DISCOVERY - Mercersburg Academy

Mercersburg 

A magazine for Mercersburg Academy family and friends V O L U M E 3 7 N O . 1 s p r i N g 2 0 1 0 

Math + Science = 

DiScovery 

page 12

VOLUME 37 NO. 1 spriN g 2010 A magazine for Mercersburg Academy family and friends 

Math + Science = Discovery 

8 

12 

You Should Know 

Mercersburg’s boys’ swimming team captured first place at the 

2010 Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming Championships, the 

biggest prep-school aquatic event in the nation and one of the 

most competitive high-school meets in the country; the girls’ 

team finished an impressive fifth. The boys’ team title is its first 

Easterns championship since 2002, and the fifth in head coach 

Pete Williams’ tenure at the school. Pictured with Williams is the 

Storm’s Easterns-champion 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:23.58) 

of Chris Hoke ’10, Nick Thomson ’10, Tareq Kaaki ’11, and 

Nikolai Paloni ’10. Look for more coverage in the summer issue 

of Mercersburg magazine. Photo by Renee Hicks. 

Photo credits: p. 2 Chris Crisman; p. 3 Ryan Smith; p. 4 (Brinson/Flohr/Day) Stacey Talbot Grasa, 

(Ammerman) courtesy Boston University; p. 5 (Simonis/Willis) Grasa, (Suerken) Mercersburg 

Academy Archives; p. 7 Ward/Miller Photography; p. 8–10 (all photos) Bill Green; p. 11 (top left, 

middle left) Renee Hicks, (all other photos) Green; p. 13–14 Eric Poggenpohl; p. 15–16 Bruce Weller; 

p. 17 Poggenpohl; p. 18 Weller; p. 19 Poggenpohl; p. 20–21 courtesy Stanford Linear Accelerator 

Center; p. 22 Grasa; p. 23 Poggenpohl; p. 26–27 courtesy Dean Hosgood; p. 28 courtesy Bruce 

Kemmler; p. 29 Mercersburg Academy Archives; p. 30 Patrick Yost/University of Oklahoma; 

p. 31 courtesy Andy Tyson; p. 32 Penn State College of Medicine; p. 33 courtesy Megan Filkowski; 

p. 34 courtesy Sam Schlueter/Aerojet; p. 35 (bottom right) Lee Owen, (all other photos) Green; 

p. 36 (top left, bottom left) Green, (top right, bottom right) Matt Maurer; p. 37 (Chorale) Green, 

(Magalia, Octet) Owen, (all other images) courtesy Kristy Higby; p. 38 (Osman/Riford) John Duda, 

(field hockey) Green; p. 39 (football) Green, (soccer) Dave Keeseman; p. 40 Keeseman; p. 41–42 (all 

photos) Green; p. 56 Ward/Miller Photography. 

Illustrations: cover, p. 25: 

Anders Wenngren 

Green Inks 


1,039 Words 

Take a seat. Page 8 

RoboCops 

Students use math, science, ingenuity, and 

determination to build machines that tackle real-world 

problems. Page 12 

Prize Fighter 

Nobel laureate Dr. Burton Richter ’48 talks about the 

discovery of a lifetime and the ongoing wrestling match 

between science and politics. Page 20 

Mercersburg Profiles 

In medicine, meteorology, and high-tech pursuits, these 

alumni are making moves. (For one man in particular, 

it truly is rocket science). Page 25 

My Say 

A salute to the Keystone State from Mercersburg’s own 

H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest ’49. Page 56 

From the Head of School 2 

Via Mercersburg 3 

Irving-Marshall Week 10 

Arts 35 

Athletics 38 

Alumni Weekend 41 

Alumni Notes 43 

Mercersburg magazine is 

published three times annually by 

the Office of Strategic Marketing 

and Communications. 

Mercersburg Academy 

300 East Seminary Street 

Mercersburg, Pennsylvania 17236 

Magazine correspondence: 

Lee_Owen@mercersburg.edu 

Alumni Notes correspondence: 

NewsNotes@mercersburg.edu 

Alumni correspondence/ 

change of address: 

Leslie_Miller@mercersburg.edu 

www.mercersburg.edu 

Editor: Lee Owen 

Alumni Notes Editor: Natasha Brown 

Contributors: Shelton Clark, Tom 

Coccagna, H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest ’49, 

Susan Pasternack, Zally Price, Jay Quinn, 

Lindsay Tanton, Wallace Whitworth 

Art Direction: Aldrich Design 

Head of School: Douglas Hale 

Director of Strategic Marketing and 

Communications: Wallace Whitworth 

Assistant Head for Enrollment: 

Tommy Adams 

Assistant Head for External Affairs: 

Mary Carrasco 

Mercersburg Academy abides by both the spirit and the letter of the law in all its 

employment and admission policies. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, 

color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

From the Head of School 

Connecting the 

Dots...Together 

Many claim that Sir Isaac Newton is the single most important contributor to the 

development of modern science. After all, it was Newton who perfected and galvanized 

what we now commonly call the scientific method. 

In his Opticks Sir Isaac writes, 

“As in mathematics, so in natural philosophy… the investigation of difficult 

things by the method of analysis ought ever to precede the method 

of composition. This analysis consists of making experiments and observations, 

and in drawing general conclusions from them by induction.” 

Yet for a long time, the world of science and the world of the arts and humanities 

have been at frosty odds. Thankfully, that has been changing over time, due in large 

part to scientists who are also writers and poets who see their respective scientific 

disciplines in much more colorful, integrated, and human ways. As such, they are 

bridge-builders to other artists, philosophers, theologians, and just everyday people 

who revel in the mystery and majesty of science; they are not particularly interested 

in dogma, but in searching, asking, and trying to connect the dots of the cosmos. 

Consider, for example, The Mind of God (1992) by theoretical physicist and cosmologist 

Paul Davies, a truly accessible writer who manages to come close to getting 

science and religion to walk hand-in-hand. Or consider Frank Tipler, professor of 

mathematical physics at Tulane University, who invented the Omega Point theory 

and wrote The Physics of Immortality (1994). One reviewer in the mainstream media 

commented that his book “… proves the existence of the Almighty and inevitably 

of resurrection, without recourse to spiritual mumbo jumbo… Tipler does it all.” 

It strikes me that the critic’s reference to “mumbo jumbo” provides at least one key 

to improved relations between the disciplines. Perhaps the primary issue all along has 

never been that science is anti-religion, or philosophy and religion are anti-science, 

but that our language has been insufficient. We are still searching for a common and 

workable vocabulary and a time when truly deft practitioners of that vocabulary would 

come to the fore and get the rest of us to say, “Oh, now I see just what you mean.” 

Which brings me to my ultimate point: no one discipline has ever had the corner 

on discovery, knowledge, and innovation. To get the fullest answers, achieve the most 

remarkable advances, and understand the ramifications of both for humanity and 

our planet, we all need each other. Religion can and must inform science. Science 

can and must inform religion. Art can and must enlighten the mathematician. And 

the mathematician can and must expand the mind of the artist. It can happen on a 

grand scale or on a very personal, intimate level any morning in class in Irvine Hall. 

So… as much as I respect the title of this issue, I’d like to amend it just a bit: 

Math + Science + Philosophy + Art + Religion = Discovery. 

That’s the Mercersburg Method. 

Douglas Hale 

Head of School


A roundup of what’s news, what’s new, and what Mercersburg people are talking about. 

Ripped From the Headlines 

Examining Iranian-American relations 

Best-selling author and journalist Hooman 

Majd, the 2009–2010 Jacobs Residency 

Lecturer, was on campus for two days in 

December to interact with students and 

faculty. His December 7 talk for the school 

community, “The Ayatollah Begs to Differ,” 

shared its title with Majd’s 2008 book of the 

same name—one of five books from which 

Mercersburg students and faculty chose a 

summer reading selection in 2009. 

Born in Iran and raised and educated in 

America, Majd is a sought-after expert on 

Iran, one of America’s top foreign-policy concerns. 

The Ayatollah Begs to Differ was a New 

York Times best seller; it was the top-selling 

foreign-policy book and the No. 1-selling 

book on Islam at Amazon.com in 2008, and 

was named an Economist Book of the Year. 

“When it comes to the Iran/U.S. equation, 

I believe that both sides are wrong and both 

sides are right,” said Majd, who is a citizen 

of both countries and has been described as 

“both 100 percent Iranian and 100 percent 

American.” He spoke about everything from 

nuclear issues and the relationship between 

Islam and secular Iran to schools and youth 

culture in the country. 

“Iranian youth are as connected to the 

world and to pop culture as you guys are,” he 

told the students. “If you walked into a high 

school in Tehran, everyone would look basically 

like you do, with the exception of the 

girls wearing scarves on their heads. And Iran 

is very connected; Farsi is the No. 2 language 

for blogs on the Internet.” 

Majd, who travels frequently between the 

two countries, has served as an adviser and/or 

translator for Iranian presidents Mohammad 

Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad while 

traveling with them to the United States. 

Majd writes for various publications, including 

Salon, The New Yorker, GQ, and Time, 

and is a blogger on The Huffington Post. 

“I don’t believe our interests are always at 

odds,” he said. “We have more in common 

than people realize. We have some sticking 

points on Israel and the Palestinian 

Mercersburg M agazine s P ring 2010 

Dates to Remember 

3 

Jun 4 Baccalaureate, 7 p.m. 

Jun 5 Commencement, 11 a.m. 

Jun 10-13 Reunion Anniversary Weekend 

(for classes ending in 5 and 0) 

sep 7 2010–2011 Opening Convocation 

(Sep 8: classes begin) 

Oct 22–24 Fall Alumni Weekend 

Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated 

schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu 

question—but also common interests in 

Afghanistan and in the Persian Gulf.” 

Majd has also had a long career as an 

executive in the music and film business; he 

served as executive vice president of Island 

Records and head of film and music at Palm 

Pictures. He has worked with U2, Melissa 

Etheridge, and the Cranberries. 

The Jacobs Residency is endowed in 

memory of John Alfred Morefield, father 

of John ’52 and Fred ’53, in recognition 

of Wilmarth I. Jacobs, the school’s former 

assistant headmaster and director of admission, 

who personified a strong quality of 

non-elitism. The objective of the endowment 

is to minimize the risk of isolationism 

through concrete activities such as workshops 

and small-group discussions, with a goal of 

enriching the experience of students and 

faculty within the school. 

(left) Majd with Hannah Miller ’10 following a workshop in the Edwards Room 

Hooman Majd

4 Mercersburg M agazine s P ring 2010 

’Burg’s EYE VIEW CAMPUS NOTES 

Faculty member James Brinson, a veteran 

choral director, organist, and versatile music 

administrator, has been named Mercersburg’s 

fourth carillonneur. Anton Brees (1926 to 

1928), Bryan Barker (1928 to 1981), and 

James W. Smith (1983 to 2009) preceded 

Brinson as Academy carillonneurs. Smith 

passed away in August 2009. 

“Jim has great breadth and depth in terms 

of his musical capabilities,” Head of School 

Douglas Hale says. “Like his friend and 

mentor Jim Smith, he can play the organ, 

teach music classes, accompany and direct 

vocal groups, and play the carillon. Such versatility, 

particularly when executed at such 

a high level, is a rare combination to find.” 

Brinson, who came to Mercersburg 

in 2003, holds a bachelor’s degree from 

Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, 

and a master’s in 

sacred music from 

the school of music 

at Union Theological 

Seminary in New York 

City. Before coming 

to Mercersburg, he 

served as organist 

and choirmaster at 

St. Mary’s Episcopal 

School in Memphis, 

Brinson 

and has also worked at St. Paul’s Episcopal 

Church and School in Winter Haven, Florida. 

“Following in the footsteps of my friend 

and teacher, Jim Smith, is a humbling proposition,” 

Brinson says, “but I see my appointment 

as an opportunity for me to honor 

the long and illustrious tradition of bells at 

Mercersburg.” 

Nancy Ammerman, a professor and chair 

of the Department of Sociology at Boston 

University and author of several books about 

religion, served as this year’s William C. Fowle 

Scholar-in-Residence. She addressed the 

school community in November in the Irvine 

Memorial Chapel. 

Ammerman served on a panel convened 

by the U.S. Departments of Justice and 

Treasury to make recommendations after 

the government’s confrontation with the 

Branch Davidians 

at Waco, Texas, and 

later testified before 

the Senate Judiciary 

Committee on the 

same topic. In 

2000, she participated 

in Columbia 

U niv e r s i t y ’s 

“The American 

Assembly” on issues Nancy Ammerman 

of religion and public life. She is frequently 

quoted in the news media. 

Ammerman’s books include Everyday 

Religion: Observing Modern Religious Lives; 

Pillars of Faith: American Congregations and 

Their Partners; Baptist Battles: Social Change 

and Religious Conflict in the Southern 

Baptist Convention; and Bible Believers: 

Fundamentalists in the Modern World. 

Her visit was made possible by a gift from 

the Edward E. Ford Foundation in memory 

of Fowle, who served as Mercersburg’s fourth 

headmaster (1961 to 1972). 

Ted Braun, a professor at the University of 

Southern California’s School of Cinematic 

Arts and writer/director of the 2007 documentary 

Darfur Now, spoke in January as 

part of a school meeting. Darfur Now won 

the NAACP’s Image Award for 2007; Movie 

Maker Magazine named Braun, along with 

Errol Morris, Oliver Stone, Robert Redford, 

and George Clooney, as one of 25 filmmakers 

whose work has changed the world. 

The film was screened and Braun offered 

further remarks that evening in the Burgin 

Center for the Arts’ Simon Theatre. Darfur 

Now stars, among others, Clooney and Don 

Cheadle. 

Braun is a college friend of Mercersburg 

alumna, parent, former faculty member, and 

current White Key chairperson Nancy Moore 

Banta ’77, and her husband, Neil; Nancy 

Banta introduced Braun before his talk. 

In his remarks, Braun called the situation 

in Darfur “the greatest humanitarian 

crisis of the 21st century,” adding that the 

genocide has lasted longer than World War 

II. He ended his talk by telling the students 

that “no community has done more to help 

the people of Darfur than students in the 

United States—both high school and university 

students.” 

The College Board recognized recent graduates 

Sara Eshleman ’09, Natasha Fritz ’09, 

and Ellen Pierce ’09 alongside current 

student Spencer Flohr ’10 as National 

AP Scholars for exceptional performance 

on advanced-placement exams in 2009. 

To qualify, students must earn an average 

grade of at least 4 on all AP exams taken, 

as well as grades of 

4 or higher on eight 

or more exams. 

E s h l e m a n 

attends Georgetown 

University, Fritz 

is enrolled at 

Duke University, 

and Pierce is a 

student at Oberlin 

College. Flohr is a 

Flohr 

Mercersburg senior participating in the 

School Year Abroad program in Italy this 

year. 

Six Mercersburg students 

of French were 

chosen to receive allexpenses-paid 

trips 

to France for cultural 

and linguistic 

study during spring 

break and summer 

2010, respectively, 

through the John H. 

Day 

Montgomery Award 

program. Four of the recipients (William 

Day ’10, Maggie Goff ’10, Ryan Hao ’10, 

and Andrea Metz ’10) traveled to France 

during spring break; the other two recipients 

(Olivia Rosser ’12 and Harrison Yancey ’11) 

will participate in a four-week immersion 

program during the summer. 

The Montgomery Award program honors 

John H. Montgomery, who taught French 

at Mercersburg from 1918 to 1958, and

is made possible through the generosity of 

Dr. Edward T. Hager II ’50. 

Additionally, seven Mercersburg students 

of German have earned national awards for 

their performance on the 2010 American 

Association of Teachers of German (AATG) 

National German Examination, while 

another seven students received certificates 

of merit for their efforts. 

National award winners scored in the 

90th percentile among the nearly 25,000 

students that participated in the program 

this year. They include Nathaniel Bachtell ’11, 

Lorraine Simonis ’10, 

Brandon Adams ’11, 

Adam Chilcote ’12, 

Brooke Ross ’12, Abby 

Ryland ’12, and Greta 

Unger ’12. Bachtell 

and Simonis took 

the Level 3 exam as 

third-year students of 

German, while the 

Simonis 

five others (secondyear 

students) tackled the Level 2 exam. 

The seven are eligible to apply for a fourweek, 

all-expenses-paid trip to Germany for 

further study. 

The AATG national exam has been given 

for more than 50 years, and Mercersburg 

German teacher Peter Kempe has administered 

the exam to his students since arriving 

at the school 16 years ago. 

Will Willis, Mercersburg’s director of international 

programs who also coordinates sustainability 

efforts on campus, was one of a 

handful of American educators selected to 

attend a bi-national conference in November 

on sustainable development and education. 

The event, which was organized by Fulbright 

Japan, was held in Portland, Oregon. 

The weeklong summit, known as the 

Fulbright Japan Conference on Best 

Practices in ESD (Education for Sustainable 

Development), was the inaugural event in 

a new Japan/United States ESD teacherexchange 

program. It brought together 15 

innovative teachers from both the United 

States and Japan in hopes of deepening a 

sense of global 

interconnectedness 

in four 

vital areas: food 

and sustainable 

nutrition, environment, 

energy 

and resources, 

and international 

understanding 

Willis 

and cooperation. 

(Willis was chosen from a national 

pool of nearly 120 educators.) 

Willis, who has been at 

Mercersburg since 2001, assumed 

his current role as director of international 

programs in 2005. He is a graduate 

of Colgate University and taught 

English and American culture as a 

Fulbright Scholar in the former East 

Germany in the mid-1990s. Willis 

and his wife, fellow faculty member 

Betsy Willis, are the dormitory deans 

in Culbertson House on campus. 

For the third straight year, 

Mercersburg magazine garnered a 

CASE District II Accolades Award 

in the independent-school magazine 

category. The publication, which is 

produced three times annually by 

the Academy’s Office of Strategic 

Marketing & Communications, is the 

only independent-school magazine 

in the Mid-Atlantic region to win an 

Accolades Award in each of the past 

three years. 

Mercersburg M agazine s P ring 2010 5 

Paul Suerken: 

1938–2010 

Paul Suerken, an 

emeritus faculty 

member who was 

a fixture in the 

music department 

at Mercersburg for 

32 years, passed 

away March 21 in 

Erie, Pennsylvania. 

He was 71. 

Suerken, who came to Mercersburg in 

1964, taught English, coached cross country, 

and served as a dorm dean and as faculty 

adviser to the Irving Society in addition to 

numerous musical duties, which included 

directing the Octet and various other musical 

ensembles. 

Suerken suffered paralysis below his shoulders 

following a fall at his Erie home in July 

2008, and had been recovering in an assistedliving 

facility. He retired from the Mercersburg 

faculty in 1996. 

“Paul Suerken was important to and dearly 

loved by many who attended Mercersburg 

during his more than three decades on the 

faculty,” Head of School Douglas Hale said. 

“He was truly a dedicated and inspiring 

teacher who gave the entirety of his adult life 

to Mercersburg.” 

Suerken held bachelor’s and master’s 

degrees from Dartmouth College and taught 

at Cranleigh School in England during the 

1981–1982 school year. He ran 13 marathons 

(including two Boston Marathons). 

In October 2009, current members of the 

Octet traveled to Erie to surprise Suerken with 

a concert. “I feel certain Paul enjoyed it, and 

it was a wonderful experience and an almost 

magical trip for our boys,” said Richard Rotz, 

who directs the Octet. 

A celebration of Suerken’s life will be held 

August 21 at 6 p.m. in the Burgin Center 

for the Arts’ Simon Theatre on campus; all 

members of the Mercersburg community 

are invited. For more, visit forpaulsuerken. 

blogspot.com. 

Memorials may be made to the Paul Suerken 

Scholarship Fund at Mercersburg Academy, 

300 East Seminary Street, Mercersburg, 

PA 17236.


Ford Foundation Grant Supports 

Environmental Initiatives 

The Edward E. Ford Foundation has awarded 

Mercersburg a $50,000 challenge grant for 

the development of up to five environmental 

programs this summer in support of the 

school’s Accreditation for Growth environmental 

stewardship objective. Ford (right) 

was a member of Mercersburg’s Class of 1912 

and is the namesake of Ford Hall, which 

houses the school’s dining facility, student 

center, post office, and various administrative 

offices, and was built in 1965 after a gift 

from the Ford Foundation. 

This spring, a competitive selection 

process is identifying faculty-generated environmental 

proposals that will receive $7,500 

each for research, time, expenses, and collaboration 

required in support and development 

of a full proposal. A Mercersburg committee 

of faculty, administration, alumni, and 

parents will select the proposals that best 

fulfill the established criteria. The Academy 

From the Mailbag 

I was truly astounded at the beauty of the 

campus upon arrival at the Academy on 

October 5, 2009. It was a day more attached 

to summer with ample temperatures and 

clear skies; the quadrangle showing off its 

new beauty as an uninterrupted lawn of 

green looking down from the Chapel to 

Lenfest. To see the new trees embracing the 

new quadrangle is to be able to return to 

campus in the future and mark their progress. 

In a way, the growth of trees is indeed a 

metaphor for the growth which our students 

obtain while at the Academy. 

