work 

in New York City, doing tech 

investing at Insight Venture 

Partners. He also just founded a 

nonprofit startup consulting group 

(mystartupsherpa.org) that will be 

helping early stage ventures tackle 

their most pressing strategic and 

financial challenges. He would 

love to talk to any entrepreneurial 

Asheville School alumni needing 

that sort of help. 

2008 

Jamie Arakas 

Jamie graduated in 2012 from 

Wofford College as a theater 

arts major. He is now pursuing a 

masters in fine arts on a scholarship 

at Arizona State University. 

Claire Clayton 

Ashvegas wrote an article about 

locals breaking into TV and movies, 

highlighting Claire Clayton 2008. 

Warren Givens 2008 and Ivy 

Givens 2010 

The Rolling Stone wrote an article 

about Warren being featured 

on country superstar Miranda 

Lambert’s new album, Platinum. 

During World Awareness Day on 

March 7, siblings Warren and Ivy 

returned to the Graham Theater 

stage at Asheville School, where 

their passion for music and 

performing began. 

Dr. Hugh C. Hemmings, Jr 1974 (left) received Asheville School’s highest honor, the Award 

of Merit, during Alumni Weekend 2014. The Board of Trustees presented the award to 

Hemmings in recognition of a distinguished career in research, medicine, and education. 


Roy Kim 2012 performs for Asheville School students, faculty, alumni, and parents 

during a live performance in the Bement House. Brian Becker 2011, Davie Boone 2012, 

Mary Page Boyd 2012 and Ben Groh 2012 returned to campus for the acoustic 

performance. After winning the Korean Television music competition, Superstar K, Kim is 

now working on his second album. His first album, Love Love Love, was a bestseller and the 

title track immediately hit #1 on real-time music charts. 

Partners for Justice Intern at the 

Suffolk Probate and Family Court. 

I live in Brookline, MA, with my 

partner, Emily, and our dog, Dolly. 

2010 

Bret Fickes 

Bret graduated from UNC-Chapel 

Hill and is headed to China as a 

member of the Peace Corps. 

2011 

Brian Becker 

The Carolina Ukulele Ensemble 

from UNC-Chapel Hill – featuring 

Brian – performed at Asheville 

School on May 8. The group is 

the world’s only collegiate ukulele 

ensemble. 

2012 

Claire M. Coward 

Claire attended the Charleston 

reception May 15. She has been a 

member of a two-month mission 

trip to Nicaragua. 

The band W.B. Givens performs at Asheville School’s World Awarness Day. Ivy Givens 2010 

(far left) and Warren Givens 2008 (guitarist and lead singer) are the founding members of 

the band. They were recently featured in Rolling Stone. 

2009 

Gigi Macaluso 

Gigi writes: I graduated from Smith 

College in 2013 double majoring 

in Government and Comparative 

Literature. Currently, I am a 

Juris Doctor candidate at Suffolk 

University Law School and a 

Master of Business Administration 

candidate at Sawyer Business 

School in Boston, Massachusetts. 

I am working as judicial intern 

to the Honorable Judge David G. 

Sacks in Hampden Probate and 

Family Court, as well as the Senior 

Darrah Amiyrah Johnson 2012 

Darrah Amiyrah Johnson 

Darrah is studying abroad in Paris, 


France, during the 2014-15 school 

year. She writes: “I worked tirelessly 

for nine months to secure my 

participation in this extraordinary 

experience. While abroad, I will be 

perfecting my fluency in the French 

language and studying French 

politics, Afro-European cultures, 

and ultimately, the United States’ 

relationship with Europe, particularly 

with France. This fantastic opportunity 

will advance me toward 

completing my French major from 

Goucher College.” 

Tobi Shannon 

Tobi writes, “This summer I interned 

as the International Youth 

Development Intern at Youth 

Service America. It was exciting to 

be in DC as a summer intern, and I 

was even able to visit the US Senate. 

I explored DC and tried to figure 

out what I want to do after college, 

which is coming sooner than 

expected! I hope everyone is doing 

well.” 

(from left to right) Avi Goldstein 2013, Stephen Jarislowsky 1942, and Andrew Dong 2013 

Deane Pless 2013 (second from the right) and her freshman rowing team from Trinity 

College won the New England Championships with an undefeated season. Deane was put 

on varsity after this regatta, and her Varsity 2 boat placed second at Eastern College Athletic 

Conference in May. At the NCAA event in June, Trinity took first place in Division III 

competition; Deane participated as one of two “spares” and the only freshman. 

