Aspiration and Perseverance — The History of Avon Old Farms School

ASPIRATION

AND

PERSEVERANCE

The History of Avon Old Farms School

Aspiration And Perseverance

The History of Avon Old Farms School

Gordon Clark Ramsey '80 (Hon.), Delineator

Students emerging from Diogenes Archway (entrance to the School). Bas relief sculpture shows Donald Carson and Paul Martin, two of Theodate Pope Riddle's wards. Note faYln motif. with Winged Beaver (School device) in foreground. and School motto at top.

Copyright © 1984 by the Board of Directors of The A.von Old Farms School , Inc .. Avon. Connecticut 06001

ii

Foreword

by F. Reed Estabrook. Jr . "3 6. President . Avon Old Farms School Board of Directors

I t's hard for me to define properly why I have maintained a fifty-year love affair with an institution , partially because the reasons for the affection have changed as the School has matured, I have matured, and my relationship

with and to the institution has changed, and grown. The mere fact that a school is almost sixty years old does not guarantee that

it will have a history worth reading , or that any but former students and faculty would be interested in reading it. However, I think that Avon Old Farms, which has known and overcome practically every problem known to man, should give encouragement to all who value education, especially to those in charge of schools facing problems of their own.

Not every problem we have known and overcome is chronicled in these pages, to be sure. The aim of this history has been to injure no one, alive or dead, and, if we know more than we are telling in some instances (and we do) , then so be it.

It would be hypocrisy to claim that we have nOt had failings , shortcomings, internal disagreements and honest differences of opinion as to how the School should be run, and what its philosophy should be.

This is a story of how problems were met , and , by and large , overcome over the years, and it's a story of our accomplishments. It 's an ongoing story , of course, and we hope that our successors will see fit to expand and revise it a generation or so down the road.

Just think of it. A school designed and built by a woman of very modest academic training-but native architectural genius . A school for boys built and established by a woman who never had children, who said , frequently, "The School is my life. " A school that tried to combine the best of English traditions with a daring, radical and quite modern curriculum for the late 1920's , and therefore a school that had trouble attracting enough students to fill the School, let alone balance the budget. A school that was closed during World War II , used for quite a different purpose (and the Army occupation is detailed in this history), and then reopened with no money , no endowment, no students , and no faculty, and, really, not "owning" its land and its buildings .

Yet, the vision was always there, and the School has attracted people over the years who were willing to make it their vision, too . If you have a beautifully simple idea, decide to do it as nearly to perfection as possible , chart your course , and then be willing to stick to it , it 's still possible to be successful in spite of all the problems which the world can throw at you , and all of the mistakes you will make while trying . We know . We've been there!

One tends to think of all independent schools as cloistered , but this is per­haps less true in the case of Avon. For one thing , workmen and artisans from n~ar and far came to work on the building of the School. Many of them and their descendants are still in the Farmington Valley , having stayed on once the build-

ii i

ings were finished . W e owe a g reat debt of gratitude to the recollections and reminiscences of these individuals , who have so generously come forward to sup­ply records we never had , or which were lost when the School was closed in the 1940's.

How a copy of a sixteenth-century Tudor Cotswold village came ro be built in the little town of Avon , Connecticut , has always interested area residents . We hope to make that stOry available for the first time through this histOry. Many of the citizens of Greater Hartford came to know the School best, ironically , while it was closed . Those people who worked at the Old Farms Convalescent Hospital , or who entertained the blinded veterans stationed here , seem to have been almost innumerable . And the veterans themselves have not been forgotten : indeed , sev­eral reunions have been held on campus over the years, and many individual vet­erans have been and are welcomed at School. For many of them , this book (avail­able on recording) will be the first answer to their oft-repeated questions as to why the School was built as it was, and how they came to be here . (The President of the United States had more than a little to do with the latter.)

"By their fruits ye shall know them " was a Biblical quotation often repeated by Mrs . Riddle during her lifetime , and the quotation is a reminder that the "product" of any school" is its students, and by these it will be judged and re­membered . We are justly proud of our alumni , the more so because they have always been chosen not solely on the basis of academic ability but rather for their overall potential. "The ways in which we differ are more important than the ways in which we are alike" has been quoted around and about Avon since 1927 . It continues to be a reminder that Avon was founded in order to provide an alterna­tive to traditional schools that attempted to mold students into a preconceived pattern that was judged to be , somehow , ideal. The many reminiscences of alumni, and their perceptions of the School, show that they have , indeed , been different from each other , but it seems that there are few who do not love the School and what it did for them.

The faculty and heads of School (called Provosts until 1969) have been equally talented and diverse , and have , it seems, provided just what the School needed at a particular point in its history . Few schools can boast of having had so many governing and advisory boards in so short a history (including , at one point, a New York bank!), but no histOry would be complete without an account of their thousands of hours of selfless service on behalf of the School , and we are proud to include that record .

This , then , is our first sixty years . In the words of the School mottO we have "aspired" and we have "persevered ." '

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Introduction

O ne of the delights of this project has been the outpouring of reminis­cences from so many sources: those who built the School , and their descendants; those who attended the School as students or taught at

Avon Old Farms; those who worked for the School or for the Old Farms Conva­lescent Hospital, and the veteran trainees of that period themselves . Many resi­dents of Greater Hartford have watched the School develop since the early 1920's, with, at different times , awe , bewilderment, and admiration .

It is for all these people that this book has been written . And, perhaps most importantly, it is written for the students of Avon-present and future--those to whom Theodate Pope Riddle dedicated the School "in perpetuity."

Primarily, of course, Avon Old Farms is, and always has been, an academic institution. It is that emphasis which is maintained throughout the narrative . Since the importation of Greek pedagogues to teach Roman sons, students have remembered most fondly and vividly, usually , not the 180 days a year they went to classes and played games. They have remembered, and continue to remember , all the times when something unusual happened, which, in general , means the times that they or somebody else bent the rules a little--or broke them completely!

Many of these colorful reminiscences, as well as the anecdotes which might mean the most to alumni of one particular period, have been gathered into the appendix, apart from the main narrative. They add much to the history of the School, but they should be viewed in context .

Were we to include all the anecdotes and reminiscences we have received , this volume would easily run to five times its present length . Therefore , we have cho­sen representative comments from each period , and apologize if we have inad­vertently left out someone's favorite story .

The author would like to thank all who have so generously contributed their interest, time , reminiscences, suggestions, and material. Chronologically, the impetus behind the idea of a written history originated at the time of the School's 50th anniversary year, 1977-1978, when it was proposed by Peter A. Aron '65 , alumnus and DirectOr. His leadership and vision convinced the Board that the project was an important one , and his thoughtful and detailed suggestions at every point earn him the title of "Editor" of the book. Board President F. Reed Estabrook , ] r. '36 and Headmaster George M. Trautman have been unwavering in their enthusiasm and support , providing the author with office space and with unlimited access to their time and recolleCtions. Finally, and equally important , The]. Aron Charitable Foundation , Inc. of New York City , long a major sup­porter of Avon Old Farms School , has generously provided the funding.

It truly has been a labour of love . Mayall who read these pages come to feel the same way about Avon Old Farms , if they do not already .

Gordon Clark Ramsey '80 (Hon.) May 1984

v

Theodate Pope Riddle (1868-1946). Designer and Founder of Avon Old Farms.

vi

I The Prologue

1868 - 1927

Perhaps every independent school thinks its origin to be unique , and, in a sense, it is true . Certainly the Tudor Cotswold style of architecture of Avon Old Farms has led most observers and writers to the conclusion

that the School is one of a kind in the world, and the fact that the Founder, Theodate Pope Riddle, was Connecticut's first licensed woman architect, pos­sessed not only of a considerable personal fortune bur also of seemingly "radical" educational ideas , has reinforced the same view.

In point of fact, Avon Old Farms was the outgrowth of many architectural and educational trends that were common in the United States during the early years of this century .

The early years of Mrs. Riddle have been recounted by her second cousin, the late Dr. Brooks Emeny, in his book Theodate Pope Riddle and the Founding 0/ Avon Old Farms , privately printed in 197 3 and re-issued in 1977 as part of the School's Jubilee celebration. However, since that book is nOt widely available, and since many myths and misconceptions about Mrs . Riddle abound, it would be well to recount the story again briefly (with quotes from Dr. Emeny's book) .

Her paternal grandparents, "Alton and Theodate Pope , came from Vassal­boro , Maine, where the family owned a woolen mill. They were ardent Quakers , and Mr. Pope , along with four friends, founded Oak Grove Academy for Quaker Children" which was duly attended by their son, Alfred Atmore Pope, born in 1843. The woolen mill failed when Alfred Atmore Pope was thirteen years of age, and this failure and resulting moves caused the young man, deprived of a college education , to determine that he would be a great success in some busi­ness . After a year in Baltimore, the Pope family moved to Salem, Ohio , a town which attracted many Quakers. In 1866, Alfred Atmore Pope married one Ada Brooks and, on February 2, 1868 , Effie Pope was born "before I was needed and greatly to my mother's resentment. One of my earliest memories is hearing my mother tell my father that she would not bear a child every year."

She did not ; Effie Pope was an only, and lonely , child, who early on dis­played considerable independence. Deciding that she did not care for the name Effie , she re-christened herself Theodate (which means , literally, "God 's gift") at the age of twelve , taking that name from her paternal grandmother. She refused to answer to the name Effie thereafter!

Her father , in 1869, borrowed $5,000 from a brother-in-law and moved the family to Cleveland, Ohio, where he bought an interest in the Cleveland Malleable Iron Company, which eventually became the National Malleable Steel Castings Company, and still survives as a division of a conglomerate . Alfred At­more Pope made good his resolve to make a success of his business career; he became President of the firm, and held that title even in his retirement, until his death in 1913. It was the considerable personal fortune which he amassed that made Avon Old Farms possible .

Though, according to Brooks Emeny, "Theodate remained an indifferent scholar, she nevertheless early developed a great capacity for reading, and she began drawing elevations and floor plans at the age of ten!" In her late teens, she was sent with her closest friend, cousin Elizabeth Brooks, to Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut. Although it was primarily known as a finishing school for young ladies , after the fashion of most secondary educational institu­tions for females of the time; nevertheless, it did expose her to such fellow Stu­dents as Alice Hamilton, who became a Harvard pathologist, and her cousin Agnes , who became, in Theodate 's words , "a leading sociologist-a pioneer in the field. "

The first evening of school, the girls gathered in one bedroom, and Alice Hamilton shocked the group by announcing that she intended to become a doc­tor. Not to be outdone, Theodate "pulled up something entirely from my sub­consciousness, because I heard myself saying that I was going to build an indestruc­tible school f or boys. "

She expanded on this point in an interview given to The Hartford Courant on Sunday, April 3, 1921, by which time she was 53 years of age: "When other girls at Miss Porter's School were planning dresses, I was drawing plans for buildings before I knew what I was doing. " It is a little unclear whether she meant by "before I knew what I was doing": "before I realized it" or, "before I knew how to do it" or both. Later , and all during her professional life, Theodate Pope (the name she used professionally) used what she called a "delineator" to do her final architectural drawings. There was nothing uncommon at that period in this practice among architects of standing over a draftsman and dictating.

Miss Porter's provided the study of history and art , and Theodate expanded this study with the observation at close range of the many old Colonial homes of all styles and sizes in Farmington.

According to the alumnae office at Miss Porter's, one did not really "gradu­ate" from the school at this time (1886), but rather left when the course of study had been completed , often for the Grand Tour of Europe with one's family . This tour was exactly what the Popes took: France, Italy , Spain , and, most impor­tantly from an architectural and educational standpoint , England.

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The Grand Tour was an attempt to expose Americans to the best of culture from Greek and Roman times up through the Middle Ages and into the late 19th Century , particularly as interpreted by upper-class English men and women. Since the affluent Americans engaged in The Grand Tour were almost always of English descent, and were urged on by authors such as Henry] ames and other Anglophiles , it was natural that Americans would copy English ways , or English interpretations of European ways, as the norm for educated Americans.

In terms of education for young men, this copying often meant the start of boarding schools imitative of Eton and Harrow in Eng land . In terms of architec­ture, particularly Ecclesiastical or Academic architecture , it meant copying English Georgian styles , or English copies of European Gothic styles . Such archi­tectural copying lasted in America at least until World War II , particularly at the collegiate level.

What Theodate Pope brought back with her from The Grand Tour was a little more imaginative and unique , however. She desired to combine the best of Old England and New England , though her view of New Eng land "old" was perhaps even a bit more Romanticized than her view of England "old" itself.

Upon their return to Cleveland , the Popes made a vain attempt to launch Theodate in Cleveland society, but she was determined to return to Farmington , Connecticut , and rent a 17th-century cottage with an option to purchase the COt­tage plus 42 acres of land . This purchase eventually became the nucleus of the Hill-Stead property .

"Here," noted a delighted Theodate, " it was just the experience I had been longing for : to see real life . For a year , I cooked every meal. Through the night I frequently struck matches to see my watch by candlelight , in order to be up by six to build the kitchen fire . The experience was all so deliciously new to me that I felt I had stepped over a frame into a picture."

What this latter-day Alice in Wonderland had stepped into was called The Arts and Crafts Movement , started in Eng land by the writer John Ruskin . It was a back-to-nature , live-simply movement that attempted to cast off the heavy clothes and draperies of the Victorian period, and return to a Romanticized view of a simple and distant past. (For a delightful parody of Americans copying The Arts and Crafts Movement , see the short story by Mary Roberts Rinehart called "The Simple Lifers. ")

Theodate Pope was by no means a hermit at her cottage in Farmington . She also maintained an apartment in New York City, and worked briefly in the Lil­lian Ward Henry Street Settlement , and also volunteered at the New York Psy­

chiatric Institute. To further her professional study , according to Brooks Emeny , Theodate

Pope spent "several months" in the early 1890's working with tutors in the De­partment of Architecture at Princeton University, and auditing some classes as well. This was as far as she could go at Princeton , very much an all-male college in those years. Informally , she added to her education by the purchase of large quantities of books on architecture , and by frequent trips to Europe . Indeed , so thorough was her study , and so keen and proficient her mind and skills, that by

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1910 (at the age of 42) Theodate Pope had become an architect in both the states of Connecticut and New York , and by 1918 was elected to membership in the American Institute of Architects, becoming a Fellow in 1926.

By 1900, it was obvious to the Popes that Theodate was not going to return to Cleveland , and she was , instead, determined that they should settle in Farm­ington . The lengths to which she was willing to go in this (or any other) venture can best be illustrated by an anecdote from Westover by Elizabeth Choate Spykman . "She (Theodate) was trying to make the whole Farmington setting attractive and inviting to her mother, when she saw a large rattlesnake on the ground in front of her. Realizing what this sight might do, she unflinchingly stepped over the snake , covering it with her hoop skirt as her mother walked by. To Theodate this act of bravery was merely a means of accomplishing an end she had set Out to attain ."

More than enough interests had already surfaced to keep a person busy for a lifetime , but yet another interest developed in Theodate Pope's life which was to have a tangential bearing on Avon Old Farms , that of psychic research and para­psychological phenomena. This was a most respectable turn-of-the-century inter­est for intellectuals , and in Theodate 's case it was spurred on in large measure by a death. A classmate of Theodate 's at Miss Porter's named Mary Hillard, had a brother John , with whom , it has been said , Theodate was deeply in love . After his death, both Mary Hillard and Theodate Pope attempted to communicate with John Hillard through a medium . The recordings of the sittings with the famous medium Mrs . Piper indicated to Theodate Pope and Mary Hillard that communication with those who had died and "passed over" was possible ; re-read­ing those transcripts in the 1980's causes one to nOte that many if not most of the communications could have been drawn from the unconscious or subconscious human minds of those at the sittings . In any event , similar communication was never established between Theodate and her father after the latter's passing in 1913 . But Theodate 's interest in the subject very nearly cost her her life.

Records in the Proceedings of The American Society for Psychical Research show that there had been a falling out , in 1912, and that Theodate Pope and one Edwin Friend had resigned from that Society. It had been Theodate 's hope to endow a Chair in Psychical Research at Harvard University , with Mr. Friend to be the first incumbent . Theodate and Mr. Friend decided on a trip to England in 1915, ostensibly to meet with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and others interested in the psychic field , but really to persuade the Society for Psychical Research (Brit­ish) to found a chapter in the United States which would be a rival organization to the Amercan Society . The ship they chose for this visit was the Lusitania, which was , during the voyage , torpedoed off the coast of Ireland by a German submarine. Mr. Friend and Theodate's maid were lost , and she herself was placed among the dead . Her letter to her mother on the subject (reprinted in the Ap­pendix) was published without her approval , but Theodate, at first most upset by this disclosure , later permitted a small private printing . Though this tragedy effectively finished the Harvard project (which probably would never have been

4

approved by the authorities of that unIversity , in any event) , it did not com­pletely kill her interest .

John Wallace Riddle entered the picture shortly after Theodate 's return from the aborted English visit. They met in Farmington , and he soon began pay­ing COurt . A retired diplomat , he had been Minister to Russia in the administra­tion of Theodore Roosevelt, not having the title of Ambassador because there was no U.S . Embassy there at the time. They were married in Farmington on May 16, 1916, and, upon the United States ' entrance into World War I , he was re­called to Washington where he served in the Military Intelligence Division of the U.S . Army War College . At 48, it was a late marriage for Theodate Pope, but it was exactly the kind of marriage that she needed : an older husband, calm and steady of disposition , who could be tactful when Theodate was not , and could help her deal with people less intelligent and far-sighted than she. In other words , John Riddle provided a substitute , in many important ways, for her father, who had passed on. Riddle's career in diplomacy included not only the stint as Minister to Russia , but also, in the 1920's, an appointment as Ambassa­dor to Argentina during the Harding administration. This latter assignment provided yet another near tragedy for Theodate Pope Riddle : a ship on which she was returning from Argentina to N ew York lost its tudder and circled for hours before help arrived . Sea journeys were affairs to be dreaded from then on, and although the Riddles went to Europe by ship almost every season during the 1920's and 1930's, Mrs. Riddle's attention was directed more and more to the project which became her consuming ambition: "an indestructible school for boys . "

John Wallace Riddle died December 8 , 194 1, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the day of the United States ' entrance into World War II. That death and that declaration of war would have profound effects on Mrs. Riddle and her School. Let us, therefore , move from her personal chronol­ogy to her professional development.

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Two Views 0/ Hill-Stead. Farmington , Connecticut.

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II From Architect To

School Planner 1900 - 1926

M inor additions and reconstructions had been made by Theodate Pope to her cottages in Farmington, but her first major opportunity to build in a large style occurred when her parents decided to move to

Farmington in 1901. They engaged the noted architect Stanford White of the McKim, Mead & White firm in New York to desig n a large house called Hill­Stead on High Street in Farmington. The result was a miniature version of Mount Vernon , and Theodate Pope assisted Stanford White in preparing the drawings. Her assistance must have been valued by White, for, it has been said, he cut his professional fee in half. (Upon the deaths of the Popes , the Riddles assumed ownership of Hill-Stead, and completed the large art collection which the Popes had begun . Upon Mrs. Riddle 's death in 1946, the house , now held in truSt, became a museum , open to the public Wednesday through Sunday after­noons .)

Theodate Pope's first large independent commission came through her friend and Miss Porter 's classmate, Mary Hillard , who was starting a gi rls ' school called Westover , in Middlebury, Connecticut, and who engaged Miss Pope as architect. The result , a quadrangle in the Inigo Jones English Georgian style, shows traces of Hill-Stead , but also innovations such as very wide corridors to permit easy and rapid passage of students between classes . By this time, 1909-1912 , of course, Theodate Pope was over forty, but her career blossomed, with commissions for the Hop Brook School in Naugatuck, Connecticut, and for pri­vate residences in Connecticut and New York. All Riddle-designed buildings are well worth a visit, for the smallest details were given careful attention by the architect, and the view from each elevation-front , side, and rear-is considered of prime importance .

The "indestructible school for boys" had re-surfaced in Theodate's mind right after the death of her father in 1913, and soon she had accumulated almost 3,000 acres of land in Farmington and Avon, including the houses and land

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known as the Old Farms properties in Avon . Desig ns for the buildings, to in­clude not only a preparatory school but also a junior college, were done in 1918 and early in 1919. The new school was to be known as The Pope School. A non­ptofit foundation known as The Alfred Atmore Pope Foundation was set up in 1918 with the following Board of Directors: J ohn Wallace Riddle, Honorary Member; Theodate Pope Riddle , Manag ing Director ; Henry F. Pope (a cousin), Advisory Member; Harris Whittemore, Advisory Member.

According to Dr. Emeny, "Mrs . Riddle had informed her attorney that she could carry her project through to completion if she were free to act upon her own initiative, but not if she had to be subjected to possible opposition from directors. "

Here , in a nutshell , was the basis of Theodate Pope Riddle 's hubris , or pride, which would prove her undoing both as an architect and as a would-be educator. She was blessed with enough money so that she could undertake only those architectural commissions that fascinated her , and that offered little or no interference from the client. She never had to subject herself to the normal limi­tations of either the business or the academic world; indeed , she had no formal training for leadership in either capacity .

Even in the 1920's, the head of a college preparatOry school would have had to have at least a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college . Lacking any such certification herself, Theodate Pope Riddle would have to employ a Resident Head of School who possessed those academic qualifications.

The situation was not without precedent . Six miles from Avon , in Sims­bury , Connecticut , Ethel Walker relinquished the day-to-day control of her school to a Resident Head after her marriage to Dr. E. Terry Smith in 1921 , though , as the educational consultant and critic Porter Sargent observed annually in his Handbook, "she controlled the school through a resident head ." But Ethel Walker had both a Bachelor's and a Master's deg ree from Bryn Mawr , had taught at that college, and later been secretary to its President . According to one Resi­dent Head of The Ethel Walker School , "Mrs. Smith never interfered in the aca­demic life of the School ; she expected to be informed in advance of any discipli­nary action or change in policy , but always supported her Resident Head. "

According to the widow of Dean Richard Sears of Avon Old Farms , Mrs. Riddle never interfered with the academic life of Avon Old Farms , nor with indi­vidual faculty members . But there was continual turmoil with her t:hree Pro­vosts, and that turmoil was brought about largely by the famous Deed of Trust , as we shall see.

The turmoil was in the future. The buildings had to come first. Never had the staid , conservative Farmington Valley seen anything like it! Land clearing started in the Spring of 1921 ; in 1922 the foundations for the Water Tower , Forge , Wheelwright Shop, and Carpenter Shop (now the Chapel) were laid . The only building on which English craftsmen actually worked, according to Mathilda Heitmann, widow of one of the two foremen from Tidewater Construc­tion Company in New York who supervised construction, was the Station House , now called the Brooks House , and used as a Guest House.

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Westover Schoo/.. Middlebury , Connecticut designed by Theodate Pope 1909-1912 .

The people of greater Hartford were kept apprised of the purpose of all this construction, however. Two full pages in the Sunday , April 3, 1921 Hartford

Courant were devoted to an exclusive interview with Mrs . Riddle . Under a ban­ner headline reading "Avon School Radical Departure in Teaching Methods , to

develop Individual Thinking, Initiative, and Will Power ," the whole plan was set forth .

As indicated earlier, the name was to have been The Pope School , in mem­ory of her mother and father.

"Avon School will seek to supply the stimulus for two traits which the founder finds lacking in boys who are sent to exclusive modern preparatOry schools by their wealthy parents , that is , initiative and will power. Provision has been made for boys in the village of Avon who may be able to win scholarships to compete somewhat after the manner of standards set for Rhodes' Scholarships at Oxford, in short for any boy who can show those qualities of intellect and char­acter most admired in a representative American boy . ..

The aims thus set forth were laudable , but showed a slight unfamiliarity with the "exclusive modern preparatOry schools" being adversely compared . Gro­ton, Deerfield , St . Paul's and all similar schools at that period had similar schol­arships to those proposed, for instance . And a further confusion seems to have crept in . The then President-elect of Yale , James Rowland Angell , was quoted by Mrs . Riddle as saying that " the bane of education is superficiality and medi­ocrity . " Whatever else "individual thinking , initiative and will power" may pro­vide , they are not necessarily the cures for superficiality and mediocrity.

What was a departure from convention , however, was that the Founder "ad­mitted that she would like to have all applicants go through a psycholog ical test administered by an expert capable of selecting types most promising for cultiva-

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The Chamberlain House, Long Island, designed by Theodate Pope Riddle.

tion. They will be taken at the age of twelve , for she considers it a misfortune for a boy to go away from home influences earlier. " Once the School opened , and the prospective parents saw a "Psychotherapist" prominently listed on the faculty , many felt that it would be a mistake for their sons to go away to such a "radical" school at all!

The Arts and Crafts Movement was strongly stressed in the philosophy , bolstered by quotations from noted American educators. Two of note were Presi­dent G. Stanley Hall of Clark University (whose remarks were found for Mrs . Riddle by Porter Sargent): "I was born of the sturdy old Puritan, first-growth stock .. . I learned how to hoe , mow , chop , plow, sow, milk, fodder cattle , clean stalls ... I was simply a farmer 's boy, and never was there a more ideal environment for boys to grow up in than the old New England farm of those happy days ." That romanticized view of the past fitted in exactly with Mrs. Rid­dle's happiest days at the cottage in Farmington; so , a cornerstOne it became of the aims of Avon.

A little more to the academic point, however, were the radical articles in The Atlantic Monthly of Arthur Judy of Davenport , Iowa. As paraphrased by Mrs. Riddle , they ran as follows: "Education as it is and has been , tended to conform­ity and suppression. The higher the civilization, the greater the development of codes of conventionality and morality , the more repressive , the more oppressive and suppressive has been this influence on the genius, the variable man , the hope of the species . All human institurions , education , religion , political systems , whose purpose is to perpetuate and stabilize , have exerted such a repressive influ-

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ence .. . Education should no longer be a moulding of minds and personalities to conform to a pattern . .. instead of conventional minds in scholastic moulds , we need men trained to intellectual liberty ."

How well a man with such training would have been tOlerated in the old New England village which Arthur Judy and Mrs . Riddle adored can be well imagined. In the 17th Century, he probably would have been tried for sedition and witchcraft , or , at the very least , been tOld to take himself and his radical ideas to another, more tolerant, colony.

The problem was how to combine these radically diverse philosophies-Pu­ritan sturdiness and intellectual liberty . Mrs . Riddle had an idea . "The average so-called country schools are really only a thin veneer on nature , but do not really partake of the soil, which can be secured only by putting the boy to the tasks that arise our of actual country life . That life shared by the early New Englanders had an incalculable value in the formation of the characters of our men and women . .. The central idea is that the boy shall gain this something by having his will-power developed and by being taught to use it ... consequently Avon has been founded with the hope of making these indispensable additions to the ordinary resources of schools which fit for college. Provision for the ordinary scholastic training is to be of the highest type. "

That certain "something" for which Mrs . Riddle was looking was never ad­equately defined . Perhaps she meant the American pioneer spirit ; certainly will power and initiative were twO qualities which characterized the westward­moving pioneers. However, pioneers were not of the disposition to attend, or send their sons to , the schools with which Mrs . Riddle wished to compete so­cially ; Avon was "primarily designed for the type of boys who are sent to such schools as GrotOn and Sr. Paul's ."

"The fathers of tOday ," continued Mrs. Riddle in her interview , " think that their sons can begin where they leave off. They don 't think that their sons must be strong. The fathers say 'I want to save my boy what I went through ,' and they take away from their boys all varied experience , whereas it was daily obstacles that made the fathers strong ." Especially appealing to Mrs. Riddle was the idea expressed by Edward Bok in The Americanization of Edward Bok that poverty was a spur to achievement .

Self-enforced poverty may indeed have been a spur to achievement in Mrs . Riddle 's case, but where her conclusions went a little beyond those of the "mar­ket " at which she was aiming her School , lay in the fact that the self-made cap­tains of industry who chose to send their sons to GrotOn and Sr. Paul's were look­ing for something more than they had had, in terms not only of academic preparation, but also of social veneer. In fact , they wanted their sons to begin

where they had left off . . . Mrs. Riddle was really aiming more for the market that patronized the old

New England academies turned private school-Deerfield , Suffield , and so forth , rather than the newly-affluent , upward mobile , Anglophilic clientele that sought out GrotOn , Sr. Paul's and similar schools .

Perhaps the innate realization of this descrepancy, as much as anything else,

11

is what led Mrs. Riddle to choose so deliberately an English style of architecture for her so carefully-conceived New England village . We shall probably never know, at this point , for no surviving memories or notes seem able to confirm or deny this at least plausible theory.

Though great strides had been made in women's rights and women's suf­frage by 1920, there was still a strong feeling that someone in Mrs . Riddle 's position-wealthy , self-taught, willful and female-could not and should not be taken seriously as an architect or an educator. (Though she was awarded , in 1940, a diploma by the Fifth Pan American Congress of Architects "for excel­lence in design of Avon School, " the printed form for her Connecticut architect's license in Connecticut still reads "he. " ) She was, however, persistent , and as she had the bearing-and the funds-to do more or less as she pleased , her ideas and designs progressed .

Dealing with Mrs. Riddle must not have been very easy for many people. It seems that those who tolerated her and didn 't question her motives faired better than those who took her on (as we shall see when we consider her ProvostS and Boards later.)

12

ARCHITECTURAL

OF THE

STATE OF CONNECTICUT

HAS EXAMI:Nm THE Q.UAIJ:FlCATIONS OF

AND FINDS THAT HE HAS RJ1.FILI.ED THE

AEQ.umEMENTS OF THE Acr PROVIDING IDA

THE LICENSING OF ~CHITEcrs ~ IS l:IEREBY

AUTHORIZED TO USE THE TITLE

, ARCH TEeT

IN THE STATE OF CONNEcrICUT

An oft-quoted example of Mrs. Riddle 's frustration with the unwillingness of those she hired to do exactly as she wished, concerns her hiring of a gardener at Hill-Stead. Though minor details of the story vary , in essence they are always these:

Mrs. Riddle sent for the gardener, and instructed him to plant six bushes in a flower bed, with the leaves of the bushes exactly eighteen inches in the ground, and the roOtS straight up in the air. He willingly assented , though doubtless with thoughts that can be better imagined than described . His task completed, he returned to Mrs . Riddle to report that the bushes were ready for her inspec­tion. The inspection completed, Mrs. Riddle turned to the gardener and said, "Good. You did exactly as I asked you to do, and you are hired. Now plant them right ."

Bushes could be transplanted more easily than faculty or students, however, and consistency of purpose and execution are vital to the educational process ...

That process was not to begin for about a decade , in Mrs . Riddle's 1921 opinion . The ten years intervening would be necessary for the completion of the twO quadrangles, one for a preparatory school and one for a junior college, the Village Green, the already-started Farm Group at the entrance to the School, and all the other proposed buildings including the Gate House, Guest House , Clois­ter, Chapel, and Library . "At present ," noted the Founder , "there will be no gymnasium and no indoor inter-school athletics. Boys will spend their energies on the farm, in the forest, or the various shops ; they will play Out in the open. " This last, unfortunately, points up the fact that the Riddles never had any chil­dren, and certainly little first-hand experience with adolescent boys, though three boys became her wards. Gordon Brockway, the first , born in 1913, died at the age offour. The same year, 1917, according to Brooks Emeny, Mrs. Riddle "tOok a young boy of 12 into her household, named Paul Martin, and, a year later, another boy of 12 by the name of Donald Carson. Both were orphans of missionaries. They were never adopted, but remained as wards . They lived at Hill-Stead until their respective marriages and received their schooling largely in Hartford. " As Avon Old Farms did not open until the Fall of 1927 , they would have been tOO old to attend, but they are immortalized in the bas relief sculpture over the entrance to Diogenes. (All the School 's statues and sculptures were carved by the Danish immigrant Fritz Hammergren , who boarded at the Read homestead at the intersection of Old Farms and Arch Roads. )

So far as one can determine , all the imagery connected with the statuary , and all the classical and Shakespearean quotations around the School , were chosen by Mrs. Riddle herself. Yet , that imagery did undergo some evolution. Origi­nally, according to The Hartford Courant interview , the beaver was not to have wings, but was to be accompanied by an eagle . Thus , the eagle was to represent the "aspiring" part of the School's motto , and the beaver the "persevering." The shield " in the hand of each boy was to contain one of the animals ."

What finally put the wings on the beaver has not been recorded , but the School's first telephone operator and receptionist , Rita Priest , daug hter of famed woodsman Verne Priest , recalls vividly that the "common people" of the Farm-

13

ingtOn Valley were shocked when the Winged Beaver made its first appearance (probably in 1926) and Mrs . Riddle had turned a rodent into an angel! Actually, their judgment was probably as harsh as it was erroneous; the finished symbol most closely resembles a griffon in an English oriel window .

Construction proceeded apace . As many as 500 non-unionized workmen tramped daily from Avon , Unionville , and surrounding tOwns to work on the School , often plowing through knee-high snowdrifts, according to Mathilda Heitmann. The twO superintendents from Tidewater Construction, Jesse Heit­mann , and his nephew Frederick , supervised all the construction up to the point of the Refectory , where construction ceased until more funds became available to

Mrs . Riddle through the maturation of additional bonds. The Guide to the Buildings reprinted in the appendix describes the construc­

tion , location , and functions of the buildings as first conceived and also as cur­rently used and occupied. Plates also show the plans for both the Junior College quadrangle (the foundations of which are in the ground) and the other buildings conceived but never built, owing to the vast over-expenditure of funds. It was well that construction stOpped with the RefectOry and Bank (now the Alumni Building); funds were needed to cover the annual operating deficits from the day the School opened until it closed in 1944. Mrs. Riddle noted sadly at that time in a letter to the faculty (quoted in Henry E. Flanagan 's book, Aspirando et Persev­erando) , that " I have spent seven-ninths of my fortune on the construction and operation of this School. "

The vast funds obviously being expended were not unnoticed by the small town of Avon, and, particularly by its First Selectman, J. W . Alsop. In the Spring of 1926, Alsop, perpetual cigar in his mourh , approached Mrs. Riddle and said, "You either put boys in those buildings, and open a school, or start paying taxes on the buildings and the land. " Mrs. Riddle's fury at thus being summarily ordered about must have been awful, and continued even after her death , for her Will carefully stipulated that the Alsop family was never to have anything to do with the School or the Farm. Yet , J . W. Alsop became a DirectOr of the School in later years , and his nephew Nicholas graduated in 1978.

The situation , from an academic point of view , was serious. As early as 1921 , the basic structure of the Village of Old Farms, as Mrs . Riddle always called it, had been conceived , but not in academic or educational terms . There were to be four departments under the Headmaster (still so-called until 1927): The Bursar, who was to have charge "over all accounting and business details­the business executive . The Factor: he is an absolute executive (absolute in this sense presumably meaning " independent"), engaging all men and women em­ployees inside and out (except the faculty, who were to be engaged by the Head­master) and acting as a purchasing agent. Moreover , he is a very important center in the Avon School plan , for the boys who are doing village improvement work are directed solely by him . The Dame: she is responsible for two dames , house­mothers of the houses occupied by the younger boys , and the manners of the boys as a school ; and the school nurse ." Here, Mrs . Riddle brought Out strong ly that she felt the need of more woman's influence; hence , the Librarian was to be a

14

woman, as well as the twO persons "who will run the general stOre and the post office of the school village . In short , she (The Dame) is a sort of dean of women who will mother the boys . The Farm Manager will be a Cornell University School of Agriculture graduate, and must be an able executive, directing a number of assistants as the herdsman and dairyman , but must (also) plan the time spent by the boys. "

Though the Headmaster was permitted to hire his " teaching staff ' and nom­

inate his fout subordinate executives, the Headmaster was to be responsible only for " the educational and moral training of the boys." Presumably, the four sub­ordinates were to report more or less directly to The Alfred Atmore Pope Foun­dation (soon renamed The Pope-Brooks Foundation), Theodate Pope Riddle "sole managing director as long as she lives ." At best, such lines of authority would result in the left hand not knowing what the right was doing ; at worst, overall financial control and budgetary management would be non-existent, ex­cept after the fact , with year-end accounting, unless the Foundation were to re­quire monthly figures and explanation of over-runs . The latter siruation was in faCt what happened the first year of the School's operation.

There were four "experiments" which Mrs . Riddle insisted should be tried "whatever comes of them eventually. The first is that the school community shall be organized and governed on the lines of a village political unit, the four upper forms (grades 9-12) being eligible for office as citizens . .. Another experiment will be the village COurt to be held in the tOwer of the Chapel (never constructed), the srudents acting as juty."

Third, and the only directly scholastic provision , " the socialized recitation , another phase of democracy in the classroom , in which the teacher delegates the leadership to a different student chairman each recitation ." Citing precedent for this rather unusual pedagogic device, Mrs. Riddle noted that it had been used by Dr. Helen Cohen , Head of English in the WashingtOn Irving High School , and by Dr. Charles Gaston, Head of English in the Richmond Hill High School ,

"both of New York City. " The fourth provision dealt with the fact that the year should be divided into

four terms of six weeks each , with subjeCts presented by outside experts in order to stimulate the maximum faculty and student interest. A subject was to be dropped for a term "so that the boys ' minds should lie fallow after the seed is sown by an enthusiast." This last , recalls first faculty member Henty Callard , was an idea of real consequence , but only insofar as it was applied to the faculty, not to the students, by means of a stimulating series of outside lectures, followed up by lectures on both the subject and teaching methods by first ProVOSt , Francis

F roelicher. These, then , were the sum and total of educational and social ideals of the

School in early 1927. There was no curriculum, no faculty , and , most impor­tantly , no student body. It was also , though this fact was unknown at the time , nOt the most ideal time to start a new and radically experimental boarding school way out in the country , and far from a major metropolitan cultural center such as New York . A different location might have provided parents with the interest

15

and inclination to select a day school with ideas that were not inconsistent with the public perception of Progressive Education as promulgated by John Dewey and carried out by the Progressive Education Association .

The location was a g iven , however , the buildings were already built , though certainly not all finished inside--the RefectOry not being available until the end of the first year of operation , (1928) and the interiors of two of the dor­mitOries for long after that. The Great Depression was twO and a half years away-and the School had to open , or be taxed .

Under the circumstances , the organization of faculty , administration , cur­riculum, and 48 students was a triumph . Bill Kegley , Director of Physical Plam for many years, and blessed with an almost tOtal recall for dates , names , and faces , recounted the chronology . Mrs . Riddle had already solicited the endorse­ment of the Presidents of Columbia , Harvard , and , of all places , Vassar , and had received from each, warm appreciation of "your educational policies. " These must have been the ideas put forth in the 1921 Courant interview , as amended by continual changing and tinkering that characterized Mrs . Riddle 's search for the best ideas , however inconsistent with each other , all during her life . According to Kegley, it was to Dr. Elliot of Harvard that she now turned , and upon his advice "engaged Mr. Stephen Cabot of St . George 's School in Rhode Island to

organize a faculty and select the first group of students for Avon Old Farms ." First selected was the Provost , Francis Mitchell Froelicher , Headmaster of

the Oak Lane Country Day School in Baltimore, and then President of the Pro­gressive Education Association of American . Moving quickly , Froelicher pro­ceeded to interest a remarkable group of men in the idea of starting a really pro­gressive school. As Henry Callard observes , "He was very wise. He did not get young teachers ; he sought our men with experience at very well-tun , conservative schools. The first time we all met was on a Spring weekend in 1927, at the School , and were then driven to Hill-Stead where the majority of us stayed for the weekend ."

Those who could not be accommodated at Hill-Stead included Mr. and Mrs . Chester Dwight Perry , later to follow Froelicher to The Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs . Perry 's widow recalls , "We were terrified , and glad to get to the Inn for a change from the unbelievable tension that the whole occa­sion caused. We knew that we were being 'looked over' not only by Mr. Froe­licher, who was tall and austere, bur also by Mr. and Mrs . Riddle. 1 always felt that 1 passed my test when 1 lingered in the Dining Room after dinner at Hill­Stead that first night , and was found by Mr. Riddle admiring the original French paintings , myself being French . 1 was given a tour of the whole house by Mr. Riddle , Mrs. Riddle joining me from time to time , and 1 felt more or less at ease . Those of us who journeyed back to New York on the train following the weekend laughed like college students at the sheer release from the tension that the whole weekend had caused ."

16

III "The Old School"

1927 - 1944

, 'We were such a small school, " recalls Mrs. Perry "and it was possible to be so informal with only 48 students spread Out over five years (no 6th formers, or 12th graders, were taken

the 1927-28 year) . There was a closeness among faculty, their families, and the students. "

The last instructions Mrs. Riddle gave before departing for Europe with her husband for the balance of the first academic year were delivered at a faculty meeting on September 26th, the night before the opening of School. These in­cluded:

"The operation of the School . .. might especially, through its Junior Col­lege (never established), emphasize preparation for the diplomatic service and matters pertinent to international relations . .. The study of history should be made a part of the courses studied, making history identical with evolution ... The sense of proportion in sports will be maintained by confining them to intra­mural games and competitions . SPOrts, competitive and otherwise, form an es­sential background for health and for certain elements of courage and honor. But there is a deplorable condition in this country at this time , whereby many indi­viduals regard the colleges less as educational institutions than as pleasant and profitable training grounds for professional athletes . .. The use of library books instead of texts will be encouraged in every department .. . thus, each boy will not study parrot-like the same book that is being studied by any other boy , but he will seek Out information in many different books using what might be called the research method ."

These remarks , like so many of Mrs . Riddle 's, sound very up-to-date, and certainly laudable. What went wrong with the first faculty and administration?

Mrs. Riddle certainly left the School completely alone during the first year of its operation , and at no time thereafter , in the recollections of faculty members and widows of administrators , did she actually interfere in the academic depart-

17

..-; !...", ;&' ;,.;;.; ~ . :d/ 1927-1928 Faculty: Messrs . Callard, Perry , Froelicher, }oseph, Cherry, Thayer . Brown.

ment , with the activities and discipline of the Dean in academic matters, nor with individual faculty members. She was seen on campus seldom, but her pres­ence was always keenly felt when she was there , owing to the fact that she was the only person permitted to drive on the flagstOne walks of the Village Green. She would usually go straight to the switchboard in the cottages containing the Post Office and Guest House , and ask the receptionist, Rita Priest , for Mr. Froe­licher or Dr. Kammerer. "She was always pleasant, " recalls Rita Priest , " though she did call me up one evening while I was on the board and go over, for twenty minutes , my pronunciation of "Avvon , Old Farms" until I got it just to suit her. I still don 't know to this day how I pronounced it differently at the end of the twenty minutes than at the beginning, but she was apparently satisfied. She would see the Provost , or the Dean , tOut the campus, and then depart . There was always the tOuch of the grande dame about her , but she was always pleasant. "

And possessed of a sense of humor. One year , in the late 1930's, Mrs. Rid­dle was making such a tOur, perhaps on her way to the Provost's Office , then located in the ProVOSt 'S House , when she passed the front porch of the Dean's House . The Dean's daughter , aged about six , was busily playing with her dolls and building blocks , all dressed in her afternoon finery . She was so absorbed in her play that she did not acknowledge Mrs . Riddle's presence or passing, and Mrs . Riddle retraced her steps to correct that oversight. "Harriet ," she an­nounced firmly but pleasantly , "I am Mrs . Riddle. "

"Oh, yes , I know ," replied the Dean's daughter , equally firmly but pleas­antly , "I often play 'I am Mrs . Riddle . '" The individual thus imitated laughed uproariously , according to contemporary accounts.

Mrs . Riddle had her revenge , however, at the next Hill-Stead Christmas party for faculty and staff children: the daughter in question was tOld that she was now "tOo old" to run to the closet in which gifts were stOred and select one for herself!

If Mrs . Riddle did nOt interfere in the day-to-day operation of the School (and Me. Riddle hardly set foot on the property , according to most aCCOUnts),

18

she did wear down her Provosts and her Business Managers . Returning from her European trip, in 1928, according to Brooks Emeny , she "was appalled at the amount of money which was flowing into the maintenance of Avon . After going intO the matter of payrolls with the School Accountant, she discovered that a reduction of nearly $90,000 per year could be made without any noticeable handicap to the operation of the School. " That particular $90,000 came out of "eliminating unnecessary work on the estate , but this was before the Community Service program for the students was in full operation, " according to Philip Schenck, '29.

How Mrs. Riddle could have expected anything other than huge deficits remains a mystery to the logical mind. Though the buildings and land were being leased to the School by the Foundation , there was certainly very little tui­tion income flowing in, even assuming that all 48 students were paying the max­imum of $1,500, which they doubtless certainly were not. Even with a small faculty, salaries were high in order to attract high calibre faculty away from other schools of reputation and intO an unknown and untried experiment in the woods . The discrepancy was bound to be phenomenal. The quadrification of authority inherent in the organization of the School , and the certainty that the Foundation had not been keeping track of bills during the absence of its only executive, would have ensured an overspending even had the School been full .

The obvious solution, to put one individual in charge of the entire School operation, was 'abhorent to Mrs . Riddle , though she combined all the Estate functions under a Comptroller, and all the academic departments under the Pro­vost . In other words, the Provost still had the responsibility for procuring stu­dents and faculty , but no overall financial responsibility or accountability . And, he was in no way possessed of the decision-making ability to drop certain aspects of the non-academic program as being financially or educationally unprofitable. It was an almost intOlerable situation for any executive, in any walk of life, and the tension must have been unbearable for the first three Provosts.

The faculty, tOO, were becoming increasingly restive as the long-promised Board of Ttustees did not emerge to control the School academically, according to both Mrs. Perry and Henry Callard. An experiment was all right as an experi­ment, but not as a permanent way of academic life. However , the second year , 1928-29, began well, and saw the appearance of the first student handbook, which details, among other things, aspirations and the perseverance of the stu­dents during the first year in their efforts to implement the village and court system, and develop some school traditions and spirit . Notice that the colors are listed as blue and plum (not crimson) , with variations for the emblems of Eagles and Pelicans, the twO dormitOries being occupied , and the twO clubs into which the School was divided .

Especially noteworthy is the floor plan for the ground floor of all of the buildings in the Quadrangle and Village Green , now obviously in operation. Not shown are the Farm Group , the School Garages , still under construction , and the Stables, which were just being purchased and converted from a former dance hall

at this point .

19

Francis Mitchell Froelicher, Provost 1927-1929.

20

mavrrS booklet is designed for the ~ purpose of giving essenria1 jn;

formation to new boys. but it goes fuv ther than this. Both in the factS them,.. selves and between the lines o:J.c f..nds a foundation and a direcrion. These first boys have met with more u...an ordinary su~cess the many problems that beset a new institution. Their findings are not a replica of boarding school tradition but are the resuli of a great deal of thouglJt and of open discussion. T radi,.. tions are here in the making but they are not of the restrictive type. Prima,.. rily. the progress and wel&re of all boys are actively supported. Beyond that, the direction is toward a disciplined freedom; if a boy meetS his obligation to the community he finds a widezange of interesting activities that serve the

r 7 J

~lS book is a record of the st:dctt ~ aaivities at bon during the first rur. It is priman1y tksigntd for r.eo boys-. lit prt.SClfin,g this book we sinartly bope that it U/11/ be of U5e to them in their aJjll~ mer.! to their twJ/ enviYor.t!1e1tt, and we also bope thllt it will k an itttzrating record jor the charter ~ of Avon Old Farms.

JOHN BURLING TO') MALt..E..'tY P:ml..lP SCHENCK

purposes of his rounded development. New boys will find a friendly weI,..

come in Avon. Tbeyareexpected to do their share, to shoulder their academic and other responsibilities and to foster as best they can the ideals of the school.

Before arriving in Avon each boy receives a note telling him the name of his Tutor. Each Tutor stands in the pa'" remal re1ationspip to his boys and the boys may tum to him with their prob.­lems just as they seek advice and help from. their: parentS at home. There are no fixed rules abOUt the talks of a Tw tor 'IN-ith his boys. Tutors do, however. keep in dose da.ilytouch with the work of the boys and the !:loys may at any time call upon their Tutor for guidance and encouragement.

FR.ANCIS 1"t FROEUCHER

[ S j

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

E is ~ wdl d=iopcd govcmmcm 2t Avon in which the cmire srudcm body tUes pm. The sov= is

rnodclt<l on tb2t of a New England village. All teSid= a."e citiz= the rigbt to voce bc:i.og tc­

suiaed to those: wllo !>avo =ided = Ibm four monW 2t Avon.

The basis of the a=hincty of cb. srud= goy­=t is the cha=. whiehb:as Ix=sz:a=d by thcncultyto the srud= in ~$=sion. The cha= gives to the s:udcrus. the dsbt to COI:V

trOl such ~.;nes mel ~ >$ th. safety. wei­f:.-c, health, $portS, mel gt'Oall<h of the CO""""" nity. pnwided tb2t this right isnO( misused. F~ nlty supervision is ptovidec:l fo:. ~ the B:ovC!St mzy ::cmOVC my oScial foc =c.

The cb= p<OVidcs for a coUXlcil. to be COllY

pc$Cd of 1M: bu:g= nna1 19Z9 when it wiD consist of $eVen. This con.'X:il is empowaed to

pm ordi= ~ the ciriz=' conduct and to pd'= any o<ha lcgis1ative dary. It is elected :wice a yea< by the citiz= of th. vill2,,"C. 0". c!caion t::lci!lS pl2ce in feb=:y and th. Other in May.