After meeting in the daytime at the 

Burgin Center and after a lovely dinner in 

Ford Hall prior to the lecture, it was fantastically 

stunning to return to the Burgin Center 

after sunset and see the building illuminated 

from within and glowing beautifully. To me 

this new building has the crisp, modern 

lines found in modern Scandinavian architecture 

with an overall Japanese-like quality 

to the combinations of wood, stone, metal, 

and glass. 

will then invest matching funds and the 

remainder of the Ford Foundation funds 

in the implementation of the best of those 

proposals. (Watch for further details on 

the winning proposals in a future issue of 

Mercersburg.) 

Born in 1894 in Binghamton, New York, 

Ford was the son of A. Ward Ford, whose 

manufacturing business became part of 

International Business Machines (IBM). 

Edward Ford’s Mercersburg classmates 

included future headmaster Charles S. 

Tippetts and Olympic gold medalist Ted 

Meredith. After graduating from Princeton 

University, Ford worked for IBM in various 

capacities, and was involved in several 

business enterprises in the Midwest and 

in Florida. He established the Edward E. 

Ford Foundation in 1957, and donated the 

funds to build a new Mercersburg dormitory, 

Tippetts Hall, in 1960. Ford died in 1963. 

Of course, the real pleasure for me was 

watching the expressions on the students’ 

faces during the lecture, as well as afterward 

at the informal question-and-answer period. 

It is always a refreshing and somewhat humbling 

experience to feel the pulse of the students 

and share with them for a moment 

both their insights of the present and dreams 

of their future. 

I feel very fortunate indeed to live 90 

minutes from the Academy for much of the 

year. It is now more accessible than ever and 

I would encourage any and all alumni and 

families to come and visit the campus. There 

are so many opportunities during the school 

year: performing arts events, outside speakers, 

and athletic events are always a good 

reason (or excuse) to visit Mercersburg again 

and be revitalized. 

–Andrew C. Ammerman ’68 

Washington, D.C. 

The author sponsors the annual 

Ammerman Family Lecture Series. 

A November 2010 deadline has been 

established for the school to raise $100,000 to 

match the foundation’s grant. For more information 

on the grant or to contribute, contact 

Gail Reeder in the Office of Alumni & 

Development at 717-328-6323 or reederg@ 

mercersburg.edu. 

Letter submission guidelines 

We welcome letters to the editor on 

topics relevant to the magazine or the 

Academy. Typically, letters to the editor 

should address a single issue and be no 

more than 150 words. Please include 

your name (and class year, if applicable), 

address, telephone number, and email 

address for verification. Submission does 

not guarantee publication; Mercersburg 

reserves the right to edit submissions for 

content or clarity. Letters may appear in 

print or online. 

Send letters to: 

Editor, Mercersburg magazine 


Mercersburg, Pennsylvania 17236 

Lee_Owen@mercersburg.edu

Mercersburg’s Latest Gold Medalist 

H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest ’49 received the prestigious 

Gold Medal for Distinguished 

Achievement from The Pennsylvania Society 

at its annual dinner December 12 at New 

York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Lenfest, 

a graduate of Mercersburg, Washington and 

Lee University, and Columbia Law School, is 

a president emeritus of Mercersburg’s Board 

of Regents. 

Past recipients of the Gold Medal include 

former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower 

and George H.W. Bush; former Supreme 

Court Justice Owen J. Roberts; industrialist 

Andrew Carnegie; entertainers Fred 

Rogers (of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood) 

and Bill Cosby; and Penn State head football 

coach Joe Paterno. Dick Thornburgh ’50, the 

former Pennsylvania governor and United 

States attorney general, received the award 

in 1988. 

Lenfest and his wife, Marguerite, are 

exceptionally committed supporters of 

Mercersburg; Lenfest Hall, which was built 

in 1992, houses the library, classrooms, 

media rooms, and offices. In 2000, the 

couple established the Lenfest Foundation, 

which provides scholarships for students 

from rural Pennsylvania counties to attend 

one of four college-preparatory schools 

(including Mercersburg) through its Lenfest 

College Preparatory Program. 

Gerry Lenfest at the podium; to his immediate left are his wife, Marguerite, 

and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. 

Lenfest, a communications executive 

who served as managing director of Triangle 

Publications’ communications division 

(which included Seventeen magazine and 

several cable-television properties), founded 

Look for coverage of the March campus 

visit and talk by former U.S. Secretary of 

State Madeleine Albright; the 2010 Cum 

Laude Convocation featuring invited 

speaker and Board of Regents member Liz 

Logie ’81; coverage of Mercersburg’s 117th 

commencement exercises; and more. 


Lenfest Communications in 1974; he later 

sold the company to Comcast. 

To read a portion of Lenfest’s speech from 

the gala, turn to page 56.

8 Mercersburg M agazine s P ring 2010


1,059 Words Five chairs bathed in blue light, 

five dressed in red light. The Simon Theatre fills with 

students, faculty, parents, and friends in the final few 

moments before Declamation 2010. Emily Bays ’10 took 

first place and the Scoblionko Declamation Cup to lead 

Marshall to its fourth-straight victory in the annual Irving- 

Marshall competition; for more photos, turn to page 10.


Irving-Marshall Week 2010 

MARSHALL 1075 

IRVING 875 

Marshall: four straight victories 

for first time since 1994–1997 

Irving declaimers (standing, L–R): Gilbert Rataezyk ’10, second-place winner 

Paul Suhey ’10, Mike Pryor ’12, Ellis Mays ’10. Seated: third-place winner 

Lorraine Simonis ’10. 

Marshall declaimers (standing, L–R): Sam Rodgers ’11, Robert 

Forbes ’10, John San Filippo ’12, first-place winner Emily Bays ’10. 

Seated: Eliza Macdonald ’10.


Scoblionko 

Declamation Cup 

winner Emily Bays ’10

Using science and math, 

students build machines that 

tackle real-world problems 

By Lee Owen 

Robotics is like real life—perhaps as much as 

any other course offered in a high school anywhere anywhere in America. 

Your success in robotics—or your struggle to keep up— 

depends on determination, creativity, creativity, problem-solving skills, 

and plain old common sense. sense. As in the real world, intelligence 

is important, but so is attitude.

14 Mercersburg M agazine spring 2010 

“You can never predict by SAT scores or 

grades in previous courses how a student 

will do in robotics,” says Mercersburg 

alumna and faculty member Julia Stojak 

Maurer ’90. She holds three degrees, 

including a doctorate in materials engineering, 

from the University of Dayton, 

and worked as a consultant and researcher 

in the engineering field before returning 

to her alma mater to teach math and 

science; she created the school’s robotics 

curriculum in 2004. “The skills you need 

to succeed in robotics are different than 

what we think of as ‘book smarts.’ The 

kids that take the course learn a lot about 

themselves and about how they deal with 

adversity.” 

Mercersburg students who have 

completed math at the 30-level (algebra 

II) and a physical-science class are eligible 

to enroll in the yearlong robotics course, 

which is broken up into three terms 

(fall, winter, and spring) and combines 

elements of mathematics, physics, and 

computer programming. Topics in the 

course quickly move from an introduction 

to programming, simple machines, 

and sensors to advanced programming 

algorithms. 

In short order, students are assembling 

and testing their own robots, both 

physically (parts used in the course bear 

a striking resemblance to Legos, since 

the kits students use are manufactured 

by the Lego Group) and at computer 

workstations, where the robots receive their 

instructions in the form of programming. 

Those commands are transferred to the 

robot via a USB cord. 

Robotics is a direct and highly practical 

application of math and science, and it 

provides instant feedback: either your robot 

performs its expected task—navigating a 

maze, crawling through a pipe, locating 

objects of a particular color on a table— 

+ 

+ 

+ 

+ 

Your robot must store the number of 

rotations in a container. 

Your robot must then use the value 

on the container to back up and exit 

the pipe. 

Your robot must exit the pipe 

completely. 

Your robot must also display the value 

of the container for 5 seconds after 

the beep. 

or it doesn’t, meaning it’s up to you to 

figure out what went wrong in the design 

or programming process. 

“For a lot of kids, programming a 

computer might not be that interesting, 

but programming a robot has mass appeal,” 

Maurer says. 

How it all began 

When she arrived at Mercersburg as an 

11th-grader, Maurer was entering her 

fifth different school in a five-year span; 

her father’s career in the banking industry 

meant frequent moves for her family. 

She begged her parents to let her finish 

her high-school career in one place. 

The family had just relocated to nearby 

Hagerstown, Maryland, but thought it 

would remain in the area for just a year 

before yet another move, this time to New 

York. “So my parents looked at boarding 

YOUR MISSION (CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT) 

A sample assignment from the winter term of the robotics course: 

Design a robot that will travel through 

a pipe and measure its length in 

terms of rotations. 

school for me for the first time,” Maurer 

recalls. “Mercersburg was 25 miles away. 

The first time we came to campus was in 

the middle of the summer; almost no one 

was here, and Gene Sancho [a longtime 

faculty member and the school’s academic 

dean since 2001] actually ended up giving 

us a tour. We took one look at the school 

and said, ‘This will do just fine, thank you 

very much.’ 

“I went here for two years and graduated— 

and my parents never did move. They still 

live in Hagerstown, and both of my sisters 

[Jenny ’93 and Jess ’07] ended up coming 

here as well. So we kind of stumbled on 

Mercersburg because of circumstance, 

and our family’s love affair with the school 

began.” 

While still in high school, Maurer 

interned at the Goddard Space Flight 

Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and

gained firsthand experience working on 

robotic attachments for satellites. “I worked 

in the building where all the satellites were 

programmed and developed,” she says. “It 

was my first exposure to robotics, and I 

thought it was really cool.” 

She landed a job after college as 

a consultant and programming analyst 

for Andersen Consulting in Cincinnati 

and also worked as a contract researcher 

Mercersburg M agazine spring 2010 15 

“THE SKILLS YOU NEED TO SUCCEED IN 

ROBOTICS ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT 

WE THINK OF AS ‘BOOK SMARTS.’ THE 

KIDS THAT TAKE THE COURSE LEARN A LOT 

ABOUT THEMSELVES AND ABOUT HOW 

THEY DEAL WITH ADVERSITY.” 

—Robotics teacher Julia Stojak Maurer ’90


for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 

Dayton, Ohio. As a graduate student, 

Maurer served as an instructor in a 

laboratory classroom, and discovered 

that she enjoyed teaching. 

“I wanted to work as a professor after I 

got my Ph.D.,” she says. “When I started 

interviewing at colleges for professorships, 

everybody wanted someone who would 

teach one class and do 80 hours of 

research a week. My field was very 

specialized; they all wanted me to do 

high-level microscopy. I had just had 

my daughter and was pregnant with my 

second child, and I didn’t want to not 

be able to ever see my family. I wanted, 

primarily, to teach and maybe do research 

or supervised research on the side. 

“As a happy accident, my 10-year 

reunion was happening at Mercersburg 

about that time. I had just interviewed 

at a university in Virginia for a position 

there; we swung back through for the 

reunion and ran into Gene, Jim Malone, 

and Neil Carstensen. Gene was my U.S. 

history teacher, Jim was my pre-calculus 

teacher, and I worked with Neil on the 

school farm while I was a student here. 

These were dear teachers for me, and 

they persuaded me to consider coming 

back to teach at Mercersburg. So I sent 

my resume, they brought me up, and lo 

and behold, I was back here.” 

Maurer would spend five years as chair 

of the math department, and became 

Mercersburg’s first associate academic 

dean last fall. She teaches one of the two 

sections of robotics as well as a section 

of AP statistics. 

According to Sancho, Maurer 

arrived as a math teacher at a time 

when the Academy was beginning 

a larger conversation about the 

value of application-based courses 

as part of its curricular offerings. “In

“THESE ARE REAL-WORLD SITUATIONS WE’RE 

PUTTING STUDENTS IN. THEY FIND THAT FOR EVERY 

GOOD IDEA, THERE ARE LOTS OF FAILURES BEFORE 

IT WORKS. THEY LEARN TO WORK WITH ONE 

ANOTHER AND SHARE IDEAS.” 

ROBOTICS RULES NOT TO LIVE BY 

—Robotics teacher Andy Schroer 

A whiteboard in the Irvine Hall robotics 

classroom lists the following creative blocks 

for students in the course to avoid as they 

approach projects in the course: 

1. Looking for one right answer 

2. Being too logical 

3. Only following the rules 

4. Being too practical 

5. Believing play is frivolous 

6. Sticking to your own area of expertise 

7. Being afraid to look foolish 

8. Avoiding ambiguity 

9. Believing “to err is wrong” 

10. Thinking you are not creative 

+ 

+ 

+ 

OTHER NOTES: 


terms of preparation for college and 

beyond, students need that hands-on 

understanding of how academic 

disciplines relate to the world of practical 

things,” Sancho says. “Another thing 

that’s important for us to emphasize is 

the value of collaboration and how it’s 

something we practice day in and day 

out when solving problems.” 

“When we started looking at things we 

could do on a high-school level, robotics 

struck me as something that could work 

as a distinct type of class to expose kids to 

programming and other cool stuff about 

engineering that would interest students 

on their level,” Maurer remembers. “And 

building an engineering lab would have 

been a monumental challenge in terms of 

finances and doing it well—but robotics, 

because you have parts and sensors that 

are ready to go (and it’s a more modest 

enterprise)—could teach a lot of the 

Failure is acceptable and expected in the 

design process 

In real life, the difference between a successful 

product and a total flop is the amount of 

“debugging” and testing done before the 

product hits the marketplace 

Self-evaluation is a valuable critical-thinking 

skill—can my design work better, look better, 

use fewer parts, be more solid, or use more 

efficient programming?


principles of math, engineering, and 

computer programming. It’s a nice blend 

of those things and computer science.” 

Behind the nuts and bolts 

Faculty member Andy Schroer, who 

teaches a section of robotics in addition 

to AP calculus and honors pre-calculus, 

describes the class as “discovery” for the 

students. “The course lets students solve 

problems on their own and discover what 

things will work, what things won’t, and 

which designs are good and which ones 

are bad,” he says. “We give them the basics 

and let them take it wherever it takes them. 

“In a typical lecture classroom, you’re 

explaining everything for students at first. 

But these are real-world situations we’re 

putting them in. They find that for every 

good idea, there are lots of failures before 

it works. They have to learn to work with 

one another and share ideas. You might 

not like what someone else is doing, but 

you have to work together with a common 

goal in mind to get things done.” 

Darius Glover ’10 plans to major 

in computer engineering next year at 

Lafayette College, where he’ll also play 

football. He enjoys the challenge of being 

turned loose in the lab to approach the 

kinds of problems the course presents. 

“No one tells you how to solve the 

problems—you have to figure it out for 

yourself,” Glover says. “You can go to your 

teacher for help if you need it, of course, 

but it prepares you for the real world. 

“I like being able to figure things out. 

You have to think five steps ahead to make 

a good structured program that will make 

the robot do what you want. It’s not just 

memorization; it’s critical-thinking skills.” 

Gina Grabowski ’10, who is attending 

Mercersburg as a postgraduate student 

before entering the U.S. Naval Academy, 

sees a direct application for the course and 

her future; she plans to go into weapons 

engineering. 

“This is hands-on,” Grabowski says. “You 

build something and you make it run. So 

there’s an obvious engineering aspect to it, 

and also the aspect of working together. It’s

“it’s a different atmosphere than other classes 

because we’re all working together and moving 

around and it’s very collaborative.” 

a different atmosphere than other classes 

because we’re all working together and 

moving around and it’s very collaborative. 

It’s a really good way to get your brain 

geared toward math and sciences.” 

According to Glover, it also gets the 

competitive juices flowing. 

“It’s my favorite class,” he says. “I’m 

getting everything I expected out of it— 

and it’s very competitive. Everyone likes 

to win, whether it’s the fastest time or 

some other type of competition. I like 

winning, and I don’t like to lose—ever. 

“Robotics isn’t as hard as people might 

think, and it’s a lot more fun than they 

might think. Most people with decent 

reasoning skills can figure it out. You 

don’t have to be a math whiz, but 

knowing math helps.” 

The future is now 

Visitors to the Maurer house may happen 

upon robots that vacuum and wash the 

floors. “We can set them to a specific 

time, and we come home and the floors 

are always clean,” she says. And that’s no 

small feat; Maurer and her husband, Matt 

(a theatre and English instructor at the 

Academy), have five children at home. 

Many might remember The Jetsons—a 

cartoon television program set in the 

future, with robots performing almost 

every imaginable task for the human 

population. “Some of those things are not 

far off,” Maurer says. “Social robotics is 

a fast-growing field; when you go into an 

office building in Japan today, the ‘person’ 

who greets you may actually be a robot. 

It may have ‘skin’ and a voice, and can 

send a digital signal to an employee that 

a visitor is here for an appointment.” 

There are the other obvious applications 

as well—robots, of course, are widely used 

today in search-and-rescue situations, or in 

places where it’s impractical or impossible 

for humans to go (inside a sewer pipe or 

natural-gas pipeline to look for a crack, or 

in military situations to search for explosive 

devices or survivors). “In health care, 

for example, there are robots that allow 

doctors to perform surgeries from remote 

locations,” she says. “And at Carnegie 

Mellon, I even got to ride in a car without 

a human driver—the car essentially was 

the robot and drove us around a test track.” 

Teams of Mercersburg students 

have competed at regional, national, 

and international RoboCup Junior 

competitions since 2004. Using robots 

they’ve created, students take on 


—Robotics student Gina Grabowski ’10 

competitors from other schools in events 

ranging from search-and-rescue to robotic 

soccer. This spring, nine different students 

placed either first or second in their 

respective categories at regional events in 

Durham, North Carolina, and New York 

City—qualifying them to represent the U.S. 

in the international RoboCup Junior event 

in Singapore this June. 

“The stuff that kids are able to see and 

experience at these competitions is mindblowing, 

as far as what’s cutting-edge in the 

field of robotics,” Maurer says. “There are 

a lot of benefits for the kids that go; it’s the 

kind of experience that changes your life 

forever. They can look back at it as a pivotal 

moment. You’re competing against the best 

in the world. I think that’s really great.”


A Conversation with Nobel Laureate 

BURTON RICHTER ’48 

Interview by Lee Owen 

(left) Richter shortly after the discovery of the psi particle; (right) Richter today 

Dr. Burton Richter received the 1976 Nobel Prize in 

Physics for his discovery of the J/Ψ meson with his team 

at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). A native of the Far 

Rockaway section of Queens, New York, Richter came to Mercersburg 

in 1946 (before his 11th-grade year) because he desperately wanted to 

earn acceptance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his 

father, Abraham, thought that a diploma from Mercersburg or another 

Eastern prep school would be more attractive than one from the local 

high school. (It worked out well; Richter earned a bachelor’s degree and 

a Ph.D. from MIT in 1952 and 1956, respectively.) 

After completing his doctorate, Richter headed west to Stanford 

University; he has been affiliated with the school in ever since, working 

his way up to assistant professor, associate professor, professor, and eventually 

as holder of an endowed chair as the Paul Pigott Professor in the 

Physical Sciences. It was at Stanford that Richter and his team discovered 

the J/Ψ meson (originally called a psi particle) in 1974. Across the 

country, at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, a group 

led by Samuel Ting made a similar discovery; Richter and Ting were 

jointly awarded the Nobel in 1976. 

Richter served as technical director and director of SLAC from 1982 

to 1999, and remains the organization’s director emeritus. In 2006, he 

was one of the founders of Scientists and Engineers for America, or SEA, 

an organization dedicated to increasing scientific awareness among the 

public, elected officials, and the next generation of students—and on 

furthering insight into the political process for scientists. His new book, 

Beyond Smoke and Mirrors: Climate Change and Energy in the 21st 

Century, was published in April by Cambridge Press. (More information 

about the book is available at www.beyondsmokeandmirrors.com.)

Mercersburg magazine: Let’s start at the beginning: 

at what point did you decide you wanted to be a 

scientist? 

Richter: It’s hard to remember exactly when it started, 

but it did start for me pretty early. I had a fancy 

chemistry laboratory with a friend of mine; we did 

all sorts of things… microscopes, looking at cells, all 

the standard things kids did back then with science. 

We could do all the things that kids interested in 

such things today aren’t allowed to do because of 

safety. If you give a kid a chemistry set today that 

doesn’t have anything in it that allows him to make 

something that will blow up, it’s hard to see how he 

can maintain interest [laughs]. We could blow things 

up, and we did. 

MM: How do you think the two 

years you spent at Mercersburg 

influenced you? 

Richter: Mercersburg was really a 

very broad and very good experience, 

and I expect that it still is. I had 

good math classes and science 

classes there, but I think what’s 

even more important is that I had 

good history classes, good culture 

classes, I took languages, there were 

lots of sports… I had what I call an 

education for a citizen—not an education for the 

“educated workforce.” Even today, I always tell people 

it’s more important to be an educated citizen than an 

educated employee. If you’re an educated citizen, 

you won’t tolerate a lot of the nonsense that comes 

out of Washington. 

Besides being something of a nerd, I was also 

something of a jock. I wrestled, I played football—I 

never made the varsity but was on the junior varsity— 

and I was a substitute tennis player. One of the best 

things about Mercersburg was its well-roundedness— 

in addition to the sports, I was also president of the 

chess club and one of the graduation orators. 