Tobi Shannon 2012 


Patrick C. Wood 2013 and Paul Jordan 2013 are sophomores at Bates College. Patrick is a 

JA at Clason House and Paul is a member of the Bates cross-country team.

2013 

Avram (Avi) Goldstein and 

Andrew Dong 

Avi and Andrew met with Stephen 

Jarislowsky 1942 in his Montreal 

office. Mr. Jarislowsky told the boys 

he still eats the traditional Asheville 

School breakfast of shredded wheat 

and apple sauce every day. During 

lunch, Avi and Andrew listened to 

Mr. Jarislowsky’s stories and in the 

end he gave them three pieces of 

advice: 1. Honesty pays off; it just 

takes a little longer. 2. Be ethical. 

3. Beat Christ School. 

Libby Malinowski 

We saw Libby at the recent alumni 

and friends gathering in Charleston 

and learned that she is interning at 

W.E.D., an event design company, 

and at The Local Palate, a Southern 

food magazine based in Charleston. 

Class of 2014 Legacy Graduates 

Daughters of three Asheville School alumni graduated in 

2014. 

(Top left) Gary Dickinson 1974 is pictured with his 

daughter, Meredith. 

(Above) Karl Koon 1974 is pictured with his daughter, 

Katherine. 

(Left) Mark McPherson 1973 is pictured with his daughter, 

Zan. 


New faculty and staff join school community 

(from left to right) Anna Lawrence, Instructor of Mathematics; Burke Rogers, Assistant College Counselor and Instructor of Humanities; 

Nancy Ann Little, Instructor of Science; Randy Mengel 2006, Instructor of French; Derrith Roberson, Assistant Director of Admission; Dan 

Seiden, Director of Development; Dr. Scott Miller, School Psychologist and Director of Counseling; Mary Crowers, Instructor of Mathematics; 

Hope Concannon, Instructor of Mathematics; Molly Arkon, Instructor of Spanish; Heidi Gruber, Assistant Director of Admissionand 

Instructor of Humanities; Christine Jones, Instructor of Science. Not pictured: Caitlin Hobson RN, Health Center nurse. 

A Winter Memory From 1955 

Sandy Martin 1955 has been a long-time, generous supporter of Asheville School. He is a member of the Tower Society with 

30-plus years of consecutive giving. Sandy has included Asheville School in his estate planning and is a member of the 

Wilbert Peck Society. Please enjoy Sandy’s story of a winter Sunday at Asheville School. 

“Being located in the South, it doesn’t snow every winter at Asheville School. There are occasional 

exceptions to this, though, and during the winter of 1955 we had several inches which stayed on the 

ground a few days over a weekend. A group of us decided to go down to Lake Ashnoca which had frozen 

over. Venturing out onto it we discovered that the ice was sufficiently solid to support our weight. 

Shortly, a toboggan appeared and we built a track down the hillside on the far side of the lake and 

out onto the frozen lake. It provided much fun for all present on a winter Sunday afternoon. Above is 

is a picture from the 1955 Blue and White of the track and a group on the toboggan.” 

Sandy Martin 1955 


Alumni Weekend 2014 


In memoriam: Walter F. Pettit 1936 

June 26, 2014 

Walter Pettit, an accomplished attorney 

and nationally ranked racquet sports 

player, passed away June 26, 2014, at home 

surrounded by his 

loving family. He was 

a lifelong supporter of 

Asheville School, which 

he once wrote was “the 

finest school I could 

have attended.” Raised 

in Princeton, NJ, Walter 

enrolled as a Second 

Former at Asheville 

School in 1931 at the 

same time as two of his 

brothers, Karl, Jr. 1935 and Bill 1937. The 

Pettit name was already a familiar one at 

the school; his father, Karl 1908, was an 

alumnus, as were two uncles – Donald 

1911 and Frank 1914. Walter participated 

in a host of activities and played varsity 

basketball and tennis, which he captained. 