The eouru:il cl= from =otIS its own m=­bas " W2rden." vice-wuden and a ddk. !be wo:dc ~dcs ove::ill meetings and in gClC2l pc£otm$ :ill the duties of a vilbge's highest oIiY

( II 1

pc:hap< is (hilt the council g>ve .. eo!).tinl!Ous and symp,thetic consi.da:mon to :ill the ptoblc:as which ""_ ie cOlmecriotl. with the school'. be-sinnins-

The council fo% the 5m ;ebool ye:u had the follo",-iCg memOa:s; Tod M:illcry, Walen Sam.:ccl CoIg.tc Philip Sebe::ck, V:'wW",,<c: Bndfotd Faley Joll" Bnding. Cidk

The TrcC$ll1er W:l$ 1'=<: J=es. tinder the commisslonc:s , g:c:>t dcol of real

work ",:IS do!).e. Th. Commissinnc: of P"blic Hco.lth .inspected the condition of:ill the saniwy eqeip:n"": of the school =d =de reco=c:n.­d.tions coru:cming it. Th. COlMliSoner of Grounds sup=-ise<i the = of :ill the g:udens "",d lawns. The Coa:missioner of Public W c!f:.-e =nged for =ny ptlbl.ic mcaings ane! g>thct­ings ...,<1 toOlc eba.-ge of the inu:::ioT equipment of an bcildings. The Commissinc., ofPcllI.ic Safc:y $cpc:visccl :ill safety equipment 2.tIcl m:ti=..inccl a eompler<: record of =h boy's cond= "",d sen­cal amde. The Commissioner of <Ame d:ew up and ==clcd v:>::ious o....futmccs :eg.v Wi:ls the ca.. .. of fish ""d g=e in the village f0r,­

est. The Commicionc: of Atbleties =scd fOt the g= beswcc:n the ~g!es ond the Pd.i= md for the iedividtal cb=piorubip contestS. He also took cl:.:uge of :ill a.thletic oquipmc:nr..

[ 13 1

ec:r. H. also appoinu the eon""'$$:on ... of th. V2rioas dcp= of the villase sov== The viee-wude:a takes the place of the watde:a in cue of the la='s abs= Th. dctk kcet>s :ill roc:otds and minUtes of lnccting$. •

Tb. cil:o:o..er also provides for the dcaion by the citizens of. =uter to eollecr:c:d keep $tlch ..;]; 12gc = :l$ 0:. =')' ana of .. vill.::ge eoU:: to be composed of thrce jc4ges. A r-='tinS :u:orney to bring ch.ugcs .g>.inst anyone eo~ tin.; • m..isdc:n=or:c:d a public defende: to ie, sure :ill pc::$Oz their full rights = also provided for.

Each offi= of the village me: s®sc:::ibe to on oatb.

The toW'D meeting is the most powc:fal "Seney in the stud"", govan::aeDt. A town mecting mzy be e:illed by the wo:dcn or by " petition of one' third of the citizens. It mzy disc1lSS any quacion pcrc.ining to th. comm~nity wc!S:c. Tn< town meetin$ may also. by , two-th.i:d; vOte, :epeal. Ot

pass atry otdicancc. In 19>7-;3 the eouncil of bu:gcsscs had its 6m

c:li:>ncc to prove its dfccivencss. It p=cd cigh: ord.i=ccs wmeb regul:lte .!most ill activities re­quiring sopetvision. It comcituted itself a bc=d of ""bittation ...,d SCC"'..:ed =iable =kmcnt of the = b:ougb, bcfOte it. It gave al.ks md .a.. monition to c:ting ci!i::au. Bt:< ::aosz: itnpo=

[ 12 J

The eommissionc:s for 1927 ... ..$ were; Pybli, Htc!tb Philip Sche::>c:k Gr#unas Philip Schenck PyhiU W<lj"u Samuel Colg:tte P""Ii( Saflt'f S=ucl Colg;ue Co"." Lyman Col: Atblll;a J=O$ Robbins

THE OLD FARMS LIST

liNE of the highest hono" r.bt ..." be ~. won at Avon is dcc-.ion. to the Old ~ F""m; Lis:, Every boy i:a the school is

eligible fOt this hono:. But bc:fo:e be is $Ctio~'S!y conside:cd u .. eacdid.tc, a boy must n.ve dis­tinguished hi::asclf by his :>:ared. in. eUsses, in sports:u)d in orhe: school "ecivitiC$. The boys o~ th.list must h;'vc, in. the opinio" of ill f2eulty and council tnemoers, .. stetlin.g chancre: md " £ne Avon .pi::it.

Th. members of the list a:e their own m.utas in. t:Vc:'J way. They ""e 1cbj= not to wrinen rules 2:d rcguUtio:u but nther to :he <l.i=tes of the: own consecoctS.

The tim m=bers of the Old Fo.:= List wa.; Couttl."dt Canby Thomas M:uvcll s...m~d CoIgm C~p!in Robicson

Council members arc """,fiicio memb= of the Old Fatms List.

21

C~ci= of the school who Mve been long s=&g members of (he Old F= List will be eligible for the pcvll,1ne.t:l Avon List.

SPORTS

•

Avon spans;:e OttCll co=ed will: • • the ocher ,1<:t1vi;:ies of the school li£i:.

There arc :.J.W2)'$ many chL--gs 10 be cia"" in the woo&. Then th"", = the individ:nl proy ectS :u whicb ccb boy spends ,1 tn-"t of his time. Hence:, sports:u Avoll are quire info:mal and not bighly o~cd. Here sporu :l:e for "n ruhc:t: ch,1n for a chosc.a few. However. for the purpose of Ia.m com~1l the boys :ue divided ioro clubs =cd trom che stone lisu:es OVer the dor, mitories. The lim clubs SU!'tcO wc:t:c the uglcs md the Pelicans.

22

In ,1ddition to the club competition thcrc:ue se-.=1 individual championship co= To= :Ire f2l! and spring lenxUs 10==, ski =es. cr:ap-sboocing ch:mpioll$hips, and borse shows.

Anocher f=te of:he Spom'l Avoll is che F.eutty,Srndcm compcc:itions. Tbe Faculty b.s al .... dy pl.yed :he boys in ba.seh211 and i: is pL>=ec! 10 extcod cbis comp<ririon (0 ocher spottS.

Old F.rms 02.y is an =:nl cv=. :u wbich all f:ttbcrs :ue urged 10 be p~=. The p~osr= for the day i..,c!udes the /in2.ls of the sp::ing cb=,­piomhips ~d ,1 F~"",Soll$ b=b211 g=.

[ IS ]

gun. committee eoopcr:ucs witb the vUhgc 0$, ci2ls i::t ~~ock.ing th.e =s and in rcsulating !he vonous =om for bun""s ~ Ssi-.ing. The shooting =:nittee =scs for a:ap sboocing and ciSe m:uchcs. The =cum co:nmicee is con­s=Qy ,1dGing to • co!l:ccdon of ill :he wild life to be fOund Oil me CS"">''''

Thus me • 'imroci Club off ... to Cle:y boy in; t=srcd in :he fo= ~ o!,po:roci:y to devdop this ;",ed as fully as possibie.

The 0$= for 19:'7-28 wee: LY=ll Colt. Prcsiw.: Rol:uld Did=::.. Vi<~,Prcsiknt Philio Schenck. S<tr<tary J.m';; Robbms, Tf(cs-.;TC

THE OLD FARMS HUNT CL'V"B

fEE OJdF=H= Cl~biSdcd.~ to the promotion of ;'OIS~ >t

Avon. v::>dCl its SapCl\-isioD paper ch2scs, poi:>: to poi:>: gces, cop wd robbers, and =11)' ocher events ;.:c beld. The club also c::cou:-­ages riding ",,"oog ill:he boys of the school and devdo.,s c:;..ils and j=ps tbrougl:out me school forest.

Unde:t :he ~U$?jccs of the cll1b the school COl'" pctecl last yea: in two horse sh~. olle hdd by the W d Hmford C:l.v:Wy Associ:uio::, and the

[ 17 ]

The winncu in 1927-28 were: CI<th; Pdic:w FtdJ. T<1l1'Ii$: Riclurd Bnxl.ing=e Skiing: Samud Colgate Trcp Shoo:;"g: Robnd Dickson Spring T mr.r (PrQV~;:'$ C"P):

Rklurd Bnding=e 1lJD per _ RJtJ.r.g~ Josiah Swea J~g (FclIJd loWs Oup): Hc:n.7 Hc:r.ick

THE NIMROD CU;.s

•

ELL over h2lf of the scDool'$ wee . thou=d ,1ere CSE:w: c:onsis:s of woods

and = T:x forest :ahoa:ds in. wild life ,1nd the = = wdl =eked ".;m = rec pcsposc oftheN"=od Cll,b:is to p_ ICCI the w~d ~ to foster In= m cheo_ o$dOOlS ~d in spo::smu>like hr=i::g.

Tne club is o~cd ""cie:t.. co:::sCr.a:ion which provides for focr cxceudv. 06i= and ~ :loU$ cmn.mia:ccs. Ie the c:oaunil%= most of the club's work is e:t::icd om. The house: co:n.minec: =cs for the log-=bin dub bouse siro=d OIl a knoll overlooking Beaver Pond. It also =scs for the woods suppes hdd twice a wc:c'.c Oil the Isbnd ::,. Lower Walton Pond. The fOrC$t com­o.'uce labors to reduce ms, d",-dopst:ttils th:ough the woods and in ;cn.e:tal cares fot the forest. The

[ 16 J

ocher by .Major Ellis of &mord. Ill. :he West Hmford C:l.val:y Hoz:se Show che school WOll fou: blce-:ibbor:s, oct: tcd. one ydlow, 2nd till:Ce white-. and four I%ophies. These inclt:ded :he €tst up of the Cooc!m= c:ophy, presented to the school cmc:in.g the best riding t=. Ie th.e Horse Sbow of M;.jo: Enis :he club also WOIl high ho:1O::S.

TheofficCtS for 19;:;,;:8 wee: Rich;:d SCV.:DOIU. Prtsiknt John Bu~, S((TtW'y' TUOSllrc

THE CUE CU:B

E most schools wbi6 b.tve OFpo:ra­cir!cs for !nasic j:, sco=! and singi::g in. po..-:icular, A ... on has. Glee Club.

An e:llirdy volunwy 0'S~ it m= 0::« '" week fot ~.nS both in po..-ts:\tld in tmison.

Us:< y= two == were give:: >t ... -!icb =y tn--cnlS WCtt presClt. ~ch p<Ovcd. : s= Sl.lcccss-:md not mctd.y f.'Om the :>.udU:nec's viewpoint. for evcry fellow in the club enjoyed

bimsc!f as well. T"" ... cry = COflcat, sY''Cll :u the cod of :he S<COIld '=. shOW<:Ci cD:u :he si.ngi::; of:he Avon Clee Clab v.-:s alrady ::1 :ccom, plish:nent to be proud of.

( 18 J

THE LITERARY CLt;S

_HE Li=.")' Club 1m os its m,;n put'

pose to give !>oys interested ~ ch;:lCe tx>

c::«:r=ge id= ~boUt what they them­sdvco write:.nd so to s:i:nubte gooC writing. The d"b :Uso tries to cneouQ.ge goocl , .. Ging through the.,.., ofits Iendillg lib")'. Ncady ill the """"" bers of <he club b:tve some of the mol'< :ccm' boolu-both 6dion .nd non..-5ction-wruch =ot be found in the school ~. These books, th.-oash 6.c dub libm;. an: =de :=iJ; ~bleto.u.

At the m=ings We yet everyone mnded io :ul :.nooymous eoo:tibution wbleh was <CId ::loud by so",e other member of the club. Afic being :cd. ach eo=ibution "''OS thoroughly c::iticized. AI. the close of .. ch tnecti:lg the tizIcs w= called oUt:ted discussion followed os '0 whetbc 0: oot :tnyeonrxibuConshocld beconsi4c:red for:1 school li=ry mas:a:z.i= Some: of the mecti::gs were ~ devoted in pm to the 'e;di:lg Of the =iew, ing of = books.

Th~ m;l~ handed in covccd a wide nege - poeay. =~ ... :u..""2Iion of person.>! o:pc:ienecs, • bsa2cn of policic::l events, :u::d sho:t s:oncs. Pch:lps most popuLu of ill =s t.lx short lyri~

[ 191

;rhe s=ery for <he d::t=tics =s bcih and deco=::cl by m=hers of the Axt cWses.

PROjECTS

I1~E of the splendid id= of the school is that ofm,".nsevc:y boy choose a proy

~ = at which hc wotlu at odd mom= thro"shour the y=. ThIlS evcyone = do one u,;"S just os he 1'1= in my cu.euon btt in­tereSt ~. lead him. TO ... p:oj= an tben be turned to os something dc:5!Utdy .cco::cplisi:ed.

Lost y= <he ty?cs of proj= =lee! ~m a twelve fOOl ,owboar to " ~cs of ens:a=;s. 6:"", <1 collo::tion of sh= SICOCO to the bWiding of an automobile. The projea of one boy W2S • pt.y wh!ch ...... ::00 sooner completed than pro­daccd by the I.it=y Club. A ftw of the: !note :=biriollS :ninds eve:> used the oppom=t}' fot ,cse>rch in spoc:io1 StUdies.

ART

anlrulal ~ is offered at Avon to

boys with :te :utisric bent. The school has • fine stadio eq uipped with mate­

every kind of art work. The s:udio is o~ "" ill Wz,CS to the smdentS. Sevc:::zl hours of m­stttlCtion are given oc:b week to boys imercs~ed.

[ .:! J

CURRENT AFFAlR.S

•

HE Cum:nt .A.!Ui:sgroop mccswc:dd)" For cch mcalns one boy is ~oQ to dd.:Ve: , concise !cpo" on the mp'

penings of the prcv:ous .... eek. The:> :m open f= is held and all orobl=of == i= >.Ie d.isc=cd. Somc:c;.;,cs the $"'Up =<> Otlt'

side speakers who are men wcOl informed mot = of gener::l interest. rocy '!ftvc to the groUf ~~;de;ofthewOtld·s =jo: p:obl=

Th:o"5h <he group A voo is , :n<:n:lber of tbc Second:L."')· Schoo! Society for l::tc=ti=l eo­op=oon. AVOll dolcgarcs =d :he mc:tings of this socil:ty .nd bting back to the school rcpom Oil i:s spckca >nd activir:i<s.

DRA.\U\.TICS

•

HE 6rs:t d:>::ucic produc-'..oll at Avo" co::sisted of two plo.ys, "The Villcy of the Smdow:'writ:cnuAvonbvOwen

Tudo:, >::d Cou:tclines uUll Cli= s&;cax.." £1Ic:yone in schoo! W:IS given" chance to tty out for" The Valley of the Slueow ~ which W:IS pro­duced under :he <1uspices of the Lir=:y Cluo . The ide; of prodecics .. Un Ciic:m SCci=" grew om of :he F=c." t:>ble all membe:s of wbid: md p= in. the puy. Other roles were t:W:n by members of the rusher Frenchclasscs.

[ ':0 J

The boys ... invited to _ their inuginarioc md express their ideas in any foan which =y suit them - with the resul, that they t:.ke .:e:U.in­teet in their wodr. and progtts$ nFdly.

Many boys who h,d :.ever thought of p~ ins with oils before last y= did fine wod: ca = Erc:hing. moc!cl.ing, wood cMng. bled: pri::oting. and water color Ea.incins were aIs¢ clout; oIicn with c:lUW:ction.

Examples of the boys' bet work wen: thow;l last spring ill the New Y odr. MerropolitoA AJ.r. Museum's Schoo! Exhibition.

SCIENTIfIC EXP.E.DITION

BCIENCE in ill i:s br:tnchcs puys <1 very impo=' p= in the life u Avon. To tbos< wishing to make sc:ienee their low

most insercsr a spkndid oppotrunity is siv=. A 1100'S labomory =noc be cqu:Ued io, cqcip'" mcnt in prepo=.ory schools. t= y= th,.., boys, cch speci::liz:ing in a pu­

ricubr b=c:b of BioJosy, took <1 trip WeinS <bIte w<des to the W cst Indics una.. th. c!im:cioo of the SciCllce D<F-"tmccr. T<Ik.ing "-ith them, vz,. ricry of equipment fo, prc:servins ~ md mi­croscopes for classifYing, the boys artadcd thc:it own special problems and did !heir c:oIlotting in> depcndem!y. The =ny islands ..;s;xed. French.

[ .:z J

23

&p. and Ameti=. ill with their m.iking difi"ct=ts. =de AVOA'SDnt expedition as =­joyablc 2S it was proUta.b!e.

COM..\1UNITY WORK

•

CERTA!N p>.rt ofach boy's cime is • t:>ha. up in doicg community woric.

This woo.: eonsisu of duties which = neces=y co the school. Under the direction of the Es=e ~gc: bo~ spelld • c<=in _oumof' time each week in c:uins for the schoo! fum. Under the direaiOtlof th. CoIlSlX'llClio:1.Ezl;ln=r othctboy; =)·sp<nd.thc:ir tialeinthe powc:howe 0< in the school's =sive shops.

A mo,," dnm.2lic iO:m of communiry worl< is the me gu:.ttd. DuriD& the danse:: $Ca$OA guards a.-.: kCO?! on walCh in the tOWct ovcdocklns the f= 1Il c:a:e of ~ every boy does his sba.te of the fighting.

T ~ planting is doce OIl an =<tIsi". scalc. and many boys spelld .. blge pa:< of theit fice =:e working In the woods. The = of the f= 1$

thus l.a:¢y in the hands of the boys;. The evc:mnI pb« of eommamty wott in the

school life ;. still Utlcen:Un on :occoum of the ~g i== at Avoc. Ho .... cver. the = of importance ana rclity giV(:I1 by this $Ott of woik would be very hard to g2ln in other acCv; iti~

24

COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONERS

Philip S<.beed

Lym=Cok Ted Millery Cldk

JOCIl Burling

$>.mue! ColS'%C

Commisnor.tfS

Lyt!lac Colt Ch=plin Robinson

Junes Robbins S=ucl Colgate

TO<! Millery

John Bu:ling

Willi=. Feting

COLORS

_ HE sebool coIo:s :ore Blue and Plum. . The du~ have choscn the following

colots for thci: embl=:

Eagles Purple 'led White PdicllS Slue acd White

CONVENIENT INFORMATION

+ + +

FACULTY

F=cis Mitdl<:ll F:odit:bcr Pt~

C<ozgcrndc:icl:Cbcuy D_& Mmdtf bjiJil

F • .M:uI:in Brown StU:«:t:

Cb= D. Pc:ay FrtJIC/I

J. Applctoo. Tbayc:t We tmJ C,«1t

Roswell Colt Josq>bt

Hen:y H. C>lIard

Pcppino Man~

Edw.ud Pulling

Emcst K.itsoo

Robc:t C. i=sdon

Alexander S. Ca.mpbdl

Emdt Fredc:ick Rt1SSC!1

E:ic E:i=

Mi:tbnY.4/i(S t:d sa­Hi~

Fine end An>Iid AI:

Hm4f1 MJOlii:

~

' b# Prychot1xr4flst

Mi;stdqfDcfllil.

PREA!>1BLE

I is not the poliCy of Avon to develop:t cumbc::scmc and <>.:ii/ie:..! system of b::t r:uhe: to ,csud the stu<i= body as lD

~= of gentlemen who, for die best mr.c:,.. = of ill, mus: cocfor::n to the ~ of , .... son.::ble bchaviou:. Tb===cbrdswlrich_ uciv=1ly ~ed. In Otder :0 5c:iliCte their developmcct. the CoC:1c:i1 bas found it desir:>1* 10 p:ass the follawi::>g Ot~ h~vlnS W!h elm the swclcnt body will o~crve them.

SUMMARY OF OROi. Al CES

I

E appoDmcClllS th.n be:net p=pdy. • Any boy who for ""y ::=on =y me:!!

it sb.1Il be S<lIlllnOAed befo:c the Coun-o c:i1 and given such admollitioll :>.nd revoc:atiOll of privileges :&$IISCCID$ 5t.

Any boy who is lare or commits tclnor disoc:-4C:S is regarded as bo>vlng wasted his own time :md WI of oth=s. Therefore. h. shill, O!l cc:raln days. be required to nW-.. up this rime in " m=­Ile:: p:csc:;bed by the Coc:>e:iL

Any boy who is pctsistecdy WlCoopcmn.~ th.n be regarded as ocEt to remain iIl:usociarioa ,,-i<h gcrukmec and shall be asked to leave.

r z6 J

Tile Council =y /%Uke CXeeptiOIlS co 'Illy 0.' ""':moe for ause.

II Love of ~bstoce ~ be S~ o,uy with the

~:::mission of the Cou::ci1 and the Provost.

ill Motor vciUclcs may be owned or <i:iv ... only

with specW writtc:n zcnnission <lJld itt com p!.io:l.ee witb :ill $We laws.

IV

Pe:mim'oru :0 =1' out OVet cisbr sh:ill only be s=ced wben an Old Fanner or ~ mombe:' of die Faculty is 1"="

V

The Council sh>i1 orbi=e ill = b",,,sb' ;,.£o.e i: which do no< ~PP= nn.w.

ill

Cunsm""bckcp<l.'l the gun toom ~till times, cve:> duri.-.g the sbootinS =on. No sbootinS is :Ulowed except m the p'=<:<: of ~ :nasta.

VII

FishinS u=es >o,e Ilce=:y '" 6sh on the school ".opetty. Spcci1ic 6.shi:l S rosebtiom posted 0:: the bullerm bo::rcls m:lU be followed.

( 27 )

~I ,

GROUND FLOOR PLAN of Pop< Q>Idr""git cmJ It,,,,..(a.k Vieiriry

( 30 ]

VUI The Wuden shall ~pp¢i:ll ~ Commissio= of

Roo:ns wbo Wll bve clu.-ge of me rOOIll$ >.nd their nc>mcss :md furnishinss.

No sigx>$ or ~.dv-ertisc:n= = allowed itt the donnitoocs.

No clecttic light %tt:l.chm= %te permitted cx, cept with the permjssio:l of the Provost.

Boys =7eb~ngcchCx rooms only with the pet' missio:. of a committee composed of the Masrct of Dct2il. the Worden:me the COmmissio::cr ° Rootru.

[ zSJ

(Blank page omitted)

KEY II> Gror".a F~.r pl,n of Pop< Q~dt,",gk

tmd Im"..(£'~ Viarrity

1 Mr. Frocliebet 19 Refectory 2 Mr. Cbary 20 &0.1.:

Z I Sittins-room

.. Mr. Lacsdon z.: T c!cphoncs

5 ~.Thya 23 Guest Room

(, Mr. Perry Z4 POSt Office

7 Mr. Josephs zs Commou Room

S Mr. Brown ::6 Common Room

9IWnwy 27 Common Room

10 :v.It.C=pbe:U ::8 Common Room

I I Erehing Room 1.9 R.eaanon Room

IzY..r.C:illord ,0 L.ibn.'j'

13 31 Art Sl1.1dio

14 :v.It. Pulling 3Z Co=on Room

IS M!.L« H n.cu1rr Room

16 Ubo,~to:y 34 17 $to,"" >s Bu= IS IGtc:bco ;6 ~usic RooCl

( 31 ]

25

The Quarterly 0/ Avon Old Farms, Summer 1930 issue, gives some idea of the literary and artistic abilities and produCtions of the first School. The table of con­tents alone is impressive :

The Quarterly of Avon Old Farms Summer 1930

Wood cut by Frederick Whitney Sarurnalia

Contents

The death of the strong, wicked man Fable Wood cut by Thurlow Gordon Wood cut by Thurlow Gordon On lamp shades Strife The spark "Pompilia" Pen and ink by Cates by Jones Sleep The white blackbird Pen and ink by Walter Dower In a gorge Wood cut by Edward Canby The logic of music Nihil est Wood cut by Robert Lee

Whitney Case Baty Blake

Richard Iversen

Rockwell H . Potter, Jr. Richard Burlingame

Rockwell H . Potter , Jr. Edward Canby

Boies Hart , Jr. Edgar Steever

Courtland Canby

Edward Canby Rockwell H . Potter, Jr.

Music and drama also began to flourish early on, with faculty, faculty wives, and students taking part in concerts and productions held in the Refec­tOry.

The beginning of the 1929-30 year saw a surprise for the returning faculty : Mr. Froelicher was suddenly no longer there, and Dean Cherry was temporarily in his place . Pressed for reasons for this change, Mrs. Riddle grew vague, and even vaguer when asked when the Board of Trustees, so long-promised , would finally materialize . One by one, the faculty resigned , four following Mr. Froe­licher to the new adventure he announced for the 1930-31 year at The Fountain Valley School , being formed in Colorado Springs . These four were Messrs.

26

Brown , Perry, Kitson, and Langdon . Mr. Pulling also left to found a school : this one Millbrook, in the town of the same name in Dutchess County , New York . Pulling was the first of a long line of faculty to leave and assume headmaster­ships.

Life at the faculty level was not made any easier , according to Mrs. Perry , by the fact that the Head of Dwight Hall at Yale University, Robert Dudley French, accepted the office of Provost, only to decline it in January 1930 before even arriving, because the philosophy of the School, and the agreement under which he would work, were not sufficiently spelled out .

Faced with these defections, Mrs. Riddle was furious, and forbade her new faculty, as they were seleCted, to have any contaCt whatsoever with their predecessors.

That prohibition was extended even unto the new Provost, Dr. Percy G. Kammerer, who had been Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral in Pittsburgh . His selection process had been unusual, but not so unusual as the story, oft-repeated, that Mrs. Riddle went down a list of clergymen in the Pittsburgh telephone di­rectory until she found one whose name she liked.

What actually happened, according to Kammerer's daughter, is that Mrs . Riddle had heard that there was a Harvard graduate who had done his Ph.D. thesis on the psychological problems of adolescents (specifically, of unwed moth­ers!), that this man was also interested in parapsychology from the Christian viewpoint , and that he was an Episcopal clergyman who was currently Dean of the Cathedral in PittSburgh . Most probably , the Directory Mrs . Riddle con­sulted was Stowe's Clerical Directory , and, running her eye down the appropriate column, announced, as she is quoted as saying, "There's my man, " when she found the name of the Dean.

Kammerer was appointed Provost in February 1930 , arrived in the sum­mer , and did call upon the Perrys , who had a dispensation to retain their apart­ment in the Quadrangle until their rerurn from France shortly after School started in September.

The second faculty was at least the equal of the first , according to all alumni who have corresponded with the School concerning the period . Many of that fac­ulty stayed with the School until its closing in 1944 , as the faculty pictures from the 1937 yearbook (the first), and the 1944 book show . Especially mentioned by alumni are the Art teacher, Paul Cushing Child (later to become the husband of The French Chef, Julia Child), and Holland Sperry, whose work in biology led students to cross a hen with a pheasant, receiving national wire service publicity for the School, which was dampened only slightly by a spoil-sport from the Uni­versity of Connecticut who observed that it had been done already "but was a remarkable achievement for high school students ."

"We had a damned fine faculty! " asserts Evan Jennings '39 , and this senti­ment is echoed time and again by alumni . "What impressed me the most ," says Francis Madeira '34 , later conductor of The Rhode Island Symphony Orchestra , "was the individual attention one received . I think the Avon technique of a class followed by a study hall in the same room with the teacher present must have

27

"Trial by jury ," Gilbert and Sullivan , The Refectory , Spring 1930, students, faculty, and faculty wives.

been unique . And certainly there were few schools where the wife of the Head­master would drive a single student into Hartford for piano lessons with his teacher!"

Individual talents were nurtured , whether in the print shop under Max Stein, or in any other area in which a student wished to pursue a particular crea­tive interest. As Mrs . Riddle said time and again , and Provost Don Pierpont quoted later , even more often , "The ways in which we are different are more important than the ways in which we are alike ."

With the arrival of Bernie Hammons in 1935 to take over the riding pro­gram, polo was added to the list of sports that by now included intramural ice hockey on Beaver Pond . In fact , polo was the only spOrt in which interscholastic competition was permitted by Mrs . Riddle-or, later by the Deed of Trust , though informal crew races were held with other schools without publicity in the immediate post-War years upon the reopening of the School. Well remembered during the 1930 's were the mid-morning setting-up drills for all students on the Village Green; these were expanded with the outbreak of World War II to in­clude an obstacle course as part of pre-military training . That training became more than pre-military at the time of the Korean War, with a full ROTC unit in operation under General Caldwell, USMC.

Those students who could afford polo and brought their own polo ponies greatly enhanced the prestige of the experimental school , and made it seem a little more conventional after all. Mrs . Riddle loved the sport , and was fond of presenting trophies . One exchange between Mrs . Riddle and Bernie Hammons after a polo match is interesting to relate , as it sheds light on several personalities and inter-relationships in School life at the time .

28

The exchange concerned Chef Anthony Candels , who was hired by Mrs . Riddle one year after the School opened . German-Bavarian by birth , British by training and internment during World War I , and French by further study , Can­dels had come to America and settled in Hartford . Hearing that the job of Stew­ard might be available at Avon Old Farms, he lost no time in telephoning Mrs . Riddle directly and making an appointment. He came by bus to FarmingtOn , and walked the six miles to the School , where he met the Founder , as arranged . Intensive questioning ftOm her as to how to make specific recipes elicited , in each case, the fact that there were at least three ways-the French, the German , or the English, and which did she prefer? The interview was a tOtal success , and , laying her hand upon Candels ' shoulder , Mrs. Riddle knighted him with the POSt, explaining that he must get a car and take driving lessons-she could not have him walking to and from the bus in FarmingtOn!

After the polo match in question , Mrs . Riddle approached Bernie Ham­mons and directed him to call Chef Candels and have him make coffee with brandy for the hard-playing members of the team . (It should be noted that the liquor prohibition in the 1930's did not extend to such dispensations on the part of the Founder, nor to her prescribed Beer and Beef breakfast for the Seniors .) "I could have stOod my ground, as the Provosts did, " recalls Hammons , "and said that it was Candels ' day off, that I had already taken care of the situation, and so forth. But I always got along with Mrs . Riddle because I played the game a little differently . Instead , I thanked her for her suggestion, which I thought a good one , and said that since it was the Chefs day off, I had taken the liberty of promising the team a free meal and hot drink at Howard johnson's across the street. Seeing that the problem had been taken care of, and that she had not been challenged, Mrs . Riddle immediately agreed. In fact , she insisted on paying for the whole meal. "

Such consideration of a professional for a professional in another field was never lost, apparently , on Mrs . Riddle . She was always willing to listen to sug-

Dr. Percy Gamble Kammerer. Provost 1930-]940.

29

gestions, remembers Walter Read , whose father boarded many of the workmen while the School was under construction. His "audience," as he always puts it , was at Hill-Stead when , as a representative of the telephone company , he had to

explain why a new bell annunciatOr system to summon maids was needed . He made his case and his sale, and upon venturing to ask why Mrs. Riddle had made access to the telephone cables so difficult at Avon Old Farms, received the prac­tical answer "you do not build a cellar unless you want it used for more than a crawl space!"

What kind of student was attracted to Avon Old Farms once the Great Depression had hit in full force, and waiting lines had disappeared at most if nOt all school admissions offices? Reed Estabrook reflects, "There were always those who were wealthy, and who wanted to play polo in a relaxed academic atmos­phere. But most of us had been in academic trouble for one reason or another (like myself), or social trouble, at a more traditional school. We needed individ­ual attention and help . And at Avon we got it , and were very grateful for it. Many went on to fine colleges, and to distinguished careers. But it was the small, caring atmosphere, with a fine faculty, and individual attention, for which we remember Avon . It's that same spirit which we hope to keep in a much larger , and now completely college-preparatory, school."

By 1939, the pressures of conflicts with the Founder and especially her frus­trations with the prolonged absences from campus , often on admissions trips, of Provost Percy Kammerer reached a head . He resigned early in January, 1940, and went on to work for British War Relief. Mrs. Riddle attributed his departure to a nervous breakdown. Perhaps she was right , and knew the reason why!

Although the Deed of Trust was in existence from 1930, (reprinted in its final 1945 form in the appendix,) a careful examination of its clauses will reveal that any and all provisions could be altered or countermanded by the Founder and Donor, namely , Theodate Pope Riddle. It is a remarkable document, first conceived in 1930, based on a trip to England in 1929, and a careful reading of The English Public School by Bernard Darwin. That book , the only one on educa­tion in the Hill-Stead Library, is carefully marked with the Founder's marginal lines , and much of the language found its way, in one form or another, into the Deed of Trust. But the Deed as a whole, in its 17 revisions , is pure Riddle, and will bear, as mentioned, careful examination. The final (1945) instructions on philosophy (Schedule B) are especially timely , even tOday, and the whole docu­ment enshrined the student court system which is still in basic operation at the School.

In any event, in 1940, the search for a new Provost was on. It appears to have been this search , with the suggestions advanced from the Trustees of the Pope-Brooks Foundation that occasioned the famous confrontation at Hill-Stead , in the Dining Room . Mrs . Riddle wanted one candidate; the rest of her Board another. "Since I cannot outvote you, and cannot oursit you, I shall leave you, and go to bed! " she concluded, and left the room.

This oft-repeated anecdote, or any accompanying verification, does not ap­pear in the Minutes . The closest thing to it is a Minute dated May 18 , 1940

30

The Rev. W . Brooke Stabler, Provost 1940-1944.

noting that The Rev. Walter Gray had been appointed Provost , followed by a subsequent meeting, OctOber 25, 1940 at which " the new Provost , W. Brooke Stabler ," was introduced . No further explanation was offered.

Of more interest still , however , was a previous meeting to these , December 21, 1939, at which Provost Kammerer had been granted leave of absence from January 1, 1940 to June 30, 1940, with Dean Sears appointed Acting ProvOSt "during the absence of the ProVOSt ." A handwritten note accompanies the Min­utes of this meeting: "The Chairman reversed this without a meeting of the Board . She did not wish it discussed at the Board meeting October 25th. "

According to Mrs . Richard Sears , the offer was indeed made to the Dean , who accepted . However, under the terms of the Trust, the Aide to the Provost , Commander Hunter , who reported not to the Provost, but directly to the Foun­der , considered himself passed over as the logical "second in command," to cite the military chain of command with which Hunter was familiar. Hunter was so upset , according to Mrs . Sears , that he threatened to leave , and, attempting to

effect a compromise , Mrs . Riddle asked Sears if there were anyone on the faculty under whom he could comfortably serve professionally during the search for a new Provost. Sears replied that yes, Levings Hooker Somers , a retired head~aster who had offered Sears his first job in teaching, would be perfectly acceptable. But , according to Sears 's widow, the move effectively killed Sears 's interest in the job of Provost. It is her assertion that had Sears been made Acting and then permanent Provost , he would have used his experience and influence with Mrs. Riddle to keep the School open , and it would never have closed in 1944 .

In any event, The Rev . W. Brooke Stabler was appointed as Provost, and immediately started referring to himself as the "Rector. " He also brought about the change of name from Avon Old Farms to The Avon School, in order to avoid the connotations of a farm school , and made the change publicly stick (it had been tried once in 1938 during a trip of Mrs . Riddle 's abroad, and was promptly countermanded by her upon her return .)

31

Brooke Stabler definitely had in mind a conservative, conventional school along Episcopal lines , and immediately started instituting and promoting com­munion services, confirmation classes , and the like. This was not expressly for­bidden by the Deed of Trust , and , indeed, ever since 1927 Mrs. Riddle had in­dicated that although the School was ro be non-sectarian , public worship would follow the Protestant Episcopal Church.

Stabler was more effective in his admissions efforts than his predecessors, the war years notwithstanding , and his alumni bulletins , largely written by Sta­bler himself, show urbanity, polish, and intellectual sophistication.

He even ran a contest for a poem to become a School Song . The winning entry was aurhored by Paul Cushing Child of the faculty-and is still being used-"Men of Avon, " now sung to the Chorale from Beethoven's Ninth Sym­phony, though Child had intended the hymn tune "Austria. "

Brooks Emeny credits the inevitable final falling out between Mrs. Riddle and her third Provost, Stabler, to a dispute over the clothing uniform for the students, Brooks Brothers no longer being able to supply the desired cloth in wartime. It 's doubtless true that Mrs. Riddle became more rigid and withdrawn following the death of her husband , John Wallace Riddle, on the day ofter Pearl Harbor. The consumate diplomat ro the end , he had apparently been able to distract Mrs. Riddle and persuade her to "sleep upon" matters of dispure.

The match to the gunpowder, however, according to Dean Sears ' widow, was Stabler's importation of a Hodgson Portable Chapel in 1941 from Wykeham Rise School. According to Mrs. Sears , Mrs . Riddle made it clear that she would tolerate changes to her curriculum, to the name of her school, to the format of certain custOms, bur EVER to her architecture! Years later, Stabler, then Headmaster of the Cranbrook School in Michigan , confided at a professional con­ference to Richard Sears that the Chapel had been his undoing with Mrs . Riddle.

While all these pyrotechnics were going on at the Provost-Founder level , life was proceeding more or less normally at the School. Powers of writing and journalism, some to become immediately apparent, some not to surface for years, were being developed among the students.

The appointment of an Aide to the Provost, responsible for discipline , and reporting directly to the Founder (see Deed of Trust), had been destined to cause trouble, and Dr. Kammerer had , as well as his predecessor and successor, each asked Mrs. Riddle please ro retire from the School for a year and give him a chance to run things. She acquiesced, but was glad to receive weekly reports from Peter Seeger '36, editOr of the student newspaper, both before and after he grad­uated . This rather unsettling practice, surely from Dr. Kammerer 's standpoint, continued for three years.

And in 1941 , there arrived at the School a young man by the name of Rich­ard W. Yates, destined to graduate in the last of the old school classes , 1944, who combined shrewd powers of observation and even more vivid powers of guesswork to salt away reminiscences for a novel , patently about Avon Old Farms, which appeared in 1978 under the title A Good School. Lothar Candels '43 has supplied the School the key to this obvious roman a clef. identifying almost ail

32

the characters in the novel by their real names , student and faculty alike . Reac­tion to the novel included the apoplectic on the part of Instructor in Printing Max Stein , on the faculty from 1933 to 1944, the staff of Old Farms convalescent Hospital from 1945 to 1947, and once again at the School 1980-81. The reac­tions also included the philosophic and the amused, according to one's percep­tion of the War , Avon Old Farms , and private school education in general. Yet, even Yates concluded "If my father had lived , I would certainly have thanked him for paying my way through Dorset Academy ... I mig ht have even told him-and this would have been only a slight exaggeration-that in ways still important to me it was a good school. It saw me through the worst of my adoles­cence, as few other schools would have done , and it taught me the rudiments of my trade . I learned to write by working on the Dorset Chronicle (in real life The Avonian, as the student newspaper was called in that era) making terrible mis­takes in print that hardly anybody ever noticed . Couldn't that be called a lucky apprenticeship? And is there no further good to be said of the school, or of my time in it ? Or of me?"

The happier and far more famous literary note of the era concerns John Gil­lespie Magee , Jr. , Class of 1940. Anglo-American by birth , a Rugby student marooned in America after the British entry into the War, he was unable to get a visa to return to England for his sixth-form year. Staying with relatives in Pittsburgh, who heard of Avon through the many Avon-Pittsburgh connections, he enrolled at Avon to complete his secondary education, won a full scholarship to Yale , which he declined for the duration, and surprised all who knew him by converting from pacifism and joining the Royal Canadian Air Force shortly after graduation from Avon . He published a slim volume of his poems under Max Stein's direction on the School's Washington Hoe Press while a student, of which perhaps the best remembered is A Prayer. While training in England , shortly before his death in December 194 1, Magee sent to his parents, then in Washing­ton, D .C. the sonnet later entitled "High Flight ," which was published in the Sunday bulletin of St. John 's Church there , (thereby voiding any possible copy­right royalties for the future.) The poem became immediately popular through­out the free world and may be found on the walls of the Air Force Academies in many nations . In 1942, after his death , Magee himself was the subject of a biog­raphy by Hermann Hagedorn , with its title, Sunward I've Climbed, taken from the sonnet. In 1980 , Avon Old Farms ran a contest for a new musical setting that could be sung either by massed unison voices or by mixed choir. That contest, which drew 69 entries, disclosed that six published musical settings had already been written and performed. The winning entry, reproduced in the appendix, was by Master Sergeant John Edward Turner , Director of the Band at, fittingly enough, the United States Air Force Academy.

Appearing in print shortly after his 1940 graduation was Alexander Sturm, with twO books published by Scribners' "for children of all ages," not only writ­ten but also illustrated by Sturm: The Problem Fox, and From Ambush to Zigzag. Veritably , Avon Old Farms had literary talent of national and international ap­

peal!

33

By early 1944, it had become clear to the faculty that a crisis was imminent between the ReCtor and the Founder. Early in March , Stabler carried to her news that the faculty had resigned en masse in protest to her interference; this was a little premature, but she responded with a general letter to faculty stating that "I have spent seven-ninths of my fortune in building and supporting this School. Had one or twO of the long-time members decided to stay with the School, I would have continued, but , under the circumstances, I feel that there is no alter­native but to close the School."

That left the faculty with no alternative but to find work elsewhere, and underclassmen and their parents with no alternative but to find other schools for those members of the classes of 1945-48. A mood of cynicism, sadness, and bit­terness prevailed at all levels of School life. A noble experiment had somehow gone wrong.

However, events soon conspired to add an even more dramatic chapter to

the life of the Village of Old Farms than anyone heretofore could have imagined as they departed after the 1944 Commencement exercises .

34

Dinner in The Refectory, 1930's. Note the formal attire. The missing doorway to the kitchen in the left-hand wall was not added until the Army years, 1944-1947.

An original study hall in one of the Quadrangle buildings. first floor. 1930·s.

35

Washington Hoe Press , Print Shop, 1930's. At this time, all School publications were printed on campus.

Provost Kammerer counseling student .

36

Community Service Fire Brigade, late] 930's.

Nimrod Cabin. early ]940's. Note Verne Priest and Provost Stabler, thil-d and fourth from

right. seronci rou '.

37

~ . _. - /' ~. "'!..-._----- ---

Aerial view of campus , 1930's. Note riding ring across from the Water Tower, left center.

Avon's polo team at the gallop.

38

~ ;; 4,.:"', ~ .... "- ~

School stables on Old Farms Road in the.1930's. This was not a Riddle-designed building, but a former dance halL which was purchased and converted for the purpose .

.. ..... ~<#

~. ~ . - '" ./~ ;.~ _"~"'_ ._~ _ .J~' ~ ___ _ ~ - ..-___ ._ :"' __ ,._

Art students at work. early 1930's. between Diogenes (left ) and Elephant (right).

39

1939-1940 faculty. Front row, left to right: Dr. Custer, Commander Hunter , Mr. Somers , Dean Sears, Mr. Sperry ; Second row: Mr . Stein, Mr. Harper, Mr. Fraisier, Mr. Child, Mr. Bangs, Mr. Gookin, Mr . Fowler, Mr. Sunbury; Third row: Mr. Gerard, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Derrick, Mr . Buckley, Mr . Thayer , Mr. Langdon , Mr. MacHaffie .

40

IV Old Fartns Convalescent

Hospital (Sp.) 1944 - 1947

I t is perhaps ironic that Avon Old Farms should have become best known to

"the world at large" during the period in which it was nOt a school. To be sure, the workmen who built the buildings, their families , and the inhabit­

ants of the tOwn of Avon would have known and seen the facilities, and word spread throughout the country about its unique architecture as soon as the School opened its doors . But Avon Old Farms was a small boarding school , one school among many others .

All three of the School's first provOStS travelled extensively , since the Pro­vost was also in charge of admissions , in fact , solely in charge of admissions until after the School reopened. Day students were first admitted in 1932, but they remained few in number until the late 1940's. As early as 1932, both Provost Kammerer and Dean Sears were broadcasting on WTIC in Hartford as lecturers on political and histOrical tOpics . Otherwise there was little publicity.

What really catapulted the School into national prominence was Old Farms Convalescent Hospital , Sp. (meaning "special") located on the g rounds after the School closed inJune of 1944, leaving the underclass students and the faculty to

find educational opportunities elsewhere . The bitterness caused by the .sudden closing of the School is reflected in the 1944 edition of The Winged Beaver, and , indeed, is still felt even tOday by some members of what would have been the classes of 1945-48.

The choice of Avon Old Farms for a training center for blinded veterans came about through the personal friendship between Mrs . Riddle and President Franklin D . Roosevelt. The Riddles had known both the "Republican" and the "Democratic" branches of the Roosevelt family, and Mrs. Riddle had designed a home for the butler to the Kermit Roosevelt family . How the President person­ally became involved in the relatively minor detail of the location of a training center for blinded veterans at the time he was Commander in Chief of, in effect, all the allied forces , is tOld in The Unseen Minority by Frances Koestler , which we excerpt with the permission of The American Foundation for the Blind :

41

"When , in 1942, the President of the United States directed Federal Secu­rity AdministratOr Paul V. McNutt to draft plans for the rehabilitation of men disabled in combat , a committee (from the American Association of Workers for the Blind) called at McNutt 's office to offer assistance in planning for the war­blinded . Central to the committee's thinking . .. was the belief that the federal government and not private philanthropy should assume responsibility for the rehabilitation of men blinded in military service ... one factOr that held up formal submission of the committee's recommendations to the government was the uncertainty over whether Congress would adopt a single rehabilitation service for both war veterans and civilians , or whether the twO programs would be sepa­rately administered . . . To make the legislatOrs aware that rehabilitation did have relevance to war goals, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a special message to the Senate on October 9, 1942 . . . Although the message made clear the White House 's preference for a unified rehabilitation service, pressure from veterans' groups for separate legislation and a separate program prevailed. March 29, 1943 saw passage of Public Law 78-16, authorizing the Veterans Administration to provide vocational rehabilitation for disabled veterans . . . the plan outlined a three-stage program: services in the hospital, services in a temporary rehabilita­tion center, and services for return to the home community . . . The only trouble with this admirable prospectus was that it failed to anticipate how rapidly the number of war-blinded would grow . . . in a matter of twO months the twO Army eye centers (Valley Forge General Hospital in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco) grew crowded with new cas­ualties. But if the men ready for medical discharge were to move out and make room for new arrivals , where were they to go?

"The question was thrashed out at the highest governmental level and for­malized in a four-party agreement approved by Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 8, 1944."

Present at that agreement were the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy , the War Manpower Commission Chairman, and the Veterans Administra­tion AdministratOr. The plan agreed that "all blinded personnel of both the Army and Navy would become the responsiblity of the Army Medical Depart­ment for taining in a rehabilitation center to be established by the Army .

"The center established in fulfillment of this agreement was located at Avon, Connecticut, and bore the official title of Old Farms Convalescent Hospi­tal (Sp.). Col. Frederick H. Thorne, an Army opthamologist , was named com­manding officer .. . 'hospital' was a misnomer; it was used because the installa­tion was under medical direction. Nor was 'convalescent hospital' an accurate description . Old Farms, which opened in June of 1944, was a training school with a specific curriculum and specific goals. "

The program which the men undertOok is described in the picture brochure A Glimpse into Life at Old Farms . It was also the subject of two books that gath­ered national attention. The first was a novel, Lights Out. by the detective stOry writer Baynard Kendrick. Kendrick, who had created a blind detective and who was himself much interested in the problems of the blind , desired to produce a

42

novel that would show that the blinded still retained all their other faculties (in­cluding the one for love-making!) and should not be pitied . Kendrick knew the work done at Avon, stayed at Mrs. Riddle 's gues t house , The Gundy at Hill­Stead , and inscribed a first edition of the book to Mrs. Riddle. Perhaps the best and most moving account of the life and training at Old Farms Convalescent Hospital is to be found in the autobiography of Henty Barry , entitled I'll Be Seeing You. A warm, humorous , and touching account, it still reads movingly after almost forty years .

"The basic 18-week training program at Old Farms had four separate as­pects ," says Koestler. "One concentrated on self-care and other personal adjust­ment activities. Another dealt with physical exercise, particularly sports, to prove to the trainees that they could continue to enjoy many of the same outdoor activities they had engaged in when they had sight. They bowled , swam, rode horseback , roller-skated, fished, boated , played golf and thus came to realize that they were by no means sentenced to a future of physical torpor. A third aspect­social recreation in the form of dances , dinner parties, and other entertainments (especially movies)--made the same point ." In 1951, a film starring Arthur Kennedy and Peggy Dow was based loosely on Lights Out. Called Bright Victory , it deals totally with the pre-Avon rehabilitation which the veterans received at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania , and the film only mentions Avon once, in the final scene , and incorrectly, at that , since the action of the film takes place in the Spring of 1944, when Avon was still in operation as a school.

Well-remembered by veterans and staff were the many visits of actors and actresses to Old Farms Convalescent Hospital, among whom was Ann Sheridan. Though newsreel and publicity film was shot on these occasions, to the best of the knowledge of all at the Blinded Veterans Association , no commercial film was ever based on or shot at the Hospital.

"The heart of the program , the fourth aspect, lay in several dozen courses which occupied most of the men's time . Each man was free to choose what he wanted or needed . There were three types : courses in braille , typing and manual dexterity designed to help the trainees live as blind men; courses in English, music , public speaking, and creative writing designed to help them live as full human beings ; and courses in industrial and commercial skills aimed at discov­

ering vocational interests and aptitudes . "One of the most constructive aspects of this last group was their extension

into actual practice with the cooperation of some large business and industrial firms in the area. Men who had learned how to operate power machines were given brief tryout placements in factories, holding down regular production jobs for which they earned regular salaries. Others worked as paid employees in stores, garages, filling stations , and insurance companies. These tryouts were the capstones of the Old Farms training program; they were both practical prevoca­

tional tests and important confidence builders . "All told, 850 men went through the Old Farms program during its three

years of operation. A study made by Col. Thorne after the first 200 men had completed their training showed four out of five to have achieved adjustments

43

rated satisfactory or better. The other 20 percent were men who showed consist­ent immaturity or irresponsibility; men who were mentally retarded , brain­injured or suffering from severe emotional disturbance; or men who were chronic alcoholics or sociopaths . An even higher degree of success-90 percent-was later claimed by a ranking military medical officer."

Such success is even more remarkable when one remembers that the men came from all walks of life and backgounds, from fourth grade through at l~ast one Ph.D. A particularly inspiring success story is that of Corporal Julius Morris . He had finished eighth grade when he was drafted, but he credits the training he received at Avon Old Farms with the ability and desire to go on not only to college but also to the University of Georgia Law School. In common with many of the veterans at Old Farms, he married a girl from the greater Hartford area, then became the first blind state legislator in the history of Connecticut, and is currently a practicing attorney in nearby New Britain.

