Reunion 2010 - Lake Forest Academy

The alumni Magazine of lake Forest academy and Ferry Hall 

Fall 2010 

Reunion 2010 

caMpaign updaTe enclosed 

Page 22

Review summer 2010 

Head oF scHool 

Dr. John Strudwick 

dean oF exTeRnal 

RelaTions 

Marina S. Krejci 

ediToR/diRecToR oF 

coMMunicaTions 

Alexandra Campbell 

pHoTogRapHy 


Ruth Keyso 

Pfoertner Photography 

8 

9 

design 

Archetype Graphic Design 

pRinTing 

John S. Swift Co., Inc. 

18 

conTRibuToRs 

Susan Hoagland 

Marina Krejci 

Rita Schulien MacAyeal ’87 

Sheila Moller P’07 

Christine Ryder 

Jeremiah Stevens 

Dr. John Strudwick P’13 

ediToRial oFFice 

(847) 615-3284 

acampbell@lfanet.org 

adMission oFFice 

(847) 615-3267 

info@lfanet.org 

aluMni oFFice 

(847) 615-3285 

jstevens@lfanet.org 

The Review is published three times a year by Lake Forest Academy, 1500 W. Kennedy Road, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045. Telephone (847) 234-3210, Fax (847) 615-3202. Third-class postage paid at Lake Forest, Illinois. 

Postmaster: please send change of address notices to Alumni Office, Lake Forest Academy, 1500 W. Kennedy Road, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045-1047. 

All of the words and photos contained herein were written or taken by the editor, unless other wise noted. Opinions expressed in the Review are those of the authors. No material may be legally reproduced without the written 

consent of the editor and Lake Forest Academy. ©2010, Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest, Illinois. All rights reserved. Lake Forest Academy supports and adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, 

color, religion, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, pro grams and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. 

19

The alumni Magazine of lake Forest academy and Ferry Hall 

departments 

Fall 2010 

letter from the Head of school .................. 3 

Ringing the bell ................................. 4 

Ferry Tales ....................................... 14 

lFa arts ......................................... 18 

sports shorts .................................... 19 

From the alumni council ........................ 29 

class notes ...................................... 30 

From the archives .............................. 36 

Features 

22 36 

Reunion 2010 .................................. 22 

Enjoy a selection of photos from Reunion 2010 along with 

information about how to get involved for next year! 

On the cover: Students celebrate the opening of the Crown 

Fitness & Wellness Center amidst a flurry of confetti. 

Table oF conTenTs 1

oard of Trustees 

2010–11 

Jeffrey B. Keller ’87 

Chair 

Lauren A. Gorter 

Vice Chair 

Nancy How Speer ’59 

Vice Chair 

Patrick J. Carroll ’87 

Secretary 

Stephen J. Brewster 

Treasurer 

Zaid Abdul-Aleem ’90 

Makola M. Abdullah ’86 

Mark T. Ahern ’74 

Lawrence S. Benjamin 

Chinni Chilamkurti 

Nancy C. Crown 

Thomas J. Duckworth 

Elizabeth J. Ellrodt 

Merrill J. Ferguson ’72 

Christopher E. Freeburg ’90 

Brian R. Gamache 

Karl R. Gedge ’69 

L. Thomas Gregory 

Gloria W. Harper 

Maurice L. Holmes ’83 

A. John Huss, Jr. ’58 

Michele Marsh Ihlanfeldt ’89 

Ned Jessen 

Gregory K. Jones 

Loretta Kalnow Kaplan ’73 

Ben Malek ’91 

Susan E. Morrison 

Monique Pittman-Lui 

Jeffrey L. Silver 

Mark S. Simonian ’77 

Regina E. Spellers Sims ’85 

John A. Walton 

Robin G. Zafirovski 

Richard L. Zhao ’04 

alumni events 

Read more about upcoming alumni events 

and see photos of friends and classmates at: 

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Feedback 

The staff of the Review welcomes your comments about our 

alumni magazine and the articles therein. Send your comments via 

e-mail to acampbell@lfanet.org or mail your correspondence to: 


Director of Communications 

Lake Forest Academy 

1500 W. Kennedy Road 

Lake Forest, IL 60045 

(847) 615-3284 

Reprinted letters will be edited for style and length. 

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us! 

Review online 

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class notes 

Send us an update about yourself and 

your family. Log onto the LFA website at: 

www.lfanet.org/alumni and let us know 

how you are doing. With your permission, 

we will reprint your note in the Winter 

2011 issue of the Review. 

2 Review Fall 2010 8 Click: www.lfanet.org

Dr. John Strudwick 

Head of School 

Six years ago, Lake Forest Academy began planning for the first comprehensive 

campaign in the school’s history. Working from the Academy’s 2003 strategic 

plan, LFA’s Board of Trustees led the effort to raise the funds necessary to make 

the facility, program, and endowment goals of the plan a reality. Today, I am 

proud to announce that LFA has raised over $30 million of new capital for 

new buildings and endowment to go alongside the almost $10 million of annual 

funds donated during this time period to the operating fund and specific projects 

identified by the annual galas. We can all be proud of the current $40 million 

comprehensive campaign total and although it is clear that we still have more 

work to do in order to fund all of our hopes and dreams, we must view our 

current campaign success as a considerable achievement for the school. Standing 

on the shoulders of those who came before us, it is exciting to see the continued 

progress and enhancement of the school. 

Most importantly, we have fulfilled our goals of providing faculty chairs and 

funds for professional development, making available more student scholarships, 

expanding and improving our teaching and living areas, strengthening our 

endowment, and reaching out to more of our students with new programs. We 

have seen amazing things happen for the Academy and we can share story after 

story of donors whose generosity has touched LFA. I am pleased that included in 

this issue of the Review is a publication dedicated to telling a few of those stories. 

During the 6 years of our campaign, we have achieved a great deal and, significantly, 

we have improved the calibre of the student experience at the Academy. 

We have completed construction of the Fitzsimmons Athletic Wing, the Crown 

Fitness & Wellness Center, and West Village Faculty Housing; we have renovated 

and improved the library, language labs, and athletic fields; we have upgraded 

and enhanced the school’s wireless and classroom technology; and we have 

almost doubled the school’s endowment as we have added new faculty chairs, 

student scholarships, and specific endowed funds to support the academic program. 

And, on November 5th, the Academy experienced one of its most historic 

moments as the Board of Trustees approved funding for 2 major residential 

projects: $6.3 million to build a new girls’ dormitory, which will be named Ferry 

Hall and will include 36 student beds and 4 faculty family apartments, as well as 

$1.6 million for the complete redesign and renovation of the landmark Durand 

House, which will provide 6 new faculty apartments to replace the previous 5. 

Significantly, Ferry Hall will be the first dormitory built specifically for girls on 

the current LFA campus. 

On behalf of the Academy, I am extremely grateful to our donors who have helped 

LFA reach this first milestone of campaign success and to everyone involved in 

the school for all they have done to advance and fulfill the strategic vision of 

the Academy. Moving forward with the campaign, we will require that same 

support as we strive to raise the funds necessary to complete our next phase of 

projects—renovated academic space with new science laboratories, additional 

faculty housing, and greater endowment—as well as eventually raising the funding 

for an Athletic Field House and a second girls’ dormitory, all of which will 

make LFA even better prepared to respond to the growing global educational 

needs of the 21st century. Our success has been and will continue to be a community 

effort as the LFA family makes its commitment to a shared mission of 

excellence in the education of character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility. 

Thank you. 

leTTeR FRoM THe Head oF scHool 3

Jeff Keller takes the 

Helm as New Chair of 

the Board of Trustees 

JEFF KELLER ’87 WILL BE THE FIRST To TELL you THAT SERvING 

AS CHAIR oF THE BoARD oF TRuSTEES NEvER CRoSSED HIS MIND 

WHEN HE WAS A STuDENT AT LFA. SITTING ACRoSS THE TABLE 

DuRING AN EARLy MoRNING INTERvIEW, HoWEvER, JEFF’S 

ENTHuSIASM FoR LFA AND FoR HIS NEW RoLE IS CoNTAGIouS 

AS HE SPEAKS ANIMATEDLy ABouT HIS ALMA MATER. 

Knowing the school is experiencing unprecedented 

success in student achievement, 

faculty strength, and record 

enrollment of 408 students, Keller is 

thrilled to take the helm at this exciting 

moment in the school’s history. “Things 

at Lake Forest Academy are truly remarkable. 

It’s exciting for me to see how 

much has changed and improved since I 

was a student and yet, how many of the 

traditions live on.” 

Keller first joined the board of trustees 

in 2003, after serving on the alumni 

council for several years. His active 

involvement with the board, alumni 

council, and capital campaign committee 

has given him a unique perspective 

on the growth and improvement of the 

school. “This is a school that knows 

where it wants to go. Its strategic plan is 

comprehensive and engages all facets of 

the institution. With top-notch faculty 

members excelling in the classrooms, 

and outstanding students committed to 

quality education, the Academy is exceeding 

our expectations. With volunteers 

and donors to support the vision 

and plan, there’s no stopping us now. I’m 

very excited to have the opportunity to 

lead this Board and school at this time.” 

While a student at LFA in the mid 

1980s, Keller served on the J-Board his 

senior year as well as All-School President. 

Athletically, Keller played golf and 

tennis while here and was a member 

of the Varsity Hockey team during his 

three years. Keller is quick to describe 

to current students what the athletic 

facilities looked like then, an open air 

hockey rink, a leaking pool, and subpar 

locker facilities—a far cry from 

the beautiful complex that was improved 

even further by the opening of 

the Crown Fitness & Wellness Center 

in October. 

As he reflects on the recent years, and 

the many successes, Keller credits the 

previous generation of trustees for 

transforming the school into what it is 

today, especially his recent Board Chair 

predecessors: Jeff Neal P’00, P’02, Rich 

Jaros ’70, and Cate Waddell P’01, P’03. 

“They helped to transform this school 

and move it into a position of strength.” 


“ Things at Lake Forest Academy are truly remarkable. 

It’s exciting for me to see how much has changed 

and improved since I was a student and yet, how 

many of the traditions live on.” 

Recognizing that LFA was not always 

the strong, vibrant school it is today— 

particularly in terms of financial support 

coming to the institution—Keller 

is ecstatic that in its first comprehensive 

capital campaign, LFA has raised 

an unprecedented $40M in capital and 

annual gifts and has dramatically improved 

its campus facilities along with 

contributing significant funds to the 

school’s Endowment Fund. “We’re seeing 

the power of the identity of Lake 

Forest Academy especially in the form 

of financial support for the school from 

alumni, trustees, currents parents, past 

parents and friends of the Academy in 

our current campaign.” 

Under his leadership of the board, 

Keller plans to ensure that the Academy 

continues on this positive trajectory. 

For the past year, in addition to his other 

responsibilities, Keller has chaired 

the Board’s Financial Sustainability 

Committee whose charge is to ensure 

the future financial sustainability of the 

school. While pleased with the current 

financial position of the school, and 

confident the school is financially sustainable, 

Keller wants to make certain 

all elements are taken into account. “In 

this rapidly changing world, looking 

ahead 10 years is challenging work, but 

we need to be sure that the LFA we are 

building today is financially sustainable 

for future generations.” 

Growing the endowment is a key strategy 

to reach the goals for sustainability, 

and key alumni have been the significant 

donors. “When they reflect on the value 

of their Ferry Hall and LFA educations, 

their interest in providing future support 

is even greater. The school is very 

lucky to have such loyal and generous 

supporters. Past generations of alumni 

supported the school we attended; now 

I’d like to see a concerted effort on the 

part of the alumni to increase our support 

for the school. It’s our turn to help 

fund the future of LFA.” 

Additionally, Keller wants to engage 

each Trustee to his or her fullest potential 

and recognizes their diversity of 

skills and talents. “There’s a lot of wisdom 

around that table….It’s my job to 

make sure we have a cohesive board 

engaged in productive dialogue that 

provides insight into how this institution 

should move forward.” 