April 25, 2014 

Bill Dodge, an Asheville native and a wellknown 

and respected architect in Raleigh 

for many years, died April 25, 2014. In 

the spring of 2013, he received Asheville 

School’s Henry 

G. Heedy, Jr. ’33 

Service Award 

for extraordinary 

service to the 

school. Bill was 

a loyal alumnus, 

often attending 

school events 

such as Alumni 

Association 

meetings, Christ 

School gatherings 

and Alumni 

Weekend. Bill’s 

father taught Physics and Mechanical 

Drawing at Asheville School in 1920, and 

in 1934 he designed and executed for the 

Boyd Chapel the stained glass chancel 

windows and the altar brassworks. Bill, 

too, lent his architectural expertise to 

the campus, overseeing the renovation 

of the Brooks-Hollandsworth House, for 

which he earned a Griffin Award from the 

Buncombe County Preservation Society in 

2001. He is a member of our Wilbert Peck 

Society. 

After graduating in 1936, he enrolled at 

Princeton University and graduated in 

1940. He then joined the U.S. Navy Air 

Corps and served from 1941 to 1945 as 

a lieutenant commander; he later served 

again from 1953 to 1955 as a lawyer for the 

Navy in Washington, D.C. 

Walter attended Hastings College of the 

Law, graduating in 1950. His legal career 

spanned over 45 years in San Francisco, 

culminating in his becoming the senior 

partner at Pettit & Martin Law Firm. Walter 

was a pioneer in government contract 

law and enjoyed many accomplishments 

in his field throughout his career. In 2004 

he received the American Bar Association’s 

Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Bill served in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

where he earned the rank of first 

lieutenant as part of the Japan Construction 

Agency in Tokyo. He earned a degree 

in Architecture from NC State in 1957 and 

opened his office in Raleigh in 1962. Two 

projects provided him his greatest personal 

satisfaction: his design and completion of 

the first high-rise state office structure in 

Raleigh, the Albemarle Building, completed 

in 1970; and his role in the restoration 

of the North Carolina State Capitol 

Building, completed in celebration of the 

United States Bicentennial. Many state and 

local governmental buildings throughout 

North Carolina are credited to him, along 

with the design of many large residences in 

Raleigh, Durham and Wilson. 

No locale, other than Raleigh, has seen as 

many successful projects headed by Mr. 

Dodge as the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill, 

where he was responsible for Fetzer Gymnasium, 

at the time the campus’s 

largest building; the restoration of Old 

East, the oldest state university building in 

the United States, as well as Old West Dormitory; 

He also was architect for the renovation 

of Saunders Hall, the President’s 

home, and Playmakers Theatre as well as 

an early renovation of Memorial Hall. The 

campuses at North Carolina State, East 

Carolina and Fayetteville University also 

contain examples of his work. 

Walter also enjoyed all sports, especially 

racquet sports. Over the course of his life, 

he won many Squash Racquets championships 

and awards, including several state 

and national championships. In 2006, he 

was awarded the Jesters Cup, the prestigious 

award of the International Jesters 

Club for the player “making the greatest 

contribution to Squash Racquets” that 

year. And in December 2013 Walter was 

inducted into the Olympic Club Hall of 

Fame for Squash Racquets. 

Throughout his life, Walter was actively 

involved in his community and many 

organizations. He served as the chairman 

of the Board of Trustees of Santa Catalina 

School for 10 years and as President of the 

Pacific-Union Club and the Villa Taverna 

in San Francisco. He also helped to found 

the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence 

(formerly Legal Community Against Violence) 

in the wake of the tragic shootings 

at Pettit & Martin in July 1993. 

More important than anything else in his 

life was his family. Walter was married to 

Cherie Sutton for 62 years before her passing 

in 2008. They raised three daughters 

and were blessed by several grandchildren 

and great-grandchildren. 

In memoriam: William W. Dodge III 1946 

Following retirement from Dodge & Associates 

in Raleigh in 1992, Mr. Dodge 

and his second wife, Ann Weaver Clark 

Dodge, whom he married in 1990, moved 

to Blowing Rock. He served on the Appalachian 

State University library board 

and was the first to propose the building 

of the University’s state-of-the-art Belk 

Library, opened in 2005. Additionally, he 

designed and oversaw the creation of the 

University’s ceremonial mace, as well as a 

glass-and-steel case in which the mace is 

prominently displayed in the library. 