MM: Can you talk about the discovery of the psi 

particle in 1974, and how it happened? 

Richter: The process for something like this is usually 


pretty long, especially in particle physics. Experiments 

are big; they last a long time. I started off much earlier 

as one of the pioneers in a field now called colliding 

beams, where you could deliver much more energy 

to induce reactions by colliding a beam with another 

beam than with a target at rest in a laboratory. I 

was one of the four people (two senior and two 

junior—and I was one of the junior) that built the 

first practical colliding-beam device. I’ve had a career 

as sort of an accelerator builder and accelerator user 

and led the building of the facilities to do the physics 

I thought was important. 

What I really wanted to do was to look at the 

structure of unstable particles. In the 1950s and 

1960s, the high-energy physics 

community had found so many 

things called mesons and baryon 

resonances that it was hard to regard 

them as fundamental entities. The 

question of the mid-1960s and early 

1970s was, what kind of simplifying 

system is there that might explain 

how all these might be made 

from combinations of simpler and 

smaller numbers of entities? 

The colliding-beam accelerator 

that I built with my group was aimed 

at uncovering more about what was 

going on—and it succeeded. The collaboration that 

built the detector came together very rapidly, and 

less than two years after we started doing the physics 

experiment, I guess you could say we struck more than 

gold—we struck platinum. It truly revolutionized the 

way we looked at the structure of elementary particles 

and how they were put together. 

The actual experiment was very complicated. We 

started seeing things that were unexpected, but it 

wasn’t clear how unexpected they were until I had 

the group go back over a certain region and find 

what should not have been there—a new particle 

of a very long lifetime relative to the other ones. We 

had a model for how things were put together, and 

that model predicted that certain kinds of particles 

could exist and other kinds couldn’t. This discovery 

was the first ever of one of the class of particles that


was not allowed under the theory of the time. It came 

to be called the “November Revolution”; the word 

went out in November 1974, and it really changed 

particle physics. 

MM: How would you describe the elation a scientist 

feels when a discovery like this is made? 

Richter: It’s sort of dizzying. It’s something that 

everybody hopes they’re going to do, and I was a lucky 

one because it happened. The experiments we were 

doing were important, and they would have been 

important had we not discovered the particle, but 

I wouldn’t have a Nobel Prize without it [laughs]. 

A Nobel Prize is like being struck by lightning—it 

happens sometimes, but there’s a lot of good work that’s 

been done and there aren’t so many Nobel Prizes. So 

it’s a terrific honor to have. 

Jae Nam ’10 

SEA = Change 

Mercersburg is home to a newly formed 

student chapter of Scientists and Engineers 

for America (SEA), a nonpartisan organization 

founded in part by Nobel laureate 

Dr. Burton Richter ’48. The chapter is one 

of the very first to be organized on a highschool 

campus; several colleges already 

have established groups on their campuses, 

including Harvard University, Northwestern 

University, and the University of Texas. 

Jae Nam ’10 is serving as president of the 

fledgling Mercersburg chapter after working 

as an intern last summer at SEA’s headquarters 

in Washington, D.C. John Burnette, who 

teaches math at the Academy, is the group’s 

faculty adviser. 

“The main goal of SEA is to bridge the 

gaps between science and politics, and 

between science and the public,” says Nam, 

who was the first recipient of Mercersburg’s 

new Herbert C. Lebovitz ’48 Math/Science 

Internship Award; funds from the award 

supported Nam’s summer work with SEA. 

“By the time students get to college, a lot 

of the people interested in science like this 

are already science majors. But if students 

MM: Is it possible to estimate the odds of two separate 

teams—yours and Samuel Ting’s—discovering the same 

new particle almost simultaneously? 

Richter: The thing that’s really unique here is that the two 

discoveries were arrived at totally independently, using 

very different approaches. So it wasn’t as if Sam Ting 

and I were doing the same experiment—we were doing 

related experiments, but starting from entirely different 

points. You have to be looking for the right thing, and all 

too many experiments are only designed to look for what 

people expect to find rather than what’s there. 

MM: What is life like for a Nobel laureate, especially right 

after you’ve been chosen as one? 

Richter: Going over to Stockholm [to accept the Nobel] 

is like living in a fairy tale for a week. We took our kids 

along for all the festivities—our daughter was 15 and our 

become interested in the issues when they’re 

still in high school, it may lead them to major 

in science when they get to college—and if not, 

they may still develop a continual interest in 

important scientific issues.” 

In recent history, the intersection of science 

and politics has been the site of many a fenderbender. 

SEA (www.sefora.org) originally began 

as a political-action group formed by scientists 

who grew tired of scientific decisions being 

influenced by politics. “Things that are scientific 

in nature should be argued from a scientific 

standpoint, not from a political or emotional 

standpoint,” Burnette says. “We’ve turned 

everything into a political debate when we 

should be talking about the science involved, 

and that’s a problem.” 

The national SEA organization hopes to 

draw attention to politicians’ stances on different 

science-related issues like renewable 

energy and climate change, and created the 

Science, Health and Related Policies Network 

(SHARP) as an online database for cataloging 

those positions for members of Congress. 

One of the ways students active in various 

SEA chapters can contribute to the greater 

effort is by researching how elected officials 

voted on pertinent issues and posting the data

son was 13—as well as my father and stepmother. You 

are the hero of Stockholm when you’re there; they want 

to know everything that’s going on. One of the things 

you get as a Nobel laureate is your own limo and driver, 

and one night, we were going off to dinner at the palace 

and the kids were getting kind of sick of all the rich food. 

So I told the driver to take the kids out for hamburgers. 

The next morning, the picture on the front page of the 

Stockholm newspapers was of our kids going into some 

hamburger joint in downtown Stockholm. 

MM: You’ve been a consistent voice for scientific freedom 

and for attempting to keep politics from interfering with 

science. In that vein, can you talk about your work with 

Scientists and Engineers for America (SEA)—and the 

importance of things SEA fights for? 

Richter: SEA is the outcome of a lot of scientists talking 

in SHARP’s specialized Wikipedia-like, opensource 

repository. 

“An awful lot of students these days incorrectly 

think science has ‘already been done,’” 

Burnette says. “[Students] don’t always see 

science as a continuing enterprise—and they 

should. It’s remarkable that when you consider 

all the amazing advances that have been 

made in our lifetimes, how anyone could miss 

that things are still being pushed forward on 

a continuous basis. 

“Sputnik first launched right around the 

time I was born. I lived through the space race 

and the feeling that science would solve all 

problems, and governmental support of all 

technology. There wasn’t a political party for 

going to the moon; we just made up our minds 

that we were going to go there.” 

The Stanford-bound Nam, who attended 

hearings on Capitol Hill as part of his SEA 

internship, was surprised by how quickly discussions 

of scientific issues morphed into partisan 

political diatribes. “One of the hearings I 

attended dealt with the American Clean Energy 

and Security Act [which passed the House in 

June 2009],” he says. “They started out talking 

about science, but it moved pretty fast into 

debate about how [the bill] would affect each 

party. Politicians are really good at talking 

about how the issues will affect their parties, 

but some are not very knowledgeable about 

the scientific issues that are so important. If 

the scientific debate could be separated from 

the partisan debate, not only would it make 

the political process more efficient, but it 

would benefit all of us as well. 

“It’s not just the fault of politicians. 

Scientists are to blame too—a lot of people 

in the scientific community tend to discourage 

scientists from pursuing political office. Not 

only do scientists need to have more interest 

in political debates and issues, but they need 


about what to do. It is an important thing to try 

and get science done and reported honestly. We all 

know that there are real political and foreign-policy 

considerations when it comes to government actions 

on issues with a major science component. But the 

important thing is—reaching whatever conclusions 

you reach—that the science part of the input needs 

to be honest and correct. We started SEA to try and 

do something totally nonpartisan; our board has wellknown 

Democrats and well-known Republicans on 

it. We have a program that helps scientists that are 

interested in getting into politics at any level learn how 

campaigns work, how fundraising works, and all the 

rest of it. We’ve run several workshops with instructors 

from Congress and from various organizations— 

again, a mix of Democrats and Republicans. It’s been 

relatively popular. 

John Burnette 

to speak up about how different political 

issues will affect issues in science.” 

The Lebovitz Award supports expenses 

for up to two Mercersburg students each 

year who hold internships in the fields of 

math and/or science research and exploration. 

Lebovitz, who died in 2008, taught 

mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute 

of Technology and Boston University. 

The award was established by his sons, 

Peter M. Lebovitz ’72 and James A. Lebovitz, 

and widow, Martha B. Lebovitz. 

—Lee Owen


MM: In addition to establishing chapters on college 

and even high-school campuses [page 22], what 

other kinds of work is SEA involved in? 

Richter: SEA maintains a website [the Science, 

Health and Related Policies Network, or SHARP] 

that reports what all the members of Congress do 

about scientific issues. We simply say, “Here is a 

scientific question, here are the voting records—and 

if you want to contact your congressman, here’s how 

to get in touch.” We don’t push a particular side. 

One of the most interesting projects we’ve 

got going now is a group of mathematicians and 

political scientists working together on how to 

reform the redistricting process [in the House of 

Representatives]. Redistricting is the key to electoral 

stability, and the key to opening up previously 

closed, one-party electoral districts to some real 

competition. There’s a lot of posturing and talk from 

members of Congress about how important it is to do 

[redistricting] fairly, but deep down all the members 

want their districts organized in such a fashion that 

their political party is the totally dominant voice, and 

they’ll be secure. 

MM: From an energy perspective in this country 

and in the world, what should we be doing that we 

aren’t? And what are we doing right that we should 

be doing more of? 

Richter: My book is all about this, and it’s designed 

for the general public—not for the experts. I go into 

how we know the greenhouse effect is real, how 

we predict the temperature rise in the future, and 

the energy and policy options that can reduce the 

damage from global warming. I will get both ends 

of the spectrum mad at me. I don’t like the fact that 

the media’s love of controversy seems to only give 

voice to the deniers and the exaggerators. That’s not 

healthy. My book is an attempt to get the real story 

into the hands of the general public so that people 

can make up their own minds. 

There are many things that we’re doing well, and 

many things that we’re doing badly. The whole capand-trade 

program that came out of the House of 

Representatives is far too complicated, and they had 

to buy off too many special interests by diluting its 

effect. We can do better. There’s too much talk about 

renewables and not enough talk about reducing 

greenhouse gas emissions. If you look at costs, solar 

photovoltaics are extraordinarily expensive, and you 

could do a lot better by converting coal-fired plants 

into natural gas. This way, you’d eliminate twothirds 

of the carbon dioxide, and you can make a big 

impact fast. What we need is a good program that 

looks at the long-term issue and tries to capture the 

things that can do the most soon, for the least money. 

Among those is energy efficiency, which should be 

everybody’s No. 1. You don’t see a lot of subsidies 

for energy efficiency, although the new secretary of 

energy, Steven Chu, is trying to push things in that 

direction. You see policies that don’t really make a 

lot of sense, and you see claims of things that don’t 

make a lot of sense either. I talk about the three S’s: 

the sensible, the senseless, and the self-serving. Of 

the policy options that are put forward, the senseless 

and the self-serving truly dominate the sensible. 

MM: If it’s possible to ask for a prediction of the 

future, what do you see as the next big discovery in 

physics or in science as a whole? What awaits us on 

the near horizon? 

Richter: I’d say that what’s going on now in what I 

call astroparticle physics is very important. There is 

the mysterious dark energy; 10 years ago, nobody had 

heard of dark energy. What is it? It seems to account 

for 75 percent of all the energy in the universe. It’s 

really pretty humbling to know that we didn’t even 

know it existed until recently. There’s another 20 

percent that is so-called dark matter. We knew it 

existed, we did not know what it was, and we still 

don’t know what it is. So that leaves us knowing a 

lot about what amounts to 5 percent of the stuff in 

our universe: our familiar, normal matter—so the big 

chase now is to find out more about the mysterious 95 

percent. As for the 5 percent, there is a huge amount 

of work going on in condensed-matter physics and 

biology; if I had to make a real guess, I’d say that 

technology will come mostly from condensed-matter 

physics and biology, while a deeper understanding of 

the universe will come from astroparticle physics.

Mercersburg Profiles 

MATH SCIENCE


CONNECTING THE DOTS 

To identify causes of disease, Dean Hosgood crunches the numbers By Lee Owen 

Hosgood at the Shilin 

(Stone Forest), a UNESCO 

World Heritage Site in 

Yunnan Province, China 

On average, one of every two American 

men and one in three American women will 

develop some form of cancer. 

Behind the scenes, H. Dean Hosgood ’98 

and his colleagues at the National Cancer 

Institute are designing studies and analyzing 

important data to identify causes and 

risk factors of all forms of the disease—and 

hopefully, to help save lives and even keep 

people from getting sick in the first place. 

“In our complex environment today, 

people run into many common exposures 

in their everyday lives that they are unaware 

of, and that may cause adverse health outcomes,” 

says Hosgood, an environmental and 

molecular epidemiologist in the National 

Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer 

Epidemiology and Genetics. “Some of the 

things are in drinking water or in the air we 

breathe; you can’t see them, smell them, or 

taste them. We’re integrating the health sci- 

ences, the hard sciences, and statistics to 

protect people from cancer, which is one of 

the most complex diseases out there.” 

As an epidemiologist, Hosgood delves into 

what he calls “the whole gamut of factors” to 

determine why some people are more likely 

than others to be stricken with cancer. 

“Everyone knows that smoking causes 

lung cancer, but we’ve all heard a story about 

someone’s grandmother who smoked two 

packs a day and never got lung cancer,” he 

says. “So how come she didn’t get cancer, 

but the guy who smoked one pack a day 

did? I try to figure out what causes the individual 

differences and why some people are 

more susceptible to developing the disease 

than others.” 

Hosgood, who moved to nearby 

Greencastle, Pennsylvania, in the fourth 

grade, spent all four years of high school 

at Mercersburg. He remembers designing 

strategies using laboratory methods to tackle 

questions in an AP chemistry course taught 

by Frank Rutherford ’70—a clear precursor 

to Hosgood’s work today. The experiences 

in Rutherford’s class and others in 

Eric Hicks’ introductory biology course and 

Peter Kempe’s German classes, coupled with 

a longtime interest in science and math, 

led him to Carnegie Mellon University in 

Pittsburgh, where he completed his undergraduate 

degree in chemistry. 

“When I arrived at Carnegie Mellon, I 

felt like I was already a semester ahead—if 

not two semesters ahead—of everyone else 

in terms of time management and the ability 

to handle all the independence you receive 

in college,” Hosgood says. “Mercersburg prepares 

you very well for that. And it turned out 

that once I got there, the material in a lot of 

my classes was review from what I had done 

at Mercersburg.”

Hosgood spent a year working in a malaria 

lab at Yale University before deciding to 

concentrate on epidemiology, where his 

full focus could be on helping populations 

affected by various environmental 

and genetic factors. He earned a master’s of 

public health in environmental health sciences 

and a Ph.D. in cancer epidemiology 

from Yale. 

As a graduate student, Hosgood did 

research in El Salvador and Guatemala; 

most of his studies today are in Asia, so he 

visits China, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, 

Hong Kong, and Taiwan two or three times 

a year (for up to five weeks at a time). Much 

of his current research focuses on the association 

between the burning of coal and wood 

and lung cancer. “We look for natural experiments—places 

in the world where people 

burn a lot of these fuels in their homes—and 

we go and see if there’s an association,” he 

says. “If you think something is harmful to 

an individual or a population, you obviously 

wouldn’t ethically go in and expose people 

to a particular thing the way you typically 

would in a laboratory with mice or rodents. 

“So we look for natural experiments; we 

look at people with high levels of exposure 

to coal smoke in their homes as a byproduct 

“WE’RE INTEGRATING THE HEALTH SCIENCES, 

THE HARD SCIENCES, AND STATISTICS TO 

PROTECT PEOPLE FROM CANCER, WHICH IS ONE 

OF THE MOST COMPLEX DISEASES OUT THERE.” 

of their regional way of life, and compare 

them to people with low levels of exposure. 

And since we’re looking at humans who 

differ based on genetics or their diets or 

their smoking history, we do a lot of statistical 

analysis and work with big data sets to 

tease out all the factors to determine if what 

we’re studying is actually associated with a 

particular cancer.” 

The participants in one of Hosgood’s 

studies in the Chinese city of Xuanwei exclusively 

use coal—unventilated—for all of their 

heating and cooking needs. “So the people 

there are highly exposed,” Hosgood says, 

“and we designed a study and went there 

and trained all the physicians in the hospitals 

on how to conduct the study. When 

we go visit, we make sure the protocols are 

being followed, and we answer any questions 

the physicians have and look at the 

biological samples that have been collected 

to make sure they’re ready for analysis.” 

Hosgood also works on other exposures, 

including benzene, formaldehyde, and 

trichloroethylene. 

—H. Dean Hosgood ’98 

The results from these studies provide 

the data necessary for policymakers in the 

United States and abroad to set safe levels of 

exposures—and to implement interventions 

if necessary to protect populations. One of 

Hosgood’s studies, for example, showed that 

the installation of portable stoves for heating 

and cooking with coal decreased lung-cancer 

mortality by about 50 percent compared to 

the use of unventilated fire pits. 

At any given time, Hosgood and the other 

members of his four-person team at the NCI 

headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, are 

typically managing about 10 or 15 different 

studies; each individual project can involve 

up to 150,000 subjects apiece. “Aside from 

meeting with the team and going over logistics 

and what needs to be done for different 

studies, I spend a lot of time analyzing 

data that comes in, working on publications 

for medical journals, and designing 

newer studies,” he says. “A lot of the work is 

ongoing.” Because of the 12-hour time difference, 

Hosgood often finds himself online 

late at night corresponding with colleagues 

on the ground in Asia. 

Hosgood, who joined Mercersburg’s 

Alumni Council last year, was the first of 

three siblings to attend the Academy; his 

sister, Emily Weiss ’08, was the salutatorian 

of her graduating class and is a sophomore 

at Colgate University, while their 

brother, Connor Weiss ’13, is in his first year 

at Mercersburg. 

“A lot of what we do is driven by the desire 

to protect populations as a whole—to try to 

determine healthy levels for all these exposures,” 

Hosgood says. “We want to ensure 

that people aren’t being excessively exposed 

if it’s an occupational exposure, and if we’re 

talking about an environmental exposure, 

to ensure people are protected at safe levels. 

It’s what drives me, and I wouldn’t have it 

any other way.” 

An indoor cooking area in Xuanwei, China


suddenImpact 

Bruce Kemmler’s products are on the fast track to success 

By Shelton Clark 

Bruce Kemmler ’68 had a chemical reaction 

of sorts at Mercersburg, and now Kemmler 

runs a polymer-manufacturing business in 

which knowledge of polymer chemistry is 

crucial. 

In Kemmler’s case, the cliché about the 

shortest distance between two points being 

a straight line doesn’t quite reflect the more 

circuitous route he took to his current station 

in life. 

“My science teacher, Eric Harris, 

instilled in me a love of chemistry at 

Mercersburg,” says Kemmler, president and 

CEO of Mooresville, North Carolina-based 

Kemmler Products. “And the headmaster, 

Dr. [William] Fowle, was a friend as well 

as a headmaster. He and his wife were wonderful 

to everyone. Mercersburg fostered my 

wanting to learn; personally, college was less 

influential as a scholastic and life experience 

than Mercersburg.” 

Kemmler took his love of science to 

Dickinson College, where he diverged from 

the conventional point-A-to-point-B route. 

“I started out in the pre-med program, but 

I got discouraged with it,” Kemmler says. “I 

decided I wanted to do work in the areas I 

truly liked, and double-majored in English 

and political science, with additional studies 

in economics.” 

It was that minor field of study—economics—that 

led him to a 27-year career 

in finance. While still in his 20s, Kemmler 

opened one of Merrill Lynch’s “small-city” 

offices in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 

before starting his own financial-services 

company in the 1980s. 

Kemmler helped his Mercersburg friend 

(and former Academy faculty member) Tom 

Mendham become a Merrill Lynch colleague; 

Mendham was working as director 

of the school’s alumni and development 

office when Kemmler’s first child was born. 

“I called Tom to let him know that Alexis 

Kemmler would be in the Mercersburg 

Class of 1993,” Kemmler says. 

Indeed, Kemmler’s enthusiasm as a 

Mercersburg parent reaffirmed what the 

Mercersburg experience had meant to him. 

Yes, his daughter did end up in the Class 

of 1993. Alexis Kemmler Simpson earned 

a scholarship to the University of Virginia, 

where she graduated as a distinguished 

physics scholar. She went on to the Candler 

School of Theology at Emory University, 

became a Methodist minister, and now 

works at Phillips Exeter Academy with her 

husband, Tom. 

Kemmler’s son, Bo ’96, is finishing five 

years of research in his Ph.D. work in immunology 

at the University of Colorado, and 

Kemmler’s stepson, Benjamin Clousher ’97, 

is a financial planner and portfolio manager 

in Charlotte, where he also works as a night- 

club consultant and entrepreneur. 

“After my stepson graduated from 

Mercersburg, my wife Bonnie and I decided 

that we wanted to move south,” Kemmler 

says. “In the mid-1990s, I had started working 

on a project with polymers, so I re-educated 

myself.” 