According to Theresa Dillon (later to be known to Avonians as Terry Saxby, secretary to Donald Pierpont and wife of mathematics teacher Ed Saxby), the civilians working at the Hospital were encouraged not to "date" the trainees nor have them as guests in their homes . This was the only group so singled out. She was Secretary to Col. Thorne , and notes that girls from the Hartford area were invited to the dances , and all area residents were encouraged to take the veterans into their homes for meals , picking up the trainees in front of Diogenes Circle since the public was not allowed further OntO the base . Well over a hundred peo­ple from the area wrote and telephoned to share their happy experiences in this regard when this history project was announced.

Wisely, the Army arranged for national publicity about the work being done at Old Farms, in order to make the transition to civilian life easier "once you take off the uniform and become just another blind man with a cane." Canes were not permitted most of the time at Old Farms, though the men were encour­aged to use them off-base . "In the words of one of the blinded veterans, Old Farms was a good substitute for an obstacle course. The ceilings are of various heights, none of them very high ; the stairways are winding and uneven, and the floors are uneven, too. ' The Army took an affirmative view of these navigational hazards . If a blind man could learn to cope with the topography of Old Farms, he could get along anywhere ." Helpful in this coping was the small scale model of the campus prepared for all trainees to learn by touch . All sighted personnel had to go through this training, as well, blindfolded, in order to teach them how it felt to be suddenly blinded .

Perhaps the most famous contact with the greater Hartford community was the drive to build the swimming pool that still remains in use at the School. Local newspapers and radio stations ran the drive, the papers chronicled · the names and amounts connected with each donation . Though Mrs . Riddle chose to perpetuate the Story that the first donors to the pool were blinded trainees whose course would finish before the pool was built , in fact, the first donation , and among the largest , was $1 ,000 from Theodate Pope Riddle , as recorded by the

44

Hartford Times in April, 1945. Well-remembered especially were the efforts of Bob Steele on his program, "The Morning Watch, " on WTIC radio ; over $10,000 of the $76,000 total was credited to listeners to his daily show .

Other radio s-hows were broadcast from the Hospital. Walter Read , son of the man who ran the boarding house for workmen who built the School , was by this time on permanent loan from the Southern New England Telephone com­pany because he knew the intricate cable and wiring setup and "the Army was always wanting the phones moved around." Read would commandeer the pay phone lines for the WTIC broadcast circuits used by emcee George Bowe as vari­ety and comedy shows were hosted in the Refectory .

With stories in such magazines as The Saturday Evening Post. it was inevita­ble that the name of Avon Old Farms should reach the country and the world, and that Avon would enjoy a reputation as an important community resource . That tradition was carried on when the School reopened under Donald Pierpont , who invited area residents to the many lectures and concerts at the School. The tradition continues to the present day , as well as making the facilities available to outside groups when not in use by the School, for such public events as con­certs by the Hartford Chamber Orchestra, or hockey games and practices for area teams .

The trainees published a newspaper called The Quadrangle Review. under the direction of former Instructor in Printing Max Stein , who was hired by the Army for this purpose and also to teach binding and leather-working to the trainees. Other Avonians who stayed on were Bill Kegley , and, for a short time until Army restrictions proved toO confining, Chef Tony Candels . The School records, meanwhile, were superintended by Elizabeth McCarthy, Mrs. Riddle 's secretary , though many non-academic records were thrown Out, unfortunately , for lack of storage space.

One event of historic importance in 1945 , according to The Quadrangle Review, was the formation , at Avon, of the Blinded Veterans Association . That group, still very much in existence, has held several reunions on campus, and individual trainees or groups of them are always welcome on campus .

Mrs . Riddle visited the Hospital on at least one occasion, speaking to train­ees and staff about " the aspi rations and frustrations in building and running a preparatory school." Sadly , no notes of that talk remain. Mrs . Riddle gave the Army permission to install the sprinkler sys tem in the dormitories, and to cut through the door from the kitchen to the Refectory. One offer which she turned down , however, was that of paving the school roads with red asphalt. Contrary to myth , the prohibition against paving the roads was never in the Deed of Trust, but it was not until 1980 and 1982 that the roads were finally paved, thanks to the generosity of Angelo Tomasso, parent of an alumnus.

On August 21, 1946, Theodate Pope Riddle died, after a long illness, at Hill-Stead and was buried next to her late husband in the Farmington Cemetery. She never lived to see her school re-open , but had great hopes and visions for its furure, as the Deed of Trust indicates .

Yet her School had an effect even on those who could not see it. She had ,

45

always described Avon , in the Deed of Trust , as "a place where returning Avoni­ans could find an oasis , a semblance of permanence ."

That quality was noticed while still a trainee , by Henry Barry , previously menrioned as the author of I'll Be Seeing You. He described himself as a divorced man with two children. "When the war broke Out, I figured I knew all there was to know about the rough side of life . I was tOugh and cocky. "

He was also possessed of a sense of humor: ' 'I'd spent tWO months of my time at Old Farms in the workshop working on a woman's pocketbook. It was a beautiful thing , made of the finest leather the school could provide . . . A woman stOpped me in the corridor. In a simpering, high-pitched soprano voice she asked me who I was and how I felt . Finally , she said , 'My , that 's a beautiful pocketbook. I wonder now , would you consider selling it? I'd simply adore to

have it . Any woman would. I'll give you eighty dollars for it. ' 'I'm sorry, ' I said , ' it 's JUSt not for sale.' I'd spent a long , arduous time making the pocketbook and had come to think of it with affection. Even though she was offering a ridicu­lously high price for it, I clutched it to my chest as if she were going to snatch it and run. She bickered for a moment or twO longer, then abruptly changed the subject . 'You know , the girls at the club were wondering how you dear boys were able to shave .' I'd met this one before , and we had a stOck reply . 'Shave? ' I said . 'Why, it 's very simple.' 'Really ? How do you manage it ?' Gravely I said: 'Why , ma'am, we use a Braille mirror .' 'Oh! ' she said, 'of course. I just knew there was an explanation . ' "

Yet , when the time came for Barry to leave Old Farms , he had this to say: "Old Farms had become like home to me . I was confident there , and sure of myself. For every mistake I made , a hundred other men were making one. We could tease each other there , understand and appreciate one another. Leaving Old Farms was like nothing I'd ever known before . I felt lonely and more than a little afraid. Old Farms had been my world, small , comfortable, and safe. The world outside would be different: huge , frightening, and perhaps even hostile. We were hunting for the patience and comfort that were a part of Old Farms and not a part of anything else in the world. Like a child who moves away from home, I wondered if I'd ever find poise and composure again."

Those lines could have been written by a student of Avon Old Farms at any time in the institution's histOry . Perhaps Theodate Pope Riddle "builded " even better than she knew.

46

vii Message from Colonel Frederic H. Thorne, MC

Commanding Officer

Headed by Colonel Frederic H. Thome - one of the Anny lutstanding ophthalmologists - the members of the Old Fam .taff are specialists in the rehabilitation of blinded servicem~

They and their home towns are as follows :

Commanding Officer COL. FREDERIC H. THORNE, MC .......... San Antonio, Tell

,~~~~~~~~Qjll;~~r-'.;) Director 01 Training '1' .... ~~r=-1 CAPT. ALAN R. BLACKBURN, JR., MAC .. , ... New London, Obi, Post Surgeon

CAPT. BERNARD SIECEL, MC .... , .. .. .. ... .. Philadelphia, p, Director 01 Supply

CAPT. THOMAS J. WALSH, JR., QMC .... . .. . Philadelphia, p

AGF Liaison Officer CAPT. WEBSTER S. THOMPSON, INF ... " . . . , . . Burlington, V

Adjutant 1ST LT. FRED L. LAMU, ~AC ............ . ..... Dubois, ldah

Personnel Adjutant 1ST LT. WILLARD J . LAWRENCE, MAC .... West Hartford, Co

Public Relations Officer

l 'tte members 01 the Old Farms staff. From lelt to right they are: Bottom Row­Capt. Thompson, Capt. Siegel, Col. Thorne, Capt. Walsh, Capt . Blackburn. Second Row-Lt. Jameson, Lt. McAuliffe, Lt. Ashlord, Lt. Nesbit. Third Row-Lt. Nelson, CWO Drath, Lt. Frankston, (translerred ). Top Row-Mr. Russell, Lt. Lamb.

1ST LT. WILLIAM A. JAMESON, JR., MAC .. .. . Bramwell, W. V] Assistant Director 01 Training

1ST LT. ELMER K. NELSON, MAC . . ..... . .... , . Laramie, Wy]

Commanding Officer, Detachment Medical Department

The entrance 10 the ever·popular Il!! ess Hall is shown above.

The lour Red Cross field repre· sentatives at the lelt supervise the entertainment and recrea· tion programs at Old Farms. They are, Irom lelt to right : Miss Marion F. Otis, Mrs. Sylvia Kramer, Miss Alice M. Shorey and Miss Doris M. Wagner.

1ST LT. WILLIAM J. NESBIT, MAC ...... . .. . Pittsfield, Ma!!. Chiel Nurse

1ST LT. VIRCINIA S. McAULIFFE, ANC ...... . . . Monson, ~fas;

Hospital Dietitian 1ST LT. OLIVE I. ASHfORD, HD .......... . ..... Antrim, N, H.

Mess O/ficer CWO WILLIAM F. DRATH, USA . . . . , .. . ........ , Chicago, m

Engineer :\[R. WILLIAM S. RUSSELL ... , . . .. . .... , .... Watenown, ~Ia ..

Old larlHs presents a picture GENERALLY RECOGNIZED as one of the most beautiful schools in America, Old Farms occupies the plant and equipment of the former Avon Old Farms Preparatory School. The School is the creation of Mrs. Theodate Pope Riddle, prominent resident of nearby Farmington who, after journeying to England expressly to study school arch i,

Access 10 Dormitory 3 is obtained through the above entry.

tecture in that country, designed Old Farms and personally supervised its construction. The Army assumed occupancy in June, 1944,

The archway shown below leads from the QU44' rangle, in which the classrooms, shops arJ

dormitories are located.

'"

Where tltc Old JarJIIs Jlospital is located

FOLLOWING A SEARCH for a suitable site that included all parts of the United States, Old Farms Convalescen t Hospital was established in Avon. Connecticut, at a former nationally known boys; preparatory schooL

Old Farms is located on the crest of a hill about eleven miles from Hartford, the capital of Connecti· cut. Its large campus, considered one of the most beautiful in the Uni ted States, commands a sweep· ing view of the beautiful Farmington River Valley.

In an area of New England reo nowned for its rural beauty, the Post is far enough away from the ci ty of Hartford to afford its per· sonnel complete privacy, yet near enough to permit frequent and ready access to the city in leisure time and for training activities.

.--.

r:tll1rivalled arc/titectural beaut!! BUILT IN 1926 at a cost of approximately eight million dollars, Old Farms follows closely the quaint architectural style of centuries· old English schools. Its massive walls a re constructed of pleasing brownstone, while red slate roofs add a note of co lor and beauty. Its sturdy hand·hewn beams, doors and woodwork, together with the hand·wrought ironwork much in evi· dence, gives the interiors of the buildings a med;eval aspect of unusual charm.

The oddly.placed dormer windows in the Quad· rangle l'iew below exemplify the informality of

the architecture.

\

A wide sweeping circular drive lakes you to the Main Entrance.

The building ab houses the R ed C, R ecreation Center.

lts massive water tower is a prominent landmark

Long before the main lruildings come into view as the visitor approaches, the huge circular water to"·er. constructed of red brick. is seen in the dis­tance. It Aanks the old :\orman-type stable-the first of the buildings to gree t the eye.

and tltc Post's cars arc familiar sights locally

A complete motor pool is main tained which contains vehicles of all kinds used to transport trainees and Post personnel. Ambulances, buses, staff cars and trucks provide the transportation necessary to main­tain contact wi th the world outside_

Orientatioll kelps ill tlte quid TRAINEES at Old Farms receive extensive orientation instruction designed to help them familiarize themselves with their surroundings, to a id them in personal routine, and to assist them in their efforts to accustom themselves again to travel. athletic and other activity.

To negotiate steps-especially tho steps on buses and trains ·-is difficult at first for the man who cannot see. Preliminary practice on facsimile bus and lratn steps (at right) gives the trainee the confidence that he needs in his ability to travel alone "on the outside." The New Haven Railroad also cooperates by providing opportunity for trainees tu practice on railroad cars at the Hartford station. Trainees /requently go unescorfed to and from Hartford by bus. In· cidentally, they carf)' canes only when they go "OD-Post."

'Crllinees ellt thdr ((chow" in 11 bellutiju/ mess .hlll!

Old Farms Mess Hall is a faithfu l copy of a typical old English baronial hall and is sufficiently roomy to accommodate all Post personnel at one time. In the rear of the Mess Hall is a large dance floor where Post dances are held from time to time.

fJdjllstmeJlt of the bliJlded HG I"

-rhere's I/O /IlCK of interest when mess CIlI! is soul/ded

Trainees are proud of thei r ability to take care of themselves in the Mess Hall , and they do it well ! They eat mess at small tables seatin g six persons. Meals are served cafeteria style and everyone, including trainees_ goes through the mess line.

ORIE TA TIO 1 instruction given at Old Farms is designed to fit each trainee's individual requirements. Progress is found to be aided ma­terially if. under skilled guidance, he is encouraged to work out his own problems in his own way as far as possible.

"Brail/ing" the above model helps the new arrival to /amLl­iari:e hlmsel/ with the grounds so that he can walk to an)' building WLlhout using a cane. Every building, road. path and tree is indicated on this scale model.

(At the le/t ) Co-ordination 0/ muscular reactions LS im· portant to the blinded soldier, and the orientatLOn program leaches him again ihe liming thal is so vaal, USing new methods to replace lost sight.

----

RECREATION is a necessity for everyone, and it is especially im­portant to those who have been blinded_ At Old Farms the value of rec reation in helping the trainee to readjust himself is fully r ecog­ni zed. The variety of the recrea­tional facilities In which the blinded soldier can participate is unusually extensive.

?:ltere~ II1I1CJ

tlte (oJtVIlI(j

at Old

A vorietll of activities opells TRAI TEES at Old Farms engage in a large variety of activities, belieing the old theory that there are few occupations for the blind. Courses are avai lable in almost an y fi eld the tra inee wishes to enter, whether it be farming, shop wo rk or constructive writing.

Braille is important to the blind, and competent in. structors teach it to them. It has an intensely practical

use to every blinded soldier.

Gardening is perhaps a new field 0/ endeavor lor the blind, but, with the aid 0/ specialLY'equipped tools, it is a practical occupation that permits the boy from back on the farm (0

continue agricultural work and can give the non./armer trainee an interesting hobby.

:(J cl1tertail1 fig soldier 1(II1S

tfte doors to a use/ul/uture

AMUSEMENT and entertainment at Old Farms includes dancing_ walks, reading - either by the aid of " talking books" or through the services of a reader- music, boa t­ing, athletics, or just sitting in the sun. Off-the-Post parties and dances, movies, shows, and other events help pass the time away pleasantly during the trainees' stay.

HERE the trainee is urged to choose the type of work he wishes to fo llow. If it is at all practical, and if he is found to have the required inherent ability, he is given instruction in that particular work .. . and invariably success crowns his efforts.

Th e trainee above yearned to master the cornet-and he did a surprisingly fine job 01 it !

Weaving ( right) DOers an interesting hobby; instruction for both hand and loom weaving is available here lor any

trainee who wants to learn how.

The ability to do typewrit­ing is helplul to every blinded soldier. Here he can learn to type with speed and accuracy rival­ing that 01 many a typist who can see .

New arts are learHed, Hew haHdicrafts become familiar ...

uction in elementary book-binding. ~t in the Print Shop at Old Farms. has ed th e trainee shown above-and many 1cr. too-on a new job that has be·

either a well-paying vocal ion or ((11

interesting side Line.

Supple fingers are a blind man's tools, and seuing up looms (at Tight) or simiLar intri· cate work, helps develop the sense of touch.

A bility to develop manual dex· terity is aided in the testing clinic, where the blinded soldier can quickly learn where his best abilities lie.

rhe Post's telephoHe switchboard is mastered, too . ..

A trainee receives instruc­tion in operating the Post's switchboard.

Specially developed by the Bell Telephone Laboratories for the use of the blind, this attachment installed by the telephone company enables trainees to man the switchboard at Old Farms. Blinded men. it has been proved. can make good switchboard operators.

PLungers rising from the at. tachment at the Left indicate the calls to the blindauendant.

aHa e{Je11 tilt Intcst News 0/ tke Post is publislied

.Yot listed among the grflQt newspapers 0/ America. llcu}rthc:/ess the ~'Q1Uldransle Rellit~UJ'~ has no rit'rds lor popularil)" al Old Fauns. I"'i,'uu:d lu-ir'C a month. it gh{'~ the trainee intf!r~.'led i.n /)rinting a chance /.0 try his har"d.

by the traiNees!

aNd the soldier eNjoys a {Jisit with tlte folks back hOllle .. . by telephONe

Telephones for the use of trainees are conveniently located and the blinded soldier can call home in com­fort and privacy_ The telephones are equipped with special braille number plates, enabling the soldier to "read" the number of the telephone with his finger tips_

When long distance lines are crowded and caLLs are de­layed, comfortable surroundings and the companionship 0/ R ed Cross Junior Hostesses help pass the time pleasantly_

Sports arc importnnt

morale blltlders to the blind as woLL as 10 those who can see. At Avon Ihe blinded solliier lcarns 10 fJflrltcipale

in a t'aricly oj :,porls . in· eluding swimming, skiing. horseback f ir/Lng, bowling, goll, hiking and riding "on a b,cycLe buill/or two'-·

'Cltrollglt tlte portals of Old lafll1s to a IIse/ul futllre

WHEi\ he arrives at Old Farms, the ser viceman who has been blinded in combat is often still

confused, sometimes embittered at the fate that sentenced him to a futur e of darkness. and con· cerned at the thought of becoming a possible burden to loved ones.

In contrast is his attitude some four months later , when he "graduates" from Old Farms. Cheerfulness has supplanted doubt ; he has confidence in newly acq uired kn owledge that h is tra in:ng at Avon has equipped hi m to engage in work. responsibilities. recreati on, social and fam ily activities wh :ch he had assumed \\ ere to be denied him.

As he steps through the portals of Old Farms into the outer world , the blinded veleran of World War II does so with fi rm tre:!d, secure in th e kn owledge that within hi m lies all the tra in :ng and abili ty he needs to resume the li fe of a useful cit izen in his comm unity.

fifld eOflfleetiellts indllstries kelp tke trainee, too! Preliminary work in the Post's shops prepares the trainee for mechanica l work and many of Connecticut's large industries located nearby give him the opportunity during his training period to acquire ac tual shop experience in their plants.

The blinded soldier who has worked with industrial machinery can learn new methods which frequently enable him to resume em·

ployment in that field successfully.

(; his booklet ",as prepared and published by The Southern New England Telephone

Company in appreciation of the splendid results being achieved in the rehabiltlation of blinded servicemen at '·Old Farms.'"

Grateful acknowledgement is hereby made for the cooperation of the Hospital's command· ing officer and his sta/J, without whose col:abora. lion thIs booklet could not have been publtshed.

All pictures are Signal Corps photographs, excepting those 0/ the cornetist, skiers, and auto mechanic, which are used through the courtesy of the New York World.Telegram.

v The Pierpont Years

1947 - 1968

T he death of Theodate Pope Riddle left Dr. Henry A. Perkins more or less in charge of The Pope-Brooks Foundation, Inc., in the role of Sec­retary . I t could not have been left in better hands. Perkins, a professor

at Trinity College who had been recalled to teach after retiring from Trinity at the outbreak of war, was a gentleman who might be described as "of the old school" ; yet, he shocked staid Hartford by his marriage to a Danish actress~ Dr. Perkins ' career has been lovingly chronicled in Daughter 0/ the House by his daugh­ter , Evelyn Perkins Ames . He drove an old car , observing that it gOt him where he needed to go, and , when presented with the prospect offuture superhighways, his response was, "It will be no improvement. People will JUSt go farther, and more often ."

Yet , he was a consummate educatOr, and a popular teacher. It was he who got in tOuch informally with Avon alumni in cities around the country , in 1946-47, and asked them if they thought Avon Old Farms should be re-opened. Alumni such as Reed Estabrook , Dick Harper, and others who had remained close to the School following graduation , all agreed that it should reopen, if pos­sible, and that the one member of the former staff who should be recalled at all COStS was Bill Kegley, who according to the feelings of alumni such as Estabrook, had really "run" the School from a practical and physical point of view.

This was not an indictment or vote of no confidence in the excellent "old School" teachers, according to Estabrook and Harper, but rather a tacit assump­tion that they had resumed their careers elsewhere following the disruption of the School's closing in 1944 , and would be unlikely to risk a repetition of the same noble experiment that had sent them scrambling into the job market in the Spring of 1944.

Over thirty-five candidates for Provost were considered, yet one emerged as head and shoulders above the others . Donald \'(/. Pierpont was then on the fac­ulty of Columbia University in New York as an InstructOr in the Department of

58

59

Humanities. A devout Episcopalian , he had also been interested in psychic phe­nomena , in drama, and, above all , in people. His complete biography is given in the tributes at the end of this chapter, but it might be added that Don Pierpont possessed a quality most conspicuous by its absence in his three predecessors as Provost: a sense of humor , about himself as well as others. Though he chided his Board about "getting two for the price of one," he was correct : Nan Pierpont provided a dignity , graciousness, and warmth to the School and all its social functions that is remembered by all who knew them both.

Arriving in the Summer of 1947 , the Pierponts were appalled by what they saw happening on campus. The Army was leaving , and green recruits, drafted after the conclusion of hostilities and much against their will, were in charge of moving furnitute and " restoring" furnishings to their proper locations.

Such " restoration, " according to Nan Pierpont , included the dropping of a Steinway grand piano four feet from the bed of a truck Onto the flagstones-right under the nose of Don Pierpont , who proceeded forthwith to complain to mili­tary authorities, only to be told that if the Officer in Charge investigated the incident, he would have to court-martial the offenders, so why not put the dam­ages on the bill to the Army?

Estimates vary as to how much those damages amounted to , but the usual figure quoted is $100,000. This was the total income on which to rebuild the School, since almost all of Mrs. Riddle 's capital had been left to a separate Trust to open Hill-Stead as a Museum .

The interlocking Trusts provided that, should Hill-Stead not succeed as a museum , it was to be closed, and the paintings and furnishings sold to benefit Avon Old Farms School-should the School re-open. This curious arrangement was the cause of several court cases, one of which nearly did bring about the closing of the museum, but, fortunately for all concerned, both the School and the Museum have survived and flourished , and friendly relations between the twO are now the order of the day .

In the Summer of 1947 , then , you had a school with a head , but no faculty, no students, no administration , and no money . Clearly , the 1948-49 scholastic year was the earliest that it might be possible to open the School, and Don Pier­pont set about raising cash by renting Out all the faculty apartments and many student rooms as apartments until such time as they were needed for occupancy. According to Frank Leavitt '52 , who lived on campus with his parents as a stu­dent attending Towpath Elementary School, there were at the height of the rent­als over 40 families in residence--he well remembers, for he was the mail boy. Frank also remembers that of 30 members of the eighth grade class in 1948 at Towpath School , in Avon , 18 were descendants of families who had either lived in Avon and worked on the construction of the School, or who had moved here to do the same, and remained .

Wilbur Durphey was called in to "restore" the public and student rooms in a proper fashion, sanding and refinishing the Refectory tables which had stood out in the rain for three years. He did the thousand and one jobs that eventually made him Director of Physical Plant , and single-handed restorer of the Railroad

60

Station into the Brooks House in the 1970's. In addition to Bill Kegley, former staff members Anthony Candels and Bernie Hammons were recalled to active service; Candels in his former capacity as Chef, and Hammons in the new capac­ity of DirectOr of Admissions , Alumni Relations , and Public Relations .

The 1947-48 year was spent in recruiting students and a faculty , the most notable of whom came to pay a professional and social call , and remained to be­come Dean until 197 1. George Kinkade was Principal of the Towpath School in Avon , and, since there was no Avon High School , was automatically also Super­intendent of Schools .

"Don Pierpont was in old clothes painting screens when I arrived in my best and only suit, " reminiscences George Kinkade . "We had a lively discussion about education that day , and we were not always in agreement by any means . Later that evening Don phoned to ask me to join him in this risky educational venture . I accepted."

The flair for persuading unlikely people to accept an even more unlikely offer stayed with Don Pierpont until the end , bringing to the campus such lu­minaries as Mitchell , Sharpe , Saxbe , Col. Evans , Grove , Clark, and many others.

But there were problems which arose before the School even opened. The end of the War and the dissolution of the British Empire had left a rather sour taste in the minds of many , even including Englishmen, for the glories and ar­chitecture of by-gone days. In terms of self-satire, this trend is best remembered in the famous "Belles of St. Trinian's" movie series which ran for many years. In the case of Avon Old Farms, the trend was reflected most unhappily in articles such as the following, which appeared in TIME Magazine of March 22 , 1948: "FOR LITTLE GENTLEMEN: There it sat , an $18 million imitation English village, spank in the midst of the Connecticut countryside . An eccentric old woman had built Avon Old Farms as the spit & image of a Cotswold village , with carefully warped roofs , rippled window panes , synthetically worn stairs. There were no students at Avon last week . The only sign of schoolboy life was a boy named Butch (Leavitt) , busy tacking up college pennants in a monklike cu­bicle .. . littering up the joint after the fashion of twelve-year-olds ... The school's new head had hired Butch (for 50¢ a week) to live in the place so he could improve on the carefully arranged surroundings . . . Pierpont was willing to comply with the minor provisions of Avon 's code , such as fly-casting and a school uniform , so long as he didn 't have to be tOO literal about the major ones . Particularly , he doesn't believe , as Mrs . Riddle did , that there is one class privi­leged to produce gentlemen. Withour Mrs. Riddle to make up the $25,000 a year losses , Avon will still have to rely mostly on the sons of the well-to-do ."

NEWSWEEK produced an article of almost the identical tOne . Avon was perceived, nationally and popularly , as an out-of-date joke.

Pierpont did the best he could under the circumstances , telling other head­masters that he "would take a student so long as he had twO legs and could pay the bill , and ifhe could pur on his shoes , he might even consider a scholarship! "

That he gathered a faculty and a school of 100 students (including some veterans) is a miracle , and when asked , he would always refer to it as a miracle

61

and attribute it to the results of his all-abiding faith. According to Nan Pier­POnt , that faith usually stood him in good stead: at one time, a year or tWO later , when it was obvious that the deficits could not be met and the School would have to close , Don went for a walk in the woods , praying "Not my will , but Thine be done ." Upon his return, he discovered that Ostrom Enders of the Board had ar­ranged a mortgage on the School property through The Aetna . The School was saved, temporarily.

"Don Pierpont believed that there was a bit of the Christ in every boy ," recalls Frank Leavitt. "He would go to the ends of the earth (and, not infre­quently, all the way into New York at night) to rescue a lost sheep . He always believed in giving a boy a second , or even a third chance."

There was little else that could be done in the early years of the post-War School, particularly with the veterans, who could not be expected to conform to adolescent rules nor to subscribe to the confines of in loco parentis . Some of the wilder escapades of those years are chronicled in Nathaniel (Greenblatt) Lande's (Class of 1951) novel Cricket, which purports to be about a "fictitious school named Avon Old Farms with a fictitious Provost named Donald Pierpont ."

Everyone, recalls Kinkade , heaved a huge sigh of relief as the calibre of the student body improved, though in the early post-War years, as at all times of the School's history, there have been good and serious students-Leavitt , Consuegra and Mendell being three prime examples from the period in question.

"Don Pierpont always loved drama, " recalls Peter Aron , class of 1965 , "and the students who got to know Don best and whom he loved best were those Stu­

dents who were in trouble, or who contrived to get attention by making trouble-or making believe thay had trouble ." This was not without its effect on the more serious students , but it did not keep the School from progressing in all areas, most particularly in athletics , the arts , and drama.

Perhaps the best-known and best-loved innovation from The Pierpont Years was and is The Boar's Head Festival at Christmas (See Stage DireCtions in appen­dix) . There were glee club concerts with other schools , the Spring Choral Festival in Hartford each Spring , and dramatic and musical comedy productions in the Refectory. Though inter-scholastic sports were forbidden under the Deed of Trust until 1951; under Coach Herb Cochrane, football , basketball , and baseball thrived, first at the intra-scholastic level , and then beyond.

Perhaps it is in the academic area that the Pierpont years most need to be recalled , however. All alumni remember the school as Don Pierpont: his Chapel talks , his informal addresses, and his individual counseling. Yet , as George Kin­kade reminds us , it has always been faculty and the curriculum that have made a college preparatory school :

"In the pursuit of academic excellence , Don gathered together an excep­tional faculty . We were all filled with his missionary zeal to make AOF a great school. One of his first concerns was to nurture the faculty to the fullest . Even in those ecomomic hard times , the School offered to pay for its faculty's education . (This happy tradition continues , in even expanded form, today .)

"Early on , circa 1950, we contacted Dr. Clyde Hill , Head of the Yale

62

Graduate School of Education. Dr. Hill became very interested in the potential of this unique school and its effervescent headmaster ; in fact, so interested that he established seminars conducted by Yale faculty at AOF. Many of our faculty went on the earn Master's Degrees at Yale-Dick Davis and George Kinkade went on to become Ph .D .'s.

"Another measure of the quality of the faculty was the significant number of men who went on to be headmasters : Davis , Dunn , Loveland, Holmes, Efin­ger, Froelicher (son of the first AOF Provost), Kaptyn and Johnson . Another source of satisfaction was the number of Our boys who came back to join the faculty: Seth Mendell and Frank Leavitt , both '52; Wellington Ramsey III '5 1, George Consuegra '51; Paul Lapidus '59; Erich Cluxton '6 1 (later to go on to a Headmastership) ; Douglas Marshall '59; and others .

"Starting in the 1950's we conducted a competitive scholarship program , with twO scholarships given annually in the neighboring tOwns. Candidates were judged by entrance examination and for personal qualities by a panel of citizens representing the community involved. " (With the great expansion of the day program during the Trautman years, these scholarships became two full scholar­ships for inner-city minority students from the Hartford area.)

"In the area of the curriculum, Mrs . Riddle 's principles continued to play an important role: her concept of the dignity of labor and community service was fostered by the extensive use of the print shop, forge , farm, forest, stable, art studio, ceramic shop, and woodworking shop. Appreciation of individual differ­ences also resulted in a broad curriculum . Around a central core of preparatory subjects, a boy could have courses in ethics, art or music , mathematics or eco­nomics , surveying and navigation , drafting and design . The training in remedial reading for dyslexia, begun at Avon in the mid-1930 's, was expanded. "

Important professional associations were fostered. Donald Pierpont was one of the five headmasters who founded the WALKS Foundation in 1956 , a group designed first to raise money from business and industry for five then all-boys ' schools : Westminster, Avon, Loomis , Kingswood , and Suffield . The WALKS scholars continue to the present day, twO per school, with the Presidency of the Foundation rotating among the heads of the five schools .

Avon was one of the founding schools, in 1957, of the Secondary Schools ' Admissions Test, with Avon students in the first sample which set the norms .

One less than tOtally happy experiment was the association with Parsons College in Iowa. Parsons was known for taking a wide range of students, and more or less letting them tailor their academic program to their desires, if not to say their whims, in some cases. Don Pierpont had encouraged a number of Avon o-raduates to attend Parsons , had been given an honorary doctOrate by the Col­o leo-e and had been put on the Board. For a while , in the early 1960's it looked as 0'

if Mrs . Riddle 's junior college might finally come to pass in the form of a "Par-sons East" to be built on the property, but this was discouraged at the Board level at Avon-wisely, as it turned Out , for Parsons losr its accreditation and

soon fell upon hard rimes. Hard rimes , financially , were rhe lot of rhe whole of the Pierpont years. As

63

TIME magazine had predicted , the School ran deficits of at least $25 ,000 a year , and the deficits kept mounting . Finally , in 1951-52 , the faculty agreed to take a cut in salary , but still it looked as if the School was doomed . Fund-raising also was difficult , since under the terms of the Riddle Trust , the buildings and land were owned by the Riddle Trust , the sole trustee of which was The Hanover Bank in New York City . Finally , on May 15 , 1952 , the School was formally handed over by the Directors of the Pope-Brooks Foundation , Inc. , to The Han­over Bank. The Board Minutes record , " it was indicated to The Hanover Bank that if the Bank were determined to continue the School , certain individual members of the Board were willing to assist in attempting to raise funds neces­sary to cover any small deficit ." (This offer was accepted , and) " it was indicated that as soon as the organization of the new Advisory Board had been completed , the first order of business would be fund-raising ."

This aCtion, in effeCt , terminated all the restrictions of the Trust under which the School was operating , particularly as it made both inter-scholastic sPOrtS and also the sale of unneeded land possible for the first time. Land sales aided the financial problems; the attraction of official competitive SPOrtS outside the confines of the School helped to attract more of the students Avon was seek­ing , and the pictute brightened considerably, though these changes were cer­tainly not discussed with the students, nor , indeed, with most of the faculty .

Here should be recorded the yeoman service of Business Manager and Comptroller Bill Eastwood during the 1950's and 1960's , together with those of Helmi Ruus, Bursar , who had come to Avon originally to care for the Pierponts ' daughter Nancy . With Don Pierpont 's interests and energies directed elsewhere , to faculty and students , it was Eastwood and Ruus who managed the always crit­icall y short cash flow , paid the bills , and kept the School afloat. A deep debt of gratitude is owed them both . Upon Bill Eastwood's early retirement , he was suc­ceeded by Walter J. Ullram , who has presided equally well over a much larger staff, a more complex physical plant and a greatly expanded budget.

By the 1957-58 year , The Hanover Bank was weary of being a trustee for an educational institution 100 miles away, which it was not set up to run or manage in any case . Through a series of delicate legal maneuverings, the Trust was moved to Hartford , and to the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company, where it resides to the present day . Control of the School was effectively handed back to the Advisory Board of Regents , which became a Board of Directors operating under the Bank's trusteeship , first under the presidency of Col. D . Gordon Hunter of Farmington , and , since his retirement in 1965 , under that of F. Reed Estabrook , Jr. '36 . These negotiations , so easy to record in a paragraph, repre­sented years of effort , months of meetings , and pages upon pages of minutes and reports!

With the School showing a slight surplus in the operating budget , a case could be made for capital expansion as well as annual giving . The last major construction had been in the 1930's, and the lack of a gymnasium and an ade­quate library had been noted in the 1948 and 195 7 re-accreditation reports of the School. The first phase of an ambitious building program was realized by the

64

dedication in 1965 of The Pierpont Student Activities Center , or gymnasium , built around and over the old swimming pool from 1945 . This was followed by the development of houses for faculty in the woods along what became Faculty Row .

But the wear and tear of almost twenty years was beginning to show on Don Pierpont . His first major heart attack had come in the early 1960's, and he al­ways kept nitroglycerin handy for sudden spells , which grew more frequent . He was on the selection committee for a new President at Parsons College , and this travel, plus the admissions and fund-raising travel for Avon, took its toll. He considered retirement, and although he and Nan had made a wise investment in a retirement home in West Simsbury, the School had operated for years without any retirement plan. The School, as with Mrs. Riddle, had been Don Pierpont 's life.

It ptobably would not have been his death, however, except for circumstan­ces in society totally beyond his control.

So long as faculty and students shared common values and common expec­tations and aims in education , it might be possible to "bend the system" in cases of sheep who had strayed from the fold, and such bending occurred regularly at Avon , as noted. But the advent of the Vietnam War, race riots, the increased use of illicit drugs, and other societal problems, in the late 1960's, caused an up­heaval in society that could have ended up in total social revolution . Indeed, in many colleges, it did result in juSt such revolution , with \idministration build­ings occupied, presidents hounded or harassed out of office , and physical violence exerted on police and others who strove to maintain law and order. In retrospect , it seems odd that students should take Out their fear and frustration at the pros­pect of being drafted to fight in what many considered an unjustified war, upon educational institutions, but they were the nearest examples of adult authority at hand .

At the secondary level, in the late 1960's, the situation manifested itself not so much in strikes or marches, though these did sometimes occur , but in "copping out" from the responsibilities of society, particularly through the route of taking drugs.

Forbidden use of alcohol at Avon had not been unknown , ever since 1927, and since all Avon students (except the few veterans after World War II) were legally minors and forbidden by state statute to drink , the use of alcohol had been rightly regarded as a serious offense , to result at first in warning or suspen­sion, and, if repeated , in expulsion . But the surreptitious use of dtugs was an­other matter altogether, and its appearance was a situation that drove the ailing Don Pierpont into a state of nervous and mental collapse as he tried to counsel those who were misbehaving, and keep the rest of the students from following their example . Vainly did he attempt to reason with students quite different from any he had ever known .

On the other hand, the Board of Direcrors was becoming ever more insis­tent that rules should be tightened , not relaxed . Admissions were declining as , once again , boarding schools were targets of charges of elitism , anachronism ,

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and, worst of all, irrelevance in a society which television was training in the art of instant self-gratification.

Twenty years earlier, Don Pierpont might have been equal to the challenge, but in 1968 he was worn Out. As the 1968-69 year began, he spent all one night counseling twO students, then, on September 30th, he left by car for a conference in BostOn of A Better Chance, a recruitment group for minority students at whose conference he hoped to enroll some students to fill the few remaining empty beds . (Avon had taken its first black student in the mid-1960's, and its first foreign national in the late 1920's).

In the shower at the Ritz CarltOn, he suffered a massive heart arrack, and died .

His body was brought back to Avon, where it lay in The Chapel of Jesus the Carpenter, which he had made over from the old Carpenter's Shop in 1949. An honor guard of students kept vigil through the night, with, as Reed Estabrook recalls, "many boys openly weeping." Avon students also served as his pallbear­ers at the service in the Episcopal Church in FarmingtOn the next day.

The Pierpont era had come to an end . One can do no better than reprint some of the many tributes which were gathered into a little booklet immediately following his death:

Donald W. Pierpont 1907-1968

A parable: What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them , does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it , he lays it on his shoulder, rejoicing.

Luke 15,3-5 The shepherd is gone, the sheep feel lost in the wilderness. We attempt to

expound on our loss, but alas, we are only sheep, and great men have failed to express the magnitude of tragedies gone by.

To say that Mr. Pierpont is irreplaceable would be ludicrous, to say the leas.!. All of us can and some day must be replaced.

To the ninety-nine, he was a kindly but stern headmaster, always willing to lend a helping hand. But to those of us who for one reason or another, found ourselves lost from the flock, he was, in a sense, irreplaceable. It was the lost sheep that robbed him of time from the rest of the flock. And when he returned a boy to the flock, he rejoiced and was gratified for his labors.

I rejoice. I rejoice for the influence he has had on me and my school. I feel I can say for all of you who were in some way reached by him that in your hearts he will never be replaced.

We, the sheep, will never forget you, Don Pierpont.

A Student

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Donald Winfred Pierpont was born in Baltimore , Maryland on August 5, 1907 , the son ofL. L. Pierpont and the late Bessie V. Minor Pierpont .

He was educated in the public schools of Baltimore, the University of Rich­mond, Johns Hopkins University Graduate School and Columbia University . In 1961 he was awarded an honorary LL. D . degree at Parsons College , Fairfield , Iowa.

He began his teaching career at St . Paul's School for Boys in Baltimore, Mary­land , following his graduation from The University of Richmond .

Mr. Pierpont had a keen interest in dramatics , and was active with the Vaga­bond Players , an amateur dramatic group in Baltimore. In the summer of 1932 , he organized and directed a repertory theater company in Richmond , Virginia.

He was also very interested in psychic phenomena, and in 1930 he spent con­siderable time in the summer on a fellowship with Dr. J. B. Rhine in his experi­ments in extra-sensory perception .

He remained at St. Paul's for twelve years and was Headmaster of the Lower School when he left in January of 1942 to accept a commission in the United States Navy. During World War II he was first an officer in the Armed Guard in charge of the gun crew on a merchant ship on the Murmansk run in the North Atlantic. Then , following an injury at sea, he was hospitalized in Halifax , Nova Scotia , and late in 1942 he was sent to the Armed Guard School for Officers in Boston, as Executive Officer. There he taught several hundred men each month .

In May , 1943, he was married to the former Miss Anne Johnson Tyler, and in September of that year he was assigned to sea duty in the Pacific Theater on the U.S .S. Urban .

Following his discharge from the Navy at the end of World War II , he joined the faculty of Columbia University as an InstruCtor in the Department of Hu­

manities . In 1947, he was chosen by Avon Old Farms School in Avon , Conn., to be its

Provost , the position he held until his death on September 30, 1968.

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Dr. Pierpont was named chairman of the Hartford branch of the ConneCticut chapter of the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness in 1955.

In 1958 , he was appointed to membership on a permanent advisory committee for Watkinson School .

In 1963, the first Anglo-American-Hellenic Bureau of Education medal was presented to him for his work in establishment of a scholarship program for Greek students at Avon Old Farms School. Through his efforts , other private schools such as Loomis, Gunnery, St . Paul's and Peddie also established scholar­ship aid for Greek students.

Dr. Pierpont was secretary of the WALKS Foundation, a philanthropic orga­nization formed to aid students in scholarships at Westminster , Avon Old Farms, Loomis, Kingswood and Suffield Academy.

In 1965 , the Pierpont Student ACtivities Center at Avon Old Farms School, the first building in the school's $3 million expansion program , was named in his honor .

Surviving Dr. Pierpont are his wife , his father, and a daughter, Miss Anne Poe

Pierpont .

Twenty Years With Don Pierpont

by Dr. George D. Kinkade , Dean

The way I remember Don Pierpont is a long way from sad . There was no more exciting, effervescent educator to work with than Avon 's Provost of the last 20 years . His buoyant personality, even in times of crisis, could never keep him or those around him down for long .

Some of the things I remember best may help to demonstrate his impact on Avon Old Farms and the some 1,000 graduates who came to love and admire him so much.

It was in 1948 that I came down to Avon Old Farms , as principal in Avon , to welcome a fellow administrator to town . The jovial personality in old clothes , painting screens, had a profound effeCt upon me. He was a bright SpOt in sur­roundings that had deteriorated from their natural beauty by the hard use of the Army. In addi tion to the obvious need for repairs of the buildings , there were no students , no faculty, no curriculum and, above all, no money.

The bit about the money didn 't hit as hard as perhaps it should have . Don cared less about personal wealth than any man I have ever known . He seldom had money in his wallet . He frequently gave away the little he did have to those in need . Yet somehow when the chips were down his faith would carry the day and financial hurdles were somehow surmounted.

As is apt to be the case when public and independent school educators get together , we had jokingly disagreed on many educational issues in that first con­ference . Somehow I wasn 't surprised when he phoned that night to invite me to

join him in resurrecting a school.

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I wouldn't have missed a day of it. Even in those embryonic days , there was a spark to his philosophy that kindled the imagination. Out of his heartfelt respect and admiration for the individual he forged a bond that held the new school to­gether on a unique , educational journey .

His inspiring ~alks at chapel were ever a sounding board on which he gradually formed the basic tenets under which we live at Avon Old Farms-

"Every hair of our heads is numbered , every sparrow's fall noted. Therefore each part and segment of creation must be vital ro the Creator in all its multi­plicity and variation ."

"Individual consideration in its broadest sense means developing in boys their individual strengths , native to them . Above all they must learn ro think , ro feel, ro act for themselves. "

' ·1 fear nothing so much as education which does not begin its search in the hearts of men and wind up where it began with a fuller understanding of the emotions that move men to action. "

"Freedom ro choose and the training to choose as wisely as individual differ­ences will allow is essential to a democracy . A free man , well-trained , will of himself reject the dreary and uninspired , will move roward the real and spurn the sensational. He will rum roward the good and put the inferior far from him ."

"In the case of those boys who are well-rounded , healthy , vigorous physi­cally , morally and spiritually or in those less appealing instances where error or weakness, physical collapse or emotional breakdown suddenly shows up , our job is ro stand by and build even as we clear away the debris ."

"To fully understand success you must know about failure. There is no greater guide to success than the lessons taught by our mistakes ."

He loved to have his boys return to Avon and visit with him . That they all did with wives and families, filled with proud stories of their accomplishments. Nothing pleased Don more than to be able to remind the faculty and especially the Dean of these often astOnishing success stories.

The boy who had a serious language disability and became a rop interpreter of Chinese.

The boy who cried if you looked askance at him and was decorated for bravery in the Marines.

The boy who failed biology and became a successful docror. The boy with the speech impediment who is a tOP playwright and producer. The overweight boy who was the brunt of dorm jokes and became air force

intelligence officer for President Kennedy. The non-descript youngster who became "Mr. Universe." The boy who tangled regularly with the court system and became chief of

police.

Don admired and was fond of the tOp students who sailed throug h Avon with­out a problem but was a little worried that they had not experienced some failure along the way . We soon learned that whatever a student 's or a facult y member's

career was at School , they would all come back into the Avon famil y eventually. The door was always open for the return of the prodigal son .

It was not an easy philosophy to work under. Many a teacher was unable to

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adjust to its tremendous implications and responsibilities . Don could inspire fierce loyalty , however , and a dedicated faculty stOod by to accept the challenge . He was particularly anxious for his young masters to improve themselves. Grad­uate study was encouraged and subsidized by the School. Many an Avon master tOok advantage of the opportunity. Nothing made him prouder than the fact that twelve of our faculty have gone on to be headmasters .

I am convinced that Don Pierpont had some uncanny ability to teach people . To travel with him was an unforgettable experience. In any gathering, in a train or a plane , he seemed to receive wave lengths from someone to whom he should speak. Often this was someone in ttOuble , who needed his help . On other occa­sions, however , he would single out the one person who could help Avon Old Farms the most .

His days in the Navy , at Columbia and Avon had given him the opportunity to make a vast number of friends . I once claimed he couldn't walk five blocks in New York City without being hailed by an acquaintance. He lost the wager in the first block.

The same mystical quality had amazing effects on animals. He professed an ability to talk with dogs and all dogs on campus would stOp by for a chat. I have seen a snarling Doberman lick his hand and almost smile . Many a student had a three way conference in his office with the Great Dane included .

He loved to tell the StOry of the youngster at St. Paul's School , Baltimore, who carried a pair of elves in his pockets . One day he entrusted them to Don's care . While the boy was gone Don reversed their positions on his desk with a sweep of his hands . Upon the owner's return , he looked closely and said, "Why some­body's moved them. Willie's where William was and William 's where Willie was .

Don had an active imagination and artistic sense. He could envision great dreams for his school. He was never better than in his opening Chapel to new boys as he explained the significance of the figures over the buildings. His trans­formation of the original woodworking shop to the Chapel of Jesus the Carpenter is but an example of his vision . The terrace he carved out of the woods behind his house is a sight appreciated by all.

He couldn't understand why most people regarded the head as more trustwor­thy than the heart. During a spirited administrative difference of opinion , the Provost turned to the Dean and said , "George, the trouble with you is-you're prejudiced by facts! "

We visited college admission directOrs in the South and Don's southern accent became more pronounced as he dropped "strong southern names" into the con­versations. He charmed these gentlemen so that I never did open my bulging briefcase .

He hated needless pomp and ceremony . Nothing he enjoyed better than to tell me a joke as we marched intO graduation and ask if it could be included in his remarks . He knew full well it wasn 't the kind of a joke he could use in mixed company but would keep me on tenterhooks during the proceedings. In the mid­dle of an award presentation at the close of school , he invented a new prize for the

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student who had improved the most. The boy he gave it to had been a thorn in the side of the faculty all year long.

I remember the day he lashed into a boy at assembly for some infraction of the rules and "hoped the court would throw the book at him ." He laughed louder than anyone else when a smart student defense lawyer gOt the culprit off because the Headmaster had prejudiced the court.

Don Pierpont may have best defined his role in a speech at Parsons College in 1962-

"As spies of God we become not bird watchers but people watchers waiting patiently to put into the way of each child committed to our care, the tools needed for his soul's development , from the abundance, the superflux which is ours. In heroic minutes and hours laying aside our own interests, literally laying down our lives for another. "

One of the boys may have best explained his influence on Avon students when he said to Don at the conclusion of a conference, "It's like you to turn on a light when you talk to me and it seems cold when you take it away." I can't believe this light has been taken away. It continues to glow in the hearts of the Avon family.

The most fitting tribute of all was paid to him on the day he was put to rest. A lone boy walked over to the gym with his head down and rang the victOry bell just once. On the way back, he held his head high. Don Pierpont had gone on to

other victOries.

Don Pierpont and Avon Old Farms School byJ.H . Bartholomew, Jr . , Director

Avon Old Farms School was Don Pierpont ,. and Don Pierpont was Avon Old Farms School. Like every great headmaster , Don lived and breathed his school, and not the slightest element of Avon can be disassociated with his personality during his twenty-one years as Provost.

To Don, being engrossed in his school meant being engrossed in the boys in the school. He knew each one of them , perhaps more intimately than their own parents did . He chose most of them himself; he knew instantly whether or not he liked a boy , and he could see good qualities in almost every one of them .

Don had a way of breathing confidence, faith and humor into boys of all types and backgrounds. He had a deep religious quality which, combined with his warm and spontaneous wit, endeared him to youth launching forth into a hard world . These same qualities had given him success as organizer of the Armed Guard School of the United States Naval Reserve in Boston during World War II. In that school, he trained over three hundred raw recruits a month for gun crews on merchant convoys to Europe. It tOok everything Don had to push those boys for endless, boring hours of duty on the grim Atlantic.

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Bill Speer , of the renowned family of school "heads, " knew of Don's accom­plishments at the Guard School. Bill was the new Dean of Students at Rutgers , and recommended Don to the Avon Selection Committee. During World War II , Avon had been a rehabilitation center for blind soldiers , and although the Selection Committee had interviewed many condidates , few were inspired by the task of reviving the school.

Don, however, was intrigued with the ideas of Theodate Pope Riddle , who founded the school in her Deed of Trust to the Pope Brooks Foundation . The monumental task of reorganization did not faze Don in the least.