Mr. Dodge was widely acclaimed for his 

work in historical preservation. He was 

a member of the North Carolina chapter 

of the American Institute of Architects, a 

past president of its Raleigh chapter and 

a member of the board of its Asheville 

chapter. He had served as chair of historic 

district, site and property commissions for 

both Raleigh and the state, was the architect 

member of the state committee for the 

National Register of Historic Places and 

was a charter member of the State Capitol 

Foundation. He was also active in several 

business and civic organizations. 

William Dodge was predeceased by his first 

wife, Nell Hendon Ramsey; survivors include 

his wife, Ann, a son, a step-daughter, 

and five step-grandchildren. 


In 

Memoriam 

William M. Allen II 1936 

Bill Allen, a lifelong resident of Glendale, 

OH, and a WWII veteran, died 

March 28, 2014, at Hope Hospice in 

Fort Myers, FL. Bill entered Asheville 

School from Cincinnati Country Day 

and attended for his Fifth Form year. 

He graduated from Kenyon College 

and was the founder and first President 

of The Allen Company in Blanchester, 

OH. After his family, he most loved 

the village he grew up in and lived in 

for most of his life. He served on the 

board of Bethesda Hospital and on 

the Glendale Council, was warden of 

Christ Church Glendale, and was president 

of the Glendale Lyceum, where 

he spent many summer weekends on 

the tennis courts with his friends. In 

2005 he was Grand Marshal of the 

Glendale Memorial Day Parade, along 

with his wife Adaline, who served in 

the Red Cross Motor Corps in WWII. 

Bill served in the U.S. Army Air Corps 

and ferried planes to England and the 

Pacific during WWII, having earned 

pilot’s wings in both the Army Air 

Corps and the Navy. It was during this 

time that he met and married Adaline 

Heiskell in Memphis, TN. They had 

been married sixty-five years when she 

died in 2009. After the war, they made 

their home in Glendale, living much of 

that time in the house where Bill was 

raised from age twelve. They retired 

to Sanibel, FL, in 1980 but kept the 

home in Glendale and resided there 

during the summer months until 2007. 

Survivors include four daughters, 

seven grandchildren, and three greatgrandchildren. 

Frank D. Davies 1941 

Frank Davies, of Sarasota, FL, passed 

away peacefully at Tidewell Hospice 

Center on August 23, 2014, with his 

loved ones near him. Frank entered 

Asheville School in 1939 as a Fifth 

Former from Palm Beach, FL, and also 

graduated from Williams College in 

Massachusetts. He served as a lieutenant 

in the U.S. Navy during World 

War II, including a secret mission to 

transfer ships to the Soviet Union in 

the Aleutian Islands and later on a 

minesweeper in the Pacific. After the 

war, he worked in advertising in New 

York City. He moved back to Florida 

and worked in commercial real estate 

on the Florida east coast before transferring 

to Sarasota in 1972. He later 

owned and worked in travel agencies 

for many years. In Sarasota, he earned 

a Master SCUBA Diver’s license, 

taught diving and dove all over the 

world. His last dive was in Jamaica at 

age 75. He is survived by his long-time 

companion, Edmonia Davies, three 

sons, a daughter, three grandchildren 

and three great-grandchildren. 

Dr. William B. Hall 1943 

Bill Hall died at age 88 on June 16, 

2014, in Moscow, ID. Dr. Hall entered 

Asheville School in the Fourth Form 

from Cincinnati, OH, and left after his 

Fifth Form year to serve in the Army 

during WWII. He was an active alumnus 

of the school – he visited often 

throughout his life, established The 

William F. Lewis Award Fund for Excellence 

in Teaching and The Gertrude 

R. Brooks Award Fund for Exceptional 

Service, and was a member of 

the Wilbert Peck Society. Bill earned 

degrees in Geology from Princeton, 

A.B, University of Cincinnati, M.S. and 

University of Wyoming Ph.D. 

Bill taught geology for several years at 

Montana Tech in Butte (then Montana 

School of Mines) and from 1965 to 

1991 at the University of Idaho, where 

he remained a professor emeritus. He 

spent many summers doing fieldwork 

and leading graduate students in the 

Madison Range and Gallatin Valley in 

Montana, where the family enjoyed 

summers at a ranch. Bill had a lifelong 

interest in photography, a hobby begun 

in childhood and later expanded to 

aerial photography for his classes. Bill 

was an expert in geologic field mapping 

and aerial photo interpretation 

- including his COSA (Color Oblique 

Stereo Aerial) photos taken from a 

small plane. 