Moving forward into that bright future, 

Keller hopes that Lake Forest Academy 

continues to provide the best education 

an independent school can offer and 

that the school is still challenging its 

students to think critically, question everything, 

and push themselves beyond 

their comfort zones. 

He adds, “When I sit in classes here, I’m 

so impressed by the intelligence of the 

students, the caliber of the faculty and the 

quality of the dialogue and exchange. 

With a continued focus on the key elements 

that define the LFA experience, I 

know our school will be even stronger 

years from now than it is today.” 

Admissions By THE Numbers 

Lake Forest Academy 

opened the 2010–2011 

school year with a record 

408 students. A few 

students were admitted 

from our waitlist in May, 

but after June 1st, 

we were full. Last year, we 

had 1279 inquiries and 

481 applications. We 

had a 40% acceptance 

rate and we yielded 

71% of the students 

admitted. The yield for 

boys was 72% and for 

girls it was 69%. The 

yield for boarders was 

70% and for day was 

71%. Many students 

from our waitlist for the 

2010–2011 school year 

have already begun the 

reapplication process for 

the 2011–2012 school 

year, a process which is 

now well underway. 

Thus far this year, we have 

already seen an increase 

in the number of inquiries. 

We anticipate another 

busy year in admissions 

and are excited for the 

2011–2012 school year! 

Loring Strudwick, dean of admission 

Ringing THe bell 5

Board of 

Trustees 

Welcomes 

11 New 

Members 

Makola abdullah ’86 lives in Tallahassee, Florida, 

where he is the Dean of the College of Engineering Sciences, 

Technology and Agriculture at Florida A & M University 

as well as Professor of Civil and Construction Engineering 

Technology. Makola received a B.S. degree from Howard 

University and an M.S. degree and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering 

from Northwestern University. He also has worked in 

industry for Jackson and Tull Chartered Engineers based in 

Washington, D.C. 

Mark ahern ’74, P’11, P’13 is a First Vice President— 

Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Mark 

graduated from Georgetown University. A longtime Lake 

Forest resident, Mark is active in the Lake Forest Open Land 

Association and is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Lake 

Forest Land Management Committee. Mark and his wife, 

Charlotte, have three children. 

elizabeth ellrodt P’11 lives in Lake Forest with her 

husband, Scott Schweighauser, and their two children. Liz is 

a graduate of Williams College. Liz worked at Condé Nast in 

New York and thereafter at Leo Burnett in Chicago. She currently 

serves on the board of the John Michael Kohler Arts 

Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is a member of the Board of 

the Williams College Museum of Art Visiting Committee, and 

is a former member of the Board of Trustees at Lake Forest 

County Day School. 

Chris Freeburg ’90 is a principal at Skyline Global Partners, 

an endeavor he launched with several partners in 2010. 

Previously, he was vice president of UIB Capital, Inc. in Chicago 

where he originated, executed, and managed UIB Capital’s 

portfolio investments. Chris graduated from Stanford University 

and received an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate 

School of Management at Northwestern University. He is on 

the board of Chicago Children’s Charities and is the current 

chair of the LFA Alumni Council. He and his wife, Mary, live 

in Chicago. 

toM gregory P’12 lives in Lake Bluff with his wife 

Pat and his twin sons. Tom is an entrepreneur and founding 

partner of Maranon Capital, L.P. He has chaired and/or 

served on a multitude of corporate boards of directors. He 

has also served on the non-profit boards of The Church of 

the Holy Spirit, Lake Forest; the Montessori School of Lake 

Forest; and the Association for Corporate Growth in Chicago. 

Tom earned B.S.B.A. summa cum laude from the University 

of Missouri-Columbia and an M.B.A. with honors from 

the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern 

University. 

MauriCe t. holMes ’83 is a Director with Credit-Suisse 

in New York in the Investment Banking Division and Senior 

Sales Coverage for Prime Services. Previously at C-S, Maurice 

served as the Global Head of Hedge Fund Consulting within 

Prime Services. He is also active in recruitment at the University 

of Chicago and in the mentoring programs sponsored 

by C-S. Previously, Maurice was an executive director with 


Front row (l to r) Gregory K. Jones P’12, Makola M. Abdullah ’86, Tom Gregory P’12, Mark Ahern ’74, P’11, P’13, Richard Zhao ’04. Second row (l to r) Michele Marsh 

Ihlanfeldt ’89, Elizabeth J. Ellrodt P’11. Third row (l to r) Ben Malek ’91, Christopher E. Freeburg ’90, John A. Walton P’12, Maurice T. Holmes ’83. 

Morgan Stanley Prime Brokerage. Maurice received a B.A. 

in Economics from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from 

the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago. Maurice 

and his wife, Michelle, are active in a number of charities in 

the New York City metropolitan area, where they live with 

their three children. 

MiChele Marsh ihlanFeldt ’89 began her career as 

a business consultant with AT Kearney. She has a B.A. and 

two graduate degrees from Northwestern University, including 

an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business. 

Currently she pursues her passion for music as a pianist and 

composer and has just released her debut album, “Myths & 

Legends.” Michele is a member of LFA’s Alumni Council and 

its Communications Committee. She is married and lives in 

Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and their two children. 

gregory k. Jones P’12 lives in Lake Forest and is the 

father of a current junior. Greg is a co-founder, partner, and 

the COO of Edgewater Funds LLC. Greg earned a B.S. in 

Business from Miami University of Ohio and an M.B.A. from 

the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern 

University. Greg is the Chairman-elect of the Board of Directors 

of Evanston Northwestern Hospitals (NorthShore University 

HealthSystem), and he is the Chairman and President 

of The Illinois Math and Science Academy Foundation. 

ben Malek ’91 is founder, owner, and leader of Malek and 

Associates, an international company that assists other companies 

with their messaging needs. In the past two years, Ben 

has traveled on business to 40 countries in South and Central 

America, Europe, China, etc. Ben earned a B.S. in Business & 

Economics from Lehigh University. Ben has over fifteen years 

of experience in messaging, collaborative, and web technologies. 

Ben and his wife, Victoria, live in Tampa, Florida. 

John Walton P’12 is a Professor of Law at Northern 

Illinois University School of Law. He holds a B.S. from Illinois 

State University, M.S. from Illinois State University, and 

J.D. from Northwestern University. He returned to Northern 

Illinois University after holding visiting professorships at 

DePaul Law School and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. 

Previously, he was a litigation attorney in Denver, Colorado. 

In addition to his litigation practice, he was Counsel to the 

Sam Cary Scholarship Endowment Fund, on the Boards of 

Directors for the Colorado Bar Association and Colorado 

Lawyers for the Arts, and was a visiting prosecutor for the 

Denver City Attorney. John is the Faculty Advisor of the 

Street Law Program. He and his wife, Sherry, live in Batavia 

with their family. 

riChard zhao ’04 is currently a member of General 

Electric Energy’s Engineering and Leadership Program and 

has rotated through four positions during his two-years at 

GE. Richard received a B.S.M.E. from Cornell University and 

is currently pursuing an M.S.M.E. degree from Georgia Institute 

of Technology. Richard began Project Hope while at 

LFA, resulting in the construction of a new elementary school 

in rural China. While attending Cornell University, he began 

Operation D.E.E.P. (Developing Elementary Education Possibilities) 

as a continuation of Project Hope. Richard is the 

Honorary Headmaster of Jin-Ni Lake Forest Academy Hope 

School in Jiangxi, China. Richard lives in Houston, Texas. 

Ringing THe bell 7

A Crowning 

Achievement 

LFA DEDICATES CROWN FITNESS 

& WELLNESS CENTER 

Amidst much celebration, Lake Forest Academy formally 

dedicated the Crown Fitness & Wellness Center on Oct. 25. 

A crowd of more than 300 students, faculty, trustees and 

friends of LFA gathered to celebrate this beautiful addition 

to the athletic complex. Guests at the event received festive 

t-shirts made up for the occasion. The evening began with 

tours of the facility, followed by a ribbon cutting by lead donors, 

a surprise confetti drop, and Caxy cupcakes for all. 

For the adult guests, a champagne toast in the Morrison 

Fitness Center finished off the evening. 

The $5.5 M dollar construction project fulfills part of the 

school’s long term comprehensive campus plan. LFA would 

like to thank the Crown family for their leadership gift, and 

the other generous donors who made this building a reality. 

For details of what the facility includes, please reference the 

campaign report included in this magazine. 

(top) The Crown family beneath the entrance to the Crown Fitness & Wellness Center. 

(l to r) Keat and Caroline Crown, Steve and his wife, trustee Nancy Crown P’07, P’09, 

Renee and Lester Crown. 

(above) Bob and Susan Morrison P’08 

(below) The formal ribbon cutting of Crown Fitness & Wellness Center on oct. 25. Pictured 

here, (l to r) builder Todd Altounian ’86, architect Peter Witmer, trustee Tom Duckworth 

P’08, P’10, P’12, P’14, life trustee Cate Waddell P’01, P’03, trustee Susan Morrison P’08 

and her husband, Bob, trustee Nancy Crown P’07, P’09, and her husband, Steve, Head 

of School John Strudwick P’13, Lester and Renee Crown, trustee Lauren Gorter P’06, 

P’09, and her husband, Sid, Jeff Keller ’87 chair of the board of trustees, trustee Betsy 

Rosenfield P’02, P’05, P’09, P’12, trustee Robin Zafirovski P’04, P’05, P’09. 


Spanish teacher Aric visser 

(left) accepts the A. John 

Huss Jr ’58 and Ruth S. 

Huss Chair in Humanities 

from Head of School John 

Strudwick (right) 

Cornerstone & Campaign 

Celebration Dinner 

Honors Loyal Donors 

“Celebration” and “Salute to Donors” is 

how the Annual Cornerstone Dinner, 

held on Friday November 5, 2010, was 

billed and a celebration it was! More 

than 150 loyal supporters of Lake 

Forest Academy gathered in the newly 

dedicated Crown Fitness & Wellness 

Center to applaud the progress to date 

on Lake Forest Academy’s first comprehensive 

capital campaign. While not 

complete, and with no final goal announced, 

the Board of Trustees felt it 

was time to stand back and applaud 

the generosity and commitment of the 

campaign’s leadership donors. Attendees 

were able to tour “The Crown” 

and then paused to listen to the kudos 

given to the LFA community by speakers 

Cate Waddell, P’01, P’03 former 

Chair of the Board of Trustees and 

current campaign leader, Jeff Keller 

’87, current Chair of the Board of 

Trustees, and John A. Strudwick, Head 

of School. 

Cate congratulated the donors for 

their generosity and foresight in supporting 

the priorities established by the 

school’s Master and Strategic Plans. 

She emphasized how transformational 

the precedent-setting results and 

the $30M raised to date were for the 

school. Keller added his words of praise 

and described the work yet left to be 

done. Strudwick spoke to the many 

benefits the campaign results have 

brought to the LFA student and faculty 

communities, how new facilities 

have provided such positive impact on 

the school, and the value the newly 

endowed funds have provided for faculty 

and students alike. Additionally, 

Strudwick awarded two faculty chairs, 

the A. John Huss Jr. ’58 and Ruth S. 

Huss Chair in Humanities to Aric 

Visser, Spanish Teacher, and the Harold 

H. Corbin Jr. Chair in Environmental 

Studies to Kathleen Barton, a 

member of the Science faculty. 

The group was treated to a true celebration 

outside the new athletic facilities 

as their attention was directed to a 

phenomenal fireworks display compliments 

of two anonymous LFA donors 

in honor of the special occasion. Guests 

retired to Reid Hall for a lovely dinner 

and further celebration in honor of 

the truly historic and precedent-setting 

fundraising achievement. 

