CAMPUS

Tom KatesAll in the FamilyRick Hardy and his wife Del, on theporch of their new CA homeAfortuitous case of doublebookingbrought Adele Gagneand Rick Hardy together.They had attended the sameNew Hampshire high school, buthardly knew each other there. Then,one afternoon in 1980, Gagne’sbrother got a call from Hardy, aclose friend of his.Gagne was about to leave forgraduate school, and she and herbrother had agreed to go out thatevening. She didn’t hesitate to stepin when she overheard him makingplans with Hardy. “I marched upand said, ‘You have plans with methis evening.’”Her brother asked Hardy, “Is itokay if my sister comes along?”“I’m going,” she announced.So the three went out together.Four years later, Hardy and Gagnewere married.Today, Gagne works part-timeas a senior clinician in the Speechand Swallowing Disorders Clinic atBrigham and Women’s Hospital inBoston, a department she formerlydirected. At work, she might helpsomeone recover the ability toswallow after cancer treatments orprovide therapy so tube-fed patientscan eat normally again.Gagne is known by her propername, Adele, at the hospital, whilefamily and friends tend to call herDel. “I feel like I have a split personality,”she said. “In my professionallife, I’ve always been Adele. Yeteveryone who knows me throughRick and family knows me as Del. Ianswer to either one equally.”Gagne and Hardy moved into228 Main Street in late June, afterliving on the campus of MiltonAcademy for twenty-five years.They quickly felt at home. “It’s awonderful town. It’s a beautifulcampus. Everyone has been verywelcoming,” said Gagne, whohas enjoyed walking through thewoods and fields in the town ofConcord. The new head of schooland his wife have taken a CAcanoe out on the Sudbury River,which Gagne described as “likeglass, with dragonflies dancingalong the surface.”She looks forward to morecanoeing, lots of extended walks,and the opportunity to meet theConcord Academy family. “I’mdelighted to be here,” she said.C O N C O R D A C A D E M Y M A G A Z I N E F A L L 2 0 0 9school principal and eventually interim head of school.And he loves good satire; both Twain and CalvinTrillin are high on the Hardy pedestal, though he alsomentions the Marx Brothers, Woody Allen, and JerrySeinfeld among his favorite humorists. Humor isimportant to Hardy. “I’m not one of those dour individualswho can’t make light of things,” he said. “I loveto laugh. I think humor leavens life in a very importantway. You’ve got to be able to laugh at yourself.”Marty Gagne knows that humor well. Duringjoint family vacations on Cape Cod, the two plannedwhat Gagne called “stupid movie night.” It was not ahighbrow affair. But given a choice, Hardy would pickverbal humor over slapstick. “I like a good pratfall,” hesaid. “But I love a good deadpan.”A ready laugh in no way makes Hardy less serious.It’s more about perspective. “I don’t have to behave asthough there’s a cloud over me to convince peoplethat I’m serious,” he said.But he is, and he sounds it when he discusses someof his preliminary goals at CA. He speaks passionatelyabout educational access. “I think schools like this oneexist to provide access to a wide range of students,” hesaid. “I want to ensure that we continue to be able tooffer that experience.” He also speaks of a commitmentto honor and fairly compensate teachers, and to continueefforts to develop the new Arena Farms property.Hardy also hopes to increase Concord Academy’svisibility, to share its mission more widely. “I’d likemore people to know about this remarkable place,” hesaid. “It really is special.”20Rick Hardy (standing) and former colleague John Zilliaxin a reading of Speed the Plow at Milton Academy< MUCH ADOABOUT MAMETFormer Milton Academy colleagueJohn Zilliax notes acting as aprimary Hardy avocation—thoughHardy didn’t mention it himself.“Ask him about it,” Zilliax urged.Hardy took to the stage more thanonce in a while, collaborating withZilliax on numerous faculty plays,and often playing a prominent role.Zilliax ticks off some of the productions:The Rivals, How the OtherHalf Loves, The Zoo Story, TrueWest, Speed the Plow, Wild Honey,The Caucasian Chalk Circle, andRomeo and Juliet. Several workswere by playwright David Mamet,including The Duck Variations,which Zilliax and Hardy stagedthree times.