He was married to Elizabeth Carson 

from 1951 until her passing in 2008. 

He and Liz learned SCUBA diving, 

and they were both very interested in 

natural history and the environment, 

traveling often with a focus on experiencing 

natural beauty and wildlife. 

Bill is survived by three children, two 

grandchildren, and an infant greatgrandson, 

whom he met a month 

before his passing. 

James R. Adams 1948 

Jim Adams of Palm City, FL, passed 

away peacefully on February 13, 

2014, at the Treasure Coast Hospice 

Residence in Stuart, FL. Jim entered 

Asheville School in the Fourth Form 

from Ponce de Leon High School in 

Coral Gables, FL. He graduated from 

UNC-Chapel Hill in 1951 with a B.A. 

in Economics and joined his father’s 

insurance firm, Stembler Adams & 

Frazier. He was involved with the 

Greater Miami Insurance Association 

and was elected president in 1962. In 

1972 he was elected to the Florida Association 

of Insurance Agents, and in 

1973 he became the Agents’ 


Association Representative to the 

board of the national association, 

where he served for 9 years. In 1981 

the agency became a subsidiary of 

AETNA Life and Casualty in Hartford, 

CT. Jim remained as the Chairman 

until his retirement in 1991. He served 

as President of the South Florida Children’s 

Home Society, was a Rotarian in 

Miami for 40 years, and served on the 

Board of Vizcayans, the Bath Club, the 

Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, and Ransom 

School in Coconut Grove, FL. While 

in Vermont, he served for a number of 

years on the board of the Sonnenberg 

Property Owners Association, and the 

Thompson Senior Center. His hobbies 

included fishing, tennis, golf, and 

traveling. Survivors include his beloved 

wife of more than 56 years, Jane Adams, 

a daughter, and his sister, Patricia 

McNaughton, widow of the late Bob 

McNaughton ’39. 

Donald E. Johnson Jr. 1950 

Don Johnson of Grand Blanc, MI, 

passed away May 31, 2013, at his home. 

He was a 1954 graduate of Cornell 

University. Don served in the U.S. 

Navy, serving primarily on the battleship 

USS Wisconsin. He owned and 

operated Advertisers Press with his 

family for over 40 years. In 1966 he 

began serving on the board of Citizens 

Bank and served as Chairman of 

the Board from 1982 to 1994. He was 

also the owner of Doc Wise Boats and 

Motors and President of Flint Mortgage 

Company. Don was very active 

in philanthropy in Flint, MI, his entire 

life serving as the President of The 

Whiting Foundation and Chairman of 

the Board of Glenwood Cemetery. He 

also served on the boards of the Flint 

Institute of Arts, United Way, Flint Rotary 

Club, Red Cross and YMCA. Don 

was a member of Flint City Club, Flint 

Rainbow Club, Flint Golf Club, Flint 

Elks, St. Helen Shooting Club, Ducks 

Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Ruffed 

Grouse Society, St. Paul’s Episcopal 

Church, Grand Blanc American Legion 


#413 and the Hundred Club of Flint. 

Recognized for his many efforts, he 

was the recipient of the Rectors Cross 

from St. Paul’s in 1999, received an 

Honorary Doctor of Human Letters 

from Kettering University, Flint Jewish 

Federation Community Service Award 

in 2003 and was named Paul Harris 

Fellow by Rotary International. His 

great loves were family, fly fishing, 

grouse hunting, and his family farm. 

Survivors include four sons and ten 

grandchildren. 

Peter Q. Nyce Jr. 1951 

Peter, a retired attorney, passed away 

April 27, 2013, at the age of 81 after 

a brief illness. He attended Asheville 

School for a post-graduate year and 

ran varsity track and played varsity 

soccer. He was a lifelong resident of 

Washington, DC, and Mt. Victoria, 

MD. He graduated from Washington 

& Lee University and Washington 

College of Law at American University. 

Upon graduation, he became a 

member of the DC and Maryland 

bars. He practiced law initially with 

the Social Security Administration and 

later joined U.S. Army Legal Services 

Agency, Regulatory and Patent Law 

Office, representing the Department of 

Defense in utility regulatory hearings 

across the United States. For about a 

decade he acted as Special Assistant 

United States Attorney for New Mexico 

with the US Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque. 