Science teacher Kathleen 

Barton (right) receives the 

Harold H. Corbin Jr. Chair 

in Environmental Studies 

from Head of School John 

Strudwick (left) 

Ringing THe bell 9

Robin Rottman P’13 and Alan Rottman P’13 identify the chemical makeup of powders 

during a mini class meeting of Eric Rosado’s ’04 chemistry class over Parents Weekend. 

Gathered around the table in a beautiful Reid classroom, parents heard about what 

their sons and daughters have been learning in English teacher Nat Small’s “English 9: 

Literary Foundations” course. 

10 Review Fall 2010 

Parents Weekend 

Gives Parents a 

Glimpse into Life 

at LFA 

On October 15–17, a weekend that proved to be one of the 

most beautiful of the season, over 300 members of the LFA 

community gathered on campus for Parents Weekend. On 

Friday, parents met with teachers and advisors for private 

conferences. In addition to spending time with each other and 

LFA friends, families “shopped” the Caxy Life Auction, and 

enjoyed a Mexican Fiesta in Hutch, the campus dining hall. 

After dinner, LFA students and faculty participated in “Arts 

Alive!” which featured performances in dance, music, and 

literary works. It was capped off by a mini-lecture, “Love 

and Education: Romeo and Juliet at LFA” by English faculty 

member Nat Small. 

On Saturday morning, after an All-Family Meeting, parents 

found their way to classrooms as they followed their children’s 

A-day schedules. The day’s many activities included 

checking bids at the Caxy Life Auction, grabbing lunch at the 

Caxy BBQ Tent, enjoying a matinee performance of “Romeo 

and Juliet” and cheering on the Caxys at the many athletic 

competitions. Excitement mounted as families checked their 

final bids on auction items. Thanks to all involved, the Caxy 

Life Auction, co-chaired by Cathy Casper P’13 and Vanessa 

Clarke P’13, raised close to $30,000 to enhance student life at 

LFA. Following the Fall Family Feast in Reid Hall, all enjoyed 

the annual Fall Extravaganza for the Arts with performances 

by LFA’s Choir, Orchestra, and Co-ax. 

The Harvest Run, LFA’s 5k Run and 1 M Walk, which funds 

LFA’s school-wide service learning project, was held on Sunday, 

October 17. The Harvest Run involved more than 60 parent 

and student volunteers and more than 250 runners. 

Many thanks for your participation in Parents Weekend! 

8 

Click: www.lfanet.org

Harvesting Hope 

Once Again 

Partners with A.J. 

Katzenmaier 

Elementary School 

(above) Shawn Shin ’12 

shares a “handshake” with 

his young neighbor, fourth 

grader Joseph Scott, at A.J. 

Katzenmaier Elementary 

School during Enrichment 

Day on Nov. 20. 

LFA’s community-wide service learning 

project, Harvesting Hope, had another 

wonderful year this fall. For the 

past two years, LFA has entered into a 

unique collaboration with North Chicago 

Community Partners (NCCP) to 

provide service learning opportunities 

in nearby North Chicago. 

Harvesting Hope kicked off the year 

with a school supply collection. During 

sports preseason, LFA families were 

invited to gather supplies to create 400 

school supply packs for elementary 

students at the A.J. Katzenmaier Elementary 

School in North Chicago. 

On Parents Weekend, more than 250 

runners and walkers joined together to 

raise funds and awareness for the Harvesting 

Hope initiative. Funds raised 

through sponsors and runners’ entry 

fees were used to off-set costs of the 

Harvesting Hope initiative. 

A large part of Harvesting Hope is the 

Thanksgiving dinner food drive. This 

year, the student leaders decided to 

make the food collection an advisory 

competition. Throughout the hallways 

one could see tables overflowing with 

boxes of instant potatoes, brownie 

mix, corn bread stuffing and packets 

of gravy. 

To transport all the food collections, 

the student leaders organized a schoolwide 

Pack the Pod effort. Students, 

parents, faculty and staff gathered 

together to prepare the items for distribution. 

Thanks to everyone’s efforts 

325 Thanksgiving dinners were 

packed into reusable shopping bags 

for distribution with turkeys that were 

donated by a generous LFA family. 

Enough food was collected to provide 

325 Thanksgiving dinners for the 

families of the A.J. Katzenmaier Elementary 

School. Twenty LFA students 

volunteered to help distribute 

the meals at the elementary school in 

North Chicago. 

The culmination of Harvesting Hope 

was Enrichment Day held on Nov. 20. 

Lake Forest Academy students traveled 

to A.J. Katzenmaier Elementary School 

to work with A.J.K. elementary students 

in fun activities such as art, stepping, 

salsa, cheerleading, sports, and drama. 

LFA students and parents 

package over 300 

Thanksgiving dinners for the 

families of A.J. Katzenmaier 

Elementary students. 

Enough food was collected to 

provide 325 Thanksgiving dinners for 

the families of the A.J. Katzenmaier 

Elementary School. 

Co-ax, LFA’s student-faculty rock band, 

capped off the day with a concert and 

dance party for all. It was truly a wonderful 

day to see LFA students reaching 

out and sharing with their young 

neighbors in North Chicago. 

Ringing THe bell 11

2010–2011 HEAD OF SCHOOL SymPOSIum 

Focuses on 

Southeast Asia 

What started seven years ago as a lecture 

series entitled “Why China Matters” 

has blossomed into an integral part 

of every academic year at Lake Forest 

Academy, now known as our Head 

of School Symposium. Yearly, Dr. 

Strudwick, with input from others 

around campus, chooses a topic he 

would like the community to explore 

together through outside speakers, trips 

off campus as well as informal information 

sharing at All-School and 

Morning meetings. Each Symposium 

has left its mark on the school. Around 

campus, you’ll see water coolers that 

do not use plastic containers to hold 

water nor provide disposable cups in 

an effort to minimize our impact on 

the environment, a result of the 2008- 

2009 school year’s Head of School 

Symposium on the Environment. Additionally, 

as a result of the 2009–2010 

school year’s focus on the topic of 

Gender, students and faculty alike can 

talk intelligently about issues of gender 

and its impact locally and globally. 

This year’s topic, “India, Pakistan and 

Bangladesh: People, Partition and Politics,” 

kicked off with our very own 

students from that region of the world 

sharing with the community their own 

experiences and what they hope the 

LFA community will gain by focusing 

this year’s symposium on the Southeast 

Asia region. A visit from award winning 

short story writer Daniyal Mueenuddin, 

whose work takes place mainly 

in Pakistan where he lives and writes, 

continued the conversation, including 

discussion of the flooding that devastated 

the region in July. Additionally, current 

parent and member of the board of 

trustees Dr. Chinni Chilamkurti introduced 

the film “The Namesake” before 

it was shown as a part of the film series 

associated with this year’s symposium. 

In the spring, a trip to India is planned 

to explore the history, culture and significance 

of the region. 

Co-Chair of the Head of School Symposium 

this year, history teacher Justin 

Jones, hopes that from this year’s symposium 

students gain an appreciation 

for the region’s diversity. “We are all 

very familiar with diversity, but even 

in a community such as ours, it is difficult 

to comprehend the amount of 

diversity that exists in South Asia.” 

He also hopes that students will not 

only listen but engage fully in learning 

about the region’s diverse cultures and 

perspectives. Mr. Jones is confident 

this year’s symposium “will allow [students] 

to better question media bias 

and persistent stereotypes that permeate 

from the region.” 

Regardless of the topic, each Head of 

School Symposium reflects Lake Forest 

Academy’s commitment to educating 

the whole student and expanding learning 

beyond the walls of a classroom. 

Acclaimed writer Daniyal 

Mueenuddin (center) 

visited Lake Forest Academy. 

Pictured here (l to r) in AP 

Literature class are seniors 

Zachary Fader, Graham 

Harwood and Natasha Patel. 


Constitutional Right 

to Liberty: 

Attorney and Alumnus 

Sam Adam, Jr. 

Speaks at LFA 

oN oCToBER 29, 2010 STuDENTS, PARENTS, AND FACuLTy 

MEMBERS GATHERED IN THE CRESSEy CENTER FoR THE ARTS 

To HEAR A PRESENTATIoN FRoM CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATToRNEy 

SAM ADAM, JR. ’91. 

Adam gained notoriety as the theatrical defender of celebrities R. Kelly and former 

Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. In a talk titled “Our Rights, Our Future,” 

Adam reminded the audience that in a criminal trial a citizen’s right to liberty 

is at risk. He views his job as a moral one, ensuring that the government prove 

beyond a reasonable doubt that someone is guilty before their constitutional 

right of liberty is taken away. 

In addition to explaining his point of view regarding his profession, Adam spoke 

about how much he gained from his years at LFA. He urged current students to 

take advantage of every opportunity provided by the school. 

Adam then welcomed questions from the audience, many of which came from 

current students. It was a an engaging, thought-provoking presentation from an 

outstanding alumnus. 

Ringing THe bell 13

Ferry Hall advisory 

board Members 

Chair 

Loretta Kalnow Kaplan ’73 

Mary Anne Ameter ’61 

Anne E. Bloomberg ’59 

Keena Dunn Clifford ’64 

Janet Wemmer Crawford ’61 

Dr. Evan Gaines DeRenzo ’69 

Terry Hall ’67 

Charlene vala Laughlin ’64 

Cecily Barnett Meers ’69 

Pam Norris ’71 

Happy Tomson Pross ’56 

Ann Ridge ’71 

Beth Petit Shaw ’75 

Harriet Arpee Sherman ’54 

Nancy How Speer ’59 

Ferry Tales 

“ I go to Ferry Hall so pity me 

There’s not a boy in the vicinity 

And every night at ten they lock the door 

I don’t know why the heck I ever came here for” 

OK, not exactly the official FH song, but one that will bring back memories 

and a chuckle to my contemporaries and many alumnae. Of course these self 

mocking words were sung much more out of affection than displeasure. I won’t 

pretend that every second of my boarding time at Ferry Hall was one long slumber 

party, but all in all it was very special. 

As often happens in life it is the simple, little and often silly things that we hold 

dear. Remembering Harry, our beloved janitor (and so much more) always shouting 

his famous warning “man on the floor” as he entered the dorm hallway. How 

we all gathered in the TV lounge to cheer on our favorite contestant during the 

Miss America Pageants (embarrassing but true). To this day when I hear the 

song “Leaving on a Jet Plane” I remember how we played it over and over in 

excitement and anticipation of our first weekend home. It did not take us long to 

realize we were just as excited to get back to Ferry Hall as we were to go home. 

The dorm was an integral part of every girl’s life, day students included. Every 

year, there seemed to be one girl’s room that served as the gathering place, the 

hang out room for boarders and day students alike. That’s where the “big” discussions, 

the gossip sessions, the heart to heart talks, and of course the let’s order 

a pizza conversations all took place. 

Somewhere along the way we came to recognize the incredible bonds that had 

formed and how much we depended on each other. These girls, former strangers 

from different places and backgrounds had become our family. Ferry Hall was 

our home away from home. 

Much has changed at Lake Forest Academy–Ferry Hall since my school days. 

The importance of the dorm in the girls’ lives and the campus as a whole, has 

not. I am delighted to report that at the November meeting the Board of Trustees 

approved the construction of a new girls’ dorm. This new 36 bed, 4 faculty 

apartment dorm will be a tremendous boon for the LFA community. I am 

especially excited that the building will be named for our alma mater. You can 

help to perpetuate our name and make Ferry Hall more than just a memory. 

Ferry Hall Dorm will serve as our lasting legacy, our indelible mark on the future 

of girls’ lives at LFA. 

Loretta Kalnow Kaplan ’73, P’03 

Chair, Ferry Hall Advisory Board 


Ferry Hall Brunch 

Fosters Friendship 

Saturday, October 2 was a cool blustery 

day, but it did nothing to dampen 

the spirits of the Ferry Hall alumnae 

who returned to LFA for Brunch on 

Reunion Weekend. The room, festooned 

in yellow and white, welcomed ladies 

from the classes of 1940 through 1974 

who sat together in their respective 

class years and continued their weekend-long 

conversations. Marjorie Mc- 

Neil Spuzello from the Class of 1960 

arrived at the brunch wearing her 

Ferry Hall blazer (yes, it still fit) and 

school ring. 