For Kemmler, that meant developing an 

“air-froth” process by which a high atomic 

weight, dense polyurethane elastomer is 

made for a gel-foam hybrid (a product which 

now goes by the trade name SHOCKtec®) 

and used in high-impact padding. As a result, 

the combination of lower weight and greater 

density creates a unique material with a superior 

ability to dissipate energy and greatly 

diminish the harmful effects of blunt-force 

trauma. 

“A colleague told me that he was convinced 

that I was able to do this because I

am not a full-time scientist,” Kemmler says. 

“He said that most scientists don’t clearly see 

beyond the end task at hand and often have 

difficulty envisioning the end product.” It 

is with some irony and amusement that he 

recounts a Mercersburg teacher’s comment 

to his parents: “Give Bruce enough time, and 

he’ll figure out anything.” 

Though his company is headquartered 

in Mooresville (about 30 miles north of 

Charlotte), most of Kemmler Products’ manufacturing 

takes place in Georgia. With his 

company’s location in the stock-car hotbed of 

North Carolina, many NASCAR drivers have 

become some of Kemmler’s best customers, 

using his products to protect themselves 

against extreme impact. Likewise, his products 

have been used in a variety of sporting 

goods, from shoe insoles to football girdles. 

More recently, his primary customer— 

“by mistake,” Kemmler adds—is the U.S. 

military. Independent testing by Florida 

State University and the U.S. Army (including 

drop tests and blast tests) found that 

Kemmler’s products withstood blunt-force 

impact better than other padding products 

on the market. Manufacturers now use 

Kemmler’s products in flak vests, helmets, 

vehicle seats, and heavily armored vehicles 

that are replacing Humvees on the 

battlefield. 

In addition to his careers in finance 

and manufacturing, Kemmler, a longtime 

Rotarian, has always been involved in a 

number of nonprofit and community ventures. 

“I’ve always said to my children, ‘You 

are blessed. Your role should be to help 

people less fortunate than yourself.’” 

Bruce Kemmler ’68 with granddaughter 

Madison Blair Clousher (the daughter of Ben 

Clousher ’97) 


the 

original survivor 

One part soldier, one part scholar, and one part real-life MacGyver, Cresson 

Kearny ’33 literally wrote the book on surviving a nuclear attack. 

Kearny (pronounced “CAR-nee”), one of seven Rhodes Scholars to have 

attended Mercersburg, was an international authority on nuclear-war survival. 

His experiences as a geologist 

in the jungles of South America, as 

a member of the U.S. Army Reserve 

and the Office of Strategic Services in 

China during World War II, and later 

as a researcher at Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory, resulted in variety of inventions 

ranging from underwater spear 

guns to homemade devices capable 

of measuring radiation levels during a 

nuclear siege. 

His 1979 book, Nuclear War Survival 

Skills, sold more than 600,000 copies 

Cresson Kearny ’33 as an 

Irving debater 

worldwide and includes instructions 

for constructing fallout shelters and 

devices for survival out of everyday 

materials found in most American homes. The most famous of these was the 

Kearny Fallout Meter (KFM), first tested in 1977. Kearny’s book boasts that 

the KFM could be successfully constructed by everyone from “junior highschool 

science classes to grandmothers making them for their children and 

grandchildren.” The Washington Post described the device as “the first radiation 

detector for the average American family.” 

Among the materials needed to build a KFM are a metal can, 

aluminum foil, a wooden pencil, tape (duct tape, masking tape, 

or Scotch tape can be used), two rubber bands, a small piece 

of sheetrock or a modest amount of silica gel, and clean, fine 

thread (for which human hair can be substituted in a pinch). 

Kearny was named the “Best Individual Debater” at 

Mercersburg’s 1933 Irving-Marshall Prize Debate (the forerunner 

of today’s Declamation event at the Academy); his 

brother, Clinton ’35, also graduated from the school. Cresson 

Kearny graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University, 

studied at Oxford University, and earned the Legion of Merit for his 

military service, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was a consultant 

for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography before joining the Hudson 

Institute and later Oak Ridge National Laboratory, from which he retired in 

1979 to take a more active role in civil-defense preparations. 

Kearny is credited with the origination of more than two dozen inventions 

and numerous books and articles. He died in 2003 at age 89, but his 

work lives on. To view a free online copy of Nuclear War Survival Skills, visit 

www.oism.org/nwss.


Taking on 

MoTher naTure 

Amy McGovern uses data to look for patterns in severe weather 

By Tom Coccagna 

Lessons learned in youth often mold the 

most lasting impressions. 

When Amy McGovern ’92 was a student 

at Mercersburg, her field-ecology instructor, 

Brent Gift, assigned a project to her and 

fellow student Robert Trace ’93. Their task: 

to study the effects of pollution from a local 

tannery on a nearby stream. 

Picture a high-school girl, clad in hip 

boots, wading in a stream while clutching 

a camera and trying to keep her balance 

against the current. “We had a ton of fun 

going into the stream from a farmer’s field, 

getting stuck in the muck in those knee-high 

boots,” McGovern recalls. 

But fun turned out to be only part of 

the project. “Her efforts led to a citation to 

the tannery for pollution,” says Gift, who 

has been a faculty member at the Academy 

since 1971. 

And although McGovern may not have 

realized it at the time, the experience became 

a defining moment in her life. “Looking 

back, it was probably the start of my desire 

to work on projects that had a real impact in 

the world,” she says. 

She is now Dr. Amy McGovern, assistant 

professor in the School of Computer Science 

at the University of Oklahoma. Her work has 

gone far beyond studying worms in a local 

stream, but her work ethic is every bit as alive 

as it was during the stream project. 

McGovern directs the university’s 

IDEA (Interaction, Discovery, Exploration 

and Adaptation) Lab. One of her special 

interests is severe weather, and because 

of her research in that area, she earned a 

prestigious National Science Foundation 

CAREER Award covering the years 2008 

McGovern (far right) 

in the classroom at 

the University of 

Oklahoma 

through 2013. She received a $500,000 

grant for her project, “Developing 

Spatiotemporal Relational Models to 

Anticipate Tornado Formation.” 

Much academic writing is geared toward 

impressing the academic community, but 

McGovern took a lesson from her streambound 

roots. Her desire is to produce analysis 

with practical applications. 

Or, as she insists, “I want my research to 

matter in the real world”—and in Oklahoma, 

nothing is more real than the threat of 

tornadoes. “Here, weather is one thing you 

can’t ignore,” she says. “Oklahoma is unlike 

anyplace else I’ve ever lived.” 

During her childhood, her burgeoning 

fascination with severe weather found 

an outlet as thunderclouds swept toward 

her home in Ohio. “I would be in the 

garage watching a storm with all the 

thunder, lightning, and hail. It was cool,” 

she remembers. 

As McGovern grew into adulthood, so did 

her curiosity about weather. “I was involved 

with weather enough to be fascinated by it but 

not enough to become a meteorologist,” she 

says. “I always wondered why they couldn’t 

predict the weather better and what I could 

do to help through my research.” 

Even though Ohio is certainly not 

immune to perilous storms, it comes nowhere 

close to experiencing the danger Oklahoma 

faces on a regular basis. Severe weather often 

ravages the so-called “Tornado Alley” that 

covers a huge chunk of the Great Plains. 

Meteorologists are forever trying to discover 

ways to predict when and where tornadoes 

will strike. No research has been able to 

pinpoint tornado formation exactly, even on 

one of those notorious “outbreak days,” when

“I WANT MY RESEARCH TO MATTER IN THE REAL 

WORLD. HERE, WEATHER IS ONE THING YOU 

CAN’T IGNORE. OKLAHOMA IS UNLIKE 

ANYPLACE ELSE I’VE EVER LIVED.” 

—Amy McGovern ’92 

numerous tornadoes are likely to form— 

but McGovern believes simulations can 

be valuable nonetheless. 

“Radars have turned out to be as good 

as they’re going to get for predicting 

tornadoes, but they don’t see the full 

atmosphere,” she points out. “With our 

simulations, we tell the full story of the 

atmosphere: pressure, temperature, 

everything you could need.” 

McGovern uses data mining to 

figure out why one system will generate 

a tornado while a similar one will not. 

Data mining, put simply, involves 

sifting through many diverse databases 

to discover patterns and meaningful 

relationships. 

The simulations have other practical 

uses besides trying to predict tornadoes. 

One involves turbulence, which usually 

goes unnoticed on the ground—yet 

anyone who has ever flown in an airliner 

has experienced the unsettling feeling of 

being jostled by upper-air disturbances. 

But while tornadoes can’t be 

predicted with any reasonable accuracy 

hours ahead of time, turbulence can 

be measured. 

“Say there’s a thunderstorm over 

Mercersburg,” McGovern says. “The 

effects of it are going to spread out over 

space and time from Mercersburg. There 

is going to be turbulence right near the 

storm, and a couple of hours later, if 

a pilot is flying over where the storm 

was, the turbulence may still be there. 

A storm may also generate turbulence 

really far away.” 

And, she adds, “The turbulence 

the pilots can’t see is what we’re trying 

to predict.” 

Back on campus, Gift predicted 

a successful career for his erstwhile 

stream surveyor. 

“Amy had a great analytical mind 

and a great sense of humor,” says Gift, 

who was also her volleyball coach at 

Mercersburg. “I expected her to be an 

impact player in her field.” 

McGovern’s interest in computers 

came early, when her parents purchased 

a Commodore 64 when she was 6. “My 

mother taught me how to program it, and 

I played games with my dad,” she says. 

“When I went to college, I wanted to 

learn how to build computers. I quickly 

found out I was not interested in that. I 

was interested in making them smarter.” 

She earned a bachelor’s degree in 

math and computer science at Carnegie 

Mellon University, and a master’s and 

Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts. 

McGovern and her husband, Andrew 

Fagg (who is also a professor of computer 

science at Oklahoma), have a 5-yearold 

son, whom she is introducing 

to computers. 

She has indeed developed “smarter” 

computers through her studies in 

artificial intelligence (the ability of a 

machine to perform tasks thought to 

require human intelligence). 

Now, some 18 years after her 

graduation from Mercersburg, 

McGovern continues to reach toward 

the sky. But the same excitement that 

tempted her to wade into a stream won’t 

prompt her to risk coming face-to-face 

with a tornado. 

“My students have invited me to 

chase,” she says, “but I have a 5-yearold, 

and I’m not going to do anything to 

endanger my family or myself.” 

LOOKING FOR 

SOMEONE? 

Visit www.mercersburg.edu/magazine to read 

profiles from previous editions of Mercersburg 

featuring more alumni working in science and 

math-related fields: 

Dr. Edward Brown ’99 

postdoctoral resident/research fellow, 

Harvard School of Dental Medicine 

(summer 2007 issue) 

John Drew ’63/Richard McCombs ’65 

Drew: chairman/CEO, Spokane Recycling 

Products/Waste Paper Services/Bluebird Recycling 

McCombs: chief operating officer, MBA Polymers 

(summer 2009) 

Dr. Stephan Falk ’75 

head physician, Pathology Associates Frankfurt 

(winter 2007–2008) 

Dr. Tony Furnary ’76 

surgeon/director, Portland Diabetes Project 

(summer 2007) 

Matt Jackson ’04/Court Shreiner ’04 

automotive physics students/race car drivers 

(spring 2009) 

Dr. Deirdre Marshall ’79 

chief of surgery, Miami Children’s Hospital 

(spring 2009) 

Dr. James Porter ’65 

ecology professor, University of Georgia 

(summer 2002) 

Dr. Kimball Prentiss ’92 

physician, Boston Medical Center 

(winter 2007–2008) 

John Rich ’71 

energy developer/president, 

Waste Management & Processors Inc. 

(spring 2006) 

Andy Tyson ’87 (pictured below) 

owner/co-founder, Creative Energies 

(summer 2009)


The Beat Goes On 

On the frOntline Of the fight against heart failure By tOm COCCagna 

After performing thousands of surgeries, 

giving countless lectures, earning abundant 

accolades, and experiencing the benefits 

of numerous technological advances, 

Dr. Walter Pae ’67 has never lost one thing— 

the wonder of it all. 

In an era in which new technology 

is about as common as toothpaste, Pae 

(pronounced “pay”) preserves his kid-in-acandy-store 

outlook as he works with lifesaving 

devices that flood the medical field 

each year. 

“It’s exciting,” Pae says. “It is the future.” 

Pae is the William S. Pierce Professor 

and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Penn 

State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He 

has also served as the hospital’s director of 

cardiac transplantation since 2007. 

Pae has been standing with one foot in the 

future, it seems, ever since he was in medical 

school at Penn State in the 1970s. (Pierce, a 

pioneer in artificial-heart technology and a 

retired Penn State surgeon and professor, was 

Pae’s mentor.) Back then, the development 

of total artificial hearts was the avant-garde 

idea many felt would revolutionize cardiac 

surgery and prolong lives. 

“I took on the left ventricular system,” Pae 

points out, “and I’ve been involved in it for 

what seems like years and years.” 

One of the outgrowths of the research 

at Penn State was the LionHeart, a fully 

implanted artificial device that assists in 

the pumping function of the left ventricle. 

Penn State Hershey Medical Center teamed 

with Arrow International, a Reading, 

Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of medical 

equipment, to develop the LionHeart in the 

mid-1990s. 

The required trial documentation 

was submitted to the Food and Drug 

Administration, but while Arrow and Penn 

State Hershey waited for FDA approval, 

the device was given the green light for use 

in Europe. The first implants were done 

in Germany in 1999—“I scrubbed right in 

and did it,” Pae says—and FDA consent was 

granted in 2001. 

The first U.S. LionHeart recipient, 

a 65-year-old man, died about four months 

after surgery, though his death was not 

related to any problems with the device itself. 

Gayle Snider, a 35-year-old man from York, 

Pennsylvania, was the first patient to leave 

the hospital with an implanted LionHeart. 

Pae performed Snider’s surgery in May 

2003; Snider was later cleared to receive a 

heart transplant. 

A year after the LionHeart surgery, Snider 

said, “I probably wouldn’t have had a chance 

to get a transplant without the LionHeart, 

because I probably wouldn’t be here.” 

Snider received a heart transplant in 2004 

and eventually died in 2008. 

“He was a young guy... we implanted him 

and he had a wonderful experience,” Pae 

says. “After he was transplanted, he really 

cleaned up his act and he lived for several 

more years. He said he wished he would have 

kept the device because he felt better on the 

device than he did after the transplant.” 

The LionHeart is just one of many 

artificial devices Pae has worked with. He 

estimates that perhaps 50 patients have been 

implanted with the LionHeart, and thousands 

with other devices. The LionHeart has easy 

name recognition because of its association 

with Penn State’s Nittany Lion mascot. 

Ventricular implants are not designed 

to replace the heart; instead, they assist the 

heart’s pumping ability before or after major 

surgery. As coronary bypass surgery became 

more common during the 1970s and 1980s, 

so did problems in patients’ recovery. 

“The need for ventricular assist devices 

came out of open-heart surgery,” Pae notes. 

“We sometimes couldn’t wean people from 

the heart-lung machine, and the 

devices came out of that. We 

needed to rest the heart 

so it could recover, and 

“THE SURVIVAL RATE HAS BEEN NOTHING LESS THAN 

SPECTACULAR. WE’VE HAD AN 85 PERCENT TWO-YEAR 

SURVIVAL RATE. NOW I HAVE GUYS IN THEIR 70S WHO 

HAVE RECEIVED IMPLANTS AND ARE SKIING.” —Walter Pae ’67

over time, our ability to protect the heart improved. 

Today, very few patients have difficulty being weaned 

from the heart-lung machine.” 

Pae says two pivotal papers were published 

on ventricular implants. The first dealt with the 

implant’s ability to help patients survive after bypass 

surgery. “People were dying because we couldn’t 

separate them from the heart-lung machine,” he 

says. The second outlined the implant’s importance 

of serving as a bridge to a transplant; “it keeps a 

patient alive until a donor can be found.” 

Today, Pae is implanting artificial devices to help 

patients suffering from congestive heart failure, a 

degenerative condition in which the heart becomes 

an ineffective pump and can no longer supply 

enough blood to the rest of the body. Implant 

technology is becoming more readily available for 

patients with congestive heart failure. 

“The survival rate has been nothing less than 

spectacular,” Pae says. “We’ve had an 85 percent 

two-year survival rate. Now I have guys in their 70s 

who have received implants and are skiing.” 

Congestive heart failure may be a natural process 

of aging, but saving a life never grows old for Pae. 

“It’s rewarding to see it, and it’s rewarding to be a 

big part of it,” he says. 

Even as a student at Mercersburg, Pae knew he 

wanted to be on the cutting edge of medicine. 

“I had pretty much decided way before 

Mercersburg that my path would be in medicine,” 

he recollects, “but Mercersburg gave me a big head 

start for college.” Eric Harris, former head of the 

science department at Mercersburg, “really gave 

me a tremendous background” and fostered Pae’s 

love for chemistry. Pae went on to graduate from 

DePauw University in Indiana with a bachelor’s 

degree in chemistry before heading to Penn State 

for medical school. 

And now, more than 40 years after his graduation 

from Mercersburg, Pae continues to break new 

ground in artificial implant surgery. Not only does 

he perform surgery, but he also teaches it. 

“If you teach 26 residents and each one operates 

on 10,000 people,” he says, “you’ve touched a lot 

of lives.” 


GETTING INSIDE THE MIND 

As a supervisory research coordinator in the department of psychiatry at 

Emory University, Megan Filkowski ’01 works on an experimental study 

investigating the effectiveness of deep-brain stimulation on treatmentresistant 

depression, or TRD. 

Deep-brain stimulation has been approved by the Food & Drug 

Administration for patients with Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, 

and dystonia, but has not yet received FDA approval as an approach 

to attacking depression. “While depression can be effectively treated 

in the majority of patients through medication or evidence-based 

psychotherapy, 20 to 30 percent of patients fail to respond to standard 

treatment,” says Filkowski, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology 

from Emory. She became interested in the field after taking an adult 

abnormal-psychology course; while still an undergraduate, she worked 

on a schizophrenia study. 

Heading the study is Dr. Helen Mayberg, one of the world’s foremost 

experts in the neuroimaging of psychiatric disorders, and Dr. Paul 

Holtzheimer, an expert in TRD. Due to the study’s experimental status, 

the accuracy of the screening process is of the essence. “Patients must 

have suffered from depression for at least a year, and failed to respond 

to a number of antidepressant medication trials, psychotherapy, and 

electroconvulsive therapy,” Filkowski says. “I recruit potential patients, 

review their medical records, assess their symptoms, and screen for other 

psychiatric disorders.” 

The study involves the 

implantation of two electrodes 

into a region of the brain known 

as the subgenual cingulated area 

25. Patients remain awake during 

the first part of the surgery in 

order for the patient and the 

surgeon and study team (including 

Filkowski) to communicate; 

afterward, the patient undergoes 

general anesthesia during the 

implantation of a pulse generator, 

which provides power to the 

electrodes and “is like an alwaysrunning 

pacemaker located just 

below the collarbone,” she says. 

A deep-brain stimulation study conducted by Mayberg in Canada 

showed that two-thirds of patients responded favorably to the treatment. 

As of February 2010, 17 patients have taken part in the study at Emory.


Rocket Man 

Sam Schlueter gives a boost to spacecraft and automotive safety By Shelton Clark 

As a child, Sam Schlueter ’79 watched 

America’s space program—specifically, 

NASA’s Apollo missions—capture 

the national imagination and inspire a 

generation. 

“I had a big three-by-four-foot poster 

of the Apollo command module’s control 

panel taped to the ceiling above my bed,” 

Schlueter says, “so when I lay in bed at night, 

I could look up there and pretend I was in 

the command module.” 

Schlueter is now the ballistics lead at 

Sacramento-based Aerojet, which specializes 

in missile and space propulsion for space and 

defense purposes. 

“I remember sitting up at night and 

watching Neil Armstrong set foot on the 

moon, and I thought that was the neatest 

thing in the world,” Schlueter says. “As a kid, 

I loved building model rockets and I loved 

launching them and getting them back and 

fixing them up and making them a little bit 

better, so I was always kind of headed in that 

direction.” 

But it was Mercersburg that helped 

launch him (so to speak) on his career path. 

“Charles Burch was my physics teacher at 

Mercersburg,” Schlueter says. “He really 

opened my eyes to physics, and I just fell in 

love with it with him as a teacher. He was a 

great teacher, and that pretty much set me 

on my way toward aerospace engineering.” 

After his graduation from Mercersburg, 

Schlueter earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical 

and astronautical engineering at 

Ohio State University. From there, he started 

in the scientific computer-programming 

department at Aerojet in September 1985; by 

November, the head of the ballistics department 

had recruited him to join that division. 

Two months later, in January 1986, the space 

shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after 

its launch from Cape Canaveral. 

“After the Challenger blew up, NASA put 

out requests for some studies to be done, and 

I got put on that, and we started working on 

a replacement for the shuttle’s solid rocket 

motors,” Schlueter says. “I was in on the 

ground floor on that, and I worked on that for 

eight years. I basically cut my rocket-motor 

teeth on the largest solid-rocket motor in the 

world, and it was fantastic. I loved it.” 