He retired in 2011 after 

47 years of service. He also served in 

the Army reserves as an Armor Officer 

in M-48 Tanks and retired with the 

rank of Major. He enjoyed time spent 

on his family farm, “Nyce Manor,” in 

southern Maryland. He was a private 

pilot, regularly attended sport aviation 

events and owned airplanes for more 

than thirty years. He was predeceased 

by his former wife, Christine Price 

Nyce, and is survived by three children, 

four grandchildren, and his long-term 

companion, Margaret Nolan, of 

Accokeek, MD. 

Jerome S. Butts 1954 

Jerry passed away December 22, 2011. 

Ben W. Herrin 1954 

Ben Herrin, of Locust, NC, passed 

away April 30, 2014, at the age of 78. 

He entered Asheville School in the 

Third Form from Albemarle, NC. 

Ben played soccer and tennis, was the 

baseball team manager, and worked on 

the stage crew for Drama. He studied 

Mechanical Engineering at N.C. State 

and had careers as a VP with the family 

business, Albemarle Plumbing and 

Heating, and as the owner of Rocknoll 

Gardens in Albemarle. 

Survivors include his wife of 50 years, 

Carolyn Lee Hooks Herrin, three children, 

and four grandchildren. 

Luis Ellicott Yglesias 1954 

Luis Yglesias, 78, of Rindge, NH, 

passed away peacefully March 30, 2014, 

with his wife and son by his side, at 

UMass Memorial Medical Center in 

Worcester, Mass. Luis entered Asheville 

School in the First Form from 

Havana, Cuba, at the age of 12. He was 

President of the Astronomy Club and 

a member of the swimming team. He 

was Valedictorian of his class and was 

awarded the Ancient History Prize. 

He earned a BA (‘58) and a Ph.D. 

(‘68) in Romance and Comparative 

Literature from Harvard University. 

Luis was associate professor of Spanish 

and comparative literature at Brandeis 

University for 42 years. While there, 

Luis co-directed Brandeis University 

Seminars with close friend and colleague, 

Karen Klein. In 1990 they 

received a significant grant from the 

Ford Foundation for Faculty Development 

Seminars in African Literature in 

order to integrate African texts into the 

study of the humanities at Brandeis. 

During the late 1990s, Yglesias, Klein, 

and Maurice Stein, also a dear friend, 

founded Brandeis’ Humanities Interdisciplinary 

Program (HIP). From 

1974-1975, he directed the Summer 

Upward Bound Program at Brandeis 

to help underprivileged teenagers 

bridge the education gap.

Though he was most passionate about 

the act of storytelling as live performance, 

Luis did publish in his lifetime: 

a novella-length, illustrated prose 

poem, My Father’s House: A Poem; The 

Night Tree: Poems; as well as varied 

critical essays for New Boston Review 

(1970s) and others. 

Survivors include his wife of 38 years, 

Suanne, a son, and two grandchildren. 

Theodore H. Tapping 1945 

Ted Tapping of Manchester, MI, passed 

away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, 

March 19, 2013. During his three 

years at Asheville School, he participated 

in football and basketball and 

was the sports editor for the Ashnoca. 

He graduated from Ann Arbor High 

School in 1947 after serving in the US 

Navy. Ted received his B.A. in Psychology 

and M.A. in Education Administration 

from University of Michigan. 

He remained an avid supporter of 

Michigan athletics, holding season 

tickets for Michigan football for over 

50 years and attending countless other 

Michigan hockey and softball games. 

Ted served in the U.S. Navy and is a 

decorated World War II veteran. He 

proudly served on the USAT Lakehurst 

and USS Achernar AKA 53. Ted was 

a lifelong educator and administrator, 

dedicated to improving the lives 

of young people. He served in various 

teaching capacities in the Manchester 

School District, dedicating 30 years 

of service. He was the principal of 

Manchester’s Junior High School for 

20 years. Ted’s commitment to service 

did not stop at his roles in education. 

He served on various community 

boards and organizations, including 

the Ronald McDonald House of Ann 

Arbor (25 years of service), the Optimist 

Club of Manchester, the United 

Way, the Chelsea Hospital Lifeline Program, 

and numerous other non-profit 

organizations. Ted was the definition 

of a “Michigan Man.” He volunteered 

his time with numerous University 

organizations, including the University 

Club of Ann Arbor (Board of Directors), 

Sigma Phi Alumni (President), 

and Michigan athletics. Ted is survived 

by his wife of 60 years, Margaret 

(Sposito) Tapping, two children, eight 

grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. 