Dr. Henry Augusrus Perkins , President of the Foundation , wrote Don re­questing a dossier on himself, and Don replied with a twelve-page document , prepared with great thought and humorous comment . It captivated the Presi­dent, and particularly Mrs. Perkins .

Mrs. Perkins had been Olga Flinch , who had been born in Denmark, and who was a brilliant actress and scholar , with a touch of the occult and theosophical. She had learned of the way in which Don spent many boring hours on the Atlan­tic convoy by knitting socks and sweaters , and was greatly impressed. She, with­our even meeting Don, KNEW that he was THE MAN. She urged her husband to make twO trips to New York City to see Don.

The first trip was a blind attempt to "find Don and Nan in" withour appoint­ment. The Professor, not a young man , puffed up four flights of apartment stairs , through what he reported to be "mists of garlic, onions and cabbage, " to

find them absent. He was not daunted , and on a second trip to New York, met Don, by appointment, at Columbia Library.

The SeleCtion Committee always requested the appearance of the candidate with his wife , so Don and Nan came for luncheon at The Hartford Club. Don had written , "You don 't get two executives for the price of one. " Nan, at this meeting , was , as always , completely charming, vivacious, and obviously capa­ble . We offered them the job .

A Greater Being had led us to Don. He believed in Divine Plan , but with free will , and would not have called himself a Theosophist. He knew that Mrs . Rid­dle had been one most of her life , having , at the age of thirteen , changed her name from Effie to Theodate (God's Gift).

It was while on a trip to the International Congress of Theosophists in London , during World War I, that she survived the sinking of the Lusitania . She would have approved of Don Pierpont .

Don religiously followed the terms of the Deed of Trust , except for the im­practical requirement of a school uniform . The Village Government was Mrs . Riddle's original and best provision , and Don used it. Many other schools now copy it .

Under the Deed , athletic contests with other schools were not encouraged . This hindered enrollment , and Don was happy when the School was transferred to Mrs . Riddle's Estate to be operated under the more liberal terms of her will and no lo~ger subject to the strict terms of the Deed . Interscholastic games the~ flowered normally, and eventually , the handsome gymnasium was built . Alumni

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and parents supplied the funds for the gym, and Don travelled all over the coun­try organizing the Drive for funds . The Board of Trustees unanimously voted to

name the new complex of buildings The Pierpont Srudent Activities Center. From the very start, financial problems beset Don's school. The allowance

from the Government at the closing of the school for the blind soldiers was quickly exhausted. The endowment left by Mrs . Riddle was a small one . Don found a faculty and 99 boys , and then went in search of more , as he was deter­mined to balance the budget. The lOOth student to be enrolled was called "Praise God McNulty, " and the hymn, "Old Hundred" pealed forth in Chapel.

Assisted by the genius and persistence of his loyal Comptroller , Bill Eastwood , Don did , over the years, balance the budget , and also managed to accumulate a small reserve .

Don, at first , had no confidence in fundraising , and I suggested that he "just ask." After that , he was amazed how eagerly grateful parents gave, realizing that he had made men of their sons, and got them enrolled in colleges. His patience and understanding with boys and his frequent all-night vigils with upset youths will never be forgotten by those who benefited by them . The church, at his fu­neral service , was filled with young men whose lives had been made worthwhile by Don. Many of them came from great distances .

The most serene and relaxed meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board with Don, was his last one, on September 27, 1968. Don had distributed his report, completed after his happy vacation in Ireland, and before the opening of school. The report was full of his philosophy and poetry . He was confident that there was still hope and beauty in the world . Although he was five boys short , he was in a euphoric mood . He was certain that he would find those boys. He always had . The world of Avon , as he reported , was all abloom with goldenrod .

He had gone to Boston to look for those boys on the 30th of September, when he died . It is fitting that his last resting place was in a field of goldenrod in the ancient West Avon Churchyard , as near as possible to the school he loved so dearly . He put all he had into that school. He had received many fine offers from other institutions during his twenty-one years with Avon , but he and Nan de­cided that Avon Old Farms School was his life 's work-and SUCH IT SURELY WAS .

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The Chapel 0/ Jesus the Carpenter shortly after its renovation from the original Carpenter's Shop. Note the "cathedral style" seatinf(, with all chairs facinf( front.

Don Pierpont reading a Lesson, Christmas Vespers. Note the change to collegiate-style seating.

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YMNASIlJM rtlE :i'n:\V G " 'THE

.u \' "rr Of T fl!~SrT STUDEN

PIERPONT CENTER ACTIVITIES

F TaE MASTER L"mAL pg"'~E1.A~:A.VO:'l OLD FARMS DEV£LOPN£~~lP .

OCCUPANCY SEPTEMBER 1965 "ILLS AJ.'<D SMITfJ.

SHIDlWOOD. 'v, ARCmTECTS

BARTLETT. BllAIN/l1m A~D EACOTT. GE1>ERAL CO~TRACTORS

Sign on site of Pierpont Activities Center, prior to its construction.

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The Refectory at lunch time, 1964. Flags denote the countries of foreign students . Picture also shows addition of tapestries over Head Table .

Cast of Boar's Head Festival, 1950's.

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Don Pierpont with students, and G reat Dane "Citation." Front steps, Provost's House, i962.

Left to right: D r. G eorge Kinkade, Dean; Sidney C. Clark , Chairman , English Department; D onald W. Pierpont, Provost; and Mr. Abraham Valentine, Parent and Director, at Cum

Laude ceremony , 1965 .

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Dr. john·Mitchell teaching an English class, 1950's.

Seth F. Mendell/52 , Contemporary History Class , 1965 .

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Presiding J udges, Village Court System, 1965 . Left to right: Joel Weinstein, Gerard de Gunz­burg and Keating Pepper, all '65.

Students at tea in faculty home, 1950's.

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BasketbaLl, early 1950's. Athletic Director Herbert Cochrane, second row, fourth from right. Photo taken in old Gymnasium, above the kitchen.

-Avon crew on the Farmington River in the early 1950 's.

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Fencing instruction in original Gym area, now the site of the Barnes Computer Center.

S ugarbush---s tudents collecting maple sap. late 1950·s.

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--=- ~". __ .... ~ Io' .~ .... ",\1ioe=>.~

Avon's ROTC Unit drilling in/ront o/Diogenes Archway, 1952 .

Alumni Reunion, Village Green , 1950's. Le/t to right: Mason Beekley '45, Richard M . H. Harper, Jr . '38, Lewis S. Catlin '38, J oel I. Roskin '53, Harris Bucklin '38, Bernie Ham­mons, Director 0/ Alumni.

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VI The Transition

1968 - 1969

T hough the Pierpont era had come to a sudden end, it was imperative for the Board of Directors to make sure that the School continued . Reed Estabrook met with George Kinkade, Dean; William Eastwood , Comp­

troller; and Brad Mason, Aide to the Provost. These three gentlemen agreed to

run the School by committee until , as one member of the trio advised, "one man can be put in at least acting full charge. "

This was accomplished speedily, through the recommendations of what Reed Estabrook fondly refers to as " the old boy network of headmasters ." Several names of experienced men, possibly in early retirement , surfaced, who might be persuaded to take over a school whose year had just started, and see it through to the appointment of a new Provost .

Providence was with the School , and Alan B. McMillen, a graduate of Sid­well Friends School, HamiltOn College , and Columbia University, was available. He had recently merged several schools into one, and was himself out of an as­signment for a year, though on full salary. He, with his wife Phyllis , at once accepted the challenge of "keeping the ship on an even keel ," and was installed in office by Parents Day, twO weeks following Don Pierpont 's funeral service. It was a masterpiece of transition , for McMillen did not attempt to set new courses , bur rather rely on the guidance and counsel of long-timers .

Although McMillen realized that he was not to set new courses, he did look over the School carefully, and by January , 1969, was able to report to the Board as follows . It was an insightful document, and one which foresaw many of the challenges of the 1970's:

Recommendations For Avon Old Farms January , 1969

My purpose in writing this report is to provide some guidelines for the Board of Directors and the permanent Headmaster of Avon Old Farms . Since my arrival in mid-October I have had a unique opportunity to observe the

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84

school with considerable objectivity . The opinions herein expressed are my own and may well differ from my successor's . But I hope they will prove helpful.

General atmosphere--I think it important that Avon retain its atmosphere of informality, relatively liberal rules, and friendliness. These fearures give the school much of its character. Unfortunately , there has been a laxness on the parr of Student Council , Administration, and Faculty in enforcing certain routine procedures particularly where attendance is concerned . Strong efforts have been made during the last few months to eliminate cutting, to minimize early depar­tures and late returns at vacation time , to enforce attendance at required meals, and so on . These efforts should continue. An attitude that we take these stand­ard procedures for granted should improve morale, not weaken it.

Government-I feel that the jurisdiction of student government should be re-studied and re-defined by a joint Student-Faculty Committee. There is a feel­ing on the part of some students that the Council and the Courts could take more responsibility than is presently given to them . I believe very strongly in giving student government all the responsibility (not authority) it can handle at a given time, and I do feel that these jurisdictional questions need to be asked and answered on an almost yearly basis . I have asked the present council to draw up a report on this matter. Avon's Village Government and Court system are unique and constitute, at least potentially , one of the school's greatest strengths.

Administrative Organization-The effectiveness of Avon's administration was demonstrated last fall when the school was able to operate for several weeks without a Headmaster. Drastic changes are not needed . I disagree with those who feel it would be desirable to eliminate the position of Aide and parcel out his duties. I do feel that the new Headmaster may wish to assume most of the Aide's present duties as advisor to student government . Eventually the Aide should be freed of the duties of Director of Athletics , many of which he now carries , and be free to act as Dean of Students (disciplinary officer) and Assistant to the Headmaster. It is entirely possible that the Aide could teach a class or two each day and/or coach a sporr.

The Dean's POSt , as now defined, might also permit the incumbent to

teach a course, but college counseling of approximately 100 juniors and seniors combined, plus academic advisory work for all boys in the school and cooordi­nation of the faculty is a full-time job .

The plan of the Board to appoint a combined Admissions DirectOr-Alumni Secretary with instructions to develop his dual job into twO separate jobs as soon as possible is sound . This man 's first responsiblility in Alumni affairs should be to organize an active Alumni Association with regional groups and to set up office records accordingly .

In connection with admissions , I feel that the job description I have al­ready written should be used as a guide for organizing the work of the admis­sions director and the files in his office. At present some of the preliminary admissions work (sending for transcripts and references) is being done by the Dean and the Comptroller. Such a decentralized procedure is inefficient and unnecessary .

In both capacities he will have to be away from school a good deal and will have to call on the Dean, the Headmaster, the Aide , or a few faculty members to help with campus tOurs and interviews. More often than not the Headmaster should make recruiting trips to other schools . The head, and not a subordinate should create the school's image. '

Eventually there should be a place for a full-time Director of Develop­ment-a position now being filled most ably in combination with that of Comptroller.

The trips planned for this spring by the Acting Headmaster , his wife, and various members of the faculty and administration should prepare the way for the kind of alumni interest and orgainzation that the school needs without delay .

AthLetic PoLicy-There is strong backing in many secondary schools today for a choice between required athletics and other worthwhile activities, as op­posed to an arbitrary requirement for participation in team sPOrts or physical education classes . Feeling at Avon is divided in this matter. The permanent Headmaster will have to crystalize and define faculty opinion or establish his own policy . My own feeling is that there should be a choice broad enough to g ive each boy some option, but restriCted to a reasonable degree by the size of the student body and the nature of the school's resources .

Thought should also be g iven to the possibility of some physical education classes (corrective exercise, physical fitness , etc.) for those who need them in addition to team SpOrts.

Smoking-Closely related to athletics is the problem of smoking. I feel it should be phased out , at least for athletes, over a period of time and after due notice is given to students and parents .

CurricuLum-Departments and department chairmen do meet , both among themselves and with the Dean , to discuss curriculum questions . I recommend , however, the establishment of a standing curriculum committee, with regularly scheduled meetings , to make a continuing study of the school's course offerings.

The present curriculum is strong and has moved in the direction recom­mended by last year's evaluators . Full credit courses in music and art are now offered; 27 boys are enrolled in the new earth and space science course, which takes some advantage of the Talcott Mountain facility , and tutorials are being offered to one boy each in African history and contemporary relig ion .

As soon as possible I would like to see some computer mathematics intro­duced at a point which should g ive every boyan understanding of the funda­mentals of computer programming and give others the opportunity of more ad­vanced work. Beyond a doubt , all schools , in one way or another , will have to provide this training in the near future or be adjudged inadequate.

I also recommend that thought be given to more course offerings in ethics and relig ion. Mr. Euson 's study, to be presented to the Board this spring, may go into this general field in considerable detail. It is certainly true that relevant courses seem to be more meaningful to boys and girls today than do formal religious services. At the present time only our Catholic students have a formal class centered on religious discussion .

ChapeL-I have deliberately conducted a holding aCtion in the matter of required chapel. The short , evening chapels on Monday and Thursday have been suspended . Sunday evening chapels have been cont inued , with frequent guest speakers and substitute p;ograms . I look forward with interest to Mr. Euson's report on the religious life of the schoo!' My own fee ling is that there is none as such. A program of good speakers and discussion leaders , ethics and religion courses , and ways of renewing interest in chapel will have to be pur-

sued.

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It is entirely possible that a man may be found for next fall, to replace a resigning English instructor, who could combine some relig ion or ethics courses with English . Enrollment projections will have a bearing on this .

Coeducation-Avon is near enough to Miss Porter's and Ethel Walker to

work out some jOlOt curriculum and extra-curricular planning with either school. If the present trend-almost a tidal wave-tOward coeducation contin­ues , these possibilities should be studied . Neither of the twO gi rls ' schools has been approached, to my knowledge, to determine their feeling about the possi­bility of working more closely with Avon.

Conclusion-Avon's new admissions policy has been stated and widely pub­licized. The most critical need at the moment is to get acceptable boys . To this end Mr. Gile is making a great many visits to potential and actual feeder schools. Educational counselors have been notified of our policy and urged to

send us qualified boys. Other secondary schools have also been tOld of our re­quirements and urged to refer qualified candidates to us . In fact, several have already done so . These efforts to build enrollment must continue. Next in order of importance is the organizing and involving of alumni. Concurrently , the cur­riculum and internal organization of the school must be constantly strength­ened and improved.

Alan B. McMillen Acting Headmaster

Alan B . McMillen , Acting Provost 1968-1969.

Henry R . Coons '7 1, currently a member of the Avon faculty , has this to

say about the transition , as a student who lived under three Provosts or rather " , twO Provosts and one Headmaster. "1 have since realized all the turmoil and anx-iety that accompanied that eventful year. But , for the majority of students ,

everything was as normal as apple pie . There were dissatisfied students, of course, but you attributed that to the times , not to the School. "

The Board of DirectOrs , in g ratitude , presented the McMillens , who loved fishing , with a Fiberglas boat with motOr at the end of the year for fulfilling the terms of the agreement , and keeping the ship on the even keel.

The search for a new head proceeded apace . Over sixty-five names were con"

86

sidered, and at least ten candidates were interviewed personally by one or more members of the Board committee . The Board knew what it wanted : a man in his middle thirties, seasoned and experienced in a conservative, well-run school , yet eager to take the bit between his teeth, charge forward, and build "his" school within the general outline of the now no-longer-binding Trust.

"On the day of interviews, when I opened the door for George Trautman," recalls search committee and Board member Richard Harper '38 in a tape made for this histOry the last week of his life, "I knew we had our man . I knew itl So did the Board. We hired him!"

How did they "know it," and what manner of man was it whom they chose? " I was born in Baltimore, and attended St. Paul's School, where Don Pier­

pont had previously taught," says George Trautman about himself. "I was a fairly devout altar boy, and spent most of Sunday in church . I was a good athlete, and prepared to go to military school after graduation, but did not like some of the hazing I saw. Instead, I chose the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in HistOry, with a concentration on the srudy of Bismarck, though this study has had nothing to do with my style and approach in educational administration! I was fortunate enough to be all-Ivy in both Football and Lacrosse at Penn, and, having married my senior year, was preparing to enter the Marines when the program in which I was enrolled was cancelled. Instead, I accepted a job teaching histOry and being in charge of the 9th grade dorm at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, in 1954. Mary Lee and I literally spent seven days a week, 18 hours a day, with those boys, and if we have ever had any quarrel in our over 25 years of married life, it has been over the amount of time I have devoted ro my school duties."

(It should be noted that Mary Lee Trautman decided upon a similar course herself, once at Avon, becoming Advisor to the Weekend Activities, which she managed until 1983, and Secretary to the Direcror of Admissions, a full-time job in itself. That their twO sons, Timothy '75 and Courtney '81 , also attended the School kept the entire family tOtally involved for years , to say the very least.)

"After the first faculty meeting at Tabor , I approached Jim Wickenden and said, continues George Trautman, 'what do I do ro be sitting in your seat , some­day? ' He replied, 'Learn to do every nasty, stinking job in the school, from run­ning a dining hall to admissions, and, if you 're good at it , in fourteen years I'll be glad to recommend you for a good headmastership. ' And he did! "

There was little that George Trautman did not do or coach at Tabor, and what he did not personally run or supervise, he observed. He had already turned down one headmastership in Maine when the Avon offer came, since he and his family wished ro remain in the Southern New England area. Avon Old Farms was hardly unknown ro him; he served on the re-evaluating and re-accrediting committee in 1967 which judged the school, and says , "Don Pierpont asked if I were interested in coming as his assistant , and, eventually , succeeding him . But I preferred ro come into a school as my own man , and I decided ro wait , never dreaming how soon I would succeed Don through circumstances neither of us even imagined in 1967."

87

VII The Trauttnan Era

1969 - through 1984

W ith the appointment of George M . Trautman as Provost (the title was changed to the more contemporary and authoritative "Head­master" by the Board of Directors five minutes after his appoint­

ment) , it was possible to plan for the future , and do more than "keep the ship on an even keel. " As Board President Estabrook recalls , "I drove to Marion , and spent hours with George , sitting in the Tabor Academy Chapel , mapping Out the strategy and tactics . We decided that if we chose to do something simple, do it very well , chart a course , and stick to it, we would succeed. The course we decided upon was a basic meat-and-potatoes curriculum, completely college preparatory , geared tOwards the typically broad spectrum of students that Avon has sought and attraCted ever since 1927. We further decided that it was the needs and not the wants of the students that should be considered , and that disci­pline was absolutely the first priority . Further than that , it was to be George's school , with the full support of the Board. "

The full suppOrt of the Board , and the continuance in office of Reed Esta­brook, are two of the keys to the success which followed in a naturally and unnat­urally brought-about condition of upheaval.

.. Even before the time that George Trautman was taking on his new respon­sibilities at Avon Old Farms the student rebellion and unrest on college cam­puses was filtering slowly down to the secondary level , with issues such as parti­cipatOry democracy in the governance of the academic institution receiving much attention , as mentioned in a previous chapter. The short-lived Student-Faculty Senate at Avon Old Farms 0968-69) was an example of those trends , as was the growing nationwide problem of the abuse of alcohol and drugs .

Stuart Harper '70 , estimates that as much as half of the student body during his junior year had used controlled substances either occasionally or regularly. Even before George arrived at Avon , acting Provost Alan McMillen , in addition to "keeping the ship on an even keel ," did the School a tremendous favor by not

88

George M . Trautman , Headmaster 1969-

89

inviting back those students who , in his estimation , would not be able to , or choose to , live up to the rigors of the new reg ime.

During the Spring of 1969, and ambitious series of " road shows" entitled "Avon: What 's Ahead?" was mounted with administratOrs , faculty, and Direc­tors , endeavoring to set forth the new policies in as many cities as possible , get­ting the word primarily to present and prospective parents , (and to a lesser ex­tent , to alumni) without attempting to criticize the good which the Pierpont years had produced .

The resignation of John K. Gile '39 as DirectOr of Admissions and Public Relations , for personal reasons , did not make the task ahead any easier. Further­more , returning students and their parents had to know what to expect when­and if-they chose to return to Avon Old Farms in the Fall of 1969.

Of inestimable help at this crucial point was the backing of the Board , par­ticularly that of its elder statesman Jack R. Aron and others including John Par­sons , Phil Hewes , Louise Adams , and Evan Jennings . George Trautman had confidently ("perhaps ," he says in retrospect , "over-confidently,") predicted that he could fill the School the first year , or , at least , by the beginning of the second. He was advised that he should take up to five years , and fill the School with the kinds of students that he felt best for the School. Without this kind of suppOrt, the success of the Trautman years would have been much longer in coming.

The success began as follows : all returning students and their parents were sent a letter indicating that the use of alcohol and/or drugs while under school jurisdiction would lead to expulsion ; the coat and tie rule would be definitely maintained; weekend activities would be supervised; athletic participation of some sort would be required of all students ; all school appointments would have to be met ; and no student would be permitted to register unless his haircut was short enough to satisfy the Headmaster personally!

"I held my breath ," recalls George Trautman. "I set up a reg istration table in the middle of Diogenes circle , realizing that once we let the student into the school with long hair , it would be next to impossible to get him to Cut it. Some students went back to the barber three times that afternoon before I let them reg ister : one student sat down on the ground and wept bitterly. The parents loved the whole procedure , of course , because it was the first time that some of them had seen their sons coming into conflict with authority-and obeying it. But we did not lose a single student in the end ."

Why the insistence on short hair? "I liked it , first of all , I felt it made the students look neater , would give a sense of pride and community, and also emphasize the fact that the faculty and administration were tOtally in charge of the school. "

Here , indeed , was Theodate Pope Riddle's reason for a uniform dress code--1969 version!

Shearing adolescent Sampsons by no means removed their rebellious vital­ity, however. "Many mornings when I would go intO my office , I would discover BB shot through the windows," Trautman recalls . "It was a very lonely , and somewhat frightening, time . I had gotten the seniors tOgether and told them

90

that I was not expecting of them the standards that I was of underclassmen , since they had come into a very different school under very different conditions and expectations. But , that if I caught them influencing the underclassmen in any way contrary to the rules, or if I caught them in any violation of the drug or liquor regulations, I would come down on them with everything I had ."

Perhaps the turning point occurred at a dance half-way through the year , when Stuart Harper, Vice Warden who "had my doubts about George Trautman and the new rules, " saw the attire and behavior of students from other schools . "They looked like slobs in comparison with our boys . It was then that I turned whole-heartedly in favor of George Trautman and what he was doing with the School. "

If the year was one of changing expectations for the students , it was no less so for the faculty, many of whom were set in their ways, used to teaching coach­ing or running one activity , and perhaps a dormitory , and having the rest of their time to themselves-except for the required appearances at sit-down meals in the Refectory , which by tradition had never been abandoned.

Says George Trautman, "At the opening faculty meeting , I announced that for the first twO weeks , every faculty member would be in a dormitory every night, helping the students to set study habits . The Librarian asked how he could be in twO places at once, the Library and the dormitory, and I replied that this was likely to be the year in which we all had to be in at least two places at once. I outlined the duty schedule , which included the planned weekend activi­ties , not just letting the boys go off into Hartford by themselves , the increased coaching and advising requirements, and the fact that I would personally make and review every policy decision at the school , but I was a lot younger and more sure of things than I am now, and it was a question, as I reminded the faculty , of 'sink or swim. ' " Thus did George Trautman begin the 1969-70 year.

Faculty spouses were also expected to be a part of the effort. Husbands and wives of faculty members have always been involved with life at the school to one degree or another (and many of the fondest memories of former students recall how nice it was to have families living on campus) but often spouses were not included in the day-to-day functioning of the school. Under George Trautman an effort has been made to encourage greater involvement on the part of faculty families and , indeed, many spouses are employed by the school in either full or part-time academic or administrative positions . This has further enriched life at Avon and it has made it possible for the school to attract the best possible fac­

ulty . It is impossible , of course , to assess objectively the career of a headmaster

during the middle of his tenure . However, as of 1984, George Trautman's suc­cess at Avon has been chronicled in no less a journal than The Head 's Letter , as the first article in a series on "Great Heads Still in Office ." The publication asked Peter M . Evans , Director of Athletics at Avon Old Farms , to comment on the Trautman Years , and , with the permission of the publication , we excerpt some

of Evans ' comments : " In investigating George Trautman's pas t , one is drawn to some conspicu-

91

ously consistent threads . He was a tough man , an indefatigable competitOr, a "winner"-always . George 's capacity for hard work, his dedication, his pro­pensity for embracing responsibility, coupled with his relentless pursuit of wor­thy goals , have generated a source of energy and growth in him and those around him.

"George Trautman is the self-made man writ large . While instinctively worshipping at the altar of common sense in dealing with life 's ever-changing puzzles , George has managed to meld an ingenious blend of rigidity in his ad­herence to fundamental principles with resiliency in their practical application to unique and complex problems. Supremely confident in where he is going and what is right , George , nonetheless , has always maintained a remarkable capac­ity to listen to and learn from others. He knows people and, more importantly , he knows himself. If the measure of a leader lies in the fruits of his labor and the devotion of his following , then George Trautman is a leader par excellence.

"From the moment of George's arrival , Avon Old Farms became a school committed to a kind of institutional dynamism . Directed change was perceiva­ble in every nook and cranny of school life : philosophy , curriculum, athletics , facilities , admissions , college placement , and atmosphere. George Trautman was omnipresent. In the trenches with the faculty and the boys, his guiding hand touched all. The fundamental formula was simple and as unshakeable as a school constructed in stone and oak: work hard! Sweat , spirit , and caring.

"George was at once the architect and the exemplar. Caring requires com­mitment and time , he would suggest. In order to teach , one must spend time with the boys-in the classroom, on the athletic fields , in the dormitOries , and elsewhere . George thus unabashedly maintained a calculated aversion to faculty meetings . 'We 're here to teach these boys how to read, write , do their sums, and help them to gtow up--not waste time flapping our gums in meetings .' Consequently, faculty meetings were brief, to the point , and infrequent.

"He is a very private man , by nature , and utterly self-sufficient . Second , like all effective benevolent despots , he keeps his distance . If he has weaknesses with respect to dealing with the people in his domain , he has yet to expose them . In fact it is appropriate to say that he is a political genius in balancing the sometimes countervailing forces of trustees , parents, alumni, faculty, and students-while never losing sight of what is best for the School. "

With the hindsight of 15 years, George Trautman admits that the swift changes of his first years at Avon must have been hard on long-time personnel such as Bill Eastwood , Business Manager and Comptroller. "I made his life mi­serable, " notes Trautman sadly , "but 1 made every purchasing decision myself. 1 felt that 1 had to be in absolute control of everything at the School. "

George Trautman was returning to the grand tradition of leadership of such headmasters as Peabody of Groton , Boyden of Deerfield , and Boyden's pupil, Wickenden of Tabor, who had taught George Trautman "everything 1 know about administration ." The modus operandi worked as well at Avon as it ever had in the past , thanks to a dedicated group of faculty including Frank Leavitt , Sid Clark , Brad Mason , Seth Mendell and Peter Evans , who were determined to see the School succeed, and realized that "desperate times required desperate meas-

" ures.

92

A new leadership team soon emerged. "When the position of Provost was abolished , there was no longer a need for an Aide to the ProvOSt ," explains George Trautman with a charming ingenuousness . In point of fact there was to

be no "next in command, " no assistant headmaster or assistant to the headmas­ter. The Deanship remained one for both faculty and student affairs under John Green , George Kinkade 's replacement , but after Green 's departure to head The RectOry School , that position was bifurcated intO a Dean of Students (Skip Flan­agan) and a Dean of Faculty (Henry Pennell) . An almost immediate appointment was that of History Department Chairman Seth F. Mendell '52 as DirectOr of Alumni Affairs. Significantly , under the Trautman philosophy , Mendell kept teaching, coaching, and dormitOry responsibilities for years after assuming the administrative post, still retaining some teaching when also acquiring the POSt of DirectOr of Development in 1982.

An absolutely vital area to address was that of admissions. Trautman had chosen Harry Rice as his new Director of Admissions , and he describes the pro­cedure they followed the first year. "Harry and I would attend Morning Meeting , and then get into the car. By appointment , we would visit all the feeder schools and similar schools , first those within an hour 's driving distance , then all those within twO hours' driving distance, then three. and so on. Our aim was to get the message of "the new Avon" across first-hand to headmasters and directOrs of admissions. What kind of student were we looking for I Any that were willing to

accept the rules of Avon, but no one with any drug-related problem or serious psychological defect. "

The message got across quickly, not only to headmasters and directOrs of admissions, but also to Directors of Study and educational advisors and counsel­ors. Faith Howland, one of the latter, observed in 1973 to the present author, '''Nails ' Trautman is certainly turning that school around. It will soon be one of the great schools of its kind in the country ."

A tragedy occurred the second year of Harry Rice 's tenure as DirectOr of Admissions. He collapsed and died on the tennis court in Massachusetts while he and his wife were playing mixed doubles with George and Mary Lee Trautman. He was succeeded by his assistant, Frank Leavitt '52 , who has carried on the tradition of personal tours for each student and prospective parents , though aided by assistants in recent years when the flow of candidates has so dramatically in­creased, resulting in five applicants per vacancy . Yet , the profound increase in both the academic strength and the number of applicants has not altered the basic educational philosophy of the School , as reiterated at the Board of Directors level each year: to seek a widely diverse student body in terms of background , academic ability , and interest, and to hold them to the highest standards they can achieve . That those standards and achievements are impressive is indicated by the 1983 college acceptance list , appended.

Indeed , during the Trautman era the School not only enhanced the strength of its student body and faculty , but it also "reached Out" and developed vastly improved relationships with its off-campus constituencies , including the local community , parents , and alumni . In the days when Avon was not strong finan-

93

cially and when there was a general questioning of the need for or relevance of traditional , private secondary schools , it was only natural that the school found it easier to operate within its own small world. Today , things are quite different. Avon is strong financially and academically and the need for communication with and support by what has come to be known as the Avon "family " is quite clear. Parents and alumni want to be part of the "Avon experience" and they are in fact welcomed back to the campus on numerous occasions throughout the year . The Alumni Association was reorgainzed in 1975 with an emphasis on in­put and involvement by alumni volunteers . There are now local chapters and events throughout the United States and each May brings a pilgrimage of several hundred alumni and friends to the campus for Spring Day .

Relations with the community are strong and Avon Old Farms is clearly looked on with great respect and admiration throughout the Hartford/Farming­ton Valley region and the much broader New England prep school community. This is evidenced by the many joint programs held each year with neighboring schools as well as the greatly increased number of applications for day student admissions .

It is no accident that the 1980's find Avon Old Farms on a sound financial footing. It was through the hard work and careful planning of members of the Board and in particular, Business Manager Walter Ullram, that Avon has been able to develop sound business and fiscal practices which have complemented advances on the academic side of the operation. Avon is tuition-dependent and there is little room for error in financial planning or management of the school's resources . In addition, the personnel management and physical plant mainte­nance requirements are considerable . In "the old days" when the school and budgets were smaller , the operation could be managed with fewer people and simpler systems, deficits were almost to be expeCted at any school worth its name , and there were fewer government rules and regulations with which an in­stitution had to deal. In this day and age , a balanced budget, attractive employee benefits packages, sound cash management, and computerized operations are the norm . Walter Ullram and his staff (including Head of Grounds Sid Riendeau, who has been at Avon since 1952), run, very successfully, the small village envi­sioned by Mrs. Riddle over half a century ago.

In terms of physical facilities, as the Trautman era began, no new construc­tion had been undertaken since the Gymnasium (Pierpont Student Activities Center) in the middle 1960's and three additional faculty homes. If the 1970's were to see an increased student body , and an increased emphasis on athletic competition, new facilities were imperative . First on the Trautman agenda was an indoor , covered hockey rink to replace the old outdoor rink in the parking lot behind the Village Green. That was accomplished in 1971, through the rink given largely by and in honor of Evan D. Jennings II '39 and his wife. It ob­viously was not feasible, even if possible, to construct new facilities in the Riddle style and materials ; therefore, renovation of existing facilities , whenever possi­ble, was in order. The Board , and especially its Long-Range Planning Commit­tee , addressed the issue of physical plant needs, and began an impressive series of

94

renovations including the Jack R. Aron Academic Center, located in the old Power House. This facility houses the Baxter Library , Adams Theatre , Ordway Science Wing, and Sidney C. Clark Room for lectures and seminars.

The highlight of the School's Jubilee Year , 1977-78 , was the renovation of the old Railroad Station , long fallen into disrepair , into the Brooks House , a charming guest house and faculty apartment . That effort was spearheaded by the late Dr. Brooks Emeny and his family, Brooks having served on every advisory and governing board of the School at one time or another from 1930 until his death in 1980.

It is never possible to do everything when finances are short , and one build­ing which was not renovated but rather razed was the Stables on Old Farms Road. This was a sad event for many alumni, particularly those who had played polo before World War II, or who rode there before or after the War under the direction of Bernie Hammons . It was the conclusion of the Board, however , that since the Stables was not a Riddle building , and had no other histOrical signifi­cance, available resources could best be used elsewhere. Riding was no longer a sport at the School, and the building was in dangerously deplorable condition .

In terms of fund-raising, much progress has been made during The Traut­man Years. Sales of real estate not needed for educational purposes have added approximately $2 million to the endowment controlled by The Riddle Trust . The income from these funds is largely spent on renovations and the upkeep and maintenance of the Riddle buildings. A goal of "The Campaign for Avon," kicked off in OctOber 1983 , is to add at least $2 .5 million more to the School's endowment (as opposed to the Riddle Trust "endowment"), so that Avon will have greater income and funds available to enrich programs, upgrade the com­pensation and quality of life of the faculty and administration , and provide ample scholarships to worthy students.

"Avon will regard education as an unfinished problem ," noted Founder Theodate Pope Riddle at the opening faculty meeting in 1927 , "and we shall expect the School to evolve its own mode of operation through reasonable study

and experience." That goal continues. Computer knowledge was added as a graduation re­

quirement in 1982-83, with the immediate addition of sufficient computers in The Barnes Computer Center to realize that goal. Interestingly , the Board's di­rective to add the computers came as the result of a Student Council request to

the Board in one of the private meetings which have come over many years to be a standard agenda item for all Board meetings.

Every ten years , all independent schools go through a re-evaluation and re­accreditation process, overseen by the appropriate regional association. In Avon's case, this is The New England Association of Schools and Colleges , and the proc­ess will begin , in a formal way , in 1987 with a self-evaluation conducted by all constiruencies within the School community, including students , faculty, ad­

ministration, parents , and directors. "We have proved that it can be done ," reflects Board President F. Reed

Estabrook. "Starting again in 1947 with no students , no faculty, no head , and

95

no money , we have built the School which you see detailed in these pages. We had much to build upon, of course, as the Old School years indicate, but we were , essentially, starting ag61in from scratch . We hope that Avon's story will inspire others who might be in the same boat at this or some future time.

Dean Henry E. Flanagan, Jr. presenting Headmaster George Trautman with an advance copy of Flanagan 's Basic Lacrosse Strategy in the Baxter Library, 1979. Theodate Pope Riddle looks on approvingly.

Dean of Admissions Frank G. Leavitt '52 with prospective student and parents . In the early 1980's, the Admissions Office conducted as many as eleven interviews per day .

96

Evan j ennings II '39 and Mary Hillman j en­nings at the dedication of the j ennings Rink .

1972.

Sid Clark instructs juan Nieves '83 on the finer points of baseball.

H ockey in the jennings Rink-Avon versus Loomis . 1983.

97

Swim Meet in the pool, located in the Pierpont Activities Center. OriginaLly constructed during the Army tenure through the generosity of the citizens of Greater Hartford, the pool was incor­

porated into the new Center in 1965 .

Nautilus Exercise Room in 1982 addition to the Gym (Pierpont Activities Center).

98

~ ,;. , c;

~.~

BasketbalL, Avon versus Hopkins Grammar. Varsity Football, 1982.

Division I Lacrosse Champions 1980.

99

Original generators in North end of Power Plant building, 1930.

The same area after renovation into the Baxter Library , 1976.

100

School Store and Lounge, constructed with student help in 1975 . Known as the Hawk's Nest, the log cabin structure is adjacent to the Gymnasium.

Board President Reed Estabrook with Board Member and past parent Jack R . Aron on the way to the dedication ceremonies 0/ the Estabrook Board Room, 1978. At that dedication. the original Bank Building (later the Library ), was renamed the Alumni Building. The Board Room is on

the second floor .

101

Lounge and reception area adjoining the Estabrook Board Room, 1980.

Estabrook Board Room, with Board tabLe and chairs. Renovation of the room and construction of the tabLe was done by WiLbur S. Durphey , resident Master Carpenter from 1948 lin/if his retire­ment as Director of PhysicaL PLant in 1975.

[02

"Where is the Auditorium? When will you help us to build it?" ask the students and Headmaster Trautman in the Fall 0/1979, in the Capital Campaign 1979 brochure.

Adams Theater (same location), 1981. Director 0/ Athletics Peter M . Evans addressing Morning

Meeting.

103

Board Vice President Louise B. Adams and former Board President Paul W. Adams at the Ad­

ams Theater dedication , 1981 .

'Arsenic and Old Lace," Adams Theatre . Avon Old Farms and Ethel Walker students, 1982 .

104

Radio Station WA OF (carrier current) , located on the lower level of the Science Building.

----.(

,­...

Students at work in Art Studio. located in /'enovated upper level of garages across from the Water

Tower.

l05

The Barnes Computer Center, located in the original gymnasium area above the kitchen , 1984.

Alumni Spring Day, May 1978. Center foreground: George Trautman , Peter A . Aron '65 , and Erica Aron.

L06

Graduation on the Village Green, 1978 .

Retiring Business Manager William Eastwood accepts the Alumni Order 0/ Old Farms from Headmaster Trautman, Commencement 1975.

[07

VIII The Governing Boards

of the School

T he narrative thus far has concentrated on the developing life of the School as seen from those who might be called the "permanent resi­dents"; that is to say, the faculty and members of the administrative

staff. The appendix, on the other hand , will contain reminiscences of alumni , arranged in chronolog ical order , and will present some of the more vivid and long-lasting memories held dear by former students .

There is another constituency which deserves a chapter of its own, however , and that is the Board of Directors , who , individually and collectively , have had the responsibility for the academic strength and direction and for the financial stability (which in many years meant the survival) of the School since it re­opened in 1948-with the exception of the 1952-58 years when the School's fi­nancial affai rs were managed by a bank.

Some of the Board 's perspective , and decision-making process , have been included from time to time in the narrative section , but since the Board's role has been crucial to the School's success , it seems appropriate to trace briefly how it came into being , and cite some examples of individuals who have served long and generously.

In the late 1920's, when Avon Old Farms began , many independent sec­ondary schools were proprietary in nature from a financial standpoint . They were privately-owned profit making companies or corporations , often owned wholly or at least partially by the head of the school. Avon was one of the earliest exam­ples of a non-profit organization, since it was , legally , a creature of The Pope­Brooks Foundation , Inc. The financial reverses of the 1929 Great Depression forced many proprietary schools into near bankruptcy and thus into non-profit status as the 1930's progressed . In terms of its form of governance , at least , Avon was ahead of its time in being non-profit from the start .

It 's doubtful if the School could ever have turned a profit , or even made ends meet from tuition and fees , since the plant was larger , more g randiose and more

108

expensive to operate than any corresponding preparatOry school. Even if every bed had been filled with a full-paying student (which was never the case before 1944), it is doubtful that the School could have shown a balanced budget , even after the farm activities were removed from the School's operation.

The financial accountability which would normally have been a Board 's ma­jor task was assumed by the Founder , who always made up , albeit grudgingly and critically , any deficit the School might incur, spending , as she indicated in 1944, "seven-ninths of my forrune" in the tOtal process of building and under­writing the School which was her life's dream. Legally and technically , in the y~ars until 1944, the School "belonged" to The Pope-Brooks Foundation , Inc. , but since the Founder could outvote all the other members of that Board, the School firmly " belonged" to Theodate Pope Riddle .

As early as the departure of Provost Froelicher in 1929, the faculty had grown very restive about the lack of a real Board of Trustees , whose members might have the academic credentials and educational experience to serve as a pol­icy-making board that would ensure some continuity and stability in the life of the developing School. Mrs . Riddle 's response was to create a Board of Regents, with names such as Frank Boyden of Deerfield Academy on the Board , in order to answer the faculty demands , and the growing perception in academic circles was that Avon Old Farms was engaged in what might be called "variations in search of a theme" in terms of its mission . The Board of Regents, which existed in its original form until the School's closing in 1944 , was purely advisory in nature , and its recommendations were as often ignored by the Founder as they were accepted .

Additionally, there was usually a conflict developing or in progress between the Founder and the Provost , who was supposed to be the paid professional edu­cator, and who was (vainly) trying to govern the School according to his best judgment and professional aims . Since there was no financial accountability at­tached to their charge, the Board of Regents felt quite rightly that they need not take their responsibilities tOO seriously as potential mediators in any conflict be­tween the Provost and the Founder. One can hardly blame people busy in their own schools, colleges , or businesses, for this attitude.

Added to these layers of governance and control was a Board of DirectOrs of Avon Old Farms, beginning in 1941. This Board did help serve as a buffer be­tween Provost Stabler and Mrs . Riddle, but , again, it had no financial power nor accountability. That power was still held by The Board of DirectOrs of The Pope­Brooks Foundation, Inc., completely controlled , as before , by Mrs . Riddle . At a time when most private schools had no Board , Avon Old Farms had tOO many!

The siruation was radically changed , however, with Mrs . Riddle 's passing in 1946. Under her Will , twO separate trusts became active , both managed by The Hanover Bank in New York City . One truSt provided for the maintenance of Hill-Stead , with the charge of turning the house intO a museum. The other trust , which involved The Pope-Brooks Foundation , was to oversee the School. Now you had a school with no free financial assets-in other words , no available cash , which effectively " belonged" to a Bank acting as Trustee under Mrs. Riddle 's

109

Will. The Will did permit The Pope-Brooks Foundation to reactivate The Board of Directors of Avon Old Farms (note that the word "school" was still not part of the legal title until 1960) in 1947.

Thus , 1947 saw a school with no cash assets save the $ 100,000 damage payment from the U.S. Army, a school whose buildings and land were the prop­erty of a bank-controlled truSt , and a school to be run by a Board of Directors as yet to be selected . From whence to recruit that Board 's members ?

The President of the Board , Dr. Henry Perkins, as mentioned in the narra­tive, sought the advice of graduates of the School as to whether or not the School should be re-opened . Receiving an affirmative answer, he then started the search process which culminated in the appointment of Donald W . Pierpont as Provost in 1947 .

A board of trustees of a preparatory school would ordinarily be comprised largely of prominent and successful alumni , but Avon's oldest graduate would only have been 36 years old in 1947, and most graduates would have seen their business or professional careers interrupted by World War II . Furthermore , the School had always been small during the pre-War years, and finding alumni with the time, talent, and ability to attend meetings with regularity was a difficult task, indeed .

It was here that some of the School's most loyal and supportive Directors emerged, however. F. Reed Estabrook, Jr. '36, who had been instrumental in organizing the alumni just before World War II, while still quite young, became active immediately; Richard M. H . Harper '38 also rallied to the cause; and Evan Jennings II '39 soon followed suit as did Harris Bucklin, Jr. and Lewis Catlin , both '38 . Compared to trustees of other schools , these were very young men, but they proved their mettle and their worth , and their names are immortalized in appropriate areas of the School.

It was natural to look to The Pope-Brooks Foundation , also , for potential Directors of the School: the Foundation had always had representatives from Mrs . Riddle's legal and banking advisors , such as John Parsons and Jeremiah Bartho­lomew. Men such as Paul W . Adams (who was , for a year , President of the Board of Directors) , emerged , marking the beginning of a relationship carried on by his wife , Louise Barnes Adams , current Board Vice President. For many years, it was also the legally-mandated custom to have two Directors chosen from the Bank representing the Riddle Trust. Past parents, friends, and, as the School grew , current parents, were added .

After selecting Provost Pierpont , and supporting his student recruitment efforts wholeheartedly , the task of the Board of Directors was to ensure the finan­cial safety of the School. However , in spite of the Board's best efforts, and careful management by the ProVOSt and Comptroller, deficits continued to mount at the rate of approximately $25,000 a year through the late 1940's and early 1950's. The Hanover Bank, though sympathetic , had its hands tied under the Deed of Trust under which the School was operating: no land could be sold to raise funds , and income from the Riddle Trust was restricted to the upkeep of the buildings

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and land. No funds could be tapped for the inevitable operating deficits of the SchooL

As early as 1949 , the Board of Directors attempted to mount a capital fund­raising campaign , but with the closing of the School for four years in 1944-48 , the scattering of the alumni , and the small base from which to draw suppOrt, the campaign was destined to be less than a success . And any potential success was not helped by the public perception that the School itself was rich because it had been built in a grandiose style by a rich woman.

Men such as Estabrook who turned the operation of the School back to The Hanover Bank in the Spring of 1952 remember the day as one of the saddest of their lives . They had tried, and they felt they had failed, in spite of their best efforts to run the School financially .

Nan Pierpont, however, remembers the occasion with a little more bright­ness, for the turning of the operation of the School back to the Bank meant that all the restrictions of the Deed of Trust were effectively made null and void, and land sale for the first time was possible . Comptroller Bill Eastwood worked won­ders with the budget ; Don Pierpont continued to build enrollment, and, as the 1950's progressed, the School did balance its budgets .

Meanwhile, down in New York City, the School's trustees at The Hanover Bank were finding that the management of a school one hundred miles away was a task for which they had neither the time, the background , nor the desire . Don Pierpont , for his part, was eager to have a traditional Board once more , and per­suaded The Hanover to reactivate the term Board of Regents, which was com­prised of many of the members of the Board of Directors, which had ceased oper­ation in 1952. The Board of Regents served as a "shadow board" during the 1958-59 years, then, having demonstrated that it was the best vehicle after all, assumed full operation as The Board of Directors of Avon Old Farms School , Inc. , in 1960.

Some adroit legal maneuvering also brought about the removal of the Rid­dle Trust concerned with the School from New York City, and lodged it closer to home at The Connecticut Bank and Trust Company in Hartford , A well­remembered CBT Trustee on the Board in recent years was Charles C. Tomlinson III, who served as Treasurer of the Board as well as Riddle Trust representative from the Bank. His creative plans for permitting the School to borrow from the Trust, at proper interest rates, to undertake or complete renovation projects , made much of the progress of the Trautman years possible , in terms of the reno­

vation of existing facilities . After the retirement of Dr. Perkins in 195 1, Paul W. Adams served as

Chairman until the School's affairs were turned over to The Hanover Bank the following year. Upon the activation in 1960 of The Board of Directors , past par­ent CoL D. Gordon Hunter of Farmington was elected President, and continued

until 1965 . Upon Hunter 's retirement , F. Reed Estabrook , Jr. '36 was elected Presi-

dent , and began one of the longest tenures as board chairman of any independent secondary schooL In an age when it has become customary to elect new board

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chairmen every three to five years , Avon Old Farms has been blessed with a con­tinuity of leadership that has permitted the School to develop slowly , cautiously, and always on that oft-cited "even keel ," keeping to a set course, and not being diverted by changes either at the President or headmaster level.

It is a great credit to the members of the Board that, during the upheavals of the late 1960's, they were firm in their resolve to maintain discipline and a sound, basic academic program . Some other schools , unfortunately, which were all tOO eager to bend with the times in order to "keep the beds full " did not fare so well as Avon Old Farms .

With the short-range financial problems solved by the mid-1970's, it was possible to develop long-range plans for the School , really for the first time since 1927 . A series of meetings provided the impetus for the 1979 Capital Campaign which raised $1,087,000 for brick-and-mortar needs. That highly successful campaign paved the way for The Campaign for Avon: The Leading Edge, which has as its goal :2.5 million for endowment .

The School is now old enough to see tWO examples of two generations on the Board: past parent Jack R. Aron and his son , Peter A. '65 , were the first such examples, followed by the appointment in 1983 of Stuart Harper '70 to succeed his late father, Richard M. H. '38 , already mentioned . Alumni such as Richard Williams '60, also a present parent, have been invited to join the Board, and are contributing much , including a continuity which ties together several eras in the School's history. The great financial contributions of members of the Board are recorded elsewhere , in the gift clubs and categories listed each year in the annual and capital giving reportS produced by the Development Office.

Survival , stability, continuity , and planning for the future are the tasks of any Board , together with the selection of a Headmaster on those few occasions when retirement or death makes that choice necessary . The Board 's great success when called upon in that category in 1968-69 has been chronicled in the narra­tive section. Seldom , it might well be said , has a Board of Director~ of a school done more after starting with almost nothing .

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Dr. Henry Augustus Perkins , first Board President of the re-opened School, at graduation ceremo­nies. latd 940's .

.... II::-o~~ ............ ---- ......... , ........ --------''--

Provost Donald W . Pierpont, Board President Col. D . Reed Estabrook , Jr. '36, in 1965.

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Board MembersJack R. Aron , Richard M .H . Harper ,Jr. '38, and Thomas M . Osborne II '41 , at Capital Campaign 1979 Kickoff

Board Members: Peter A . Aron '65. Secretary; Evan D. Jennings 1I '39 (Emeritus), and F. Reed Estabrook , Jr . '3 6, President, at the Convocation honoring Evan J ennings. Campaign for Avon Kickoff, October 1983 .

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Reed Estabrook presenting, at graduation, the Estabrook Award for Character and Citizenship to Thomas E. Davey , J r. '80, Warden.

Board 0/ Dil'ectors 0/ A von OLd Farms SchooL, steps of ALumni Building , FaLL 1983.

liS

Appendix The remainder of the book is divided into four sections :

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I. Reminiscences by and about Theodate Pope Riddle , and details on the construction of the School.

II. Reminiscences of alumni and faculty , arranged in a chronological order.

III . Maps and descriptions of the Campus, first , as it is in 1984 , and second , as it developed in the 1920's and 1930's.

IV. A miscellaneous section , comprising

Words and Music for two songs associated with Avon Old Farms School .

A description of the School 's program and activities , as of 1983-1984.

The Class of 1983 College list.