Schlueter left Aerojet to work for Breed 

Technologies in Lakeland, Florida, where 

he designed automotive airbags. “That was 

really fascinating, too,” Schlueter says. “It 

was a completely different aspect of what 

I do; it’s just hot gas flow through things. I 

spent about a year there going in and designing 

a new automotive airbag every single day, 

scratching it out on a piece of paper and 

handing that to the guys in the shop in the 

back. They would start making it, and then 

I would run around and look at what I had 

designed yesterday or the day before or the 

day before that. They would have things built 

and fired within a week. 

“I designed about 200 airbags, and finally 

we got one that worked just absolutely perfectly. 

I’m happy to say that they’ve been 

making millions of them a year for the 

past 15 years. I have seven patents in those 

areas—of course, I don’t make any money off 

them, but that’s fine—I just love the fact that 

I got to be a part of it, and that my designs 

are running around the world’s streets and 

saving people’s lives every day.” 

Schlueter returned to Aerojet in 1997 

and started working on the Titan program. 

The Titan rockets were used in the Gemini 

and Apollo space missions, as well as for 

ICBMs and satellites. “I’m really happy to 

have been a part of that because the Titan 

program started at Aerojet in the 1950s,” 

Schlueter says. “I got back here in the late 

1990s and they were doing an upgrade on it, 

and I helped with that. So it’s really neat— 

you feel like you’re a part of history when 

you work on something that’s been around 

that long. I designed new turbine starter cartridges 

for that and they flew on the last 15 

missions on the Titan program. Then, while 

that was kind of winding down, I got onto the 

Atlas program, which is a large solid-rocket 

motor, not as big as the shuttle, but pretty 

darn big. It’s about 50 feet long and it has 

about 100,000 pounds of propellant in it. We 

got that up and running, and that’s in production 

right now. We’re making those and 

launching satellites with those. 

“Between all of that, I got to my 20th 

anniversary at Aerojet. I started at Aerojet 

in 1985—I was 25 years old, the youngest 

kid in the group—and now I’m the old guy. 

I’ve got a bunch of people working for me. 

I’m trying to train them to be the best ballistics 

department in the world, and I think 

I’m doing a pretty good job. We’ve got some 

good people here.”

Arts 


May 29 Senior Project Art Show Reception, 7 p.m. 

Cofrin Gallery, Burgin Center for the Arts 

Senior Production, 8 p.m. 

Simon Theatre, Burgin Center for the Arts 

May 30 Senior Recital, 2 p.m. 

Boone Recital Hall, Burgin Center for the Arts 

Dance director: Denise Dalton 

(above) Kenzie Shoemaker ’13 and Kayleigh Kiser ’11 

(right) Paige Seibert ’11, Alissa Poller ’11, Patrick 

Young ’10, Sara Milback ’13, Kristen Dietch ’10 

Instrumental Music 

directors: Richard Rotz, Jack Hawbaker, Michael Cameron 

Michael Cameron conducts the String Ensemble 

at the Christmas Candlelight Service 

Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu 

ARTS NOTES 

Concert Band 

Dan Kwak ’11 (clarinet) and Robin Jo ’12 (violin) were selected as members 

of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 7 Orchestra… 

Kwak and Ciero Wang ’11 (tenor sax) were chosen for PMEA District 7 Band… 

Wang, Nathaniel Bachtell ’10 (percussion), Elizabeth Casparian ’13 (oboe), 

Kip Hawbaker ’10 (tenor sax), and Brooke Ross ’12 (clarinet) performed in 

the Franklin-Fulton County Band Festival… Bethany Pasierb ’11 finished third 

in Shepherd University’s annual vocal competition.

Stony Batter Players directors: Laurie Mufson, Matt Maurer 

ARTS NOTES 

(above) Aaron Porter ’10 and John Henry Reilly ’10 in Pippin 

(below) Ryan Ma ’11, Laney deCordova ’12, Kelsey Albert ’12, and 

Nnanna Onyewuchi ’12 in Pippin 

Stony Batter took its production of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other 

Fairly Stupid Tales on the road to four local elementary schools (at 

right, the cast enjoys a light moment backstage). The production, 

directed by Matt Maurer, was adapted from a children’s book by Jon 

Scieszka and Lane Smith. 

(above) Kaleigh Myers ’12 and Gilbert Rataezyk ’10 in The Stinky 

Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Visual art 

faculty: Mark Flowers, Wells gray, Kristy Higby 

Mari Kato ’13, self-portrait 

Vocal Music directors: richard rotz, Jim brinson 

(left) Magalia, (bottom left) Octet, (below) Chorale 


(above) Piano Cake (Ariel Garafolo ’12, ceramics) 

(below) Cubist Chair (Chris Atkinson ’10, acrylic)

Athletics 


May 8 MAPL Championships: 

Track & field at Mercersburg 

Baseball/softball at Princeton, New Jersey (The Hun School) 

Golf at Pottstown, Pennsylvania (The Hill School) 

Boys’ tennis at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Lehigh University) 

May 12 PAIS State Track & Field Championships at Pottstown, 

Pennsylvania (The Hill School) 

May 25–29 PAIS State Baseball Tournament (locations TBA) 

Fall Varsity 

Athletics Roundup 

Boys’ Cross Country 

Boys’ Cross Country Award (most outstanding 

runner): Nebiyu Osman ’10 

Boys’ Coaches’ Award (most improved runner): 

Matt Cook ’11 

Charles R. Colbert ’51 Award (sportsmanship): 

Ellis Mays ’10 

Head coach: Matthew Kearney (2nd season) 

MAPL/state finish: 3rd/6th 

Highlights: It was a Mercersburg sweep of the boys’ 

and girls’ Mid-Atlantic Prep League individual titles, 

as Osman won the boys’ crown and Mackenzie 

Riford ’11 placed first in the girls’ division… in a 

dramatic finish, Osman stormed from behind to 

edge Blair’s Scott Chamberlin for the MAPL win, 

giving the Storm its third individual male leaguechampion 

in four years (James Finucane ’08 won 

in 2006 and 2007)… Finucane and Osman will be 

teammates next year at Penn… Mays joined Osman 

on the All-MAPL team after placing sixth at the 

MAPL meet… Osman (fourth), Cook (14th), and Mays 

(15th) all placed in the top 15 at the Pennsylvania 

Independent Schools State Championships… Cook 

was named Academic All-MAPL. 

Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu 

Girls’ Cross Country 

Girls’ Cross Country Award (most outstanding 

runner): Mackenzie Riford ’11 

Girls’ Coaches’ Award (most improved runner): 

Julia Simons ’10 

Charles R. Colbert ’51 Award (sportsmanship): 

Sarah Duda ’10 

Head coach: Betsy Willis (7th season) 

MAPL/state finish: 3rd/7th 

Highlights: Riford is the first Mercersburg female 

runner to capture an individual league crown 

since the Blue Storm joined the MAPL in 2000; she 

finished eight seconds ahead of the second-place 

runner… Riford has been an All-MAPL selection 

in each of her first three years, and was also 

an Academic All-MAPL team member… Simons 

finished ninth and Liza Stalfort ’11 was 16th at the 

MAPL meet to help the Storm improve its league 

finish by two spots from the 2008 season… Riford 

placed fifth at the Pennsylvania Independent 

Schools State championships, which Mercersburg 

hosted… the team defeated Hill in a dual meet 

behind a 1–2 sweep from Riford and Abby Colby ’12. 

(left) Individual MAPL cross country 

champions Neb Osman ’10 and 

Mackenzie Riford ’11 

Field Hockey 

Captains: Cammie Reilly ’10, Anmargaret Warner ’10 

Field Hockey Award (most outstanding player): Reilly 

Beck Field Hockey Improvement Award 

(most improved player): Kiersten Sydnor ’12 

Becki Peace ’75 Field Hockey Award (most 

inspirational player): Warner 

Head coach: Gretchan Chace (5th season) 

Record: 8–7 (1–4 MAPL) 

Highlights: The team compiled a winning record 

for the third straight year, and also played what 

is believed to be the first home outdoor athletic 

contest at night—under the lights at the new 

Regents’ Field against Forbes Road… Sydnor earned 

first-team All-MAPL honors and was named 

an area All-Star by the [Chambersburg] Public 

Opinion… she led the team with 13 goals and five 

assists, and had a three-goal game in a win over 

Southern Huntingdon… Reilly and Liza Rizzo ’11 were 

honorable-mention All-MAPL selections… Rizzo was a 

second-team Public Opinion All-Star selection, while 

Reilly and Jane Banta ’11 earned honorable-mention 

honors from the newspaper… Reilly earned varsity 

letters in all four seasons… Warner and Andrea Metz 

’10 were named Academic All-MAPL.

Football 

Captains: game captains selected 

Football Award (most outstanding player): 

Darius Glover ’10 

Coaches’ Award (most improved player): 

Michael Howland ’11 

Head coach: Dan Walker (7th season) 


Highlights: The season began with a 43–6 rout 

of Spingarn [Washington, D.C.], and finished with 

back-to-back wins over Peddie (13–10, the Storm’s 

second win over Peddie in as many years) and Kiski 

(a 39–0 shutout)… Glover and A.J. Firestone ’10 

(both linemen) were first-team All-MAPL selections, 

while quarterback Paul Suhey ’10 and linebacker 

Tom Flanagan ’10 earned honorable-mention allleague 

honors… Firestone lettered all four years… 

the Public Opinion’s area all-star team included 

Firestone (first team), Flanagan (second team) 

and Suhey, fullback/linebacker Troy Harrison ’10, 

and wide receiver David Erichsen ’10 (honorable 

mention)… Firestone posted 57 tackles and six sacks 

on defense and also made three field goals and 11 

extra points as a placekicker… Suhey and Charlie 

Fitzmaurice ’10 earned Academic All-MAPL honors… 

Glover will play at Lafayette and Charles 

Thompson ’10 at Bucknell next fall. 

Boys’ Soccer 

Captains: Bill Flanagan ’10, Tyler Mulloy ’10 

Boys’ Soccer Award (most outstanding player): 

Jake Shorr ’11 


Joe Strider ’10 

Schweizer Cup (hard work/determination): Mulloy 

Head coach: Quentin McDowell (2nd season) 

Record: 8–6–2 (1–4 MAPL) 

Highlights: The team started the season on a 

5–0–1 streak which included five shutouts and 

a win over regional power Martinsburg [West 

Virginia]… included among the season’s eight 

victories was a 4–0 blanking of Hill on Alumni 

Weekend… midfielder Joey Roberts ’11 earned first- 

team All-MAPL honors, while fellow midfielder 

Shorr was an honorable-mention selection; both 

were first-team Public Opinion All-Star honorees, 

and Flanagan made the paper’s honorable-mention 

squad… David Marshall ’11 and Matt Timoney ’11 

represented the Storm on the Academic All-MAPL 

team as distinguished scholars… Roberts and 

Carlos Garcia ’10 led the team with eight goals 

apiece, while Shorr and Andy Chan ’10 added four 

goals each… Roberts recorded a team-high seven 

assists… the team capped the year with an 11-0 

victory over Kiski in the season finale… the league’s 

coaches selected Mercersburg to receive the MAPL 

Sportsmanship Award.


Girls’ Soccer 

Captains: Trisha Bassi ’10, Paige Harry ’10, Hannah 

Miller ’10, Laura Rahauser ’12 

Girls’ Soccer Award (most outstanding player): 

Ana Kelly ’11 


Camille Hodges ’11 

Hendrickson-Hoffman Coaches’ Award (spirit): 

Harry 

Head coach: Jason Bershatsky (2nd season) 

Record: 7–9–1 (0–5 MAPL) 

Highlights: The Blue Storm opened the season 

with victories in three of its first four games… five 

of the team’s seven wins were shutouts, and six 

of the victories were by two goals or more… Harry, 

a defender, was a first-team All-MAPL selection, 

and Rahauser, a midfielder, earned honorablemention 

honors… Harry and Hodges represented 

Mercersburg on the Academic All-MAPL team... the 

squad captured the MAPL Sportsmanship Award… 

Kelly led the team with eight goals; Rahauser 

added seven goals and was tops in assists (five)… 

Kate Vary ’10 earned varsity letters all four years. 

Girls’ Tennis 

Captain: Julianna Dabhura ’10 

Girls’ Tennis Award (most outstanding player): 

Nikki Wolny ’11 


Nerissa Lam ’12 

Head coach: Mike Sweeney (6th season) 


Highlights: Wolny, the team’s top-ranked player, 

was a first-team All-MAPL selection… she compiled 

a 9–3 singles mark on the season, including wins 

over the top players from Lawrenceville, Blair, and 

Peddie, and against regionally ranked opponents 

from State College and Notre Dame Academy and 

captured the #1 singles flight at the State College 

Invitational with consecutive 6–0, 6–0 victories… 

Wolny and Sarah Allen ’12 combined to form 

the top doubles team and posted a 7–3 overall 

mark… team victories came over Notre Dame and 

Foxcroft… the team entered the season returning 

just two of its top 10 players from last year… Allen 

represented the squad on the Academic-All-MAPL 

team. 

Volleyball 

Captains: Sarah Kolanowski ’10, Taylor Riley ’10 

Erin Carey ’91 Memorial Volleyball Award (most 

outstanding player): Kolanowski 


Melody Gomez ’13 

Head coach: Kylie Johnson (2nd season) 

Record: 3–15–2 

Highlights: Kolanowski was a first-team Public 

Opinion All-Star selection, and Riley earned secondteam 

honors… Kolanowski tallied 131 kills, 45 blocks, 

89 digs, and 24 aces; she posted 19 kills, seven digs, 

and four aces in a victory over Highland School… 

the team also defeated Berkeley Springs and St. 

Maria Goretti, both by 3–0 scores… Riley, a four-year 

letterwinner, contributed 107 digs, 103 kills, and 27 

aces on the season; she posted 17 digs and 13 kills 

in a match against Washington and 16 digs (in just 

two sets) against Westtown… Paige Pak ’11 received 

special academic recognition as a distinguished 

scholar.

Alumni 

Weekend 

October 16–17, 2009 

Back together again (L–R): classmates Rachael Porter ’09, Shaniqua Reeves ’09, Kyihara Anderson ’09, 

Annie Birney ’09, Ashley Irving ’09, Lucia Rowe ’09, Anika Kempe ’09 

Board of Regents President 

Denise Dupré ’76 hits the 

official “first ball” on the new 

Regents’ Field as the field 

hockey team looks on 

(L–R) Director of Athletics Rick Hendrickson, 

Arno Niemand ’52, head wrestling coach Nate Jacklin ’96 

(L–R) Amy Hoober Ahrensdorf ’75, Debbie Ross Cipriano ’75, Chris 

Russell Vick ’75, Rebecca Peace ’75

Students enjoy Steps Songs 

The Hicks family (Renee, Emma, and Eric) braves the rain for the dedication of Regents’ Field 

(above) Dick Klopp ’39 and Head of School Douglas Hale 

(left) Will Day ’10 and Ellis Mays ’10 lead cheers during Steps Songs

Alumni Notes 

Submit alumni notes by visiting 

the Alumni Online Community 

at www.mercersburg.edu/ 

podium or by contacting 

your class agent. Submissions 

may appear online or in print. 

Mercersburg reserves the right 

to edit submissions for space or 

content, and is not responsible 

for more than reasonable editing 

or fact-checking. 

When sending or uploading 

photos, please submit images 

of the highest quality possible; 

some images captured by cell 

phones or other cameras may 

not be suitable for print. 

’35 

Loyalty Club members: Reunion 

Anniversary Weekend is June 10–13; 

register today! 

u Bob Johnson 

203-248-7834 

u Bob Smith 

BaldBobSmith1@cs.com 

’37 

sally Harris Dumas, daughter of Bill 

Harris and aunt of Alec Harris ’00 and 

Evan Harris ’07, died October 29, 2009. 

u Lew Scott 

lpsmd@aol.com 

u Dick Hoffman 

859-846-5512 

u Harry McAlpine 

703-893-3893 

’45 

’46 

’47 

ann Haines braham, wife of Walter 

Braham and sister of Jim Haines ’58, 

passed away October 15, 2009. 

u Hugh Miller 

hcmfaia@comcast.net 

u Bill Alexander 

740-282-5810 

’48 

’49 

Wyn Goodhart’s wife of 56 years, althea, 

died March 28, 2009. 

u Ed Hager 

edward.t.hager1@adelphia.net 

’50 

Dick Thornburgh, former governor of 

pennsylvania and u.s. attorney general, 

was saluted in the December 2009 issue 

of Washingtonian magazine as 

“one of ten legendary lawyers who 

will forever leave their mark on the 

District’s legal landscape.” Thornburgh 

is counsel to the international law 

firm K&L gates, a firm he first joined 

in 1959. He served as pennsylvania’s 

governor from 1979 to 1987 and was 

u.s. attorney general under presidents 

ronald reagan and george H.W. bush 

from 1988 to 1991. 

u Jack Connolly 

jackconnolly@cfmr.com 

’54 

The international alliance for Youth 

sports, which was founded by Fred 

Engh, has announced a partnership 

with children international, a u.s.based 

humanitarian organization 

that assists more than 335,000 children 

worldwide. “sports, when they 

are done the right way, teach children 

so many valuable skills that they will 

carry with them for the rest of their 

life,” says Fred, who is president of 

iaYs. “no child anywhere in the world 

should ever be denied those opportunities.” 

in January, baseball legend cal 

ripken Jr. announced his support for 

the iaYs “game On!” youth sports 

program. 

u Dick Zirkle 

703-502-6996 

u Dave Ulsh 

ducu1960@comcast.net 

u Bob Walton 

waltonrr@comcast.net 

u Guy Anderson 

guykanderson@att.net 

u Red Erb 

610-566-6653 

u George Kistler 

gwkistler@aol.com 

u Steve Kozloff 

riokoz@cox.net 

u Ross Lenhart 

rlenhart@sc.rr.com 

u Jim Starkey 

starkyj1@universalleaf.com 

u Bill Vose 

wovose@kaballero.com 

u Alan Wein 

alan.wein@uphs.upenn.edu 


’55 

’56 

’57 

’58 

Ross Lenhart was inducted into the 

Marietta college alumni association 

Hall of Honor. 

u Clem Geitner 

hkyleather@aol.com 

’59 

’60 

Reunion Anniversary Weekend is 

June 10–13; register today! 

Gil Kindelan writes, “i am a proud father 

of five and grandfather of six. i retired 

in 2002 after 35 years in the army 

and u.s. Foreign service. From 2002 

to 2007, i was the business area manager 

at saic in McLean, Virginia, and 

since 2005, i have been the president 

of garner-anderson LLc in Vienna, Virginia. 

From 2003 through 2009, i was 

also chairman of the board of compass 

rose benefits group, providing unique 

Tim Kearns ’61 at Alamitos Bay 

in Long Beach, California. 

health, life, and other insurance options 

to employees of 16 federal agencies.” 

u Bill Thompson 

thomp132@mc.duke.edu 

’61 

Tim Kearns writes, “greetings from california! 

i’m starting to think about the 

50th class reunion in 2011. How about 

you? For anyone who remembers Tim 

Kearns as saddle shoes, cheerleader, 

and bass player, i am still active in the 

last two, figuratively at least—and i 

sail passionately. Married to geri for 47 

years, after a five-year courtship, we are 

one together with our small but tight 

family unit of five; including grandson 

Luke, who just turned 7 and lost his 

second tooth while vacationing with 

his parents at cape cod. i work in real 

estate (my niche), at last, within a crazy 

quilt of professions, all interesting and 

most rewarding. i am a blessed person, 

more so in observing the prosperity of 

Mercersburg. sail on!” 

u Jon Dubbs 

j.dubbs@rcn.com 

u Jack Reilly 

jackreillysr@verizon.net 

’62 

Bruce Eckert, ceO of eastern insurance 

Holdings inc., presented at the Keefe, 

bruyette & Woods annual insurance 

conference in new York city last september. 

Business Insurance magazine 

named eiHi one of the “best places to 

Work in insurance” in the fall. “We are 

honored to be recognized as one of the 

best places to work in insurance,” bruce 

writes. “Our continued growth and


Randy Judd ’67 

success would not be possible without 

our exceptional employees, and we 

are committed to providing them with 

an excellent work environment. With 

eiHi’s geographic expansion last year, 

we are particularly pleased that this 

national program includes employee 

survey results from our new regional 

offices in indiana and north carolina.” 

◆◆Mike◆Radbill meradbill@gmail.com 

’64 

Russell◆Gee drove his 1966 porsche 911 

in the 2009 La carrera panamericana, 

a 2,000-mile, six-day road race from 

Huatulco to nuevo Laredo, Mexico. 

“How could it get better than this?” he 

wrote. “also, i just welcomed grandson 

number three, Otto Vincent guttormsson—what 

a mouthful!” 

’65 



◆◆Jere◆Keefer jsklrk@embarqmail.com 

Brian◆ Joscelyne writes, “after a career 

in industry (including Digital equipment 

corporation) where i was based 

in ireland, albuquerque, and scotland, 

i started my own graphic design business 

which i sold 15 years later and retired 

gracefully at age 58, in 2005. We 

moved from south Wales to our current 

home in the historic and wonderful city 

of York, in the northeast of the uK. We 

also bought a home in albuquerque 

where we spend about four months 

of the year, soaking up the sunshine 

that we rarely get in the uK! i look forward 

to meeting up with Mercersburg 

alumni, and please let me know if you 

need a place to stop over in the uK. i 

look forward to our 45th reunion in 

June 2010.” 