Ferry Hall prefect, Hannah Jung, a 

senior from Seoul, South Korea welcomed 

the ladies and thanked them 

for the legacy of Ferry Hall, which she 

is honored to carry forth. She noted 

the areas in the current day LFA where 

curriculum and school clubs pay homage 

to Ferry Hall. 

Head of School John Strudwick added 

his own welcome comments and gave 

a brief update on the state of the 

school. Dr. Strudwick was particularly 

pleased to announce that LFA will begin 

construction of a new girls’ dorm, 

Ferry Hall. The news was greeted with 

great excitement from the ladies of 

Ferry Hall. The construction of the 

dorm project was formally approved 

by the Board of Trustees on Nov. 5. 

Construction began in December. Additionally, 

Strudwick revealed that an 

anonymous $400,000, 1:1 Dorm Challenge 

has been announced to the 

LFA community. The 14-month Dorm 

Challenge, will, upon completion, raise 

the necessary funds to complete the 

Ferry Hall Dorm. 

After brunch, everyone boarded two 

vans and caravanned to the original 

Ferry Hall campus on Mayflower 

Road in east Lake Forest to visit the 

remaining dorm, now a condo building, 

and the Ferry Hall Chapel, currently 

a private home. The van was 

abuzz with excitement as the ladies 

strolled down memory lane recalling 

their own experiences as they first arrived 

at Ferry Hall. 

Stories, memories, renewed friendships, 

all were fostered by Ferry Hall Brunch 

on Reunion Weekend. 

For more information about the 

anonymous Ferry Hall Dorm 

challenge, please contact Dean for 

External Relations, Marina Krejci, 

at mkrejci@lfanet.org or 

(847) 615-3223. 

Alison Guild Gerlach ’60 

(left) and JoAnne Hoellerich 

Siebel ‘60 (right) review 

information about the 

anonymous challenge to 

complete funding for Ferry 

Hall Dorm at the Ferry Hall 

Brunch on oct. 2. 

Current Ferry Hall prefect 

Hannah Jung ’11 stands with 

Marjorie “Micky” McNeil 

Spuzello ’60 in front of the 

former Ferry Hall Chapel. 

Spuzello sports her Ferry Hall 

jacket, which she has generously 

donated to be displayed 

in the future Ferry Hall Dorm. 

FeRRy Tales 15

LFA Head of School John Strudwick announces the proposed 36 bed girls’ dormitory complete with 

architect’s renderings at the Ferry Hall Brunch on oct. 2. 

Ferry Hall alumnae congregate in front of the chapel at the former campus of the girls’ school. The chapel is now a private residence. 

Architect’s rendering of Ferry Hall Dorm. 

Construction began in December. 

WE INvITE you To SuBMIT A NoMINATIoN FoR THE 

2011 WOmAN OF DISTINCTION. 

To access an online nomination form please go to: www.lfanet.org/womanofdistinction. 

For more information or to have a nomination form mailed to you, please contact Jeremiah 

Stevens, Director of Alumni Relations, at: (847) 615-3285 or jstevens@lfanet.org. 

16 Review Fall 2010 Click: www.lfanet.org 

8

Bonnie Pick ’42 

Alumna Bonnie Pick shares her memories of dorm life at Ferry 

Hall in the 1940s. 

“ The upperclassmen lived in South Hall, and the underclassmen 

lived in North. We used to cruise back and forth through the 

passageway between the two buildings. I used to visit my sister, 

Mary, a senior in South. Most of us had singles then, but we would 

sneak into each other’s rooms in the middle of the night to finish 

conversations. There were communal bathrooms in the hall. 

I remember being in there at night, jostling to reach the sink as we 

all brushed our teeth at the same time. I remember one night, I 

had fallen asleep at my desk studying Spanish when I heard two 

teachers come up the gravel path—my door was just above the 

driveway so I could hear everything. one of them was Miss Barbour, 

my Spanish teacher. I quickly awoke and got back to studying 

before they came in. They saw my light on and found me at my desk 

studying my Spanish vocabulary. one night I even pulled an allnighter 

writing a paper for history class on President James K. Polk. 

I nearly fell out of the choir stall the next morning I was so tired. 

It was strict at Ferry Hall, firm but fair. There was a dress code, 

and no fraternizing was allowed with the LFA boys in town. 

We had social gatherings on the weekends and ate in the dining 

room together. I remember at dinner we sang the blessing. 

Living in the dorm was wonderful, knowing the other girls and 

having friendships that have lasted all these years.” 

Students at Ferry Hall 

gather in the kitchen. Photo 

circa 1940s. 

do you Have 

MeMoRies 

oF doRM liFe aT 

FeRRy Hall oR 

lake FoResT 

acadeMy you’d 

like To sHaRe? 

Send them to Director 

of Communications, 

Alexandra Campbell at 

acampbell@lfanet.org 

or 1500 W. Kennedy 

Rd., Lake Forest IL, 

60045. memories will 

be shared in the next 

edition of the Review. 

FeRRy Hall 17

lFa arts 18 

Review Fall 2010 

Romeo & Juliet 

Returns to LFA Stage 

On September 30 and October 2 the community became enamored with the 

Lake Forest Academy Performing Arts production of William Shakespeare’s 

famous love story “Romeo and Juliet.” Not performed at LFA since 1995, 

this production was staged in the 1890s and the star crossed lovers were 

played by Peter Lovecchio ’11 as Romeo and Jenna Madeley ’11 as Juliet. 

Complete with a professionally choreographed sword fight, the play had 

audiences charmed from the opening line. 

lFa Fine and peRFoRMing aRTs 

calendaR oF evenTs 

JanuaRy 21: 7 p.M. 

Guest Performers: Heisler and Goldrich 

JanuaRy 26: 7 p.M. 

Chamber Concert 

FebRuaRy 24: 7 p.M. 

Winter musical “Sound of music” 





MaRcH 8: 7 p.M. 

Instrumental Concert 

apRil 19: 7 p.M. 

Laptop Orchestra Concert 

apRil 27: 7 p.M. 

Arts Concentration Concert 

A heartbroken Romeo, played 

by Peter Lovecchio ’11, kneels 

over his presumed dead Juliet, 

played by Jenna Madeley ’11. 

8 Click: www.lfanet.org

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY 

The 2010 Boys Varsity Cross Country team had a great season. 

Made up of some returning veterans and an unexpected 

group of first timers, they fielded one of our most competitive 

teams in recent years. austin Pejovich ’12, scott Fuller ’12, 

and spencer Friske ’12 shared the load at the front of the 

pack, regularly placing at large invitationals and setting the 

tone for the team. Newcomers tom gallagher ’11 and Matt 

stevens ’12 proved themselves to be both hardworking and 

talented, rounding out our scoring team well. ben smiley ’11, 

arlo Clarke ’13, adam Mills ’12 and James Paige ’14 all contributed 

to the varsity team this season. 

The team enjoyed success in several large invitationals this 

year, including a strong 7th place finish at the Nike Meet in 

Holly, Michigan. In addition, the boys captured the title at 

the St. John’s Northwestern Invitational for the third year in a 

row. Next year the Caxys will return five of their top runners, 

making for a promising year. 

Spencer Friske ’12 

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY 

This Fall, the girls cross country team had one of their best 

seasons ever. They compiled a 7-1 record overall, and had 

several terrific finishes in their invitational meets. Highlights 

included taking third at the Prep Classic and St. John’s invite 

as well as a second place finish at the Lisle Invitational, their 

highest ever finish for an invitational. Aside from their success 

when running, the girls were a very close group that had 

fun all season long. sophia smith ’12 led the team; she won 

several medals and trophies for her top 10 finishes all season 

long. olivija Cepaite ’11 had a fantastic season as our number 

two runner, and was also near the top in many races. allie 

Cedergren ’13, nina Varilla ’12, Meg kennedy ’13, nancy 

Wang ’13, and Mary Joo ’11 were the rest of the strong varsity 

squad. kennedy had an especially impressive first year of cross 

country. kalina gajda ’13 was a significant contributor as 

well. The team says goodbye to seniors Olivija Cepaite, Ellena 

Sea and Mary Joo. 

Girls’ varsity cross country team 

sports shorts 

VARSITY FOOTBALL 

The Varsity Football team ended the year with a winning record 

(5-4) for the second consecutive year. The team played 

a highly competitive schedule and competed against a mix 

of public, parochial, and boarding schools. Senior captains 

Myron Ford, rickey larke, keenan Johnson, and Chad 

davis did an exemplary job leading the troops in every game. 

The team won a number of close games and improved tremendously 

throughout the season. The highlight of the 

season was a homecoming win against future Chicago Catholic 

League opponent St. Josephs. The game ended with a 

Caxy win, 37-20! The team will miss the thirteen seniors who 

will be moving on (6 or 7 of whom will be playing collegiate 

football), but is excited about the future of the program and 

the upcoming inaugural season as Associate members of the 

Chicago Catholic League. 

varsity footbal offensive line and quarterback, Chad Davis ’11 

GOLF 

The golf team soldiered through a tough schedule to finish the 

season with a record of 4-7-1 and solid performances in invitational 

tournaments. The team beat Grant and Wauconda 

in dual matches and placed above much larger local schools 

such as Lakes and Libertyville in tournament play. Co-captain 

thomas byrne ’11 earned Most Valuable Player honors 

for the third consecutive season, posting the lowest scoring 

average on the team by almost three strokes as well as finishing 

T-6 out of 42 at the Cougar Invitational and 15th out of 

110 at the Genoa-Kingston Invite. Co-captain eric Clamage 

’11 played a solid #2 all year and ended his career with his 

best performance ever, a superb 4th-place finish at the Cougar 

Invitational. The departure of these two seniors leaves the top 

spots in the lineup up for grabs, but a cadre of talented underclassmen, 

led by ariana bhatia ’12, Casey Coulter ’12, and 

Will shoemaker ’13, looks to make their mark next season. 

VARSITY SOCCER 

Our seniors Matthew Payne, Mark yingling and graham 

harwood did a great job in developing team chemistry and a 

healthy competitive atmosphere on a daily basis. This year’s 

team was skilled, enthusiastic and an extremely competitive 

group of athletes. 

continued on page 21... 

spoRTs sHoRTs 19

20 Review Fall 2010 8 


VARSITY SOCCER (continued) 

Within our rigorous schedule, 7 schools were ranked in the 

state, and 3 were nationally ranked at some point during the 

season. As the season unfolded, we beat the eventual Illinois 

State champion as well as two state ranked single A teams. 

We were also just a goal post and crossbar away from beating 

the Illinios 3A state finalist Libertyville. In the end we 

finished with a very respectable 12-6-1 season which included 

beating our cross town rival, Lake Forest High School, 

for the first time in 3 years. The team also won the Midwest 

Boarding School Classic, beating our boarding school rival 

Western Reserve, and finished 3rd Glen Brook North Tournament. 

Mathew Payne ’11 will be heading off to play at the 

Air Force Academy. We will be returning a very strong group 

of players which will include: all sectional Manny Chavez 

’12, honorable mention all sectional Jose laboy ’13, and goal 

keeper, Christian lomeli ’13, who was ranked third in the 

sectional. Kudos goes out to coaches ken Magarie and nat 

small for their great work with the JV program as well as 

Sole Antonijevic, our assistant varsity coach, who did a great 

job in helping to enhance the boys’ level of the play throughout 

the season. 

SWIMMING 

The Girls swim team had a fantastic fall with many personal 

best performances throughout the season. This year’s team 

was lead by seniors Jenna Madelely, emily kulas, hannah 

Jung, shine sun, and Mariel rogozinski. Although our team 

was young, we had a very competitive season going 7-2 while 

beating some of the larger schools along the way. This past 

season, the program created a lot of interest within the student 

body and our team numbers were at an all time high. 