Additional passing of note: 

Mary B. Irvin, wife of former Trustee 

Sam Irvin, and parent of alumni Sam, 

Jr. ’74 and Tim ’83. 

Mary Irvin, formerly of Asheville, 

passed away at the age of 89 on August 

23, 2014, in her home in St. Simon’s 

Island, GA. 

Born in Manchester, CT, Mary graduated 

from Edgewood Park Junior 

College in New York. A brief start in 

the fashion industry was cut short 

by WWII, during which she enrolled 

in the Connecticut Citizens Defense 

Corps as a Nurses’ Aide for the American 

Red Cross. After the war, she met 

her husband, Samuel Lowe Irvin of 

Columbia, SC. They were married on 

December 7, 1946. In 1954, the Irvin 

family moved to Asheville to acquire 

and operate the historic Plaza Theater 

downtown, an Asheville landmark 

since its opening in 1922. For fortyseven 

years, Mary and her husband 

were well-known and beloved Ashevillians, 

first residing near Beaver Lake 

and later in Biltmore Forest. While 

Sam owned and operated cinemas, 

Star Lanes Bowling Center and other 

businesses, Mary raised their four 

children: Janet, Anne, Sam Jr. and Tim. 

Mary was legendary as a gracious party 

hostess, society maven, and style trendsetter. 

They were members of the First 

Presbyterian Church, the Asheville 

Country Club, and the Biltmore Forest 

Country Club. Among their many 

civic and philanthropic endeavors, 

Mary and Sam made a significant gift 

to Asheville School. 

After their children had grown, Mary 

resumed her career in the fashion 

industry by opening “Mary’s Folly,” an 

upscale ladies boutique in downtown 

Asheville. She and Sam retired and 

relocated to St. Simons Island in 2001. 

Sam passed away in 2005; his memorial 

service was in Spencer Boyd Chapel 

on our campus. 

Mary’s survivors include her four 

children, five grandchildren, and ten 

great-grandchildren. 



2013-2014 Donor Report 

All Contributions 

For fiscal year ending June 30, 2014 

Capital and Other Gifts......................................................................................................................$ 1,541,912 

Cody Annual Fund................................................................................................................................$ 916,548 

Total*...................................................................................................................................................$ 2,458,460 

*Includes cash received only; does not include pledges. 

Endowment 

The value of Asheville School’s endowment as of June 30, 2014 was $47,937,205 

Cody Annual Fund 

2012 - 2013 

Total Raised: 

$848,715 from 1,468 individuals 

No. of Donors % Amount 

2013 - 2014 

Total Raised: 

$916,548 from 1,327 individuals 

No. of Donors % Amount 

Alumni/ae 1,013 ............................33% ........$564,566 

Current Parents 168 ..............................61% ........$188,349 

Faculty/Staff 82 ............................100% ..........$23,137 

Trustees 31 ............................100% ...........$74,815 

Parents of Alumni 243 ...............................................$193,348 

Other Individuals 71 .................................................$32,086 

Financial Management Summary 

2013-2014 Operating Income & Expense 

919.............................30% ..........$578,343 

161 ............................57% .........$196,493 

82 .........................100% ..........$34,566 

31 ...........................100% ........$82,981 

239 ..............................................$189,698 

80 ................................................$26,006 

In the table above, donors who belong to more than one constituency group are counted in each group. The 2012-2013 Cody Fund raised $848,715 from 1,468 contributors. 

The 2013-2014 Cody Fund raised $916,548 from 1,327 contributors. 

Contributions 

Other 

Constituent Relations 

Admission 

Debt Service 

Development 

Scholarship Fund 

Plant Renewal Fund 

Instruction & Support 

Endowment 

Tuition & Fees 

Administration 

Financial Aid 

Operating Income 

Tuition & Fees...........................$11,565,490...................78.69% 

Endowment.................................$1,758,212...................11.96% 

Contributions..............................$1,091,548.....................7.43% 

Other...............................................$282,507.....................1.92% 