◆◆Stan◆Westbrook fswest1@verizon.net 

’66 

◆◆Allan◆Rose byrose@superior.net 

◆◆Ed◆Russell martnwod@bellsouth.net 

’67 

Randy◆ Judd writes, “upon receiving 

my ‘good luck in public school’ message 

from Mercersburg, i did just that. 

i visited once while driving home from 

Florida and then again for the 15th 

reunion. i stay in contact with◆ Tom◆ 

Motheral, and Sam◆ Stites returned a 

Facebook message. i practice a little 

law, teach scuba, lead trips to those 

places on the Travel channel, and give 

back to my community (board of zoning 

appeals). i owe Motheral a Detroit 

Lions tee due to the Wings losing to the 

pens in the stanley cup (i know what 

you’re thinking… i don’t get it either).” 

On another note, randy has been married 

for 36 years and has one son who 

just moved to colorado again. 

◆◆Charles◆Alter ca@buckeye-express.com 

◆◆Bill◆Ford hmsoars@snet.net 

◆◆Rich◆Helzel rhelzel@mac.com 

◆◆Bruce◆Kemmler kemmler@kemmlerproducts.com 

◆◆Mike◆Kopen kopen@goeaston.net 

◆◆Tucker◆Shields shieldst@mercersburg.edu 

◆◆Clarence◆Youngs clarence4150@aol.com 

◆◆Rick◆Fleck aspnrick@aol.com 

◆◆Dick◆Seibert rseibert@knobhall.com 

’68 

’69 

John◆ Brink writes, “classmates may 

find the following of interest: yes, i’m 

still at it. i have for sale a live cD of a 

cabaret/fundraiser and plan to have a 

website before the end of 2010. i’m 

currently job-hunting. email me at 

ironmstr@innernet.net. 

’70 



◆◆Paul◆Mellott◆ pmellott@mellotts.com 

◆◆Joseph◆Rendina jjrendina@comcast.net 

’71 

Dorothy Moore, mother of◆John◆Moore, 

grandmother of◆John◆Malcolm◆’94, and 

widow of P.◆William◆Moore◆’35, died 

november 9, 2008. 

Bruce◆ Wagner married Judy Frigiola 

January 2, 2010, in rosslyn, Virginia. 

attendees included bruce’s brother, 

George◆’66, and James◆Markwood◆’72. 

◆◆Tom◆Hadzor T.Hadzor@Duke.edu 

◆◆Eric◆Scoblionko◆ wekdirscobes@aol.com 

’72 

eolyne Kelly Tunnell, mother of Rob◆ 

Tunnell, wife of the late Robert◆ W.◆ 

Tunnell◆ ’32, and grandmother of Ashley◆ 

Bastholm◆ Piraino◆ ’93 and Chesley◆ 

Bastholm◆Nonemaker◆’98, passed away 

september 26, 2009. 

◆◆Joe◆Lee◆ jos.lee@comcast.net 

’73 

Judge◆John◆Jones was the 2009 recipient 

of the geological society of america’s 

prestigious president’s Medal. The 

award was established in 2007 to recognize 

individuals whose impact has 

profoundly enhanced the geoscience 

profession. 

Charles◆ Stocksdale is living in Dublin, 

Ohio, and has been married to his highschool 

sweetheart for 35 years. He says 

he would love to catch up with ’burg 

friends. 

◆◆Kevin◆Longenecker kklong@epix.net 

’74 

Steve◆ Flanagan had pieces featured 

in the atlantic gallery’s 2009 holiday 

show and sale in new York city. 

Liz◆ Mayer◆ Fiedorek writes, “in 2007, i 

married bruce D. Fiedorek. My daughter, 

Jamie (who i adopted from china), 

is now 7 years old.” 

Liz Mayer Fiedorek ’74 with her husband, Bruce, and daughter, Jamie.


Reunions for classes 

ending in 0 and 5 and 

the Loyalty Club (Class 

of 1959 and before) 

’75 

Reunion Anniversary Weekend is June 

10–13; register today! 

◆◆Molly◆Froehlich mollyfro@aol.com 

◆◆Greg◆Morris mormgtlisa@aol.com 

October 22-24 

◆◆Ann◆Shabb◆Warner ann@howardspub.com 

FAll 

Alumni 

Weekend 

’76 

Anna◆ DeArmond◆ Boykin writes, “after 

seven years of living in London, interspersed 

by two in new York city, my 

husband, richard, and i have made 

what we hope will be the last move for 

a while. We are now in McLean, Virginia. 

Our son, Jeffery, is in graduate school at 

the university of north carolina-Wilmington, 

and our daughter, Margaret, just 

began her freshman year at barnard 

college. now that the last chick has 

flown the coop, we’re planning a lot of 

travel—some related to my husband’s 

work (he’s an international tax consultant 

with baker & McKenzie), some for 

pleasure, and some to visit friends left 

behind in the uK. i’m an avid hiker, and 

am reuniting with my old hiking group 

in London next month for a two-day 

hike on the south coast of england. call 

us if you’re in the greater D.c. area!” 

◆◆Lindley◆Peterson◆Fleury lindley285@yahoo.com 

’77 

2010 

Lindley◆ Peterson◆ Fleury writes, “We 

need to work on getting the word out 

to other ’77’s to join the alumni Online 

community! Hope everyone is doing 

well.” 

sara elizabeth Moyer rafuse, mother 

of Andrew◆Rafuse, Elise◆Rafuse◆’78, and 

Susan◆ Rafuse◆ Kelly◆ ’81, passed away 

October 29, 2009. 

Scott◆Summers writes, “i hope everyone 

had a safe and wonderful summer.” 

◆◆Heidi◆Kaul◆Krutek hkrutek@bellsouth.net 

’78 

Jim◆Roy earned his pga champions Tour 

card for the 2010 season in november 

in scottsdale, arizona. Jim drained a 

six-foot birdie putt in a playoff to earn 

the fifth and final full exemption for 

this year’s tour, which was once known 

as the senior pga Tour. Jim played on 

the pga Tour in the early 1980s and 

competed in the u.s. Open in 1983 and 

1989. His son,◆Kyle◆’07, is a junior and 

member of the golf team at the university 

of Tampa. 

Jim Roy ’78 (right) accepts his 2010 PGA 

Champions Tour card from Champions 

Tour president Mike Stevens. 

◆◆Gretchen◆Decker◆Pierce grdnfrk@gmail.com 

◆◆Carol◆Furnary◆Casparian furnaryc@mercersburg.edu 


’79 

Molly◆ Hall-Olsen met Carol◆ Furnary◆ 

Casparian in new York city in January 

to celebrate Molly’s birthday. a 

Thai dinner followed by the broadway 

show Mamma Mia! made for a perfect 

celebration. 

’80 



◆◆Dave◆Dupont david.dupont@rbc.com 

◆◆Dave◆Wagner wags1262@sbcglobal.net 

◆◆Greg◆Zinn greg@zinn.com 

◆◆Andy◆Alpert adalpert@comcast.net 

◆◆Rich◆Nace nacer@chubb.com 

◆◆Lynn◆Putnam◆Hearn hearn005@comcast.net 

◆◆John◆Ryland rylandfamily@frontiernet.net 

’81 

’82 

June 10-13 

Reunion 

AnniveRsARy 

Weekend 

ATHLETIC team reunions 

for swimming & diving, 

cross country & 

track & field alumni, 

honoring Mercersburg 

Olympians and 

re-dedication of 

Nolde Gymnasium 

◆◆Todd◆Wells todd.wells@jetblue.com 

◆◆Duncan◆White duncan.m.white@accenture.com 

◆◆Bruce◆Ricciuti jbr@birchcapital.com 

’83 

Following years of moving around the 

world, David◆ Leberknight has settled 

in new zealand with his wife, Lili. He 

asks that you check out his blog at 

www.leberknight.com/worldtour and 

email him at davidleberknight@gmail. 

com. He’s anxious to re-connect with 

Mercersburg alumni. 

Joan porcarelli, mother of Guido◆ 

Porcarelli and Rob◆ Porcarelli◆ ’87, died 

February 15, 2009. 

’84 

◆◆Tom◆Hornbaker tshornbaker@yahoo.com 

◆◆Betsy◆Rider-Williams brider-williams@goberkscounty.com 

Jim◆ Laingen has been promoted to 

captain in the u.s. navy. 

John◆Lucas is senior vice president for 

investments at union bank of switzerland 

in san Francisco.


Marriages 

Bruce Wagner ’71 to Judy Frigiola, January 2, 2010. 

Lois Findlay ’80 to Al Homans, May 15, 2009. 

Asia Walker ’09 to Joey Castro, August 30, 2009. 

The wedding of Laurel Kalp ’02 

and Stephen Sviatko III, 

August 8, 2009, in Mercersburg 

(L–R): Melissa McCartney ’05, 

Lauren McCartney ’02, 

Laurel and Stephen, 

Bryan Stiffler ’02. 

The wedding of Ian Wauchope ’99 and 

Teaya Fitzgerald, June 20, 2009, in Byfield, 

Massachusetts (L–R): Patrick Koch ’99, Ian and 

Teaya, KellyMay Koch. 

Kris Reisner ’94 and Juanita 

Trent on their wedding day, 

June 20, 2009, in the Irvine 

Memorial Chapel. 

Chet Tippen ’06 married Teresa 

Lam August 1, 2009, in Dauphin 

Island, Alabama. 

Colleen Corcoran ’99 and Timothy Yates on their wedding day, 

November 22, 2008, in Saratoga Springs, New York. 

’85 



◆◆Susan◆Corwin◆Moreau moreau.s@verizon.net 

Theodore◆ Lichtenstein writes, “i recently 

got together with Kirk◆ Dwyer. 

We hadn’t seen each other for about 

24 years. Kirk is doing sound work out 

in Hollywood and traveling all over the 

world for projects with pbs. While i live 

in Tallahassee, Florida, i am also traveling 

all over the world, but in my case, i 

am teaching bridge. Later this month i 

will begin a five-month bridge teaching 

trip that will include many countries in 

the Far east and africa. after this trip, 

i will have taught bridge on every continent 

(if you count Tierra del Fuego, 

south america, as antarctica).” Theo 

and Kirk both plan to attend the 25year 

reunion. 

’86 

Shawn◆Meyers, a Mercersburg attorney, 

was elected to the pennsylvania court 

of common pleas as a judge representing 

Franklin and Fulton counties. 

◆◆Louis◆Najera louis@davincicomm.com 

◆◆Audrey◆Webber◆Esposito awesposito@yahoo.com 

’87 

Haseeb◆Anwar was on campus this past 

summer with his brothers, Mumtaz◆’83◆ 

and sahel, to direct a squash camp. 

Lucy◆ Harrington◆ Floyd writes of the 

alumni Online community, “Yet 

another little Facebook-type group to 

be a part of. i feel so important! glad to 

see the ’burg has settled into the 21st 

century… sad to see the news [about 

Mr. Jim smith’s passing]. Hello to all of 

my classmates! Our 25th is around the 

bend.” 

Adam◆ Viener’s company, imwave, was 

recognized as one of Inc. magazine’s 

top 5,000 fastest growing private companies 

for 2009. 

◆◆Susie◆Lyles-Reed ebsl_reed@yahoo.com 

◆◆Zania◆Pearson◆ zmp2work@verizon.net 

◆◆Ames◆Prentiss aprentiss@intownvet.com 

’88 

’89 

’90 



◆◆Treva◆Ghattas tghattas@osimd.com

Francisco Fernandez ’93 stopped at Mercersburg during Family Weekend in September with his friends 

Mayte, Montse, Jorge, and Berni during a whirlwind trip across the U.S. 

◆◆Kim◆Lloyd kim_lloyd@sbcglobal.net 

◆◆David◆Qua davidquach10@yahoo.com 

Treva◆ Ghattas had her first gallery exhibit 

at the Washington county arts 

council gallery in downtown Hagerstown 

in november. she had five pieces 

on display. Her pieces were all oil on 

canvas in the realism style. 

Kim◆ Lloyd has relocated from chicago 

to new London, new Hampshire. she 

is the assistant swimming coach at 

colby-sawyer college and head swimming 

coach at Lebanon High school. 

This winter, Sara◆Surrey starred as bella 

in a touring production of neil simon’s 

Lost in Yonkers which ran in Jupiter, Florida; 

cleveland, Ohio; and at the paper 

Mill playhouse just outside new York 

city in Millburn, new Jersey. “nothing 

like a nice long run,” she says. 

◆◆Helen◆Barfield◆Prichett helenprichett@yahoo.com 

◆◆Laura◆Linderman◆Barker laura.linderman@t-mobile.com 

’91 

Jennifer◆Sadula◆deVore works in ip law 

at rothwell, Figg, ernst & Manbeck in 

Washington. 

◆◆Peggy◆Burns peggyburns@hotmail.com 

◆◆Emily◆Gilmer◆Caldwell gilmercaldwell@yahoo.com 

◆◆Chip◆Nuttall◆ cliffnuttall1@comcast.net 

’92 

Chip◆ Nuttall was appointed to the 

alumni council in October, and recently 

represented Mercersburg at a school 

fair in nashville. 

◆◆Danielle◆Dahlstrom dlld93@hotmail.com 

◆◆Tim◆Gocke tim.gocke@gmail.com 

◆◆Rob◆Jefferson rmcjefferson@gmail.com 

’93 

’94 

’95 



◆◆David◆Danziger ddanzige@earthlink.net 

Meredith◆ Glah◆ Coors writes, “i have 

moved to Los angeles for my husband’s 

job. pete is working at the Miller coors 

plant in irwindale and we bought 

a home in san Marino. We have four 

children now and are enjoying southern 

california!” 

Jamie◆Wollrab recently finished a play 

by adam rapp, Red Light Winter, in 

boulder, colorado, and also directed 

a music video for the song “Werewolf 

Heart” by Dead Man’s bones (a band 

featuring actor ryan gosling). Jamie is 

now artistic director of Moth Theatre. 

◆◆Lori◆Esposit◆Miller lori_esposit@msn.com 

◆◆Geraldine◆Gardner geraldide@hotmail.com 

◆◆Emily◆Peterson emilyadairpeterson@gmail.com 

◆◆Chris◆Senker chris.senker@cookmedical.com 


’96 

’97 

Pete◆Watkins and Liz◆Curry◆’98 got engaged 

in December, and will be married 

in august 2010. 

◆◆Liz◆Curry ecurry@tigglobal.com 

’98 

◆◆Dean◆Hosgood dean.hosgood@gmail.com 

◆◆Beth◆Pniewski◆Bell bethannbell@gmail.com 

Jim◆ Kaurudar is an assistant store 

manager at Metro bank (formerly commerce 

bank) in Lancaster, pennsylvania. 

He won the 2009 WOW! award 

for the top assistant store manager at 

the bank’s annual employee recognition 

ceremony. Jim spent most of last 

summer training and assisting the new 

Metro bank call center. He serves on 

the s. June smith center’s battle of the 

banks committee and the Leukemia & 

Lymphoma society’s Light The night 

Walk planning committees in Lancaster 

and York. 

Jay◆ Lee accepted a new position with 

nemacolin Woodlands resort in Farmington, 

pennsylvania. He will be working 

in the front-office division of the 

resort with a concentration in front office 

operations and accounting. The resort, 

located in the Laurel Highlands of 

southwestern pennsylvania, is ranked 

among the top hotels and spas in the 

world; it is one of just 21 hotels and 

resorts with aaa five-diamond lodging 

and dining. 

◆◆Jenn◆Flanagan◆Bradley bradleyj@mercersburg.edu 

◆◆Jess◆Malarik jmalarik@gmail.com 

’99 

Colleen◆ Corcoran married Timothy 

Yates november 22, 2008, in saratoga 

springs, new York. Jenn◆Flanagan◆Bradley 

was the maid of honor and Jenn◆ 

Barr◆ Weiss was a bridesmaid. colleen 

lives in saratoga springs and works in 

advertising as an account executive for 

palio communications. 

Flynn◆ Corson◆ spent summer 2009 

studying in Middlebury’s bread Loaf 

school of english program in asheville, 

north carolina. While there, he ran into 

faculty member Chip◆ Vink◆ ’73, who is 

also in the program, along with classmate 

Adam◆Brewer. 

Luke◆ Swetland is working as a civilian 

contractor in computer systems for the 

military, and will be stationed for the 

next year in Kabul, afghanistan. 

Ian◆ Wauchope married Teaya Fitzgerald 

June 20, 2009, in byfield, Massachusetts. 

ian works as an independent 

contractor for real-estate closings and 

is exploring opportunities as a climbing 

guide/outdoor educator, while Teaya 

teaches seventh and eighth grade and 

coaches ice hockey, field hockey, and 

lacrosse at berwick academy in Maine. 

ian recently spent a weekend at an 

ice-climbing festival in the adirondacks 

while representing the access 

Fund, a national advocacy organization 

dedicated to conservation and keeping 

climbing areas open in the u.s.


’00 



◆◆Kevin◆Glah kevglah@gmail.com 

◆◆Taylor◆Horst taylorhorst@gmail.com 

◆◆Andrew◆Miller amiller@pioneeringprojects.org 

Laura◆Bushong◆Weiss◆writes, “My husband, 

stu, and i welcomed our second 

child, David Harrison, on December 12, 

2009. He joins big sister Madeline (2). 

We live in new York city, where i am a 

seventh-grade english and social studies 

teacher.” 

During his career as a student at Tufts 

university, Taylor◆Horst was a member 

of the beelzebubs, a male a cappella 

group. in December, the ’bubs finished 

second on the nbc show The Sing-Off. 

◆◆Ann◆Marie◆Bliley abliley@gmail.com 

’01 

Ben◆ Larson has joined the football 

coaching staff at the university of Tennessee. 

He spent the past three years 

as a graduate assistant at Louisiana 

Tech university under Derek Dooley, 

who became Tennessee’s head coach 

in January. 

Former Mercersburg baseball player 

Mike◆Marron is an assistant coach at 

stony brook university, which is an 

ncaa Division i member and plays in 

the america east conference. He spent 

the past four years as an assistant 

coach at uMass-Lowell. Matt was a 

three-year starter at Holy cross, where 

he captained the team his senior year; 

he helped the blue storm to the 2000 

pennsylvania independent schools 

state title. 

Emory◆ Mort◆ finished second overall 

in the 2009 philadelphia Marathon 

in november. His time of 2:24.31 was 

more than a minute ahead of the 

third-place finisher. emory, a former 

Mercersburg faculty member (2005 to 

2008) ran and later coached at cornell 

university; he is back at Mercersburg 

as a volunteer assistant coach for the 

blue storm track & field teams, and 

continues to work for LetsRun.com. 

Rick◆Naething◆spends most of his time 

in austin, Texas, where he will finish 

a ph.D. in electrical engineering at 

the university of Texas next summer. 

He also travels to albuquerque, new 

Mexico, to work on his thesis involving 

radar systems. rick is engaged to 

Windsor standish; an October 2010 

wedding is planned. 

Sierra◆Nixon writes, “after several years 

in new York city, i am starting to crave 

green grass and clean air. My friends 

here are always entertained by the 

notion that i grew up amongst horsedrawn 

carriages in amish country in 

pennsylvania. i started working at 

empire, a boutique event-production 

company, after leaving Warner Music 

about a year ago. We produce highend, 

entertainment-driven events for 

corporations, nonprofits, and even private 

individuals; some of our recent 

work includes the opening celebrations 

for the atlantis resort on palm island in 

Dubai, and the Film society of Lincoln 

center’s salute to Tom Hanks. i am 

helping launch a broadcast division of 

our live-event business, in hopes that 

we will both broadcast our TV-worthy 

events going forward and also take on 

more televised projects, such as the 

MTV Video awards, VH1 Fashion rocks, 

and Macy’s Fourth of July spectacular.” 

◆◆Bryan◆Stiffler bryan.stiffler@gmail.com 

◆◆Liz◆Stockdale lstockdale@foxcroft.org 

◆◆Ian◆Thompson ianmthompson@gmail.com 

’02 

Noelle◆Bassi◆Smith writes that she and 

her husband, Justin◆ ’03, are still living 

in Dallas and celebrated one year 

of marriage in september. “i started a 

ph.D. program in clinical psychology 

at southern Methodist university, so 

we will be here for a few more years,” 

she writes. “We would love to meet up 

with any fellow Mercersburg alumni 

in the area.” 

Laurel◆ Kalp married stephen sviatko 

august 8, 2009, in the irvine Memorial 

chapel. The couple lives in edinburg, 

Virginia, where Laurel is a teacher and 

stephen works for the Department of 

parks and recreation. 

◆◆Nate◆Fochtman◆ ◆ 

fochtmann@mercersburg.edu 

◆◆Jennifer◆Hendrickson jennhendrickson@gmail.com 

◆◆Jessica◆Malone maloneje@gmail.com 

◆◆Vanessa◆Youngs veyoungs@gmail.com 

’03 

Rob Rice would like to let everyone in 

arizona know he can be reached at 

rice7r@gmail.com. 