With the loss of only 5 seniors we are looking forward to next 

year and years to come. 

Haley Wilhelm ’12 

sports shorts 

GIRLS TENNIS 

The girls tennis team had another successful season this year, 

finishing with a solid record of 8-3-1. Led by senior co-captains 

Joanie davis and kathleen kennedy, the Caxys performed 

very well against a number of strong local teams. In 

addition to the dual matches, the team competed in a number 

of weekend invitational competitions. One highlight from the 

season was a second place finish at the Carmel Quad Invite 

on October 2nd. In addition to the team’s second place finish, 

Joanie davis ’11 won the first singles flight and danielle 

Mendoza ’13 won the second singles flight. The team had 

six seniors graduate this year, many of whom played multiple 

years on the varsity squad. Each senior provided great leadership 

to the younger members of the team, and they will be 

greatly missed next year. 

Hailey Arnold ’11 

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL 

The 2010 Girls Varsity Volleyball team finished with a 16-15 

record; they earned one first place tournament finish and two 

third place finishes. Key wins for this year’s team included: 

the home game vs. Woodlands, and the win over Christian 

Liberty at the end of the season. The team was led by seniors 

ella and erin Petersen. Other essential players included: setter 

katia elisman ’14, middle hitter rachel riccio ’12 and 

libero Jamie balkin ’12. The team worked extremely hard to 

be defensively minded. During the season, we stressed hard 

work, pursuit of the ball and teamwork. Returning players 

are looking forward to getting in the gym over the spring to 

improve their skills and prepare for next season! 

#4 Jackie Jacobson ’13, #1 Rachel Riccio ’12 and #8 Katia Elisman ’14 

spoRTs sHoRTs 21

22 Review Fall 2010 8 


Homecoming and 

Reunion 2010 

Reunion 2010 was a resounding success for all in attendance, but particularly 

poignant for those celebrating their fiftieth reunions. Fifty years may seem like a 

long time, but the decades instantly vanished on october 1–2, 2010, when the 

Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall classes of 1960 returned to LFA to celebrate 

their 50th reunion. Friendships were quickly renewed, stories exchanged, and nicknames 

revived. 

For Bob Pollard ’60, the decision to attend his 50th reunion was easy. “The Academy 

was a great place, with great guys and great masters. I never had a bad day.” 

Twelve other classmates joined Bob for the weekend. Together, the men recalled 

the strong discipline of their teachers, the rigorous classes, and the camaraderie of 

the dorms. 

The women of Ferry Hall ’60 enthusiastically reconnected with each other and with 

their special guest, gym teacher and field hockey coach Margaret Deloury Demeritt. 

Miss Deloury, as she was known at Ferry Hall, was thrilled to celebrate alongside 

a dozen alumnae. 

The 1960 alumni/ae enjoyed campus tours and workshops about life at the Academy 

today. on Saturday, the men of LFA cheered the Caxy football team onto victory, 

Ferry Hall alumnae enjoyed a special brunch and visited the grounds of the Ferry 

Hall chapel. The formal Half-Century Club Celebration was held Saturday evening, 

complete with the traditional class photo. 

The weekend concluded with promises to stay in touch. Reunion 2010 rekindled 

an appreciation of old friendships and of the two schools that prepared our alumni/ 

ae to follow their own paths in life while always remembering their shared beginnings 

in Lake Forest. 

The Ferry Hall class of 

1960 (front row l to r:) Dale 

Snyder Holditch, Jennette Alvey 

Simkins, Marj McNeil Spuzello, 

Ann Leman Larson, Susan 

Somerville Poff; (second row l 

to r): Lynn Hellyer Mathias, 

Diane Davis McGonigle, Alison 

Guild Gerlach, Lynn Todd Paolillo, 

Peg Deloury DeMeritt; (back 

row, l to r): Lynn Dawson Solner, 

Joyce Mesenbrink Standish. 

The lake Forest academy 

class of 1960: 

(front row l to r): David Truitt, 

Len Paulini, George Johnson, 

Skip Hickenlooper, Bob 

Pollard; (second row l to r): 

Pete Richardson, Ewing Row, 

Bill Ellis; (back row l to r): 

Joel Lipman, Frank Crawford, 

Maxwell Drever. 

FeaTuRe 23

2010 Hall of Fame 

lake Forest academy and Ferry Hall class of 1950 (l to r): Ed Burg, Kirby von 

Kessler, Jim Manz, Roberta Siegel Mayer, Howard Dubin, David MacKenzie. 

The 2010 Hall of Fame recognized three recipients. (above, l to r) life trustee Richard Jaros ’70, Head of School 

John Strudwick P ’13, Nancy Neustadt Barcelo ’70 accepting for Katie Warner Miller ’70, and Howard Dubin ’50. 

(left) 2010 Hall of Fame honoree, Howard Dubin ’50 (right) catches up with his classmates Dave MacKenzie ’50 (left) 

and Ed Burg ’50 (center) prior to the Hall of Fame awards ceremony. 

We Invite You to Submit a Nomination for the 2011 Hall of Fame. 

To access an online nomination form please go to: www.lfanet.org/halloffame. 

For more information or to have a nomination form mailed to you, please contact Jeremiah Stevens, 

Director of Alumni Relations, at: (847) 615-3285 or jstevens@lfanet.org 

The lake Forest academy class of 1955 (l to r) Craig Miller, George Plamondon, 

Paul Dasso, Colin Campbell ’56, Dick Watson, Stuart olney. 


Members of the Class of 2000 catch up with the Lesses. (l to r) Faculty member Matt Less, Ama Addai, Jenny Jeep, 

Rachel Llanas and special events coordinator Julene Less 

Members of the class of 1990 catch up with Mark Dryfoos (from l to r): Nicole Altounian Carrabine, faculty member 

Mark Dryfoos, Ambler FitzSimons Harrison, and Melissa Friedman Guon. 

The lake Forest academy and Ferry Hall class of 1965 (front row l to r): Don Mayer, George Chopivsky, 

Ruth Cooperman Shaw, Bill Murphy, Mike Schell, David Ayers. 

ALumNI SHARE THEIR 

THOuGHTS ON GETTING 

INvOLvED IN REuNION! 

“ My wife went to Geneva HS, class of 

’59. They are a close group and she 

arranged their 25th, 35th, and a couple 

of other reunions. I was dragged along 

as photographer and general go-fer. I 

expected to hate it but ended up having 

a wonderful time. 

In 2005, as my 50th at LFA approached 

my wife urged me to try to get a hold 

of people and see what might happen. 

I was vERy apprehensive, but I got the 

class list and started calling. I contacted 

several local people and got them 

together for lunch, and they helped. We 

got 16 people back, and we had a great 

time together. It was the first time many 

of them had been back to LFA since 

graduation. Annina Fabbioli asked me 

to join the Alumni Council, and we have 

been working on increasing attendance 

ever since.” 

—Colin Campbell ’56 

The lake Forest academy class of 1970 (l to r) 

Craig Wilson, Peter Lee, Rich Jaros 

FeaTuRe 25

Joyce Mesenbrink Standish ’60 (right) shares old photos 

with her Ferry Hall classmate Susan Somerville Poff ’60 

“ Helping out as a class agent to get as 

many of the Ferry Hall class of 1960 

together was a great experience. Christine 

Ryder [Director of the Academy Fund at 

Lake Forest Academy] really spearheaded 

us and was very helpful facilitating our 

getting in touch with each other. She provided 

us with a list of as many of our class 

as she had information for, and three of 

us divided up the list and either phoned or 

wrote a note to everyone. one contact led 

to another and, in some cases, we found 

“missing persons” through each other. 

Christine provided us with accommodation 

details; we followed up with calls 

and notes and ended up with quite a 

good turnout. 

It truly is as they say...you pick up right 

where you left off 50 years ago...and the 

greatest gift of a reunion is re-kindling 

those friendships! I know many of us have 

made plans to get together in 2011!” 

—Lynn Mathias ’60 

The Ferry Hall class of 1970 (front row l to r): Nancy Neustadt Barcelo, Laurie Taylor-Curby, Barb Curtis 

McDonnell, Laurie Epstein Dearlove, Jill Grunwald Ward; (second row l to r): Joanie Levenson, Deborah Ahonen, 

Nancy Brown, Sue Sexmith Boucher, Kathy Pollock; (back row l to r): Alicia Leonhard, Meg McNamara, 

Peggy Barnes Woll, Carla Kappmeyer Sherwin. 

The class of 1975 (front row l to r): Brett Tuttrup, Bob Abboud, Cynthia Hoffman, Jim owen, Craig Anderson; 

(back row l to r): Dick Quagliano, Mike Walsh, Dean Alexandrou, Burt Lohoff-Gaida, Charlie Souby. 

The class of 1980 (front row l to r): Mike Reeves, Jodi Siegall D’Amico, Dana Taft-Ptucha, Aldona Navickas Weir, 

Bob Zaccone; (second row l to r): Wayne Wright, John Perry, Paul Bradley, Sara Williams Chesterfield, Fred Cromartie 

(back row l to r): Luther Garcia, Jeff Grant, vincent Falcone, Mark Karstrom. 


The class of 1985 (front row l to r): Regina Spellers Sims, Daphne Strothman Halminiak, Mimi Carr Killoren, 

Elizabeth Plamondon Cutler; (back row l to r): Joy Nagel McGreevy, Jim Shaver, AG Holstein, Eliza Ellsworth Woloson. 

The class of 1990 (front row l to r) Elizabeth Johnson Jones, Katie Dienner Florig, Laurie Cooper Cleveland, Molly 

Dehoff Holtzer, Jennifer Poole Kusch; (second row l to r): Dan Petrovich, Matt Mullin, Jason Miller, Geoff Smart, Jason 

Delane Lee (back row) Chris Freeburg. 

The class of 1995 (front row l to r): Tameka Rockingham Wilson, Anokhi Dalia Bock, Melissa Gibson, Elayne 

Klein, M.E. Dennis Lee; (second row l to r): Joe Mariano, Christopher Grancher, Mark Saunders, Frank Struwe; 

(back row l to r): Jason Anderson, vinny venugopal, Rodney Allen, Christian Anderson. 

“ It was a great honor and privilege to 

serve as Chairman of my 20th Class 

Reunion Committee at LFA. Given such 

a significant milestone reunion, I 

embarked on this effort with vigor and 

dedication to recruit as many of my 

classmates as possible to attend. I enlisted 

the support of classmates Laurie Cooper 

Cleveland and Zaid Abdul-Aleem in this 

endeavor, along with the support of John 

Springer. I had great success reconnecting 

with classmates via Facebook, where I 

established a Class of 1990 group page. 

Going forward, I will use this group page 

to keep my class updated on all LFA 

milestone reunions and other activities 

and news of interest. This forum on 

Facebook has allowed many of my 

classmates to reconnect with each other 

and keep in touch regarding our personal 

and professional lives. After a great deal 

of hardwork via Facebook, phone calls, 

emails, letters, and web searches to find 

lost classmates, I was delighted that 

approximately 20 classmates were able 

to attend our 20th Reunion. Everyone 

who attended had a terrific time both on 

and off campus that weekend and looks 

forward to our next milestone reunion.” 

— Christopher E. Freeburg 

Chairman, Alumni Council and Trustee 

Class of 1990 

FeaTuRe 27

The class of 2000 

(front row l to r): Katie Nitka, 

Erik Moser, Joanna Schander, 

Aaron Sierra, Tina Massey; 

(second row l to r): Ches Thurber, 

Dennericka Brooks, Raabia 

Khan, Rachel Llanas, Ama 

Addai; (third row l to r): Rhonda 

Roseboro, Sarah Griggs, 

Shanthi Ramanathan 

Radhakrishnan, Lauren Bassi, 

Jenny Jeep; (back row) 

Jamal Brown. 