Excerpts from The Deed of Trust, as revised 1945. This Deed of Trust is no longer in force , and has not been since 1952 , when the School's governance was turned over to The Hanover Bank (see Chapter VIII , page 111). However , many of the principles and ideals expressed in the Deed of Trust continue to influence the life and traditions of the School.

Afterword

Bibliography

T heodate Pope about 1915 . The Hon .J ohn Wallace Riddle.

A Letter from a Survivor of the Lusitania by Theodate Pope ( 1915)

Hotel De Crillon Place De La Concorde Paris My Darling Mother :

I am going to try to tell you about the Lusitania . Marjorie (Friend) will wish to know some day , but I really think she should not hear the derails yet. Please be very careful about this . It might have such a bad effect on her and the baby , but you know that better than I , of course.

You left us when they called out "All ashore!" but I was sorry when I realized we might have had more time together. The ship did not sail for twO hours after that ; we were taking on passengers from the Cameronia, I was told .

When we pulled our of dock I was in the writing-room and saw then for the first time in the morning Sun the German threat . I said to Mr. Friend, "That means of course that they intend to get us ," though the name of the ship was nor g iven. We were a very quiet shipload of passengers. I comforted myself with the thousht that we would surely be convoyed when we reached the war zone . I

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talked with practically no one on board except Mr. Friend and Mme. Depage , as I was very tired . The Purser changed my stateroom for one on the boat deck , as there was a very noisy family next me and I could not sleep.

Early Thursday morning , the day before the disaster , I was awakened by shouts and the scuffling of feet. I looked out of my porthole and watched the crew loosening the ship 's boats and swinging them clear of the railing. In the afternoon , Mr . Friend read me parts of Bergson's "Matiere et Memoire ," trans­lating as he read. There were passages that illustrated so wonderfully some of the common difficulties in communication. They were most illuminating , and I could see the vividness of the inspiration they were to Mr. Friend; and as we sat side by side in our deck-chairs , I marveled to myself that such a man as Mr. Friend had been found to carry on the investigations . I felt very deeply the qual­ity of my respect and admiration for him . He was endowed so richly in heart and mind . I had built so much in my future of which he and his work were to have been so very large a part.

After Father's death I had laboriously reconstructed my life and this structure has also gone. But my agony of mind has been for Marjorie and I have wondered if she would have the strength to see me return without him . I do not think she ought to see me yet. It will be much harder for her than she realizes and it would be toO cruel to give her an additional shock .

Friday morning , we came slowly through fog , blowing our fog horn . It cleared off about an hour before we went below for lunch . A young Englishman at our table had been served to his ice cream and was waiting for the steward to bring him a spoon to eat it with ; he looked ruefully at it and said he would hate to have a torpedo get him before he ate it. We all laughed, and then commented on how slowly we were running ; we thought the engines had stopped .

Mr . Friend and I went up on deck B on the starboard side and leaned over the railing , looking at the sea which was a marvelous blue and very dazzling in the sunlight . I said , "How could the officers ever see a periscope there?" The torpedo was on its way to us at that moment , for we went a short distance farther toward the stern , turning the corner by the smoking-room , when the ship was struck on the starboard side . The sound was like that of an arrow entering the canvas and straw of a target , magnified a thousand times and I imagined I heard a dull ex­plosion follow . The water and timbers flew past the deck. Mr . Friend struck his fist in his hand and said , "By Jove , they 've gOt us ." The ship steadied herself a few seconds and then listed heavily to starboard , throwing us against the wall of a small corridor we had quickly turned into . We then started up to the boat deck , as I had told Mr. Friend and poor Robinson (Theodate Pope's maid) that , in case of trouble , we would meet there and not try to run around the ship to find one another. The deck suddenly looked very strange , crowded with people , and I remember that twO women were crying in a pitifully weak way. An officer was shouting orders to stop lowering the boats , and we were told to go down to deck B. We first looked over the rail and watched a boat filled with men and women being lowered . The stern was lowered too quickly and half the boatload were spilled backwards into the water. We looked at each other, sickened by the

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sight, and then made our way through the crowd for deck B on the starboard side. There we saw boats being lowered safely from above . The ship was sinking so quickly we feared she would fall on and capsize the small boats , and it seemed not a good place to jump from for the same reason .

We turned to make our way up again through the crush of people coming and going. We walked close tOgether side by side , each with an arm around the other's waist. We passed Mme. Depage; her eyes were wide and startled , but brave. She had a man on either side of her, friends of hers , so I did not speak. It was no time for words unless one could offer help .

On the POrt side of deck A, again we saw more boats safely lowered , and Mr. Friend wished me to join the throng of men and women crowding into one . He would not take a place in one as long as there were still women aboard and, as I would not leave him , we pushed our way tOwards the stern, which was now uphill work, as the bow was sinking so rapidly . Robinson appeared on my right . I could only put my hand on her shoulder and say, "Oh , Robinson ." Her habit­ual smile appeared to be frozen on her face . Mr. Friend said "Life belts! " and I went with him into nearby cabins , where he found three . He tied them on us in hard knots and we stOod by the ropes on the outer side of the deck in the place which one of the boats had occupied . We looked up at the funnels; we could see the ship move, she was going so rapidly . I glanced at Mr. Friend-he was stand­ing very straight, and I thought to myself, "the son of a soldier." We turned and looked down the side of the ship. We could now see the grey hull and knew it was time to jump. I asked him to go first . He stepped over the ropes, slipped down one of the uprights and reached, I think, the rail of deck B, and then jumped. Robinson and I watched for him to come up , which he did in a few seconds , and he looked up at us to encourage us .

I said , "Come , Robinson" and I stepped over the ropes as he had , slipped a short distance, found a foothold on a roll of the canvas used for deck shields and then jumped . I do not know whether Robinson followed me.

The next thing I realized was that I could not reach the surface, because I was being washed and whirled up against wood . I was swallowing and breathing the salt water, but felt no special discomfort nor anguish of mind-was strangely apathetic. I opened my eyes and through the green water I could see what I was being dashed up against. (It looked like the bottom and keel of one of the ship 's boats.)* I closed my eyes and thought , "This is of course the end of life for me ," and then I thought of you, dearest mother, and knew that Gordon would be a comfort to you. I was glad I had made another will , and I counted the buildings I had designed-the ones built and building , and hoped I had "made good." Quietly I thought of the friends I love and then committed myself to God's care in thought-a prayer without words . I must then have received the blow on the tOp of my head which made me unconscious. My stiff straw hat and my hair probably saved me from being killed by it. Then for perhaps half a minute I

• Correction made by Mrs . Riddle-lr was the under parr of a deck. I could see the matched boarding and the angle iron over the railing . I had been swept between decks .

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opened my eyes on a grey world ; I could not see the sunlight because of the blow on my head . I was surrounded and jostled by hundreds of frantic, screaming , shouting humans in this grey and watery inferno . The ship must just have gone down .

A man insane with fright was clinging to my shoulders. I can see the panic in his eyes as he looked over my head . He had no life belt on and his weight was pulling me under again. Had I struggled against him , he would probably have clung to me, but I never even felt the inclination to. I said , "Oh, please don 't, " and then the water closed over me and I became unconscious again . He must have left me when he found me sinking under him . I opened my eyes later on the brilliant sunlight and blue sea. I was floating on my back. The men and women were floating with wider spaces between them. A man on my right had a gash on his forehead; the back of a woman 's head was near me. I saw an old man at my left, upright in the water and, as he could see the horizon, I asked him if he saw any rescue ships coming . He did not . An Italian, with his arms around a small tin tank as a float, was chanting. There were occasional shouts; I could see the crowded ship's boats far away . I wondered where Mr. Friend was. I noticed the water felt warm and saw an oar. I reached for it and pushed one end of it toward the old man on my left, and then as my heavy clothes kept dragging me down , I lifted my right foot over the blade of the oar, and held it with my left hand . This helped to save me. I tried to lift my head a little to see for myself if there was not some aid coming . Then I sank back very relieved in my mind, for I decided it was tOO horrible to be true and that I was dreaming, and again lost consciousness . This was abour three o'clock .

The next thing I was aware of was looking intO a small open grate fire. This was half past ten at night and I was in the captain's cabin on the rescue ship Julia . I decided that the opening of the grate measured about 18 x 24 inches ; I did not remember the shipwreck. I saw a pair of grey trousered legs by the fire­place and, turning my head, saw a man leaning over a table, looking at me where I lay wrapped in a blanket on the floor. I heard him say, "she's conscious" and twO women came up to me and patted me and tOld me the doctor was coming . I thought they looked alike and asked them if they were sisters and what their names were. When I tried to talk, I found that I was shaking from head to foot in a violent chill, though there were hot stOnes at my feet and back. A doctOr came and picked me up, calling two sailors, who made a chair with their hands and lifted me . I was tOo stupid to hold on to them and fell back, but the doctor caught me by the shoulders and I was carried off the ship and through the crowds on the dock , the sailors shouting "Way , way! " they lifted me into a motOr and in a few moments we stOpped at what proved to be a third-rate hotel.

I tOld the doctOr I could step out of the car myself, but in trying to, I crum­pled up on the sidewalk and was picked up and carried in . I was left on a lounge in a room full of men in all SOrtS of strange garments , while the proprietress hurried to bring me brandy . The Englishman of our table , who had been so anx­ious to eat his ice cream, was in a pink dressing-gown ; he came and sat by me . I asked him if he had seen Mr. Friend. He shook his head without answering. I

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was given brandy and with help walked up stairs and was put to bed . All night I kept expecting Mr. Friend to appear, looking for me . All night long, men kept coming into our room , snapping on the lights , bringing children for us to iden­tify, taking telegrams , getting our names for the list of survivors, etc., etc. I kept asking officials for ,news of Mr. Friend and giving a description of him .

A civil engineer who lives near Hartford and knew of me tOok it upon himself to look everywhere for Mr. Friend-in hotels and hospitals and private houses . He returned every two hours, but brought no news . I will not write more now of that night and my illness and frightful anxiety about Mr. Friend .

Three days later , when I was taken to Cork by Mr. and Mrs . HaughtOn , I became convinced that Mr. Friend was delirious from injury and unidentified and Mr. Haughton , at my request , put notices in two papers for a week. I simply cannot write any more about it now . Write soon and often to me , my darling mother. Tell Marjorie I have written , perhaps you can judge if she would better read this. She must take no risk .

P.S . Did Mr. HaughtOn tell you of the way in which I was saved ? Mrs . Naish , to whom in a great measure lowe my life , saw me pulled on board with boat hooks ; the oar had worked up under my knee and kept me afloat. I was the last one rescued by that ship and was laid on deck with the dead. Mrs . Naish tOuched me and says I felt like a sack of cement , I was so stiff with salt water. She was convinced I could be saved and induced two men to work over me , which they did for two hours , after cutting my clothes off with a carving knife hastily brought from the dining saloon . They say that one suffers greatly in being re­stOred from drowning , but I was tOtally unconscious of it all , owing to the effect of the blow on my head , and was unconscious for some time after breathing was restOred; had also severe bruise above and below my right eye , which disfigured me by the swelling and discoloration . I seem to have escaped several separate deaths in a miraculous way and yet I truly believe there was no one on the ship who valued life as little as I do . I had told Mr. Friend one day , as we stOod by the rail, that if the Germans did tOrpedo us, I hoped he would be saved to carryon the work we had so much at heart .

I have tried to tell it carefully, but I cannot dwell on it. Thy

Theo.

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122

Mrs. Riddle and her Construction Methods by Brooks Emeny

"What was Theodate like?" so many people who did not know her have asked. Hers was a personality difficult to describe . In stature she was fairly short and stocky . But she walked with grace and dignity and was always a commanding "presence" whether in public or in the intimacy of friends and family . During the daytime she usually dressed in an impeccably tailored suit of heavy silk , of which she had many of different colors , together with a turbaned hat which fit closely to her head and was softened by her hair which framed her face . She al­ways wore a long gold chain to which was attached her lorgnette together with several gold and jeweled mementos which tinkled pleasantly as she walked or sat. Her thin ebony cane, more like a swagger stick, was carried whenever she emerged from her home , and at the theater or in a restaurant was most effectively used to direct guests to their proper seats. In the evening, her dress was formal­one never dined informally at Hill-Stead-her gowns being meticulously de­signed and of striking material.

While she was plain as a child and a young girl , she became in mature life a person of striking appearance , immediately the center of attention in any gather­ing. Her voice was clear and beautifully modulated , though in anger it could deepen in a commanding, almost terrifying way. Her eyes were her most striking feature--blue and penetrating , with an indefinable sparkle , but they could be­come suddenly gray and menacing in response to displeasure or wrath .

She loved wit and humor and her laughter was a joy to hear in its heartiness

Theodate Pope Riddle's second cousin, the late Dr. Brooks Emeny, in f ront of the Railroad Sta­tion , the School's first building. Through the generosity of Board Member Brooks Emeny and fam­ily, the station was renovated in the 1970's, by W ilbur Durphey, and today, named the Brooks House, serves as the School's guest facility.

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and warmth . But her response was particularly warm to manifestations of sound intellect or brilliance of thought. She was intolerant of bores or dullards and bad manners would mark the end of any friendship . But she was marvelous with the young , loved their presence and would listen by the hour to their outpoutings of hope and ambition. In fact , no one , young or old , could forget any encounter with her, whether it ended well or badly. Her capacity for love was infinite and her friendship, so long as it lasted, was all-embracing . This applied to people of all stations of life .

Theodate , for those who had the privilege of knowing her , was an experience richly rewarding and unforgettable. The range of her thoughts and interests was wide and she loved to explore any field of human endeavor or concern which appealed to her emotions or intellect.

As formidable a personality as Theodate was, she was a marvelous friend to

those she knew and loved . For despite her strict code of behavior , good taste and good manners, she was outgoing, warm, and affectionate with all who won her confidence. These aspects of her personality were particularly appealing in her dealings with the young . Any boy at the School who sought her advice would emerge with a renewed glow of confidence and a feeling his needs , hopes , and frustations had been understOod with warmth and sympathy.

Were she to return to Avon Old Farms tOday , she would undoubtedly be shocked by many outward appearances-a reflection of the deep social changes and different life style of the post World War II era. But were she to contemplate the results manifested in the contributions of Avon alumni to the welfare of their communities and nation , she would realize that she buiit better than she hoped. ' 'The School is my life" she used to say, to which she would often add, "By their fruits ye shall know them ." Avon Old Farms is the living monument to her genIUS .

Theodate 's description of the construction methods employed in the stOne work and roofing is worth quoting in whole, better to appreciate the beauty of the finished product :

"Where facing stOne is used , it is obtained from the quarry opened up on the School property. The ashlar is not cut to any special design or size , but a mini­mum and maximum size is given . This saves a lot of stOne as the cutter can take any piece of rough stOne and square it up to whatever size it will make. As little work as possible is done on the face of the stOne . The very high places are knocked off using a hammer and point. Then a peen hammer is used in order to

get a fairly flat surface. In some cases it is only necessary to use the peen hammer. The cutting is all done by eye. The use of a straight edge is omitted. The average cost of cutting a foot of ashlar is 80¢ per foot .

"The window, door, and other trim stones are Cut to detail but the outside edges are not cut to any particular size. After the mold or whatever the detail may be is cut, the stOne that is left in the piece is simply trimmed , not wasting any of the stOne . In laying this stOne , it is backed up with chips of stOne obtained from the quarry . The walls are an average of two feet thick , the outer wall of one foot thick being built first and then given a coat of Master Builder's Plaster

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Bond . Then the inner wall of one foot thickness is built using stOne chips . This method of laying up the walls has been very successful as to keeping them dry on the inside .

"In order that the steel placement frames will fit , a buck is used for openings, but the use of levels and/or plumb rules is omitted, the walls being laid up by eye ."

It was found that in building the walls of stOne as described above the COSt was cheaper than using the best grade of brick, i. e., the stOne laying COSt being 15 % per cubic foot less than the brick used in the first buildings, due to having a quarry on the property .

"The sloping roofs of all buildings are covered with Vendor Old Red slate . They were furnished by the Vendor Slate Company from a special quarry opened up near Middle Graneville , New York, and the output devoted exclusively to

this operation. They are all hand-split slate , varying In length from 14 inches to 26 inches and 3/4 inch thick . The exposures are graduated from approximately 12 inches at the eaves to 6 inches at the ridge. The cornices also are formed of slate. The method of applying the slate is as follows :

"Oak saplings are obtained from the surrounding woods , the result of a thin­ning out process. They average 2 inches to 3 inches in diameter. The bark is peeled off and then they are split in two. These saplings are made intO rafters with galvanized nails and the slate is fastened to them using copper wire # 12 guage. The wire is run through holes in the slate and then hooked over the sap­ling, and are butted in a hair mortar. No lines are used to get the course straight. After the slate are laid, they are flushed up with cement mortar from the under­side. The approximate weight of this roof is 25 pounds to the foot. Carpenters lay the slate . The cost of laying the slate in this manner is slightly less than laying in the commercial way . The valleys are flashed with 3 pound sheet lead. No flashings are used where slate go into masonry . A raglet was left in the masonry about 4 inches deep, and the slates are laid intO it and then caulked with Vulcatex, the same material used for setting the hinges. The slate are swept up in this place to keep the water away from the stone work. The ridges are composed of sand and cement mortar with hair in it, and is applied with the hand. No attempt is made to get them straight, but simply following the line of the roof as near as possible by

eye. With regard to the millwork, memoranda descriptive of the manufacture of all

items were carefully recorded . In this area, for purposes of economy, modern methods were frequently used in the initial stages of working, "Electric power being used from our own power plant ." But this was done without sacrificing the beauty of the end product , because wherever possible hand tOols were used .

"All the interior woodwork including the doors, paneling , stairs , bookcases , seats, cupboards , radiatOr spindle grills , plank flooring , partitions , closets , beds , furniture , and so forth , was manufactured in the Carpenter Shop. The material used was mountain oak from North Carolina. All oak for interior work is bought in the rough plank. It is taken to our sawmill , ripped to even width , and then run through a large planer. Then it is sent to the Carpenter Shop for sticking and assembly. The sticking and other necessary millwork is all done by machinery,

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in fact all the operations on the interior woodwork are backed up by machinery where possible . The finish is done by hand . Instead of taking time to get a good smooth mill surface , a method has been adopted whereby much time is saved and the wearing qualities are better. After the wood has been rough planed , it is raked over to take out all the soft g rain . This operation is performed with an implement made of 114 inch by 1. 5" by 12 inch iron , bent the flat way at an angle of 90 degrees 1 inch from the end . The end that is bent down is then sharpened like saw teeth. After the exposed surfaces of the wood are raked , a stiff wire brush is used to clean Out any soft wood left by the rake . On mouldings , spindles, and small pieces of wood where it is impossible to rake , a circular steel wire brush is used , the brush being attached to a motor. After these twO simple operations the exposed surfaces of the wood are ready for staining ."

But wherever the oak timbers were used , such as beams or heavy frames for paneling , they are hewn with the broad axe . And she adds, "An old tie hewer was hired to do this work. "

Here again the overall cost of the interior woodwork was less than what other­wise would have been the case if bought outside . For example, the average cost for spindles for the radiator openings, factOry produced , was estimated in quan­tities of 45¢ a spindle . The home made variety , vastly superior, came to an aver­age of 20¢ per item . Similarly, "All lumber used for farm work , scaffolding, temporary buildings , etc., is sawed in our own mill. The logs are obtained from the School property. The COSt of this rough material is about $ 20.00 per M on the site . The price of material for this purpose if purchased from a dealer would be approximately $50 .00 per M. "

With regard to the hardware , all hinges, door handles , etc., were made at the local forge-"hammered out of hard wrought iron by hand ." The lanterns , which are beautifully wrought and are to be seen and admired throughout the property , were made from 20 guage sheet metal. "The approximate size piece of metal for one lantern is placed in the forge and heated to a red heat and then hammered. It is then cut to the desig n required-the whole lantern being one piece, and bent to shape ." The lanterns were made for about $10.00 per piece , whereas the dealer's price came to abour $50 .00 for the same lantern in quan­tities .

But as impressive as some of these savings are, the work was done after all by non-union labor and at 1923-33 prices. Under today's conditions the buildings could not be duplicated for four or 'five times the initial cost , and their beauty could not be matched because "skilled" unionized labor would have to be used . The truth is that no accurate figures are available as to the total cost of the School . Theodate gives a random figure of $3 million for the buildings-but this does not include equipment or construction after the School's opening , such as the beautiful Refectory. In addition, there is the cost of the land and its mainte­nance , to which must be added $2 million which she states she paid our from the date of the opening of the School in the fall of 1927 to its closing in 1944, merely to make up the deficit . So it would seem that a conservative overall figure would be in the range of $7 million , though I have seen other estimates as hig h as $ 10

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million. But whatever the COSt, it is an extraordinary creation, built to stand for many generations and to inspire each successive generation with its unusual beauty and imaginative detail.

The outpouring of creative energy which went intO the building of Avon Old Farms carried its penalty , however , in the emotional and physical exhaustion of the creatOr . The mere effort of keeping ahead of hundreds of workmen with com­pleted architectural designs , the constant visits to the property to supervise every detail of construction, and her inability to share the burden with others, resulted in a distressing undermining of her health.

Workmen assembling Carpenter Shop framework . Partially erected Carpenter Shop framework.

Forge A-frame being raised. Workmen laying roof tile on Forge.

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Water Tower, Forge, Carpenter Shop under construction.

-;;., ./,/ ' :(11

I

The Chapel o/J esus the Carpenter today.

128

)1'

f I

Quarrymen extracting red Triassic sandstone from quarry on School property, Old Farms Road.

Stonemason dressing stone.

Tidewater Construction Company Foreman jesse Heitmann standing amid foundations of Quad­

rangle buildings.

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Quadrangle under constructiQ1I.

Comtruction of Print Shop (center) with Refectory ( left ) and original Gymnasium in background.

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Workmen standing in front of partially constructed Diogenes dormitory.

Dean's House (left) and Provost's House (right ) as seen from end of ViI/age Green .

!3!

Bill Kegley in his patrolman's uniform, standing in /ront of Diogenes archway , late 1920's, with William Fearing '31 , left and Edward Canby '30, right .

"Kegley Notes"

Bili Kegley as Custodian of Buildings and

Grounds , late 1950 's.

Excerpts collected by Seth F . Mendell '52 during interviews with Bill Kegley in the early

1970's.

Bill Kegley first came to Avon Old Farms, August 4, 1924 . At that time there were 325 workmen busily erecting the school buildings. The water tower and what is now the chapel, then the carpenter shop, were the only completed buildings . The foundations for the Quadrangle buildings were in, and the Quad­rangle itself was piled high with fifteen feet of sand from the excavations.

During the winter months , from mid-November until March, all work stopped, due to the condition of the roads. Mr. Kegley recalls that the Town of Avon had no money, equipment or men to keep up the Town roads. There was no pavement and the roads being dirt were deeply rutted and impassable much of the time due to snow and mud. The workmen came from all the surrounding towns: Simsbury, Farmington, Unionville , Collinsville, to name a few, and from as far as Manchester and Torrington. This work force came each day in trucks, what today we would call a "car pool. " In each tOwn there would be several workmen owning trucks, and they brought laborers to Avon Old Farms in the morning and took them home at night . Consequently, in the winter months with the Town roads impassable, work on the school buildings stopped.

In the spring of 1925 the Quadrangle was a beehive of activity . One hundred

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and twenty quarrymen and stOnecutters were cutting and dressing stone . After the stOne had been hauled from the quarry, stOne masons were building the arches and walls of the four Quadrangle buildings ; and carpenters were setting the timbers to support the floors and the roof. What Mr. Kegley called "Old Timers" were hewing the great beams for the ceilings and rafters with adz and broad ax, right in the Quadrangle. Altogether , 550 men were employed during the summer of 1925. With the rafters in place, split saplings were nailed across them to hold the slate for the roofs. The slate was wired to the saplings and set in cement. Mr. Kegley pointed out that the roofs on the Quadrangle buildings were put on by local workmen who had learned the art ftom a group of Cockney work­ers Mrs. Riddle had brought from England to put the slate roof on the railroad station in 1922.

Of the buildings in the Quadrangle , Eagle , Pelican and Elephant were fin­ished before Diogenes. The Diogenes tower was the last structure to be com­pleted in the Quadrangle. Originally the buildings were to be brick like the water tower and the chapel, with stone used only for the archways, doorways and window lintels and sills. When the quarrymen found such a great quantity of stone so close to the school , Mrs . Riddle decided to use stone entirely. The quarry, now a pond, was on the left as you approached the school from the Town of Avon. The quarry was ninety-three feet deep and Mr. Kegley explained that a pump run by a gasoline engine (the engine is still in the powerhouse) , had to be started every morning at four o'clock to pump the water out , so work could begin at eight. The stOne cuttings and debris from the quarry were used to pave several roads up through the woods to the Quadrangle over which trucks as well as horse and oxen drawn wagons carried the stones for the buildings . Also, much of this small rock was used to pave the Avon Town roads leading to the school , - espe­cially the one across the flats which was a real mud bath .

Mrs. Riddle was in evidence at the school everyday , staying , Mr. Kegley re­calls, anywhere from twO to eight hours. The activity must have been fascinating to watch; the Quadrangle with its piles of sand , great tree trunks being drawn in by horse and oxen to be hewn into beams , stOne masons working up on the scaf­foldings and great booms sticking up above the tree tOps hoisting the rafters into place and lifting up the slate for the roofs . The ring of the stonecutter 's chisel , the sound of the carpenter's adz and hammer, the creak of the winch and boom, the sputter of the early combustion engine, the gruntS and snorts of the draft animals and the shouts of the workmen all must have echoed through the woods .

The powerhouse was completed in 1926 to supply the Quadrangle with elec­tricity and heat. The following year the school opened with fifty boys . The refec­tory was not yet complete , and meals were served in what was the old gym above the kitchen and what is now the Barnes Lecture Gallery . The food was sent up to

the dining room by a dumb waiter that still exists by the backdoor of the

kitchen .

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Dedication of Pierpont Student Activities Center , 1965 , BilL Kegley center, with Levings Hooker Somers (Acting Provost 1940) right , and Mrs . Somers , left ·

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Memories Of Avon Old Farms as a student, 1929-1930

by Alan Burnham '32, FAIA

Perhaps because I have become an architect since attending school, Avon was a g reat experience for me . The only reason I was sent there was because my family believed in progressive education, and, when Mr. Froelicher left I was made to follow him to Fountain Valley School by my family . It was a rare experience , living in that seemingly ancient close . I was in Diogenes and can well remember the raids by our floor warden on our crystal sets , with which we listened to Sta­tion WTIC after hours . I finally set twO copper pipes in a groove of the wood­work at the head of my bed , hooked them up to my set hidden in the closet and had only to plug in my earphones each night. It never was confiscated thereafter.

In those days we took turns keeping watch on the Water Tower, for what I can't remember but I assume it was a fire watch . It was there I met Bill Burrage from Boston and , as I already knew John Brinton , we became known as "The Three B's," fast friends .

Afternoons were of course devoted to spOrts and I chose horseback riding . The stables were quite a way down the road toward the town of Avon (pronounced A-von). I rode a horse named "Connemara" who was fine until he met another horse from the stables returning when he would take the bit in his teeth and I had all I could do to restrain him and put him on his way again .

The Refectory was tun on a clock-like basis , and, at a given hour when the bell rang , the big doors were to be shut regardless of late comers. Bill Burrage and I usually had this duty and, although it was g reat fun to slam the doors in someone's face, it hardly increased our popularity . One of the g reat indoor SPOrtS at mealtime (and perhaps you won't want to publish this) was to place a butter patty on the end of one's knife and , with a quick flip , hurl it upward . Those who could make them stick to the ceiling were acclaimed by all .

At one time I was made Librarian and the subdued lighting and attractive but sombre character of the room was remarkably successful in obtaining silence from the students. We spent most of our time there pasting in the very handsome bookplates provided by Mrs . Riddle .

When winter snows filled the courtyard , paths were dug across it between the dorms . The great sports were the "Polar Bares," each one of whom would take turns stripping stark naked and dashing across from one dorm to the opposite and back , thus winning his laurels and membership in that hardy organization .

Probably the g reatest events at Avon , in those early years , were the Gilbert &

Sullivan operettas which were produced under the direction of Ernest Kitson , the noted music instructor. These were performed in the Refectory and, as in the Pirates of Penzance , took in the balcony as well as the main floor. These perform­ances were quite creditable and reflected Mr. Kitson 's g reat dedication .

As to clothing , we all had Avon blazers which were a remarkable purplish-red

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with dark blue piping and beaver insignias on the breast pockets. In the evenings we wore black coats from Brooks Brothers , and , as I remember it , striped trou­sers . The linings of the coat sleeves had broad stripes and there was much oppo­sition to such formal wear. At one time the students went on strike and turned the coats inside Out , arriving at the Refectory in an array of striped arms. Rumor had it that Mrs. Riddle proposed to erect stocks on the lawn to punish the ring­leaders of such rebellions but I can't remember that they were ever erected .

Mrs. Riddle was not only an architect but was a most remarkable woman and I guess that, as I later became an architect , I was already enamored of the archi­tecture of the school. She used to appear in the main quadrangle during class hours with visiting guests carrying a little staff with gold head which she would use to point out various features of the buildings . We would all rise up in our seats , in the classrooms, to see this performance and it was rumored that one day , on such a tour, she bumped into a wall and said with outrage: "Why, there was supposed to have been a door here. "

She enjoyed entertaining the boys at "Hill-Stead" and would have us over for tea, a few at a time . She would send her Crane-Simplex limousine for us. It was painted light gray and had little side shutters for the twO back windows. She once told us that she did her best thinking and planning while traveling in her car and that it was there that she conceived many of her designs for Avon. I know that the great wooden arches of the Refectory were studied and restudied as to scale and design because I took carpentry with George Lenari in the building beneath the water tower and these early samples were still hanging on the wall hand carved of wood full-size .

These are some of the highlights , in my memory, of what was an exceptionally fine and stimulating education.

The Avon Old Farms community 1927-28: students, faculty, administration, support staff.

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Illegal Snakes and Radio Transmissions

by H. Lincoln Chadbourne '34

1929 at Avon was marked with turmoil. For one thing, a dormitOry inspectOr had a Thompson submachine gun under his bed, plus ammo for it. He was sup­posed to keep us boys from wandering around the corridors after lights out. He tried to make his point by firing a few rounds down the corridor. Our headmaster heard of it. He felt the inspectOr had over-reacted. He had not used approved disciplinary methods. He was tOld to pack his clothes and his Thompson subma­chine gun and leave . Come to think of it , with his philosophy and the world conditions to come, the inspectOr probably faced a bright future.

Us radio buffs at Avon didn 't confine ourselves to receivers . Transmitters were built as well. We had a couple of licensed radio amateurs (hams) . They built legal shortwave transmitters for the ham bands . My group went the illegal route. WE BUILT A TRANSMITTER FOR OPERATION RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BROADCAST BAND , BETWEEN WTIC AND WDRC. We'd transmit recordings of Cab Calloway and other jazz notables , make snide remarks abour the school faculty, repeat gossip, criticize the curriculum, and transmit whatever else came to mind . Once or twice , we even went so far as to ask listeners ro write in their comments. We put our address in code in the hope that a smart listener would be able to decipher it, but the federal radio authori­ties would not. The optimism of youth!

One day while I was standing a fire watch on the observation tOwer I spotted cars with directional loop antennas converging on the school from two directions. They were obviously from the Federal Radio Commission, predecessor to the FCC. I made a quick call to my fellow villains-DISMANTLE EVERYTHING!!! It was soon done. The radio authorities called on Dr. Kammerer. He already had a pretty good idea of what was going on and who was responsible . He tOld us to

knock it off. A more seemly prank involved a cow. We used to have movies most Saturday

nights. The shows weren't all that great, and some of the students thought that the presence of a cow might liven things up. They were right. Lord knows how they did it-it seems worthy of a special Boy Scour award-but these students moved the beast, a large Jersey , I think , up to the Refectory , where the movies were shown. They coaxed her in at about the middle of the picture . It was a noisy entrance, what with having to push and poke the animal to get her moving at a decent speed down the aisle while at the same time avoiding collisions with the faculty. There was a great deal of shouring, cursing, and mooing. This mission was a complete success. And while I doubt if any of us who were there still re­member the picture , I'll bet we all remember the Jersey cow.

One episode that was great fun from start to finish involved Kenny MacLeish '34 (son of the poet Archibald MacLeish) and his large king snake. Kenny liked

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snakes . He'd somehow captured this giant one and by some 'TIeans had moved it to his room , where he hoped to make friends with it and study it at leisure. This snake was supposed to be harmless, but to look at it you knew it deserved re­spect . Nor was this snake friendly. It didn 't want to be pals with Kenny. In­stead , it promptly crawled behind the radiator and disappeared in the maze of heating pipes. Kenny was unable to persuade it to come out . The disciplinary man at school heard about this situation , became furious , and ordered Kenny confined to his quarters until the snake reappeared or was captured. Kenny's con­finement must have taken place on a Satmday because I remember that the fol­lowing day, a Sunday, a few of us were chatting and sipping gin in one of our rooms . Our talk centered around what to do about the snake. George Draper '34, who always wanted to be a reporter (and eventually became one) had recently been appointed Avon school stringer for The Hartford Times. This honor meant little, because seldom did anything newsworthy happen at Avon Old Farms, and, so far, George had not sent in a word. But this was different. It had all the elements. Famous father, hapless youth versus cruel disciplinarian, mystery nether world of school plumbing, a sinister, slithery creature that roamed unseen at will, and might strike anytime , perhaps at the tiny tot offspring of a faculty member, etc., etc., etc. The situation obviously had to be reported. And we had the time, the will, and the gin to do it . So we set about composing a piece for The Hartford Times.

Several drinks later and after the agony of English composition we had re­corded the event for history. Our account was basically correct except for a slight bias to add punch to the presentation, such as making the snake 8 feet long in­stead of its actual 5 or 6 . George deserves most of the credit, if you want to call it that , but Noel and I contributed some nice bits and someone else, I've forgotten who , also helped . A team effort. With justifiable pride we mailed the piece.

Response exceeded our fondest hopes . Next day The Hartford Times ran it word for word as we had written it. It appeared on the front page without any changes or deletions. The paper also put it on the U.P. wires. Later we received clippings from papers all across the country. Some versions were badly garbled . Archibald MacLeish was interviewed and said he "did not share his son's enthusiasm for snakes ." The Hartford Times invited us to a gala luncheon and took us on a tour of their plant . From obscurity we had overnight become ace reporters! The only paper that bothered to check the account for accuracy was The New York Times. One of their reporters phoned Dr. Kammerer and asked for his comments . They must have been unprintable because the paper never ran the story . We looked good to The Hartford Times , but we ended in the doghouse at school.

The snake? Well, Kenny 's confinement to quarters ended when it became evi­dent he could do nothing but look for the snake in his free time. This he did, without luck . Weeks and weeks went by. Then one day during a morning exer­cise drill in the quadrangle the creature suddenly reappeared. It squirmed out of a subterranean opening Onto the grass and swung its beady king snake eyes on the exercise team.

Everybody cheered .

138

On Rediscovering Mrs. John Wallace (Theodate Pope) Riddle

by John S. Iversen, Jr . '36

John S. Iversen , Sr. was Estate Manager at Avon Old Farms from the opening of the School in 1927 until 1938. His son , John S. Iversen , Jr . '36, grew up at School, and has provided the following reminiscences and detailed map of the property and buildings as they existed during his time at School.

It is getting close to sixty years since I first met Mrs . Riddle, and I knew her off and on for about a decade. Since that time most of what I have heard has not been complimentary, some has been downright libelous and a 'lot has been pure myth.

I met Mrs. Riddle when I was just six. We were living in The Gundy, the south half that was nOt occupied by the Teashop run for the benefit of the Porter School girls . We remained there for about two years until we moved to the School, where I remained until 1936 . Except for a few visits to my stepfather , who rented the guest house just after the Second War, and one visit while pass­ing through in the summer of 1976, I have had very little to do with Avon and with Avonians. Consequently these opinions are not cluttered by revisions in my thinking over the intervening years. As a matter of fact , I have not really thought about Avon or Mrs . Riddle very much until I received an Alumni Bulletin asking for information about Avon's past. When I started to scribble down odds and ends, a picture began to emerge, incidents that I had 'forgotten ' returned with clarity that was unexpected.

Those I have met, who were familiar with the pre-war Avon, nOt the Avon of A Good School which I do not recognize at all , tell me it was a boys ' boarding school, founded by an old lady who wanted to turn red-blooded American boys into imitation Etonians. I suspect that some concluded that six years of black tie dinners were responsible for my eccentricities , not being dropped on my head as a baby.

As a First and Second Grader in the Farmington Public School living at The Gundy I was peripatetic, omnipresent and omniscient around Hill-Stead , as small boys are wont to be . I was half English and half Danish . My father and mother were sophisticated Danes who had lived in England for many years . Their views and values were a product of pre-First War England and the Continent. I was still brought up by the governess, ate supper in the nursery and visited my father and mother at the dinner table (dressed full fig of course) upon occasion. My mother loathed the United States and fled to Europe whenever possible . I had difficulty in comprehending the local nutmeg twang , which I immediately tried to copy and for which act I was immediately punished . I include this note of explanation because I thought very highly of Mrs . Riddle when I was six . She w.as a lady. She spoke clearly in well-modulated tOnes . Her language was precise , and she meant what she said. She never talked down to me . In turn , I suppose , I

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was an extremely well-mannered little boy (I was ruled by a mother , a governess and three older siblings in no uncertain terms) because I had never had a chance to be anything else. At any rate , I liked Mrs. Riddle because she was one of the few Americans I could understand .

She was to me a kind of royalty . Her wealth , I suspect , had something to do with it . She once deigned to let me hold her silver-topped walking stick , without which I never saw her. I can remember her showing me her pet cemetery.

Mr. Riddle remains in the shadows. I only remember that he had a beard, like George V. Perhaps I only remember a photograph . I think he was ill . Mrs . Rid­dle rode in a succession of chauffeur-driven Crane Simplex boxy cars of an olive­green color. There were little louvered shutters on the side back windows and bud vases with flowers on the inside . I rode in her car upon occasion and was always very much impressed . I still am .

Our house at Avon was designed by her , for she was an architect in her own right . I remember my parents commenting upon her views on the rights of women . Mr. Wilkins , an architect , my father and my mother all had a say in our house's design. The fireplace was my parents' notion. I remember that one sec­tion of the roof tile , laid on split cedar saplings to curve naturally , had to be relaid three times to meet Mrs. Riddle 's exacting standard. The terrace was my mother's idea, I am sure.

Mrs . Riddle was a meticulous and demanding person to work for. People used to become exasperated , but few did not respect her. Her interest in and stipula­tions about the school were many and may seem at variance with much of today's thinking . I submit , however , that much of what she had to say was very sound . I know that she was concerned about individuals. I recall dimly several incidents where she lent a helping hand unbeknownst to most people. I only knew because I was a small boy with big ears , and I cannot and will not repeat what I vaguely remember .

Except in one case . I was in my mid-teens , at loose ends one summer. I am sure I was a concern to a lot of peopie . Mrs . Riddle gave me a job building a picket fence for which I was paid . I did not do a very good job and did not finish . I am sure she was disappointed , but she never said a word .

Mrs. Riddle was Edwardian. She had her views on class , manners and privi­lege. She believed in the concept of a gentleman . She was a woman of her time .

She believed that boys should learn how to do manual labor and not be ashamed of it . The program of community service at Avon was an excellent one . It was more constructive and workable than most of those I have worked with. Admittedly, such work as kitchen helping were considered not for a gentleman.

Teachers were carefully selected and paid comparatively well. I think that a review of that 'old ' faculty will bear out the contention that it was a superior faculty.

Student government worked more effectively than most student governments through the device of the Village of Old Farms . I was arrested for having an air rifle in my room. I was acquitted in a trial because the Village ordinance prohib­ited "fire arms".

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The island and cabin suppers twice a week , the emphasis on outdoor SPOrtS for health and recreation (intra-mural), the biology programs that used the school estate , the two weeks a year as chore boys at Hill-Stead , the 3000 acres we could roam made even the most obtuse aware of his environment.

My father used to say that the British ruling classes survived because they mar­ried their kitchen maids and had plenty of manure on their boots . We learned little about kitchen maids , but a great deal about manure .

We were extraordinarily free from unnecessary rules and regulations that of necessity constrain the modern boarding school student . One ran his own news­paper for profit, and profit he did. Another ran a Sunday morning diner in the biology lab, at a profit. At least one still in the woods was run, at a profit . There were other sanctioned and unsanctioned activities at Avon that had a positive educational value . I suspect some of the unsanctioned were unofficially con­doned.

Each year there was a great end-of-school auction. School uniforms that were outgrown or discarded by seniors were sold (No intervening mother's club). In consequence old and shabby uuniforms were cherished, not disdained. Uniforms do create a rough form of democracy. Long before the advent of the Hippie, it was 'in' to wear a pair of unlaundered Levis until they wore out.

Mrs. Riddle may nOt have been a true educational pioneer, but I think that she should be given high marks for a lot of what she tried to do. I may add that little went on at Avon then that she did nOt know about.

She introduced me to Hollywood. Every Christmas she held a party for the children of Farmington at Hill-Stead. We saw Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton moving pictures and were presented with a bag of candy and an orange, after which we said thank you to Mrs . Riddle. These were my first, and for many years the only, movies.

Mrs. Riddle was a lady. Read her report of the sinking of the Lusitania. Imag­ine what it tOok to decide to spend a small fortune building a school on about three thousand acres, the buildings of which were designed by yourself. It was quite an undertaking . .

In the language of the educationists, (and I am afraid that I am sometimes classified as one although I don 't really speak their language), Mrs. Riddle was a prime example of that old educational saw: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. She set a pretty good example . Avon taught me a lot more than how to milk a cow and how to tie a bow tie.

14 1

On Verne Priest

by W. Champlin Robinson '32 and Kenneth H . Rood '34

Robinson: "Verne Priest was the Indian g uide that Mrs . Riddle hired when she started the building of the school. She hired him from Col. Woolsey , a fa­mous explorer in Maine. I spent many happy afternoons and weekends in the woods with Verne , and also enjoyed his Maine cooking in the cabin of the Nim­rod Club on Saturday evenings . Verne lived in a large log cabin with his family on the extreme southern end of the property ...

Rood: "I remember doing community service under Verne Priest and working on the then three-thousand-acre estate . We manned the tower and watched for forest fires and put them out . One highlight was our weekly trip to the island for a Saturday night cookout or to a small cabin above the nearby pond for a pancake supper. Verne always slipped a piece of flannel cloth into someone's pancake."

Verne Priest , W oodsman, working with student, 1930's.

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In reflective mood , 1950 's.

On Don Pierpont and the Re-opening of the School

by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Cragin C. Curtis '50

You certainly may have opened up a can of worms, because I very much doubt that an old/new school, opening its doors in 1948, just three years after the end of a major w.ar, could boast in having such a varied group of misfits , misfits who were individuals from all walks of life . Some postgrads were heroes of Guadal­canal, Iwo Jima, and the Far Eastern campaign. Some were rejects from Ivy League Prep Schools , some were "Mama's Boys" pushed into this rough world to make the transition from boyhood to manhood .

In excess of 125 characters were administered by Donald W. Pierpont and his band of dedicated and loyal teachers-scolded, bribed, or pressed into something that they could have second thoughts about later on. As a seventeen-year-old schoolboy, I was certainly impressed that I was attending a school with men who had been to war, Wow!! These school chums would be influential in the matur­ing development of the likes of me , and my fellow students.

It took a man like Don Pierpont to act as the catalyst in creating a school , (from scratch) , made up of characters who probably would qualify for the nearest penitentiary or mental institution. Don possessed a marvelous gift of getting to know each student. He knew that in each one of his charges there was hope , and he was determined to give his all to steer each student in the right direction to become accepted and respected citizens.

In my case , I was a product of not being in agreement with the rules and regulations of a much larger school, so we parted company and I had little choice but to join Avon , which had that year opened its doors (after being used as a school for blind servicemen) duting the war years. We were a small school in those early days, but the size was made up for by a tremendous spirit and respect for the school and masters . Both mentor and student had a great deal of admira­tion and respect for "The Head ." Don was a kind man who abounded with en­ergy. He took a lot of pride in Avon and loved the school he helped build .

I don't know if Don had a soft spOt for me , but I well recall the many times he would tOss over the keys to his Ford car and say, "Craig , go on into Hartford , have a good time , but bring the jalopy back in one piece." I did not even have a vehicle license!! On other occasions Don would take a few of us (on weekends) down to Avon for a few beers and plain talk. I suppose similar acts prevailed through the school , but there was always a great teacher/student relationship-­

one of ttuSt . In my twO years no one took advantage of Avon, which I suppose could be

looked upon as being progressive. The students virtually ran the school. They openly and honestly discussed the school with their teachers and developed a solid one-to-one relationship . Can you imagine four to five boys (men) in a class? I was fortunate in taking an advanced Spanish class. I do not remember the other

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Crew on the Farmington River, early 1950's. Bernie Hammons in dark suit, Seth Mendell '52 and Frank Leavitt '52 in canoe .

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fellows' names , but the two of us would meet at the teacher's house , enjoy a g lass of wine , and in a most relaxed atmosphere , carryon with our subject .

Yes, Don and Nan Pierpont were people of warmth and vision. Don knew fully well he had to deal with people like Shirk, Bates, Class, Deforrest , Hanson , Vaulot, Harris, Hoffman, Orr, and many, many others-a mixture that would not let him down, and, in fact , these were the very oddballs who became the backbone of an institution , which today has become one of the top prep schools in the United States.

Although the memories of Avon and the people I associated with have been in my thoughts since I departed in 1950, the reality of Don Pierpont 's dream of producing a well structured and supporting school was well launched.

My own interest has recently been rekindled when my youngest son was inter­viewed by Frank Leavitt , as a possible for next year's 10th Grade.

Although Don Pierpont departed a number of years ago, he left behind him a legacy which I was so proud to witness. The incredible changes undoubtedly be­long to those dedicated trustees and masters , but one must never put aside the hopes and dreams of a man who dedicated his life to the integrity of a school that would never be allowed to become complacent and apathetic-in short, upward mobility was the key word, and Avon has never looked back, thanks to Donald W. Pierpont.

Village Post Office, in The Cottages, facing Village Green.

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Reflections as a Student, Faculty Member, and Administrator

by Seth F. Mendelf '52

I would like to add a reminiscence of what it was like to know Don Pierpont as one of his students, and then to come back as one of his faculty. In addition, Frank Leavitt and I are perhaps the only twO who could add the third dimension of moving into the Trautman years as faculty and then administration.

As a senior at the local high school in Winter Park , Florida, in the spring of 1951 , I had no great desire to go to college, partly due to teenage rebellion , and partly due to the fact that Dartmouth had rejected me in spite of the fact that I was a member of the National Honor Society . The word ftom Dartmouth was that they would accept no candidate directly from a Florida high school.

I would have been happy to have worked full time at the boat yard in Matta­poisett , Massachusetts, where I had worked summers. However , my father, a Dartmouth alumnus and at the time Chairman of the English Department at Rollins College, did not feel that the decision was mine alone to make . Jack Rich , a friend of Don Pierpont 's and who had taught at Avon right after the school re-opened , suggested a year at a New England prep school-such as Avon. The die was cast, and as a compromise with my father, I agreed ro look at Avon.

I remember so well the day in August, 1951, when my father and I arrived on

Interior 0/ Post Office, early 1950 's. students receiving mail.

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the Avon campus . The lush green of the Connecticut hills , combined with the beauty of the Avon campus , struck a chord in me that still resounds tOday, thirty-three years later!

During our interview with Don Pierpont and my first meeting with Don , I was taken by his ability to communicate with adolescents , although I did not fully appreciate it at the time. We were discussing possible courses , and in an attempt to explain away my lack of interest in Spanish , I lashed out with the flippant remark , "I just couldn't hack it. "

"Seth, " said Don, "even the idiots in Spain can speak Spanish!" He had caught my attention by reducing the argument to a point where logi­

cally I had to agree . Another example of Don's ability to deal with the teenage mind, and an analogy I have used at various times in my own counselling of students, also comes from my own experience .

It was February of my year at Avon . As a post-graduate, still not motivated to

go to college, I was in the doldrums. Don called me in. "Seth ," he said , "you are an excellent builder and craftsman. When you begin a job, you pull just the right tOol from your tOol chest, perfectly honed and sharpened . You would not think of doing anything less . Your education is exactly the same thing as your chest of tOols, but the tOols in this case are ideas. Get the best , sharpen your skills, and keep them sharp. " That analogy opened up a whole new world for me, and I am still in quest of the best and sharpest tools to use, whatever the task may be.

I had a good year at Avon. The adjustment was not easy from a Florida high school to a New England prep school, but I survived. I had to work hard in spite of my prior high academic record. My highest academic grade at Avon was only a "B ," and I learned to write for the first time in Jack Mitchell 's senior English class. I did get an "A" in Manual Crafts under Wilbur Durphey.

Looking back, the friends that I made the year I was a student have had the greatest impact on me. Living in the dormitOry , eating in the RefectOry, com­peting in spOrtS and going to classes with your friends gave me an insight intO the value of friendship that I had not experienced before . And beyond that, the close association with the faculty was new to me . They were interested , educated men who seemed really to care about me. At the head of the list was Don Pier­POnt and then George Kinkade, Win Johnson and Les Manning , to name a few . It was certainly a rewarding experience in 1959 to return to Avon to teach along­side these men who had meant so much to me as a student .

I was accepted at four colleges , and almost went to Middlebury , but in the end my desire to travel won out and I chose Colorado College . Two years of part-time jobs, including running the fraternity table , tOok the wanderlust out of me , and I was glad to return to Winter Park and attend Rollins as a day student, on a faculty scholarship. I majored in philosophy , did well , and even began a Master's Degree at the University of California at Berkeley, but Uncle Sam caught up with me, and announced that my four-year draft extension was over. I had been called up for the Korean War in the fall of 1952, but had been g ranted a 4-S

deferment to finish college.