◆◆Katie◆Keller kkeller@alum.bucknell.edu 

◆◆Nick◆Mellott nhmellott@gmail.com 

Carlos Campos ’04 with President Barack Obama at Carlos’ May 2009 graduation 

from the U.S. Naval Academy. 

’04 

’05 



◆◆Zander◆Hartung zanderhartung@gmail.com 

◆◆Alexis◆Imler alexis.imler@gmail.com 

◆◆Tammy◆McBeth tammy.mcbeth@gmail.com 

◆◆Nick◆Ventresca◆ ventresca.nick@gmail.com 

Katie◆ Eckhart graduated from Franklin 

& Marshall college with a degree 

in government. she studied in Oxford 

during the spring 2009 semester and 

is now working for the pennsylvania 

state senate in Harrisburg. 

Jamar◆Galbreath is in graduate school 

at penn state university, studying college 

student affairs. He graduated 

from allegheny college with a degree 

in creative writing and black studies. 

Karla◆Gartner graduated with distinction 

in pre-med from the university 

of Toronto, and is attending medical 

school in Frankfurt, germany. she says 

she still does judo with passion. 

Molly◆ Goldstein moved to Washington 

state and transferred to evergreen 

college. 

Jeff◆ Greenberg graduated from Tufts 

university with a degree in international 

relations and chinese. He is 

studying for a master’s in international 

affairs at columbia university. 

Zander◆ Hartung is the videographer 

and editor of Mercersburg’s “True 

blue” videos. He filmed Jordan◆Jefferson◆’09 

in november 2009 and filmed 

Dianna◆Lora◆’00 in March. 

Halley◆ Heard works for american 

background information services in 

Winchester, Virginia. 

Birgit◆ Heraeus finished business 

school at the WHu-Otto beisheim 

school of Management in germany. 

she works at the grameen creative 

Lab, a project founded by 2006 nobel 

peace prize recipient Muhammad 

Yunus and Hans reitz, and is traveling 

the world and loving it. 

Alexis◆Imler writes, “Hi everyone! i am 

the reunion chair for our five-year reunion 

this summer. i hope everyone 

is planning on coming back. We are 

beginning to plan lots of fun events. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone.” 

Arjun◆Kalyanpur graduated from Harvey 

Mudd college with a degree in 

engineering and is studying biomedical 

engineering in graduate school at 

Duke university.

Births/Adoptions 

To Zack Gipson ’93 and his wife, Megan: a son, 

Connor, June 9, 2009. 

To Laura Bushong Weiss ’00 and her husband, Stu: 

a son, David Harrison, December 12, 2009. 

Faculty 

To Jason Bershatsky and his wife, former staff 

member Angela Wood Bershatsky: a son, Jacob 

Henry, January 11, 2010. 

To David Grady and his wife, Hope: a son, Dominic 

Peter, December 30, 2009. 

To Julia Stojak Maurer ’90 and Matt Maurer: a 

daughter, Mary Elizabeth, January 5, 2010. 

Jennifer Sadula deVore ’91 and her husband, Peter, with their children, 

Sarah (born August 26, 2008), and Thomas (born November 16, 2009). 

Olivia, daughter of Karen Pak Oppenheimer ’93 and her 

husband, Charles, born August 6, 2009. 

Piper Alex, daughter of Michael White ’88 

and his wife, Daniella, born July 31, 2009. 

McKenna Dorothy, daughter 

of Patrick Koch ’99 and 

his wife, KellyMay, born 

November 11, 2009. 

Sonya Karbach is living in San Antonio 

and doing research on aging at the University 

of Texas Health Science Center. 

Alicia Krawczak graduated from Elon 

University with a degree in environmental 

studies, biology and Spanish. 

She is in graduate school at Vanderbilt 

University, where working toward 

a master’s of science in nursing; she 

hopes to become a women’s health 

nurse practitioner. 

Jenica Lee is living in Germany and 

working and researching at the University 

of Bonn. 

Mark Lesak graduated from the U.S. 

Military Academy at West Point, where 

he studied mechanical engineering. He 

is working in Georgia to become a military 

intelligence officer, and says he will 

be going to Afghanistan or Iraq in the 

future. 

Jackie Lora graduated from Syracuse 

University and is pursuing a master’s in 

childhood education at Hunter College 

of the City University of New York. 

Maher Milly graduated from Bentley 

University with a degree in finance, and 

is now working in equity investment for 

Endurant Capital. 

Jorck-Julian Odewald is working toward 

a degree in business administration in 

Madgeburg, Germany. 

Whitney Pezza is pursuing a master’s 

in sport management at Drexel University. 

She has joined the five-year reunion 

committee and is helping to organize 

Mercersburg events in Philadelphia. 

Nora Posner is studying for a doctorate 

in clinical psychology at George Washington 

University. 

Sarah Powell graduated from Haverford 

College with a degree in English 

and French, and was also in the pre-law 

program there. She is working toward 

a J.D. in international law, comparative 

government, and international relations 

at Emory University. 

Seth Price graduated from Lafayette 

College with a degree in civil engineering, 

and is now studying structural engineering 

at Texas A&M University. 

Anne Puhl is in her seventh semester 

of studying to become a pharmacist. 

She traveled to Spain last year to learn 

Spanish. 

Giannina Schaefer graduated from college 

last year in Bremen, Germany, and 

is studying chemistry and chemical 

biology in graduate school at Harvard 

University. 

Konstantin Schaller graduated from 

Middlebury College with a degree in 

economics and philosophy. He lives in


Tubingen, germany, and is applying 

to graduate schools to study political 

science. 

Kathleen Sicuranza graduated from 

george Washington university, where 

she studied international affairs, italian 

literature, european studies and 

conflict, security, and art history. she 

is pursuing a J.D. at the university of 

richmond. 

Robert Slowikowski is finishing college 

in ingolstadt, germany, and then 

wants to stay in germany to either 

move back to Hamburg or look for other 

opportunities. 

Dan Snyder graduated from brandeis 

university with a degree in history. He is 

now studying at new York university’s 

carter Journalism institute (with a concentration 

in magazine writing) and is 

working at TheFasterTimes.com. 

Janelle Sunderland graduated from 

Washington & Jefferson college with a 

degree in accounting. she works as an 

assistant manager at World Marketing 

of america. 

Jonas Vetter is working for the german 

air Force; he is stationed in Texas and 

will be there for at least the next year. 

◆ Joy Thomas 

jatho2@wm.edu 

◆ J.T. Wilde 

jt.wilde@furman.edu 

’06 

Jarvis Hodge played in eight games 

this season as a reserve running back 

for boise state, which was one of two 

major-college football teams to finish 

the season undefeated after knocking 

off Tcu in the Fiesta bowl. Jarvis’ 

Mercersburg teammate Vincent Rey 

earned second-team all-atlantic coast 

conference honors this season as a senior 

at Duke, and is considered one of 

the top outside linebackers in the country. 

in 2009, Vincent compiled a teamhigh 

98 tackles and two interceptions. 

He became the 13th player in Duke history 

to surpass 300 tackles, finishing his 

career with 330. 

Chet Tippen is serving in the u.s. coast 

guard. 

Travis Youngs, a junior at ursinus college, 

won both the triple jump and high 

jump at a meet in December. 

◆ Xanthe Hilton 

xanthe89@gmail.com 

◆ Chuck Roberts 

cer2141@columbia.edu 

’07 

Four members of the u.s. naval academy’s 

varsity squash team—Aidan 

Crofton, Allan Lutz, Billy Abrams ’09, 

and John Richey ’09—are Mercersburg 

alumni, and two additional alums— 

Clinton Brown and Clayton Young 

’08—are on the JV team. aidan, allan, 

and clayton (and Scott Nehrbas, who 

plays at Franklin & Marshall) were blue 

storm teammates of Valentin Quan 

’08, the top player at Middlebury. u.s. 

squash ranked Valentin in the top 20 

nationally in his division this winter. 

Evan Harris is busy developing an electronic 

music blog called “You Would if 

You Had robot ears” and working as a DJ 

around downtown nashville. The blog 

is growing quickly and was projected 

to reach nearly 100,000 views in the 

month of January. evan has accepted 

a position with binary records in Los 

angeles this summer and would love to 

meet up with anyone in the area who 

might be around during that time. 

Bryan Morgan writes that he has had 

a couple of musical projects recorded, 

including a woodwind quintet called 

“Flutey pebble,” which, as bryan says, 

is “based on an obstinate with the bassoon, 

French horn, clarinet, and oboe 

with the melody in the flute.” bryan, a 

junior at Duke university, also happens 

to be the starting center for the blue 

Devils’ football team. 

Tim Rahauser, a junior at Dickinson 

college, was named to the 2009 allcentennial 

conference men’s soccer 

team. He helped Dickinson to a 14–4–2 

record and the finals of the league tournament, 

and was also a third-team 

nscaa all-region selection. 

Andrew Sowers appeared on the FX 

television show It’s Always Sunny in 

Philadelphia. 

◆ Chris Freeland 

freelandc@comcast.net 

◆ Hannah Starr 

hs1218@messiah.edu 

’08 

Bill Campi earned honorable-mention 

all-Liberty League football honors for 

the second consecutive season as a 

defensive lineman at the university 

of rochester. bill had 51 tackles, two 

forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. 

Gussie Reilly started all 17 games as 

a freshman for the Washington college 

field hockey team, and scored 

the game-winning goal in a win over 

swarthmore. 

◆ Kiersten Bell 

09bellk@earthlink.net 

◆ Annie Birney 

annieb14@aol.com 

◆ J.B. Crawford 

crawfordj304@gmail.com 

◆ Ariel Imler 

animler@edisto.cofc.edu 

◆ Rachael Porter 

’09 

West Virginia defensive lineman Curtis Feigt ’09 and Mercersburg head football 

coach Dan Walker at the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day in Jacksonville, Florida. Curtis 

redshirted this year for the Mountaineers. 

rmp413@lehigh.edu 

◆ Shaniqua Reeves 

reevsd9@wfu.edu 

◆ Andrew Reynolds 

reynola@purdue.edu 

◆ Molly Serpi 

serpim@comcast.net 

◆ Bond Stockdale 

stockdaleb7@gmail.com 

◆ Coralie Thomas 

coraliemlthomas@gmail.com 

Kiersten Bell, a swimmer at Kenyon 

college, posted automatic qualifying 

times for the ncaa Division iii championships 

in november. she beat the automatic 

qualification standards in the 

500 freestyle and 1650 freestyle, and 

was named the north coast athletic 

conference’s swimmer of the Week for 

her efforts. 

Tempest Bowden is on the squash team 

at Mount Holyoke college, and won her 

first four matches as a collegian. 

Michael Lo’s “combo” teapot, which 

won a national scholastic art awards 

gold Medal last year, is on display 

through spring 2010 at the u.s. Department 

of education’s Lyndon baines 

Johnson building in Washington. Michael’s 

“combo” and “rocker” teapots 

Caroline Lovette ’09 

became the first 

University of Richmond 

women’s golfer to 

win an individual 

tournament title when 

she captured the 2009 

Spider Fall Invitational. 

are featured alongside a ceramic sculpture 

by classmate Min Seok Kim in Experiencing 

Clay, a new ceramic book by 

Maureen Mackey. 

Asia Walker married Joey castro 

august 30, 2009. asia has joined the 

u.s. army reserve and is being shipped 

to Fort Jackson, south carolina, for 

boot camp, while Joey will be at Fort 

Leonard Wood, Missouri. 

Faculty 

Mark Cubit, Mercersburg’s head boys’ 

basketball coach for the past 11 seasons, 

was inducted into the Delco [Delaware 

county, pennsylvania] athletes 

Hall of Fame. cubit starred at sharon 

Hill High school, the university of Vermont 

and syracuse university, and as a 

professional player in england. 

Wells Gray is one of four high-school 

educators whose curriculum is featured 

in the latest edition of the Advanced 

Placement Art History Teacher’s 

Guide. Wells has taught at Mercersburg 

since 1999.

Obituaries 

’31 

Joseph R. Shreiner, February 23, 2008. (Irving, football, baseball) Joe 

attended Colgate University and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 

North Africa and Italy during World War II. He is survived by a son 

(Joe ’64), a daughter, and five grandchildren. 

’32 

Abraham C. Troup, March 16, 2009. (Marshall) A graduate of Princeton 

University, Abe was co-owner of Troup Bros. Piano and Furniture 

Store in Harrisburg from 1936 to 1965. From 1965 to 1979, he was 

with the trust department of the Commonwealth National Bank in 

Harrisburg. He was an Army veteran of World War II, and was predeceased 

by his wife and a son. He is survived by his sister-in-law, two 

nephews, and a niece. 

’35 

David J. Benjamin, June 30, 2008. (Marshall, Glee Club, News Board, 

football, baseball, swimming manager) A graduate of Yale University, 

Dave served in the U.S. Army as a junior-grade infantry officer during 

World War II. In 1946, he started the Benjamin Coal Company in 

central Pennsylvania; during the 1970s and 1980s, the company was 

the largest surface mine operator in the state. In 1964, he was the 

only industry representative to be appointed by the governor to serve 

on Pennsylvania’s Surface Mining and Land Reclamation Board. The 

board was to develop coal surface mining reclamation laws, which 

became a model for the federal government’s regulations for the 

industry. He co-founded and later served as a board member and 

president of Penn-Mont Academy, the second Montessori school to 

be established in the United States when it opened in 1961. Survivors 

include his wife, Paula; a daughter and two sons; three grandchildren 

and a great-granddaughter; and a nephew, Greg Morris ’75. 

William W. McCune, February 1, 2009. (Marshall, Chapel Choir, Glee 

Club, swimming) Bill graduated from Haverford College and the University 

of Pennsylvania Medical School. He was a Navy veteran of 

World War II, serving in both the European and Pacific theaters. He 

practiced medicine as an obstetrician and gynecologist. He was predeceased 

by his wife of 48 years, Darinka Alexich McCune, in 1996. 

Survivors include three children (including son George ’72), three 

grandchildren, and a great-grandson. 

John M. Seabrook, February 11, 2009. (Irving) Jack graduated summa 

cum laude from Princeton University. He went to work at Seabrook 

Farms, which his grandfather and father built from a small farm in 

Cumberland County, New Jersey, into one of the largest industrialized 

farms in the world. He became president in 1954 and built the business 

into one of the world’s largest producers of frozen vegetables 


Obituaries 

and prepared meals. In 1959, he joined I.U. International, a utilities 

company headquartered in Philadelphia. As chief executive, he built 

a global corporation with interests in energy, mining, shipping, and 

transportation and food products. He was predeceased by brothers 

Belford ’28 and Courtney ’28. Survivors include four children and 

five grandchildren, as well as step-nephew Joe Huber ’64. 

’36 

Stewart N. Bolling, August 1, 2009. He was president and owner 

of Erie Engine and Manufacturing Company until his retirement in 

1973. Survivors include his wife, Ruby. 

J. Charles Hays, January 6, 2009. (Irving, Camera Club, Chemistry 

Club, track) He received a master’s degree in education from the 

University of Pennsylvania, and was an Army veteran of World 

War II. Following the war, he served as vice principal and principal 

at Salem High School in Salem, New Jersey, until his retirement in 

1967. 

Henry B. Heyl, October 27, 2009. (Marshall, Chemistry Club) Brad 

graduated from the University of Michigan and was a Navy veteran 

of World War II. A retired electrical engineer, his survivors 

include his wife, Anne; three daughters; and two grandchildren. 

Walter Neustadt Jr., January 5, 2010. (Irving declaimer, Stamp Club, 

wrestling, basketball, Blue and White Melodians) A graduate of Yale 

University, Walter was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University 

of Oklahoma, where he served as a trustee on the University 

Foundation. In 1977, he received the school’s Distinguished Service 

Citation. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II. He was 

president of Westheimer-Neustadt Corporation and senior partner 

of Neustadt Land and Development Company. His brother, Jean ’40, 

preceded him in death. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Dottie; 

his brother, Allen ’46; and three daughters and six grandchildren. 

’37 

Andrew W. Bisset, September 26, 2009. (Marshall, swimming, track) 

Andy graduated from Lafayette College and was a captain in the U.S. 

Marine Corps in World War II. He was awarded the Bronze Star with 

a Combat V for his service in the Pacific theater from 1941 to 1946. 

He graduated from Yale Law School and was a partner in the law 

firm Bisset & Adkins in Connecticut and New York City, specializing 

in estates and trusts. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Holly 

Beverly Bisset; three sons (Andrew ’63, Doug ’65, and Paul ’69); 

eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and three sisters. 

J. William Daugherty, July 28, 2008. (South Cottage, Marshall, Marshal 

of the Field, Class Day Committee) Bill attended the University 

of Pennsylvania and the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, 

Oklahoma. He worked at Bendix Aviation before serving in the Army


Air Corps during World War II. Following the war, he joined Frankoma 

Pottery in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, where he became vice president 

and general manager. His long career in ceramics and engineering 

skills helped make Frankoma Pottery an internationally known 

manufacturer. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Rosemary Allen 

Daugherty; two sons and two daughters; and six grandchildren. 

Fletcher Hanks Jr., March 16, 2008. (’Eighty-eight, Irving, Chapel 

Usher, wrestling, soccer, cross country) A graduate of Lehigh University, 

Fletcher was a Pan Am Airways co-pilot flying supplies to 

India, Central America, South America, and Alaska. From July 1942 

to August 1945, he flew 347 flights in unarmed C-47s delivering 

supplies to inaccessible areas of China, using “The Hump,” a path 

from India over the southern Himalayas. He was the proprietor 

of the Maryland Clam Company and Hanks Seafood Company in 

Easton, Maryland. He invented and patented the hydraulic conveyor 

clam-digger—an invention that landed him an appearance on the 

television game show What’s My Line? He retired from the seafoodpacking 

business three decades ago. He was predeceased by his 

brother, Doug ’34. Survivors include two sons (including Chris ’72), 

three daughters, and his widow, Jane Foster Hanks, who died October 

17, 2009. 

John W. Sheibley, June 15, 2005. (Irving, Concert Band, Academy 

Band, Blue & White Melodians, Assembly Orchestra) 

William B. Simpson, November 25, 2009. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, 

Y.M.C.A. Cabinet, Les Copains, choir, Glee Club, football, swimming, 

tennis) Bill graduated from Lehigh University and served with the 

U.S. Marine Corps as a commissioned officer with an engineering 

battalion in the Pacific theater in the Bougainville, Guam, and Okinawa 

campaigns. He remained in the reserves following World War 

II and was reactivated during the Korean War. In 1992, he retired as 

president from the family business, Simpson and Brown Contracting 

Engineers, in Cranford, New Jersey. He was preceded in death by his 

wife of 64 years, Mary Huber Shaffer, as well as his father, Charles 

(1900), and brother, Jim ’34. He is survived by six sons (including 

Charles ’65), 13 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. 

’38 

E. James Bryner, September 22, 2009. (Marshall, Stamp Club, Glee 

Club) A graduate of Lafayette College, Jim instructed U.S. Navy V-5 

flying cadets at the Allentown-Bethlehem Airport during World 

War II. He was the retired president of the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas 

Association. He was predeceased by his wife, June Andrews Bryner, 

and brother, John ’32. Survivors include a son, three daughters, and 

four grandchildren. 

Robert B. Charles, August 9, 2004. (Irving, wrestling) 

Roy A. Dye, August 6, 2008. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, choir, Glee Club) 

A graduate of Haverford College and a Navy veteran of World War II, 

Roy was twice cited for the Distinguished Service Medal. Throughout 

his career, he was associated with Republic Steel Corporation. 

He was predeceased by his first wife, Louise Cummins Dye. Survivors 

include his wife, Ethel, six children, and 10 grandchildren. 

’39 

William M. Kelly, April 30, 2009. (Irving) Bill graduated from the 

University of Michigan and was a lifetime resident of Birmingham, 

Michigan. He was a retired sales engineer and projects manager for 

General Motors. 

Frederick K. Price, January 5, 2008. (Irving, baseball) Fred’s entire business 

career was spent in the freight marketing and sales department 

of Conrail and its predecessor companies, the Pennsylvania Railroad 

and Penn Central Transportation Company. He retired from Conrail in 

1985. He was a member of the Board of Associates of Hood College 

for more than 40 years and was a past chairman of the board. Survivors 

include his wife, Deanne Thompson Price; a daughter; and two 

granddaughters and four great-grandchildren. 

’40 

Howard R. Flock, October 3, 2009. (Main, Irving, The Fifteen, News 

associate editor, Press Club, KARUX Board, Les Copains, Lit associate 

editor, Glee Club, Concert Orchestra, track, tennis, Cum Laude, 

salutatorian) Howard earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, 

a master of fine arts from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from 

Cornell University. He served as an officer in the Navy during World 

War II, and fought on a destroyer escort ship in the Battle of Okinawa. 

Howard was a longtime professor at York University in Toronto, and 

helped build an influential psychology department at the school. He 

authored numerous articles in his field and was a pacesetter in the 

research of visual perception. He lived in New York City at the time of 

his death, and made a substantial bequest to support international 

travel by Mercersburg students. He was predeceased by his brother, 

Manfred ’37; survivors include a sister-in-law and two nieces. 