The class of 2005 

(front row l to r): Christina Kelly, 

Courtney Cregan, Mghnon 

Martin, Kelly Hewitt, Kristen 

Hewitt; (second row l to r): Sara 

Calfee, Asona Lui; (back row 

l to r): Nii Annan, Alex Goode, 

Kirk Zafirovski. 

volunteer to Help organize Reunion 2011 

Seeing old friends is a huge part of what a reunion is all about, and LFA needs your 

help to get as many people together as possible. If you would like to volunteer to be a 

class agent for Reunion 2011, please email Jeremiah Stevens at jstevens@lfanet.org. 

The work is very important but also a lot of fun, as you can read in the stories on 

these pages, so volunteer now and make Reunion 2011 the most highly attended 

LFA-FH reunion ever. 


Chris Freeburg 

Chairman, Alumni Council 

& Trustee 

you WoN’T WANT To MISS ouT oN THE FuN oF REuNIoN 

So BE SuRE To MARK youR CALENDARS FoR REuNIoN 2011, 

sepTeMbeR 23–24, 2011. 

I celebrated my 20th class reunion this year, and it was great to reconnect with so 

many of my classmates. It was wonderful to see so many from other generations 

doing the same. Whether it was conversation at the class gatherings or cheering 

on the Caxys at the homecoming football game, the more than 300 alumni that 

gathered back at LFA this fall shared a sense of pride in their alma mater. You 

won’t want to miss out on the fun of Reunion, so be sure to mark your calendars 

for Reunion 2011, September 23-24. 

Over Reunion Weekend, the Alumni Council gathered for our fall meeting. It 

was heartening to hear Dr. Strudwick report that the school is doing well and 

that infrastructure improvements to both new and existing facilities are coupled 

with advances in student success and our ability to attract the best and brightest 

students from around the world. We heard from various committees on their recent 

efforts and I am happy to report wonderful happenings all around campus. 

The Academy Fund Committee is excited to work with Christine Ryder to reach 

out and educate their peers on the importance of regularly supporting LFA. The 

Academy Fund, comprised of donations from Alumni, Parents and Trustees, 

and friends of LFA, is a critical component of the annual operating budget of 

LFA. As a non-profit institution, LFA relies on the Academy Fund in addition 

to tuition from current students, endowment distribution, and facility rentals to 

support the school. Annual support from alumni has been gradually increasing 

over the last few years, but I am sorry to report that we only have 13% participation 

of our alumni giving back to our school, whereas figures for competitive 

private college preparatory schools is in the 20-30% range. If you feel strongly 

about the impact that LFA had on your personal and professional life, please 

take a moment to show your gratitude by making an annual donation to the 

Academy Fund at www.lfanet.org/give. 

The Communications Committee works with LFA in a variety of areas, including 

as a sounding board in the website redesign. A new site will hopefully be live 

early in 2011. They also have worked with new Director of Alumni Relations, 

Jeremiah Stevens, to establish an official Facebook presence. Check it out at 

www.facebook.com/LakeForestAcademy. 

The Young Alumni Committee is focused on keeping our younger alumni engaged. 

On Nov. 18, the school hosted its first “Thursday is the New Friday 

at LFA” event in Chicago. It is hoped that these regional events will become a 

regular occurrence to help keep young alumni involved in what’s happening on 

campus and with their peers. If you are interested in starting a regional gathering 

in your area, please contact Jeremiah Stevens, Director of Alumni Relations, at 

jstevens@lfanet.org. 

Finally, the newly formed African and African-American Committee reported on 

their goal to be more involved on campus this year. Their work with the Admission 

office and currents students to help improve the recruitment and retention 

of students of color will provide great assistance to LFA in ensuring that all of 

our students are succeeding in class, the dorms, and on the fields. 

Chris Freeburg 

Chair, Alumni Council & Trustee 

FRoM THe aluMni council 29

class notes 

SPOTLIGHT 

This One’s for the Girls 

N. morrison Torrey ’68 had 

always thought she would 

follow her love of words— 

a love she discovered during 

her two years at Ferry 

Hall—into a profession as a 

writer. After graduating from 

Wellesley, she worked in the 

publishing industry for three 

years, that is, until her boss 

told her he’d be paying her 

twice as much if she were 

a man. “That’s when I applied to law school,” 

Torrey stated over lunch. 

At Drake Law School, Torrey didn’t find much 

gender equity. While about a third of her class 

were women, the faculty only had two female 

professors. “There were very few role models 

for us at the time,” Torrey remembers. 

After practicing law for seven years in Chicago, 

Torrey accepted a one-year position teaching 

labor law at DePaul. When the individual who 

had taken a leave from the College of Law decided 

not to return, Torrey convinced the college 

to hire her into the vacated tenure-track 

position. “Perhaps they later regretted that 

decision,” Torrey said with a smile. 

During her more than twenty year career at 

DePaul, Prof. Torrey was a trailblazer in the field 

of feminist theory in law pedagogy, publishing 

30 Review Fall 2010 

extensively on how to make the study of law 

more accepting of women and minorities. Her 

fields of study were feminist jurisprudence (with 

an emphasis on violence against women), gender 

and legal education, and labor law. She was 

also a highly sought after instructor and mentor. 

Torrey loved her students and recalls her classes 

always filling up quickly. As their professor, 

she encouraged her students to think critically 

and to question everything. “I told them to 

challenge their teachers; encouraged them to 

challenge me.” 

Torrey also worked closely with research assistants 

and was one of few professors who would 

grant her law students a byline on articles they 

co-authored. The relationship Torrey established 

with her law students, one of mutual respect 

and trust, was reminiscent of the relationship 

she enjoyed with her teachers at Ferry Hall. 

Teachers she remembers in particular include, 

English teacher mrs. Fritts, with whom she did 

an independent study her senior year and her 

biology teacher mrs. Louch, whom she assisted 

in the lab. 

Known then as Nancy, Torrey attended Ferry 

Hall for her junior and senior years after her 

public school cut foreign language from the 

curriculum in the third year. She remembers 

fondly the atmosphere she encountered at Ferry 

Hall, “I met like-minded peers who were intel- 

“ I met like-minded peers who were intellectually 

adventurous young women. It was no longer weird 

to be smart. I remember being really excited in 

my classes and encouraged to take intellectual risks 

in a way I never had been before” 

lectually adventurous young women. It was no 

longer weird to be smart. I remember being 

really excited in my classes and encouraged to 

take intellectual risks in a way I never had been 

before” Torrey recalls. 

Torrey knows her Ferry Hall education not only 

infused her with confidence, but also cultivated 

the self-advocacy skills she called upon 

throughout her career, including challenging the 

College of Law’s decision to deny her promotion 

to full professor, a decision that was later overturned 

by the university after letters poured in 

from her former students and colleagues. 

At Ferry Hall, Torrey lettered in basketball, 

volleyball and softball as well as played singles 

tennis. “The opportunity to play sports was 

a huge confidence builder. At my public school, 

the only recognized sport for women was cheerleading.” 

Additionally, Torrey was involved in 

the investment club and drama, both joint endeavors 

between Ferry Hall and Lake Forest 

Academy. 

Thinking back on her distinguished career, Torrey 

feels that Ferry Hall was the jumping off 

point of her many future successes. She states 

simply, “Ferry Hall made a huge impact on my 

life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.” 

N. Morrison Torrey retired with professor emeritus 

status from the DePaul College of Law in 

2007. During her career, she published extensively 

on the topics of labor and employment 

law, women’s rights and feminist theory in the 

teaching of law. Among other honors, she was 

awarded the University Award for Public Service, 

an Excellence in Teaching Award by the 

College of Law, and The Spirit of Ella Baker 

Award for her commitment to racial and social 

justice at DePaul and beyond. Torrey regularly 

received outstanding evaluations from her students. 

In retirement, Torrey and her husband 

live in Florida.

1940 

Muriel burnet traveled to Seattle and on to victoria, 

B.C. to the Butchart Gardens and enjoyed 

a night at the Empress with the room overlooking 

the harbor. She had high tea at the hotel. 

The trip was planned by Ted wilson ’74. 

1943 

Nancy (Dee Dee) schmidt bradley published a 

book, “Indiana,” (author’s name N.C. Weyle). 

Additionally, she and her horse were judged the 

fittest to finish a 4 hour (20 mile) ride in Hot 

Springs, virginia. 

1950 

skip welfeld was sorry he missed Reunion 

this year, and remembers the 50th fondly. He 

wishes to report to classmates that he will be at 

the 65th and invites them to stay with him in 

Aspen for skiing and biking. 

1958 

Jeff blumenthal reports his “off year” 2010 reunion 

was fun as well as cold and windy. His 

intent for attending was to get the benefit of 

knowing two classes: 1955 and 1960. He was 

not disappointed and intends to do it again next 

year for another overlapping experience. He 

heartily recommends that you put it on the calendar 

and make an attempt to attend. Jeff lives 

close by in downtown Chicago and has two 

grandchildren within 5 miles of the Academy. 

1960 

Dave schoede was very sorry to miss his class 

reunion, though he had every intention of attending. 

After closing on a new home in late 

August, he decided to lease his first home. The 

renters took possession on Oct. 1, just in time 

to prevent him from attending reunion. 

1963 

Al wolf remembers with appreciation Latin 

teacher the late Master Richard J. Carbray. He 

remembers mr. Carbray frequently held classes 

at his cottage where mrs. Carbray served tea. 

The class read Augustine’s “Confessions.” 

1967 

David Andreas ’67 connected with Peter schnur 

’67 at the 2010 Commencement of Haverford 

College where David’s daughter, Genevieve and 

Peter’s son, Scott graduated. David’s daughter is 

now a graduate student at Stanford university. 

1974 

Milt Green had the pleasure of attending 

Lauren Lee ’06’s graduation from Occidental 

College in June 2010. milt is a 1978 graduate 

of Occidental. 

Milt Green ’74 (right) with Stephen Lee ’74 and 

his daughter, Lauren ’06, at Lauren’s graduation from 

occidental College. 

Ted wilson connected with Muriel burnet ’40 

over Reunion 2009. After receiving a thank you 

note from muriel for a pen he gave to all reunion 

attendees, he invited her to visit him and his 

wife in Washington to fulfill her long-time wish 

to take high tea at the Empress Hotel in victoria, 

British Columbia. Highlights of the three day 

trip included a ride on the victoria Clipper boat, 

a visit to the Butchart Gardens and, of course, 

high tea at the Empress Hotel. 

1976 

Jonathan Love is currently Asst. Chief Counsel 

for the Dept. of Homeland Security in Seattle, 

WA. He lives there with his wife and 2 daughters 

ages 13 and 5. 

1978 

Tae won kang is living in Korea and owns a 

business consulting firm. He is married with 

two children. He urges his other alumni to get in 

touch with him via Facebook or e-mail espere@ 

hanmail.net. 


class notes 

’74 

save THe daTe 

25th anniversary co-ax concert 

May 16, 2011 | 7 p.m. 

class noTes 31

class notes 

’96 

’01 

’03 

’06 

1996 

scott w. kaeser was married on Oct. 16 2010 

in Scottsdale, Arizona. Also in attendance was 

Jeff bloom ’96. Scott and his wife, melissa, live 

in Chicago. (left) 

1998 

Elena Chiappinelli is living in Iowa City finishing 

her masters in Healthcare Administration 

at the university of Iowa. She is applying for 

fellowships at children’s hospitals throughout 

the uS. Connect with her via e-mail at elenachiappinelli@gmail.com. 

2001 

Margaret Jessen kelley and Jonathan Clay Kelley 

welcomed a son, John Edgar Clay Kelley 

(“Edgar”), on June 13, 2010. 

John Edgar Clay Kelley, born June 13, 2010 

2003 

Josh Ettner ’03 and Jillian Forsythe ’03 were 

married on July 24, 2010, in Chicago. 