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Eleanor and Wilbur Durphey with John Curtin '74 at The Campaign for Avon Kickoff 1983. Durph was hired as the School's carpenter in 1947, subsequently became Director of Physical Plant . Eleanor was Secretary to Dean Kinkade for many years .

The spring of 1959 found me in Germany, calculating what I could do both short and long term , when I was discharged , and I wrote to twO former employ­ers in the boat field , and to Don Pierpont , suggesting that I would like to teach English or HistOry , with perhaps a philosophy seminar on the side. I had kept in tOuch with Don since leaving Avon in 1952 , and he wrote right back to say that he would like to have me , but he foresaw no opening. The opening suddenly occurred while I was crewing on a yacht in the Bahamas that summer and I called Don by short-wave radio to accept a position in the History Department .

As luck would have it, Frank Leavitt returned to teach at Avon that same fall of 1959. We had actually been stationed within 100 miles of each other in Ger­many , but had never been able to get together. We worked hard those early years. We taught our classes , coached in the afternoons, proctored study hall in the evening, and we studied! Frank was teaching geometry and I history and we both worked every night just to get ready for the next day . We ate. all our meals in the RefectOry and counted the days until vacations right along with the boys . My father had tOld me that the first twO years of teaching would be difficult , but by the third year I would begin to feel a deep sense of satisfaction in what I was doing , if I were cur out to be a teacher. He was right. With the help of George Kinkade , Dick Loveland and others, I survived the first two years.

However, I was still in the Army Reserves and one Saturday in the fall of 1961, right after the Berlin Wall crisis, I was on my way to Hopkins Grammar School with the Varsity Soccer team . Before boarding the bus , I stOpped by the POSt office to pick up my mail and on the way to New Haven read the "cheerful" news that I was back on active duty . Alice and I were plannning a December

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wedding, which we hastily changed to early October, and November 1 found the twO of us in Oklahoma with Uncle Sam.

Ten months later I returned to the Avon campus with a new set of responsibil­ities to consider. I had a wife and would soon be a father. With the departure of Dick Loveland in 1960, I was teaching three sections of a senior elective, Con­tempory HistOry, and one section of United States HistOry . I was the Varsity Soccer Coach and coached the Rifle team in the winter. We were living in the quadrangle apartment on the north end of Pelican and I was in charge of the dormitOry. With the challenge of these responsibilities , I felt the need to go back to school, and tOok advantage of the School's policy to underwrite graduate work. For the next six summers I matriculated for a Master's Degree in HistOry at Trinity College. I might have completed the degree earlier, but I started the arduous task of building a 37' cruising sailboat at the same time. Along with a young family, T rini ty and the boat, the summers were in great demand!

The upshot of it all was that by the mid '60s , I had a very real stake in the furure of Avon Old Farms. In 1965 Don appointed me Head of the HistOry De­partment , and I had a hand in the decisions dealing with curriculum and who would be hired in the department . Don was a good man to work for. He expected you to do your job and when you did not , he would tell you. I can remember many a faculty meeting when he was very explicit in what he wanted. He was a man with a vision. He often saw individuals as they should be rather than as they were.

He was a Christian in every sense of the word and stOod ready to help and counsel boys , faculty, and even strangers at any time of the day or night. He was dynamic and liked to play center stage, but then, Avon was his school; he had re­opened it following the Army interlude. He had moved the townspeople our of the quadrangle apartments, gathered a student body and brought tOgether a fac­ulty. Don was his own master, although his major concern was always for others. He tOuched people ; you did not just "know" Don Pierpont . He had a magic about him that brought people to him and to Avon. His chapel talks , and at times his imprompru words during announcements in the RefectOry, could be electrifying. He was a warm, loving human being who firmly believed we are all

God's children. By the late '60s Avon was in trouble . The School had no defenses against the

drug culrure and student rebellion that swept OntO campuses throughout the na­tion. On September 30, 1968, Don Pierpont died. Forrunately, the Board of DirectOrs , under the leadership of Reed Estabrook '36, moved quickly and ap­pointed Alan McMillen as acting Headmaster while a search committee began the arduous task of looking for a permanent head. It was a difficult year. Avon, like so many other schools, was struggling in search of itself.

George Trautman was the ultimate choice of the Board of DirectOrs and in July, 1969, was appointed Headmaster of Avon Old Farms. George was a man of action and high ideals. He saw his first task, as directed by the Board of Direc­tOrs, to give the School direction . His stand at Diogenes Archway on opening day in September, 1969, refusing to let anyone register until they had the proper

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haircut , will long be remembered and was symbolic of the conservative direction that A von would follow. We remained single sex and adopted a hard line drug policy. We were swimming upstream in terms of what other independent schools were doing .

The faculty supported George , especially the old guard, of which I was a part after eleven years at the School. We were glad for direction after several years of floundering in the face of the national confusion resulting from the disillusion­ment of youth , Vietnam and drugs . We pitched in and worked hard .

George Trautman believed strongly in a sound body as well as a sound mind and a strong sports program became the call of the day. He also realized that school spirit is generated on the athletic fields and that spirit is the tonic that dispels the negative aspects within a group and puts the positive in command .

It was fun working under George. Things began to happen . The student body increased in size , along with the curriculum and faculty . The Jennings Rink was built , and renovations for the "old power house" were planned. Only three months after George arrived , he appointed me Director of Alumni Affairs and reduced my teaching and coaching load accordingly. I now had a major job to do and one of great importance to the School.

As Avon moved into the seventies the old guard began to leave . The Coch­ranes, the Dutpheys, the Eastwoods , the Evans , the Kinkades and the Saxbys had all been at the School for twenty or more years and had been on the campus in the early years when Don Pierpont was re-opening the School. It was time for retire­ment.

As the Trautman years progressed , I have gradually moved into the fundrais­ing area, though I resisted giving up my history classes. However, in February , 1982, I was appointed Director of Development as well as Alumni Affairs and because of the demands on my time , have had to give up my classroom teaching .

Why have I stayed at Avon for twenty-five years? Quite simply, because the School has changed around me . Every time I might have thought about leaving , I have had a new hat to wear , the last one of COutse , being a full scale promotion as a member of the administration . Avon has been a good home for me , for Alice , and for Out twO daughters , Phyllis and Margaret . In 1966 we moved into the Valentine House, the first of five faculty homes to be built behind what is now the Jennings Rink , but then were tennis COurts . The Valentine House is the only home our daughters have known .

But more than anything , I have stayed at Avon because I love the School , and above and beyond the beauty of the buildings, surrounded by the serenity of trees and forest, I have enjoyed my association with the people , both students and faculty , who have passed through its archways since I first came in September of 1951. I am fortunate now in my present position as Director of Alumni Affairs to continue many friendships that began in the classroom over the years .

George is direct and straightforward in his dealings , which I appreciate . He is a good Headmaster, as his record attests . In my thinking, it was Don Pierpont who re-opened Avon Old Farms in 1948 and once again made it a viable school. It has been George Trautman who has developed Avon Old Farms to its fullest.

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On Don Pierpont's Forgiveness by The Rev. George W . Milam '52

On the 21st day of September, 1949, I boarded a train from Jacksonville , Florida. Upon my arrival at Hartford station, Bill Kegley was there to meet us . I can remember being shown to my room by a student. But my tOwels , wash cloths, etc. had not arrived. But Mr. Kilgore phoned Don Pierpont. Upon my arrival back in my room after supper , who should happen to StOp by but Don Pierpont with wash cloths, blankets, sheets , and bedspread. The timing was per­fect. He stayed and helped me make my bed. I knew I had a friend . Besides the other articles, he pulled out twO bars of soap from one of his coat pockets and some tOoth paste out of the other .

I can remember Don telling us that if we ever gOt into trouble , and needed help , to call him long distance, collect. One night, I had telepnone duty and a long distance call came in collect for Don from Los Angeles . Within a very short time he went Out there and brought the former student back to school with him . The good shepherd had really gone the extra mile.

He very strongly warned us not to hitchhike on Saturdays into Hartford, but to catch the bus. After all, boys will be boys. One Saturday afternoon following lunch , the school station wagon did take a few of us downtown to Avon to catch a bus intO Hartford . We waited for quite some time, became impatient, did some waiting with our thumbs Out . A black car eventually came along, pulled up a few yards in front of us . We ran to the car in jubilation and were greeted by Don Pierpont , who was behind the wheel. He tOld us to get in, in a gruff voice . He then began to lecture us on why it wasn 't safe to hitchhike, and it was against the law. He was responsible for us if anything should happen. As he drove up to the main gate of the School, I was quite sure we would probably be campused for at least twO weeks. We rather hurriedly and shamefully got out of the car, and headed for the main gate. Then, all of a sudden, Don called us back and took us to the movie in Hartford . That was my first and last attempt at hitchhiking!

A Refuge in Time of Need

by George Betts '53

How well I remember the Spring of 1953 when I attended and graduated from Avon Old Farms! I had already graduated from a military high school in the mid­west the year before and had decided to take time off from the normal course of events to hitchhike around the country. I was not in a good frame of mind , nor did I know what to do with myself. A person in Pennsylvania described Avon Old Farms to me and I was there the next day. Avon Old Farms provided a refuge for me when I needed it , allowing me to 'hibernate' and study. Mr. Pierpont

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accepted me as I was. He let me express my feelings and thoughts freely, and helped me prepare for college . I was able to attend Columbia the next fall. I'll never forget Avon Old Farms as a haven in a heartless world , and Mr. Pierpont as a generous and magnificent person.

The Beginning of Interscholastic Sports by Vincent A. Specia '53

To try to bring you up to date as to my experiences at Avon Old Farms in the early 50's , or the Pierpont era: After attending one year at Canton High School being a fair to middle of the road student, much against my wishes, my aunts decided to enroll me in Avon Old Farms School, as they felt that the education would be far broader than Canton High School.

Being one of the more colorful characters at Avon Old Farms in the early 50's, for some reason DoctOr Mitchell tOok me under his wing along with Herb Coch­rane . After a year or two , I managed to get into the swing of things and the benefits I received from Avon Old Farms were many .

One of my more classic and mischievous capers was to leave Jim McQuinn's (better known back then as Horsefly) car in front of the dining hall on its roof. Don Pierpont always suspected me of this foul deed but never could prove it.

In my last year at Avon Old Farms School the school became active in inter­scholastic sports . I was captain of the first Varsity basketball team that Avon Old Farms ever put on court. The school record for the first year varsity for the brand new team was actually quite good . We won our first four games in a row and ended up with an eightltwo season . Herb Cochrane was quite pleased with the success of the varsity team .

When, finally, in 1953, graduation day came I think poor Doctor Mitchell and Herb Cochrane had a sigh of relief along with Don Pierpont that I was finally going to graduate .

I feel that Avon Old Farms School was one of the finest choices that my aunts could have made. I must admit at first I thought they were sending me to Alca­traz or at least Devil's Island . My experiences at Avon Old Farms School are truly treasured throughout the years .

After I left Avon Old Farms School I went on to Babson College with the help of Avon Old Farms School as to my admittance . At times I will sit in my office and think back of my many experiences. I can still picture General Oscar Cald­well with his unique choice of words trying to teach higher math to the students . . . . I remember the night we tOok Don Pierpont's car without his permission to

drive to Millerton, New York to buy beer and ran Out of gas in Canaan. Needless to say , he was not tOO pleased when he and Ed Saxby drove up to Canaan to pick us up. After chopping about 200 cords of wood for demerits I think I was back in his good graces.

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The Great Train Robbery of 1955

byJoseph R. Thompson '58

I was most interested in seeing your letter mentioning the "Great Train Rob­bery ." I'll try to give you some of the details as I remember them. I am not sure of all the participants and so I won't mention names unless I am sure, to "protect the innocent ."

I suppose the most vivid memory I have of this event in which I played such a large part, was the ending that came one late spring day during lunch. And those spring days some 28 years ago always seem so sweet and warm compared to the cold and rainy springs we have tOday . That mid-week day began much the same as any other with spring in the air and the sense of rebirth and exhilaration which is so intense in the lives of young boys .

We had straggled into that most beautiful of buildings, the RefectOry , which you all are so fortunate to enjoy each day . My roommate Harry Downes and I were standing at adjacent tables along the north wall waiting with the rest of the student body for grace to be said and lunch proceed. Mr. Pierpont had not yet appeared. He was often the last one in . No one ever questioned where he was nor became impatient waiting for him . And there seemed to be some unseen signal between him and Mr. Johnson (Win Johnson was "Aide" to the ProVOSt or sec­ond in command) which enabled "Sleepy" to sense when "The Pierp" wasn 't coming and to proceed without him . It all just happened in some ragged way beyond our ken or care .

Suddenly the main door at the west end leading in from the walk down from "Pierp 's" office banged open with such force that all who could turned to see. By the time anyone was aware, Mr Pierpont was half way up the aisle tOward the head table. As he passed me I became uncomfortable with his countenance. Don Pierpont was a man who could forcefully convey his mood by the look on his face and in the five years I spent at Avon I never before or after remember being so fearfully moved as I was that day . We all watched apprehensively , faculty and students alike as he walked up to the bell that hung above his seat , looking nei­ther right nor left, acknowledging none .

The bell rang as I had never heard it rung before or since , rapidly , loud and long as if there were a national emergency . He rang it from the front side of the table indicating he was not going to be seated. It startled some. We were nOt all quiet to start with because Mr. Pierpont although a giant in our minds was really quite short in starure I suppose and since we were all standing to begin with there were many who were not aware that he had entered. His remarks were short, to the point and enigmatic as the man himself. All he said before depart­ing the side door next to the head table was "I want to see Thompson , Downes , Nehre (etc. .. ) in my office immediately after lunch". The list was long , my name first and consisting of a lot of boys with no obvious connection. We were mys ti­fied and unsettled. I think it was Mr. Loveland who was sitting at the head of

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our table and I remember him not saying much but looking at us with pity . It was serious , no doubt about it . But what?

After lunch the long line of about to be disgraced turned right tOward the headmaster's house , tOward impending doom instead of tOward Eagle and the freedom of spring. As we entered individually and in small groups we were led , by Mr . Johnson I think , into the Pierponts ' living room instead of into Mr. Pier­pont's office . The assembly was bewildering . There were some men I had never seen before . Black shoes , white shirts and unsmiling is about all I remember. Then there was General Caldwell , my geometry instructOr , diminutive in size only . General Caldwell was a real live hero to our school. A retired Marine Corps Major General , the only one most of us had ever seen and a major figure in World War II . He loved boys and was a real friend . I t was a comfort to see him there because we knew somehow that with General Caldwell we were safe . We never called him "Speed", the name he earned somehow among his troops in the pacific and which Mr. Pierpont called him , or anything bur General Caldwell , even be­hind his back.

Needless to say , there weren 't any pleasantries or introductions . We just filed in and sat silently or made quiet conversation in the many chairs and sofas which filled this warm and often-used room. I don 't remember much detail of what happened that afternoon. Mr. Pierpont said the strangers were from the FBI and the New York , New Haven and Hartford railroad police . We had all been fin­gered by one of the older boys as having been ravishers of the train which was abandoned by its crew between two bridges about 10 miles apart when the flood came and tOre them out . We all tOld our stOries and we were all tOtally surprised to find that our own little groups of four or five were not alone in our discovery and subsequent take over of the train . General Caldwell said he didn 't see any way we could be kept from going to reform school and it sure looked bad.

For our band of marauders it began one Saturday afternoon in mid-winter. We were headed for tOwn , Avon , after classes and decided to take the tracks as we sometimes did . We cut over to the station and then hiked down the tracks to the center to tOwn. There was snow on the ground and it was quite cold. As we rounded a curve not far from the station , probably somewhere opposite the sta­bles we were suddenly startled and shaken to find ourselves face to face with a locomotive sitting silently on the track ahead . It was an erie feeling seeing that behemoth there in the middle of the woods staring at us . In much later years I remember comparing that scene in my mind to the one in the movie "Dr. Zhi­vago" where the band of whites met the revolutionary train deep in the woods of Russia .

We reconnoitered cautiously and soon discovered the train was empty and ob­viously abandoned . I think we stayed a while and then went on to tOwn. But we came back from tOwn on the track again . We had been the discoverers of that train , I am sure . It had been untouched until we found it . When we came back that afternoon we began moving in to what was to be our secret home for the next six months or so. I know we honestly felt as time went on that the train had been given up and was really our toy forever. The caboose became the center of

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our activities . It was the most hospitable car certainly . In those days we could check Out for the woods on Saturday nights if we belonged ro the Nimrod Club and camp Out without supervision . Well , that year we camped Out a lot. We'd head for the train , get a fire going in the caboose and use the train as our base for Out weekend in the woods .

We brought Out food and all SOrtS of paraphernalia as we made ourselves at home. JUSt ro be sure the train never went anywhere we disconnected the air brakes between cars . The railroad said later that it cost them, I think , $50 ,000 ro reconnect them . I remember Frank Nehre opened the carbon tetrachloride fire extinguisher in the caboose one day . It was a huge cylinder , the kind you see used for commercial oxygen . It must have been nearly five feet tall. It had a long hose which could be taken out of the train and used on the wheels I suppose . Well he let that thing off and the noise and smell were something . Because it was so big it rook a long time ro use up and we had fun with it for quite a while .

We found a big box of rorpedoes there, roo. These are essentially dynamite caps I understand. They are used by the railroad by strapping them on the track . When the train runs over them they go off and alert the engineer ro slow down for some hazard ahead. Well we strapped them all over the wheels of the train. We thought it would make a great bang if anyone ever moved it and be lots of fun . There must have been a hundred of them.

The train was a repair train. It was 22 cars long and loaded with gravel for the track bed. I think it was Harry who rook some SOrt of a crowbar and started to open the gravel hoppers . Not much happened. There was a great roar as gravel spilled on the track and that was it. Because it was such a small thrill we had ro open all the hoppers for satisfaction. The railroad people explained in Mr. Pier­pont's living room that another train with a crane on it would have ro be brought in, the cars lifted up , emptied and taken out of the way . Then a car with a large shovel would have to be brought in , and the gravel cleared from the track. Then the original car had ro be rerurned and refilled . The railroad said that would cost about $250 ,000 .00. Probably a million in today 's dollars.

The engines were interesting for a while . We tried ro start them . We didn't and I still don 't ro this day know how ro start a diesel railroad engine . Some of the older boys , John Cushing 's group, I think, were later rumored ro have started them but we never knew for sure .

We didn 't do much ro the engines . A few knobs and things were collected as souvenirs and we pushed and pulled every lever and switch and turned everything that would turn but ro no avail. They wouldn 't start . So we left them pretty much alone most of the time . It was a double ended diesel and we went through the whole routine in both engines . They were great for climbing on , roo . They had catwalks and ladders and things like that. Of course we climbed all over the train . But it was hard work getting from one gravel car ro another and in the

winter not so much fun . So we really centered our aCtivities in the caboose . It had a pot belly srove and

wood was no problem . We'd sroke it up and let it warm up the place. After we used the carbon tet extinguisher though , the smell was always there . It rook

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some of the fun out of the rest of our exploits. There were bunks in the caboose. There was a window up high I remember and being in the top bunk next to that window 'Vas fun because you could have a commanding look up and down the full length of the train , keeping an eye on the woods for unexpected visitors. And of course it became a great headquarters for trips to town. It was an easy walk down the track to do as we wanted in Avon and then return, unnoticed and un­accounted for to the train at day 's end.

Those in our group never told anyone about the train and we gathered the five or six other groups consisting of about 30 boys in all never told anyone about it either. But apparently each group claimed the train as its own and through some vagary of chance no one from any group ever ran into anyone from another. So on the day it all came to an end we were a mixture of emotions. Surprise, fear, shame and some glee at nOt being in it alone. Plus, even though it looked like serious trouble, we were a little special. And when it was all over we had a great tale to tell , one I never tire of telling to this day.

After some time at Mr. Pierpont's house we were let go to return to our activ­ities. There was no decision on what was to happen to us. I called my parents to tell them the bad news and to tell them I was probably headed for reform school. I remember that night being one of the most miserable I had ever spent. I was worried sick and couldn't sleep much . But none of us ever let on to the other how much it bothered us . Finally one day we were all summoned back to Mr. Pier­POnt'S living room. We assumed the worst . It was much worse than awaiting a sentence in the student court, I can tell you.

I don 't remember who was at that meeting exactly . I think it was pretty much the same people as at the first . Maybe the FBI men were not there . The sentence was pure relief. We were never again to set foot on railroad property. We were told this meant we were not allowed to ride the NY NH & H trains for the rest of our lives . I must confess it took me a while to figure out that they didn't have any way of knowing who we were if we did get on a train. Nobody mentioned reform school. The railroad said they didn 't know what the bill was going to be but they would let us know. I remember thinking my parents (I didn't consider myself) would have to come up with their share of some $300 ,000 and wonder­ing how they would do it. And that was it. We never did hear from the railroad, thank God. The bridges gOt fixed and the train moved on. We didn 't go back to see it leave. The thought never crossed our minds.

Maybe this will help you to fill in some of the details. I am sorry that I don 't remember the names of all my cohorts . I have an idea who some of them were but only by association with other things we did together.

P.S. I realize as I sit here how close Avon still is to me. I am still using the same dictionary to look up my misspellings as I did 28 years ago in the year pf the Great Train Robbery.

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A Recollection Of Don Pierpont by Peter A . Aron '65

The outstanding thing about Don Pierpont was his optimism and his abil­ity to make others feel optimistic when things were not going particularly well or when the future looked bleak. He had a great sense of theatre and he knew how and when to turn on his positive thinking and enthusiasm. He knew that if things could be made to seem better, they somehow would in fact become better .

I well remember how Don would get up in the Refectory or the Chapel and announce some tremendous new program or gift to the School. He even had large billboards put up around the Village Green with artists ' renderings showing the Avon Campus of the future. One billboard showed a huge covered fieldhouse, another a new library building, and yet another an infirmary complex. None of these buildings was ever built but the signs did give everyone a sense of hope and it was a great fund-raising gimmick.

The charm worked on outsiders as well-it had to if the School was going to keep going. On one occasion Don got up before the School and apologized for "all the noise and dust the bulldozers will be making around the campus starting tOmorrow morning at 7 :00 a.m ." In fact , all that was scheduled was a routine scraping of the School roads; however, Don had as his guest on campus that day a prospective donor who surely went away believing that a massive construction program was about to get under way! It was a masterful piece of public relations and it was pure Pierpont .

In the mid-1960's, we were well aware of the fact that Avon had come through some very difficult times . The "re-opened" School was not yet two dec­ades old; there was no endowment to speak of; and attracting qualified candidates for admission was a constant struggle. Still , there was a basic sense of stability at Avon, a feeling that the School was going to survive, and everyone wanted very badly to feel proud about the School. A great majority of the students were there because they wanted to be there , because they were serious about getting a good education and getting accepted by a good college or university. There were also some students who were there simply because Don wanted to give them a second (or perhaps a third) chance. Maybe they had been in trouble at another school , or they were immature emotionally , or perhaps they had to deal with a family prob­lem or other difficulties . Don was genuinely compassionate about these individ­uals. If he felt there was something there worth saving , worth cultivating, he would find a place for the individual and do what he could to be helpful. Often it seemed to many of us (I'm sure this included the faculty) that Don was spending too much time with these special cases , and this invariably caused a certain amount of resentment and misunderstanding . Indeed , each evening Don would make several runs down to HoJo's to buy ice cream for and give counsel to boys who were in trouble of one kind or another. Troublemakers sometimes gOt spe­cia.l privileges and more than once Don overrode disciplinary actions imposed by

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one of the masters or the student court system by pardoning an offender. Looking back , of course , it 's clear that what Don was doing was remarkable and more important , he was , in many , many cases successful. He carried the philosophy of " individual attention" to the extreme-bur he was good at it , and in his time (there were fewer than 200 students then) and place it was one of the things that made the School so wonderful.

As noted previously, Don loved drama and he was really at his best when­ever a situation permitted him to do a bit of acting. He loved to enliven even the most mundane situations . Sometimes he would come charging down the center aisle of the Refectory , his great cape billowing out behind him , bound up OntO the platform at the Head Table and clang the bell in a most urgent and startling fashion. We would sit there in shock expecting some terrible news-war had broken Out or a plane had crashed on campus-and then Don would nonchalantly make some routine announcement about a schedule change or some minor mat­ter. The main thing was that he loved excitement and if things were not exciting enough for him , he made his own excitement and drew everyone else in.

Perhaps more than anything else , Don loved the Boar's Head Festival and all the trappings and tradition that went with the Christmas season. Preparations for the Boar's Head Festival would begin (always under Don's careful direction) at least three weeks before the event . Everyone in the School was involved in some way . Don would keep a whirlwind of activity going on right up to "curtain time ." Then , during the Festival itself, he really blossomed. Following behind trumpeters and torch bearers he would come sweeping down the aisle , in full regalia, subtly nodding his "blessing" to those students and faculty who hap­pened to catch his eye along the way . It was King Edward's Coronation, P. T. Barnum and the Second Coming all wrapped into one , and Don was right in the center of it all. He loved it-we all loved it-it was tr~e magic!

Don recognized that traditions and myths are an important part of any in­stitution-especially a New England Prep School. Accordingly , he often told, and embellished (and perhaps simply made up) , all sorts of stories about the School under Mrs . Riddle . This was in no way desttuctive nor was it meant to disparage Mrs. Riddle 's accomplishments , but it was sometimes hard to tell where fact ended and fiction began . Don made the Founder seem bigger-than­life and he held up her Deed of Trust as second only to the Bible and the U.S. Constitution . In fact , Don used the "Deed of Trust" to great advantage when dealing with all SOrts of decisions and policies . None of us had ever seen the famous document and certainly few-including most of the faculty-were aware of the fact the the Deed had been all but nullified years earlier. It seemed that everything from the length of students ' hair , to the Refectory menus , to the School's curriculum was dictated by the Deed of Trust! In retrospect , Don's nut­turing of this great myth never hurt us and , if anything , it did give the sense of organization and permanence the School needed so badly at the time .

I think Don Pierpont was the right man , in the right place , at the right time . He was caught up by the dream that the School could be reopened and made strong; he had a good understanding of young people; and he was good at

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handling people and instilling in others his sense of enthusiasm and hope . I believe , tOo, that he was truly a good and competent educatOr. He was

well read , he knew histOry , philosophy , Shakespeare , the arts in general. At a time when the American educational system was stressing specialization and nar­rowly defined fields of study , Don kept alive at Avon the tenet that a traditional, liberal arts curriculum would provide the School's g raduates with a good, basic education which would serve them well regardless of their later academic or ca­reer pursuits . It would have been easy to "fill the beds" by becoming a science school or a "jock" school. Don wanted something broader , more lasting and, at his passing , his dream was well on the way to fulfullment .

The Boar's Head in ceremoniaL procession, The Refectory.

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Boar's Head Festival

December 15, 1964 Manager's Cue Sheet

Refectory is decorated with pine boughs on beams , window sills , tables, etc. Small candles on tables before each boy, master , and guest. Boys in dark blue suits at refectory tables .

1. (Lights are lowered .) Pierpont (dressed in huge cape and Oxford cap) quiets the hall !

2 . Pierpont walks to rear of hall slowly, with great dignity . 3. Fanfare! 4. Drum (Pegler), trumpet (Ryan) , torch bearers (Arthur & Barrett) move

forward with deliberate steps , formal , eyes forward. 5. Fanfare! 6 . Drum , trumpet , torches move to rear of hall. 7. Jester (Grant) pops up on head table ; speaks , jumps down (drum roll

starts , jester calls "Hark! ", drum rolls again) . 8 . Jester speaks . 9 . Jester runs to rear of hall , bells jingling , shouting "Make way ," fol­

lowed by two torch bearers (Benson & Blades). 10. (Drum roll. ) Master Procession moves forward , very dignified , torches ,

flags , held high (except for Jester , who prances about). Torches (Bullock & Beal) Minstrel (Berkey) Acolytes (Nissley & Pepper) Crucifer (Williams) Acolytes (Sherman & Suydan) Minister (Rev . Bankosky) Acolytes (Walker & Weiner) Masters (Dean Kinkade , Messrs . Seybolt , Evans & Taft) Candle (Martin) School Flag (Brooks) Sir Loin of Beef (Mr . Balash) Lady Lotta (Mrs . Young) Sir Rosis of Liver (Mr. Burnett) Lady Dee (Mrs . Bankosky) Sir Rup of Sugar (Mr. Brooks) Lady Sweet (Mrs. Brooks) Flag (Blakeley) Candle (Eddy) Two Flags (Wickes & Stokvis)

The Stage Manager's Cue Sheet for The Boar·s Head Festival was kindly supplied by Peter A . Aron '65, who was stage manager for the Festival in December, 1964.

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Torches (DeGunzburg & Cuzzocreo) Dr. Pierpont & Mrs . Pierpont Torches move down aisle, drum and trumpet onto stage, torches posi­tioned so as at ends of Head Table .

11. Candle lighting (all quiet) . 12. Pierpont faces students, raises arms, calls for youngest student to come

forward . 13 . Mogidnicki and two torches advance. 14 . Aide (Seybolt), Dean (Kinkade) advance. 15 . Candles at Head Table are lighted .

Flame is passed down table-to-table to rear of hall. Each boy lights small candle at his place.

16. Procession follows out to rear of hall . 17 . Pierpont recites Biblical passage. 18 . Adoration scene begins .

Mary (Mrs. Craig) with Baby Jesus on stage. Two angels (Craig girls) on stage.

19 . Shepherds (Leonard, Raffa , AI-Rifai , Ruifrok) move forward . 20 . Pierpont continues narration. (Music in back "Noel. ") 21. Star of East (Throckmorton) moves forward. (Music in back "We Three

Kings .") 22. First King (Fanning) and Page (Craig girl) moves forward .

Second King (Stewart) and Page (Consuegra boy) moves forward . Third King (Simons) and Page (Ellovich boy) moves forward.

23 . Mary speaks. 24 . Mr. Mason sings "0 Holy Night. " 25. Mary speaks . 26. Everybody stands , sings "0 Come All Ye Faithful. " 27. Pierpont speaks. 28. Grace said (Rev. Bankosky). 29 . All seated (lights up) . Soup served, carts removed to kitchen . 30. Fanfare! (Signaled by Mr . Grove. ) 31. Jester begs "All remember today ... " 32. All sing "Deck the Halls" (chorus in line) (guests in seats). 33. Torch bearer moves forward with holly. 34. Jester " ... Let all be jolly. " 3 5. Fanfare! 36. Boar's Head Procession

Trumpeter (Ryan) Minstrel and staff (s inging) Candelabra Boar's Head (Levinson & Cole) Mustard Jar (Cochrane) Plum Pudding (Spencer & H amelos) Animals (Lincoln , Fox, Miner, H ess)

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37. Pierpont examines Boar's Head , etc. (dramatic , sweeping motions). 38. Boar's Head Procession exits up center aisles . 39. Main course served , carts removed to kitchen . 40. Fanfare! 41. Jester speaks , "Fill up your cups .. .. 42 . Musical pipers (Adams , Dryden , Fanning , Krentzman , Lawrence ,

Newman , Weinstein) . 43. All sing , "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. " 44. Jester speaks about Christmas pie. 45. All sing "We wish you a Merry Christmas ." 46. Chef Sumner enters with figgy pudding. 47 . Dessert course served , carts removed to kitchen. 48. Jester , " ... Sir Christmas is his name! " 49. Father Christmas (Coach Cochrane) parades around , throws candy. 50. St . George and dragon play . 51. Pierpont narrates . 52 . King of Egypt (Long) enters , calls for St . George (Laks). 53 . St. George enters on rabbit (Gates , Dryden) . 54 . Giant enters (Bannigan) . 55 . Fight. 56. Doctor (Walker) enters . 57 . Fight again . 58 . St. George calls for dragon. 59 . Dragon (various torch bearers) enters . 60 . St . George kills dragon , Doctor revives dragon , St. George kills

dragon again. 61. All actors leave . 62 . Lights in hall go dim . 63. All students , faculty, guests , join hands , sing "Auld lang syne" led by

Pierpont standing before the Head Table .

END

"Do You have any Vices?" by Geoffrey H. Doughty '68

In reply to your plea for stOries about Dr. Pierpont I can offer you two which might be of interest . Neither one concerns me and happened long before I ever arrived at Avon but they are typical, I guess, ofPierps .

The first concerns a teacher I had at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois before I came to Avon. William Gregory taught English at New Trier and came to Avon, shortly after Don tOok over, for an interview . Mr. Gregory said that he first met Don while Don was taking a shower. Gregory wasn't early for the appointment ; Don was just a bit late and they talked while Don show­ered. Later Don tOok him on a tOur of the school and they talked about things, such as a book Don wanted to write called, "Bellies, balls and brains," appar­ently the phases of growing up .

After the tOur the twO returned to Don's office where the two of them gOt down on the floor to play with one of Don's puppies. Suddenly Don looked at Gregory and said in a very serious tOne, "Gregory . Do you have any vices?" Gregory thought about the answer which might or might not get him a job. Finally he replied, "Well, sir , I don't smoke and I don't gamble, but every once in a while I like a shot of scotch." Whereupon Don stOod up saying , "Well, we all need something to fall back upon, " and served drinks.

The other stOry concerned a few boys who went intO West Hartford one Satur­day night. The stOry was printed in an editOrial after Don's death. Basically, the twO or three boys gOt to "feeling their oats and decided to sow them ." Word about the adventures leaked back to Don who very unceremoniously announced at the noon luncheon that, "the following boys will report to the infirmary after lunch for their Wasserman's." After the results came back he merely wrote each parent saying, "Enclosed is a report on the Wasserman which was administered to your son." As the editOrial closed , "Happily, the results were negative , but thank Goodness that Don Pierpont never was. "

The Pill Story by Joseph C. Vecchiarino III 7 1, and many others

One of the Chapel speakers (in some accounts , the location is the Gymnasium) George Trautman's first year was Avon Police Chief Domenic Zacchio. His sub­ject was the perils: legal, moral, medical, and financial, of illegal drug use , and to show us what an illegal drug might look like , in "harmless" pill form , he passed one such example around on a plate.

He remarked that in some schools at which he spoke , the plate would return to him empty, but he was sure that at Avon Old Farms he didn 't have to worry.

He was right. When the plate was returned to him, there were two identical

pills resting thereon!

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All The News That Fits by Chris Atkins '73

One of my responsibilities as editor of the Student Exchange. Avon Old Farms ' now-defunct outpost of the fourth estate , was to provide Headmaster George Trautman with the first copy of each issue for approval. Since we interpreted that requirement to have been satisfied at the precise moment the copy changed hands across the threshhold of the Headmaster's residence, I turned from the door and waved at the twO boys standing in the Eagle archway . Distribution commenced .

The fact that we were not required to submit copy for approval before going to press is an indication of the remarkable freedom we were given in the matter of what we wrote . Of course , under the scrupulous guidance of faculty advisor Tom Rizer, we were unlikely to cause problems for George by printing obscenities or gross character defamation .

The real risk was in acrually distributing the paper to the students , which is why the process was conducted during the dinner hour without fanfare or an­nouncement, one dormitory at a time . It seemed that the campus athletes always wanted more coverage on page four , while the History Club wanted more cover­age on page one. Somehow , we just couldn't please anyone . Anyone, that is , but ourselves', the five staff members who decided who and what would or would not be covered within the four pages comprising each issue. And the most frequently heard complaint from students and faculty alike was that "It just isn 't news! "

Well , okay ... with my back to the wall , I must admit that the student news­paper was not often burdened with anything remotely resembling "news ," but what was the point? In a community as insular as Avon, anything that happened to anyone, good or bad , and sometimes true , became public knowledge almost instantly .

Certainly , we felt , there was no need to highlight the individual heroics of the various athletic teams , since SpOrts results received wide publicity at meals . We confined our SPOrtS coverage to seasonal summaries , penned with wit and pan­ache by Cory Kilvert , who avoided spotlighting particular athletes as much as possible.

The Student Exchange was, in truth , more of a magazine than a newspaper , more a reflection of life at Avon in sum than a chronicle of daily events . It had to be , limited as it was to four issues per year. We lobbied each September for ad­ditional funding to allow more issues , but in fact, we would have been hard pressed to publish more than four-it was a lot of work!

A typical issue during my senior year in 1973 would begin with an editorial staff meeting at which the forthcoming issue would be planned . Topics would be discussed , articles assigned and production schedules set. Most of the copy for an issue would be staff written , but some articles required the services of other Stu­dents . Usually the article would be assigned to the unsuspecting author , and an editor would be assigned to coerce him into writing it.

Actually , if producing an issue of the paper seemed a great deal of work, it is

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probably because most of the work was accomplished during one marathon "press weekend. " One reason we labored into the wee hours of Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday nights if we could get away with it , was because normal obligations made it difficult to assemble the entire edirorial staff. (At the time, I marveled at the ability of professional journalists to crank out multiple stOries daily , but now realize that few reporters are also responsible for waiting on ta­bles , attending physics labs and participating in a varsity sport. ) Press Weekend allowed us to Set aside the necessary time well in advance to insure that all of us would be there.

The other reason we operated in this crash , beat-the-deadline fashion was that it had always been done that way, and at a time when much attention was fo­cused on the potential loss of cherished traditions (Baby Day , unpaved roads and , for a while, even Boar's Head) , we were intent on preserving at least one tradi­tion, no matter how self-destructive.

With the bulk of the copy written , each editOr was responsible for fitting it into the confines of his assigned page. John Olson , front page editOr, usually had the most copy to fit . The result was that many of his articles would be continued on page four. Poor Ed Saxby, page four editOr , was torn by his enthusiasm to be a student journalist and his acceptance of the fact that there isn 't much one can do with one's page when the bulk of the copy is overflow from page one .

Bob Moran , page twO editor, and I would create some pompous and self-ag­grandizing editorial, which helped to fill his page. He would then sift through the stack of two letters from students to decide which would be printed. Bob would often finish his page ahead of schedule , and would assist other editOrs with creating catchy headlines, freeing me to contemplate the logistics of a Mc­Donald's tun without signing out.

The hardest page to fill was page three , the features page . Chris DiCorpo had the frustrating assignment of deciphering the semi-coherent ramblings of our resident columnist and humorist, Peter Glass , and distilling them into a thou­sand words or so. Chris also had to select the winner of the last annual poetry contest-all five entries were from the same poet .

All of us had to contend with the challenge of subverting the occasional rule here and there in the name of journalism, rules such as attendance at chapel , study hall and meals . It was a challenge we enjoyed almost as much as actually working on the paper, and we became adept at the art of "broad interpretation" of faculty instructions. Lights Out would find us in our beds , as directed . Lights Out plus 30 minutes would find us hard at work on photo captions in the press

room. The press room , which doubled as Tom Rizer's classroom , has long since been

split into twO rooms , and the Student Exchange is a part of Avon's past . It served a purpose , at least for those of us intimately involved with it . The paper was a focal point of my three years at Avon , and when Bob Moran and I get tOgether , con­versation seems to turn to those grueling press weekends eventually.

A few years after we graduated , publication of the paper was discontinued , but not before my successor , the late Rick Rolfsen , had produced an issue that helped

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save the Hill-stead Museum by calling attention to plans to close it-an issue that eventually won a first prize in the Columbia School of Journalism competi­tIOn .

Interestingly , none of us has pursued journalism as a career. The S en! Ex­change was simply a vehicle for self expression available at the moment . 'Without it , I am sure we would have found some other means of making ourselves heard. It seems unlikely, though , that we could have found an activity that could have contributed more to our growth than working on the paper , which, unlike class­work , was "all ours ."

Perhaps more than anything else , we learned the value of doing a job well, from start to finish, not because we had to, but because we wanted to . That 's an important lesson , a specialty of Avon Old Farms.

George and Mary Lee Trautman with Reed Estabrook, 1979 Capital Campaign Kickoff

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On George Trautman by Robert A . Lazaer, Headmaster,

Kingswood-Oxford School, West Hartford, Connecticut, and former Avon Old Farms School Director

Although I was on the Board when George Traurman was selected, I was not part of the selection committee , though my opinion was asked, aDd I was a supporter from the outset.

The most fascinating thing about George is for a man to have the nickname 'Nails,' yet be one of the most sensitive , caring human beings I've encountered. There is this great dichotOmy . George is a very sensitive man , ancj a caring man. That sensitivity and caring does not extend to somebody that smokes dope in one of the dormitOries, bur it does extend to caring about human beings .

I recall a teacher who was once fired from another school , and George felt the firing was unjust. He spent a long time trying to help that man re-establish himself in a teaching position . He finally learned that I had hired the man , and was on the phone immediately to thank me , to express his gratitude , and this was not someone who had been one of George's faculty, nor one of his alumni , though George knew him well , and went to bat for him .

George has done one of the really amazing jobs in prep schools in the post­World War II era. He tOok on a school at the most difficult time to take on a school, and every year since he tOok it on it has become a stronger institution. It has gained the respect , and he has gained the respect, of educatOrs throughout New England . I happen to be (as you can tell) a supporter of George . He is hon­est to a fault , and outspoken , open, but also capable of looking at himself-his own strengths and weaknesses . George doesn 't duck the truth , whether it 's about somebody else, or himself. Now, this doesn 't mean that if you 're a faculty mem­ber there that you are given license , but he is fair and concerned about human beings. Just don't get in his way while he 's trying to make the School better!

No school is for everybody. Avon has its own character, and thank goodness it does: a school of sound academic promises. In George 's early days, no frills. Bur notice what he's done! He's expanded theatre; he brings in music , art. The impression of many would be that tOday Avon is spartan: read your Latin and take cold showers. The man is much more than that! For instance , he has a short­wave radio by his bed. He's listening to talk all over the world on a short-wave radio. You have to get behind the scenes to know this man . He is smart! Proba­bly most people do not have the good fortune to see this side of George Traur­man, so much more complex than they would normally assume.

The first impression of George Trautman is that he is a jock, that more than everything else he wants his teams to win, and his boys to pass their tests . Well ,

he is so much broader than that. George has an uncanny ability to interview somebody on a subject about

which George ostensibly knows nothing , and ask the one question that reveals a

167

flaw in the plan , an un-thought-out part of the argument , or the place where trouble is likely to occur. It comes from tremendous intellectual energy. He has a lot of intellectual energy, and he will worry something to death until he gets satisfaction.

As a former DirectOr , I would note that George does a good job . He's open with his Board. He doesn't try to hide things ; if there's a bullet to be bitten, he bites it, sooner rather than later. He's a damned good manager, and has the self­confidence to be open. If a DirectOr asks a question , he gets a direct answer, not a lot of fluff, and Directors like that.

George does a superb job of making sure his DirectOrs get to know his fac­ulty , and vice versa . It 's different in a boarding school than in a day school, but George makes a real effort at it , and that 's all you can do. He's always self-confi­dent enough to expose both students and faculty to members of the Board.

I think that the most important point to convey is the complexity of the man George Trautman, the contradictions from the perceived to the real : the tough , hard-nosed uncompromising, unforgiving person that many see as the only George Trautman . Now, mind you , also, that many of the things he has done throughout the years he has been Headmaster have changed. That is , he had to be tough almost to the point of unthinking when he first gOt to Avon , and through the years he 's been able to pull back a little bit as his reputation maintains the standards , and he can be more gentle with people.

It's true that if all there was to George was the public perception, what you really would have out in Avon would be a movie set for EtOn or Harrow of the 1930's: perhaps one of the reasons why Avon under Trautman has been so suc­cessful is that it is much deeper than what it appears to be. There, I think, is your clue to this character. The gauge is so much broader that what one perceives at the outset.

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A Guide To The Buildings Of Avon Old Farms School 1984

(Facts for this brochure were drawn, with permission, from "Theodate Pope Riddle and the Founding of Avon Old Farms, " by Brooks Emeny.)

This leaflet, with its accompanying map , is intended to give you a brief history of the architecture and aid you in your tour of the campus. A companion leaflet printed by Peterson's Guide of Princeton, New Jersey, tells about the School today, for a school is much more than a collection of buildings, no matter how beautiful.

What you see around you on the campus is largely the design and donation ofTheodate Pope Riddle (1868-1946) . Her father , Alfred Atmore Pope, amassed a considerable fortune as President of the National Malleable Steel Castings Company in Cleveland, Ohio. Theodate, the only child of her parents , was edu­cated at Miss Porter's School in Farmington, and later persuaded her parents to move in their retirement to Farmington. Hill-Stead, the Pope home, is main­tained as a museum open to the public Wednesday through Sunday afternoons . There , Theodate Pope lived, following her marriage in 1916 to John Wallace Riddle , who was Ambassador to Argentina during the administration of Presi­dent Harding.

As early as 1913, Mrs. Riddle dreamed of designing and building a boys' school in memory of her father , and , to that end , began acquiring old farmland in what eventually became a 3,000-acre tract of land in the towns of Avon and Farmington.

From 1910 on, Theodate Pope was a registered architect in both Connecti­cut and New York, where she maintained offices . In 1918 she was elected to membership in the American Institute of Architects , was made a Fellow in 1926, and in 1940 was awarded a diploma by the Fifth Pan American Congress of Architects "for excellence in design of Avon School. "

Her knowledge was acquired from frequent trips to Europe, and during the 1890's from several months' study in Princeton, working under tutors in the University's Department of Architecture, and auditing some classes , as women were not then eligible to attend for credit as students .

Her first major architectural assignment came in 1909, the designing of the Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut . Throughout her life, Mrs . Riddle hired draftsmen to do the actual drawings from her own detailed sketches and descriptions , and, by 1919, the basi~ work on the Avon Old Farms School draw­ings had been completed . The original plans called for not one , but two quadran­gles : the Pope Quadrangle for a preparatory school , and the Brooks Quadrangle for a junior college. Although the Brooks Quadrangle foundations are in the ground between the Pope Quadrangle and the Aron Academic Center, these plans were never carried to fruition, nor, for reasons of cost, were a planned li-

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brary , cloister, gate house and chapel built to close in and complete the Village Green.

The architecture may be said to be in the Tudor Cotswold style, with leaded windows and slate roofs , but most walls are constructed from native sandstone. Half a dozen workmen from England , who understood the use of 16th century tools and methods of construction, built the Brooks House (#22 on the map) in 1922 , the first building completed, originally designed as a railroad station on the then-active Canal Line of the New Haven Railroad . The Brooks House , re­stored through the generosity of Brooks Emeny, a cousin of the founder , in 1976, is now a guest house for school visitors and a master's apartment . The wooden beams and roof structure of this building ~ere entirely shaped by the broad axe , and all the stone finished by hand in the 16th century method.

Moving from the Brooks House to the next group of buildings on the map, one comes to the Tower (#28), the Forge (#27) , the Chapel (#26) and the Vis­ual Arts Center (#24) . The Tower , originally built as a water tower and used in that capacity until 1976, when cisterns were placed underground , currently houses the Ordway Gallery . The Forge , now a classroom and meeting room, pro­vided during the School's construction all metal items such as hinges , door latches , stair rails , and lanterns, while the Carpenter's Shop (#26) produced all carpentry and woodworking needs . In 1948 , the original chapel never having been built , the Carpenter's Shop was converted into a chapel , with chairs ar­ranged in collegiate-style seating (long rows of chairs facing each other), and the building was renamed the Chapel of jesus the Carpenter, and the outdoor wooden cross was added at that time. The Visual Arts Center (#24) was origi­nally the School's garages .

The Tudor building at the end of the Visual Arts Center and across from the Chapel , now a faculty home, was originally the Estate Manager's house .

Moving down the driveway to the group of buildings behind the circle , one comes to the Pope Quadrangle (# 1). The sculpture in the entrance tower depicts two young men who were wards of Mrs . Riddle (the Riddles had no children) , and the scene includes the School's symbol or device--a Winged Beaver-and the motto which the winged beaver symbolizes: "Aspirando et Perseverando," to aspire and to persevere. Originally , one wall of the quadrangle buildings was started in brick, but red sandstOne was discovered on the property , and a quarry was established to supply the exterior stone from that point on. Most exterior walls are two feet thick; the slate for the roofs came from a quarry in Middle Graneville , New York , especially opened for the purpose.

Going through the archway , and standing in the middle of the quadrangle , one can see the statuary atOp the center of each of the four buildings forming the enclosure . To the left is Pelican (#2) , conceived as the freshman dormitory . The statue shows a mother pelican plucking a feather from her breast to put in the nest for her two babies , and represents Compassion. Straight ahead is Eagle (# 3), originally the sophomore building , with the eagle symbolizing Bravery. To the right is Elephant (#4), designed for seniors , with the elephant denoting Memory and Longevity. Diogenes (# 1), the building through which one entered the

170

..... -J

AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL 1984 AVON, CONNECTICUT

8 1a 18 /.~ ..... _ .. • ,,'fiG =----=----.!\ .~_. 1.,)1' ~ ... -

- :;::3--" . .#"1 e 8 • ,:;:7 ,.1 10

_-'i':;:7 iRKI ;r 1 ,. = .... .-- t e .... VILLAGE

18 11 ~ GREEN

LEGEND 1. DIOGENES 2. PELICAN

3. EAGLE

ADMISSIONS/BUSINESS OFFICE

• . ELEPHANT

HEADMASTER'S OFFICE

8. HEADMASTER'S RESIDENCE

8. DEANS' OFFICES

1. REFECTORY/ KITCHEN

8. BARNES COMPUTER CEllnR

O. ALUMNI' DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 10. POST OFfiCE 11. SCIENCE

12. LODGE

13. ARDN ACADEMIC CENnA

BAXTER LIBRARY. ADAMS THEATER

ORDWA Y SCIENCE WINO

1 • . JENNINGS RINK

1a. PADDLE TENNIS COURTS 18. INFIRMARY

23

17. HAWK'S NEST

18. JENNINGS HOUSE 10. PIERPONT ACTIVInES CENTER

GYM. POOL. SQUASH COURTS

RiflE RANGE. NAUTilUS ROOM

20. NIMROD CABIN

21. KEGLEY SERVICE CENTER

22. BROOKS HOUSE

23. COOP 20. VISUAL ARTS CEllnR

@)

25. WHITE WOODWORKING SHOP 28. CHAPEL

21. FORGE 28. TOWER

quadrangle, was originally the junior dormi cory , with Diogenes and his lantern representing the search for Truth arid Honesty .