John L. Speer Jr., January 23, 2009. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, News 

Board, Chapel Usher, Radio Club, cross country, track, baseball) John 

was an Army Air Force veteran of World War II. He graduated from 

Lafayette College and New York University. For 32 years, he was a 

teacher and counselor for the Public Schools of Pittsburgh; he retired 

in 1981. He is survived by his wife, Jean Dunlap Speer; a son and 

daughter; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren and four 

step-grandchildren. His father, John (1910), preceded him in death. 

’41 

George E. Chambers, October 15, 2009. (Marshall, KARUX, Stony Batter, 

Chapel Usher, cross country) George, who served in the U.S. Coast 

Guard, retired in 1985 after 40 years as a river pilot on the Delaware 

River and Delaware Bay; he was a third-generation river pilot in his 

family. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Barnard Chambers, 

and his son, John ’79. Survivors include two sons, a daughter, eight 

grandchildren (including Tyler ’08), and four great-grandchildren. 

John F. Dickey, September 28, 1999. (Keil, Irving, Glee Club, football, 

Concert Orchestra) 

W. Tracy Estabrook Jr., November 21, 2009. (Main, Irving, Chapel Usher, 

swimming, track) He was a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps during 

World War II, flying 67 combat missions in the European theater. He 

spent most of his business career in electronic engineering and sales, 

and retired in 1988. In addition to his wife, Mary, survivors include 

a son, a daughter, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. 

J. William Hirt, May 22, 2006. (Marshall)

’42 

Mark W. Deichman, October 18, 2009. A graduate of Penn State University, 

he was a retired plant manager and quality control director 

with Southern Wood Piedmont Company in Spartanburg, South 

Carolina. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Whitmore 

Deichman, and father, Mark ’14. Survivors include a son, a daughter, 

and two grandchildren. 

Robert J. Rosenau, April 6, 2009. (South Cottage, Irving, football, 

baseball) Rob was a radio operator and navigator in World War II. 

Following the war, he was called upon to replace his ailing father in 

managing Nannette Manufacturing Company, a children’s clothing 

manufacturer in Philadelphia. Along with his uncle and cousin, he 

took the company to being one of the largest and best-known in 

the industry. He was preceded in death by his wife, Doris Samter 

Rosenau. Survivors include three sons, five grandchildren, and three 

great-grandchildren. 

’43 

R. Boyd Adrain, September 7, 2006. (Irving, Laucks) Boyd was a 

Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War. 

Charles R. Bepler, December 19, 2007. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, 

Laticlavii, spider football, track, cross country, Marshal of the Field) 

Carl A. Cantera, April 5, 2009. (Keil, Marshall) Carl served in both 

the Army and Navy. Following World War II, he earned his degree 

in civil engineering at the University of Delaware and joined Cantera 

Construction, the family business started by his father in 1924. 

Under Carl’s leadership, the business expanded and became Bellevue 

Holding Company, developing office buildings, apartment 

complexes, banks, shopping centers, and residential waterfront 

properties. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Betty J. Cantera; 

four children and six grandchildren; and his brother, Charlie ’46. 

William B. Wisner, May 14, 2008. (South Cottage, Marshall, Lit 

Board, News Board, Concert Band, The Fifteen, Laticlavii, Les Copains, 

Chemistry Club, soccer, Class Ode Committee chairman) An Army 

veteran of World War II, Bill graduated from Princeton University. He 

was associated with several agencies and taught insurance classes 

at Syracuse University. Survivors include his wife, Marcia Musante 

Wisner, three sons, and two grandchildren. 

’44 

John A. Hague, May 21, 2009. (Keil, Irving debater, Les Copains, The 

Fifteen, choir, Glee Club, Football/Concert Bands) He received an 

undergraduate degree from Princeton University and a doctorate 

from Yale University. A Woodrow Wilson Fellow, he won a Morse Fellowship 

for post-doctoral studies. He joined the faculty at Stetson 

University in 1955, directed the National American Studies Faculty 

from 1971 to 1977, and served as a Fulbright lecturer in Belgium in 

1988. He was the founder and chair of Stetson’s American studies 

program, a position he held until his 1992 retirement as professor 

emeritus. In addition to his wife of 56 years, Janet Rogers Hague, he 

is survived by a son, two daughters, and two grandchildren. 

’45 

Hale E. Andrews, December 7, 2009. (South Cottage, Marshall, Class 

President, Senate, The Fifteen vice president, Les Copains, Chemistry 

Club, Cum Laude, valedictorian) Hale graduated summa cum laude 

from Princeton University, and served in the Navy during World War 

II. He was a longtime aviation enthusiast and was particularly fond 

of aerobatic flying, owning a number of different aircrafts through 

the years. In 1985, after a 22-year career, he retired from Pennsylvania 

Glass Sand Corporation, serving for the last 17 years as president 

and CEO. He also served 15 years on Mercersburg’s Board of Regents. 

In addition to his wife of 41 years, Luella, he is survived by four children, 

three stepchildren, 23 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. 

He was preceded in death by his brother, Fred ’46. 

James C. Riley, November 25, 2008. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, Glee 

Club, soccer, track) A graduate of the University of Delaware, Jim 

began his lifelong career with Gilpin, Van Trump & Montgomery in 

1955. He rose through the ranks and became president and CEO in 

1975. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Nancy Gill Riley; and a 

son, three daughters, and four grandchildren. 

’46 

Eugene M. Goldberg, July 30, 2009. (South Cottage, Marshall, El 

Circulo Español, Radio Club, Camera Club, soccer) Gene attended 

Cornell University and completed his degree at the University of 

California, Los Angeles. He joined the California Air National Guard 

and was called to serve in Germany. Originally a salesperson for the 

Elgin Watch Company, he moved to a career in life-insurance commerce 

in 1966, first with the Equitable and later with Massachusetts 

Mutual Life. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marlene, and a 

granddaughter. Survivors include a son, two daughters, three grandchildren, 

and three great-grandchildren. 

Ellis N. Harter, June 2, 2007. (Marshall) 


Paul V. Rogers, August 20, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving vice president, 

Senate secretary, News business manager, baseball captain, 

football, wrestling) “Sam” studied at the University of Virginia until 

the outbreak of the Korean War; he fought with the 38th Infantry 

Division and was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and two 

Bronze Stars. Following the war, he owned several small businesses 

in Leesburg, Virginia. In 1962, he moved to Florida, where he established 

himself in the insurance business. He retired in 2002. He was 

buried in Arlington National Cemetery with his father (a World War I 

veteran), his mother, and his grandfather (a veteran of the Civil War). 

’47 

David A. Graffam, January 16, 2009. (Irving, football) After serving 

as an officer in the Army during the Korean War, Dave 

was president of Graffam Floors, a wholesale distributorship 

of carpet, linoleum, tile, and installation supplies in Cleveland 

with warehouses in Pittsburgh and Youngstown. In addition 

to his wife, Helen Huchinson Graffam, survivors include 

two daughters, two grandchildren, and a nephew, Steve ’76. 

James H.S. Pierson, October 11, 2007. (’Eighty-eight, Irving, Les 

Copains, Chemistry Club, soccer)


’48 

James P. Gordon, November 12, 2009. (Marshall, wrestling) A graduate 

of Stanford University, Jim was president and CEO of Gordon 

Construction Company in Denver. In addition to his wife, Gail, 

survivors include a son, two daughters, and seven grandchildren. 

P. Kahler Hench, October 28, 2009. (South Cottage, Irving, 

Rauchrunde, Chapel Usher, Stony Batter, Caducean Club, Varsity 

Club, swimming, track, cheerleader) A graduate of Lafayette College 

and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Kahler 

interned at the University of Colorado Medical Center and completed 

residency and fellowships at the Mayo Clinic. He was a guest 

investigator at the National Institutes of Health and pursued postgraduate 

education at rheumatologic centers in Scandinavia and 

Russia. He began his career with the Division of Rheumatology at 

Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in 1965. He served as head 

of the division from 1974 to 1982; he later became a senior consultant 

and a professor at the Scripps Research Institute. He retired in 

1998. Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Barbara Kent Hench; 

two sons and a daughter; five grandchildren; a brother, John ’61; 

and a great-nephew, Ben Veghte ’01. 

John Perkins, September 5, 2008. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, El Circulo 

Español, Glee Club, Gun Club, football, swimming, track) 

A graduate of Rutgers University, John served in the U.S. Navy 

Reserve. He was CEO of John Perkins Industries and Perkins Enterprises 

in Greenville, South Carolina. In addition to his wife, Nancy 

Lorita Miller Perkins, he is survived by three daughters and a son. 

’49 

Edward A. Hagenbuch III, June 28, 2009. (Main, Marshall, Radio 

Club) Ed served four years as a radio operator in the Navy, and later 

graduated from La Salle University. In addition to his wife, Dorothy, 

survivors include a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren. 

Evan O. Kane III, March 4, 2009. (South Cottage, Marshall, The 

Fifteen, Les Copains, Stony Batter secretary-treasurer, Senior 

Club, baseball, soccer) “Tom” graduated from Syracuse University. 

During a career of more than 40 years, he was a partner in several 

firms in Syracuse, New York, acting as project architect, designer, 

and industrial group head. A former Mercersburg class agent, he 

was predeceased by his brother, Orlo ’48. He is survived by his wife 

of 56 years, Cindy Brown Kane; two daughters; a son, Andy ’79; 

and nine grandchildren. 

’50 

Paul M. Alexander, October 2, 2009. (South Cottage, Marshall, 

El Circulo Español, Chemistry Club, swimming) He 

graduated from Colgate University and the Carnegie Institute 

of Technology. Throughout his life, he was an avid sailor 

on New York’s Lake Chautauqua, and he loved his association 

with the Chautauqua Institution. Paul was predeceased by 

his father, William Jr. ’20; survivors include a brother, Bill ’49. 

Donald J. Fitch, October 22, 2009. (Main, Marshall, El Circulo 

Español, Glee Club, Concert Band, Blue & White Melodians, 

orchestra) Survivors include his wife, Joan; a son and daughter; 


Karl J. Kaufman, November 21, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving, 

Caducean Club, baseball) A graduate of Gettysburg College and 

the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, he was an optometrist 

in Wayne, Pennsylvania. In addition to his wife of 51 years, Leah 

Cohen Kaufman, survivors include three daughters, a son, and nine 

grandchildren. 

Mark A. Mosolino, December 18, 2009. (’Eighty-eight, Irving 

president, Class Secretary, Senate, Les Copains, Y.M.C.A. Cabinet, 

Stony Batter, Varsity Club, football captain, swimming, 

track, Marshal of the Field) Mark graduated from Syracuse 

University and was a decorated Army veteran of the Korean 

War. He owned and operated Fuel & Tank Cleaning Services 

in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, before retiring to Florida. He 

was predeceased by his wife, Anne McGrory Mosolino, in 1995. 

Survivors include a daughter, five sons, and six grandchildren. 

Gerald N. Rapoport, January 1, 2010. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, El 

Circulo Español, football, baseball) A graduate of the University of 

Pennsylvania, Gerry served in the Navy and worked in the furniture 

business. While working at J.H. Harvey in New York, he developed 

the ready-to-assemble furniture concept. He later opened a 

chain of stores, Everything Goes, in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

He retired in 1990. Survivors include his wife, June, and a sister. 

Robert T. Renfrew Jr., December 5, 2009. (Maple Cottage, Marshall 

president, basketball, football, baseball, Marshal of the Field, 

El Circulo Español, Varsity Club) A graduate of Lafayette College, 

Bob was head mining engineer for Bethlehem Steel in Cornwall 

and Bethlehem for 30 years. In addition to Anne, his wife of 53 

years, survivors include three children and seven grandchildren. 

’51 

Norman S. Greenberg, January 19, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving 

debater, Les Copains, Chemistry Club, Caducean Club vice president, 

Chess Club, Stony Batter, baseball, Higbee Orator, Cum 

Laude) He graduated from Princeton University, attended medical 

school at New York University, and did his post-doctoral training at 

San Francisco General Hospital and Stanford University. He practiced 

pediatrics for 20 years at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara, California. 

In addition to his wife of 48 years, Bette Bovens Greenberg, 

survivors include three children and five granddaughters. 

William C. Hendricks Jr., March 28, 2009. (South Cottage, Marshall, 

Les Copains, Chemistry Club, Chapel Usher, Caducean 

Club, Jurisprudence Society, soccer, basketball, baseball, Varsity 

Club) A graduate of Princeton University and the University 

of Pennsylvania Medical School, he continued his training 

at Geisinger Medical Center. In 1963, he began a fellowship at 

the Cleveland Clinic in the field of neurosurgery. He began his 

medical practice in Erie in 1968. Survivors include his wife of 

52 years, Janet Ketner Hendricks; three daughters; and three 

grandchildren. He was predeceased by his father, William ’18. 

Edward B. Stephenson, July 24, 2009. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, 

El Circulo Español, Laticlavii, Christian Service Group, Glee Club, 

Octet, cross country, track) Ed earned a Navy ROTC scholarship to 

Duke University, and served on ships deployed throughout the 

world. He would attain the rank of captain in the Naval Reserve. 

He worked on Atlas and Polaris missiles at Cape Canaveral, and

later worked at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for Martin 

Marietta. He retired in 1999. Survivors include his first wife, Alma 

Furlow; his second wife, Margaret Sams; a daughter and stepson; 


’52 

Rolf B. Kreitz, October 16, 2009. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, Glee Club, 

Octet, Stony Batter, baseball) Rolf graduated from Lehigh University. 

His Army career included tours in Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia. 

Among his numerous military citations were the National Commendation 

Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service 

Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the Bronze Star. He retired 

from active duty with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1980. He 

was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Anne Kreitz. Survivors 

include two sons and a daughter. 

’53 

Ernest H. McCoy, July 14, 2009. (Irving) A graduate of Penn State 

University, Ernie was senior partner at Bruce & McCoy in Oakland, 

California. His specialty was patent and trademark law. In addition 

to his wife, Nancy, survivors include a son, three grandchildren, and 

five stepsons. 

’54 

Peter L. DeWalt, January 1, 2010. (Keil, Marshall, Chemistry Club, 

football, soccer, basketball, track) Pete enlisted in the Navy and 

served aboard the USS Des Moines in the Mediterranean. Following 

his naval service, he graduated from Waynesburg University. He 

began his business career in sales and marketing at PPG Industries 

in Pittsburgh; in 1985, he founded Advance Textiles. He retired in 

2004. Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Susan David DeWalt; a 

son and daughter; and four granddaughters. 

’58 

David C. Downie, December 29, 2008. (Main, Irving vice president, 

Student Council, Stony Batter, Chapel Usher, Dance Committee, The 

Fifteen, Les Copains, News Board) A graduate of Dartmouth College 

and the Wharton School of Business, David’s business career 

included executive directorships of several organizations. Among 

his survivors are his longtime partner, Anna Coscoluella, and two 

brothers, including Bob ’56. 

’63 

Philip W. Small, July 7, 2009. (Main, Marshall, Class Day Committee, 

Jurisprudence Society, News, Varsity Club, tennis) A graduate of 

Duke University, Kip earned an MBA from INSEAD (originally called 

the European Institute of Business Administration) in France. He 

served in the Navy aboard the USS Forrestal, and was commissioned 

as a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve. Among his employers was IBM 

World Trade Europe. Survivors include a brother, a sister, and numerous 

nieces and nephews. 

’64 

Paul H. Bradley, October 19, 2009 (Main, Irving, Les Copains, Caducean 

Club, Engineers Club, Stony Batter, soccer, tennis) A graduate 

of McGill University, he was a systems analyst for the Mitre Corporation. 

He was an avid sailor who possessed a captain’s license and 


was engaged in the building of sailboats in Rockport Harbor, Maine. 

In addition to his wife, Karla, survivors include two stepchildren and 

two grandchildren. 

’65 

Christopher B. Cochran, August 5, 2009. (Main, Marshall, Stony Batter, 

Engineering Club, Chess Club, Bridge Club, Chapel Reader, football, 

tennis) Chris was president of Cochran Consultants in Worth, Illinois. 

Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Linda Zwirblis Cochran, and 

two sons. 

’66 

William L. Huffman Jr., September 20, 2009. (Irving, Chapel Usher, Blue 

Key, Caducean Club, Ski Club, Stony Batter, football) A graduate of Ohio 

Wesleyan University, his career was in the banking industry. Survivors 

include his wife, Ann Thurber Huffman, a son, and two daughters. 

’72 

James S.A. Kirk, September 5, 2009. (Marshall, Spanish Club, Film Club, 

football captain, lacrosse, wrestling, Varsity Club) Survivors include a 

brother, John ’69, and stepdaughter, Jennifer Panasiti ’90. 

Falk F.C. Ischinger, June 6, 2000. (tennis) 

’97 

’99 

Robin E. Dzvonik, September 25, 2007. (Fowle, Irving) He graduated from 

Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Survivors include a sister, Anna ’00. 

Former faculty/staff/friends 

David A. Cofrin, philanthropist, father of David H. Cofrin ’66 and Paige 

Cofrin ’70, and grandfather of Sable Cofrin ’07, August 11, 2009. 

James D. Conlin, former faculty member, November 10, 2009. Jim 

served on the faculty from 1954 to 1970, and during his time at Mercersburg 

was head of the math department and coached basketball. 

He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving in Germany and with 

Eisenhower’s headquarters in France. Survivors include his wife of 

52 years, Martha Price Conlin, as well as a son, a daughter, and six 

grandchildren. 

James S. Furnary, father of Tony Furnary ’76, Marie Furnary ’78, Carol 

Furnary Casparian ’79, and Jeanne-Marie Furnary ’83, and grandfather 

of Alicia Furnary ’09, Nicholas Casparian ’11, and Elizabeth 

Casparian ’13, March 29, 2009. He was chief resident at Case Western 

Reserve and University Hospitals of Cleveland. He was in private 

practice as a general surgeon, and served on staff at several hospitals 

in the greater Johnstown, Pennsylvania, area. In addition to 

those listed above, survivors include his wife, Helen Ondeck Furnary, 

and son-in-law, Mike Stapp ’83 (husband of Jeanne-Marie Furnary). 

Philip J. Mara Jr., former faculty member (2002–2003) and director of 

annual giving, November 5, 2009. Survivors include his wife, Milbrey 

Southerland (Mibs) Mara, son, P.J., and daughter, Charlotte. 

Paul M. Suerken, faculty emeritus, March 21, 2010. [page 5]


My Say 

It really is a humbling privilege to be chosen by you—the distinguished 

members of The Pennsylvania Society—to be honored this evening. I want to thank all 

of my friends that are here tonight, which I really appreciate—so would you stand and be 

recognized, all three of you? [Laughter and applause] I know it’s a big state, but thank you 

all for being here—very much. 

Excerpt from Pennsylvania Society Gold Medal Address 

by H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest ’49 

When I consider the extraordinary list of those who 

have received [The Pennsylvania Society’s Gold 

Medal Award for Distinguished Achievement], it’s 

really daunting. The Pennsylvania Society’s list 

of honorees is a fascinating roll call of history. It 

salutes so many outstanding and worthy individuals, 

and I am proud, for this brief moment, to stand 

before you and honor those who came before me 

for their contributions to the Commonwealth of 

Pennsylvania. 

I owe a lot to Pennsylvania. My mother was 

from Pittsburgh; her ancestors were Scots-Irish 

and helped settle the area in the 1700s. She 

died when I was 13, and I was sort of a disoriented 

child. So my father decided to send me 

to Mercersburg Academy; my mother had mentioned 

Mercersburg to my father because she had 

a distant cousin named Jimmy Stewart [’28], the 

actor from Indiana, Pennsylvania. So he sent me 

to Mercersburg and that turned me around and 

instilled in me the desire to learn and also the 

feeling that if I tried hard that I could be successful 

in life. 

After college at Washington and Lee, and the U.S. Navy, 

and Columbia Law School, I practiced law in New York. In 

1965, I went to Philadelphia to be house counsel for Walter 

Annenberg’s Triangle Publications. After five years as house 

counsel, Walter let me purchase two of his cable systems with 

two gentlemen from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, who put up the 

money and who I later bought out. We went from 7,600 subscribers 

in 1974 to over 1.2 million when we sold to Comcast 

in 2000. 

Selling the company in 2000 provided Marguerite and 

me the opportunity to give money away—because we both 

feel that wealth is responsibility, and we didn’t want to leave 

too much money to our children and grandchildren and their 

unborn children. 

We have given most of our wealth away to support the causes 

that we feel would have the most impact for good. We have 

learned in the process that the true quality of life is not how 

many cars you own or homes you own or airplanes you own, but 

who you are as a person. And we have tried very hard to achieve 

that. As Ben Franklin said, “A man wrapped up in himself makes 

a very small bundle.” 

Pennsylvania has been our home, the home of our children—they’ve 

grown up in Pennsylvania and now live in 

Pennsylvania—and it’s been the source of my success in business 

and the source of our philanthropy. So we’re both proud 

to be Pennsylvanians. Thank you all for this honor. 

Lenfest received The Pennsylvania Society’s Gold Medal for 

Distinguished Achievement December 12. For more information 

about the award, turn to page 7.

define yourself. 

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