Pictured are LFA classmates at the rehearsal dinner 

(l to r): Mac Fuller ’04, JB Turney ’03, Jillian Forsythe 

’03, Josh Ettner ’03, Stephen Reyes ’03, and Peter 

Hamilton ’02. 

2006 

brooke wesley Chapman got married in mesa, 

Ariz., on July 31, 2010. She and her husband, 

Ryan, live in Lake Forest. 

Brooke Wesley ’06 and her husband, Ryan Chapman. 

Tom klein graduated Summa Cum Laude, 8th 

in his class, from Babson College with a Bachelors 

of Science in Business, concentration in 

Finance and Economics. He is a member of the 

Omicron Delta Epsilon Honor Society for Economics, 

and Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society 

for Business. He competed in Toronto at the 

Rotman International Trading Competition and 

finished 2nd out of 44 teams (won by m.I.T.). 

At graduation, he received the Wallace P. mors 

Award for achievement in Finance. He studied a 

semester at the Singapore management university. 

Tom is employed by Klein Tools as a Business 

Analyst. 

2007 

Megan Gallagher was presented with the 

Founders Award of Excellence by Rennselaer 

Polytechnic Institute. Given annually to the best 

and brightest students, this award is presented 

to students who embody qualities of creativity, 

discovery, leadership, pride and responsibility. 

2008 

Ryan Pesch, along with a teammate (Trevor Burd) 

from Boston university sailing team, has been 

named to the u.S. Sailing Development Team. 

Pesch and Burd hope to compete in the 2016 

Olympic Games. 

Jimmy Podolny made the Dean’s list at Northwestern, 

medill. He took a great English class 

with Leah Flack, wife of former faculty member 

Matt Flack, when she taught at Northwestern. 

Faculty notes 

Director of Library Information Services and 

Laptop Orchestra Director Grier Carson and 

wife, Stephanie, welcomed their son Emerson 

Tate Carson into the world on Sept. 29. Everyone 

is happy and healthy. 

Jon Freeman, English department chair and director 

of residential life, and his wife, Rebecca 

Makkai Freeman ’95, announce the arrival of 

their daughter Heidi Whitlock Freeman, born on 

Sept. 13. Heidi joins big sister Lydia. 

Former LFA science teacher and tennis coach 

Michael stanley (LFA 1977–79) is chief ophthalmic 

photographer at the medical College of 

Georgia. He can be reached at: mstanley@mail. 

mcg.edu. view his website at: michaelstanleyphotography.com. 


Heat Wave 

Amidst the heat of the summer of 2010, Edward 

P. Kohn ’86 takes readers back to the 

summer of 1896 in New york City with his new 

book “Hot Time in the Old Town.” Kohn’s book 

chronicles the deadly ten-day heat wave that 

killed nearly 1,300 people, and, he argues, 

launched Theodore Roosevelt’s political career. 

Kohn, an assistant professor of American history 

and chair of the American literature and 

culture department at Bilkent university, has 

spent the last several years publishing articles 

on Theodore Roosevelt and is considered an 

authority on the 26th president. In his writing 

about Roosevelt, Kohn has aimed to demystify 

the western persona that history has assigned 

to Roosevelt in recent years. 

However, even Kohn was not initially aware of 

the significance of the event he later turned into 

his book. “When I first came across Roosevelt’s 

reporting of this heat wave, I didn’t think much 

of it. It wasn’t until I started digging deeper that 

I realized this was a very important—though 

mostly forgotten—event in American history,” 

Kohn explains, calling via Skype from his home 

in Ankara, Turkey. Forgotten, he believes, because 

heat waves, even today, are generally not 

taken seriously despite the fact that extreme heat 

is the number one occurring natural disaster. 

Kohn’s book enjoyed a wave of its own in the 

form of national media attention, including interviews 

on NPR, The Daily Show and numerous 

book reviews appearing in, among others, 

The Wall Street Journal and Harvard magazine. 

When asked about his book’s launch into the 

media spotlight, Kohn relays, “It was a very exciting 

summer. The high point, of course, being 

my interview with Jon Stewart, which was both 

thrilling and a little scary.” 

SPOTLIGHT 

The love of discovering historical events like the 

1896 heat wave began for Kohn at LFA. Kohn 

remembers Louis Turansky’s European history 

class and how he was a teacher who “had a way 

of bringing to life the drama of history.” Growing 

up in Highland Park, Kohn attended LFA for four 

years as a day student. A serious student, Kohn 

graduated first in his class and went on to Harvard. 

When asked about his decision to attend 

the Ivy League school, he chuckles and says, 

“Well, I applied to a number of schools, but it’s 

hard to say no to Harvard.” 

The decision seems to have served him well in 

his academic career, as did his LFA education. 

“I secured a first-rate education at LFA and remember 

my time fondly. I see a direct line between 

my time at the Academy and what I do 

now,” Kohn recalls. 

“Hot Time in the Old Town” was released in 

August. Kohn is currently working on another 

book about Theodore Roosevelt. 

Dr. Edward P. Kohn lives in Ankara, Turkey with 

his wife and two young children. Kohn joined the 

Bilkent University faculty in 2003. He earned 

his PhD from McGill University. 

class notes 

in Memoriam 

1932 

Eileen sisley died September 18, 2010 in Athens 

Georgia at the age of 96. 

1933 

kathleen Ammerman steiber, 94, passed 

away June 19, 2010. Kay graduated from Ferry 

Hall in 1933. She attended numerous area 

schools through graduation from Northwestern 

univ. After WWII, Kay and her husband settled 

in Chicago and had two sons. Kay was an active 

volunteer in PTA, church, and Boy Scouts for 

the boys. Later she was a dedicated volunteer 

at Henry mayo Hospital, valencia, CA and was 

volunteer of the year there. She was a lifelong 

member of Delta Gamma sorority, and later, 

P.E.O., holding many chapter positions in both. 

Survivors include son James, daughter-in-law 

marsha and cousins Candace and Holly Smith. 

1935 

Mildred k. Gross Thelen died June 1, 2010. 

She was 93. mildred earned her bachelor’s 

from Northwestern university and extended her 

education at the Katharine Gibbs School in New 

york City, where she trained to be an executive 

secretary. She worked with a doctor specializing 

in children’s therapy in NyC. mildred married 

her husband Bob in 1942. mildred was an 

active volunteer throughout her life, including 

with First united methodist Church and various 

community organizations. She served as chair 

of the united Way Campaign and as a board 

member for the Civic music Association, visiting 

Nurse Services, and Home Health Aid/mobile 

meals. She was a member of the mercy 

Guild, Wesley Acres Guild, P.E.O. Chapter LL, 

Sunset Study Club, and Wakonda Club. She 

was president of several PTAs. She is survived 

by two sons; her daughter; 6 grandchildren, a 

niece, and many other close relatives. Her son 

Robert reports that mildred always spoke highly 

of her Ferry Hall experience. 

1936 

walter sheldon Fox, 91, passed away on Feb. 

4, 2010. Walter graduated from the Academy 


in MeMoRiaM 33

in memoriam 

in 1941. He attended yale university. Walter 

graduated from Illinois Wesleyan university, 

Bloomington, in 1941 with a bachelor of arts 

in economics. He was president of Phi Gamma 

Delta Fraternity. He served in the u.S. Navy 

during World War II in the South Pacific Theatre 

where he obtained the rank of lieutenant. 

He was commander of uSS APC18. He was a 

vice president for Bloomington Federal Savings 

& Loan. He was a member of the Bloomington 

Rotary Club and was a 40-year member of the 

Bloomington masonic Lodge. Walter was a former 

member and president of the Bloomington 

Country Club. He served on the American Red 

Cross board of directors. He was the march 

of Dimes auction treasurer. He also served on 

the united Way board of directors. He was a 

founding member of the “Hackers and Smackers” 

golf group. He was an avid fisherman and 

golfer. Walter is survived by three children; one 

brother; eight grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren. 

1939 

kenneth stabeck died September 4, 2010. Ken 

was awarded a hockey scholarship to attend the 

Academy and graduated in 1939. He attended 

Grinnell university as well as the university of 

mN. He served in the u.S. Navy during WWII. 

As a manufacturer’s Rep, Ken formed The Stabeck 

Company in 1964. Today it is run as Stabeck 

Sales & marketing by son, K.C. Ken was a 

former member of the Lafayette Club, A.A. and 

St. martin’s by the Lake Episcopal Church. Ken 

is survived by loving children, grandchildren, 

and step-grandchildren. 

1940 

sara “sally” Loughead Davis died on Oct. 22, 

2010 at the age of 87. Sara graduated from Ferry 

Hall in 1940. Living in Kalamazoo, michigan, 

Sally was a member of the First Presbyterian 

Church; Collegiate Sorosis Sorority at university 

of michigan; Dunning Guild at the First Presbyterian 

Church; Service Club of Kalamazoo; and 

the Women’s Council of Kalamazoo College. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; her 

husband, Robert G. Davis; and a sister, Patricia 

Eldredge. She is survived by five children; five 

grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. 

1941 

barbara Loeb Alexander, 86, died April 9, 

2010. She graduated from Ferry Hall in 1941 

and Tobe-Coburn School for Fashion. Surviving 

are her daughters, Jacquelyn A. Bell and Patricia 

Hughson (husband: Thomas) and a sister, Carol 

Loeb Wallach. Also surviving are her grandchildren 

David Kulman (wife: Ali), Joel Kulman and 

(significant other: Kathryn Ennhuis), Alexis Bell 

and David Bell. 

Otto “Dick” Fifield, age 87, passed away January 

26, 2010. mr. Fifield attended Lake Forest 

Academy and Purdue university. Otto is survived 

by his wife, Judith; four children including 

steven Fifield ’66; many grandchildren and 

great-grandchildren including Laura Fifield ’94. 

mr. Fifield was an Army veteran of World War 

II. Otto was a local realtor and developer of 

many subdivisions in Lake County. He was a 

former member of the Gary and Crown Point 

Rotary Clubs. 

1943 

Alan P. Jones, 85, died Oct. 14, 2010. Alan 

graduated from the Academy in 1943. He 

served in the u.S. Army during World War II, 

in the European Theater of Operations from 

1943-1945, attaining the rank of Private First 

Class. Alan received a Bronze Star medal, the 

second highest decoration for infantry. After the 

war, he attended college, graduating cum laude 

with an A.B. from Harvard College in 1948. He 

continued his education, receiving an m.B.A. 

from Harvard Business School in 1950. Alan returned 

to Fort Atkinson in 1950 and worked at 

Jones Dairy Farm for over 55 years, and also at 

uncle Josh Bait Company for over 25 years. He 

served as a director on many boards, including: 

Johnson Bank, Dwight Foster Public Library, 

PDQ Corporation, Wisconsin Governor’s Advisory 

Committee on International Trade, Wisconsin 

International Trade Council, Wisconsin Citizens 

Environmental Council, Wisconsin Radioactive 

Waste Policy Council, and Wisconsin Nature 

Conservancy. Alan was an avid duck hunter, 

fisherman, downhill skier, a member of many 

environmental protection organizations, and he 

always had a thirst for knowledge of history. 

Alan is survived by his wife, Jean; four children; 

and four grandchildren. 

Mary Elizabeth Rice wells passed away on 

January 26, 2010. mary graduated from Ferry 

Hall in 1943. She and her husband, Sam, traveled 

extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and 

northern Africa. Sam passed away in 2001. 

mary is remembered by her friends and sons as 

a loving, generous and independent woman and 

a loyal friend. She had a wide-ranging intellect, 

and was an avid and eclectic reader of everything 

from detective novels to history, politics, 

science and popular culture. mary is survived by 

her sisters Grace, Carlene, and Ruth; by her sons 

Samuel Wells (Donna), Robert Wells (Connie), 

and Duncan Wells, and her five grandchildren. 