Moving through the Eagle archway (#3), one leaves the quadrangle and enters the Village Green. On the left is the Headmaster's house (#5) , and on the right the house , office and common room or lounge of the Dean (#6) . The long building ahead and co the right is the Refeccory (#7) , or dining hall. Modeled after several Great Halls of English universities , it is especially impressive with its High Table at the far end (reserved for Headmaster George Trautman and the Student Council), and its display of flags , which represent the nationalities of past and present foreign students at Avon. The portraits on the long wall are the maternal grandparents of Mrs . Riddle, and the portrait in the balcony is of the late Professor Eliot of Harvard , an early supporter of some of the progressive ideas in education which Mrs. Riddle favored . The pewter candlesticks , duplicates of the ones in use when the building was opened, were the results several years ago of a fund-raising campaign by students who wished to revive the custom of din­ing in the evening by candlelight .

Originally, the gymnasium was located in this building, on the second floor over the kitchen area. However, when the Pierpont Student Activities Center (# 19) was dedicated in 1965 in honor of Donald Pierpont, the beloved ProVOSt of the School (as headmasters were then called) from 1948 to 1968, the old gym­nasium was reconstructed into the Barnes Computer Center (#8) , through the generosity of the individuals whose names are on the plaque at the gallery en­trance .

The building with columns at the end of the Refectory was designed as the Village Bank. It was later converted into the School Library, and so used until the completion of the Baxter Library (#13) in 1976. The building has recently been renamed the Alumni Building , and houses the F. Reed Estabrook, Jr. Board Room, and the alumni and development offices (#9).

As mentioned previously , the Village Green was originally co have been enclosed at the far end by a gate house , guest house , chapel, cloister, and library; these were never built , owing to cost . Cost estimates for the 1923-33 construc­tion of the School were never kept cumulatively, but probably approached $10,000,000 for buildings and land; today, assuming that the workmanship and materials could be obtained, which is doubtful , construction costs would easily exceed $100,000,000.

Beyond the Refeccory is the Jennings Hockey Rink (# 14), completed in 1971 through the generosity of the individuals and families whose names appear on the plaque.

Turning right onto the driveway between the Alumni Building and Jen­nings Rink , one comes to the Science Building (#11) on the right , and , on the left , the building originally built to house the Powerplant for the School (# 13), now called The Jack R. Aron Academic Center. With the development of mod­ern equipment for heating , and the purchase rather than generation of electrical power, nine-tenths of the building has been freed for other uses. The near end has become the Ordway Science Wing and Adams Theater; the far half of the

172

bu,ld,ng compr,'" the Baxeer Library . In bet""een i, the Sidney C. Clark Room

for small lectures and seminars. Faculty housing , maincenanee

building' , and an inr"mary are among the build,ng' on campu, not mentioned on thi' tOur , bur thi' gu,d

e

has touched on the building' of ,peci

al arch' recrural and historical ,ignir.cance. For thO" de"t­

,ng a book ""hich goe' intO greater detail on the building' andth"r constrUCHon, one i, in

viced

to stOp at the Alumn' Build,ng on campu, dunng bu,m'" hoUrs, ""here "Theo

dare

pope Riddle and the Founding of /l.von

Old Farm'" by Brooks "meny , the co

u

' in of the founder, " ava,lable for a donation of 55: 00. to the /l.lum

ni

/I."ociation

. There , colored post card' and other School pubhcaHon, are

alsO available.

"Tin B.w' .f th' M",t .. • f th' V illag' of M<'" Old Fa","'" '" ,wig"d .. d ,w"ib¢ bJ T h,,­

date pope Riddle.

AOF in the 1920's-1930's The maps and reminiscences on the following pages were supplied by John S.

Iversen , Jr . '36.

c: o >

<:

---------

@. \ ~,,-.-,J:':"

I /

@ -'-' _....__ ........ ..). """ .. __ r--./

\ @

- \ -

\ \ @ ,

I , '

I I

® :/1 @ ~',

1 Towpath

2 Quarry 3 Sawmill

4 5

Farm School

6 Farms 7 Farms 8 Farms 9 Hatchery

10 Pond 11 12

13

Station Garden Chicken Farm

14 Farm 15 Farm Clearing 16 Club 17 18

19

Hatchery Kennels Pond

20 Ponds 21

~ 22 ~ ~ 23 :i 24 ~ 25 Q.) 26

-0 u 27 28

Houses Skating Cleared Land Farm Aqueduct Sand Pit Pond River

---~ ~=-:::::::f~=--:::::::1lllTI - Black Top Road "

174

I _.- Red Road - Dirt Road

- Brook

- Pond .... Swamp

~ Esker {::, Big Pines

1. Towpath stable was a roadhouse of sorts before it became the school sta­ble . Prior to that it must have been a very elaborate residence , for to the south in the hollow was an elaborate garden surrounding a small pond. I believe there was an island in the pond , and I clearly remember a balcony overlooking a terrace . My impression of it makes me think it was all in a Renaissance (Italian) style. I vaguely remember a fountain. The residence was located on the road , but it was moved back north and west near the stable. The hill west of the pond was covered with an almost impenetrable thicket of scrub oak (in which I had an elaborate camp that was reached by a runnel through the brush), out of which protruded the gaunt spikes of the chestnut forest that once flourished . Across the road to the east was a corral with a stream running through it where horses were tethered to harden hooves . North of the stables on the top of the hill was a horse show ring with a jumping chute in which riderless horses could be jumped. The polo field was located north of farm #24 , near the Esker.

# 1 0 Residence ()Ring

Avon -:.

175

2. The quarry was still in operation in 1927-28 (?). There were twO tall der­ricks mounted on horizontal wheels reminiscent of those built with a Meccano or an Erector set. Narrow gauge rails bore hand moved (with the aid of gravity when loaded) trucks to carry the heavy blocks of stone into the cutting shed , a large most utilitarian building covered with black tar paper. Stones were dressed on heavy wooden benches (My mother latched on to a couple nicely weathered ones for her terrace) . At the entrance (South) there was a stone crusher to make crushed stone for the roads Out of the red sandstone. Mrs. Riddle was very proud of her 'Roman' roads, built of stone of diminishing stOne (in size). I was re­minded of her roads when I ended up in China in WWII. That is exactly the way we had our air fields built . She was most unhappy and fought the town of Avon when they insisted on blacktopping the road that ran from Avon past the tower and on to the iron bridge located a mile north of the aqueduct. The quarry was manned by Italians, who were I believe imported direct from Italy . At least very few could speak any English. They were friendly , cheerful and skilled stone cut­ters who lived in barrack-like houses in Avon (They have been transformed into lovely residential housing with the courtS in the center.) Those courts were bare earth where children played in the dust and the men played Bocci and drank illegal red wine . I remember laboriously pushing the trucks at the quarry to the uphill end of the tracks and riding them down to the center of the cutting shed after the quarry had been closed down! The school dump was located southeast of the quarry between the quarry and the sawmill.

o

Dump

#3 Sawmill

3. The sawmill was located in a field below the Quadrangle and the Iversen residence . It was a series of black tar paper buildings and piles oflumber. I recall a very tall heap of sawdust . At the eastern end of the field there was a small house and the remains of a truck garden/vineyard of SOrts. Like the quarry , I remember the sawmill running full tilt.

176

\\\ \ o

House

Quad

II #5 II

is c: ro U

4. North of our house were the foundations for a farm that was never built . The wagon bays north and below our house were used as a garage . The structure above this garage was built in the late thirties , I believe. The Carpenter Shop and the Blacksmith Shop next to the Tower were built early as they were used to

construct much of the fittings for the School. George Laneri was the carpenter foreman. His brother was pilot for Osa and Martin Johnson in Africa. I remem­ber the steel ' rakes ' and brushes that were used to comb the oak for the paneling . Pegs were made by driving billets of oak through holes in a steel plate over an inch thick . Glue was that smelly hoof glue , heated in pots . It was a busy shop. Although some of the iron work was made in the smithy , I remember little of that process. I do remember the work horses being shod as I can remember as a small boy (eight?) riding one of a team of enormous but gentle draft horses to

and from the barn at #24 to the smithy . I remember a couple of English hay wains. There was a wheelwright shop between the smithy and the carpenter's shop, but I do not remember it in operation.

177

Farm 1 Foundation

Flat Roof Ground Level

Sunken Yard

f-+-----' #4

Iversen #5 School

5. I am sure that you have ample information on the original buildings . Oxen were used to pull stumps and drag stoneboats . Oxen were not uncommon in Connecticut in those days . Dirt was moved by oxen or horses with hand-held dirt scoops. Beams were adzed by hand . In clement weather the American work­ers played baseball on a diamond next to the tower on their lunch hour. I remem­ber my brother, an excellent cricketer , playing baseball for the first time . He did well at bat , made a long hit , but started running bases bat in hand .

When the school was being built , we were plagued with sightseers. When we moved from The Gundy to our house , we soon learned to lock up and retire to the terrace or inside on Sundays; otherwise we found strangers walking into our bedrooms. I remember that my father had some difficulty convincing all and sundry that the estate was private ptoperty . Hence all the No Trespassing signs posted . This new policy did not endear him to many . His views on the sanctity of property, the enormity of poaching etc. were born in England and on the con­tInent .

There were three farmhouses (# 's 6 , 7 & 8). I think it was #6 that had a barn behind it . The land on both sides of the road had been farmed . 6 & 7 had porches . The kitchens had hand pumps at the sink , kerosene stoves and kerosene lamps , and of course there were outhouses . Almost all the farmhouses had out­houses in those days . 6 & 7 were torn down. #8 burned . A strange old man lived there . I believe he died in the fire (c. 1929 ?) . I could be mistaken , but somehow I identify these , and # 's 14 & 15 with "Old Farms".

9. Parallel to the brook on the side nearest the road between the two (wood) bridges below the powerhouse were the foundations of a fish hatchery . I think one building was extant . There was a very good spring in there .

178

. . . . . .... .

. . School

OOFarm # 6

o Farm #7

10. Beaver Dam pond was a swamp. My father had a stone dam with a fish ladder built. The cabin was extant.

11. The station was on a working railroad (steam) that brought freight to the school when it was being built . There were scheduled trains on those tracks twice a day.

12. A large truck garden occupied this site . It was surrounded by a high cedar fence to keep out the deer. There were peach saplings, an extensive area for strawberries and an asparagus bed. There was an asparagus bed on the river abour even with the red stone pillars near Towpath. It was abandoned as it was neces­sary to mount guard over the beds at night with shotguns to keep the thieves away.

13. The chicken farmer 's house was built of heavy pine logs as was #21. I am not sure whether the log cabins were my father 's idea or Mrs. Riddle's . In those halcyon days they were pretty much in agreement . The chickens were raised in batteries, an innovation in those days.

14. There was about an acre clearing here with a small farmhouse and some sheds. I believe it was occupied but it burned down c. 1930 .

15. Circa 1930 my father had a rail carload of white pine seedlings brought in. The whole school turned ro to plant them . This clearing , some five acres (?)

was among the areas planted. The field across from the west gate to the immedi­ate school grounds and the field around #20 were planted with seedlings. The dirt road that ran through the field at # 15 was old as it ran two to three feet below the field surface. I dimly recall some building, perhaps a barn , in the southeast corner , and on the woods off the northwest corner (there was a road running west in there) was some other structure .

179

16. This was a shingle-sided large hunting and fishing lodge with a long porch fronting the south side overlooking a series of fish hatchery pools. There were several good springs on both sides of the road. The building burned circa 1930. On the map just north of # 16 and north of # 11 there are some green triangles to denote twO groves of magnificent virgin white pine . I do not believe I am overestimating when I say that some were five feet in diameter about twO feet above ground level. The grove above # 11 was a favorite spot of mine because it had the aura of a truly virgin forest , of which I had only read. Muir woods , when I visited it for the first time , recalled to mind these lovely groves.

17. This was a fish hatchery . 18. There were several elaborate kennels and runs for hunting dogs and , I

believe , game bird pens were located here . 20. Upper and Lower WaltOn ponds were man-made when the fish and game

club flourished . My father had them drained one year to kill all the pickerel and restOcked them with trOUt. I do not think the trout flourished as the pond was tOO warm. It should have been dug out. My brother and I believe Chuck Lang­muir and some other Avonian (Nick ?) built a bridge to the Island under the di­rection of Verne Priest.

19. Somewhere in there was a pond , about the size of a football field (?) that was spring fed.

21. There was a three-family house of logs for farm workers and their fami­lies . One hundred yards to the south was Verne Priest 's house . I believe my father put these homes here because it was a remote and unguarded entry to the school.

22. This hollow, known as 'Sleepy Hollow' was planted with pines . The lower end was cleared of brush , the brook dammed and the area used for skating . Just below the dam was an uncompleted stOne bridge. I believe it was decided that entry by vehicle into that part of the canal bed should be denied . JUSt below the stOne bridge and to the north of the brook was a field of sand which was used for trap shooting and for jumping horse .

23. This area was forested when I came to Avon. It was cleared circa 1927 . The ox bow on the brook was a beautiful spot , scene of many camp-outs and picnics for my brothers and sisters . We called it Thoreau Island (It really did be­come an island in the spring. ) and it was inhabited by a box turtle named Walt Whitman .

24. Tillotsen's Farm , renamed Subedge. It was a large working farm . The farm house had a well in the back kitchen . The furnace in the stOne lined/dirt floored cellar was fired with cordwood . My father built sheep sheds and a very large hay barn (burned circa 1938). When sheep were raised a Scottish shepherd , imported from Scotland , (He was a dour soul.) lived in the cottage (see map). He had twO highly trained collies and knitted mittens when watching his sheep. My father renamed it 'Subedge' as it was under the shadow of the large esker, which was devoid of trees in those days .

180

Windmill

o Dice

Sheep Old EJ #24

o

Well

,!, 100

i .s:: ... ... o Z

"0 til o a:

OStable

25. There was a weekend cottage located on the StOne pillar on this side of the aqueduct. I believe the land was bought , but the tenant had a lifetime lease . Never saw the tenant : although it was transformed in the mid-thirties intO a polo club.

26. This was one of the many little eskers. It was hollowed Out for sand , but the outside slopes were allowed to remain to cover the scar .

27. A shallow pond for migratOry game fowl was dredged here . 28. The FarmingtOn River was not polluted then . We fished it regularly. The

State stOcked rainbow trOut in the thirties. Flood sometimes covered most of the valley, almost to the front door of Subedge at times. There was flood water from the aqueduct to the land below towpath .

A word about Hill-stead Farm, which was considered part of Avon Old Farms then. A large milk cowbarn was built circa 1927 . The world 's champion Guern­sey cow, Anastasia Faith lived and died (from eating nails) at Hill-Stead . She was buried in the Riddle pet graveyard to the North of the main house . Mr. Dorsey was the farmer , a Catholic , hard-working, with a large family , he endured a great deal from his four schoolboy hands . He moved to Staten Island eventually. The milk consumed at Avon was unpasrurized grade A certified , and very good

milk it was.

181

Men of Avon written by PauL Cushing Child in 1941 (see page 32). OriginaLLy sung to the hymn tune

"Austria, OJ since the School's reopening it has been used with the ChoraLe from Beethoven 's Ninth Symphony .

Strike the drumhead, fly the banner! Youth leaps forward like a wave , Sweeping all that 's bad before it ,

Build the furure for the brave. Thwart the foolish , Guard the prudent ,

Strike out boldly for the right : Keep this land the home of freedom

Where all men may take delight .

Make our School and make the nation Into places , where, secure ,

Lawfulness will find a haven And where peace will long endure .

Now we gather, Men of Avon , Men of honor, men of will :

Set our hearts upon the mountains , And our destiny fulfill.

High Flight written by J ohn GilLespie Magee, Jr., '40, shortly before his death in December 1941 (see page

33 , and aLso pages 184 through 189).

182

Oh , I have slip?ed the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings ,

Sunward I've climbed , and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of: wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there ,

I've chased the shouting wind along and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up , up the long delirious burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,

Where never lark, or even eagle flew . And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high , untrespassed sanctity of space, Pur out my hand , and touched the face of God .

John Gillespie Magee, Jr ., from his 1940 Yearbook picture , Avon OLd Farms.

Magee in his ReAF uniform, taken infront ofDiogenes Archway, March 16. 1941.

183

Reprinted by permission 0/ the PubLisher 3

HIGH FLIGHT for S.A.T.B . voices and piano

Words by JOHN GILLESPIE MAGEE, JR.

Music by JOHN E. TURNER

Edited by HAWLEY ADES

PIANO

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Perform ance time : approx . 2:00

(A-1670)

184

©Copyright MCMLXXXII , SHAWNEE PRESS, INC., Delaware Water Gap, PA 18327 International Co pyright Secured All Rights Reserved

I ,

And

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186

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187

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189

Description of Avon Old Farms School 1983 -84. reprmted by permission. from Peterson's Guides . Princeton. N} 08540

Type: Boys' boarding and day college·preparatory school Gf3des: 9-12 Enrollment: 362 Hud of School: George M. Trautman. Headmaster

A VON OLD FARMS SCHOOL

Avon, Connecticut

The Schoof Avon Old Farms School was founded in 1927 as a .boys ' preparatOry school by

Theodate Pope Riddle (1868-1946) , who also designed and donated the school's Tudor Cotswold buildings. The campus lies on 791 acres of land in Avon , a country suburb 10 miles west of Hartford.

Since Avon stresses the individual development of each student to his fullest potential, there are many reasons why a young man might choose Avon; some of these have included the opportunity to attend an all-boys school, a strong but individually tailored athletic program , the availability of extra-help classes, a di­verse extracurricular program including the use of the woods , fields , and streams, and the friendly spirit that characterizes the campus .

The physical surroundings of the school provide lasting proof of the value of craftsmanship , simplicity of material and design , and careful attention to detail. Coupled with this sense of what is good and enduring about the past is an aca­demic , athletic, and extracurricular program based on the needs of the present and the opportunities of the future . At Avon , a boy finds evidence of support from the degree of care and concern with which his teachers and fellow students share today's requirements and romorrow's plans.

The self-perpetuating Board of Directors numbers 21 and includes eight alumni and 16 parents of present or former students. The school's operating budget , $3. 1 million in 1981-82 , is balanced each year before the addition of Annual Giving-$679 ,927 in 1982-83, with 37 percent of the 2,100 graduates participating . The tOtal market value of the endowment as of 1978 was $2 . S million , with the Riddle Trust endowment of over $2 million restricted to the upkeep of existing buildings . A capital development program of $S million was authorized in 1983.

Academic Program

Classes meet six days a week for 40-minute periods. There are three terms , and marks and comments are sent to the parents six times annually . The average class size is 12 .3, and the student-teacher ratio is 8.2: 1. Graduation requirements in­clude four years of English , twO of a foreign language , twO of social science (in­cluding U .S. histOry) , three of mathematics , one of art, one of computer science , twO of science with intensive laboratOry work, and at least three additional cred­its . Students are expected to carry a minimum of four courses per trimester; the terms are three , twO , and three months long. Classes are grouped by ability ; eve-

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ning study hall in the dormitories or library is supervised for boarding students . Grades are A-F; D is passing; A and B are honors .

Courses offered are: English (four years); Spanish (five years); French (five years); Latin (three years) ; history (Russian, contemporary, U.S., modern Euro­pean, ancient; political science); science (earth science seminar and advanced ; Harvard Project physics, chemistry, biology); mathematics (calculus, finite math, elementary functions, probability and statistics, algebra I and II, geome­try). Miscellaneous courses include an Ascent of Man seminar, economics, psy­chology, sociology, introduction to music, introduction to art, independent art, ceramics, photography, typing, spelling, developmental reading, public speak­ing, woodworking, English workshop, and computer programming . Saturday assistance classes are available, and twO activities periods a week are scheduled. Departmental honors courses are offered in English, history, mathematics, and science; Advanced Placement courses are offered in physics, calculus, U.S. and modern European history, English, French, and Spanish.

Frank Leavitt '52 teaching Advanced Earth Science Course, Tomasso Earth Science Laboratory in the Ordway Science Wing of the Aron Academic Center, 1983 .

Faculty and Advisers

There are 35 full-time and five part-time faculty members; 35 are men and five are women. Collectively, they hold 40 B.A.'s and 16 master's degrees. The Headmaster's Discretionary Fund provides funds for the faculty for graduate and

summer study . George M. Trautman (University of Pennsylvania '55) was appointed Head-

. 1969 A graduate of St Paul's School, Baltimore, he had previously master 10 · .

19 1

been on the faculty at Tabor Academy and DirectOr of the Tabor Summer Program .

All faculty members are active in supervising dormitOries and advising students .

College P !acement

Avon Old hrms prepares students for college through individual conferences, beginning in the spring of the 11th-grade year. Following this initial conference, a suggested list of colleges to consider is mailed to the student and his parents in June, with the recommendation that the student familiarize himself with the colleges through personal visits and a study of the catalogs . A second interview with one of the twO full-time college advisers follows in the fall of the 12th-grade year. There is an SAT review for both English and mathematics in the spring of the 11th-grade year and again in the fall of the senior year.

The median SAT scores for the class of 1983 were 490 verbal and 510 math. All 98 graduates entered college. They are attending such schools as Amherst , BostOn College, Denison, Duke , Gettysburg, HamiltOn, Kenyon , Middlebury, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Stanford, Tufts , Tulane , the University ofVer­mont, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute .

Student Body and Conduct The 362 students enrolled in 1983-84 are divided as to day and boarding as

follows: grade 9 : 13/41; grade 10: 21182 ; grade 11: 23/83; and grade 12: 20179 . Fewer than half of the students come from Connecticut; 30 other states and 11 foreign countries are represented .

The dress code requires an acceptable haircut and stipulates that students wear a coat and tie for classes and meals . Students and their parents sign a form indi­cating their acceptance of school regulations, which include an absolute prohibi­tion of stealing and the use of dtugs or alcohol while a student is under school jurisdiction. There is a student-elected judiciary that dates to the school's found­ing, but the final authority rests with the faculty and Headmaster in all matters pertaining to school life.

Academic Facilities

Classrooms are located on the first floors of the four buildings forming the Quadrangle; in addition , there are separate buildings for art, science , music, the chapel, and the library of 26,000 volumes. The recently completed Aron Aca­demic Center includes a 400-seat auditorium and additional science facilities.

Boarding and Genera! Facilities

Each of the 285 boarding students lives in a single or double room and is as­signed to a dormitOry adviser who is also his personal and academic adviser. The school has a student activities center, the Hawk's Nest, constructed by the Stu­dents, and a cabin in the woods where the Nimrod Club, which has charge of the school's woodlands, meets for dinner one night a week . There is an infirmary on

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campus with a registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day. Students are assigned to

a faculty-supervised table in the RefectOry ; twO of the three daily meals are served sit-down style , with students waiting on table .

Athletics

Avon believes deeply in the importance of athletics as an integral part of a tOtal education of mind and body; each student is required to participate in a sport during each of the three seasons. For those who, for one reason or another , are unable to participate in athletics during a specific season , there are opportun­ities for community service. A wide range of sports is available to suit the talents and abilities of students and to provide the opportunity for growth through teamwork and the acquisition of individual skills that can be used in exercise throughout life .

Squash 1983.

Gymnasium (Pierpont Student Activities Center) showint 1982 Squash Court addition .

Capt. Victor Delano Paddle Tennis courts, behind theJ ennings Hockey Rink . .

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Interscholastic SPOrtS include baseball, basketball, cross-country running , div­ing, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse , riflery , skiing, soccer, squash, swim­ming, tennis , and wrestling; noncompetitive sports include bicycling , body building, cross-country running, cross-country skiing, golf, jogging, paddle tennis , scuba diving , swimming, tennis , and trap and skeet. There are 28 teacher-coaches and one full-time trainer.

Athletic facilities include the Jennings Hockey Rink, 12 indoor and outdoor tennis courts, playing fields , three squash courts, twO paddle-tennis courtS , a Nautilus room with 10 machines , and the Pierpont Student Activities Center gymnasium pool. Students also have the use of nearby golf courses.

Extracurricular Opportunities"

Since 1927 all students have taken part in community service, which includes grounds maintenance , school construction projects , managing the hockey rink , washing dishes , operating the switchboard, and the like . Activities include the student council , student court, yearbook, newspaper, on-campus radio station, Nimrod Club , band , and glee club and the following special-interest clubs: autO mechanics , compurer, drama, games , histOry , karate , and Spanish .

Daily Life

Breakfast for boarding students is from 6:45 to 7:20 a.m. Each day , there is a morning meeting for the entire school at 8 a.m.; twice a week this takes the form of a simple, nondenominational chapel service at which students or faculty mem­bers speak. Classes are from 8:25 a.m. till 3 p.m ., except on Wednesday , when they end at noon . Afternoons are given over to athletics, drama, community service, or club activities . Following dinner , there is a supervised study hall in the dormitories or library . Day students begin the day with the morning meeting and may remain on campus through any evening activity in which they are engaged.

W eekend Life

Since the weekday routine includes a full day of classes , athletics, community service , and at least two hours of evening study , every effort is made to provide a meaningful change on weekends . Within a 20-mile range are three girls' schools , Trinity College , Bushnell Memorial , a dozen movie theaters , and a ski area . It is not unusual on a Saturday night to have four busloads of boys and teachers

. headed their separate ways to a rock concert , night skiing , a dance , and the mov­ies . To encourage attendance , the school provides both tickets and transporta­tion . Sunday is a free day with few planned activities; however , a school van makes the rounds of four theaters, two restaurants , and two neighboring girls' schools. For boarding students , there is a vespers service after dinner , featuring a speaker from outside the school. Boarding students in good academic standing may have free weekends after their last appointment on Friday, the number being based on their grade level.

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Weekend skating on Beaver Pond.

Costs and Financial Aid

The annual charges for 1983-84 are $9,400 for boarding students and $5 ,400 for day students. Additional fees and costs are approximately $1 ,000 . In 1983-84,70 need-based scholarships tOtaling $287,000 were awarded to 20 percent of the students.

Admissions Information Acceptance is based on character , integrity , academic achievement and poten­

tial, and the ability to compete successfully in a full college-preparatOry course of study . An additional consideration is enthusiasm for extracurricular involvement in athletics, community service groups , and student organizations . In 1983, 140 new students entered , 54 in grade 9 , 56 in grade 10 , 17 in g rade 11, and 13 in grade 12 . The SSA T is required, wi th the median percentile score in the range of 50. (Most entering students have earned a B average in their former schools.) Also required for admission are a formal application , a school-record transcript , and a minimum of three reference letters .

Avon does not discriminate on the basis of race in administration of its educa­tional policies, admissions policies , scholarship or loan programs , or athletic or other school-administered programs. There are currently three applicants for

every vacancy in the student body.

Application Timetable

An interview on campus is required before the deadline for filing of the appli­cation form , February 15 ; the form should be accompanied by a $25 fee . Candi­dates who are accepted are notified in accordance with the date specified by the SSAT Board; this is usually in mid-March .

[95

ColLege Counseling, Dean oJ5tudents Kenneth LaRocque on right.

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CLASS OF 1983 College Acceptances by Class Rank

Rank in Class/First Choice

1. DUKE 39. ST. LAWRENCE 2. AMHERST (E. D .) 40. GETTYSBURG 3. STANFORD 41. ROANOKE 4. BOSTON COLLEGE (E. D .) 42. TULANE 5. COLUMBIA (E. D .) 43. S.M.U. 6. CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 44. ROANOKE 7. DARTMOUTH (E.D .) 45. UNIVERSITY OF MAINE (E. D .) 8. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT 46. GETTYSBURG 9. UNION 47. S.M.U .

10. R.P.l. 48. UNIVERSITY OF DENVER 11. BATES 49. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 12. LEHIGH 50 . DUKE 13. DUKE 51. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT (E .D .) 14. BRISTOL UNIVERSITY 52 . GETTYSBURG 15 . HAMILTON 53 . ROLLINS 16. BOSTON COLLEGE 54. LAKE FOREST 17. LEHIGH UNIVERSITY 55 . ROANOKE 18 . COLORADO COLLEGE 56. KENYON 19. MIDDLEBURY (E.D .) 57 . BETHANY 20. V.M.l. 58 . ITHACA 21. U.N.H. 59 . CLARKSON 22. KENYON 60. UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

23. BATES 61. ROLLINS 24. GETTYSBURG 62 . BOSTON UNIVERSITY (E.D .)

25. TULANE 63. UNIVERSITY OF MAINE

26. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY 64. W .P.I.

27. NORTHEASTERN 65 . ROLLINS

28. ST. LAWRENCE 66. ROLLINS

29. DENISON 67. ROANOKE

30. KENYON 68 . TEXAS A & M

31. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN 69 . DENISON

32. TUFTS 70. HARTWICK

33. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT 71 . SKIDMORE

34. ALLEGHENY 72. TEXAS CHRISTIAN

35. ELMIRA 73. ASHLAND

36. DENISON 74. ITHACA (E.D .)

37. BOSTON COLLEGE 75. MISSISSIPPI

38 . BENTLEY 76. TEXAS A & M

E.D. = Early Decision

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77. HOBART (E.D .) 78. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 79. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 80. UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA 81. UNIVERSITY OF LOWELL 82. ALFRED 83. UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO 84. BENTLEY COLLEGE 85. ROANOKE 86. UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 87. ALFRED 88 . ROANOKE 89. UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD 90. BETHANY COLLEGE 91. NORTHEASTERN 92 . ROGER WILLIAMS 93 . PENN STATE 94. MARQUETTE 95 . UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO 96 . UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY (E.D .) 97. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

E.D . = Early Decision

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Morning Chapel is held eve'Ji Tuesday and Thursday, with Vespers Sunday evening.

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(See note on page 116, Section IV)

DEED of TRUST TO

~lJr iDopr-lBrooks founOation I NCORPORAT ED 1918

OF

Avon Old Farms FROM

mtroOatt 100Pf ~iDDlr AS AMENDED

••• -To the Executor 0/ My Last Will and Testament:

Publication of Deed of Trust I expect to cause to be printed in the near furure a new edition of the Deed of

Trust between me, as Founder , and The Pope-Brooks Foundation, Incorporated , as Trustee, as amended, including the Statutes governing Avon O ld Farms , the Charter of the Village of Old Farms and the Clothing Regulations , as the same have been amended to read in 1945 . By my Will I have directed my Executor to cause the completion of this publication. It is my intention that this edition shall consist of fifty (50) copies in the same type and form as the edition which was privately printed at Avon Old Farms Press in 1930 . Of these fifty (50) copies, twenty-five (25) copies shall be bound by Gerhard Gerlach, now having an office at 109 East 31st Street , New York, N .Y ., in red Niger leather, each such copy to be enclosed in a cardboard box, and twenty-five (25) copies shall be bound by Gerhard Gerlach with board covers similar to those with which the first brochure of the School was bound, and all fifty (50) copies shall have the end papers made by Otto Schuenemann in marble papers of the type of this sample:

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AVON OLD FARMS PRESS

MD eccc XLV

Section 1 Uses of Property

All of said property, both real and personal, and/or any property, real or per­sonal , which may hereafter be transferred or conveyed to the Trustee hereunder, together with the proceeds thereof and the interest thereon and income there­from, shall, except as hereinafter otherwise expressly provided, be used for the conduct, operation , maintenance and development of said School, in accordance with the rules and principles promulgated by the Founder for the conduct thereof, known and hereinafter sometimes referred to as the statutes, which are hereinafter set forth in Schedule B , annexed hereto, and in accordance with cer­tain principles promulgated by the Founder for the self-government of the Stu­dent body of said School, known and hereinafter sometimes referred to as the Charter of the Village of Old Farms, which are hereinafter set forth in Schedule C, annexed hereto , and in accordance with the rules and principles promulgated by the Founder for establishing and maintaining a standard of smartness in attire of the student body of said School, known and hereinafter sometimes refered to as the Clothing Regulations , which are hereinafter set forth in Schedule D , an­nexed hereto , and in accordance with the other provisions of this Deed of Trust.

The name of the School shall be Avon Old Farms and cannot be changed ex­cept by the affirmative vote of all the members of the Board of Directors , entered and recorded in the minutes of the Board with the signatures of all the members of the Board .

Section 2 Aim

Avon was founded for the sons of the gentry. Preference shall be given to those boys who come from gentle homes where honour and culture have been stressed. It is difficult , if not impossible, for Avon to develop these qualities in a boy if he has not been trained in early years .

As the sons of gentle training, however, often lack initiative and will power, the Foun-der stresses the value of community service in developing virility.

Virility is developed by action-extroversion. Culture is acquired through the thought processes-introversion . The combined qualities of culture and virility make the well-balanced individual.

Section 3 Basic Policies

The basic policies of Avon shall include in their scope all subjects required for

entrance to the leading universities .

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The students shall be tested for their ability to think in the abstract . A study of the Constitution of the United States and a course in training for

responsible citizenship and public service shall be provided. Military , naval , flight or pre-flight instruCtion in the twO upper forms shall be

instituted at any time that the Board of Directors by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board deems it advisable to do so.

Manual work for the lower forms , consisting of crafts , projects and community service, shall be an integral part of the educational program, but no trades shall be taught.

Community service may be substituted for sports. Visual education in certain departments shall supplement formal methods of

education , for we should remember the Chinese proverb: "A picture is worth ten thousand words. "

A lower school may be established at Avon for boys from ten to twelve years of age at any time that the Board of DirectOrs by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board deems it advisable to do so .

A summer school shall be established at A von for boys ten years of age and older at any time that the Board of Directors by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board deems it advisable to do so .

A post-graduate course may be established at Avon at any time that the Board of DirectOrs by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board deems it advisable to do so . This course shall cover advanced work in the classics , histOry , English and psychology.

Graduates who have been away from Avon for one or more years may return for a longer or shorter period of study, provided that they have exceptional intel­ligence and character. The masters and young men shall be free to venture to­gether in anyone field of the humanities , and they shall acquaint themselves with the imponderable values 0/ man 's study 0/ man.

A semi-military uniform to be worn by all of the Avon students instead of the Regulation Clothing may be put into effect at any time that the Board of Direc­tOrs by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board deems it advisable to

do so . Graduates who have been away from Avon for one or more years and who re­

turn for a period of study shall not be required to wear either the semi-military uniform or the regulation clothing .

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AVON A JUNIOR COllEGE AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL FOR BOYS

OLD FARMS AVON CONNECTICUT

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Schedule B Statutes Governing Avon Old Farms

ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT Section 1 Appointments

The Provost shall be appointed by the Board of Directors of the Trustee, and upon his appointment as Provost he shall become ex officio a member of the Board of Directors of the Trustee .

The Provost may be selected from one of the Armed Services, or he may be a civilian. He shall have had proven experience as an administrator and it shall be his duty to conduct the School according to the policies set forth in this Deed of Trust.

The Provost shall be Protestant by descent and affiliation. No clergyman shall ever be appointed as Provost.

In accepting appointment, he shall sign a contract with The Pope-Brooks Foundation , Incorporated, in which he agrees to uphold this Amended Deed of Trust , including the Statutes, the Charter of the Village of Old Farms , and the Clothing Regulations .

The Provost , with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint the Dean.

The Provost , with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint the Aide .

The Provost shall appoint the masters . , The Provost shall appoint the librarian , who shall be an ex officio member of

the academic staff. The Provost shall appoint the alumni secretary, who shall also act as the post­

mistress . The Provost shall appoint the athletic director, who shall be an ex officio

member of the academic staff. The Provost shall appoint the printer, who shall be an ex officio member of

the academic staff. The Provost shall appoint the attending physician . The Provost shall appoint the nurse or nurses . The Provost shall appoint his secretaries.

Powers and Duties

Section 2 Provost

The Provost shall appoint the masters and other members of the academic staff.

He shall have each master sign a contract in triplicate--one copy to be given to the master and the two remaining copies to be on file in the Provost 's office and the Comptroller's office, respectively. All masters ' contracts shall become

204

effective only when approved by the Finance Committee of the Board of Direc­tors .

If he shall decide that it is for the best interest of the School to do so , the ProVOSt , but only with the written approval of the Executive Committee, may remove either the Dean or the Aide from office . The Provost , acting alone , may dismiss any of the other persons whom he is given the power to appoint under the provisions of Section 1 of these Statutes, if he shall decide that it is fo r the best interest of the School to do so .

He shall have the Dean and masters investigate any new developments in pe­dagogy which might be used at Avon Old Farms to stimulate the students to

pursue their studies with profit, pleasure and zest. He shall preside at all school functions as titular head of the School. In case of absence or illness , he shall depute his duties to such other member

of the staff as he shall deem advisable. He shall be charged with the duty of administering (he scholarships that may

be established . He shall prepare with the Dean the academic schedules . He shall institute and maintain the Honours System. He shall determine what community service will be required from students in

the Fifth and Sixth Forms . He shall , with the approval of the Board of DirectOrs by the affirmative vote of

a majority of the entire Board , cause military or naval insttuction to be instituted in the two upper forms , such insttuction to be given by the Aide . The Provost may also, with the approval of the Board of Directors by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board , permit the giving of flight instruction or pre-flight preparatory insttuction to the two upper forms.

He shall charge the physician with looking after the health of the students, and with taking effective measures for the prevention and checking of disease .

He shall be Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals, as provided for in the Charter of Old Farms .

He shall decide whether a serious breach of conduct on the part of a student, or students, shall be brought to Court or settled in camera.

He shall be Chairman and Arbiter of the Board of Correlation . He shall arrange so that at least one meeting of the Board of Correlation dur­

ing the school year is held on a date when the Chairman of the Board of DirectOrs of the Foundation can attend , and one on a date when the Secretary of said Board

can attend . He shall receive monthly written reports from the Comptroller , giving de­

tailed information of the work accomplished by each department and outlining

work requiring attention. It shall be his duty, upon the written req uest of any member of the Board of

Directors , transmitted to him by the Secretary , to lend to such member of the Board a copy of the Deed of Trust , which may be retained by such member for

not longer than one month . H e shall send to the Secretary a report of any action taken at a tOwn meeting

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in the Townships of Avon and Farmington which would in any way affect the interests of The P0pe-Brooks Foundation , Incorporated .

He shall annually designate a weekday in mid-Mayas a holiday for the stu­den s, in remembrance of the Founder.

He shall have an annual Christmas Party for the members of the technical staff and their families .

He shall annually designate a day or days to be known as Field Days. He may annually designate a day in the spring for a Horse Show for the stu­

dents of Avon Old Farms. He may assign masters as coaches for the various teams. He shall appoint a master , or masters , to accompany the polo team on all

games and practice off the school grounds. On Closing Day , he shall present the Founder's Medal , inscribed with the stu­

dent 's name , to the students in the Sixth Form who shall have received the Order of Old Farms ; to those who shall have graduated with academic honours ; to those who shall have served with distinCtion in Town Government ; and to those who shall have made noteworthy accomplishment in community service , crafts and proJects .

He shall confer the Regulation Insignia consisting of the Honorary Rosettes and Ribbons on the students in the Sixth Form who shall have received the Order of Old Farms; and on students in any form for noteworthy accomplishment and distinguished service in any of the following fields at the end of each term:

ACADEMIC TOWN GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY SERVICE CRAFTS AND PROJECTS

He may depute to the Dean the conferring of the Honorary Rosettes and Rib­bons for academic honours .

He may depute to the Aide the conferring of the Honorary Rosettes and Rib­bons for distinguished service in office in Town Government and noteworthy ac­complishment in community service, crafts and projects.

He shall have the students who receive honours write their names in the Book of Honours . This book shall be on exhibition in the Post Office on Founder's Day.

He shall submit all salaries to the Finance Committee for approval. The annual budgets of the Academic and Estate Departments , exclusive of the

Farm , shall be prepared by the Comptroller under the supervision of the Provost , and submitted by the Provost to the Finance Committee of the Board of Direc­tors for approval. If at any time the Provost shall be relieved of the supervision of the Estate Department , thereafter his recommendations regarding the budgets shall relate only to the budget of the Academic Department.

Section 3 Dean The Dean shall prepare with the Provost the academic schedules .

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He shall give instruction in one or more subjects. The academic staff, or committees of the academic staff, in the absence of the

Provost , shall meet from time to time in informal conference, at the call of the Dean .

The Dean shall have authority and it shall be his duty to assign extra srudy hours for a student or students, at any time or place , if and when he consider~ it necessary .

He may confer the Honorary Rosettes and Ribbons for noteworthy accom­plishment in academic honours.

He shall file written reports in the office of the Aide for infractions of regula­tions or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or students , for the Aide to take proper action.

He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost .

Original plaster casts for the Avon Old Farms statuary,. as created by Fritz Hammergren. Bas relief over D iogenes archway (see frontIspiece).

207

208

Diogenes with his lantern in search of a wise man and Truth and Honesty .

Elephant, symbolizing Memory and Longevity.

Eagle, symbolizing Bravery.

The Pelican, symbolizing Compassion .

209

210

.' Owl (above Dean's office) symbolizing Wisdom.

The Winged Beaver, symbolizing Aspiration and Perseverance.

Section 4 Aide The Aide may be a g raduate of the United States Mi litary or Naval Academy ,

a g raduate of an accredited military college, or an officer of the English services. American boys, almost universally, lack the traditional training common to English

YOZlth. The English method of social training is not found in print . The English train their youth in social values by word of mouth . It is difficult indeed to graft that tradi­tional training onto the American boy, but it is the wish of the Founder that a determined effort be made to secure an English officer who would naturally be inclined to this field of service. Such an officer could make a name for himself if he succeeded in transplanting the best of the English social traditions into a schooL for American boys.

The Aide shall always wear his reserve or veteran's uni fo rm while on duty at the school , but without the insig nia- special permission being obtained fo r th is, if required . If military or naval instruction is instituted in the twO upper fo rms as authorized in Sect ion 2 of these Statutes, such insttuction shall be g iven by the Aide.

He shall , with the aid of the members of the Board of Correlation, plan the community service and all other extra-academic activities, exclusive of sports, and shall be responsible for a daily charr showing the ass ignment of students in com­munity service and all other extra-academic activi ties, including sports.

He shall have general supervision of the students in community service and all other extra-academic act ivities, exclusive of sports. H e shall make dai ly personal inspection of such work .

H e shall at each meeting of the Board of Correlation render a report upon the activities of the students , including in such report any recommendations he may deem desirable .

He shall have no authority over the discipline of a student , or students, in connection with their academic work .

He shall take up with the Provos t any serious breach of conduct on the part of a student , or students , fo r the Provos t 's dec ision as to whether the case shall be brought to Court or settled in camera. In the absence of the Provost , the Aide shall decide whether a serious breach of discipline shall be brought to Court or settled in camera.

He shall administer the routine discipline necessary in all minor cases of in­fractions of regulations and incorrect conduct on the parr of a student, or

students . He shall not suspend or expel a student, or students, unless specifically au-

thorized to do so by the ProVOSt . H e shall have written reports fo r infrac tions of regulations or incorrect conduct

on the part of a student, or students, from the Dean and masters of the academic staff and the Comptroller; and oral reports from the heads of the technical staff

and the fa rmer. H e shall ins truct the students in the duties of their various offices as defined in

the Charter of Old Farms and supervise the execution of these duties. H e shall instruct the Warden in regard to matters which may be brought be-

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fore the Council. He shall attend all town meetings in the Village of Old Farms, but shall have no vote.

He shall see that all original records of all court proceedings are bound and placed in the safe of the Bank of Avon Old Farms at the close of each school year.

He shall give formal instruction to the students in deportment and military courtesy. He shall instruct the students in the importance of being properly dressed for

every occaSIOn. He shall judge the manner in which a boy of the Sixth Form, either alone or

with other boys on community service, plans and executes his chosen work, with a view to determining whether the ~oy should receive the Founder's Medal. The boy shall be judged according to his executive ability, cooperation, evergy and perseverance.

He may confer the Honorary Rosettes and Ribbons for distinguished service in office in Town Government and noteworthy accomplishment in community service, crafts and projects.

He shall send to the Provost, in duplicate each term, a report based on his diary. This report shall cover matters under his supervision, including, but not by way of limitation , a specific report on the compliance with the Clothing Regulations set forth in Schedule D.

He shall be charged with obtaining from two or three leading firms prices for the best quality of materials for the clothing to be worn by the students, and shall submit such prices to the Provost for his decision.

He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost. The Aide, after consultation with the Provost, may appoint a Sergeant, who shall have

served in one of the American or English armed forces. The Sergeant shall institute such measures as may be necessary to inculcate in the stu­

dents habits of personal cleanliness and punctuality. He shall conduct the daily out-of-door drills and the setting-up exercises based on mili­

tary or naval practice. He shall institute and supervise exercises to improve the posture and thereby the health of

the students. He shall give or supervise instruction in oral commands to the students in the upper

forms. These students shall be taught the value of oral commands in leadership. He shall instruct the students in the proper use and care of their clothing. He shall organize and be responsible for daily room inspection . He shall take charge of all firearms which are brought to the School by any of the

students, and shall see to the enforcement of the school rule that no student shall keep fire­arms in his room.

He shall organize and be responsible for fire drills and for the use of fire equipment. He shall have one fire drill each term at an unannounced time.

He shall be responsible for arranging all details in connection with the transportation of students.

He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him.

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Section 5 Masters In the appointment of masters , consideration shall be g iven to thei r educa­

tional training and cultural background . They shall have authority , and it shall be their duty , to assig n extra study

hours for a student , or students, if and when they consider it necessary . They shall , at the request of the Provost , assist as coaches for the various

teams .

They shall file written reports in the office of the Aide for infractions of regu­lations or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or students , for the Aide to

take proper action. They shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to them by the

Provost.

Section 6 Librarian

The librarian may be either a man or a woman who shall have had a technical training in library work .

The librarian shall file written reports in the office of the Aide for infractions of regulations or incorrect conduCt on the part of a student, or students , for the Aide to take proper action .

The librarian shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost.

Section 7 Alumni Secretary and Postmistress

The alumni secretary, who shall also aCt as postmistress , shall keep the card file up to date, correspond with alumni and perform such other duries as custOm­arily pertain to the office of the alumni secretary .

She shall be selected for the office because of her intelligence , kindly disposi­tOn and interest in boys .

She shall file written reports in the office of the Aide for infractions of regula­tions or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or students , for the Aide to

take proper aCtion '. She shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to her by the Provost.

Section 8 Athletic Director

The Athletic DirectOr shall make a study of the physical development of each

student. He shall give instruction in all sports, with the exception of riding , polo ,

fencing and judo. He shall coach the football , baseball , basketball , soccer and ice hockey teams . He may request the Provost to assign masters as assistant coaches for the var-

ious teams . He shall supervise apparatus work and be qualified to g ive first aid . He shall supervise the work on all athletic fields which shall be done by the

students as part of their community service.

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He shall file written reportS in the office of the Aide for infractions of regula­tions or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or students , for the Aide to take proper aCtion . He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost.

Section 9 Printer

The Printer shall have had technical training and experience in the trade of printing , and preferably shall have specialized in fine hand printing .

He shall file written reports in the office of the Aide for infractions of regula­tions or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or students , for the Aide to

take proper action . He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost .

EST ATE DEPARTMENT Section 10 Appointments

The Provost , with the approval of the Executive Committee , shall appoint the Comptroller .

The Provost, with the approval of the Executive Committee , may remove the Comptroller if he shall decide that it is for the best interest of the School to do so .

The Comptroller , with the approval of the Provost , shall appoint the chief engtneer.

The Comptroller, with the approval of the Provost , shall appoint the day pa­trol.

The Comptroller, with the approval of the Provost , shall appoint the steward. The Comptroller, with the approval of the Provost , shall appoint the foreman

carpenter. The Comptroller , with the approval of the ProVOSt , shall appoint the riding

master. The Comptroller , with the approval of the Provost , shall appoint the woods­

man . The Comptroller, with the approval of the Provost , shall appoint the store­

man . The Comptroller , with the approval of the Provost , shall appoint his bookkee­

per, secretary and telephone operators . The Comptroller, with the approval of the ProVOSt , shall appoint the night

watchman. If at any time the Provost shall be relieved of the supervision of the Estate

Department , thereafter the foregoing appointments to be made by the Comp­troller shall be made by him with the approval of the Provost .

The Comptroller shall approve all minor personnel employed by the heads of the departments under his supervision .

2 14

Duties Section 11 Comptroller

The Comptroller shall appoint the members of the technical staff and other employees in his department, as hereinbefore provided, with the approval of the Provost (or if the Provost shall be relieved of the supervision of the Estate Depart­ment , then with the approval of the Executive Committee).

The Comptroller may remove members of the technical staff and other em­ployees in his department , as hereinbefore provided, with the approval of the Provost (or if the Provost shall be relieved of the supervision of the estate depart­ment , then with the approval of the Executive Committee).

He shall be responsible to the Provost for the proper execution of the duties of his office.

He shall be in charge of the business administration of Avon Old Farms. All requisitions of the Academic, Estate and Farm Departments shall go

through his office . The Comptroller shall be responsible for maintaining accounts and records of

the administration of the Trust , and shall install a system of internal control in accordance with recognized accounting principles. He shall prepare annual budgets of wages , requirements for maintenance, cost of operations , and monthly financial statements and their relative reports so that complete information as to the financial situation shall be available to the Finance Committee at all times.

It shall be the duty of the Comptroller to maintain in his office the accounts and records of the Farm separate from the accounts and records of the Trustee .

The Comptroller shall be responsible for the preparation of all tax returns. All accounts and records of the Trust , and separately of the farm shall both be

audited annually by a firm of certified public accountants who shall submit a report and certificate thereon , at the completion of its yearly examination, to the Finance Committee and the members of the Board of Directors .

He shall , upon the request of any member of the Board of Directors , cause the accounts and records of the farm, or copies of the audited financial reports thereon, to be brought to the Chairman's room at the Bank of Avon Old Farms , and such member of the Board shall have the right to examine such books there , but may not take any of them away from the School.