Total Operating Income.........$14,697,757...................100.0% 

Operations & Maintenance 

Operating Expense 

Instruction & Support...........$4,584,057................31.19% 

Operations & Operations & Maintenance...$2,017,023................13.72% 

Financial Aid 

Financial Aid..........................$2,512,649................17.10% 

Administration......................$1,773,378.................12.07% 

Financial Aid 

Admission.................................$383,185..................2.61% 

Development............................$706,714...................4.81% 

Constituent Relations..............$715,044...................4.86% 

Debt Service.............................$674,091...................4.59% 

Scholarship Fund.....................$665,808...................4.53% 

Plant Renewal Fund.................$665,808...................4.53% 

Total Operating Expense...$14,697,757................100.0% 


Dear Alumni, Parents and Friends, 

I am delighted to share with you the Asheville School Annual Report for the fiscal year 

ending June 30, 2014. I do so with tremendous gratitude to the many who have 

supported the school with their time, talent and treasure in so many meaningful 

and lasting ways, past and present. 

The report shows that our school remains financially robust. As a direct result of your 

generous support: 

• For the fourth consecutive year, the Cody Annual Fund, critical to our school’s financial health, at almost 

$917,000 surpassed its goal to become second highest ever. Support from alumni, parents, and friends like 

you is the bedrock of the Fund. 

• The school received over $1.5 million in capital gifts, with about half dedicated to restoration and renovation 

of the iconic Anderson and Lawrence halls, both well into their second centuries (more below), and the 

balance to support financial aid, program and professional development, facility preservation and replacement, 

and other essentials of the school’s long-term fiscal health. 

We are deeply grateful to all who made these gifts, and thank you from our hearts. Particularly, I offer 

appreciation to our faculty and trustees, 100% of whom supported the Cody Annual Fund again this year. 

We dwell in a special time in the school’s history. The school’s record enrollment (287) reflects a diverse 

mix of boys and girls hailing from 20 states and 15 foreign countries. The endowment now tops $48 

million, also an all-time high. The College and Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA) tests have recently 

confirmed objectively what we have always known intuitively, that over time the school adds significantly 

to each student’s skills; these results confirm the wisdom of your investments in our school, both financial 

and otherwise. Remarkable and positive changes have occurred in the school’s social fabric and atmosphere 

over recent decades. Arch Montgomery, only the 8th headmaster of the school in over a century and now 

Executive Secretary of the venerable Headmasters Association, is well into his second decade of distinctive 

leadership. He is surrounded and supported by a superb faculty and staff, the lifeblood of the school, 

including a fresh infusion of talented new faculty and a dynamic new Development Director, Dan Seiden, 

all of whom we warmly welcome. Dan may be calling on you soon to discuss how you might help with the 

initiatives before us. 

As former Chair Gil Prince 1971 wrote to you last year, Board and staff members spent well over a year tirelessly 

crafting the school’s ambitious Strategic Plan, now a year into being, and it provides the framework to 

meet the challenges that lie ahead. Early successes, notably the Mitchell Hall and Vandergrift Science Center 

renovation, crucial to our academic program and for which your support was vital and deeply appreciated, 

show that we can make great progress. The largest single initiative launched by the Strategic Plan, the 

long-deferred renovation and restoration of Anderson and Lawrence Halls, now lies before us. The school is 

worthy of the task. 

We can never thank you enough—or often enough—for your loyal support of, dedication to, and 

investment in our school. It is your loyalty and generosity that help make the Asheville School experience 

possible for the many young people who are the school’s essential reason for being. 

On behalf of our Board of Trustees, I thank you, our valued alumni, parents and friends, for your ongoing 

commitment to support, protect and preserve the unique and special experience we call Asheville School. 

Very truly yours, 

Laurance D. Pless 1971 

Chairman, Board of Trustees 


360 Asheville School Road 

Asheville, NC 28806 

If you are receiving mail for someone who no longer resides at this address, please 

notify the Advancement Office at alumni@ashevilleschool.org or call 828.254.6345 x4027. 

Important Upcoming Dates and Events 

October 5 

Boston, MA 

October 16 Art Opening 

October 23 & 24 Fall Play 

October 25 Local Reception – Biltmore Forest Country Club 

October 31 Bonfire Social Night 

November 1 Christ School Game (Away) 

November 1 Post Game Gathering at 12 Bones South 

November 11 New York, NY 

December 14 Candlelight Service 

December 

Washington, DC – TBA 

February 19 Winter Musical 

February 

Atlanta, GA - TBA 

April 24 – 26 Alumni Weekend 2015 

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Annual Report

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