1944 

John “Alec” Alexander, 83, passed away on 

February 15, 2010. Alec graduated from the 

Academy in 1944. Following high school, he 

enlisted in the Navy at Great Lakes. He was a 

World War II veteran. He graduated from Hanover 

College, Indiana with a BS in English. He 

received his mA from Butler university, Indiana. 

Alec coached and taught at mishawaka, East 

Peoria and Eisenhower. He also coached at Cerro 

Gordo, millikin, Warrensburg-Latham, and Illiopolis. 

Alec loved teaching but football was his 

true passion. He coached over 50 years. John 

leaves two daughters, Carol Cohen and Barbara 

Alexander; a grandson Alexander Steinhaus; 

David Cohen; Steve Reiss and Petey, his dog. 

1948 

sally Ehrlicher Robbins, age 80, died September 

4, 2010. She attended Ferry Hall. She 

graduated from marjorie Webster Junior College 

in Washington, DC. mrs. Robbins and former 

classmate, Jinx Poindexter appeared on a 

weekly radio program GALS ABOuT TuNE, a 

live broadcast, featuring the two at the piano 

singing songs from the latest Broadway musicals. 

mrs. Robbins moved to Atlanta where she 

quickly became active in the community. She 

was a long-time supporter of Emmaus House 

and was active in distributing food to the needy 

of southwest Atlanta. mrs. Robbins was active 

in her children’s schools. An enthusiastic volunteer 

at the High museum of Art, mrs. Robbins 

was a member of the Friends of Decorative Arts. 

A committed preservationist, mrs. Robbins, 

with her husband, was a long-time member of 

Atlanta Preservation Center and The Georgia 

Trust for Historic Preservation. An avid reader 

34 Review Fall 2010 Click: www.lfanet.org 

8

and bridge player, mrs. Robbins participated in 

a monthly book club and played bridge with the 

same circle of dear friends for over 50 years. 

mrs. Robbins was a member of the Cathedral 

of St. Philip where she was especially grateful 

for the liturgy of music. She is survived by 

her husband of 57 years, Leon Robbins; three 

daughters; a son; and twelve grandchildren. 

1949 

Peter s. Gamble died Aug. 22, 2010. He was 

79. Peter graduated from Lake Forest Academy 

in 1949. Peter served in the united States Air 

Force from 1951 to 1953. After returning from 

the service, he worked at yawkey Bissell Lumber 

Co., in White Lake, until he moved to Seattle, 

Wash. He worked in various sales positions 

for the lumber and roofing industries, retiring 

as a regional sales manager for Pabco Building 

Products. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he 

was very active in Ducks unlimited and Pheasants 

Forever. Peter was preceded in death by 

his wife, Barbara. He is survived by his stepchildren; 

six grandchildren; a sister, a brother, 

and nieces and nephews. 

1951 

Jerome M. “Jerry” Morrison died September 9, 

2010, in Asheville, NC. He was 81. Jerry 

graduated from LFA in 1947 and from Lake 

Forest College in 1951. He completed his masters 

Degree at Pepperdine university. Jerry retired 

in 1989 as Director of Field Operations 

for the State of Illinois Division of vocational 

Rehabilitation, and relocated with his wife Rita 

Rigney morrison to Asheville, NC. He was an 

active member of the Friendship Force of Western 

North Carolina and Kiwanis International. 

Jerry is survived by his wife, Rita, seven children, 

nine grandchildren, and seven greatgrandchildren. 

Jerry will be remembered for his 

wit, wisdom, and vast knowledge. He will be 

greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. 

1960 

kenneth “ken” Marshall white died march 6, 

2009 at the age of 66. Ken was raised in Lake 

Forest and graduated from the Academy in 

1960. After graduation, he attended Lawrence 

university in Wisconsin. Ken earned his pilot’s 

license in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps 

and attended the Coast Guard Officer’s Train- 

ing School. He served active duty in the Coast 

Guard for three years at which point he earned 

a master’s Degree from Georgetown university. 

Ken continued to serve in the Coast Guard Reserves 

until 1977. He spent the next few years 

working for Electronic Data Systems, which 

took him to Columbia, SC, and eventually to the 

San Francisco Bay Area in 1974. He worked on 

various bank projects for EDS including a threemonth 

project for the Shah of Iran. In 1980 he 

started his own successful software engineering 

company, California Computer Services. 

He earned an mBA from uC Berkeley. Ken is 

survived by his children Laurel and marshall, 

partner Linda Frey and her son Cole, grandchildren 

Jackson, Alexa and maya, brother Tony, 

and loving extended family and friends. He was 

recently preceded in death by his brother. 

1967 

Trish Clark harrigan died may 6, 2010. She 

was 61. Trish graduated from Ferry Hall in 

1967 and attended the Dayton Art Institute. 

After moving to Florida, she earned her associate’s 

degree at Okaloosa-Walton Jr. College. 

A passionate photographer, she won both local 

and national awards for her work. Trish was 

thankful for all of the support she received from 

her friends at the mental Health Association of 

Okaloosa Walton Counties, where she served as 

a peer counselor. And she and her family were 

greatly appreciative of the staff at Westwood 

and Covenant Hospice who assisted Trish in her 

final months battling cancer. Trish was preceded 

in death by her father. She is survived by her 

mother, two sisters, a brother, and two nieces. 

1977 

David stouder died June 6, 2010, in Chicago. 

He was 50. David graduated from LFA and 

Pitzer College in California. For the past 20 

years he lived and worked in Chicago. He was 

a talented artist, painter, and ceramicist. David 

taught pottery classes and was co-director 

of the pottery program at Jane Addams Hull 

House community centers in Chicago. He was a 

lifelong lover of cats; a memorial fund in David’s 

name was established at the Independent Cat 

Society in Indianapolis, Ind. David was predeceased 

by his parents and is survived by two 

sisters, susan ’79 and beth ’75; two nieces, 

Amelia and Ariana; and many loving friends, 

aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

in memoriam 

1996 

brooke Price passed away September 1, 2010. 

Former Faculty 

Former Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall 

camp director, John stevens, died Oct. 6. He 

was 85. Stevens was a founding member of the 

Lake Forest Academy junior high school boys 

basketball tournament, which had a nearly 

30-year run. Stevens is survived by his wife 

Beverly; their sons Scott, michael and Ole; and 

daughters Lyn and Peg; 12 grandchildren; and 

three great-grandchildren. 

aluMni e-news 

make sure you’re getting all of the exciting 

LFA news! Send us your e-mail address so 

we can update you on events, sports results, 

faculty news, construction progress and 

more in our quarterly electronic newsletter. 

Contact Nancy Bateman at: (847) 615-3212 

or nbateman@lfanet.org to add or change 

your e-mail address. 

in MeMoRiaM 35

Photograph from student album circa 1895. A handwritten note 

next to the picture indicated that the girls cleaned their rooms once 

a week on “Sweeping Day”. 

CAmPuS LIvING: 

Home Away 

from Home 

BY RITA MACAYEAL ’87, LFA ARCHIVIST/ 

RESEARCH LIBRARIAN 

For Lake Forest Academy boarding students, living on campus 

is a significant part of their secondary education experience. 

For over 150 years, students from various national and international 

locales have made LFA and Ferry Hall their “home 

away from home”. 

When LFA opened in 1857, physical conditions in the living 

quarters were austere; boarders studied by candlelight, 

chopped their own firewood, and fetched water from a pump 

for drinking and bathing. When Ferry Hall opened in 1869, 

boarders enjoyed much better accommodations with modern 

amenities such as gaslights and indoor plumbing. 

Well into the 20th Century, Ferry Hall boarders lived by a 

rather rigid schedule and under close supervision. Reminiscing 

on her experiences as a student in 1904, one alumna 

recalled that dormitory guests were greeted in the reception 

hall by a maid who took a message or escorted female callers 

to the proper room; gentlemen callers were allowed into the 

parlor only for a few weekend visiting hours. During the 

week, “lights out” was strictly enforced at 10:00 p.m. 

At the Academy, the boarders enjoyed a bit more freedom and 

apparently bent the rules to a greater degree. A teacher recalling 

the early 1900s commented that “The boys of this period 

set an all-time high for roughhousing… [they] had secret 

LFA Student studying in dorm 

room, 1898. Academy students 

often hunted in the surrounding 

woods, which may explain the 

stuffed birds and a deer head on 

the wall. 

hiding places, floors were taken up, ‘secret’ walls were put in 

…there were frequent hose connections, from room to room 

so that the ‘telephone’ communications would be unimpaired.” 

On the previous campus in the early 1900s, LFA dormitories 

were offered with a tiered price structure. According to 

early school catalogues, families could choose to pay more for 

Remsen Cottage or Durand Cottage so their sons would have 

a more home-like atmosphere, or pay less for East Dormitory, 

a bunk-house styled residence. 

At Ferry Hall, the girls lived in the main building and Senior 

House until the North and South Buildings were added in 

1929. Various dorm traditions came and went through the eras, 

including a cherished one from 1940s and 1950s; on the night 

before Christmas vacation, the girls would gather in their pajamas 

to hear a reading by the principal and then fall asleep 

to the sounds of carols sung in the hallways by the seniors. 

When LFA bought the former J. Ogden Armour estate (the 

present campus) in 1947, several existing out-buildings were 

quickly converted into three dormitories: Durand House, 

Warner House, and Remsen Cottage. The groundbreaking for 

the first new campus building, Bates House dormitory, followed 

in April of 1948. Over time the need for additional and 

improved dormitory space prompted the building of Marshall 

Field House in 1965 and Atlass Hall in 1999. Planning is currently 

underway to build a new girls’ dormitory, which will 

be named Ferry Hall to honor that part of our school history. 

While student residential life today may seem a world apart 

from the 19th century— today’s students have computers in 

their rooms instead of ink wells— certain elements of dorm 

life remain constant through time. In 19th century diaries, 

students expressed feelings of homesickness, lamented their 

homework workload, and reveled in the tight-knit friendships 

forged in the dorms. Regardless of era, the many hours spent 

sharing the ups and downs of boarding life often create some 

of the longest lasting and most treasured memories for alums. 


Tradition 

lake Forest academy 2010–11 academy Fund 

House Cup. Ringing of the Bowditch Bell. move up Day…your gift to the Academy 

Fund keeps these rich traditions strong. Please join in support of this remarkable school 

and make your academy Fund gift or pledge today. Gifts may be made online 

at: www.lfanet.org/give or with the enclosed envelope. Thank you. 

mISSION STATEmENT 

Lake Forest Academy strives to embody in its practices and to cultivate in its 

students excellence of character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility. 

Character encompasses respect for others and their beliefs, dedication to honesty 

in every sphere of life, realization of moral clarity and conviction, and pursuit of 

virtue and value in life. 

scholarship encompasses acquisition of knowledge, development of critical thinking, 

enthusiasm for discovery and learning, and exercise of a powerful imagination. 

Citizenship encompasses appreciation of diversity and multiculturalism, involvement 

in the LFA community, participation in service to others, and commitment to 

global awareness and understanding. 

responsibility encompasses development of self-reliance, ability to seek guidance, 

dedication to cooperation and teamwork, and action based upon informed decisions.

1500 West Kennedy Road • Lake Forest, Illinois 60045-1047 

posTMasTeR: ReTuRn seRvice ReQuesTed 

8 Click: www.lfanet.org 

sAvE ThE DATE! 

Spring Gala 

Saturday, April 30, 2011 

Call (847) 615-3228 for more information. 

NoN-PRoFIT oRG. 

u.S. PoSTAGE 

paid 

LAKE FoREST, IL 

PERMIT No.100 

Altered Books 

The goal to transform 

a discarded book into a 

creative work of art is 

met beautifully by senior 

Ellena Sea. Journey, 

executed in ms. Williams’ 

2D mixed media class, 

embraces the notion 

of personal growth and 

utilizes a variety of 

media and techniques.

Reunion 2010 - Lake Forest Academy

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