He shall be responsible for the proper execution of the duties of the heads of all departments and personnel under his supervision, with the exception of the

farmer . He shall file monthly written reports in the office of the Provost, giving de-

tailed information of the work accomplished by each department and outlining

wor~ requiring attention. He shall adjust the accounting system at any time in order to give the Provost

financial information , but only when strictly maintaining recognized accounting principles as set forth in standards observed by the American Institute of Ac-

countants . He shall make every effort to improve the accounting system , internal control ,

2 15

and financial strucrure of his department , and shall bring to the attention of the Provost and the Finance Committee any changes in laws , federal , state or other, affecting the financial structure of the Foundation .

He shall send to the Finance Committee the quarterly written reports received by him from the farmer , g iving detailed information of the work accomplished by the farmer and outlining work requiring attention .

In appointing heads of departments the Comptroller shall bear in mind that , as the prime function of the School is education, including every useful activity , the students shall , under department heads , who shall be job masters , supple­ment the work of the employees by assisting in the necessary work of the com­munity on the farm , in the park , forest and shops .

He , or his representative , shall attend important tOwn meetings in the Town­ships of FarmingtOn and Avon , and shall send a written report in duplicate to the Provost to be forwarded to the Secretary of the Board of DirectOrs if any action was taken at a meeting which would in any way affect the interests of The Pope­Brooks Foundation, Incorporated . A copy of this report shall be filed in the Comptroller'S office .

He shall be charged with the responsibility of carrying Out the Agreement , dated November 12 , 1929, between The New York , New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company and The Pope-Brooks Foundation, Incorporated, regarding the maintenance of the fire line .

He shall have authority and it shall be his duty to forbid the building of cabins solely by the students and for their use alone .

It shall be his duty to plan and supervise the proper keeping by students of their check books and petty cash accounts .

He shall submit all salaries and wages of the estate department in writing to

the Finance Committee for approval. The Provost, so long as he shall have the supervision of the estate department , shall also give to the Finance Committee his written recommendations regarding salaries and wages of the estate depart­ment .

He shall prepare the annual budgets of the academic and estate departments under the supervision of the Provost , and the budget shall be submitted by the Provost to the Finance Committee of the Board of DirectOrs for approval. If at any time the Provost shall be relieved of the supervision of the Estate Depart­ment , thereafter his recommendations regarding the budgets shall relate only to

the budget of the Academic Department . He shall prepare the annual budget of the Farm , under the supervision of the

Provost , and the budget shall be submitted by the Provost , tOgether with the Farmer's recommendations in writing to the Finance Committee of the Board of DirectOrs for approval.

He shall file written reports in the office Qf the Aide for infractions of regula­tions or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or students , and shall require the heads of the Estate Department , the job masters , to report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or stu­dents , for the Aide to take proper action .

216

Buildings designed to complete Viffage Green, but never constructed.

2 17

Community Service, mid-1930's.

Students working on Farm, mid-1930's (see Deed oj Trust , section 42 , page 235).

2 18

Architects have deemed the mixing 0/ architectural styles as an ea;/y example OJ "form foilows function ." The Refectory, right, and building designed as the School bank (left ), currently the Alumni Building .

"

I .

There would have been even a third architectural style (Georgian) if this Guest House. designed to be at right angles to the Bank had ever been constructed (see plan at bottom of page 217).

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Section 12 Chief Engineer

The Chief Engineer shall be a graduate of a technical school and shall have had practical as well as theoretical knowledge of engineering.

He shall have had experience in mechanical and electrical engineering science in a recognized institution or laboratOry , and shall insttuct and supervise the stu­dents in their work in the various engineering and mechanical departments of the School under his conttOi.

He shall have charge of and be responsible for the economical operation of the Light and Power Plant of the School together with its complete systems of water supply, sewage disposal, electric light and power distribution, heating systems and refrigerating systems, including all other mechanical installations and equipment of a similar character.

He shall have charge of and be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all plumbing , electrical and communication systems in the buildings of the School .

He shall have charge of and be responsible for the upkeep of the fire equipment used for the fire protection of the School buildings.

He shall give the students instruction in repair work as part of community service .

He shall send to the Comptroller's office quarterly written reports giving de­tailed information of the work accomplished by his department and outlining work requiring attention .

He shall , with the approval of the Comptroller , employ the engineers , me­chanics and minor personnel in his department.

He shall report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or students , for the Aide to take proper action .

He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost .

Section 13 Day Patrol The Day Patrol shall have supervision of buildings, grounds, garage and

housekeeping departments . He shall plan and supervise the work of the men in these departments . He shall be responsible for maintenance of the main group of school buildings .

This maintenance covers repairs , including masonry work, not specified under the duties of the Chief Engineer or Foreman Carpenter.

He shall have the students' help in the garage as part of community service. He shall send to the Comptroller 'S office , quarterly written reports giving de­

tailed information of the work accomplished by his department and outlining work requiring attention.

He shall , with the apporval of the Comptroller, employ the groundsmen , the garage mechanics, the janitors and all minor personnel in his department .

He shall report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct on the part of a student, or students , for the Aide to take proper action .

He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost.

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Section 14 Steward The Steward shall be in charge of the Commissary. He shall have been trained

in hotel management , and be an experienced buyer. He shall , with the approval of the Comptroller, employ the personnel of the

Commissary Department . He shall report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct

on the part of a student, or students, for the Aide to take proper action. He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost.

Section 15 Foreman Carpenter

The Foreman Carpenter shall be an expert at his trade, and shall be qualified to teach the students proper joinery.

He may give instruction in building various forms of aeroplane and ship models from blueprints.

He shall have charge of all repairs at the School which come under his depart­ment.

He shall give the students instruction in cabinet making and repair work as part of community service.

He shall send to the Comptroller's office, quarterly written reports giving de­tailed information of the work accomplished by his department and outlining work requiring attention.

He shall, with the approval of the comptroller, employ the minor personnel in his department.

He shall report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct on the part of a srudent, or students, for the Aide to take proper action .

He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost.

Section 16 Riding Master

The Riding Master shall be in charge of the stables . He shall be in direct charge of the saddle horses. He shall give instruction in riding and polo . He shall prepare the riding students for the Annual Horse Show and shall

make the necessary arrangements for it . He shall give the students instruction in the care of the horses as part of com-

munity service. He shall send to the Comptroller'S office, quarterly written reports giving de­

tailed information of the work accomplished by his department and outlining

work requiring attention . He shall, with the approval of the Comptroller, employ the minor personnel

in his department. He shall report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct

on the part of a student , or students, for the Aide to take proper action . He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost .

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Section 17 Woodsman

The W oodsman shall be an experienced and practical worker from the Maine woods or Canada. He shall be steeped in woodlore and highly qualified to in­Struct boys in woodcraft .

He shall care for , preserve and improve the forest . He shall be responsible for any defacement or any marring of the forest and

park . He shall be responsible for any destruction and waste of the flowering plants

and desirable animal life . He shall instruct the older students in the proper care and use of the ax. He shall have the students participate in the laying Out and building of trails ,

and in the development of other forest improvements . . He shall be responsible for any trees which are cut down in the forest for cord

wood or for any other purposes . He shall permit the felling of no large trees which are not dead , except those

grown in the reforested timber stands. He shall arrange for the clearing of underbrush in the forest by the students as

part of the community service for the protection of the forest from fire. The brush shall be burned only after rain or when the ground is covered with snow .

He shall be responsible for the upkeep of the fire equipment used for the pro­tection of the forest.

He shall regulate fishing , hunting , and trapping on the property . He shall send to the Comptroller's office , quarterly written reports giving de­

tailed information of the work accomplished by his department and outlining work requiring attention.

He shall, with the approval of the Comptroller, employ all minor personnel in the forest and in the park.

He shall report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or students , for the Aide to take proper action.

He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost.

Section 18 Storeman

The StOreman shall be responsible for the operation of the store. He shall be an experienced buyer, and shall have charge of the purchasing of materials and sup­plies for the school post office , all athletic equipment and miscellaneous pur­chases for the students and faculty .

His accounts and records shall be governed by the internal control of the au­diting system and shall be available for audit by the Comptroller upon demand III wrttlllg .

In addition to the above duties, he shall during the summer months assist in the bank as an inventory clerk, and shall also conduct such price research and investigations as may be necessary for the proper upkeep of his stOre and the post office.

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He shall send to the Comptroller's office quarterly written reports g iving de­tailed information of the work accomplished by his department and outlining work requiring attention .

He shall report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct on the part of a student , or students, for the Aide to take proper action .

He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost .

Section 19 Night Watchman

The Night Watchman shall be an alert and responsible watchman . He shall report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct

on the part of a student , or students , for the Aide to take proper action . He shall perform such other duties as may be deputed to him by the Provost.

Section 20 Provision for Change of Control in Estate Department

If at any time the Board of Directors of the Foundation shall assume direct control of the Estate Department of the School, as provided in Section 4 of the Deed of Trust , then thereafter the references to the Provost above contained in Sections 11 to 19 , inclusive, of these Statutes , shall , as far as the context permits, be deemed to refer instead to the Executive Committee .

Front Door, Dean's House.

223

Staircase, Dean's House.

224

Diogenes staircase. One 0/ the few identifiabLe copies 0/ EngLish architecture, from the Chapter

House Staircase, WeLLs CathedraL. EngLand.

225

Farm Department

Section 21 Farmer

The Farmer shall be appointed by the Finance Committee of the Board of Di­rectors of the Trustee , and shall be financially responsible to them . The Farmer shall be appointed at a meeting of the Finance Committee , at which the Provost shall be present.

He shall preferably be of Scandinavian, Dutch or German stOck and training. He shall be a thoroughly trained and working farmer. He shall give special attention to keeping up the quality of the herd and other

farm stOck. He shall have had experience in raising crops and in the management of a

dairy . He shall be responsible for planning and overseeing the work of the students

on the farm . He shall give instructions in the elementary principles of animal husbandry. He shall send to the Finance Committee , through the Comptroller 's office,

quarterly written reports giving detailed information of the work accomplished by his department and outlining work requiring attention .

All requistions of the Farm Department shall go through the Comptroller's office .

The accounts and records of the farm shall be maintained separately from the general accounts of the Trustee , but shall be governed by the system of internal control. Consideration should be g iven to setting up special reserves for mainte­nance of the Guernsey herd , sheep , farm buildings, machinery , equipment , au­tomobiles , trucks , tractors , and small tools so that they may be maintained in good working condition. Audited net profits realized from farm operations shall be separate at 211 times from the general funds of the Trustee and a surplus ac­count shall be created from excess of income over expenses , after providing for reasonable maintenance reserves .

However, as depression years following a reasonable cycle of time after the present conflict may cause excess of expenses over income, consideration should be given to reserving part of the annual general funds of the Trustee for emer­gency requirements for the welfare of the farm . The farm shall supply dairy pro­duce , beef, lamb , potatOes , vegetables , chickens , eggs , etc., to the School , when available, at the prevailing market prices . All transactions shall be part of the yearly audit.

The annual budget of the Farm shall be prepared by the Comptroller, under the supervision of the Provost, and submitted by the Provost , together with the farmer's recommendations in writing , to the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors for approval.

The Farmer shall employ all minor personnel in his department , with the ap­proval of a member of the Finance Committee , and shall submit all wages of such personnel to a member of the Finance Committee.

226

The Finance Committee shall employ the Farmer at a wage , plus a bonus on a sliding scale , the amount of the bonus to be dependent on the financial results of the operation of the farm .

He shall report to the Aide any infractions of regulations or incorrect conduct on the part of a student or students, for the Aide to take proper action .

Section 22 Board of Correlation The Board of Correlation shall organize and correlate the extra-academic activ­

ities consisting of craft work and projects, which shall be elective; community service, which shall be compulsory; and sports.

The Board of Correlation shall consist of the ProvOSt , who shall act as Chair­man and Arbiter, the Aide, Athletic Director , Dean, Comptroller, Printer, Chief Engineer, Day Patrol , Foreman Carpenter, Riding Master, Woodsman and Farmer.

The Aide shall act as chairman and arbiter in the absence of the Provost . All members of the Board of DirectOrs of the Trustee shall be ex officio mem­

bers of the Board of Correlation. If any member of the Board of DirectOrs of the Trustee attending meetings of

the Board of Correlation should determine that the Board of Correlation is not functioning in accordance with the plans set out in these Statutes, then such member shall report this fact to the Board of DirectOrs of the Trustee for appro­priate action.

The members of the Board of Correlation shall always keep in mind the Founder's in­tention in establishing community service as an integral part of the programme of the School, and shall shape the policies of the Board accordingly.

The members of the Board of Correlation shall require that community service consist of work which is necessary to properly maintain the Estate, that each boy may fully appreciate the obligation and responsibility laid upon him.

Meetings of the Board of Correlation shall be called by the Provost , or by the Aide in the absence of the Provost . There shall be at least one meeting of said Board in each term of the school year. A record of the minutes of meetings of the Board of Correlation shall be kept .

Section 23 Recommendations in the Academic Field

Avon shall primarily be a cultural institution for students who are able to

think in the abstract. Instruction should be directed tOward the deepening and enriching of the

thought processes of the students that they may be able to appraise existing situ­ations and trained to meet those which will confront them in later life .

Anyone , or all, of the following provisions. may be put in.tO .practice at any time that the Board of DirectOrs by the affirmative vote of a maJonty of the entire

Board deems it advisable to do so:

English : Courses in English should be prepared for srudents of each Form. Time and place should be provided

227

Languages :

Modern Languages:

History:

Mathematics:

Science:

228

for required reading . Masters should g ive individ­ual , short, oral examinations each week. A collec­tion of the enduring proverbs of all countries should be printed in script in copy books. Students in the lower forms should learn these proverbs by copying them in the space provided.

The study of Latin should be required for all stu­dents in all of the six forms, and for all students of the Lower School. The study of Greek should be op­tional , although instruction should be given in Greek roots to increase the student's knowledge of the Greek origin of many Eriglish words.

Modern languages should be optional, as English will be the second language of the world .

Students with excellent memories and a g reat appre­ciation of music usually enjoy the study of the Mod­ern Languages.

Students of the First Form should be taught History in biographical and anecdotal form from ancient to modern times .

Students of the Third to Fifth Forms , inclusive , should each year receive a deeper insight into an­cient, medieval and modern history , including ge­ography and ethnology. Mythology should be added in the Fourth Form , and the History of Art in the. Fifth Form .

Students in the Sixth Form should select at will a certain period in World History and concentrate on that period for the entire year.

The universities in time should recognize that many students capable of brilliant work in Algebra fre­quently find Geometry most difficult , if not impos­sible; and students who are brilliant in Geometry frequently find Algebra most difficult , if not impos­sible. Many students are not mentally equipped to do adequate work in both fields .

The students of the first three Forms should be taught basic science. Biology , with intensive micro­scopic work, should be taught in the Fourth Form.

Chemistry should be taught in the Fifth Form . Physics and Astronomy should be taught in the Sixth Form .

Music: No instruction shall be given in instrumental mu­sic. Instruction shall be given in choral singing , emphasizing hymns , ballads and spirituals.

Art : No instruction in painting or sculpture shall be given . If a student has marked ability in the visual arts , he will re­ject instruction . He may be given time and place for prac­tice but no encouragement.

Section 24 Religion

Avon shall endeavor to create in the students a profound belief in the Christian way of life . Although Avon is non-sectarian the religious services shall be con­ducted from the Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal Church . Upon the request of a student , or of his parents, the student may be prepared for Communion or Confirmation in the Protestant Episcopal Church . Arrangements may be made with parents for such particular relig ious instruction and observ­ance as they may desire in individual cases.

Religion is the mainspring of character. Those who possess learning without faith are stunted in their development. Masses of mankind who develop under­standing and power without the inner vision are dangerous and lead eventually to the undermining of civilization.

Each student shall be instructed in the Christian philosophy of life, that day by day he may be strengthened in the unfaltering conviction that:

"Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day .. . while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; bur the things which are not seen are eternal. ..

II Corinrhians , Chapter 4 . Vene.l 16-1 8.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." II Corinrhians. Chapter 5 . Vene 7.

Section 25 In Time to Come

This global revolution will result in great dislocations 10 the thoughts and actions of the people of all nations.

Conceivably we may be wrenched free from our deep ingrowing and painful occupation with the unholy thoughts of gain which have drawn a compelling interest from us since the Industrial Revolution burst with a blinding light in England , in the early part of the nineteenth century.

Has this run its course? Its leaden fruit is dropping on our heads . Are we turn­ing against it in a revulsion of feeling ? Laws cannot make it law abiding. It can only be displaced and supplanted after an end-ro-end emotional crack-up ; and then only when there is a substitution of a world-shaking belief in a better way of life. No conscious effort by individuals or nations can effect the change. If it comes it will be like a tidal wave from the unconscious . It will cast away and

destroy religions as we know them .

229

The destruction will prepare the way for a tumultuous incoming of the spirit, bearing a new faith that reason cannot touch ; a reorientation of the most pro­found emotions .

The above seCtion was automatically written.

Section 26 An Awesome Thought

Has the creative force which surrounds and permeates the cosmos been using the trial and error system for eons? It would seem so. Think of the skeletons of prehistoric animals , which show us only a fraction of what has been thrown into the discard.

Think of man , living only " three score years and ten" and sleeping one-third of that time! By the way , that weighted suggestion has probably shortened the lives of billions, yes , billions , of people , and we have so short a time to accumu­late experience .

Think of turtles . How long they live! What value is time to them? We are terribly handicapped . It is a truly awesome thought that we are mired

in a trial and error system , over which we have no control.

Section 27 Character

"Truth is the summit of being ; justice is the application of it to affairs . All individual natures stand in a scale , according to the purity of this element in them. The will of the pure runs down from them into other natures , as water runs down from a higher into a lower vessel. This natural force is no more to be withstood than any other natural force .. . Character is this moral order seen through the medium of an individual nature . An individual is an encloser ... Truth and thought are left at large no longer ... All things exist in the man tinged with the manners of his soul . . . A healthy soul stands united with the Just and the True , as the magnet arranges itself with the pole, so that he stands to all beholders like a transparent object betwixt them and the sun , and who so journeys towards the sun journeys towards that person. He is thus the medium of the highest influence . Men of character are the conscience of the society to which they belong. "

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I live , yee noe I , bue Chrise liveeh in me ." Episcle ofSc. Paul to the Galations . Chapter 2 . VerJe 20 .

Section 28 Manners "If a student shows himself unmistakably incompetent to make intellectual

progress and to meet normal intellectual tests after everything possible has been done to aid him and to stimulate him to improvement , then of course he is dropped from the rolls for the simple reason that he is nOt able to make good use of his time and effort and should seek some other opportunity or occupation. But rather more important than this test is the silent and informal test , constantly

230

making, of the student 's character-building and manifestation of good manners . He who cannOt progress in these vitally important matters is even more un­worthy of continuing upon the academic rolls than his fellow who fails in an examination test. There are no formal methods and no precise rules of measuring these traits or of dealing with them . It is , however , the function of academic discipline to guard in college or professional school against the advancement and graduation of anyone who is unworthy in either of these respects, no matter what his strictly intellectual performance may be. It was the wisdom of William of Wykeham which, five and a half centuries ago, gave both to Winchester School and to New College, Oxford, the motto, 'Manners makyth man. '"

Nicholas Murray Buder.

Section 29 Courtesy

"Courtesy consists of acts of politeness, of civility and respect. It includes as an essential element a full and proper appreciation of the rights of others. It in­cludes all of those common acts of civility , good breeding , and thoughtfulness which are observed by gentlemen in all activities. It is a necessary part of private and official life. Courtesy encourages harmonious relationships between individ­uals, it facilitates the conduct of affairs, and adds a smooth and pleasant note to

human contacts. It has been observed that whenever the common acts of courtesy disappear discipline ceases to function. "

The Officer's Guide .

Section 30 . The Awakening

Community service, together with the manual work in science, projects and crafts, devel­ops intelligence. The myriads of decisions made when youthful hands are occupied with constructive work develop the common sense which is so uncommon. It is for this reason that Avon provides so great a variety of occupations . Under certain circumstances a boy's enthusiasm will be aroused to such a pitch that a flame flashes bright in his brain . The time and occasion when this intellectual awakening takes place cannot be planned, but basically it is the most important factOr in Education. It is the birth of the desire to acquire knowledge. A younger boy may receive an inspira­tional flash in his various fields of work. An older boy may experience this awak­ening in his academic work with an inspiring teacher. A special interest in a certain field of science may remain dormant until the student enters the univer­sity, when it may come to the surface again. When the flame of enthusiasm is lighted, the power of concentration is born. The student will then be drawn to his work by a powerful inner urge. He should not be made self-conscious by receiving praise .

enthusiasm is its own reward .

Section 31 Student Government

The Charter of the Village of Old Farms is granted by the Trustee to all the srudents in perpetual succession, to provide the opportunity for each one to be­co~e a responsible citizen through controlling actual agencies of government similar to those by which they will govern themselves later as members of a sov-

ereign state .

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Section 32 Public Affairs

An earnest endeavor shall be made to awaken in the students of the upper forms a genuine interest in Public Affairs, and a desire to take an active part in them and to make a distinct contribution to civic welfare in later life. To this end, these students should be made conversant with the chief social, economic, political and international problems, and shall be taught the importance, in dealing with such problems, of an objective viewpoint, based upon knowledge of the factual background. They shall be trained to analyze current events as re­flected in the newspapers and periodicals. They shall be trained to recognize and guard themselves against propaganda. Arrangements shall be made for lectures and talks to be given at the School by men and women informed in Public Af­fairs, and these students should be encouraged to enter into lively discussions with the speakers following the lectures.

Avonians, the Founder bids you awake! Avon boys during the global war volunteered with enthusiasm for service in the armed

forces. Be prepared for war or peace. Determine now to serve your country. Endeavor in the future to attain positions in public service. The long haul entails election to town, state and federal office. There is great need for men of independent thought capable of assuming responsiblity on

a strong ethical basis . You belong to a specially educated group. You should courageously project and steadfastly uphold the highest social and political ideals. You should act with­out thought of praise and without thought of recompense. You should be willing to merge your personal interests in the larger interests of the community in which you live, and identify yourselves with great human problems and movements.

Section 33 Righteous Wrath The students shall be taught the value of righteous wrath. Any man of spirit

will act promptly when cruelty or injustice is done to others or to himself. Righteous wrath marks the moral progress of mankind.

" ... I confidently believe that a red-blooded and virile humanity which loves peace devotedly, but is willing to die in defense of the right, is Christian from center to circumference, and will continue to be dominant in the future as in the past ."

Douglas MacArthur.

Section 34 Technocracy "During the 200,000 years prior to 1800 the biological progression of man in

his struggle for subsistence on this earth, had advanced so far that the total world population in that year reached the approximate number of 850,000,000. Dur­ing the subsequent 132 years world population has attained such heights that it now exceeds a total of 1,800,000,000; in other words, the population increase in the last 132 years has been greater than it was in the previous 200,000. Most of

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this increase in the human species has been made possible by the social introduc­tion of technological procedures , that is, change in the means whereby we live as brought about solely by the introduction of technology ."

Introduction to Technocracy . Howard Scorr.

Section 35 Men and Machines

The Founder wishes to draw to the attention of the students the fact that since the Industrial Revolution which took place in England in the early part of the nineteenth Century, there has been a complete social change in the lives of mil­lions of men and women. There has been a vast increase in population because of the development of machinery . Men design machines; make machines ; drive ma­chines; repair machines. Men make machines and machines make men. Skilled workmen will demand and should receive an improved status for themselves and their families in the future framework of society.

Section 36 Culture

The basis of culture is good breeding, but good breeding is not dependent upon birth.

"Democracy's aristocracy is not one of birth , of inherited privilege, or of wealth, but it is one of charaCter, of high intelligence, of large knowledge , of zeal for service , recruited from the bosom of democracy itself. Under the opera­tion of the law of liberty true democracy will open the way to the upbuilding of an aristocracy that is all its own as well as its chiefest ornament . .. "

Nicholas Murray Buder.

Section 3 7 Revolutions and Gentlemen

Revolutions which endeavor to establish classless societies always pass . Men are not born equal in body or in brain , and no government can long sustain the effort to make them so , except before the law .

A man rises, or falls, according to his ambition and according to his value to

society. The Founder wishes to bring to the attention of the boys the value to social life

of those whom we refer to as "gentlemen of the old school. " Such gentlemen are fast disappearing in this scientific and mechanical age--this age of specialization in thousands of new fields. Men in anyone of these countless new enterprises cannot speak the language of men in other fields of endeavor. Provision should be made for a unity of moral and intellectual background, and this can only be

done in youth and should be begun in the home. Students should steep themselves in the Humanities , which always make for a

common understanding . Time should be given in this connection to the study of, and to the acquisition of, the qualities which make up the fiber of a gentle­man. Are you a man of integrity? If not , toss aside all thought of belonging to

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this socially valuable group , unless or until there is in your innermost soul an unshakable steadfastness and an inner poise that is born of faith . Appreciation of style in all outward things , as well as in personal appearance and in never-failing good manners, proclaim the gentleman . A gentleman is at ease with all class of society , although with the passing of years he will be more and more drawn to­ward the small group to which he belongs-remembering always that a snob is never a gentleman, because no gentleman is ever a snob.

Throughout the centuries birth and wealth were considered the necessary background for gentlemen. Studies should be made of the great gentlemen in history, such as Plato and Duke Federigo of Urbino . Changes must be accepted here, however, as in so many other fields . Aristocratic birth , and wealth, are no longer essentials. Absolute integrity, unflagging interest in the. welfare of man­kind, and leisure in which to acquire culture, are the basic necessities.

The very thought that gentlemen, as a class, are dying out , will undoubtedly awaken many who are training youth, to the threat of this great loss to society. Fortunately, however, there is an almost universal law which operates when something of value to mankind is about to disappear. First, there is an alarmed awareness ; then, an energetic effort is made to check the threatened loss.

Section 38 The Artist and th.e Visual Arts This scientific and mechanical age is a deplorable setting for artists. The place of art in education is directed primarily to the development of per­

sonality . The study of the visual arts is valuable or harmful to an adolescent, depending upon his character; and the effect upon him of such study should be closely observed. The instructor should endeavor to decide whether the personal­ity of a student in tliis field needs to be developed more than it already has been.

Boys of the strictly extrovert type do not need, nor do they usually care for , art expression. In this matter one should remember that all great art movements have been created by introverts who sublimate in their art a powerful, although occasionally unconscious, emotion. Valid art expression is the result of the more or less conscious frustration in the life of an introvert. With this type the pleasure of creating is its own reward . Their followers, for the most part, are extroverts and imitators, possessing emotions that are lived through consciously and heart­ily . Danger lies in having students of the extrovert type placed in art classes , lest the out-thrust of self-confidence be over encouraged. With these students the outer expression is based on little or no emotion. They work in the hope of re­ceiving praise, praise and more praise .

Art expression in youth should be recognized for what it usually is-an imper­manent adolescent flare-up. It should be observed with casual interest and little praise . Occasionally what was thought to be slight ability develops into genuine talent. Only students of exceptional ability should be encouraged to make the study of art a major interest. These srudents should lend themselves wholeheart­edly to their study , because an art once served with sincerity will never wholly abandon one, and in later life may become a source of pleasure in hours of leisure and prove to be the basis of one's own particular culture .

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Genius comes unheralded, IS unadaptable , creates In solitude, its purpose strengthened by obstacles.

Section 39 Science Special emphasis shall be laid upon the study of the sciences . Science has an

unquestioned value in assisting a student to meet the conditions of modern life . Throughout the courses the human service values of science shall be emphasized and the student trained to seek knowledge and establish facts for himself.

Only by an awakened sense of wonder maya youth become aware of his rela­tion to the universe . He possesses an intellect with which to measure and a spir­itual nature with which to appreciate the marvels of creation. Through his stud­ies with the microscope and telescope--extensions of his own senses-he acquires a certain knowledge of the physical universe and thereby understands more fully his own unique position in the cosmos.

Microscopic and telescopic work shall not be given to a student in the same year. An adolescent's mental equilibrium might easily be disturbed.

Section 40 Crafts

Crafts shall be elective. The instructors shall demand excellent craftsmanship. Students of the first four forms may be given insttuction in mechanics . The

precision of mechanics will develop the brain processes ; and a sense of honour will be developed through precision .

No trades shall be taught .

Section 41 Projects

Projects shall be elective. Under the supervision of the head of the Science Department students may have the opportunity of raising domestic fowl and small animals. The boys themselves will show initiative in the choice of projects in other fields .

Experience shows that occupations of this nature awaken many an apathetic lad and prove the best possible starting point from which to lead him into intel­

lectual paths.

Section 42 Community Service

Community service consists of greatly diversified work on the farm, in the park forest science laboratories , carpentry shop, printing press, power house , gara~e and ~tables, the result of which is in the public interest. Students may have, when possible , the privilege of selecting the department they would like to

work in . The experience derived from these diverse occupations broadens the interests

of the boys and they educate one another in discussing their work. Community service shall be compulsory for the students of the first four

forms.

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A minimum of eight hours work a week shall be required from students of the first to fourth forms, inclusive. Students of the fifth and sixth forms shall be called upon from time to time to act as working foremen over groups of boys who are under the instruction of job masters-the heads of departments. The ProVOSt may determine what community service, if any, shall be required from students of the fifth and sixth forms .

Community service shall never be assigned as a penalty . Community service, as stated in the Educational Policies, may be substituted

for sPOrts. Avon forest will be a continual source of pleasure to all students interested in

Natural History. They shall be taught the haunts and habits of wild life; how to identify the trees, shrubs and other forest plants; how trees are injured by disease and insects ; and the general principles of properly caring for forests. They shall learn the service that a forest renders to the general public, as well as to the owner.

A farm affords an ideal environment for youth. Avon students who are inter­ested in animals shall be given instruction in the feeding, care and judging of live stock. Any boy who would like to spend a night alone guarding the sheep at Hill Stead may, with the Aide's permission, do so after speaking with the farmer or shepherd. Such experiences tend to deepen the thought processes .

The Founder believes that a boy who has never known the hardships of work on a farm, in the forest or in the shops, and has never experienced the joy of completing a task, even when it means enduring physical discomfort and pain, has been deprived of one of the most valuable experiences that life can offer for the development of character.

Avonians, the Founder charges you to acquaint yourselves in youth with homely tasks , that you may be one in spirit with those who Labour.

Our forefathers of coLonial times , as weLL as many of our most eminent men of today , owe their initiative and wiLL power to the fact that in their youth they performed just such work because of actuaL necessity .

Avon provides these tasks as the best substitute availabLe for the priceless Lessons that necessity imposes .

When obstacles are smoothed away from the path of youth, young peopLe approach ma­turity with weakened mentaL and moraL fibre.

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"An obstacle is not a misfortune ; it is the dam which makes the stream a water power.

Floor plan for lower level of building designed by Mrs . Riddle (but never built) to house Gymna­sium and Library . Building would have stood on site of mrrent Gymnasium (Pierpont Student Activities Center). (See page 217)

Section 43 Sports Exercise for the most part shall be in the open air. There shall be no separate gymnasium building, but adequate indoor space

will be provided under the proposed new library for squash courtS and where students may have lessons in boxing , wrestling, fencing and judo .

Each boy shall be taught the fundamentals of boxing . The ability to strike a stunning blow develops confidence in a boy.

There are playing fields for intramural football , baseball , basketball and soc­cer, tennis courts and a tunning track.

There are opportunities for swimming, skating, skiing and riding . Thirty miles of bridle paths in the forest have been developed from the wood roads for­merly used in the winter for drawing out logs on sleds .

Insttuction in riding may be given. Instruction in shooting may be given. Instruction in fly casting shall be given . Instruction in polo may be given . Emphasis shall be placed on polo , as it develops quick reactions, coordination

and courage. Avon colours shall always be worn at games. Polo shall be the only extramural sport at Avon. The Founder has observed that students attending schools where extramural

sports are part of the sports program talk of nothing but football all aurumn long. This is an artificial whipping up of interest and boys become so obsessed with the thought of their games that their mental development is interfered with. Too much football talk stultifies the brain . These boys have no desire for quiet thought , which , after all , is the breeding ground of wisdom.

Boys of the fifth and sixth forms only who wish to play football shall be thor­oughly coached and trained to prepare them as candidates for football teams in

college.

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Section 44 Founder's Day

A weekday in mid-May shall be designated by the Provost as a holiday for the students, in remembrance of the Founder.

Section 45 Field Days

On a day or days to be determined by the ProvOSt during each academic year, there shall be arranged for all boys at the School a variety of trips to museums of science or art , planetaria, industrial plants and factories, model farms and other stimulating projects and exhibits , to be selected by the Provost and offered as alternative choices to the boys. The parents or guardians of the boys shall be notified in advance of the projected trips , and of the approximate expense thereof, and their consent shall be obtained to the boys participating in the trips.

Section 46 Annual Christmas Party

An annual Christmas Party along the lines which have become established in recent years shall be given by the School for the members of the technical staff and their families, and it shall be conducted, as in the past , by a committee of members of the fifth form . Written insttuctions for the annual Christmas Party are on file with the principal Depositary of the Trustee .

Section 47 Annual Horse Show An annual Horse Show may be held at Avon Old Farms in the spring on a date

to be decided upon by the ProvOSt .

Section 48 Founder's Medal, Device, Motto , Colours , Insignia , Order a/Old Farms , Closing Day

FOUNDER'S MEDAl: The Founder's Medal , inscribed with the student 's name , shall be presented on Closing Day , to the students in the sixth form who shall have received the Order of Old Farms; to those who shall have graduated with academic honours; to those who shall have served with distinction in Town Government ; and to those who shall have made noteworthy accomplishment in community serv­ice , crafts and projects .

DEVICE: The School Device shall be a Winged Beaver. MOrrO: The Motto shall be "Aspirando et Perseverando". COLOURS: The School Colours shall be Crimson and Blue . INSIGNIA: The Insignia shall consist of Rosettes and Ribbons , as designed and re­

corded , and shall be awarded for noteworthy accomplishment and distinguished service in the following fields :

ORDER OF OLD FARMS: Rosette with gold centre , encircled by School Colours , and Ribbon

ACADEMIC RANK: Rosette with blue centre , encircled by School Colours , and Ribbon

OFFICE IN TOWN GOVERNMENT: Rosette with green centre , encircled by School Colours , and Ribbon

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COMMUNITY SERVICE CRAFTS, AND PROJECTS: Rosette with red centre, en­circled by School Colours, and Ribbon

ORDER OF OLD FARMS: The Order of Old Farms shall be awarded to students in the Sixth Form who most generously serve the welfare of Avon Old Farms and are governed in all their human relationships by a deep sense of honour . Election to the Order of Old Farms shall be by the unanimous vote of the Faculty and the Student Council.

CLOSING DAY: Closing Day ceremonies shall be in accordance with the written instructions on file with the principal Depositary of the Trustee .

Living Room 0/ Provost 's House, 1928.

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(See note on page 116, Section IV)

Charter of the Village of Old Farms

Article I Section 1 General Purpose 0/ Charter

(a) Full and complete authority over the welfare , training and discipline of students, within the proper limits , is vested by law in the Provost of the School. In order , however , to promote the best interests of the School and more perfectly to train the students in the duties of citizenship , this Charter is granted by the Ttustee to all the students in perpetual succession .

(b) The Village Government shall consist of an executive , legislative and ju­dicial branch , as hereinafter provided for.

Section 2 Citizenship (a) All students at Avon School shall be citizens of the Village of Old Farms .

Students of the I and II forms shall not be entitled to vote. Students of the fout upper forms shall be entitled to vote . No student under fifteen years of age shall be eligible to hold office . No student may become a candidate for office when he is not entitled to vote . Students of the sixth form shall not be entitled to vote at the election in May of each year.

Post-graduates and graduates who have returned to Avon after an absence of one or more years shall be citizens of the Village of Old Farms . They shall be entitled to vote , but shall not be eligible to hold office .

The Provost and the members of the Faculty , and their wives , and their sons and daughters , fourteen years of age and over , and all others in residence at the Village , shall be citizens and entitled to vote at all elections , but shall not be eligible to hold office unless they are students at the School. They shall , with the exception of students enrolled at the School, be exempt from all excercise of au­thority by the Village Government .

Section 3 Powers and Duties The Powers and duties now vested by law in the ProVOSt in certain matters

relating to the safety, welfare , health , grounds , game, and athletics of the citi­zens shall hereafter be vested in said Village, subject in every respect , however, to the supervision and approval of the Provost as hereinafter set forth.

Section 4 Law o/Village The principle which shall govern the enactment of ordinances by the Board of Councillors and the decrees of the COutts shall be that of justice, equity , and morality as viewed by reasonable gentlemen. When not inconsistent therewith , the Federal , State and Common Law may be applied in cases not governed by ordinance.

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Section5 Supervision by Aide The ProvOSt shall appoint the Aide to act as supervisor and counsellor in the

execution by citizens of the duties and responsibilities delegated to them by th is Charter .

Section 6 Removal from Office Any official of the Village may be removed from office by the Aide for cause ,

with the approval of the Provost.

Section 7 Oath

(a) Every elective and appointive officer, before entering upon the perform­ance of the duties of his office, shall raise his right hand and make the following oath :

"I, . . .. .. . . .. . . ... ... ... .... . . .. .. . ..................... , do solemnly , sincerely and truly swear that I will faithfully perform the duties of .... . ............ . .......... . without partiality , favor or affection, to the best of my ability and understand­ing . So help me God. "

This oath shall be administered by the ProvoSt in the presence of the citizens of the Village of Old Farms at the first Village Meeting which is held after the election or appointment of the officer taking the oath . The Provost shall read the oath aloud and it shall be repeated after him by the officer taking it .

Cb) The oath , when made and subscribed, shall be filed with the Clerk of the records of the Village .

Section 8 Reports of Officers

The Warden, the Vice-Warden , the President Judge , the Village Attorney , the Clerk, the Treasurer, the several Commissioners and the Clerk of Courts , and such other officials as the Board of Councillors may from time to time determine, shall file a written report acceptable in form to the Aide , for transmission to the Provost , not later than one week before the expiration of the civic term. Such reports shall furnish a complete resume of the activities of their respective offices during their incumbency , and shall be bound and placed in the safe of the Bank of Avon Old Farms . Copies of the original records shall be bound and kept in the office of the Council.

Article II Legislative and Executive

Section 1 Board of Councillors-Authority and Election

The legislative and executive authority of the Village shall be vested in a Board of seven (7) Councillors to be elected in the following manner:

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(a) Elections shall be held in each school year during the last week in May and the first week in February .

(b) Two weeks prior to any election a nominating primary shall be held in the respective Forms hereinafter mentioned, at which each member thereof shall vote for twO students of his Form for each membership to be filled on the Board of Councillors .

(c) At the May election five (5) members of Form V, and twO (2) members of Form IV, and at the February election four (4) members of Form VI, and three (3) members of Form V, shall be chosen. They shall serve until their successors take office. Their term is sometimes called herein a civic term . At all elections voters may express their choice for any eligible citizen of the proper Form who may not have been nominated .

(d) In case of a vacancy in the membership of the Board, it shall be filled from the same Form by the candidate of that Form at the last preceding election who received the highest number of votes among the defeated candidates .

(e) The Aide shall publish regulations approved by the Provost governing the conduct of primaries and elections. The voting shall be supervised by the Aide, and shall be by secret written ballot. The Hare system of proportional represen­tation shall be used in the elections .

Section 2 Warden and Vice-Warden and Their Duties

(a) A Warden and a Vice-Warden shall be elected by the members of the Board, by seCret written ballot, from among their number at the first meeting of the Board after each election ; and they shall hold office for one term only. No Warden or Vice-Warden shall be elected to succeed himself.

(b) It shall be the duty of the Warden to preside at all meetings of the Board of Councillors, to perform faithfully the duties specifically assigned to him, and in general to see that all provisions of the Charter and ordinances are executed and obeyed and that the judgments and sentences of the CourtS are enforced and carried out.

(c) It shall be the duty of the Vice-Warden to perform the duties of the War­den in the event of his absence , removal , resignation or inability to act for any other reason .

Section 3 Clerk and His Duties

(a) One member of the Board shall be elected by ballot as Clerk of the Board at the first meeting after the election in May and February of each school year.

(b) It shall be the duty of the Clerk to copy in a substantially bound book a full and complete record of the meetings of the Board and a properly indexed record of all ordinances enacted by the Board , to arrange under the supervision of the Aide the details of primaries and elections , and in general to perform faith­fully all the duties appertaining to his office.

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Section 4 Commissioners and Their Duties

(a) The Warden of the Board shall appoint from among the members of the Board, including the Vice-Warden, a Commissioner of Public Safety , a Commis­sioner of Public Welfare, a Commissioner of Public Health , a Commissioner of Public Grounds, a Commissioner of Athletics , and Commissioners for such other departments of the Village Government as the Board shall , from time to time , establish.

(c) The Commissioners shall be appointed by the Warden as soon as he takes office after the elections in May and February of each school year. A Commis­sioner shall hold office for one term only and shall not be appointed to succeed himself.

(c) The several Commissioners shall in general exercise authority in their re­spective departments in the matters outlined below , and in such other matters as the Board of Councillors may from time to time prescribe, to the extent of power delegated to the Village Government.

Public Safety:

Public Welfare:

Public Health :

Public Grounds:

Athletics:

Discipline--Police and Fire Departments, conduct in DormitOries, condition of Buildings, including Power House and property pertaining theretO.

Social gatherings, entertainments, RefectOry.

Health of citizens , water supply, sewage disposal, sanitation of buildings, and the condition of the equipment for such utilities .

Farm, forest , park and game.

CustOdy of athletic equipment and outfits, sched­ules of games, arrangements for spectatOrs , etc.

(d) The Board shall enact ordinances providing specifically for the carrying out of these duties, and for the appointment of such citizens of the Village as assistants in each department as may be necessary.

(e) It shall be the duty of the Warden and the Councillors to report to the Aide any infractions of the Clothing Regulations and neglect of personal cleanli­ness, for the proper action.

Section 5 Treasurer and His Duties

(aj The Board of Councillors shall elect from among its members a Treasurer of the Village, whose duty it shall be to supervise the collection of taxes levied by the Board, to keep an accurate record of all receipts and disbursements , payout funds on proper order , and in general perform all other duties naturally apper­taining to his office.

(b) His accounts shall be supervised by the Aide and shall be audited two weeks before the expiration of his term by twO AuditOrs from the sixth form appointed by the Warden.

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Section 6 Board-Meetings and Duties (a) The Board shall meet regularly once a week. The meetings shall ordinarily

be open to the public. Special meetings may be called by the Warden. (b) It shall enact such ordinances from time to time as shall seem necessary to

discharge its duties and to protect the rights of the citizens of the Village. (c) No ordinance shall become effective unless, first, the text thereof, as pro­

posed by the Board , shall have been posted on the Bulletin Board hereafter re­ferred to for at least one week prior to its enactment, and, second, it shall have been approved in writing by the Aide with the assent of the Provost.

Section 7 Posting of Ordinances

A copy of this Charter and a copy of every Ordinance passed during a civic term shall be kept posted during that term on a bulletin board specially reserved for that purpose, to the end that the citizens may be thoroughly familiar with the law under which they live .

Section 8 Village Meetings A Village Meeting shall be held during the week preceding each election, at

which meeting the reports of officers shall be read . A meeting may be called at any time by the Aide or the Warden; and upon petition of one-third of the citi­zens the Aide shall call a Village Meeting for the discussion of Ordinances passed by the Board and other matters concerning the community welfare. Such meet­ings shall be open at all times to the citizens of the Village.

Article III Judiciary

Section 1 Courts and Their Jurisdiction (a) There shall be a Court of Appeals which shall be composed of the Provost.

Its jurisdiction shall be limited to appeals from the Summary Court. (b) There shall be a Summary Court consisting of three (3) Judges, who shall

be citizens of the sixth form, not on the Board of Councillors . One of them shall be President Judge. They shall be appointed by the Warden for their ability to perform judicial duties impartially, and shall serve while they are students at the School.

(c) Whenever aJudge is temporarily unable to perform his duties the Warden may appoint from the fifth or sixth forms a temporary Judge to serve during the period of such disability.

(d) The Summary Court shall have jurisdiction over all civil cases arising un­der the authority of the Village Government, subject to provision made by the Board of Councillors; Provided , However , that if the ProVOSt believes that any

244

such a nature that it would be contrary to the best interests of the School to have it tried in public, it shall be tried by the ProvOSt in camera, or in such manner as he shall direCt.

In cases tried by the Summary Court, the Court shall appoint as defense coun­sel a Master who has judicial qualifications.

(e) A citizen of the Village shall be appointed by the President Judge to serve as Clerk of the CourtS, who shall keep a permanent record of all proceedings of the COUrts and a docket of the cases. All original records shall be bound and placed in the safe of the Bank of Avon Old Farms. Copies of the original records shall be bound and kept in the office of the Council.

There may be CourtS of Inquiry .

Section 2 Village Attorney-Powers and Duties

(a) A citizen of the Village shall be appointed by the Warden to serve as Vil­lage Attorney for one term. He may succeed himself to office.

(b) It shall be the duty of the Village Attorney to investigate and prosecute all offences against the law of the Village, and to represent the Village in any mat­ters in which it may be interested .

Section 3 Procedure

(a) All Judgments and Sentences of the Summary Court shall be reached after consideration in closed session and shall be pronounced as soon as passed upon by the Aide .

(b) Complaint of any alleged unlawful act or acts on the part of any citizen may be made by any person conneCted in any way with the Village and shall be in writing and filed with the Warden.

(c) The full executive authority of the Village may be called upon to enforce Judgments and Sentences of the Courts.

Article IV Section 1 Amendment

This Charter may be amended as provided for in the Amended Deed of Trust.

Schedule D Clothing Regulations

"There is an odd and wide-spread opinion found not only in the United States but in other lands as well, that distinction of person or manner or dress is some­how Out of place in a democratic society . . . Those who are of this mind believe, or assume to believe , that democracy either approves or smiles upon dirt , vulgar­ity of speech and of manner , slovenliness of dress and avoidance of anything

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which might appear to be refined , gentle or elegant. The fact of the matter is that democracy for its fullest flower requires distinction of manner, of speech and of dress more than does any other form of society. "

Nicholas Murray Butler

Avon students shall wear the regulation clothing, or a semi-military uniform , descriptions of which are on file with the principal depositary . Regulation cloth­ing, or uniforms, when properly designed never become outmoded and acquire distinction through the years because of tradition.

These regulations are made with the objen of establishing and maintaining a standard of smartness in attire of the student body as a whole, thus training each boy to appreciate the unquestioned value that distinction in dress will have for him in later life .

The students shall be taught that personal appearance is important, and that it goes far in making a favorable impression on both friends and strangers.

The Founder has observed that when boys are thrown tOgether as in a boarding school, and are permitted at will to wear clothes of varying styles and garish colours, there is a tendency tOward exhibitionism which unduly expands the ego and results in self-consciousness and conceit. A boy so dressed has the feeling that he has actually accomplished something , when , as a matter of fact , affeCta­tion in dress is a deterrent to accomplishment with head or hands .

Professor William James said: "If a young man does not dress well before he is twenty, he will never dress well. "

A slovenly , slouching lad is pleasing to no one . There should be some oases in this country where love of tradition is fostered. Avon shall

be one of these oases; one place where, when Avonians return , they will find at least a semblance of permanence.

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"Any affectation whatsoever in dress implies in my mind a flaw in the under­standing ...

Lord Chesrerfield

"For the apparel oft proclaims the man ." Shakespeare

Roof line detail, Elephant dormitory .

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Afterword

I n addition to the people mentioned in the Introduction , the author would like to thank several other individuals for special contributions to this book.

First is Frank G . Leavitt '52 , Director of Admissions, who spent a great deal of time putting the years immediately following World War II into perspective, in terms of Don Pierpont and the re-opening School.

Also of the Class of 1952 , Seth F. Mendell , Director of Alumni and Devel­opment. In addition to our hundreds of hours of conversation about the School over the past six years , Seth has generously devoted at least two hundred hours to the location , selection , and captioning of the pictures which add so much to this School's Story.

Sidney C. Clark , Chairman Emeritus of the English Department , has guided and advised this project both practically and philosophically since its in­ception. This will come as no surprise to the twO generations of Avonians who have had the pleasure of Sid 's knowledge and friendship.

Guy 1. Wilson , President of Lithographics , Inc. of Canton , and his entire staff have gone the extra mile and spared no effort in the design , layout , and printing of the book. That extra mile , incidentally , was often traveled on a Sat­urday and Sunday , in addition to their usual hectic work week .

To one and all , thank you.

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A tranquil corner 0/ the Quadrangle, early spring.

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Bibliography Books cited in the body of the text

Ames, Evelyn Perkins , Daughter 0/ the House, BostOn , HoughtOn Mifflin , 1962

Barry, Henry , I'll Be Seeing You , New York, Knopf, 1952

Cunningham , Phyllis Fenn, My Godmother, Theodate Pope Riddle, Canaan, New Hampshire , Phoenix Publishing , 1983

Darwin , Bernard , The English Public School, London , Green & Co., 1929

Emeny , Brooks , Theodate Pope Riddle and The Founding 0/ Avon Old Farms , Avon , Connecticut , privately printed , 197 3 and 1977

Flanagan , Dr. Henry E., Aspirando et Perseverando, Ann Arbor , Michigan , Uni-versity Microfilms , 1978

Hagedorn, Hermann, Sunward I've Climbed, New York, Macmillan , 1942

Kendrick, Baynard, Lights Out, New York, William Morrow, 1945

Koestler , Frances , The Unseen Minority , A Social History 0/ Blindness in the United States, New York, David McKay Company , Inc. , 1976

Lande , Nathaniel, Cricket , New York, New American Library , 1981

Spykman, Elizabeth Choate , Westover, Middlebury, Connecticut, privately printed, 1959

Stutm , Alexander, From Ambush to Zigzag, New York , Scribner's, 1942

Sturm, Alexander, The Problem Fox, New York, Scribner's, 1941

Yates , Richard, A Good School, New York, Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence , 1978

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